It had been another two months since school had been in and Jeff and Trish were getting closer and closer each day. Keeping their friendship was hard, but they were glad that they had someone to talk about their problems. Some things, Trish felt she couldn't tell her friends and Jeff had a lot of things he couldn't tell his brother. Lately though, Trish had been acting strange when Jeff would come over and talk to her. She seemed less willing to talk and more irritated. Her friends noticed it as well and wondered what was wrong with her. One day, at school Lisa and Nora cornered Trish at her locker and started to question her.

"Trish, what is wrong with you? You've been acting weird for a few months," Lisa said.

"Nothing is wrong with me, Lisa. Why do you think that?"

"You've been acting really bitchy lately. Well, more bitchy than normal," Nora answered.

"Oh my God, guys. Are you serious? Nothing is wrong okay? I'm fine."

"Is it your parents," Lisa asked.

"No, shockingly enough my parents have not irritated me. But I am fine okay? Don't worry okay? And I'll tone the bitchiness down," Trish said with a smile.

Lisa and Nora sighed and then nodded their heads. They walked off together and went to lunch. True to her word, Trish had toned down the bitchiness and everyone was happy. After school was done, everyone went home and relaxed. Christmas break was coming soon and everyone couldn't wait for a break. Jeff came over to Trish's room and they talked about how excited they were that Christmas break was upon them. They knew that meant they wouldn't be able to spend much time together, but it didn't bother them. Jeff left her room a few hours later and they went to bed and waited for the next school day to come.

The next day, Jeff left with Matt and Amy and while they were driving, he noticed that he didn't see Trish walking to school. He usually saw her while they were on their way to school. He shrugged it off and thought that she had probably gotten a ride with Nora or she was running late. They got to school and went inside and waited for the bell to ring. Jeff started to get worried when he didn't see Trish with her group and when she didn't show up for first period, he almost lost it. He kept his cool, because he didn't want his brother or Amy to ask what was wrong with him. During lunch, he walked past Trish's group and heard them talking.

"Has anyone talked to Trish," Lisa asked.

"No. It's not like her to be late for school or to not show up. She was never one to skip," Shane said.

"Nora, don't you usually pick her up in the morning," Rob asked.

"Yeah, but she didn't call asking me to pick her up, so I didn't go to her place," Nora said.

Lisa sighed and started to worry. They went through the rest of the day worrying about Trish and hoping that she was okay. When the day let out, they ran to a pay phone and called her. She answered and said that she hadn't been feeling good at all so she stayed home. She apologized for worrying them and they said it was okay. They hung up the phone and went home. When Jeff got home, he went downstairs and looked over at Trish's room. Her curtains were closed and it was dark in her room. He did his homework and when he finished, he looked over at Trish's room again and it was still dark. He sighed to himself and got up and walked out of his room and knocked on 

her window. There was no answer, so he opened the window and walked in. He saw that her bathroom light was on and he walked over to it and pushed it open gently. He saw her sitting on the floor and she had a blade to her wrist. He ran over to her and snatched the blade away from her and threw it across the bathroom.

"What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!" Trish was crying softly to herself and she looked up at Jeff with hurt eyes. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Jeff…I'm pregnant," she said quietly.

He sat back and looked at her in shock. She looked at him and sighed to herself.

"Why would you try to kill yourself if you're pregnant?"

"I'm not with the father. What's the point?"

"There is a point, Trish. You have something to live for. There's a baby growing inside of you. Don't let the fact that the father is a piece of shit and not involved upset you," Jeff said.

"How am I going to tell my parents? They'll kill me."

"I'll be here with you, when you do. I'll say it's mine."

Trish scoffed and looked at him. "And ruin your reputation? That's okay Jeff. I'll tell them by myself."

"Why are you always trying to do things on your own? I'm here to help you and you don't want it."

"It's not going to make it any better, Jeff. I'll do it by myself okay?"

"Fine. But remember, I'm right here if you need me."

"I know."

He stood up and walked out of her room and went to his and lay in his bed. Trish stood up and walked over to her bed and went to sleep. She knew she had to tell her parents, but she just didn't know how. Telling her friends was going to be a little bit easier but she wondered how Shannon would take the news. She went to bed that night, thinking about.

The next day, Trish got up and looked out her window and saw Jeff getting dressed. He looked over at her and smiled and she sighed and walked upstairs. Her parents were already gone to work, so she walked out of the house and started to walk down the street. When she got to school, her friends were there waiting for her inside. She walked up to them and Lisa and Nora looked at her worriedly.

"Are you okay, Trish," Nora asked.

"I have something to tell you guys," Trish said.

"What's wrong," Rob asked.

"Um….I'm pregnant," she said.

There was dead silence and they all stared at her in shock. She looked at them, expecting them to be angry or something, but they weren't.

"Wow. Have you told Shannon," Lisa asked.

"No."

"Are you going to tell him," Nora asked.

"I don't know. What's the point? He's not going to be involved," Trish said.

"But maybe this will make him get back with you," Lisa said.



"I don't know if I want to be with him honestly. Who's to say he won't leave me again after I have this baby?"

"True. But you should still tell him anyway. See what he has to say," Lisa said.

"I will. But I want you guys there with me when I do."

"Okay. How about after school?"

"Works for me."

Everyone nodded his or her head in agreement and as soon as the conversation ended, Shannon and Jackie walked up to them.

"What's up guys," Shannon asked.

"Just waiting for this bell to ring," Greg said.

"How about we skip today," Shannon asked.

"No. It's almost Christmas break anyway. No sense in doing that," Lisa said.

"God. You guys haven't skipped all year. What's up with you guys," Shannon asked.

"We're growing up, Shannon. Skipping isn't all that cool anymore," Trish said.

Shannon looked at Trish in shock.

"You were the one who always wanted skip," he said.

"Yeah, but like I said, we're growing up. It's time to stop the childish games," Trish said.

Jackie scoffed and looked at Trish hatefully. The whole group looked at Jackie suspiciously and crowded around Trish.

"What was that for, Jackie," Nora asked.

"She's talking about childish games and she was the one who broke up with Shannon," Jackie said.

"What?!"

Jackie stood back in shock. The whole group had said the same thing and then they all looked at Shannon.

"You told her that Trish broke up with you," Greg asked.

"You are so full of shit Shannon and I don't know what I ever saw in you," Trish said.

"Well it doesn't matter anyway, Trish. He's with me now," Jackie said.

"You can have him, Jackie. I don't ever want him back. He's going to do the same thing to you in a few years."

"Oh please. He would never do me that way. I'm better than you. You're just a fucking orphan with a fucked up life."

"Oh shut up you bitch! You know nothing about me or my life."

"Oh really? I thought everyone knew about you and your life. You make it seem so fucking horrible. That's why Shannon broke up with you. He was tired of hearing all of your bullshit."

"Well here's another piece of bullshit he'd like to hear."

"Trish, don't…"

"I'm pregnant with your fucking child, Shannon!" Shannon and Jackie looked at Trish in shock. Shannon started to shake his head in disbelief. "It's true Shannon. I'm pregnant with your child."



"No! It's not mine."

"Like hell it's not yours. You were the only guy I was ever with. You can keep your little whore because I don't want you. And I don't want you involved in this child's life at all!"

"Fine. I don't want to be involved anyway."

Shannon and Jackie walked off and Trish just stared at her. All of a sudden, she ran off towards Jackie, grabbed her hair and slammed her against a locker. The whole school got quiet suddenly and everyone stared at them. Lisa, Nora, Greg and Rob walked up to her and stared at Jackie.

"He'll fuck you over too bitch. Just wait and see."

The bell rang suddenly and Trish walked off to her first class and everyone else dispersed to their classes. Trish walked into the classroom and sat down at her desk and sighed to herself. She looked at the door and Jeff walked in with his brother and she put her head down. He walked past her and sat down in his seat and started to talk to Matt.

Trish went through the rest of the day like nothing had happened earlier. During lunch, Jackie and Shannon found an empty table to sit at by themselves. When school finally let out for the day, everyone was ecstatic. Christmas Break started today and everyone couldn't wait to start their vacation. Trish and her group were outside standing next to Nora's car, wondering what they were going to do on their vacation. They all knew they were going to hang out so they all went home and just decided to relax. When Trish got to her house, she went downstairs to her room and laid on her bed and closed her eyes. Someone knocked on her window and she looked up and smiled softly. It was Jeff and he smiled when he saw Trish smile. She opened the window for him and he crawled in and they started to talk.

"How's the baby?"

"It's good I guess."

"When are you going to tell your parents?"

"Tonight I think."

"Have you told the father?"

"Yeah. Not in the way I wanted to, but he knows now."

"How'd he take it?"

"I don't want him involved."

"Does he want to be involved?"

"He denied that the baby was his, so I know he doesn't want to be involved, Jeff. So it's okay. I'll just raise the baby on my own," Trish said quietly.

"Okay."

They talked for a while longer and then Jeff went to his room and they both went to sleep. Trish wondered how she was going to get through this pregnancy.