Pregnant?

The word didn't quite comprehend in Adam's brain. It simply dropped into his skull like a rock cutting through water, without ever reaching the bottom of the pond.

"What do you mean pregnant?" He asked bewildered.

Amy's eyes looked panicked and filled with anxiety, "Adam you and I both know what that kid did to you. I'm just saying that it's not out of the realm of possibility."

"Yes it is Amy. I'm not...I mean I couldn't be..."

He felt woozy again and this time it had nothing to do with morning sickness. His mouth went dry and his face became numb. His skin began to tingle, giving off the illusion that he was both burning and freezing at the same time. He stumbled back a few steps, black spots dancing over his vision as he struggled to find his balance. This can't be happening...it's not true...He reached out for something to grab hold of. Anything. Anything to keep him from being consumed by the darkness that had started to gather around the rims of his pupils. But there was nothing. Nothing could stop him from falling...nothing could save him anymore...

...

...Adam

...Adam

It started as just a whisper. A faint voice echoing in the empty hallways of his mind. He heard it but refused to acknowledge its presence, after all it was safe here, down deep with in him where he didn't have to be Gracie or Adam or anybody at all. Why would he want to give that up so that he could go back to reality and face its painful truth? He couldn't remember what it was exactly, but he knew that something dreadful was waiting for him beyond the shade of darkness, something he so desperately wanted to go away, but if he couldn't make it go away then he'd make himself go away instead. Disappear if he could. Stay in the black emptiness. Alone forever...

...

...

Adams eyes opened before he could stop them and the darkness vanished along with his sense of security. He blinked and the world appeared before him. Amy's face lingered over him, a grey stretch of sky fanned out behind her drooping curls. He was no longer safe. He was so small to the world above, just another insignificant body taking up space in the atmosphere.

Amy's chest heaved as she let out a sigh of relief, "Grac—I mean Adam, you fainted, geez you scared me half to death. You can't get yourself worked up like this. Just look at you, you're about ten pounds under weight and you look like you haven't slept in weeks...if this is true Adam, then you need to take better care of yourself for the baby's sake."

Baby...It all came back to him now in one giant flood of realization. He bolted up into a sitting position causing Amy to topple backwards to avoid a collision. The sudden rush caused his head to throb but he ignored it. He was breathing heavily, the possibility was too much to handle. Too much to even fathom.

Adam scrambled to his feet, his thoughts racing through his head at a million miles a minute. "I have to go Amy." He said abruptly.

"What? Adam, you can't leave, what if—"

Adam waved his hands in the air frantically, as if he was swatting at invisible bees "No. No, no, no, I'm not. I'm not preg... I'm just not, okay? I have to go, Amy. I'm sorry, but I really have to go."

"Adam wait!" She called, but it was too late. He was already halfway down the block...

He wandered the streets. Turning left at the traffic light. Left, right, right, then left again. Going to so set destination, just simply going. The thick fog that had gathered around his head enabled his ability to think clearly, the same agonizing question swirling around his brain on a never ending scroll. What if she's right?

But no, she couldn't be right. He was a guy. He was. He was. He was...this can't happen...it can't...

He was still deep in thought when he felt someone grab his shoulder causing him to leap about three feet into the air.

"Woah, Adam it's me." Claire's tiny voice came from behind him.

He whirled around, his eyes wide with surprise, "Oh. Claire. Hey...what...what are you doing here?"

Claire raised her eyebrows skeptically, "Adam I live here. You're standing outside of my house."

Adam looked up at the tall grey building. How long had he been standing there, how long had Claire been watching? Adam coughed rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "Oh, yeah, I was just walking...guess I must have ended up here by mistake..."

Claire picked up on the quivering uncertainty in his tone and took a step towards him, "Are you alright?" She asked, lowering her voice. Why did everyone have to ask him that? Did he really look like such a lost puppy or had he told people he was 'alright' so many times that they had become immune to his lies?

"I'm fine." Adam repeated stalely.

Claire shifted her weight onto her hip craning her neck to the side, "Are you sure, you've been acting strange all week and, no offense, but you don't look so good."

Adam felt his muscles tighten in his gut, and the veins his neck began to swell, throbbing against the surface of his skin. "I'm fine Claire!" He burst, "God, everything's fucking perfect!"

Claire looked taken back in fear. She whimpered "Adam I—"

"It's none of your business anyway! It's no ones god damn business but my own!" He raved, kicking her trash can so hard it flew across the street and collided with the bumper of a tan SUV. The sound of the car alarm rung out in the air but Adam was too worked up to care about it, "Why can't you just stay out of things? Especially when they don't even concern you! I don't know why Eli puts up with you! Now do us both a favor and keep your nose out of places it doesn't belong!"

Claire didn't even have time to retaliate before Adam turned away and stomped off around the corner. The car alarm screaming almost as loudly as Adam's heart...

...A few hours later, after he had cooled off, Adam found himself outside CVS. He stood in front of the doors, staring up at the big red letters and thinking that if he stayed there long enough the earth would stop it's rotation and give him the time he needed to think things through without Drew or Claire or Amy breathing down his neck.

He took a deep stabilizing breath, Just take the test. It will prove that it's not true. Put all this chaos to rest...

He closed his eyes and shoved his way through the door before he could talk himself out of it. He knew he had to do this, if only to prove the rest of the world wrong.

No one in the pharmacy looked up when he entered but he still felt like every eye in the store was watching him in secret. He swallowed hard into the back of his throat, his skin clamming up as he slipped into the third isle.

It's funny how the condoms were always next to the pregnancy tests, like they're showing you a before and after picture. Adams eyes shifted to the sides, making sure no one saw him as he quickly snatched the first pregnancy test on the shelf.

It could have been the crappiest one for all he knew. He didn't want to look at it. He just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

He hurried down the first isle and then swerved into the fourth when he saw a man lurking behind a rack of Slim Jims. Adam kept jumping isles as if he was trying to throw the other customers off his scent. By the time made it to the check out line he had inspected nearly every individual row.

Adam averted his eyes from the cashier as he slid the box across the counter. He could tell that the man was already assuming the worst when he grunted at him but Adam dare not look up to confirm it.

"Twelve twenty seven." He man mumbled, folding his massive arms across his belly.

Adam fumbled through the change in his pockets, his hands trembling violently. He slammed two dollars and six cents onto the table. "J—just one second." Adam told him as he searched his back pocket.

"Typical." The man scoffed.

Adam felt his fingers touch the edge of a ten dollar bill and a couple of unidentified coins. His quivering hand caused the money to spill out onto the floor. Adam gasped as he frantically scavenged the carpet for stray quarters.

"You missed one." A familiar voice chuckled from above him.

He looked up to see Drew holding out a nickel with a sneering pretty boy grin on his face.

Adam scrambled to his feet leaning his elbow against the counter to conceal the pregnancy test behind it. He blew a piece of hair out of his face, "Hey. W—what are you doing here?" He stuttered, struggling to maintain his cool.

"Some of the guys were meeting up at the dot after football practice; I was just running in here to grab some gum. Why are you here?"

"Uh, same."

The cashier banged his fists on the counter, "Hey, I said twelve twenty seven. Pay it or leave."

"Okay, either you're lying or that is some very high quality gum." Drew snickered.

Panic began to rise throughout Adam's body as Drew tried to peer over his shoulder. He laughed jokingly, "Come on man, what is it really?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." Adam said immediately.

Drew ducked behind Adams arm, his football training becoming very apparent as he skillfully seized the box from the cashier. His smile faded at once, a look of confusion taking its place. "What do you need a pregnancy test for?"

Adam wanted to die. Right then and there. He hoped to god that by some miracle a truck would plow into the side of the building and kill him on impact.

But Adam knew he wasn't that lucky.

"It's for my friend." He stammered.

"Really?"

"Uh, yeah. She was too embarrassed to buy them herself so I told her I'd do it for her." Adam didn't know how the lie came to him so smoothly but he found it best not to question these things. He was getting out of this mess and that's all that mattered.

Drew glanced back at the box, seemingly satisfied with Adam's story until he asked, "What friend?"

"Huh?" Adam's heart sank.

"Which one of your little friends is prego?"

"I can't tell you that." His heart was pounding in his ears.

"You better. You can't keep juicy secrets like this from me."

"I can't."

"Come on."

"No."

Adam's pulse quickened.

"Adam tell me"

"I can't!"

He was cornered.

"Spit it out!"

"Claire Edwards!" Adam threw a hand over his mouth the moment he said it but Drew grinned and he knew that it was too late to take it back...


A/N: Oh rumors do spread fast at Degrassi. Especially ones like this. Haha. That means trouuubbbllee for everyone!

Please Reveiw. :)

Until next weekend - 911ost at sea