I KNOW IT'S SHORT SRRY :(
VOTE.COMMENT.LIKE.TWEET.TELL A FRIEND :D
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I sat in the hard plastic chair next to Carter. His hand was intertwined with mine. The air smelled of a mixture of pine sol and Clorox and everything was white: the walls, ceiling, the tiles placed upon the floor. I stared across at this Hispanic couple. The woman’s stomach protruded out leaving me to think that she was pregnant. Her lip was swollen and there was a black and blue mark above her left eye. I know that you weren’t suppose to judge books by their cover, but if anybody looked at this couple they would suspect that the guy was abusing the girl from the obvious mishaps that were printed on her body.
I felt Carter’s grip tighten on my hand. I looked up towards his face. He was staring intently at the wall. Maybe he was just thinking, there was so much to think about. What if I had a disease? What if I had given it to Carter? That was the worst part, knowing that I had a disease and that I had given in to Carter because I was stupid and didn’t think through things.
I heard the door that led to the rooms open. A middle aged woman who looked as if she was ready to go home walked out. She glanced down at the charts that were held in her hands.
“Carter,” she called out. Carter once again squeezed my hand and then we both got up and walked over to the lady. “Are you Lizzie?”
“Yes,” I said while nodding.
“Okay, go in the third room on your right.” Carter began to walk to the back and I followed him. We went in the room and the nurse closed the door behind us. “Whoever wants to go first, sit in the grey chair.”
“I’ll go first,” Carter said as he let go of my hand and then sat in the chair.
“Okay, I have to ask you a few questions and these questions will remain confidential unless notified otherwise. Are you okay with her being in the room while I ask you them?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever been tested before?”
“No.”
“Do you drink or smoke?”
“I drink occasionally.”
“Have you had more than one partner in the last year?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“Two,” he answered as his eyes focused on the floor.
“Have you been with the same sex?”
“No.”
“Have you ever used drugs?”
“No.”
“Have you ever had an STD?”
“No.”
“Alright, that’s it,” she said. She pulled down an arm rest on the chair and asked Carter to place his arm on it. She gave him a ball to squeeze. I watched as she pulled out a tube with a green rubber top. She withdrew a needle from the drawer. She snapped the paper off it and took off the cap. I looked on as her fingers felt for a vein. She stuck the needle into his arm and blood flowed into the tube.
Once she had enough she placed her finger over the needle and pulled it out to keep his arm from bleeding. She placed a band aid on his arm and then she wrote something on the tube in permanent market. She lifted the arm rest and then me and Carter switched spots.
“Alright, are you comfortable answering these questions with him in the room?” I nodded. I mean, why not? Carter knew everything about me, he knew me at my worst.
“Have you ever been tested before?”
“No”
“Do you drink or smoke?”
“I drink.”
“Have you had more than one partner in the last year?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“I don’t know,” I said lifting my head and looking at Carter. He stared back at me. I quickly changed my gaze and stared at the woman.
“Do you have an estimate?”
“Way too many!”
“Have you been with the same sex?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever used drugs?”
“Yes.”
"When was the last time you used?"
"About four months ago,"
“Do you share needles?"
“Yes.”
“Have you ever had an STD?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Alright, that’s it,” she said as she pulled the arm rest down. She gave me the same ball that she had given Carter to squeeze. I balled it into the palm of my hand squeezing tightly. I felt her cool hands brushed my arm making me flinch for a second. I watched as she prepared a needle and brought it closer to my arm. It broke through my skin and I felt a pinch of pain. She moved the needle around my arm because she didn’t immediately hit the vain. I was expecting that feeling of euphoria but it never came. She finally hit it and I watched blood pour into the tube. Once she had enough she pulled the needle from my arm and placed a band aid over it.
“Okay, someone will call you two in the next two to five days with the results,” she said. “You two have a nice day.” She opened the door and leading us out. Carter and I walked outside. The sun lightened against my skin.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Carter said as we walked towards his car.
“I’m so worried,” I told him honestly.
“Don’t be. Everything will be alright.”
“But what if I gave you something? You would hate me forever.”
“No, I wouldn’t. I chose to sleep with you. I knew everything about you and I chose to have sex with you; it’s not your fault.”
“Yes it is Carter and you know it. You are just trying to make me feel better.”
“No, I’m not. It’s the truth. We are both responsible for whatever happens and that’s the end of this discussion.” His voice was stern so I didn't say anything else. It was getting us nowhere anyway. I was not just anxious to get the results back, but I was also scared for what they could reveal.
I sat on the couch and watched as Carter and Jay played some war game on the TV. It was so boring to me, but they seemed to be way into it and enjoyed it. I sighed in boredom and sprawled out on the couch. It had been four days since Carter and I had got tested and we still hadn’t received a call back. I was nervous as hell and I was just always anxious as each day crept by in its petty pace.
I had called and asked them if maybe they had just not been able to call us or had simply forgot, but they just calmly told me that we would receive a call when the results were back.
“Lizzie, will you get that?”
“What?” I asked emerging from my thoughts.
“Can you get the phone?" I sat up and then the ring of the phone registered in my head; I must have been too absorbed inside my own thoughts. I maneuvered my way around Carter and Jay and finally got to the phone. I snatched it off the hook and pressed the on button.
“Hello?”
“Yes, may I speak to a Lizzie please?”
“This is her,” I replied.
“Hi, my name is Monica and I’m from the downtown clinic. I just wanted to call you and inform you that we got your test results back and that you are perfectly healthy.”
My heart leapt out of my chest. “Really?” I asked with a smile on my face.
“Yes ma'am.,” I swear I wanted to scream and be like thank you Jesus, because it was almost impossible that I was perfectly healthy especially with my record.
“What about Carter?”
“Umm I would have to speak with him. Is he around?”
“Yup, hold on," I said. “Carter, telephone!” I was interrupting the madness on the TV screen. I held out the phone to him. “I’ll take your spot." I was referring to the game.
“Hell no, you gone make me lose,” he said before shooing me away. "Hello?” he said into the phone.
I went and sat next to Jay who was sitting up against the couch.
“So what do you want to do this weekend," he asked me.
“I really don’t know. We could just chill here,” I shrugged. Carter was going out of town for the weekend to go see Ariel so me and Jay had agreed that we would hangout for the weekend. We had some things to catch up on about him and Jenny. Apparently things were going as I thought they would and as he had planned.
“Sounds good to me. I have no problem with using all of Carter’s hot water and eating all his food.”
I laughed and looked up at Carter who had his back facing us. “Yes ma'am, thanks!” He hung up the phone and turning around. I gave him a knowing smile and he smiled back.
“Alright Carter, let me finish beating your ass,” Jay said as he pressed the continue button for the game before Carter could even sit back down. He was such a cheater, but I just watched in amusement as they continued their game. I was so relieved that I was STD free.