17 & Pregnant [ORIGINAL VERSION}

Chapter 25

LIV

"We're lost, aren't we?" I asked, more like told Yana. We'd been driving in circles for the past two hours. "If I hadn't insisted that we load the tank, we would have been out of gas by now."

"Okay, Olivia." She said, trying to shut me up.

I folded my arms, looking out my window. I couldn't help but think about what Rob and the kids were doing. Were they at Aunt Jen's place? Did Aunt Jen leave Aaron and Rob with the kids? Did Amanda come back to take Neil?

What? That's so stupid. Since when do you worry about her coming and taking Neil?

Yeah, I don't worry.

Think about something else...

"Maybe we could try calling your cousin? You know, find out where to go from here." I suggested, pulling out my phone. She parked the car in some plaza, and when she went to get her phone, I stopped her. "It's out of power." I said, handing her mine. She chuckled, then took the phone. After two rings, her cousin picked up.

"Yana! How's it hoppin'?!" Her cousin answered with a shocking amount of enthusiasm.

"Are you drunk?" Yana asked, stifling a laugh.

"No, are you dumb?" I couldn't help but laugh when she said this.

Yana nodded with acknowledgement, "Guess I deserved that. Here's the deal, Traci. We think we're lost."

"Where are you right now? And hi, Liv!" Her cousin said. I could practically hear her waving through the phone.

Wait, that doesn't make any sense.

I could sense her greeting.

Much better.

Yana sighed, "We're at some plaza called Cherry Space-"

"You're like five minutes away from the cottage! Turn left at Roberts Avenue then keep going until you see LaVille Place. The cottage has the 12 reindeer on the front lawn. Well, before the long driveway. The pass code on the keypad is 41903644." Traci said, in one almost one whole breath, then laughed.

"Thanks, Trace. We'll see you soon then." Yana was about to hang up, when Traci started talking again.

"Hurry, we're about to make gingerbread houses!" With that last word, she hung up.

Yana started driving, then smiled smuggly, "And you thought we were lost."

I scoffed, "At least, unlike you, I had some idea of where we were."

"No you didn't."

"Exactly."

******

"What's that you're making?" Zara, one of the young moms at the retreat, asked me. We were all gathered in the dining room making our own gingerbread houses, and she was on my left. They came with the fee of $100.00. Apparently, they got a chef, but the cottage was free. So, we're pretty much just paying for food.

"A gingerbread house." I said, jokingly stating the obvious. She rolled her eyes and smiled, "Obviously. What are you doing with it?"

"I don't know..." I looked at it, then at her, "My main goal is to get as much sugar and candy on it as possible." She laughed when I said that, and I laughed too. Laughter is contagious.

"Five more minutes, ladies!" This brunette-haired white woman called out from one head of the table. She had stopped me at the front door to make sure I payed my fee. Yana almost started a fight with her, then started claiming that she was racist since she didn't bother asking the freeloader to pay up. I just tried not to laugh the whole time.