Baby On Board

Early Saturday morning Angel was standing by the gate of Wilson Manor, watching as the moving van in front of Khiry's house pulled off. Khiry and his parents followed behind in the car. When the car stopped in at the intersection in front of the gate, Khiry looked her way and mouthed the words, "I love you." Angel blinked the tears from her eyes, as she turned her back on him and walked back to her apartment.

Khiry was also crying. His father looked at him through the rearview mirror.

"You alright, son?" he asked.

Khiry didn't answer.

"He's in love, Chester, remember," said Crystal.

"You're gonna fall in love a million times in this lifetime, son," his father told him. "You'll get over it in due time."

When Angel got home, she went straight into her room. Lawrence and Nancy had learned about the move a few months ago from Khiry's parents. They hadn't said anything to Angel. They knew Khiry wanted to tell her on his own time. They took that time to prepare themselves. They knew she would not take the news well, but they never expected this. Angel cried the entire weekend. She barely ate or slept, just sat in her room and cried.

By Sunday afternoon, Nancy couldn't take it anymore. She had just gotten out of the shower, and as she entered the hallway heading for her bedroom, she could hear Angel sobbing in her room. She goes into her bedroom and climbs in bed next to her husband, who was sitting there reading a magazine.

"Lawrence, we've got to help her," she said to him.

"Nancy, there is nothing we can do. She's gonna have to come out of this on her own."

"Well I can't just sit around and do nothing."

Nancy got out of her bed and went down the hall into Angel's room. Angel was lying on the bed crying uncontrollably. Nancy, still unsure how to help her, didn't say a word. She just climbed into the bed next to Angel, wrapped her arms around her daughter, hand held her as they cried together.

Monday morning came and Ange had to get up and face the world alone, without Khiry. She was in no rush to do that. She left home late and made it to school just as the first bell rang. She made a quick stop at her locker, then sprinted off to class.

There was lots of eye rolling and teeth smacking coming from Alana and her girls, but Angel ignored them. There was no point in arguing over Khiry anymore, because in the end, they both lost him.

At lunch, she sat at the table, alone, trying to hold what little food she could eat down. After a while she gave up on trying to eat and just sat there, with her head down, picking t what was left on her plate. She hadn't noticed someone standing near her table.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

She looked up, shocked to see Kenry standing there. She hadn't spoken to him since the ugly incident in middle school.

"Go away," she told him. "I'm not in the mood for your bullshit."

"I'm not here to start anything. I promise," he said. "Can I sit down?"

Angel shrugged her shoulders, so Kenry took that as a yes and sat across from her.

"Is he really gone?" he asked.

"Yeah. How did you know?" she asked.

"They drove pass my house on the way out, Saturday. I just put two and two together," he said. He chucked me the deuces in the window as they drove by. He looked just as sad and pathetic as you do."

"If you're here to make fun of me, you can leave."

"I'm not. I just wanted to see if you were okay, and let you know that if you need a friend, I'm here."

"That's probably never gonna happen, but thanks."

"Why not?" Kenry asked. "We were friends once."

"Yeah, and that didn't end nicely."

"I know, and I take full responsibility for that, I'm sorry."

"You should be. It was your fault."

"I'm trying to make amends here."

"I'm sorry for being rude. I'm just not in a good mood. I do accept your apology, but we can't be friends."

"I understand," Kenry said, as he got up and moved to another table.

Shortly after Kenry left, Angel decided she was done with her lunch. As she got up to dump her plate, she bumped into Alana.

"Aww, you look sad," Alana said in a patronizing voice

Angel rolled her eyes.

"I hope you didn't think I was gonna feel sorry for you," Alana continued.

"How important do you think you are, for me to be worried about you?" Angel asked, with an attitude.

"Oh, she's got a mouth now that Khiry is gone," Vicky said, shocked at Angel's tone of voice.

"Yeah, I see that," said Alana. "That quiet bullshit was just an act to play on Khiry's sympathy. He's gone, so now her true colors are coming out."

Angel was sick of Alana's ignorance and attempted to go around her, but Alana blocked her way.

"Could you move?" Angel asked, in a not so nice tone.

"Make me," said Alana.

Angel gave her a smile, then slammed the lunch tray into Alana's face. She fell to the floor, as blood dripped from her nose. She got up and tackled Angel to the floor. They were rolling around, pulling hair, and trying to scratch each other's eyes out. A security guard and the principle, Mr. Rigsbee, came into the cafeteria, and pulled them apart. They hauled them both to the office and called their parents.

Angel was sitting on a chair in the office lobby, across from Alana and her parents. Mr. Rigsbee came out and looked at Angel. He then turned to the secretary, Ms. Karla.

"As soon as Angel's mother shows up escort them in, please," he told her.

"Yes sir," Ms. Karla replied.

Shortly after he closed the door, Nancy walked in and went straight to Angel.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Angel replied.

"What happened?"

Alana's father, Alvin jumped in to answer the question before Angel could. "She slapped my daughter in the face with a lunch tray, that's what happened," he answered.

"That doesn't sound like Angel," said Nancy.

"Well, maybe you don't know your kid very well," said Alvin.

"Excuse me," said Nancy.

Ms. Karla jumped in. "Right this way," directing them into the principal's office.

They all took a seat.

"Now, I'm gonna give you each a chance to tell us what happened," said Mr. Rigsbee. "Angel, you go first."

"Why does she get to go first?" asked Alana. "She's the one that started it, she hit me."

"You must've been messing with her first," said Nancy.

"She's been picking on me since the first day of school," said Angel. "She was pissed because Khiry broke up with her for me."

"Um correction, he didn't break up with me for you. He moved away and didn't even make you his girl," said Alana.

"You mean all of this is over a guy who doesn't even live around here anymore," said Alana's mother Jackie. Y'all need to let this go."

"I've already let it go. She's the one that keeps bringing it up," said Angel.

"Alana, Angel, arguing and fighting will not bring him back. Plus, it's not good for the baby," said Mr. Rigsbee.

"What baby?" Alvin asked, surprised. "Alana, young lady, are you pregnant?"

"No daddy," Alana replied.

Nancy slowly turned and looked at Angel, who had slouched down in her chair and tried to cover her face.

"Angel, are you..." Nancy tried to ask, but the words got stuck in her throat.

Alana could not believe it either. He did choose Angel over her.

Through the dead of silence, that now swarmed around the room, Mr. Rigsbee came to the realization that Angel had not informed her parents of her condition.

"Mr. and Mrs. Norris, can you step outside for a moment?" he asked.

"Sure," said Jackie.

"Aren't you glad he broke up with you, Alana? You sure dodged a bullet there," Alvin mumbled, as they walked out the door.

As soon as they were gone Mr. Rigsbee turned to Angel ad Nancy.

"Angel, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had not told your mother," he said.

Nancy sat there with her hand over her chest, trying to digest the news she had just received.

"How did you know?" Angel asked Mr. Rigsbee.

"It's in your file for physical education," he replied. "Do you guys want to talk to a counselor?"

"No, we'll deal with this ourselves," Nancy said firmly. "I'll be taking her home now."

Angel and Nancy stood up and walked out without another word.

When they got home, Angel went to her room and closed the door. Nancy immediately went to the phone and dialed Lawrence's work number.

"Hello," Lawrence answered, after only two rings.

"Lawrence, you need to get home, now," Nancy told him hysterically.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Just get over here," she said, and hung up.

It took Lawrence thirty minutes to make it home. When he walked in Nancy was pacing back and forth in the living room.

He walked up to her. "What's going on?" he asked. "You sounded pretty upset on the phone."

Nancy looked at him with tears in her eyes. "She's pregnant, Lawrence," she said.

"What? Who's pregnant?"

"Angel's pregnant."

"What? How did this happen?"

" I don't know."

"I'm sorry," said Angel.

They turned to see her standing in the living room with a suit case in her hand.

"I didn't mean to disappoint you guys," she continued. "Especially after everything you've done for me."

"Angel, why are your bags packed?" Nancy asked.

"I remember what that girl said, when you first adopted me. It took a while, but I messed up big. I know you'll want to send me back now. You guys didn't sign up for this," said Angel.

"No, we didn't," Lawrence told her, "but we did sign on for a daughter. One that we can love and guide through her accomplishments and her mistakes, no matter how big or small either of them may be. Now, you unpack that bag. We're gonna get through this."

That evening at dinner it was very quiet. The only sounds were the clanking of silverware hitting the plates and an occasional slurp from a cup. Finally, after fifteen minutes of silence, Lawrence spoke up.

"So, are you gonna tell us who the father is?" he asked.

"It doesn’t matter," Angel replied.

"No, it doesn't. I think we all know who it is anyway," he said.

Angel refused to look up from her plate.

"I knew you and Khiry were getting close," Lawrence continued. "I just didn't know you were taking it to this level. What made the two of you do something like this? What were you thinking?"

"We just needed each other," Angel said.

"What does that mean, 'you needed each other'? How can anyone your age need someone in that way," said Nancy. "It doesn’t make sense."

"There is no way I can make you understand our feelings," said Angel. "We barely understood it ourselves, but like I said before, it doesn't matter now. He's gone."

"We need to contact his parents," said Lawrence.

"Oh, Chester must be going up side that boy's head right about now," said Nancy.

"I doubt that," Angel mumbled.

"How did Khiry handle the news?" Nancy asked Angel.

Angel took a sip of her water and pretended she didn't hear the question.

"Angel, how did he react when you told him you were pregnant?" Nancy asked again.

"You did tell him, right?" asked Lawrence.

 

"No, I didn't," Angel finally replied.

"Why not?" asked Lawrence.

Angel couldn't take the questions anymore. She pushed her chair away from the table and jumped up, frustrated.

"What difference does it make?" she yelled. "It wouldn't have changed anything. He would've still left. Plus, he didn't even tell me he was moving. I found out when I saw the moving van. So, let him find out when he sees the kid."

"That's not right, Angel" said Nancy.

"But getting me pregnant and leaving was right?" Angel asked, still yelling.

"There were two people in the mist of that," said Lawrence. "He didn't plant that baby in you all by himself. You played a role in this, too."

"Yeah, but only one of us knew he was moving away," said Angel. "I wouldn't have done this if I knew he was leaving."

"You shouldn't have done it at all," said Nancy. "Whether he was here or not it would not make this situation any better."

"It was my first time," Angel said through tear drenched eyes. "I didn't think this would happen. I didn't think he would leave. I'm so sorry."

Nancy got up from her chair, walked over to Angel, and hugged her.

"It's okay," she says. "We'll get through this."

Lawrence didn't know what else to say, so he got up from his chair, and hugged his wife and daughter.