I wouldn't exactly categorize myself as a slut, but I wouldn't exactly call myself a saint either.
I'm just a twenty four year old woman who decided to go and party with her friends as a way to celebrate our graduation. I don't go around sleeping with every man with a pulse. So when I say that I got knocked up by a one night stand, I don't want you to automatically think I'm a whore, although I don't really care if you do, I just don't want that to be who you think of me as.
I've known something was wrong these last three weeks but I didn't think about it to much, I just shrugged it off as a bug. And then came the infamous late period and I knew I was screwed. And now I'm squatting in a gas station bathroom peeing on my fifth pregnancy test. No way in hell was I going to sit on these public toilets, I can get HIV from just looking at it let alone sit on it.
"Lia come out, you've been in there for like three hours." My best friend Vanessa groans from outside the bathroom door.
"I have not! And could you wait a moment, I'm doing something." I reply as I quickly wipe myself then wash my hands after setting the stick down next to the other four tests that all the stupid pink signs and plus symbols.
"Well could you hurry it up, we're going to miss the opening!" She whines.
"Okay, okay I'm coming!" I say when I'm reminded why we even came out here in the first place. There is a concert in Madison Square Garden that featured our favorite band and even though we live all the way in uptown New York, we decided to buy tickets and drive down here.
Unfortunately my throwing up finally caused me to admit that there was a slight chance that I could be pregnant so I told Vanessa that I needed to pee and snuck in the gas station to buy a few tests.
And none of them have proven me wrong, not even the one I'm currently staring at. I sigh once again before gathering the white sticks with a paper towel and throwing them away.
Great. I'm pregnant. And I don't even know who the father is.
Well I'm pretty sure I do, I just don't know how the heck I'm going to find him.
Why am I even thinking about this, I need to get this confirmed by a doctor before I go do something stupid like tell some guy I slept with one time that I was pregnant if I wasn't. For all I know these tests could all be wrong. Hardly, but you never know.
"Fine, I'm out, let's go." I say after stepping out of the bathroom. Vanessa rolls her eyes at me before stomping towards the car.
"You better hope there isn't any traffic."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Okay, what is up with you?" Vanessa exclaims, throwing down her magazine on the coffee table dramatically.
"What are you talking about?" I ask with a start.
"I tried to keep my mouth shut but you've been looking like you've seen a ghost all day. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I don't know what you're talking about." I say as I walk to our small kitchen and gulp down the bottle of water I left on the counter. I'm not even thirsty, I just need something to occupy my mouth so I won't have to answer any of Vanessa's questions.
"Oh I think you do. And I think it has something to do with that doctors appointment you have today?"
I snap my head towards her? "What?"
"Oh don't play dumb, the receptionist called to remind you that it's today at four. So talk."
"Okay, but promise you won't freak?" I ask nervously even though I know Vanessa won't. She's done some pretty shameful things in her days that will make my getting knocked up by a one night stand look like a holy event.
"Promise."
"I'm pregnant." I say seriously, looking her in the eyes.
Vanessa stares at me for a little bit before she breaks out into laughter that slowly died down when she realizes I'm being extremely serious.
"You're kidding right?" She asks. I shake my head.
"Ha! I always thought I would be the one to get knocked up before you! Awe man, now I owe my mom a hundred bucks."
I stare at my best friend incredulously. Is she being for real right now? I tell her I'm pregnant and she's worried about paying her mom money for losing a bet on who would get pregnant first?
"Vanessa! This is serious! I'm pregnant and I'm freaking out!" I whine as tears begin to prick my eyes.
"Okay okay, so if you know you're already pregnant, why are you going to see the doctor?"
"Because I want to be a thousand percent certain before I hunt down this guy and perhaps ruin his life."
"Speaking of which, do you know who he is?"
"Well sort of, I know his first name but that's about it."
"Wow. Smooth."
"Shut up!" I yell as I chuck the empty water bottle at her.
"What?! Okay look I'm not judging you, I'm the last person on earth who should be judging anyone. But you could've maybe gotten his number if he fucked you good enough to get you pregnant."
I stare at her.
"But I'll help you find your baby daddy Lia. I'm going to be right by your side through this."
"Thanks, does this mean you'll come with me to my appointment?" I ask with a wry smile.
"Of course! Come on, it's already three twenty. Let's go."
I nod my head before quickly running to my room and slipping on my favorite pair of Chuck Taylor's and a light cardigan. Although it's the middle of summer, I know the doctor's office is always fifty degrees below zero and this tank top will probably give me hypothermia in there.
"You ready to go?" Vanessa asks me when I come out. She swapped out her battered sweatpants for her neon orange workout shorts that revealed her tan legs. Vanessa has always been gorgeous, what with her ebony fine hair, cherry lips and naturally tan skin, but it's only been recently that she began to finally realize what a total package she is and started to show that to everyone. I'm not ugly or anything, in fact Vanessa and I are at the same level when it comes to beauty, I just so happen to be more conservative and tend to use it when it benefits me.
But we've always been trouble makers, there are so many times that I can't count on both hands when we've tricked boys into doing our homework for us, there was even one time where I had to wear a shirt a size too small so that I could convince my gym teacher in high school to bring that C up to an A. It worked.
I leave behind Vanessa and lock the apartment door before walking down the stairs with her. Our apartment building is an old one so there aren't any new elevators, except for those old ones where you have to open like two doors to get inside but those things make a lot of noise that freaks everybody out. Vanessa and I prefer to take the stairs like everyone else.
Less than twenty minutes later we arrive at the small clinic and naturally, I get scared and decide against going in.
"Lia, you have to do this. You could be carrying some guy's child right now and you won't know for certain unless you get your ass in there!" Vanessa exclaims, staring at me sternly.
"If I am pregnant then we'll know in a few months."
"Amelia Marie Taylor I did not stop reading my magazines for you to chicken out now get the fuck out. Or I will drag your pregnant ass out of here."
I look at her with wide eyes before surrendering and getting out of the car. With a triumphant smile on her face, we walk into the - surprise surprise - cold clinic and walk over to the receptionist who gives me a clipboard and a pen to fill out the form.
We take seats that are the furthest away from the extremely pregnant women that have come with their husbands and boyfriends. Hearing their groans and seeing them struggle to get up from their seats is just not encouraging right now.
I quickly fill out the form, just in time to because the doctor comes out and calls my name.
"That was fast, usually you have to wait like four hours." Vanessa mumbles. I roll my eyes at her and playfully nudge her. She rolls her eyes back before sticking her tongue out at me.
I giggle to myself as I hand the clipboard over to a nurse who comes up to take it from me.
"Alright, Ms.Taylor how are we doing today?" The doctor asks.
"Uh, fine. You can call me Amelia if you want or Lia, matter of fact just call me Lia."
No one has called me Amelia since my mother died and Vanessa only calls me that when she's angry.
"Alright Lia, my name is Dr.Lockhart I'll be your OB/GYN for today and until you decide you want someone else."
I nod.
"Alrighty then, I have a few questions for you."
"Okay."
"When was your last period?" She asks, opening up her computer and prepping to type in my answer.
"Um, let's see it's August, I didn't get it July and I had just finished it when I err, well anyway, I oh! I know I got it around June 14th." I say proudly, haply that I can remember something so far back. My memory is crap so the fact that I can remember this is good.
"Good. Do you have any allergies or illnesses I should know about?"
"I'm allergic to blueberries, shellfish, and mushrooms." I answer. Dr.Lockhart nods before typing it in.
"Any illnesses in you or your partner's family that I should know about?" She asks, looking over at me then at Vanessa who blushes ferociously when she realizes what the doctor was implying at.
"Oh no! We're not together! We're just friends. Errr, we're best friends, I'm just here for moral support. She doesn't know who the father is." Vanessa says quickly which makes me pinch her. Hard. "Ouch! What was that for?!"
I glare at her until she realizes what she just said.
"Oops." She mumbles before smiling sheepishly.
"That's okay Lia, no need to feel ashamed. I've dealt with this before. If you are curious, the clinic does offer paternity tests for mothers who don-"
"Let me stop you right there Doctor, I know who the father is I just don't know how or where to find him."
"Oh." She says quietly, blushing deeply. This is all very awkward for us so I answer quicker so that this can just be over with. After that Dr.Lockhart asks me to pee in a cup which I do easily since I just drank a bottle of water before coming here. She also takes a couple of blood tests and after twenty minutes she announces to me what I already know.
"Congratulations, Lia, you're pregnant! You are going to be a mother!"
I stare blankly at Dr. Lockhart until it finally sinks in. I'm pregnant. Holy shit, I'm pregnant!
"I think I'm going to puke."