Okay, just to clear a few things up I'll write a small authors note.

I loved the movie. I thought it was awesome, really sad, but awesome. It seemed to me that her mom owned the cafe, or restaurant, or whatever you want to call it. For the purposes of this story, I will refer to it as a cafe. I'm not too sure where her dad worked, but he will have an all new job in the story so it won't really matter. To help anyone out with some time issues, I decided to have the schedule like this: In June 2008 Sarah finds out that she is pregnant just as her sophomore year is almost over. She has Sophia in late February of her junior year (2009). Also, Jesse was a senior about to graduate when Sophia was conceived, so he obviously is not in high school anymore, but he is in college. Anyways I hope you enjoy the first chapter! :)

February 13, 2010

I'm struggling. I really didn't want to admit it. But I was. Me, my mom, and my dad have been struggling for two years now. Ever since Sophia came things have been...bad.

My grades have been dropping, and I'll be lucky if I can get into a community college. Moneys been really tight. My dad got laid off right as Sophia came, and my mom's cafe has been struggling for some time now. When the salary for employees at her cafe started dropping, I knew I needed to find another place to work, so I got a job at a local Burger King. It only paid half a dollar more, but I knew I needed that money.

Jesse graduated at the end of my sophomore year, and I haven't seen him since. He's at LSU in Louisiana on a baseball scholarship, but I know his dad is still here, claiming to be "the number one lawyer in all of Massachusetts", well, at least thats what it says on the sign outside his office building.

I do still get a check from his father every month. It's not much though, even with him being a lawyer and all. It's probably because he's ashamed of what his son did and never got the paternity test done that he wanted. He probably still thinks Sophia isn't really his granddaughter.

I had kind of hoped that Jesse would send the payments. I had hoped he would write a letter to include with the payment. And I would have even been satisfied if it were to Sophia. But nothing. Nothing for a year and a half. He doesn't care about me, or about his daughter.

Iris moved during the summer of 08, however she did call and tell me, Rose, and Karissa that she had a girl named Abigail. The father of her child, Scott Detrick, graduated with Jesse and apparently has not spoken to Iris since she moved away.

Rose gave her baby up for adoption in August of 2008. Her grandmother did not make enough money to care for the baby, and her boyfriend left her sometime in July. Her daughter, Carmen, went to a loving family in New York, and both Rose and the parents agreed to a closed adoption. Apparently though, Rose had not learned her lesson as she is now 4 months pregnant.

Karissa had her son in January of 2009 and named him Isaac. She got a job to take care of the baby, and was able to finish her junior year with exceptional grades. I have to admit, I am surprised at how much of a good mother she is. Her and I have become even better friends since we had Isaac and Sophia and we always get together with eachother and watch the kids together. Karissa has declined child support from Troy, who went to LSU with Jesse. She rips up the checks he sends, claiming she doesn't need his help from anyone, especially him.

Becca, thankfully, is not pregnant, as she has learned to not be embarrassed to go buy condoms now. She has been a big help to me, as she agrees to watch Sophia when I know no one else can. She sometimes refuses when I try to pay her, but I always find a way to slip the money in her purse or I sometimes hide it somewhere in her room.

Sidney has just been...Sidney. She still does her webcast, and I still watch every time its on, usually with Sophia sitting on my lap. She calls frequently, and has also remained in close contact with Karissa and Becca. Just last month I learned she would be coming back to visit us. My parents agreed to let her stay here as long as she was able to pay for her own food and other things.

Brady, my assistant principal, divorced his wife Laura. From the rumors going around the school, I had heard that it was because she cheated on him with their son's soccer coach. Some wife. And I thought they had been in love. Just shows how you can be really wrong about someone.

I must say that Rose, Iris, Karissa, and I have all been screwed over by our, for lack of a better word, "baby-daddys". Although I can't say we didn't deserve it. We got what was coming to us. We shouldn't have made a pact. But we did. And we can't change that.

Leaning on the cash register and scratching my head, I had been daydreaming. "Miss," said an old lady. I didn't hear her. I wasn't paying attention.

"MISS!" said the old lady again, now getting particularly annoyed with me. I suddenly lifted my elbow off the cash register and came back to reality. I was standing behind the counter at Burger King at 10 PM, so ready to go home and get off my feet.

"I'm sorry, mam, what can I get you?" I said, ready to put her order into the cash register. "I'll have the number 4," she said in an annoyed tone. I smiled and punched the order in. "Anything else?" I asked politely. She gave me a sour look and shoved a ten dollar bill in my face. I took the dollar bill and put it into the cash register. I gave her back her change. She tapped her foot on the ground until she got her order, and then stormed out the building.

I rolled my eyes and started to close up the cash register, ready to go home. I turned around and started walking towards the door that led to the room where we kept all of our stuff when a fellow employee, Jason, told me someone else was coming in. I turned back around to see two people walking into the store, holding hands and laughing uncontrollably.

I sighed loudly when I saw them. However, when I saw who they were I started wishing I hadn't worked that night. Wishing I was anywhere but here. Wishing I had taken the time to put my hair up properly rather than throwing it up into an unappealing bun and placing a hat on top.

I had to hold back angry words I wanted to spit at him. I had to hold back tears that were threatening to come. I had to hold back a year and a half of confused emotions.

It took me a moment to realize they were drunk out of their minds. The girl began giggling loudly as she approached the counter. He didn't notice me, he was too busy making googly eyes at her as she ordered. "I want a number..." she said, and held up three fingers. My fingers refused to move. They were stuck on the counter where they had been since the pair had walked in.

"Yeah, and I'll have a--" he began, but thats when he turned and looked at me. His mouth turned into a rather ugly, confused look, and he had to lean on the counter so as not to fall over.

"Hi, Jesse," I said, not quite sure how I had just managed to speak.