Disclaimer: All I own is the plot.

My Secret Sin

3. Changes

Surprisingly, her parents didn't threaten her with any pamphlets. They were mad that she didn't tell them the truth about that night, but seemed to sense just how much she suffered already. Inevitably, the discussion topic shifted from her to her baby.

"Mimi, I don't want to pressure you, but you're barely fifteen." Her mom said. "I don't think you realize how much work goes into taking care of a baby."

"I'm not keeping it." Mimi frowned, tears running down her cheeks. "I can't. I still have three years of high school left after this one, plus maybe college. I want my baby to feel loved. She needs a family, two parents, and I can't give her that."

"I'm glad to see you've given this some thought." Her dad said. "You're doing a brave thing by giving the baby to a family who can care for her."

"I don't know if it's a girl yet." Mimi blushed. "I don't know if I want to know."

"That's okay, sweetie." Mom smiled. "This is your decision."

"Speaking of which," Mimi fidgeted, "can I change schools? I don't want anyone there to know what happened. I know in the long run it won't be much easier, but at least I won't have to worry about someone trying to hurt me."

"We'll check into it, sweetie." Dad smiled.

"You must be exhausted." Mom worried. "I'll let you go rest."

"Thank you." Mimi nodded, rising from her chair.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

As it turned out, a fresh start was what she needed. Sure, rumors still flew around, but they weren't as bad as they could have been. Change was a good thing. Granted, this wasn't over yet. It wouldn't be truly over until she graduated and put this all behind her, but at least things were starting to look up.

It was now nearly May. For normal girls, this time was spent preparing for prom. But Mimi wasn't going to any dances or parties. She would be spending her evenings at home until after the baby was born. The upside to all of this was that Sora would be spending the weekend with her.

The afternoon of Sora's arrival, the two headed straight to the mall. The plan had been to watch a movie and do some shopping, but before the girls arrived at the theatre, Mimi had to stop and lean against a store window for support.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked, concern lining her features. "You don't look so good."

"I don't know what's wrong." Mimi panted. "I don't remember being this out of breath before. I think I need to sit down."

"Okay," Sora nodded, "Uh…, over here." She grabbed her friend by the arm and guided her to a bench nearby. "Mimi, maybe we should just stay home this weekend. I know it isn't what you planned, but if you're this winded after only ten minutes then…"

"I know." Mimi sighed. "I just wanted to act like a normal person this weekend."

"It's okay." Sora replied. "We can order pizza and rent a movie. I don't mind."

"I'm sorry." Mimi started.

"Don't you dare appologize." Sora chided. "We'll still have fun at your house. This isn't all your fault, so don't feel sorry about it. I don't like sappy movies anyway."

Mimi smiled weakly and slowly got to her feet again. Once her dizziness subsided, the two girls walked straight to the nearest bus station.

Later that evening, Mimi and Sora settled in for a movie marathon. They'd watched all of Bring it On and were halfway through Son in Law when Mimi began to look worn.

"Hey, if you're feeling tired, we can stop now." Sora offered. "We don't have to watch them all tonight."

"That might be best." Mimi nodded and attempted to stand. However, a sharp pain and a yelp forced her back onto the couch.

"Mimi!" Sora exclaimed, trying to stay calm. "What's wrong? Should I go get your parents up?"

"No." Mimi whispered, fear rooted in her eyes. "No, no. Not now. It's not supposed to happen now."

Sora's eyes grew to epic proportions. "The baby's coming? Here?"

"It's not supposed to." Mimi panted. "It's not due for another two weeks…Ouch!" She winced and clutched her stomach. At this point, her parents dashed into the room.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Her mom asked.

"I think we need to leave." Mimi panted. Her mother nodded, and the four piled into the family car for the trip to the hospital.