Baby On Board

Chapter 3 - Results & Reactions

I closed my eyes, breathing deep through my nose.

Then I texted Alex, telling him what had happened and what was going to happen.

Finally, I texted Ash. "There. Are you happy now? I did it."

My phone turned to screen saver and I sighed, waiting for the last bell to sound off so I could go to my apointment.

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After school, I dreaded going home. Only I wasn't going home right away.

I found my father parked outside in the truck and climbed in. It was too quiet, and I aimlessly tried to create small talk, which failed miserably. So instead of talking, we both sat in silence on the way to the clinic.

When we arrived to the small building, we went inside and almost immediately were attended too.

A small woman met up with me, and after asking some basic questions, she lead me to a little check up room in the back, alone.

"So Tara, I believe you're here because you think you're pregnant, correct?"

I nodded.

"Have you and your partner been using protection? Always? Sometimes? Never?"

"Most of the time, yes." I lied through my teeth.

"Alright, well I'll just have you go pee in this cup and leave it on the back of the toilet, alright?"

I agreed numbly and took the cup with me to the bathroom.

After finishing my business, I was instructed to go back to the small room. I sat and waited for the woman to come back, and when she did she came back with a small white, thick stick dipped into the cup.

"Well, we're just gonna have to wait for the result now I guess." She tried to make the wait less anxious.

"Well Tara, it looks like you are indeed pregnant. Here, see for yourself." She wiped off the stick and washed her hands then proceeded to hand me the small stick with two dark red lines across it before sitting in a chair across from me.

"Was this an accident or planned?"

"Accident." I whispered, almost inaudibly.

"How far along do you think you are?" Her voice sounded a million miles away.

"Uhm...I'm not sure..."

"Alright, when did your last period end?"

"I don't know the exact date, but the end of January."

I kept staring at the dark lines.

"Well, let's say that you ended on the 25th. You would be 12 weeks along. Now, because you are already 12 weeks...we can't do anything as in terms of terminating the pregnancy, unless we send you to the city so you can get a special surgery. But that being said, there are other options if you don't want this baby, like adoption."

"I want it." I mumbled, still in shock at the result.

My hand automatically reached for my phone and I texted Alex quickly, telling him the result.

"Are you sure? A baby is a huge responsibility...maybe you should think about it. Here, I have some pamphlets for you to look at."

The woman spun her chair around and reached into some drawers before handing me some papers about options of pregnancy and hotlines to call.

"I'm gonna text my dad, be better to tell him while we're not in the same room, cause I don't know how he'll react."

She nodded politely and waited for me to finish typing. I hit send and turned off my phone.

"So, since you want to keep the baby, I have a list of numbers you can call. With these, you can get free prenatal vitamins, support, counselors, classes and the women in these support classes will help you find free and cheap baby things to help you when you're further along." She handed me a paper with numbers circled. "You might want to call about the pills today or tomorrow, they're very important. You also need to plan a prenatal visit at the clinic as well within the next week."

My head nodded without my consent. I was hardly able to pay attention.

"Well, good luck. Should I text you in a week to make sure that everyone has taken the news well?"

"Yes, please..."

"Alright then, have a good night and good luck with your father."

I stood up and collected all my papers and the small stick and slowly headed to the waiting room.

Without words, I showed my father the positive.

He sighed. "What now?"

"I want to keep it. I'm too far along to do anything else, and I don't want to just give it away."

With that, he stood up and we walked back to the truck.

"I was hoping you'd finish school before you got pregnant."

"Well I am basically done, I just need three more class credits because I've already taken all my classes, so that's less then a semester...and all my classes next year are easy. Besides, I have a job now so I can get credits from work hours." My mind frantically searched for a way out.

"You need to finish school."

"I know, I will."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. He hadn't even turned the engine on.

"I have some numbers for you to call, the lady in there said I need to make a doctor appointment within a week and that we should call for prenatal vitamins soon because I'll need them."

My breath came out heavily but I kept it quiet.

Suddenly my phone went off.

"How's he taking the news?"

"Surprisingly well. He seems more pissed at you then he does at me though...but he hasn't yelled at me or anything." Send.

My phone went back to screen saver.

My father sighed and reached for his cell phone before taking my paper and calling the doctor office and the place with the pills.

-vrrrrroom-

The shitty android phone I had on me lit up with a new notification.

"Good, hopefully he stays like that. I don't blame him for being mad at me though."

"Yeah...Alex, you need to tell your parents now that he knows."

"I will...just give me time."

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