Two days before Amelia's birthday Amelia woke up to her dad shaking her shoulder, "What time is it?" She groans.
"Just gone 9 o'clock."
Amelia sighs rolling back over on to her front, "Then why are you waking me up? It's my day off."
Freddie huffs a laugh, "I know but Jessy is on the phone and she sounds upset."
Rolling out bed she wraps her blanket around herself and heads downstairs to the phone, "Jessy?" she asks into the receiver.
"Milly, I really need your help will you meet me please?" The sleep-in Amelia's brain fades the moment she realises that Jessica is crying.
She brain immediately thinks the worst, "What's wrong Jess? Has something happened? Are you calling from a phone box?"
Jessica's voice is small, the sound of traffic and background chatter can be heard through the phone, "Yeah I am so I can't tell you over the phone, please will you meet me?"
"Where?"
"Kensington square garden around the corner from the high street."
"Yeah, I know where you mean um..." Looking at the clock and back to her pyjamas, she calculates the time it will take her, "I can be there in... 30 minutes."
"Okay, I'll see you soon and thank you."
The line went dead and Amelia looks at the phone trying to figure out what could be wrong with her best mate, "Is Jessica alright, Milly?" Freddie asks her when she enters the kitchen.
"I don't know, she didn't say just that she needs help. I'm meeting her at Kensington high street in 25 minutes," Amelia bites into her piece of toast screwing her nose up as she doesn't like the taste, odd I usually like this bread.
Freddie frowns worried that something might be really wrong, "Do you need me to come with you?"
"No, I'll get to the bottom of it," She wrecks her brain for the possible reason, "Oh god, I hope Gwilym hasn't broken up with her. I'll kill him if he has."
"Give us a shout if you need a hand, love," Jim grins he has become just as protective of the girls as Queen, Freddie chuckles having just had the same thought.
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Amelia's POV
I reach Kensington square garden and at first, I couldn't see her but I finally notice her sat on a bench over the other side of the square, she's hunched over as though she's trying to hide.
"Jess?" I call quietly as I sit next to her. She looks up at me her eyes puffy and red, "Jess what's happened. Everyone at home alright?"
"Yeah they're fine," She sniffs so I try again.
"Is it to do with Gwilym?"
This time her eyes well up she cries into my shoulder, "He hasn't broken up with you has he?"
She sits back wiping her tears away, "No he hasn't dumped me."
"Then what is it? You can tell me, Jess, come on your worrying me."
"You promise this stays between us for now at least?" I nod I just need to know what's going on she's scaring me, she looks round to make sure no one is close enough to hear, "Okay I'm um... I... I think... I'm pregnant."
Well that's not what I was expecting, I watch her get more and more upset the longer I don't stay anything but my mind has frozen, "Have you took a test?" That the only sentence I could piece together.
She shook her head, "That's why I said I think I am. I haven't taken one yet but I'm too scared to do it alone."
"What makes you think you're pregnant?"
"I'm nearly two weeks late for my cycle. Look I know it's not just to go on but I have to rule it out." As she spoke of her cycle I couldn't help but thinking about when my next one is due.
"I'll sit with you while you do the test if you can do me a favour?"
"Name it?"
"Get me a test too," How could I have been so stupid? I've missed my last two cycles, I've been throwing up and I've gone off foods I would usually love. I explain that to her, "I'll give you the money but I can't go in myself. If someone recognises me, connecting me back to Queen it will be all over the papers by morning."
Jessica frowns at me, "But when did you even have..."
I interrupt her, "Prom Night, you?"
She huffs a laugh, "Same. This is ridiculous, how could we have been so stupid."
I shook my head, shaking away the panic in my brain and replacing it for logic, "Look let's just get the tests and find out the results before we put ourselves down. Fingers crossed we're worrying for nothing."
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Twenty minutes later we are both sat on the countertop in the public women's bathroom that is located near the market. We sat waiting for the tests to work.
Jessica panicked and brought four tests so we both took two each just to double-check. After the five minutes are up I am too scared to look but Jessica couldn't wait, she picks up her tests and sighs with relief, "Both negative. Oh, thank god."
"I told you that you had nothing to worry about," I'm glad for her with that light to the situation I take the leap and pick mine up.
The pink plus on both tests confirm my fear and I couldn't stop the tears running down my face, "There positive Jess."
She looks so guilty, she throws her tests in the bin and comes over to wrap me in a hug, "I'm so sorry if I hadn't of panicked you..."
"It's not your fault, Jess. I would have found out sooner or later. It's me that's been stupid. Oh, my dad is going to kill me." I sob into her shoulder. She just held me but my panic builds back up very quickly., "What do I do? I need to tell my dad, I need to tell Ben. What if he doesn't want to be a dad?"
Jessica pulls back holding my face in her hands, "Milly breathe. Calm down and then we can make a plan." I wipe away my tears, she passes me some tissue and I slow my breathing down.
"Thank you." I threw the tissue in the bin, "I want to get it confirmed by a doctor first. I know those tests say positive but there's a chance it could be wrong."
"Won't the doctor contact your dad though? Your not 18 they will have to contact him if you go alone."
Then I need to take an adult with me, "They won't if I go with an adult."
"But who, if not your dad?" She asked she knows as well as I do that I can't tell my uncles, they'd murder Ben.
"Well I'm not telling my uncles, I'm not close enough to Chrissie. Dominique is too far out, Mary would tell dad and I'm not telling Jim coz I think he would as well. So it's going to have to be Veronica. I think I can trust her."
Jessica walks with me to the tube station, "If you need me just call. You came running for me and I will do the same. I'm sorry I ruined your day."
I hug her once more, "Don't be. As I said, I would have found out eventually better now than in a few months."
End of Amelia's POV
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When Amelia arrived at the Deacon household she debated just turning around and going home, but this needs to be done, so she knocks on the door holding back the new tears that threaten to spill over.
John answers the door very surprised to find her on his doorstep, "Hello Milly, what a surprise, you alright, love?" he could see the tears on her cheeks.
She can't look him in the eye, "Hey uncle Deaky, is V here? I really need to talk to her." Her voice stays so quiet it worries John even more.
"Yeah, of course, come in, Milly. Has something happened?"
I need to tell him something, "Um... it's girl stuff."
He blushes, "Understood. Ronnie, love. Milly's here to see you." He calls leading her through to the kitchen, Amelia can hear Josh playing in the living room the other kids are at school.
"Oh, what a lovely surprise Milly. What can I..." Veronica looks up from the counter she's cleaning and sees the tears, "Milly what's wrong, sweety?"
Amelia glances over her shoulder at her uncle indicating that she doesn't want John to hear. Veronica understands, "Why don't we go upstairs?"
She just follows the older woman to what she assumes is Veronica and John's bedroom, closing the door behind her Veronica sits on the bed next to her niece, "Please tell me what's wrong Milly. I hate to see you like this."
The sob Amelia held back now rips throw her body and she breaks down in Veronica's arms, "I've been so stupid. My dad is going to be so disappointed in me, Ben is going to leave me and you guys will hate me."
Veronica holds her tight against her chest, "He could never be disappointed in you, he's so proud of you. I'm sure that whatever has happened can be fixed. But if you want my help I need to know what's going on."
"You'll hate me," She reiterates.
"Look at me," Like Jessica, she holds Amelia's face in her hands, "Have you killed someone or hurt an animal or child?"
"No?"
"Then I won't hate you. Now tell me what's going on." Unable to say the words Amelia pulls the pregnancy test out of her bag and shows her the positive result.
Veronica's jaw drops upon seeing the test in Amelia's hand, "Milly is that yours?"
If you hadn't guessed she was pregnant already, which I know you probably have, surprise! Also, I don't think home pregnancy tests like the ones we have nowadays existed back then but let's just pretend that they did.