Ch 9
Jenna just stared at the house when she arrived; Charlie had baseball practice so he couldn't come. "Jen," Alice said, "you've been here before. You don't need to stare at the house every time you come over."
"It's just so freakin' HUGE! You're so lucky! You're like RICH now! We should go shopping!" Jenna said excitedly.
"Jen…I don't want to go shopping…and I don't care that my dad is rich…" Alice whispered.
Jenna sighed. "I know you don't…" she said. "God Alice… I can't even begin to imagine how you feel. I can't imagine how I'd get by without Charlie… I'd just die…." Alice looked at her friend.
"You almost did Jen…you both did…and it was my fault…." She said, unable to hide the pain in her voice.
"No…Alice how could you even THINK that?" Jenna asked.
"Because it's true…so many people have died because of me….Jasper killed all of those people because they got too close to me…Now Nellie is dead too because Jasper's sister and her husband wanted revenge for his death."
"Alice…I..I'm sorry… I don't know what to say….but I'm here for you. I promise I'll do whatever I can to help you." Jenna pulled Alice into a tight hug. Alice started to smile but it faded fast. She pulled away from Jenna and ran into the nearest bathroom and started vomiting again. Jenna came in and held her long hair back until it passed.
"Thanks…" Alice chocked out. She stood shakily then rinsed her mouth out in the sink.
"Are you ok…?" Jenna asked her. "Are you sick? You never get sick…"
"I don't know…" Alice said. "I don't feel sick most of the time…it just comes on so suddenly…"
"Alice…how long has this been going on…?" Jenna asked.
"A few days…but…that's not what I'm really worried about…" She admitted. "Jen… I'm late…"
"Late for what…?" Jenna asked.
"Jen….I'm….I'm late…." Alice said shakily.
"Oh…OH…. Oh Alice….are you…?" Jenna understood what Alice was saying now. "Have you taken a test yet? Do you know for sure that…?"
"No…I haven't taken the test yet" Alice said "Will you come with me to get one…"
"Of course I will," Jenna said.
…
Alice and Jenna were on Alice's bed. They had run to the store a little over an hour ago. Alice had taken the test but hadn't said a word about it. She had just flopped down on the bed, facing away from Jenna.
"Hey…" Jenna said, finally breaking the silence.
"It was positive…" Alice said in barely a whisper. "My god Jenna…it was positive! What am I going to do…? I'm 16…I can't be pregnant…I'm not ready for this…"
"What are you going to tell your dad…?" Jenna asked.
"Nothing…not yet….i don't know…I mean eventually I'll have to tell him…it's not like this is something that I can hide indefinitely," Alice said.
"So what are you going to do with it…?"
"Keep it," Alice said sitting up. "If the test was right…if I really am…pregnant…. Then I'm going to keep the baby. The baby didn't do anything wrong…and he or she doesn't deserve to die just because the conception was involuntary…"
"That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to keep it though…you could put it up for adoption…" Jenna suggested.
"No. that's not even an option," Alice said firmly. "I know what it's like to go through that… I went through multiple foster families… none of them really cared about me…not in the slightest… I'm sure there are some good people in the foster care system…but I won't risk my baby ending up in an abusive family…or worse…with a psycho like Jasper…"
