(Unedited, 2nd draft, still needs work)
Chapter 2: The Secret is Born
'I'm going to be sick' I thought, watching my teacher throw some vegetables into the pan as she tries to educate us on how to make a basic vegetable soup. This sickness has been going on for the past few weeks, there was some weird stomach flu going around so I could only hope it passes soon.
Once the teacher started talking about temperature control, I tuned her out. Being raised in a kitchen, I've already known the basic knowledge about running a restaurant and how to cook the food that was being served.
My father took it upon himself to teach me basic stuff around the restaurant on what to do and not to do. When I turn sixteen, he made me become a hostess, so I could learn how to communicate with the customers better when they came in. The first impression was always important because you always wanted your guest to feel welcome. Leaving me to learn how to hold my tongue when I dealt with a rude customer or employee.
Going back to listen to the teacher's instructions, while focusing on my breathing and waited for the numerousness to go away. However, the deeper I inhale the soup smell; I felt myself getting sick making me run out the door to the bathroom with my head over the toilet. After emptying my stomach, I sat up and lean my head against the cold brick wall, thinking back on my life since that night with Chance.
I was happy I hadn't seen him since that night or even heard a word from him. My mother told me that his parents had taken him away for a surprise vacation to France, the day after when had gotten together, so I only wonder what life would be like after he got back. I was almost certain he would treat me like all his other conquests and leave me alone.
Knowing it wasn't going to help me any sitting around on the bathroom floor, I went to stand up when the feeling hit me once again.
"Lilly, are you in here" I overheard a woman's voice asking. Unlocking the door and poked my head out to see a red hair girl about my height with clear green eyes. She seems to be the type of girl the guys would chase down with her perfect curvy figure. "Are you alright?"
"No, I can't seem to get over this nauseous feeling I've had for the past week or so" I implied.
She walked over to me as I was still sitting on the floor, trying to get my bearings straight. "Do you need someone to take you to the hospital?"
"I think I'll wait until after class," I said, finally getting up and walking to the sink to clean out my mouth. The little bit of water was making me feel nauseous all over again, but I could hold it down. As I place my hands against the sink and took in my appearance. My blond hair was all tangled in the mess-up bun that I put it up in, this morning. My skin looked pale and there were dark circles under my eyes, from the lack of sleep I've been getting. "Maybe you're right. I should probably go to the hospital." I turn to her and sucking out my hand, "I'm Lilly Dunn."
"Julie Rivers," she introduced herself while shaking my hand. "Do you want me to give you a ride? The class is over."
"That would be nice," I reply, shaking my head walking out of the bathroom down the hall to the outside. As I breathe in the humid summer air and started to feel dizzy as we walked towards her car. It seemed a little run down on the outside, but it appears to be in good running condition as we rode to the hospital.
Once at the hospital, the doctor drew some blood. Julia stayed with me, as we became more acquainted with one another. I found out that she was from a small town about six hours from here and was only taking this summer cooking class, so she could learn the basics to work in her brother restaurant. She was a very sweet and easy-going person to talk to. "So you know a little about me, what about you?"
"What's there to tell? I'm an only child, and I was a normal student back in school. I'm only taking this class since my father runs some of the top restaurants in the country, and he wants me to take over the company when he retired. Which comes with a cost." I whisper the last part, thinking about how my father was planning on merging his company with Chance's father.
She didn't have time to reply when the doctor walked in and gave me a slight smile, "So we figured out what's wrong with you Miss Dunn"
"Whatever it is can you just give me a shot, so I can get better, please?" I said. The way he was smiling at me, started to creep me out as I wonder where a female nurse could be.
"Sorry, Miss Dunn, but no shot will cure what you have. Give it nine months and you should be fine." He laughed as he walks out of the room.
I turn back to Julia, who was giving me a spiteful grin, "Who's the baby daddy?"
With her question, Chance's face pop to mind, thinking about how he was going to act once he found out about the pregnancy. What are my parents were going to think about their eighteen-year-old daughter being pregnant? This isn't good. I need to get out of here before I have an anxiety attack. Without thinking twice, I grab my stuff and walked out of the room with Julia hot on my heels "What's wrong?" she asked now seeming worried about my strange manner.
I ignored her question going to the front desk and got my dismissal paperwork before walking back out into the hot humid air. I felt like my life was spinning in circles, thinking how I was pregnant with Chance's baby. Thinking again how I could let that night proceeded that now it led to an unexpected pregnancy. What was I going to do with a baby, when I'm still pretty much a kid myself?
I leaned down and started to take in deep, strong breaths, trying to think what I needed to do. When I look up, I saw Julie glancing at me oddly. "Listen, no one, I mean no one can know about this." I disclose, hoping she wasn't the type of girl who gossips. "There's people that are a part of my life that I don't want to know about this baby. Stretch that, I don't want anyone in my life knowing about this baby. I need to get out of here now and fast."
"What do you mean you need to get out of here?" she questions me as we started walking over to her car.
"I need to leave this town and start new. I don't know where I'm going to go, but I have money in the bank, so it shouldn't be that hard finding a place to go. Once I get settled, I'll be able to take care of myself and this baby." I reveal, sending out a silent prayer of thanks to my grams for the trust fund she left me.
"Maybe I can call my brother and see if he can help you. I know I just met you, but you seem like you could use a friend right about now." She said while picking up her phone. After briefly telling them about me needing a place to go, they seemed to agree as she told them "great" and hung up the phone. We pulled up back up into the school parking "He agreed to let you stay with him. Plus, he knows who your family is, so he said if you want, you can work in his restaurant to help save some money." She said pulling up to my car.
"Thanks, but I have to know why you are helping me. You just met me" I asked. I mean I was really grateful for her help, but something about it just didn't seem right.
"I'm just a friendly person, and my mom always said if someone is in need of some help. That I should find a way to help them. Even if they are total strangers," she replied as I got out of the car, "So when do you want to leave so I know when to tell my brother you're coming."
I really hadn't thought that far ahead. Now that I had a place I could go, the faster I left, the better things would be. "Tonight, meet me back here about ten." I said, stepping out of the car, then turn around once again, "Never mind just follow me home, I'm leaving now before my parents ask questions about why I keep getting sick." I closed the door and walked over to my car.
A little while later I walked into a quiet and empty house. Julie looked about the house the best she could as we walked up the stairs to my room. I went through my closet and pulled out my suitcase and throw it on the bed. I walked around throwing things I would need, knowing I wouldn't be coming back.
As I threw some clothes into the suitcases, Julia picked up a few photos, that were on my desk before turning and looked at me "Is this him?" she asks holding a frame in her hand.
I walked over and saw it was a photo from that night. When was this taken? I didn't remember taking a photo with him. "That's him, can we please not talk about this. We need to hurry before someone comes home." I said, throwing the frame on top of everything zipping up my bag and placing it by the door and finished packing my second one of a few personal things I wanted. Finally done, we walked out of the room, and Julia went to put the bags in my car has I wrote my parents a letter letting them know I wasn't coming back home.
Mom, Dad
I don't really know how to tell you this, so I'm just going to come out and tell you. I'm leaving. There are some things that have happened that I need to take care of on my own. So I won't be coming home anytime soon. Matter of fact, I don't know when I will be back, but please know I do love you. You're the best parents a girl can ask for. You have done nothing wrong, but I must go out on my own.
Your loving daughter- Lilly
I placed the note on the refrigerator door, knowing whoever got home first would see it and knew that I had left home. I sighed and took one last look around as I closed the door behind me and walked out into the great unknown. Julia was smiling at me as she handed me a piece of paper "Here's my brother's address. He said you could stay there until you figure out everything." I took the sheet and gave her a small smile. "I'll be there in a few weeks after the class is over. I have a feeling; we're going to become best friends," she commits clapping her hands, which made me laugh as I got back in my car.
I took one last look at my childhood home as tears started running down my faces has I pull out of the drive. When I turn the corner, I spotted my mother's car coming towards me but doesn't pay much attention as she was on her phone. That's when I let the waterworks out knowing I would never see my mother again and hear her tell me good morning or sweet dreams. That my life was turning into something that was completely unknown to me. My life had always been planned out for me. Now I was throwing it all away because I made the mistake and got myself pregnant.
I knew it wasn't all my faults that I was pregnant, but I wasn't about to call up Chance and say, "Remember that night, when we last saw one another? Well, you got me pregnant. Congratulations, you're going to be a dad, let's party." I really didn't see that going down too well. I knew the type of person he was, and I still let myself fall under his spell, so I felt it was going to be my responsibility to take care of this baby on my own. I sighed, shaking away the last of the tears and putting the address into the GPS and set out on my six-hour drive.
I had been on the freeway for about ten minutes when my phone started ringing. I picked it up and saw my mother's name. Not knowing what to do, I threw the phone out the window and watched, in my side mirror, as a truck smashing it into small pieces. Well, at least this way they can't contact me or vice-a-versa. Now all I need to get a new car, so they don't send the police out to find me.
* * * * *
It was dark, by the time I pulled up to a one-story home. From what I could tell it was a small cottage like home with a few lights on here and there. I breathe in deeply thankful the sickness from earlier surpassed during the drive here. I step out of the car when I saw the front door open, and a young man walked out. "Hi, you must be Lilly. I'm Greg, Julia's brother, please come in." He said, holding out his hand for me to shake.
I just stood there when another guy came outside, "Who might this be?" Still standing in the dark I couldn't make out what they looked like, but I could tell this guy was shorter than the first guy.
"Carlos, get her bags and put it in the guest room, then go home. We still have to open the restaurant early," Greg told him and put his hand on my lower back to guide me to the house, but I moved out of his hold and just followed behind him.
When we walked in I could see an empty pizza box on the coffee table and a baseball game playing on the TV. "Thanks for helping me," I said, walking in, has he turned to me. I looked into his brown eyes that held a sense of warmness to them. With his short but messy brown hair and his ragged beard, he seems like a laid-back person. "Not to be rude but why are you and your sister so willing to help me."
He just laughed and sat down on the couch and looked back at the game that was still playing, "I can't speak for Julia, but if she wants to help someone in need, then I see it being no harm to go along with it." He looked back over at me, "But the difference is, I know about your family's reputation among the restaurant business. So I expect the best from you no matter what job I throw at you." I shook my head in understanding while feeling a little anguish about working for him.
I was still standing there when the other guy walked in with my bags, "Rude much, making your guests stand there." He said making Greg turn and look at him. "Come on sweetheart, I'll show you to the guest room since Greg's being lazy." I just looked down at the ground and follow behind the guy, who was carrying my bags. "Here you go; I'm sure you're tired, so I'll let you get some sleep. However, I'll say I can't wait to start working with one of the famous Dunn family members. I think it will do us all some good to have you here." He laughs closing the door behind him.
I could feel the sleep start to take over as I crawled beneath the covers. Thinking how I was in the unknown and that in a few months' time, I was going to be a single mother of a newborn baby.
Revised 09/09/2016
copyright © 2013 Letty Scott/Embrace_Passion (All Rights Revered)