(Chapter 2/Month 2! Reviews would be lovely!)

2 months

I struggled to shut the car door, my arms full of boxes. Finally managed to kick it closed, and began the trudge up the metal stairs. I went through our open apartment door and found Ivy in the kitchen, unloading newspaper wrapped plates from a box.

"Where do you want the boxes?" I asked. She came and started rummaging through the box on top.

"Put them in the living room. We'll figure it out once everything is in." I nodded and sat them on our dingy couch. So much had happened in the past month. After talking it over with Ivy, I had to face my parents. My father had all but disowned me when I came out to him. My mother had pledged to love me for always, but I could tell by the way that her eyes watered every time she looked at me that if she could change who I am, she would. When I told her that I was going to move in with Ivy to help support her and raise Jason's baby, I thought she was going to lose it. She started crying and screaming about how I was throwing away my life for a boy who made me sin and then committed suicide. I tried to convince her that this was good, how I was going to make this a better situation. Then I made the mistake of mentioning that I was looking into community colleges instead of attending Berkeley. It was at that point that I decided it would be best for me to leave.

Then Ivy and I had gotten together and tried to find a community college that would work for us. We looked all over the US, Michigan to Alabama, Florida to California. We finally settled for a small junior college in North Texas. We wouldn't have even known about it, but Ivy's cousin had mentioned it during a phone call. Amarillo College, in Amarillo, Tx, Population: 193,675. It had been a hard move. Once we had finally decided on where we wanted to go, we got online and found an apartment. Once we had somewhere to sleep, we had to find furniture. We scoured craigslist and ebay, scanned newspaper ads, and begged relatives. We assembled a motley collection of used furniture, rented a u-haul, and made the almost 2,000 mile journey across America.

Amarillo was a culture shock. The Texas panhandle is flat, no hills, no trees. It's hot and dry, and it hasn't rained once since we arrived. According to locals, it will be cold as hell in a couple months. Everyone drives big trucks and says y'all. Needless to say, Ivy and I feel a little isolated.

I carried in the last box and kicked the door shut, stopping to turn on the ceiling fan. Ivy joined me in the tiny living room, and we both surveyed all of our worldly possessions in boxes on the brown carpet.

"Surreal, isn't it?" I asked absent mindedly.

"What?"

I shrugged. "Well, three days ago, we were in Massachusetts. We were just to kids, just out of high school. Now, we're in an entire different state, living in a little apartment that kind of smells like stale bread. Life changes so fast."

She smiles back at me. "No joke! Three months ago we were studying for the play. I wasn't knocked up, you still had Jason…" On that note we both went silent. What more was there to say? We both began going through the boxes, and unpacking our respective belongings.

I came in the door and threw my car keys in the bowl on the counter. I had secured a job as a hospitality worker at one of the local hotels. The work was okay, I didn't particularly like having to sometimes work nights, but it was a paying job. Ivy had gotten a job waitressing at a local sports bar. I didn't really think that was the best job for a pregnant woman, but she said she makes pretty good tips and the bar is no smoking, so I've kept my peace. Said pregnant woman was curled up in our one armchair, watching TLC. I flopped down on our sofa, rubbing my eyes and simultaneously kicking off my shoes.

Ivy glanced over at me. "Long day?"

I groaned. "People can be such assholes." She laughed. "No really. I had a couple refuse a room because it smelled like cigarette smoke. I went and investigated it personally, and it was fine. They were just trying to be difficult."

"Well, I'm sorry. Would ordering a pizza make you feel better?"

I smiled. "Shouldn't you be eating healthy?" I couldn't help teasing.

She threw a pillow at me. "I had a fucking salad for lunch, jerk. I can eat what I want."

I held up my hands in surrender. "Okay, okay I'm sorry. I'll go get Pizza Hut's number."

Thirty minutes later we were both stretched out, chowing down on greasy, cheesy goodness, watching chubby moms dress their daughters like sluts and parade around on a stage. From beside me, Ivy snorted.

"God as my witness, I will never put my kid in pageant." I leaned across and bumped knuckles with her. "Agreed."

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