TW: TEEN PREGNANCY!
It had been weeks since the pogues started treasure hunting. They were desperate for answers, but none came to them. Not even a hint.
If you'd have told Maisie a month ago, that she'd be hugging the toilet as her throat dried up, she would not believe you. She wasn't the kind of person to puke, not due to alcohol.
Maisie lifted up her phone, ignoring the instagram messages she was still getting from that video, and scrolling down her contacts. Each of her friends had been spamming her, asking if she could come to the chateau, or if she was alright.
But she wasn't.
She craned her head back against the wall. Her knees pulled to her chest. All the names on her contacts, were not appealing to her at all. She wanted to order a pizza, she tried to. However, her upset stomach had other plans for her.
The worst part is, Maisie had been fired from her job. Maybe that was why she felt that way?
"I've seen it. You looking like a total slut, when you're supposed to be working at a kid's party." her boss, named Elijah, spat.
She crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot up and down against the floorboards. "Slut, huh?" she challenged, chuckling a little, "You have no idea how drunk I was, or how—"
Maisie paused, knowing she had exposed herself even more, and not in a good way.
He cocked an eyebrow, "So you got drunk too?" the man questioned, scoffing.
At this point, she had given up.
"Yes. I did get drunk. And i'm sure you do that sometimes too, right? So you can't get mad."
Elijah shook his head, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth, hands held at hips, "I can't have the kids' parents seeing that video and not wanting to come here." he sniffed, "You're fired."
Maisie was so mad at herself. She never trusted many guys, but when she actually did, it went wrong. Of course it did. Some days, she felt like she was the most unlucky person on OBX.
Snapping her out of her thoughts, her phone began to ring, rather than ping, due to messages. She let out a groan, looking over at the phone in her lap. It was Kiara.
She would rather not answer any calls, but it would only worry people even more.
So she did accept.
"Hey?" Maisie croaked out, fumbling with a strand of her hair.
Kie didn't even greet back, she immediately asked what mattered most, "You okay?"
Maisie chuckled weakly, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "Not really, but I will be."
"What happened?"
The redhead kept quiet for a minute, swallowing down a sudden nauseous feeling that swept through her once again. "Been throwing up." she murmured in response, and Kie tsked.
"You sure you're not pregnant?" she joked, making Maisie laugh at first, amused at her best friend's joke. But then, she realised, it would be a reasonable explanation.
She had missed her period.
She had been throwing up.
It would be no surprise.
"I'm — not pregnant, okay?" she said to Kie, although it was really meant for herself. She couldn't think of stupid possibilities like that, when it could just be a bug, or food poisoning.
Maisie could hear Kie's nod through the phone, "I'm coming over, babe. You need your best friend." she stated, and Maisie wanted to reply, but the sickness feeling had washed over her again. Clogging up her throat.
She dropped the phone to the floor, unintentionally making the screen crack slightly as she raised her head over the toilet. Puke streamed out of her mouth, and it was horrible. Ever since she was young, she had a phobia of being sick.
"You can come." Maisie barely let out, after putting her phone on speaker.
"I'm already on my way!" Kie exclaimed, wanting none other than to comfort her best friend. The one that was there for her the moment they started talking. It didn't matter if Kie was a kook, she still fulfilled Maisie's happiness.
Maisie then hung up, before sliding her back down the wall. To say she was uncomfortable, was an understatement. Not only was she overwhelmed by the fact she was facing her fear, but also because of the different questions roaming her mind.
Before Kie got there, Maisie threw up one more time. Yet she never moved from the bathroom. She couldn't bring herself too. Every bone in her body was just telling her to wait for her best friend, and allow that girl to motivate her.
"Mais!" a feminine voice called out. Kie.
"I'm here." Maisie announced the best she could. Fortunately, the echoing of the bathroom increased the volume of her tone.
Footsteps sounded through the hallway, stopping as they reached the bathroom door.
"Can I come in?" the Carrera girl asked softly, making Maisie sigh in relief.
Maisie finally pulled her body away from the wall, her posture straightening, "Mhm."
As soon as Kie opened the door, and her eyes met the other girl, her heart dropped. Maisie looked as though she had all the joy ripped from her body. Her cheeks were scarlet, contrasting with the pale skin on her face.
"Oh my god, you look terrible!" Kie let out, and when Maisie sent her a glare, she shook her head in regret, "Sorry, sorry — I didn't mean it like that." she assured, kneeling down to be closer to Maisie.
"Nah, it's fine." Maisie tried to smile, but failed greatly, "I do look terrible." she admitted.
Kie moved a strand of hair out of her face, reaching to check Maisie's temperature by putting her hand on her forehead. "You're hot." Kie told her, pinching her eyebrows together.
"I thought you just said I look terrible?" Maisie teased, making Kie roll her eyes, and jokingly scoff.
"Hush — you're boiling."
"I know."
Kie sighed, putting Maisie's hand in hers, "Have you taken a test, girl?" she questioned. And suddenly reality kicked in again.
"No." Maisie denied, "And I don't plan to."
It was then that Kie pulled a bag from behind her back. Surprisingly a plastic one. Maisie took it from her friend's hands, and when she looked in there, her eyes widened.
"Kiara —" she whined.
But Kie wasn't having it. She was acting like a mother, not that Maisie would know.
"You're going to take it, whether you like it or not." the brunette seethed, as she gripped onto each of Maisie's shoulders.
And she did, surprisingly. However, for that to actually happen, Kie made a deal with her that if she took the test, she'd buy her dinner and ice cream after.
Sitting on the toilet, Maisie bounced her leg up and down, anxiety washing over her as she awaited the results. The test was upside down on the counter, facing away from her so she couldn't see.
It was a waiting game.
There were so many possibilities, but Maisie was only thinking of the negative ones. No pun intended.
Her heart was thumping in her chest, as if it was readying itself to jump out. She knew full well who she last had sex with, and who the father would be. JJ. JJ fucking Maybank, her best friend. God, it was already awkward enough because of the sex, let alone a pregnancy.
The timer then began to echo, its beeping startling Maisie from her thoughts. She didn't want to look, she couldn't. Her body was practically frozen in place, and not planning to move at all.
"Mais. Whatever the results are, I'm here for you." Kie shouted from behind the door.
Maisie took those words as a source of motivation. She took a deep breath, murmuring inaudible words to herself as she reached over to the counter. Her hand was shaking frantically, making it hard for her to grab the test.
"Come on!" Maisie yelled out in frustration, her hand reaching for it again, but this time, she had accidentally knocked it onto the floor.
Her heart dropped.
How could one word, 'pregnant', have so much effect on her when it's written on a stick?
She pinched her arm, squeezed her eyes shut — everything, just to hope it was a dream, and that she'd wake up pregnancy free.
But no.
"This has got to be a joke!" Maisie cried out, her shaky words immediately making it obvious to Kie about whether she was carrying JJ's little swimmer or not. In all honesty, Kie wanted to call them both dumb by what they had caused. But at the same time, Maisie didn't need that right now.
"I — I'm so sorry Mais." Kie spoke softly, getting up from the floor, "Do you wa —"
Before she could finish her question, the door opened, and Maisie leaped into her arms. Sobs escaping her lips as she dampened the Carrera girl's clothed shoulder with tears.
"I can't be a mom! I'm sixteen! My dad hates me! I lost my job! This is a disaster!" Maisie wept, her words muffled. Kie couldn't stand it, listening and feeding one of her closest friends break down into floods of tears. But she had to stay strong for her.
She rubbed circles on the small of Maisie's bare back, just beneath the hem of her crop top.
"It isn't the best, no. But you're Maisie Kay. I've seen you with kids, and whether you decide to keep it or not, you're great with them." Kie claimed, brushing her fingers through the abandoned knots in Maisie's hair, "I also know that you're super strong. You can get through anything, alright?"
Maisie couldn't believe the last part. Losing her job was one thing, but getting pregnant?
Jesus.
"Thank you so much." Maisie sniffled, pulling away to look at her, "Now — I could really use a distraction. I'm begging." she pleaded.
Kie cocked an eyebrow, "After all that?"
"I need it."
"Alrighty, I guess I'll call John B then..." Kie trailed off, grabbing her phone.
Maisie nodded, trying her best to master a grin, despite being an anxious wreck on the inside. In reality, she wanted to cry her eyes out again, until every single tear was drained from her body.
She was pregnant — at sixteen.
≫∘❀♡❀∘≪
John B had picked both Kie and Maisie up, and took them to the chateau. It was calm at first. John B wasn't interrogating Maisie, he wasn't acting different. He was being his normal, annoying self.
Then, Pope came.
Which meant, only JJ was left to arrive. Maisie couldn't deal, why was he so late?
Not that the Kay girl exactly wanted to see him, after all he was partly to blame for everything that went on in the past few hours.
She inhaled the wind, going to shut her eyes and relax herself for just a moment. However, her luck had other plans.
"Look who finally showed up!" John B yelled out, making the boy walking down the grass — JJ — stick his middle finger up, and scowl. His hair was messy, hiding under his cap, and he looked as though he had only just put his clothes on. Which was honestly, no surprise when it came to him.
Maisie automatically thought that JJ slept with a girl last night, and that was why he looked so out of place. But really, he hadn't. She just didn't know that, how would she?
"Did I miss anything?" the blond asked, sitting himself down on a round table that had been misplaced there from the storm.
Pope scrunched his nose, shaking his head, "Nothing, except how peaceful it was."
"As if."
Maisie felt bad. Really bad. JJ was clueless, he had no idea she was pregnant with his baby right now. Her mind kept telling her to speak to him, privately, and admit it. But her heart was telling her something different. To not say a word.
"Look, I'm callin' it off. All right?" John B spoke up, earning everyone's eyes on him, "Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh, she'll help me with DCS." he told them.
JJ threw a rock into the distance, "And you believed her?"
"Yes, I believe her, JJ."
They had known Peterkin for years. Ever since they were babies, even. And as annoying as she seemed sometimes, she looked out for them. Unlike Shoupe, who was so evidently scared of the kooks, that he did everything for them.
"An actual cop, John B. You believed a cop." and then JJ threw another rock.
"All I gotta do is stay out the marsh for a couple days, and she'll help me out. And it doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting a gun."
Maisie had forgotten about that, but it wasn't nice being reminded of it again. Especially in her condition. God, she could do with a four leaf clover right now. She stood up, and went to grab a beer, but then — she remembered, and had no choice but to sit herself back down on the log.
No alcohol.
Fuck.
Hearing those two argue, whilst she was sober, was painful. They were like siblings, but when it came to arguments, it was bad.
"You know what I should have done? I should've just let Topper drown your ass." and then off went another rock, flying into the air.
"Topper was gonna drown me?"
"Sure looked like it." JJ stood up from the table, his feet taking him towards the shed where the others sat, "I mean, have you looked in the mirror recently?"
Maisie chuckled, "Have you looked in the mirror? You look like you've just fell into a bush." she joked, making the others snort. Except JJ. He had scoffed, pointing his finger towards her, "I actually just haven't been able to sleep since that guy — Zach, was that his name? Anyways, as I was saying —"
Maisie felt uncomfortable now. Hearing Zach's name, made her stir in her seat.
"JJ." Kie scolded, sending him a glare as if to force him to a stop. And he did. He actually did.
But then he went to bicker with John B again.
"Tell us some more. Come on." the Routledge boy urged, completely unbothered.
JJ stepped closer, leaning his arm on a piece of wood that had been stacked up. He had this cold look, and it was unnerving. "They always win, don't they?" JJ paused for a minute, "Kooks versus Pogues. They always, always win!" he yelled, punching the ball that was hanging in the air by a string, and turning back away from them.
Maisie furrowed her eyebrows, and stood herself next to Kie, "You're acting like a child."
"I'm —"
Shut cut him off, knowing what he was gonna say and not wanting to hear it. "Yes!" she interjected, and maybe it was the hormones, but she really wanted to slap him across the face.
"Alright, it's okay!" Kie shouted out.
Then, as always, JJ started heading back towards them. It was like a sequence.
"No, it's not okay! It is not! They don't want us to go in the marsh! That means there's something valuable down there, and you know it!" by you, he was referring to John B, who just turned his head away, and stared into the distance.
"I know you do." JJ's voice softened, "And I understand why you don't wanna go." he pointed to Pope, "You're the golden boy. You got way too much to risk." he then moved his focus at Kie, "You, I mean, you're already rich as fuck anyway. Why would you bother?"
Now, finally, he went to Maisie. Pointing towards her. To be fair, she hadn't been the nicest to him since he got there, but he deserved it.
"And you, you're just like John B and I. Got nothin' to lose."
That was true, her dad was an abusive asshole. And her mom — well, she's dead. However, being pregnant made her vulnerable. More vulnerable than anything. She didn't even know what she was doing yet; whether she was keeping it or not.
It was a decision that would change her life.
"JJ." John B let out.
"And I know it didn't used to be that way for you both." JJ went on to say, his eyes constantly going from Maisie to JB. He couldn't decide who to look at. Maisie just stayed quiet, she didn't need another reminder that her dad was like that. And John B didn't need a reminder that his dad was missing.
"I don't want to talk about this." the curly haired, brunette boy made clear, starting to walk away, "I don't want to talk about it." he repeated.
"So that's it?"
JJ was really pushing it now.
John B shoved him away, ducking underneath the banner of hanging coconuts, "Just get out my way, bro." he huffed.
"John B, listen to me. I have a plan."
Maisie, Kie, and Pope shared concerned glances with each other as soon as he said that.
"I wonder..." Maisie trailed off, massaging the back of her neck. She stared over at them, and this nausea feeling overtook her again. Just as it had done earlier when she was hugging the toilet.
The redhead held her mouth, before rushing to the chateau as fast as she could. She ignored their confused calls for her, desperate to find a good place to throw up in.
And she did find one.