"So what's bothering you?" Laica asked Kahrin, handing the single cigarette to her. Neither of them exactly smoked. Once in a while they would share one at parties, or during moments like this. "It's not like you to want to ditch class."

They sat on the hood of Laica's green VW beetle, and Kahrin looked dazedly forward. They were surrounded by a copse of birch and pine trees just off the dirt road. It was about a mile behind an old barn where some of the other Juniors liked to hang out on the weekends. It was nearly never hit by cops, so it was a great place for drinking.

"I just … can't take being there today. It's not like I am going to miss any scouts. It's just practice." She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her dark hair, passing the half-used cigarette back.

Laica raised a well-groomed eyebrow at her, took a long drag off of the cigarette and snuffed it out, waving the smoke away so they wouldn't smell too bad. "That's not like you. Do you want to talk about it?" She twirled a strand of her own hair, as pale as Kahrin's was dark, around a finger.

No one ever expected that Laica thought about anyone except for herself, which was entirely untrue. She was funny and kind and wicked smart, but no one ever seemed to see past the exterior. In truth, she was pretty much the only person whom Kahrin ever trusted, next to Nate. Nate, however, was the wrong person to be having this conversation with. Possibly. At least, it was too early to have this conversation with him.

"Not really," Kahrin nearly lost the words when she said them. Swallowing once she reached a hand into her swim bag and pulled out a zippered sandwich bag. She handed it to Laica without meeting her eyes. "But I think I am going to have to, don't you?"

When Laica relieved her of the bag Kahrin buried her face in her hands and raked them back through her hair again.

Laica was silent for a while, save the sound of air sucking in over her teeth.

"Kahrin … this is … it's blue."

"I know." She didn't bother looking up. "That little plus sign is so unholy."

"When? How … Oh my god, Kahrin. You … I thought you and Nate weren't …"

"We aren't. We're not … I mean it was just …" she grunted exasperatedly. "We were at another one of Rendon's fabulous dinner parties." She rolled her eyes. "Mom and Dad were playing cribbage," she laughed, because the thought of Rendon lowering himself to card games was actually hilarious. "Fergus was … I don't know where. We were up using the good sound system in Rendon's room. We were bored. And then …"

"And?" She prompted her gently, trying to get her to get it out without being pushy.

"There was a lot of PBR involved. I don't know how we didn't get busted. It just … seemed like a good idea." That was a trip. Who decides they are bored and that sex is the obvious answer and then gets drunk?

"Kahrin," Laica started carefully. She had a way of broaching these things without being judgmental. "Didn't you use anything?"

"Of course we did." Kahrin snorted. "It isn't like I didn't get an A in banana wrapping in health." She was also on the pill, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment. "Things happen."

"Things happen," Laica agreed solemnly. She leaned over and rubbed Kahrin's back companionably. "What are you going to do?"

"What am I going to do? Laica, I can not have a baby."

"Clearly. Kahrin, you can't even remember to feed yourself." She gave her a nudge, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked. Kahrin laughed for a moment. "True. I hear you have to feed them every day."

"That's the rumor." Laica was quiet for a while again, turning the sandwich bag over in her hand. "Here," she said, handing it back. "You peed on this. I don't want it. I take it we're going to Indiana, then?"

She thought for several beats before replying. "You would do that for me? You'd go with me?"

"Of course I would. You don't even have to ask. Though … might I make a suggestion?"

Kahrin looked at her with a dead calm she didn't truly feel. "I can't tell my parents. I mean, they would totally help, but …"

"This is something you have to do on your own." Sometimes Laica got her without even trying.

"Something like that."

"I understand. Are you going to tell Nate?"

"Do you think I should?"

"You know him better than I do."

Kahrin thought about it for a long time, leaning her head on Laica's shoulder. "True. I think …" He had a promising career ahead of him if he could stop beating people with skates. He was one of the few people she knew who had a shot at a professional spot. "I think that he is pragmatic. He also cares about me."

"You've been friends a long time."

"Our whole lives."

"Then, if you trust him, tell him. If not, we'll deal with it."

"What would I do without you?"

Laica pulled Kahrin's hair into her hands and began braiding it with quick fingers. "Never fit into your prom dress. That's for sure."

"Well. At least we have our priorities straight." Somehow, the weight seemed gone from her shoulders.

"You're going to be all right, Kahrin. You know that, right?"

"I do now." They sat in quiet and stared off into the trees in front of them. Kahrin yawned. She hadn't slept in a few days. Someone in the cosmos thought it was funny if she spent her nights throwing up instead. "Laica?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Thank you."

"That's what friends do, darling. We're there for one another."