The Baby (bump) Blues [FINISHED]

The baby (bump) blues (Part 14)

The group-

As I followed the other girls into the room, I realized that I had left my sandwich in the car. I would have to wait to eat it until after group. I sat down and looked at each girl. Two of them had baby carriers, one was holding her bundle while the other thoughtlessly rocked hers back and forth. Both girls looked so worn out. Three girls looked ready to pop, two had the tiniest, beginners bumps, one had a completely flat stomach, and the other six had bumps around the size of mine.

"Welcome girls." Doctor Tina Withrow said. "How about we start by introducing ourselves, I'll start. My name is Tina, I'm thirty-five and I have three children. My first one, a daughter, I had when I was seventeen, she is now eighteen. I also have a five year old daughter and a twenty-one month old son. Next," She looked at the blond girl with the flat stomach next to her...and the meeting went on. The girls in the meeting varied from 15 ½, the youngest, to eighteen, the oldest. Mostly, the girls were sixteen and seventeen. The blond, with the flat tummy, was only eight and a half weeks along and still contemplating abortion. Four of the girls were giving their babies up for adoption, two were considering adoption, and the rest were keeping them. Honestly, I had never considered my other options. In the beginning, I had been scared, but never had I considered getting rid of little Hayden, even before I fell in love with her.

I hadn't thought I would like it, but the meeting gave me time to get out all of my pent-up emotions; the mood swings, swollen ankles, sore boobs, the un-dire wanting (of the gay best friend might I add), and on and on. It was nice to know all of the other girls experienced that too. I was shocked when I discovered only three of the girls were still with the father's and one of them had gotten married. When the meeting ended, I felt a lot better. I hurried out to the lobby, in hopes of finding Clarissa, but she was gone. A 'caution: wet floor' sign was in her place though. I walked over to the receptionist. "Excuse me, but that girl, Clarissa...she was pregnant. Do you know what happened to her?" The lady smiled, "She fell into labor an hour ago." I sighed, "Can you do me a favor? When she is better, give her a message for me?" I wrote down my name and phone number and then headed home, enjoying my Philly cheese-stake sub.

Seven months-

"Happy Valentines day." Jamie crooned, kissing my cheek and giving me a HUGE box of chocolates. I hugged him, which was more of a side-hug considering the large oval between us, and gave him his box. "I guess it's safe to say that I'm 'yours' again this year." I joked, "Unless you've got some hot date?" I smiled expectantly, Jamie needed to get out more. He frowned, "Nope, no date. It's just you and me." He threw his arm around my shoulder. "And me." Libby announced, coming up behind us. "You can't leave me out." I linked arms with her on my free side as we walked up the school steps. "Has my dim-wit brother called you?" Libby asked, looking over at me. I shook my head, "Didn't know he was going to call, I didn't even know he was back." Libby shrugged, "He got in last night, kind of late." David had gone off for the last month to visit his aunt, I didn't ask for details, but Libby had said he was pretty confused about a lot of stuff. Whatever, I mean, I was fine without him...Jamie had a strange look on his face. "You okay?" I asked him. He snapped out of some sort of thought bubble and nodded, "Yea, perfect." I didn't believe him. I grabbed the hand that dangled on my shoulder and squeezed it; he smiled weakly at me. The bell rang and Libby groaned, "Ready for report cards?" I leaned against Jamie, "Not really." I moaned, Libby smiled. "I've got school today too," Jamie said, "So...good-luck." He kissed my cheek again, brushing his lips on it gently. I watched him walk away and had a weird feeling twist in my gut...? Libby grabbed my hand, "Lets go princess, time for school."

First period crawled by and when the bell finally rang to release us, we all went to the teacher's desk to get our report cards. I was the last in the line, so when I got to Mrs. Kreamer's desk, mine was the only one left. Mrs. Kreamer smiled and handed me my card, "Considering your situation and the amount of school you've missed, you're doing amazingly well, keep it up." I opened it up and looked at it, three A's and one C, in Government of course. I sighed in relief. Libby was waiting by my locker. "How are your grades?" She asked, "Great," I replied. "Or, well, a lot better than I expected." I handed her my report card while I opened my locker. "wow, someone's intelligent." I rolled my eyes. "How was yours?" I asked. "Mediocre." She mused, bored. "Can I see it?" I asked. She handed me a folded up square. I opened it and my jaw dropped, "Straight A's Libby! Oh my god." She shrugged. "How do you make all A's with one hundred and fifty missing hours?" Libby smiled. "one sixty now." I rolled my eyes, Libby shrugged again. "I have my work sent to me, volunteer hours are counted as school days, you get a whole week to return your missing homework and life goes on."

I leaned again my locker and touched my stomach. Libby's eyebrow arched, "Hayden's kicking. She does that a lot lately." Libby watched me for a while and then placed her hand on my stomach with mine. "She had a good roundhouse kick, doesn't she?" And then a wicked smiled, "I can't wait to teach her how to fight." I pushed Libby, "You are not going to teach her to fight. But, speaking of fighting, you hear what happened with Tara?" Libby shook her head, "Her mom had her pulled from her classes and she now only comes to school for first hour Chemistry. She takes all online classes." Libby laughed, "Wow." "I know."

During second hour, which Mr. Patel was subbing, everyone was receiving their Valentines. I doodled on my notepad, not expecting to get more than chocolates from Jamie, when a large bundle of red roses got placed on my desk. I looked up and Mr. Patel smiled, "Someone adores you." I looked through the roses, each perfectly bloomed with no missing pedals as if hand selected, for some sort of card. There was a small one, attached to the plastic bag holding the stems together: 'Thinking of you, always' was printed in perfect penmanship. I frowned, no name? I looked up and sighed, this was going to annoy me.

I found Libby in the hall, "Did you send me flowers?" I asked her. She frowned, "No, was I suppose to get you some?" I shook my head, "Of course not, but somebody sent me like, two-dozen. I had to leave them with Mr. Patel because they were too heavy to carry around all day." Libby smiled and I saw David watching us, well me, from across the hall. My heart skipped a beat. "Oh my god, do you think it was David?" Libby watched her brother and then shrugged. "I don't know, I mean, maybe." I watched him watch me, wondering if he had sent me the roses, when Rhea stalked over to him. She was angry about something, for sure, but I couldn't hear what it was from here. I looked at Libby and she frowned again, "You go to class." She said, "I'll handle this." And I believed her.

Okay- next chapter. I realize that I skipped over Christmas, so, during part two of this story I'll have some sort of flash back to it....

Hope you all like this chapter-- What do you think is up with Rhea? What about Jamie? Do you think you can guess the secret that Libby knows? Who are you rooting for?

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