I DO NOT OWN THE TWILIGHT SAGA

Autumn's P.O.V.

The bonfire ends up being canceled due to a severe snow storm. We were snowed in and were forced to live off of whatever food that was in our cabinets, which was next to nothing. Mom was supposed to go shopping on Sunday, but the roads weren't safe. We got so much snow, that school was canceled from Monday to Wednesday, and by the time Thursday came around, Mom, Nana, and I were living off of stale bread and lettuce.

When I arrive at school, I automatically head for my locker to drop off the books I don't need. But as soon as I step through the front door, I feel every pair of eyes lock onto me. I automatically feel like I'm in one of those cliché movies where the entire school finds out something bad or great about the main character and stare at him/her all day. I figure someone saw me the other day busting my ass trying to shovel the snow with Mom, and literally busted my ass as I slipped on ice. Mom tried to talk me out of helping her, as I'm pregnant and all, but I pointed out to her that hundreds of years ago pregnant women would work in the fields and carry heavy baskets on their heads until they were due, and then they'd squat in the field to have their children. She shut up after that.

I open my locker, planning on not staying there long because I have to ask my math teacher for some extra help on the homework we had, when a piece of paper falls out and onto the ground. I frown and bend to pick it up, and when I see what it is, my heart stops. It's a fucking planned parenthood pamphlet. I look around at the people passing by, trying to see if I can find out who put this in my locker, but as soon as I look back, the eyes are removed from my back. They know. They fucking know that I'm pregnant.

Who could have told them? Mom, Nana, and Embry wouldn't tell, obviously. And besides them and Embry's mother, the people who know are Embry's friends and Marnie and Jade. Would one of them tell? My heart seems to want to pound out of my chest, because I feel like I'm about to pass out. I close my locker, not worried about dropping my books off now, and that's what it happens.

"Slut," someone mutters under their breath as they pass me. Then another. And then another. This is it. The thing that I was so afraid of happening is happening. The same thing that happened to Mom.

"Hey!" Jade exclaims as she and Marnie run up to me. From the worried looks on their faces I can tell that they've already heard. "We need to talk." I follow the two of them into the janitor's closet that isn't being used at the moment, and once the door is closed, I'm ambushed by the two of them speaking at once.

"I swear I didn't tell," Marnie exclaims at the same time Jade says, "I know who told." I shake my head and run my fingers through my hair. Marnie looks at Jade, confused.

"You know who did this?" she questions. Jade nods. I rub my temple and sigh.

"It's happening. The same thing that happened to my mom when she found out she was pregnant with me. It's something that I was so scared of happening." Jade takes a deep breath and grabs me sternly by the shoulders.

"Brenna Thomas told everybody," she reveals. I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"Brenna? Really?" Brenna had always seemed nice. I don't know her well, she comes from a very traditional family: mom, dad, two kids, and a Golden Retriever. I've never talked to her directly, but I've only been here a short time. I guess I'm only starting to see who she is.

"What a snitch," Marnie mutters.

"I overheard her talking about it to Tatum and Ramona. Apparently her mom is your ob/gyn and was talking about you to Brenna's dad and Brenna overheard them," Jade tells us. I frown deeply, confused. My ob/gyn's name is Dr. Smith. I voice this to Jade. "I think her mom goes by her maiden name while at work. But you have bigger things to worry about because Miss Blabber-Mouth is telling anything that moves that you're pregnant." The door to closet opens and there stands Mike, the janitor. Marnie, Jade, and I pile out of the closet only to be greeted by Brenna who is flanked by her minions, Tatum and Ramona. Before I can say anything, I'm distracted by Brenna looking me up and down, sizing me up. Then she slowly smiles, and I find that I want to slap that smile off of her face.

"Autumn! It's so good to see you!" she acts all nice and bubbly, but even the dumbest person on the planet would be able to sense the passive aggressiveness in her tone. "I heard the good news! You're expecting! Congratulations! Who's the dad?"

"Who's your dad, Brenna?" Jade retorts. "Because I've seen your father and I have to say that you look nothing like him. You look more like the night janitor here. Didn't he go to school with your mom?" Woah, hold on there, Jade. I don't want you getting suspended because of me. Brenna's lips thin into a straight line as she fills with annoyance. She turns back to me.

"Rumor has it that the dad is Embry Call." My mouth drops open. How the hell could she know that? This town is not that small. But I refuse to let her push me around and make a fool of me. I know for a fact that if my mom were here right now, she wouldn't take any shit from them. Yes, she ran away when it was happening to her, but she's come a long way since then. And I know that she'd kick Brenna's ass if it came to it.

"And so what if he is? What's it to you?" I ask her. She comes up to me and pokes me in the chest. I slap her hand away as she speaks.

"I just couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you hook up with him at the party. You'd think you have the sense to not go after a man that's taken." Marnie snorts.

"Jesus Christ, Brenna, Embry broke up with you six months ago. You would have thought you'd take a hint," she calls out. when I look over at Marnie, I notice that all of the students that were in the hall when the confrontation started, are now crowded around us. Of course. Why did I think that people would mind their own business?

"And why are you bringing this up now?" I question her. "If you saw me hook up with him three months ago, why not say something to me then? I'm new here, remember? I had no clue you two used to date." Brenna has trouble coming up with something to say to that.

"And you're just jealous that Embry is actually sticking around to help Autumn with the baby," Jade throws in. She then raises her voice. "And before you all go and judge Autumn, let's not forget when Teddy Gardner knocked Brenna up two years ago. It was all over school and nobody gave a bag of dicks about it." I raise my eyebrows at this. I would have never guessed.

Before anybody can say anything else, a couple of teachers come out and disperse everyone. I say goodbye to my friends, promising them that we'd talk after school, not factoring in how I'm going to make it through the school day. But as I slowly make my way to class, still thinking about the information I just found out, I hear someone call my name. I turn to see Principle Wells standing outside of the women's bathroom. She's a pretty woman in her mid-thirties with dark hair and pale skin. I think I heard Marnie tell me that she's new around here, and replaced the old principle due to unknown reasons. She looks at me with kindness and I try and fail to give her a smile.

"Follow me to my office," she says. It's not a request. I reluctantly follow her into the next building and into her small, cramped office. She sits down behind her desk, I sit down in a chair in front of her desk, and she folds her hands and looks at me for a moment.

"How are you feeling, Autumn?" she asks me, seeming truly curious. I take a deep breath and let it out. I'm not sure how to answer that question. There are so many things running through my mind right now and I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around it.

"I've had a rough few weeks," I say honestly. She nods.

"I want to say that principles are immune to hearing rumors, but they're not. I heard about what Miss Thomas has been saying about you." I look up at her.

"They're true. The rumors. I'm pregnant. I found out a few weeks ago and I'm honestly still trying to adjust to everything. To the fact that at this very moment I'm growing a human being inside of me. That I can't even fit into my old clothes anymore. And the fact that my whole life is about to change."

"It's understandable that you're overwhelmed. I was when I was your age." I jerk back in surprise.

"You were-" I trail off. She nods.

"I was assaulted when I was thirteen. It resulted in pregnancy." When she says that, my heart automatically reaches out to her.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She shakes her head.

"I don't like to think about it. I normally don't tell people about that part of myself, but you are an exception. I know that our babies were conceived through different situations, separated by twenty-one years. But I want you to know, that I know how you feel. You're scared and unsure of what will happen next. But know that I will not allow anyone to bully you because of this. Bullying is not acceptable within my jurisdiction."

"Thank you," I say, truly grateful. It's nice to hear someone else is in my corner.

"When are you due?"

"May twenty-eighth." She writes something on a post-it note and then looks back up at me.

"Here's what I'll do: I'll inform all of your teachers about your situation so that if, at any point, you need to use the bathroom several times throughout the class, you'll be able to without trouble. And as your due date nears, we'll have another conversation about what we'll do about your final exams and graduation." I nod and almost burst into tears. I never expected the principle to be so understanding. It would have been easy for her to just let me figure the school stuff out on my own.

And yes, I will have to worry about what my classmates will say. And yes, I still have to find a job and graduate high school and figure out where I'm going to fit all of the baby stuff. But I know that with my family, friends, and Embry by my side, I'll make it through this.


A/N: What did you guys think? So, I know that I haven't posted for this story in a little while, and for that, I'm sorry. I'm in school and have a job, as well as dealing with my mental health. But I'm gonna try to keep my updates as consistent as I can. Please review!

~Gina