Disclaimer: I don't own The Secret Life of the American Teenager or the title of this story, which was inspired by the song of the same name by Between the Trees.
Author's note: I apologize for the long wait once again (although be assured that my Degrassi readers have been suffering much longer)! I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I hope you all enjoy it! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. I have been receiving a lot of story alerts on this story, but I'd love to hear your detailed feedback and see what you think!
Eight weeks pregnant
I find myself waking up the next morning groggy and reluctant, for my mother had kept me up later than usual to ask an endless amount of questions regarding Ricky and my relationship with him. Unsure myself, I had told her that we are friends and that yes, there might be something more, but we're taking things slow. My mother had squealed her approval, although I can't help but to wonder how her opinion of him will change once she finds out about the situation we got ourselves into.
Grimacing at the thought, I drag myself out of bed and stumble over to my closet. Once I've stripped out of my pajamas, I frown down at my body. I know it's probably just me being paranoid, but I swear that a bump has already begun to form. Paranoia or not, I put on a flowing shirt that won't cling to my stomach. My frown only deepens when I pull on a pair of skinny jeans, buttoning them with some difficulty. "Oh, that's just great," I mutter bitterly.
By the time I arrive to school, my mood is still sour. After all, it doesn't exactly help that I couldn't keep down my breakfast this morning; it had taken a great deal of assuring my mother that I was fine for her to be convinced and allow me to leave the house. Plus I pretended not to notice Ashley's suspicious stare burning into me.
Each day my secret becomes harder and harder to keep.
"Hi."
I jump, caught off guard by the unexpected voice. I turn towards the speaker, and suddenly I am face to face with a tall, gangly boy that looks vaguely familiar. "Oh… hello," I say politely.
Appearing shy, he clears his throat and says, "I'm Ben."
I nod, remembering who he is at once, and offer him a warm smile. "Yeah, you're in my history class! I'm Amy."
"I know," says Ben, returning the smile. The tension seems to leave him upon my recognizing him. "I- uh, I was just wondering if maybe you'd be interested in hanging out some time. My friends, Henry and Alice, and I are, uh, kind of trying to make new friends."
My head tilts to the side, surprised by his request. He seems nice, if not a bit awkward and lonely, which I can definitely relate to. "Um, yeah… okay. When were you thinking of hanging out?" Feeling shy myself, I clutch my bag closer to my body.
A grin lights up his face. "Well, we were going to go bowling after school… so maybe you'd like to join us?" suggests Ben.
"That sounds fun. I'll, uh, text my mom and let you know in History," I say with another smile.
"Great!" he chimes. "I'll see you then, Amy."
I wave goodbye to him, staring at his back as I watch him walk away. I'm left standing alone by my locker, still a little bit baffled. Nobody ever approaches me with the offer of friendship, let alone a boy. With everything that's happened in the past few weeks, though, it's a comforting feeling to not feel like such an outcast.
In a much lighter mood now, I head into the girls' restroom. For some reason, I always have to pee; I suspect it has something to do with my situation.
Just as I enter, I hear a strange noise. I soon realize somebody is crying. Concern fills me, and when I turn the corner, I notice a petite blonde girl curled up against the wall, her thin shoulders shaking with sobs. "Um, excuse me?" I say hesitantly.
The girl's head snaps us to look at me, wide-eyed. "Oh, this is so embarrassing," she whimpers as she struggles to her feet. "I am so sorry. I didn't think anybody would—"
"Hey, no need to apologize," I interrupt. "I was in the same exact position just a couple of weeks ago." I flash her a gentle smile.
"Really?" she sniffles.
I nod in confirmation and step closer. "Want to talk?"
Sighing dejectedly, she seems to deflate. "I- I'm not sure… It's really embarrassing."
"You might feel better getting it off your chest," I tell her.
The blonde girl hesitates a moment before finally relenting. "Well, okay. Do you know who, um, Adrian Lee is?" she asks.
I scowl instinctively and nod again.
"I saw her and my boyfriend kissing," she confesses, her voice barely above a whisper.
I feel a rush of sympathy for her. "Oh, I'm sorry. When did it happen?"
She pushes her hair back, sighing once more. "Yesterday, after school was over. My boyfriend always drives me home, and I went to meet him, and that's when I saw her all… pressed up against him. Then, the next thing I know, she reached up and kissed him right on the mouth!" A combination of disgust and heartbreak is displayed all over her face.
Frowning, I ask, "Have you confronted either one of them?"
The blonde girl shakes her head vehemently, seeming horrified by the suggestion. "No, I ran off right after I saw them. Jack tried to talk to me this morning, but I walked away. I don't know how to handle any of this," she says sadly, and her shoulders drop in resignation.
"I think you should find Jack and ask him about the kiss," I urge. "Give him a chance to explain. I mean, were you there long enough to see if he kissed Adrian back?"
A thoughtful look crosses her face. "You know, I did only watch them for a second," she muses. She brightens a bit, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Thank you so much! You were really helpful…" Unsure of who I am, she trails off.
I stick my hand out and introduce myself. "Amy Juergens."
There appears to be a flicker of recognition in her expression, though she shakes my hand nonetheless. "I'm Grace Bowman," she says.
My eyes grow wide. "You're Wife Number One's—uh, I mean, you're Kathleen Bowman's daughter, right?" I inwardly groan. Way to go, stupid. You probably just pissed her off.
Rather than looking affronted, however, she smirks. "Yeah, that's me. Our parents used to be married."
I can't help but let out a small giggle. "Small word, huh?" I say, before returning to our previous topic of discussion. "You know what? If I see Adrian today, I'll say something to her."
"Really? You would do that for me?" smiles Grace, clearly pleased.
"Well, family's got to look out for each other," I joke. The bell warning us to get to class rings just then, and I give her a friendly hug. "I'll talk to you later, Grace." I turn to exit the bathroom, but she grabs my wrist. I glance at her curiously.
She holds out a hand, grinning. "Phone?"
We quickly exchange phones to type in our numbers. "I hope everything with Jack goes well," I tell her with sincerity. Grace thanks me, and I hurry to reach my first class in time.
Today I am actually able to focus to the teacher's ramblings. In spite of my crappy morning, I find myself happier than I have been in weeks. I've made two new friends in less than an hour, and Ricky and I are on good terms. This is more than I would have ever dared to hope for.
When class ends, I tense up, for I am fully aware that I pass by Adrian's locker on my way to my next class. That may sound strange or creepy, but in my defense, Ricky used to stand there talking with her every day. How could I not have memorized where her locker is?
I instantly recognize her dark, distinctive curls and ridiculously glossy lips. However, she is not alone. She stands in front of a taller boy, her arms folded across her chest and her smirking mouth moving with what I can tell are seductive words. Still, her flirting with some guy won't stop me from confronting her.
Bracing myself, I slowly make my way towards her. Her brows furrow, and an angry expression takes over her face.
"You can't be interested in that… child!" scoffs Adrian.
Before the boy can respond, I clear my throat, feeling out of my element. I mean, I'm awkward, soft-spoken Amy Juergens, a mere freshman who has trouble standing up for myself. What am I even going to say to her?
Adrian's piercing eyes narrow at me. "What do you want?" she spits.
I'm at a loss for words. My panic washes away, however, when the boy she was conversing with turns around. I feel my heart drop and my stomach churn and my blood run cold.
Why in the world had Ricky been talking with Adrian?
