Jimmy came over later and gave me some flowers.

"i think someone put wine in the punch, sarah."

"me too, jimmy. and boy, do i have a hangover."

"my poor sarah."

he put out a hand to feel my head.

i sighed.

"jimmy, there's something i need to tell you."

no time like the present. and the more this went on the less likely he would still be my friend afterwards.

"the rumors are true?"

"what rumors?"

"that eddy, well, you know. he... he made love with you?"

"WHAT?!" i screeched, trying to look as shocked as possible.

"THAT BUFFOON?! I WOULD NEVER GO OUT WITH HIM IF MY LIFE DEPENDED ON IT! AUGH!"

Jimmy smiled.

"i knew you would never give up on me, girlfriend."

i'm a liar. i'm lying to my best friend. there's no way i can tell him now. he'd be crushed and think that eddy was the reason for my dilemma.

"look, jimmy."

but i can't stand it anymore.

"i... i love you, and-"

"i love you too, girlfriend. there's so much i want to do with you, so i want to take you out to dinner tonight. there's something special i want to show you."

I grimaced.

"jimmy-"

"Bye, Sweet sarah!"

i sighed and rubbed my head.

the phone rang.

i picked it up sadly.

"hello?"

"hi."

eddy's voice.

"who is this?"

"eddy."

"i-i- can't-"

"i need to talk to you. just meet me at the creek in an hour."

i nodded, although he couldn't see it.

"okay. i need to talk to you too."

the phone clicked and i went to my mirror.

There i was. my hair was rumpled and i was wearing my clothes from yesterday. i felt sick. really sick.

the doorbell rang and i ran my hands through my hair.

oh god. it was eddy.

we walked to the creek and he finally spoke.

"look, about what happened last night-"

"forget it." i said quickly. i turned on my heel and left.

and we did forget it. the weeks passed and eventually the rumor died down because neither eddy or i were saying anything out of the ordinary to each other. I'm glad he did that. if he had boasted about it then the whole thing would be ruined, jimmy would hate me.

i think eddy told edd and ed to keep quiet about it too, and since nobody else had seen us that night we were safe.

But- back to the night after. Jimmy had wanted to take me out to dinner.

i told him i was feeling sick and couldn't make it.

he accepted this COMPLETE LIE.

he asked me again and again i lied and told him i had boxing practice, or dance class, or i needed to go shopping with my mom.

and i successfully held him off for three weeks.

but then, one day, he cornered me after gym.

"sarah, i need to talk to you."

"oh, jimmy now's not a good-"

"please, sarah."

I sighed and followed him to the library.

"what's up?"

"i need to take you out to dinner. i have something really important to tell you and i can't put it off any longer. so just name a date, girlfriend. i'll be there. i'll make time for you."

Oh my god. how can i go through with this?

i missed my period this month and i'm still cranky.

but if i say no, he'll know something's up.

"tonight's good." i say, quietly.

he perks up.

"i'll pick you up at 7."

7:00 PM

he arrives at my door with flowers.

jimmy, why why why why why why why why are you so courteous and NICE all the time?! why can't you be nasty to me so i can have a reason to break up with you? IS THAT SO HEARTLESS?!

we walk in silence to the café. He's grinning the whole time.

"sarah, i know we've only been dating for a short time, but-"

he puts his hand on mine.

"i think it's time to-"

"break up?" i burst out.

he stares at me in complete shock.

then he starts laughing.

"you silly. no, move our relationship to the next level."

"what does that mean?" i ask nervously. i need to pee and i'm cornered here.

"sarah... dear, sweet sarah..."

he gets down on one knee.

oh no. oh no. oh no no no no no no no no no no no no.

"will you marry me?"

my eyes go wide.

i really, really, really need to pee and i don't want to just be sitting here gaping like an idiot. why did he propose? WHY?!

"i-i.. jimmy, i'm only 16. i want to go to college, get a job-"

"but sarah. i know all those things are important, and i want to spend the rest of my life with you. i've thought a lot about this-"

is it selfish of me to say i haven't?

"and i want you to marry me. be with me. we can work out all the problems of life together."

"but we're 16. i'm not even an adult yet-"

"please, sarah. this would be-"

"i- i.. i need to pee, jimmy. we can talk about this after, okay?"

he shrugs, looking really disappointed.

"of course, my sweet sarah."

i run to the bathroom.

what am i gonna do?!

nazz is there, again.

oh yeah, she works at this restaurant.

"help me nazz. jimmy just proposed to me!"

nazz's face is shocked.

"wow, sarah, that's-"

"AUGH!" i scream.

i don't feel well.

Nazz takes me home. it's only when i'm snug in my bed i realize jimmy's still at the café. oh god.

why me?

i turn over in bed, hoping never to see jimmy's face again.

i need to break up with him.

i get up but immediately fall back into bed.

ugh.

i feel really sick.

there's a knock on my door.

"yes, who is it?"

"Sarah, open the door. please."

it's jimmy.

"look, jimmy."

it's now or never.

"i... i need to break up with you."

the shock on his face is impossible.

he reels back.

"but... but...i thought things were so perfect! why would this be... is this about the engagement ring? we can take things slow, whatever you desire is my command, sarah."

I shook my head.

"it's not about that. i want to break up with you. i can't do this anymore. you're a really amazing guy, jimmy, and-"

"stop. just stop. i don't want to hear it."

he runs out of the room, tears rolling down his cheeks.

i feel like throwing up.

I walk slowly out of my house. edd and ed are there, waiting for me. of course they are. they're the best friends a guy could ask for.

but sometimes...

"eddy! where's your girlfriend?"

"yeah, eddy? HAHAHHAHAHAHA!"

they get on my last nerves.

"she aint my girlfriend."

Unfortunately, they don't believe a word i'm saying.

"Double d, how are things with you and-"

changing the subject works. he goes beet red.

"oh, um. that. well, she prefers jocks, i suppose. she loves kevin."

They've stopped teasing me about sarah.

and now i turn it to ed.

"what about you and-"

"ICKY STINKY GIRLS EDDY!"

i raise one eyebrow.

"that's not what i heard, monobrow."

now they want off the subject of girls completely.

"well, um, eddy, what have you got planned for us today?"

Just then i see sarah run by me, past my house and rounding the corner to the playground.

"uh.."

double d and ed stare at me, as if they expect me to go chasing after her.

fine. i will.

i turn the corner.

sarah's on a swing, crying.

"hey... what's up?"

"i broke up with jimmy."

I'm at a loss for words.

she actually broke up with him? i thought they loved each other.

"wow."

then, i ask her. i have to know.

"does this have anything to do with what happened at nazz's party? because-"

"just SHUT UP, EDDY!" she screams at me.

standing up, pointing her finger in my face.

"NO ONE ASKED YOU ANYTHING! JUST SHUT YOUR-"

she collapses.

"sarah? SARAH!"

the hospital ride is short and i'm scared the whole time.

i gotta get her to the hospital. now.

double d and ed are right there with me.

double d insisted on driving because he said i was too worked up and..

ed never managed to pass driver's education...

i sat in the back and held sarah's head in my lap.

she was sick. it wasn't just breaking up with jimmy. there was something serious going on.

when we got there the doctors whisked her away and told me to sit tight in the waiting room.

double d put a hand on my shoulder and we waited, ed playing with the pamphlets.

finally they called me in.

"she's pregnant."