The Secret Life of The American Teenager

Chapter One

As soon as I walked out of the butcher shop and turned the lock for the last time, I knew I made a huge mistake. Hands sweating, I shakily made my way to the car where my parents are standing, waiting to take me to the airport, which will then take me to my new life in New York.
"Mom, I-I don't know about this," I say as I start to turn back around.
"John..."
Mom briefly rolls her eyes before catching my wrist and pulling me backwards.
"Amy. You've gone back and forth too many times, let's go."
I give my dad a sideways glance and he simply shrugs. I half-heartedly climb into the backseat, dragging my suitcase along with me. As the car pulls away, I catch myself staring at the butcher shop window hoping, praying that I was making the right decision.

By the time we reach the airport, my eyes are wet with tears and I am shaking more than necessary. My dad comes around and hauls out my suitcases for me and we don't even make it in past security before I'm straining against my mom's grip and pleading to go back to my son.
"Mom, please! I need him! I need my son!"
"Amy quit it! You're making a scene! John is fine with Ricky, this is your decision, this is your life. Isn't this what you've always wanted? To attend college in New York? Come on, Amy."
"Yeah, well, that was before I got pregnant." I mutter under my breath.

  "Okay, Ames, let's go." Dad says after we pass through security and make our way down to my terminal.

  After what seems like hours upon hours of waiting, they call my flight to start boarding. My parents hug me, kiss me, and tell me everything will be fine. I know it will, I really do. But the thought of me being thousands of miles away from my one main source of joy, my son, it breaks my heart.
  I wake to the sound of the pilot announcing we will be landing soon, to put up electronics and buckle up. I wipe my eyes groggily and glance out the window. Well, I'll give you one thing. This city certainly is beautiful. I crack a grin and a flurry of excitement flutters through me. Mom was right, I tell myself, This is my life.

It's 10:52pm and I'm all settled into my dorm room. I've met my roommate, Riley, and she's pretty cool. I picked up chicken wings on my way home from "scouting out my surroundings" and I couldn't help but think of Ben. I smile. My fingers soon find my cell phone and I run them over the smooth keys. Should I call him? No, don't be stupid. He's fine. He's fine. My eyebrows twitch and before I know it, I'm dialing Ricky's number.
"Hello? Amy?"
"Hey, Ricky. Um, I was just calling to check on John? How are you? Er, I mean, how is he? Can I talk to him? Oh, but how are you, too?"
I bite my tongue and silently curse myself for sounding so dumb.
He gives a slight laugh.
"John's fine, I put him down for bed a little bit ago. Do you want me to wake him so you can talk to him?"
"No, that's alright. I, um, just wanted to see how he was."
"Amy, I know that you know there's a time difference. Didn't you know I've already put him down? Is something else bothering you?"
My heart pounds a little and I can feel sweat forming on my forehead.
"Ricky, did I do the right thing?"
I whisper, tears forming around my eyes. He sighs and waits a few seconds before replying.
"Truthfully, I don't know Amy. But what I do know is that you deserve to be where you are now. You've earned it. Listen, we can work something out. I can fly up with John or you can fly down to visit every week. It'll work, Amy."
"Ricky, where are we going to get that kind of money? You work at the butcher shop and I'm unemployed and we're both attending college! We can't afford that. My parents might pay for one trip but weekly? Or even monthly trips? There's no way. God, I knew this wasn't going to work out." By now I'm crying and want nothing more than to be back at home, sleeping in my bed, with my parents nearby and Ricky, or Ben, I don't even know anymore, being nearby as well.
"Amy, calm down," He says, his voice, anything but calm, rising in anger. "Listen, I don't know what to say to you because you always have a negative comment about everything I suggest so I don't know, Amy. But what I do know is that I'll be here, taking care of John and he'll be fine. You'll be fine. I'll be fine. We're all going to be just fine, Amy. It'll work out." His voice lowers and I can tell he's tired.
"Thank you, Ricky. Thank you for all you've done and for all you do," I whisper softly. "I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Amy." Click.
I pull the phone away from my ear and watch his name disappear from the screen. I sigh, fall back into my pillows, and slip into a dreamless sleep.