A/N: Hey guys! I'll have to admit, this was probably one of the hardest chapters to write, but I really do like how it turned out. One question I've been getting is how many chapters this story will have, and I actually can't answer that because I don't know either.
Wednesday, November 1
15 weeks and 4 days
Come on Lori, you can do this.
She sat in the driver's seat in Vanzilla, looking out at her classmates walking up to the school entrance. To her right, sat Leni.
Leni looked over at her older sister, as she had done the entire ride to school. Not once did Lori smile. She had the same worried, emotionless expression the entire way there.
She had never seen her sister so distraught, and it was worrying. She knew that Luna and Luan had noticed it too, as they got out of the car as slowly as they could, as if they'd provoke her.
Leni reached out to grab Lori's hand.
Lori looked over to see Leni looking at her with a small smile.
"You can do it, Lori," Leni said, softly.
Lori looked down and sighed. "I don't know…"
Leni squeezed her hand tighter. "Yes, you can," she said. "Come on, we'll walk in together."
Leni opened her door, and got out. She watched as Lori slowly opened the door, and stepped out. She and Leni met in front of the car.
Lori could feel her breathing start to slow, and she felt like everyone was staring at her.
Leni looked over at her, a worried expression on her face. "Lori? You okay?"
Lori took a deep breath, and slowly nodded. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay," she said. "Let's just get this over with." She reached out her hand for Leni to grab it.
Leni accepted her hand, and they headed for the school's entrance together.
Leni's kindness always helped boost Lori up a bit, no matter the circumstances. There was just something about her that she could never stop smiling, ever. So undeniably happy.
How did she do it?
For a moment, Lori wondered: How would Leni act if she was in my shoes?
Her happiness was sickening, yet satisfying. In the very least, it gave Lori a small glimmer of hope that the day would go well.
They entered the school, where everyone was standing around waiting for the tardy bell to ring. Most of the kids were too tired to do anything, and were sitting around on the floor. Others were standing in line for breakfast, and some were already making their way to class.
"This is where we stop," Leni said. She pulled Lori into a hug. "If you need anything, you have my number."
Lori hugged her back. "Thanks, Leni," she said. "I'll need it."
Leni pulled away and began to head down the hallway. Lori watched her walk away, and suddenly she felt all alone.
She remembered her friends, and how she'd always meet them before first period. She thought it'd be best to go there now, just act normal.
Just don't draw attention to yourself and you'll be fine, she thought.
She made her way to her locker, to see her friends standing there. Becky was the first to notice her.
"Oh, hey Lori,"'she said, waving.
The other girls turned around to see Lori standing there.
"H-Hey guys," Lori said, trying her best to smile.
The girls didn't seem very pleased to see Lori there, assuming that they heard about her "secret".
"So?", Whitney started, looking at Lori.
Lori looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "So?"
"We heard about your little…"secret"," Whitney said.
"Oh…", Lori said, looking at the ground.
"How are you feeling?"
Lori looked up at her, to see that she looked genuine. As if she really did care.
"I'm…good I guess"
"No sickness or anything?"
"Well…I still feel nauseous in the mornings, but it goes away when I eat."
"That's good," Becky chimed in. "Ya know, when my mom was…" she looked around. "Pregnant, she was sick the whole time."
Ah, so they did know.
"Wow, that must've really sucked"
"Oh, it did," Becky said. "So I'm glad to see that you're okay."
Lori watched as the girls smiled at her. She looked at them all, confused.
"What's the matter, Lori?", another girl asked.
"Oh, I just…", she sighed. "I thought you guys would be mad at me."
"Mad at you?", Becky said. "For what?"
"Because…I didn't tell you about me being you-know-what"
"Okay, I'll be honest," Whitney said. "I was kind of mad."
Lori frowned.
"I thought that since we're best friends that you'd tell me as soon as you found out, ya know?"
Lori bit her lip. "I-I'm sorry," she said. "I was just so scared, and I still am."
Whitney put a hand on her shoulder. "I know, and I figured that," she said. "That's why I'm not mad anymore."
Lori smiled a bit. "What about the rest of you?"
The girls all shook their heads.
"Thanks guys," Lori said. "So we're cool, yeah?"
"Totes"
Just then, the bell rang.
"Looks like we gotta get to class," Whitney said. "We'll talk later, okay?"
Lori nodded, and she headed to class herself.
She had algebra her first period, and while she was good at it, it was such a boring class to have first thing in the morning.
She figured she'd get people looking at her as she walked in, but the other students minded their own business. Most were still arriving to class, others were staring endlessly at the board, and some were texting.
Lori took her seat, which was close to the board. The bell rang, and the teacher came up to the front of the class.
"Good morning, class," she said. "Today we'll be learning about the quadratic formula. Turn to page 120 in your textbook."
Lori got her book out of her bag, and turned it accordingly. So far so good, she thought to herself.
The entire class went off without a hitch, which made Lori happy. She put her books away, and grabbed her bag. Before she could get out of her seat, someone came and stood in front of her.
She looked up to see a short girl with brown hair and glasses.
"Hi, Lori right?"
Lori nodded.
"I don't think we've talked before, I'm Kami," she said while holding out her hand.
Lori stared at her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"I know this is random, but I just couldn't help but hear about your situation," Kami said. "I'm so sorry."
Lori was confused. "You're sorry? Why?"
"Well, I know you have a lot of siblings and it must be hard for your parents to provide for you all," she continued. "Plus this new baby, you must be overwhelmed."
"Why is that any of your business?"
"Look, I just like helping people in need," Kami said. "And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'd be free to help."
"No thanks," Lori said, crossing her arms. "I don't want pity."
Kami opened her mouth in disbelief. "Well, that's what I get for trying to be nice I guess," she said before storming off.
Lori got her bag and left the room. God, what is wrong with people?
The next three classes went fine. Kami still gave her a look every once in awhile, but she could handle it.
Lunchtime finally came, and she could not wait. Her stomach had been growling for the past couple hours. Her cravings hadn't been as strong as she thought they'd be, but once she caught a whiff of the food cooking in the cafeteria, it made her mouth water.
Royal Woods High didn't have the best food, but she could stomach most of it. Once she got her food, she looked around for a table to sit at. She usually sat with her friends, but she told them she wanted to sit with her sisters today. They understood.
"Lori! Over here!"
She looked to see Leni yelling her name and holding up a hand.
She made her way to the table, where Luna and Luan were also seated.
"Hey sis," Luna said. "How's your day been so far?"
"It's been okay actually," Lori responded. "I had this really…weird girl ask me some really personal things."
"Really?", Luna asked.
Lori nodded. "Yeah, I kinda told her to go mind her own business."
"Dang, girl," Luan said.
"You're just giving it to them today, huh?", Luna said.
"I'm just not in the mood to deal with it today," Lori said as she took a bite of her sandwich.
"You know, Lori," Leni said. "You should totally talk to Carol about this."
"Leni, why would she do that?", Luna asked.
"Yeah, the damage has already been done," Luan said.
"Well, maybe if she talks to her, then she can say sorry"
"Leni kind of has a point guys," Lori said. "I'm not sure if it's such a good idea though."
"You should go do it, right now," Leni said.
"In front of everyone?!", Luna asked. She turned to Lori. "You know sis, I think it would be best if you didn't draw more attention to yourself." She put a hand on her shoulder. "But if you really want to, then we'll come with you."
Lori thought for a moment. What could she possibly gain by confronting Carol? Would she get closure? A better understanding of her actions? She wasn't sure, but she was going to do it.
"Okay, let's do it"
Lori and her sisters walked around until they could find Carol. She was hanging outside, surrounded by a group of other girls.
They stopped when they spotted her.
Lori felt herself freeze in her spot, and she felt as though she couldn't breathe. She felt her sisters gather around her.
"You can do this, Lori," Luna said.
"Yay go Lori!", Leni said, clapping her hands.
Lori took a deep breath and opened the door. She walked until she was right in front of Carol. She stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for the snarky blonde to notice her.
Once she did, her expression changed. She was once laughing happily, but now face was full of anticipation and surprise.
"Lori? Or should I say, Whori," Carol remarked, resulting in an uproar of laughter from the students nearby. "What are you doing here?"
Lori tried to keep her cool. "You know exactly why I'm here, Carol."
Carol put her finger on her lips. "Hmm, do I?", she asked. "Oh wait, yes I do. You're probably here to tell everyone what I said about you."
"That was low of you, Carol," Lori started. "Using my little sister's excitement as fuel against me."
"Hmm yeah, maybe it was cruel," Carol said. "But I've always had a feeling you were a slut."
A few "ooohs" could be heard from the crowd.
Lori gritted her teeth, and she could feel her ears turning red with anger. "It's not worth it," she said through gritted teeth. "You'll always be a bitch."
Another round of "ooohs" could be heard.
Lori knew that arguing with her wasn't worth it, so she began to walk off.
"You're one to talk, Carol Pingrey"
Lori turned around to see another girl confronting Carol. She had long brown hair that was pulled up into a ponytail, and looked to be…pregnant?
"I heard about your little "pow wow" you had last weekend," the girl said. "It's so bad, that I can't repeat it out loud." She crossed her arms.
"That was nothing!", Carol said.
"Oh, so all of those pictures on SwfityPic sure look like nothing," the girl said as she took out her phone. "The one of you half naked is my favorite."
She turned her phone around, and showed the picture off to the group of people. They all erupted in a roar of laughter.
"Where did you get that?!", Carol said, stomping her foot.
"Oh, I have my ways," the girl said as she put her phone away. "Now, how about you leave Lori alone, or I post the rest of those pics on the Internet." She got in Carol's face. "Is that clear?"
Carol turned her head away, and stormed off, stomping her feet angrily as she went.
"That'll teach her," she noticed Lori standing nearby, and walked over to her. "Well, I got that taken care of." She held out her hand. "I don't think we've properly met, I'm Nicole."
Nicole? The same Nicole who Carol was trashing a few weeks ago?
"I'm Lori, but you already knew that"
"I did, I'm sorry I didn't come and talk to you sooner," Nicole said. "I saw what happened last night, and I was gonna jump in, but I saw that you had left."
"Oh right…that," Lori said. "Yeah, my sister, she was just trying to help, and I don't blame her. She's only six."
"She's a cutie, too," Nicole said. "I gave my number to your other sister, Leni? I think?"
"I got it, yeah," Lori told her. "It was late so I didn't wanna call you yet."
"Pssh it's fine, really," I was probably passed out anyway."
Lori looked down at Nicole's stomach. "So, how far are you?"
Nicole looked down. "Oh! I'm twenty-five weeks," she said. "Yeah, I've got that pregnancy brain, sorry." She laughed. "How far are you?"
"I'm fifteen weeks," Lori said.
"Aw, so cute. It won't be cute for long, trust me," Nicole said. "So, do you wanna meet up later? Have some lunch, feed these babies?"
Lori smiled. "I'd love to, but I have a doctor's appointment after school. Maybe afterward?"
"Oh, no worries," Nicole said, waving her hand downward. "I know how important those are. I'll see ya!"
Lori waved. "Bye!"
The bell rang, and she headed back inside.
She expected to lose her friends today, but instead she gained a new one.
"Can I go? Please?!"
Leni stood in front of Lori with a big smile on her face, and her hands in front of her face.
"Are you sure, Leni?", Lori asked. "They'll be putting needles in me, and you know how you get with those."
"I'll look away,I promise," Leni pleaded. "I just really want to go with you."
"Alright, I guess you can come," Lori said. "But, no throwing up, okay?"
Leni nodded.
"Luna! Are you ready?", Lori yelled up the stairs. "I'm going to be late!"
"Just a minute, sis!"
Luna slid down the stair railing, and landed on the floor.
"Alright, let's go!"
Luna ran to the door, while Leni followed.
"Bye, Mom!", Lori yelled as she grabbed the car keys. "We'll be back later!"
She headed outside, and locked the door behind her. As she made her way out to Vanzilla, she saw that Leni had taken the passenger seat, while Luna was behind the driver's seat.
Lori got into the driver's seat, and started the car.
"Thanks for letting me come, Lori," Luna said.
"No problem, Luna," Lori said, pulling out of the driveway.
"Yeah, me too," Leni said. "I can't wait to see the baby."
"Oh, they're not doing an ultrasound this time, actually," Lori said. "But, you'll get to hear the heartbeat this time."
Leni looked at her. "Oh, well that'll still be cool," she said.
Once they arrived at the doctor's office, they waited until Lori got called back.
"Good afternoon, Lori," Dr. Roth said as she entered the room. "Did your mother stay home this time?"
Lori nodded. "Yes, one of my sisters is sick, so she had to stay at home," she said. "Though I did bring two of my sisters, Leni and Luna."
"Nice to see you two girls," the doctor said. "Getting so big."
Leni and Luna smiled.
"Alright, let's see what we've got here," Dr. Roth said as she pulled out her chart. "You're fifteen weeks now, so we'll see how your measuring and look at baby's heartbeat."
Lori nodded.
"Are you still wanting to do the amniocentesis?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Lori said. "Bobby and I talked about it, and we want to be safe."
"Very well then," the doctor said. "I'll go get the kit and I'll be back."
She left the room, and Leni looked confused.
Lori noticed her. "What is it, Leni?"
"What is an amnio centimeter?", she asked.
"Amniocentesis," Lori corrected her. "It's to test for certain genetic disorders, like Down Syndrome."
Leni still had a confused look on her face.
"You know Bobby's cousin CJ?"
Leni nodded.
"It's to see if the baby might be like him"
"Oooh," Leni said, now understanding.
Dr. Roth returned with an ultrasound machine, and a giant vial.
"Okay, before we get to that, let's see you're growing," she said, pulling a measuring tape out of the cabinet.
Lori laid back on the table, pulling her shirt up so that her belly was showing. Dr. Roth took the measuring tape and put it along her belly.
"You're a bit on the small side, but it is your first baby," she said. "No need to worry, sometimes the uterus takes awhile to stretch the first time around."
"How have you been feeling? Any strange cravings?"
"My morning sickness has mostly went away," Lori responded. "I mostly just get sick in the mornings."
"Right when you wake up, or after eating?"
"After I eat"
"Try eating some crackers, or something high in carbs like toast," Dr. Roth said. "Don't eat or drink before bed though, as that can cause heartburn and acid reflux."
"Got it, as for the cravings part," Lori said, thinking. "I wouldn't call it strange, but I've been craving lots of chocolate, and cheese. Not together, though."
"Sounds good," the doctor said. "Now, let me get the doppler." She went back over to the cabinet. She got out the jelly, and put just a tiny bit on the bottom of Lori's stomach.
She stuck the doppler on it, and then they could hear it.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh
Leni and Luna's faces lit up as they listened to the sound.
"That is so cool," Luna said.
"Is that the baby?", Leni asked.
"Yes, that's the baby's heart," Lori told her.
"It's about 150 beats per minute," Dr. Roth said. "That's perfect." She wiped the bit of jelly off, and put the doppler away. "Alright, now for the part you've been waiting for."
She got out the vial, which had a medium sized needle on it. Leni closed her eyes.
She turned on the ultrasound machine, and put the probe on Lori's belly.
"Oh, I guess you guys do get to see the baby today," Lori said. "Leni, open your eyes really quick."
Leni took her hands off of her eyes, and looked up at the screen. "Is that the baby?"
"Yes it is, Leni," Luna said.
"Aw, it's so cute"
"It looks to be growing nicely too," the doctor said. "Now, let's find a good spot."
She moved it around until she found a spot where the baby could barely be seen.
"This may be a bit uncomfortable," Dr. Roth said as she grabbed the vial.
She inserted the needle into Lori's belly, and she watched it filled with fluid.
Lori squinted her eyes as she felt it.
The doctor pulled it out, and wiped off the bit of fluid that managed to escape.
"There we go, all done," she said. "Now, I'll send this off to the lab, and we'll call you in days, okay?"
Lori nodded.
"Alright, then I think you're free to go, see you in a few weeks."
Lori sat up, and pulled her shirt down. She looked over to her sisters.
"Did you guys enjoy it?"
"I thought it was really cool, dude," Luna said. "I've seen pictures of little baby Lori, but not the actual thing."
Lori smiled. "What about you, Leni?"
"I liked it, until the part where you got poked," she said.
"I know, I didn't like that part either," Lori said. "But at least it's over now, we can go."
Lori made her way to the front door of the Burpin' Burger, and once inside, she spotted her "date".
She approached her, and the girl waved and smiled.
"Hey, Lori!", she said, getting up to give her a hug. "Mind the belly, haha."
"Hey, Nicole," Lori said.
"Let's go order first, me and baby gotta eat, and so do you!", Nicole said as she headed up to the counter.
"I'll take four burpin burgers and two orders of curly fries, please," Nicole said to the cashier.
"Alright, that'll be $15.76"
Nicole handed her the money, and grabbed the tray of food.
They found a small booth, and sat across from each other.
Lori grabbed her food and sat it in front of her. "I usually just get one burger."
"I did too, and then I got pregnant," Nicole said. "I've been eating twice as much as a I used to."
Lori thought back to what the doctor said. You're a bit on the small side.
She was pretty hungry, so maybe eating all of this would be good for her, and the baby.
She grabbed one of the burgers, and I wrapped it. The smell of greasy meat and mustard filled her nostrils as she took a bite.
"Now we're talking," Nicole said, dipping a fry in her milkshake. "Okay so, we'll start with the basics. You have a big family, right?"
Lori nodded. "I have nine younger sisters and a younger brother."
"So you're the oldest, huh? I'm the youngest," Nicole told her. "I have an older brother and sister."
"Do they have any kids?"
"My brother does," she said. "He has a daughter, and she's so precious."
"Aw, that's cute"
"It is," Nicole said, taking a bite of her burger. "So tell me, what's it like to live in a big family? To have all of those younger siblings looking up to you?"
Lori thought for a moment. This was a question she had only been asked a few times in her life, as not very many people cared about her personal life.
"It can be fun, we get discounts at the water park sometimes," Lori said. "Most of the time it's crazy, and loud."
"'Loud', I get it," Nicole said, laughing. "What are your siblings like?"
Lori put a finger to her mouth. "Gosh, where do I start?"
"There's Leni, She's my roommate and closest sister. She loves fashion, and she's a bit of a ditz, but she's sweet. Then there's Luna, she loves music. Luan loves comedy, Lynn is rough and tough, loves sports, but has a sweet side. Lincoln is the only boy, and we can be protective of him, but he's a good boy. He's such a little nerd. Lucy loves spooky things, and writes poetry. Lana and Lola are the twins. They're identical, but complete opposites. Lana loves mud and anything dirty, and Lola loves doing pageants. Lisa isn't your average preschooler, she's a child prodigy. Lastly, there's Lily. She's the baby."
"Wow, your family sounds like fun," Nicole said. "I'd love to come meet them sometime!"
"I'm sure they'd love that," Lori said.
"So, how are your parents? Did they take the news well?"
Lori nodded. "Yeah, they weren't mad. My dad is kinda disappointed in me though."
"I know how that feels," Nicole said. "My parents still aren't very happy with me. They love me, and they want to be around the baby, but they're kind of distant. They wanted me to be like my older siblings, I guess. Ya know, go to college, get married, then have a baby. I know they love me, but it doesn't feel like it sometimes."
Lori sank down in her seat a bit. Hearing about Nicole's situation made her thankful that she had it good. She had a family who genuinely loved and supported her. Not everyone had that.
"That sounds…awful," Lori said.
"Eh, could be worse," Nicole said. "At least I have a roof over my head, and food to eat." She finished off her burger. "Now, for the next important question. How are you and the father? Is he in the picture?"
"Oh yes, Bobby and I have been together for a year," Lori told her. "He was kind of surprised when I told him, but he's pretty happy about it."
"That's good, that's important too you know?", Nicole said. "Where is he now though?"
"He went back home for the week," Lori said. "A few months ago, he and his family moved to the city, three hours away. His grandfather owns a Bodega there, so every other week he goes back to make money for us."
"That's awesome," Nicole said. "My baby's Dad was here for a bit, then we got into it, and now he's just gone. I still talk to him every once in awhile, but I'm hoping he can at least be in her life."
"Oh, 'her'? You're having a girl?", Lori asked.
Nicole nodded. "Yep, I'm not sure what I'm naming her yet though. What about you?"
"I wanna wait until they're born to find out," she said. "I know it'll make shopping a bit harder, but I think it's worth the wait."
"You've got a lot of patience to do that"
"Hey, I have ten siblings. You have to have patience for that."
"I'd think so," Nicole said. "But it is really great how you have so many people who love and support you. That's pretty rare, ya know."
Lori swirled the straw in her soda. "Yeah, I guess it is," she said. "I can't help but feel bad for you though."
"Hey, that's okay," Nicole said. "It is what it is, I can't change it, so I just deal with it."
Lori laughed. "You are something, Nicole."
"I know I am, thanks for noticing"
Lori looked down at her phone. "Oh, I guess it's about time for me to get back home," she said. "One of my sisters is sick and I have to pick her up some medicine."
"Aww, tell her I said to get well soon," Nicole said. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Lori."
Lori got up from the table. "Bye, it was really good talking with you."
"Yeah, it was, I hope we can do it again soon."
As Lori headed out to Vanzilla, she has many thoughts rubbing through her mind. About how she was "lucky" to have such a supportive family. In a way, it made her feel selfish, but she knew it wasn't right to think that way.
What was most important to her though, was that she had made a new friend.
Lori entered the door of her house to see that it was as loud and chaotic as ever.
"Dad! I'm home!", she said as she closed the door behind her.
"Hey, honey," Lynn Sr. said as he entered the living room. "Did you get Lola's medicine?"
Lori held up the small bag. "I did," she said.
"Great, so hey, would you take it up there to her?", he asked. "She's been asking for you."
"Oh, no problem"
He patted her on the back. "Thanks, hun," he said. "Dinner will be ready soon."
Lori headed up the stairs to the twins room. She cracked open the door, and Lola was laying in her bed, sleeping.
She made her way into the room as quietly as she could. "Hey, Lola," she whispered. "I have your medicine."
Lola opened her eyes a bit. "Oh goody," she said quietly. "I feel so bad."
Lori put the back of her palm on Lola's forehead. "You're burning up," she said.
Lola sat up slowly in her bed, resting her head on the headboard. Lori opened up the small bottle, and put some medicine in a syringe.
Lola grimaced when she saw the pink liquid. "Aw come on, Lola," Lori said. "It'll make you feel better, I promise."
Lola grabbed the syringe from her hand, and put it in her mouth. She squirted it in her mouth as fast as she could, trying hard not to gag.
"See? That wasn't so hard," Lori said, taking the syringe from her. "And here." She took out a small juice box. "I thought you'd want something to drink, so I got you this."
She opened it up and handed it to Lola, who took it without hesitation. "Thanks, Lori," she said.
"No problem, little sis"
Lori watched as Lola devoured her drink, and grabbed the empty container from her hands.
"All done?", Lori asked. "I guess it's time for you to go back to sleep."
She started the get up, but Lola stopped her.
"Wait! Can you tuck me in? Pretty please?"
"Of course"
Lola sunk down in her bed so that she was laying on the pillow. Lori leaned over and pulled the covers up to her neck, tucking the sides of the cover so that Lola fit perfectly.
"Thanks, Lori," Lola said, a small smile on her face. "I'm going to miss it."
Lori raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"
"Well, it's just that," Lola started. "Once you have the baby, you won't be able to spend as much time with me."
Lori frowned. "Don't say that, Lola," she said. "Of course I'll be able to spend time with you. I'll still be living here, and you can come see me anytime."
"But you'll be busy, and you won't be able to read to me, or hug me when I have a bad dream"
"Hey, listen to me," Lori said as she looked at Lola. "I know that once the baby comes, that being a Mom will be my main priority, but no matter what happens," she said as she brushed Lola's hair back. "I'll always be your big sister."
Lola smiled, as big as she did when she went to pageants. "Thanks, Lori," she said. "I'm sorry for being a little brat sometimes, but I really do love you."
"I love you too," Lori said. "Now get some sleep, or this sickness will get worse. I need my little princess to get better."
Lola nodded, and put her sleeping mask on. Lori turned the lamp off, and kissed Lola's hair. "Sleep tight, little princess."
Before she left the room, she looked back at her snoozing little sister. She knew that soon, her life would change, as well as her sisters', but it was these little moments that truly mattered.
And Lori wouldn't change it for the world.