The Scandal

8. Confession

Smiled.

So carefree.

"What's up?" he asked me. He leaned against the wall behind him, sliding his phone into his front pocket.

For some reason, that was really hot. I kind of wanted to walk up and kiss him. And kiss him and kiss him and kiss him. I didn't.

Instead, I walked up to him and told him my biggest secret.

"I'm pregnant."

Just like that.

And his face changed, and that was the worst part of telling someone, seeing the color drain from their face.  It was Leo's eyes, though, that made me look away from him and down to the floor out of stomach-turning anxiety, because his eyes grew, I swear, ten times their normal size from the fear that my two-word confession struck in him. The thing about it was that his eyes were usually small, and there was usually a green to them but even that seemed to go away in the moment and they just looked brown.

It took him what seemed like an entire decade to say just one meaningless word.

"Oh."

"Oh?" I repeated him, making it clear enough that it wasn't an appropriate reaction.

I needed him to give me something. I secretly hoped he'd make me feel better, but I also knew better than that. His comforting way flew off with my revelation. I didn't blame him.

"I don't know." He paused. "Like... are you gonna keep it?" His voice sounded like a child's, full of caution and fear and confusion.

It wasn't like I didn't expect some kind of question like that, but it somehow still punctured me, way down in the pit of my stomach like a punch.

His tone said he really hoped I didn't keep it; he really hoped I'd get an abortion.

Me too, but it couldn't go that way.

"My parents already know. I don't have a choice anymore," I said in reply. "They'd never let me... not have it."

He stood up straighter, shifting his position. He crossed his arms and looked off to the side. He knew my parents and he knew it was true; they were as Christian as they come. His parents were like that too, so he probably understood, at least a little bit, but he also probably didn't care much.

"Well... so, what, are we gonna have a kid now? Together? Me and you?" he asked as if he was trying to put together a thousand piece puzzle.

Together. Me and you.

"I have no other choice," I said slowly, repeating myself for him.

Another long pause fell over us until he broke the silence by asking a very wrong question that I bet he wouldn't have asked if he thought about it for a second longer.

"Wait, can't it be someone's else's? Luke's or someone's?"

I tilted my head at him. "What, you think I have sex with a bunch of guys or something?" I snapped, taking a step back.

"What? No!" he responded quickly, trying to fix his mistake. "No, I just meant... I don't know! The idea that you've slept with at least one other guy isn't, like, unbelievable!"

I rolled my eyes at him, and I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I was unsure of where it came from, and I reached up and wiped it away as fast as I could. I didn't want him to think I was sad; I wasn't sad. He hadn't made me sad, just angry.

"I'm not a slut, Leo," I said quietly, but strongly before turning away from him.

I walked away, out the door and left him there.

Outside, I saw his mother drive up. She got out of her car and she waved at me.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you?" she asked me politely, smiling.

"Hey, I'm good," I lied.

Then she went inside to get her son, and I went to Mateo's car.

I thought about how that could, and probably would, be the last time she saw me and saw me as a 'sweetheart'. Leo would have to tell them, and I wondered if after that she would want to talk to me at all.

"Did you tell him?" Teo asked me when I closed the door and let out a deep sigh.

Of course he figured that out.

I nodded. "Yeah. I don't wanna talk about it."

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A/N: please vote and comment thoughts for chapter 9 :)