Problems

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I told Kevin to meet me at my house later on tonight after I texted him that I was done with my homework. My parents never pay attention to the backyard, so they don't know about the ladder Lexie keeps back there so her boyfriend can sneak up to her room. I overhear the phone calls he has with his mother sometimes because he has to go out into the hallway to take them. He tells his mom that he is at his friend Troy's house and he will spend the night if it gets too late. I laugh at him sometimes because he still lives with his mother, but he really doesn't have much more of a place to live other than his friend Troy's house.

I get out my textbook and look for the page the teacher told us to do. It seems easy since we went over the steps in class, and because it's only fifteen problems. I'm glad I only have this one thing to tonight. I haven't had a lot of homework in my other classes since the second semester started. They make do all this SAT prep stuff for next year. I sometimes imagine what it'll be like around SAT time. Hopefully there will be no homework and we'll get sent home early like the seniors get to do. That would be better on all of us.

I hear a light knock on my door. "It's open!" I call out. Honestly I want to focus on my homework, and I'm too lazy to get off my bed and get the door. I see Lexie standing in the doorway with something under her shirt. Her face is pale white, like a blanket of snow. She's wearing a tank top and shorts, which are her pajamas.

"What's up Lex?" I ask, putting my homework aside.

"I need you to help me with something," she says, pulling a brown paper bag from under her tank top.

"What's in the bag?" I ask. She pulls out a box of pregnancy tests. My eyes widen. I can feel my heartbeat in my throat. What did he do to my sister. "Pregnancy tests? Lex please tell me that y-," I begin to say. She covers my mouth with her hand. She walks over to the door and shuts it. "I don't know okay! We were fooling around about two weeks ago and we forgot about protection," she explains.

"But why would you come to me for help? Why not your other friends?" I ask, crossing my arms. She rolls her eyes like I'm being ridiculous, but all I'm being is reasonable. "My other friends would never look at me the same way if I were to be pregnant," she answers. Of course, that's her answer. Lexie has always put what people thought of her before her own self respect. "And what if you are pregnant? Then what are you going to do? If you keep it, Laser will be sent to jail," I tell her. I didn't think it could be possible, but she became paler. Her eyes widened as well. "If I am, I-I'm going to abort it," she announces. I feel a lump form in my throat. Lexie, abort a baby? She has always been against abortion. She always believed it was murder. "But Lex-," I begin to say.

"No, I'm not going to let you talk me out of it Cam. I'll do anything to protect Laser from going to jail," she says, standing up. She takes my hand and the box of tests and heads for my bathroom door. Things would be totally different if she were not go through with the abortion if she were pregnant. No more Laser. Mom and Dad might(mostly likely not)quit the drugs and accept her for her choice. Or they may yell at her, and throw her out of the house. Lexie doesn't think before she does things. Her messes just keep growing bigger and bigger.

The huge weight in my chest has finally been lifted. Ever since Lex told me that she may or may not be pregnant, it was there. But the test is negative, thank God. I don't know why her period is late, but we know for sure that it's not because a baby is growing inside her. I'm glad she isn't pregnant honestly. She would be miserable without Laser, and she doesn't want a baby yet. I would hate to see her in such a terrible state.

I text Kevin to come over. I lie about finishing my homework because I would feel terrible if I got it done later in the evening, and then he probably wouldn't be able to get out of the house. I'm nervous for this talk. I'm not prepared for anything he is going to say. My plan is to wing it, but I always crack under pressure. But it's Kevin. I can say anything to Kevin. I guess it's different when your best friend kisses you I guess. I don't get why he would do that out of the blue. Did he think that it was just the right moment for him? Or did he just did what I told him to do when he wasn't sure about something.

One day last year Kevin wasn't sure if wanted to jump in the lake when other girls were around at a party. I told him "Whenever you're unsure of something, just count to three in your head, and then do it!". Sometimes my advice really comes back and bites me in the butt.

I hear small knock at my window that makes me jump out of my skin. The littlest things can scare me out of the blue, when I least expect it. I look and see Kevin standing on my small balcony. He has his hands dug in his jean pockets and his hair is messy. I've never seen his hair messy before, but it has a nice look on him. I get off my bed, throwing my homework aside, and open the door to the balcony. "I'm a complete idiot. My actions were very sudden and I feel awful for not asking your permission. I don't want to loose you as a friend, Cammie," he babbles. I can tell he's really nervous because he keeps wiping his hands on his pants. He keeps rambling on about how sorry he is and ways he wanted to make up for it. I look at him, my head tilted to the side. His sorry/ confused expression is adorable. I've never noticed how attractive he is until now. His lips curve to make a slight smile on it's own, which I think is adorable. His chiseled face makes him seem older than fifteen. The way his eyebrows furrow all the time make me like him even more.

I kiss him to break the awkward slience. He cups my cheek with one hand and wraps his arm around my waist with the other. I know this is right this time. My first kiss wasn't wasted. It just wasn't as good as my second. Things will be a little awkward now, but I don't care. Maybe with him as this role in my life will make my life not as bad as it is now.