My name is Haley James and I am seventeen and pregnant...I am terrified. Lately I haven't been able to think about anything else. Only one person knows so far and that is my best friend Lucas Scott. See we have been best friends since we were two. My mom frequented Lucas's moms cafe often and that is where we met. I knew I could always talk to him about anything because we were like siblings. Although I am one of seven children, and I have three older brothers I was always closer to Lucas. This is why I went to him first. I knew he'd be there. I just felt relieved that I'd have someone to stand by me through all this.
I stood weary and shaking behind the side door to Lucas's house that lead to his room. I could hear him typing what would most likely be the next great American novel. Although he doesn't know I know this, he wants to be a writer even though he never told me specifically. I once walked into his empty room to see it open, I read a little bit of it before he walked in and I acted like I was on the internet. It was amazing. We both loved reading and the art of literature, it was one of the things that drew us together.
I raised my hand and knocked lightly on the door, hearing him mutter a come in and close his laptop I turned the handle and walked in.
"Hey..." I said quietly, my heart was pumping a hundred miles a minute. I could feel my lunch in my throat...what I believed was morning sickness. I had learned over the last few days that it was not limited to mornings.
"Hales, what's up?" He asked me, using my nickname. "You've are so pale, what's bothering you?"
"I..." I sat on his bed and squeezed my hands together "I have to tell you something." Before he even had a chance to register my first sentence, my second was flying from my lips, like I couldn't stop it. "I think I'm pregnant."
I saw his facial expression change...he was still his broody self...but he looked confused, and hurt, and angry, all in one. At that moment in time, I was scared.
I thought I was about to lose my best friend, the only one I thought I could depend on through all of this. I mean, Nathan and I hadn't been together that long, not long enough to be having a baby together,...we had just had a major fight last week and we're just getting over it and learning to forgive each other. This was one of the many reasons why I needed the support of my best friend, to be able to tell him that his life would never be the same.
"What...Are you joking? Is it April fools?"
"It's June, Lucas." I told him quietly.
"But...how? How could you let this happen?" Lucas asked, looking up at me. I felt the tears stinging, I expected this, but I was really starting to worry that this friendship would be over. Most of my friendships would probably end in the next few months. "I mean, what about school, Stanford? What about your life, your education, your career? Did you not think of any of that?"
"I wasn't trying to get pregnant...you know that right?"
"But how did you?"
"I don't know...we were using protection...I'm scared Luke."
"Of course you are you are seventeen and pregnant Haley! How could you of all people, tutor girl, get pregnant?"
"You know, I came to you for support. Not that it's any of your business, but this baby, this pregnancy was not planned. Nathan and I used protection every damn time. We did everything right, Lucas, but sometimes it doesn't work. I came here to get the support I need from my best friend, but clearly...clearly he's not ready to give it to me. Don't worry about me Luke." I stood and opened the door. "I'll be just fine."
"Haley..." I heard him call after me. "Hales, wait." Lucas sighed, and I turned around. "I'm sorry, I just...I wasn't expecting you to say that." He told me; fair enough. "You're my best friend, I'll always be here to help you. C'mere" He pulled me towards him and kissed my forehead. He pulled me into a deep hug. "Don't get worried okay...Nathan isn't Dan he'll understand. Nathan loves you so much, I can see it in his eyes. He adores you and will feel the same about this baby. Because this baby is a part of you. And anyway, this kid is going to have a great uncle, I learned from the best." He said as I smiled at him referencing to Keith, Lucas's now adopted father yet in my eyes Keith was and always will be his father.
"Thank you Luke...I really needed this...and you"
"I know...I am always here for you."
"I love you" I said hugging him once more.
"I love you too. Now what do you mean you think you are pregnant?" He said as his mind rethought what I said.
"I never got tested but I am late and am always sick."
"Let's go"
"Where?" I asked as he started to gather his stuff.
"To the hospital we need to find out for sure."
After we got back from the hospital I just laid on Lucas's bed with him watching Two Bush Valley, our favorite show. He had chosen this to take my mind off of things. After about a half hour of me tapping my hand on my leg he finally grabbed it and held it for support.
"Your test should be ready in a few hours Miss James" I could hear the nurses words echoing in my head.
My phone began ringing and I jumped up to grab it. I read the front and dropped it on the bed. Nathan. I could feel the warmth in my throat once more, I couldn't talk to him at a time like this...what would I say. Lucas reached over and grabbed my phone "Hey Nate...no nothings wrong, Haley is just in the bathroom...oh okay, yeah have a goodnight man" With that Lucas hung up the phone "He just wanted me to tell you that you left your english text at his house so you weren't looking for it, and that he loved you."
"Thanks" And then my phone started ringing it again. He read the number then handed it to me. "Hello."
"Is this miss Haley James?"
"This is she"
"Hi, this is Nurse Harrison from the hospital and I was just calling to confirm that you are definitely pregnant. We will call you back in a few days to schedule an OBGYN appointment with you."
"Thank you" I whispered hanging up. I looked at Lucas, he could tell by my eyes what the nurse said. He opened his arms for me to curl into and cry.
I sat at the docks tapping my hand against the wood waiting for Nathan, I was five minutes early and as I sat here, I got more and more nervous.
"Hey" Nathan said kissing the top of my head and sitting down across from me.
"Hi" I said half heartedly forming a small smile.
"What's wrong baby?" He asked grabbing my hand across the table.
I couldn't sugar coat it, there was no way to so I just came right out with it.
"I'm pregnant" Nathan's jaw dropped and he pulled his hand away.
"Are...are you sure?"
"Yeah...Lucas and I, we..."
"Wait...Lucas was with you, why was he with you?"
"'Cause I needed someone..."
"Why wasn't it me?"
"I was afraid and..."
"How long have you known?"
"A few days...what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking you should have told me a few days ago, and I should have been the one with you, and we shouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place"
"Nate, we were having sex we always knew there was a risk in it, technically if you think about it pregnancy is the reason for sex. We shouldn't have been having sex, we should have waited until we were married but we didn't..."
"Wait, are you blaming this on me? When we first started going out you wanted to wait but I never pressured you into sleeping with me." He insisted. I could see what I said hurt him, but I honestly didn't mean it like that.
"I never said that, it takes two Nate, I was saying if we did wait, we wouldn't be in this situation, I never said you pressured me, believe me I wanted to have sex with you."
"We shouldn't be in this situation, why us? Why are we screwed over and the ones stuck in this situation? Plenty of people hook up all the time and don't get pregnant, but the two of us…we were careful!"
"Wait a minute, are you implying that all of a sudden we are screwed? I know this is an inopportune time for a baby, but it is a human life, and a blessing from God. You make it sound like we were a one night stand and just a hookup. Do I mean that little to you? Do you even care about me or this baby?" I asked him, suddenly feeling protective, like my child was being attacked. My hand fell to my stomach.
"Oh my god." Nathan shook his head, his hand flying to his mouth. "You wanted this. You wanted to get pregnant." He accused me "You said you were on birth control, you probably never were…" He trailed off. "I mean, what better way to trap a guy, than to have his baby? How could you do this? You know what, don't even answer that." He insisted, as the tears fell freely from my eyes. "Don't talk to me. I can't be here." He turned one last time. "I can't do this." He kept walking…and I kept watching, half expecting him to turn around and say 'Just kidding.'. Yeah…like that would happen.
I stayed there, just for a few minutes, looking out onto the water, letting myself get lost in my tears, before I took my cell out.
"I'll be right there." Lucas said, before I hung up. I didn't even need to tell him what had happened, he just knew I needed a friend.
"What are you doing here?" Nathan asked placing the basketball down knowing he was going to get a lecture from his older brother.
"I just wanted to check your head." Lucas said stepping onto the court with his hands in his pockets.
"Aren't you mad at me?"
"She didn't tell me what you said, she just said you left."
"Why did she tell you first, why you, I mean I am the father?"
"Because she was afraid you would act like this, she is afraid of being a mother, of everything. And so are you and it's okay to be afraid but we can't let those fears stop us from living life we have to move past them with courage and strength two things I know that you both have."
"I just, yesterday I could see my future, it was all mapped out and now I'm not so sure of what to do"
"I'm not here to persuade you in what to do but you both love each other," he quirked his head and squinted his eyes "always and forever."
They both let out a lighthearted laugh.
"Listen...thanks...can I just have some time to think though" Lucas nodded and left.
I sat in bed with a bowl of popcorn and chocolate in a bowl beside it. I had spent most of my Sunday crying and with Lucas, but as it got later I knew I couldn't procrastinate with my work any longer. Just as I finished my lit paper I heard a knock at the window. It scared me at first causing me to jump before I saw Nathan's figure and opened it
"Listen if you came here to yell at me I can't do this tonight. I threw up for most of this evening and want to study a little bit for the calculus test I am going to have this week before I go to sleep."
"Can we please talk Hales?" He asked. I could see in his eyes that he wasn't angry, he was being earnest and sincere. I moved back to let him in. Suddenly feeling chilly from the breeze I reached over on my chair and threw on one of Nathan's hoodies that I had at my house. I moved the popcorn and chocolate onto my end table, and the laptop to my desk sitting it next to my printer that had just finished printing my lit paper.
"You can sit there" I said pointing to my desk chair as I got comfortable across from it on my bed.
"Is it healthy for you to be eating that?" He asked nodding at the food.
I didn't answer.
"Listen Hales, I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean any of it, I was scared and nervous but I know you didn't plan that. You would never do that and I get why you would bring Lucas with you, you needed someone you knew would be there and support you. I just hope one day I can be that person for you. I understand why you didn't tell me right away, you were nervous and afraid...I get it because everything you felt that day I am feeling now. I know you would never ever try to trap me, you are an amazing woman and could never be capable of that. You don't even think like that you have a good heart Haley James. And I know we made love and didn't just hook up. It will always mean more than that. This baby is not because we are screwed 'cause we're not, we will figure it out I know it, if you forgive me. I want to support you and be here for you and the baby. I love you so much and can't lose you. I want to be the man you need and be a father to this baby. Because this baby is a blessing from God just like you said. Please forgive me."
"I am so afraid Nathan...I don't want to screw this up, and I don't want be a terrible mother. I am afraid of fitting the stupid american teen pregnancy stereotype. People aren't going to talk to me, they will phase me out and ignore me. They will laugh at me and treat me different."
Nathan moved over to my bed, wrapped his arms around me, and ran his hand through my hair as I cried.
"Listen we are going to be okay, alright. You are going to be an amazing mother."
"You're gonna be a terrific father."
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely...and I love you too"
"How far along are you?"
"They said like five weeks or so."
"We are going to be okay right?"
"I think we are...you just said everything I needed to hear."
"That's because I know you Haley James."
"And I am glad you do."
"Is it bad a small part of me is excited?" He said putting his hand on my stomach.
"No I am scared but I am happy in a way...we are having a baby together...we are young and don't get me wrong I didn't want to get pregnant but this is a little you and me. I always wanted a baby with you"
"We are gonna have a baby together." He said smiling then leaning into kiss me "I will always be here for you Haley, and for this baby. Always and forever."
Hi everybody! Here is a little story that I started FOREVER ago with ObsessivePrincess. She wrote maybe the first 20ish chapters with me but now I'm finishing it. This has been my baby and I'm quite proud of it. It has over 30 chapters and once it is officially done I will let you guys know how many chapters there are. Hope you all enjoy it!