Chapter 7: Say Cheese!

"So, how was school?" Greg asked me as we rode down the street in silence.

 

"Good," I said to him and texted at the same time.

 

"Did you have morning sickness?" Greg asked me.

 

"Nope," I answered.

 

"What's wrong?" Greg asked me and I looked at him.

 

"I'm just tired," I said and closed my eyes.

 

Greg and I didn't speak until I heard the car stop. We were in front of my house.

 

"You need to go in and sleep," Greg advised me, but I glared at him.

 

"The last thing in this world that I need is a father!" I screamed at him and he flinched.

 

"Maybe that's the one thing you do need," Greg said to me.

 

I looked out the windshield to the street that led out of Pinewood Acres. I'd give anything to just get away from here.

 

 

Wednesday was just like the other days. I went to class, ate lunch with Amber, Violetta, and Jimmy, then went back to my classes, and finally it was time to leave. Celia had struck up a friendship with another girl in my class so I was able to get away from her as I made my exit. Mom picked me up and nothing was said.

 

We both knew that tomorrow morning I had a doctors appointment to see about birth control since mom refused to tell anyone about my pregnancy. Graham High operated on a late schedule on Thursdays so school wasn't starting until after ten AM. and my appointment was at eight.

 

Without a word I went up to my room and fell asleep from exhaustion. To my shock I opened up my eyes and the clock read five AM! I jumped out of bed in disbelief. I'd gone to sleep for over twelve hours without being disturbed for dinner. I got out of bed and immediately went into my bathroom. The air in here was perfumed with a scent I didn't recognize. I brushed it off and hopped into the shower.

 

When I was done I tip toed down the stairs and into the kitchen where I gathered up three over sized bags of chips, jam jelly, chocolate pudding, and water. Back up the stairs I went like a thief in the night. I spent the next two hours getting caught up on music videos. There was a faint chill going through my room and I realized my window was open. As I went to close it I saw two people in the driveway.

 

Being the nosy beaver I was I turned my TV and light off and went back to look. I could barely make out the figures, but it looked like Mike and LaTanya. I froze in place hoping that neither of them had seen me hurrying up the stairs with all this food. However, when I saw LaTanya's car, I realized that she has just dropped Mike off from wherever they were.

 

This was pretty interesting. Mike was my second oldest brother. He was half white (like all my brothers and I) and half Samoan. He had taken on the Samoan features head on and had smooth melanin toned skin just like me except he was a little bit lighter. LaTanya had been his girlfriend since summer had started. They both went to Graham except LaTanya was a sophomore and Mike was a junior.

 

They embraced each other and then Mike stood there as LaTanya drove off. I backed away from the window when I saw Mike turning. I wasn't sure I was quick enough, but I went back to bed like nothing had happened.

 

"When you get in there you tell them you want to be tested for pregnancy," Mom said to me as we drove through thick morning rush hour traffic on the freeway.

 

"I've already taken a test," I said to her and she grunted.

 

"If you tell them you already knew you were pregnant then they'll ask you why you didn't come in sooner and that could mean more trouble for all of us," Mom explained to me.

 

The last thing I needed was more people mad at me for reasons that were strange to me.

 

The clinic was located on the west side of the city. They specialized in womens health issues, but mostly abortions. Mom had told me that herself weeks ago when she'd made the appointment. That seemed odd to me now.

 

We pulled into a parking space right next to the front of the building. I tied to get a look on the inside, but the windows were tinted black. The trimming on the gutters where the teal tiled roof began were brown with fake black oak stains in it. Mom led us into the building, it was fifteen minutes before eight AM. We both went to the front desk where a nice looking black woman was sitting behind what I imagined was bullet proof glass.

 

"We're here for an eight a.m. appointment," mom said to the woman.

 

"Is this your first time here?" the woman, who's name plate read Angela, asked politely.

 

"Yes, but the appointment is for my daughter and it's also her first time here," Mom answered and Angela looked at me.

 

"Well then fill this out and then bring it up when you're finished," Angela said with her smile, that looked genuine, brightened at the sight of me.

 

Mom and I took a seat by a ruffled looked younger woman. She smelled like cigarettes and her clothes were stained a sad color of brown. She kept coughing. I went right to filling out the paperwork. I figured the faster I did that the quicker I'd get away from this lady.

 

I was pretty quick and when I gave my clipboard back to Angela I politely asked her where the bathroom was.

 

"I just really need to go," I said to her and she laughed.

 

"Come on back, the doctor will be ready to see you in ten minutes and there's a room available for you," Angela said and a lock popped on the door to my left and I went to it.

 

I pulled the door open and was greeted by a deep hallway. The floor was an even richer wood color and I thought to myself that it must be real. Angela was the only person back here and she got up from her post to walk me to the bathroom.

 

"It's so nice in here," I commented mostly to myself.

 

"That's why I love working here, now Miss Myra, inside the bathroom is a plastic cup. I'll need to you pee inside of it, but before you do wipe with one of the moist towelettes that are inside the cabinet in there, ok?" Angela said to me.

 

"Ok," I replied to her and then I went in.

 

The bathroom was surprisingly cozy. There was even a shower stall in there so this place felt like an at home facility. I found the plastic cup sitting by the sink. On the blue lid was a label that said: Sterile. I had to go so bad I ripped the cup open, grabbed a moist towelette, wiped, and then peed. It took me no longer than ten seconds.

 

I came out the bathroom and Angela was standing there.

 

"That was fast," she commented and I saw that she was wearing latex gloves.

 

"I really had to go," I said to her.

 

We were now moving deeper into the hallway and now I could see it curved into an even higher ceiling. On each side of the hallway were doors. Angela stopped at the first one and opened it. I was led to a nice sized room that had a patient gurney that I immediately went to.

 

Angela set the cup down and started opening drawers.

 

"So what are you here for today?" Angela asked me.

 

"Birth control," I said to her in a shaky voice.

 

"Oh, so you're sexually active?" Angela asked, but there was no sign of contempt in her voice.

 

"Yes," I answered her.

 

"Has there ever been protection used?" Angela asked and this time I let out a sigh.

 

"No, never," I let out and she turned to me.

 

"Ok, well we'll be doing a standard STD test. We'll just send in your urine analysis to the lab and the results will be in by tomorrow. Oh and we have to pregnancy test you," Angela said to me and she brought out a small white package, "it's real quick and I'll just use this sample. The results will be ready in five minutes."

 

"Alright," I said to her even though it felt like I was sitting on pin cushions.

 

Angela ripped open the package and opened up the cup. She dipped a stick into my pee and then closed it. When that was done she went on writing on the clipboard that I'd given to her. We were in silence for what seemed like eternity.

 

"Wow, now that's interesting," Angela said and turned to me.

 

"What?" I asked her with my heart racing.

 

"It's positive," Angela said still smiling, "you're pregnant. Did you know? On your chart it says your last period was in May."

 

"They're irregular," I answered her and she squinted her eyes.

 

"Doesn't look like you'll be getting that birth control," Angela said and now she was writing again the chart, "well this appointment had taken a turn. I'll need to speak with the doctor and see if she can perform an ultrasound this morning."

 

Angela left before I could say anything. I hopped up off the gurney and went to the test. Two lines stared back at me and even though I already knew that I was pregnant this just confirmed me. I returned to the bed and texted mom the pregnancy test results. I did the same to Greg who responded back immediately.

 

"We already knew that!" Greg texted.

 

"I had to be sure," I texted him and he responded right away.

 

"Ok, I hope everything goes well. I'm in class and I'll call you after school," Greg texted and put my phone back in my purse.

 

I sat there alone for ten minutes before there was a quick knock on the door and Angela came in as she pushed a cart into the room.

 

"Dr. Swanston just had a canceled appointment so you'll be getting that ultrasound. You'll need to undress and put on this gown. I'll leave the room for that part and then the doctor will be in after me," Angela explained as she threw a gown on to the bed.

 

She set up the machine and then left. I undressed and laid down mostly because my head was spinning. Before I knew it the door opened and closed softly. I didn't even see anyone until the doctor popped her head up from under the ultrasound equipment. I let out a yelp.

 

"So I hear you're pregnant. Looks like your test was positive today. Did you know?" Dr. Swanston asked me.

 

"No, not until just now," I answered her as she walked to the lights and switched them off.

 

"Let's take a look and see how far along you are," Dr. Swanston said.

 

She applied this cool, clear jelly like substance to my bare lower abdomen. Dr. Swanston fiddled around for a moment. At first there was nothing on the screen and then I saw something palpitating on the screen. Before what I was seeing could register I heard a whooshing sound.

 

"What's that?" I asked panicked.

 

"That's the heartbeat," Dr. Swanston said and I could see the concern growing on her face.

 

She was quiet for so long as she looked I finally had to ask her what was wrong.

 

"Nothing, except your measuring in at just under twelve weeks. Honey, you're almost out of your first trimester!" Dr. Swanston said to me.

 

I just stared at the screen. The image on the screen was moving and swirling around, but I couldn't feel anything.

 

"What's a first trimester?" I asked ignorantly.

 

"A woman goes through three trimesters while she's pregnant. Weeks one through twelve are number one. You're going into your second trimester. Is the father around?" Dr. Swanston asked me.

 

"Yes, he knows I'm pregnant and is willing to help," I said to her and she smiled weakly.

 

"You have to take care of yourself from now on. I'm not an obstetrician, but I'll refer you to one and prescribe prenatal vitamins. You are to take them every morning until you give birth. I assume you're in school," Dr. Swanston said eying me with concern.

 

"I am," I said to her and again she gave me a faint smile.

 

"Good, but no physical education. Legally they can't make you leave, but I suggest you enroll in a local pregnant teen school by January. By then you'll be in your third trimester and they can help you get ready for your baby. The little one is measuring in at eleven weeks and six days. At this point abortion is not an option, were you considering that?" Dr. Swanston asked.

 

"Not at all," I answered curtly.

 

"Good, looks like the fetus' heart is beating at 163 beats per minute, excellent. You're taking good care of yourself, Myra," Dr. Swanston praised me.

 

"Thank you," I said as the ultra sound machine went off.

 

It sounded like a printer now and Dr. Swanston went and turned the lights on. When she approached the gurney she started feeling around on my stomach.

 

"I didn't see any cysts on your ovaries so you're all clear. I'm going to give you a due date of March tenth, but that can change. Here you go," she said to me tearing a piece of paper off the machine.

 

"What's that?" I asked as I sat up.

 

"Your ultra sound. Baby's first picture," Dr. Swanston said to me placing the papers in my hand.

 

I looked down at them. This baby was real. My life was really about to change.

 

 

"Twelve, flipping weeks!" Mom screamed angrily in the car while we were on the freeway.

 

"That's what she said," I answered.

 

"I had no idea you were that far along. Maybe eight weeks, but jumping jelly beans," Mom was now cursing under her breath as we drove to drop me off at the school.

 

"She said I can't get an abortion," I announced to mom who began to cringe.

 

"I'm aware of that. So are you going to inform Langston?" Mom asked me.

 

"No, that's out of the question," I answered mom in a stern voice.

 

"We'll see about that," Mom said and for the rest of the car ride there was nothing, but silence.

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[Tina Kline]

Well, her life seeming more normal didn't last very long! It just got very complicated again! Now she's going to have to start thinking about being a mom.