Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight.

Chapter 10: She's Having a Baby

As winter started to fade into spring, the changes in Bella's body became more pronounced. Though she tried to hide her growing baby bump with layers and loose shirts, she knew that her secret wouldn't be safe for much longer. She worried about the rumors that were sure to abound throughout the tiny town, hoping that this knowledge wouldn't cause people to judge her harshly.

Having always strived to fade into the background, Bella knew this would be sure to thrust her into the spotlight. Though she knew she wasn't the first pregnant student nor would she be the last at Forks High School, right now she was the only one. That would immediately put a red bull's-eye on her back—or maybe her stomach would be a more appropriate analogy.

She'd been lucky so far, managing to blend into the scenery. After the first few weeks, the excitement of a new addition to the student body had worn off and no one seemed to care about her anymore, especially when she stopped trying to be friendly. Most students seemed to realize that she simply didn't want to be bothered, answering their questions with short, one-word answers and refusing to elaborate—most students being everyone but Mike Newton.

Bella still couldn't understand Mike's devotion to her, even when she ignored him and refused to make eye contact. His constant presence had started to annoy her, no longer just being a minor inconvenience. Bella noticed that the other students paid more attention to her when Mike was by her side, following her around like a loyal Golden Retriever. She'd tried everything she knew to do dissuade him, short of angrily telling him to get lost.

One student seemed particularly annoyed by Mike's infatuation. Bella often noticed the caustic glares and acidic remarks thrown her way, courtesy of Jessica Stanley. It was obvious to everyone that Jessica had a huge crush on Mike. Well, obvious to everyone but Mike himself; he was completely oblivious, lost in the murky haze of his Bella-colored glasses.

Bella had thrown hints Mike's way, telling him he should ask Jessica to accompany him to the basketball game or the next school dance. He just didn't seem to get it, or maybe he just didn't want to. Nevertheless, Bella was going to have to do something about the awkward situation soon. Jessica was a known gossip and Bella didn't want to incite her ire, especially not with the secret she carried.

~ O ~

Wednesdays were officially father-daughter dinner nights in the Swan household, an idea Bella had gotten from one of the parenting magazines she'd been reading. She enjoyed these evenings she got to spend with Charlie, allowing them time to bond and get to know one another. Sometimes Bella would cook, but most of the time she met Charlie at the local diner. She'd head home after school, take a nap and finish her homework, then meet Charlie at six. Sue usually spent the evening on the reservation, having dinner with Seth or friends that she didn't see as often since she'd moved in with Charlie.

As her pregnancy progressed, Bella found herself often craving the sort of fare the diner had an abundance of, her mouth salivating as she thought about greasy cheeseburgers, apple pie, and a big strawberry milkshake. Entering the tiny cramped space, she immediately spotted Charlie's burly form crouched over a table near the back of the restaurant. Slumping down into the seat across from him in the booth, Bella saw the stack of papers lying on the table in front of him. He was reading intently, so immersed in his task that he didn't notice her approach.

"Dad?" Bella asked cautiously.

"Oh, hey kiddo! I didn't even notice you sit down."

"That's okay. Is that something for work? Because if you don't have time to eat with me, I can just get something to go and—"

"Nonsense. These papers are, uh, actually for you. Sue picked them up when she was in Port Angeles earlier today."

Without another word, he slid the papers across the table towards Bella. Turning them around, she stared at the bold text at the top of the pages in front of her.

Peninsula College

Port Angeles, WA

"Dad, I can't—"

"Just hear me out. I'm not saying full-time or anything like that, but you should at least fill out the applications and look into it. You could commute, take classes a couple days a week." Leaning closer to Bella, he whispered, "Sue could watch the baby, or it says on one of those papers that they've got daycare right at the school."

"Thanks, Dad. I just don't know if I'll be ready. It'll only be a couple of months after…maybe next year?" When Charlie stared at her with a raised eyebrow, his mustache twitching in irritation, she quickly amended her statement. "Okay, I'll look into it. But no promises, okay?"

"Okay," Charlie replied with a bright smile on his face. He knew how much Dartmouth had meant to Bella and he wanted to her to at least get to go to college, even if it wasn't her dream school. He'd do whatever he could to make that happen, not wanting his daughter to sacrifice all of her dreams because she'd made a mistake—one mistake that had dramatically altered the course of her life.

Later that evening, when Bella returned home from the diner, she sat down at the kitchen table, pulling the applications Charlie had given her from her purse. For over an hour, she poured through the information, trying to make sense of the confusing guidelines and requirements for financial aid and the other programs offered by the school.

Looking through the childcare brochure, she quickly realized that she wouldn't be eligible for the services offered. Though they had a program for babies, she didn't fall within the income guidelines. She had no real income of her own, but because she would still be considered dependent upon Charlie, his income would be taken into account. His salary was average and middle-class, but well above the poverty threshold.

Charlie had mentioned that Sue could care for the baby while she was in class, but Bella wondered if she'd really be ready to spend so much time away from her baby so soon. It would only be a couple of months after her due date when classes started. With a newborn, would she really have time to devote to school as well? Aside from just attending classes, she would also have to worry about driving back and forth to Port Angeles, finding time to study, visiting the library to do research…considering all the responsibilities made her head spin.

As she read over the dates for fall admission, Bella realized that the deadlines for scholarships had already passed. While she could still apply for loans through financial aid, it was likely that those funds would not cover the entire amount. She still had her savings, but that wouldn't be enough to cover the tuition and fees for the first year. Charlie would probably offer to pay for it, but she couldn't allow him to do that. He'd already taken money from his retirement fund to buy her a car. There were also lots of things the baby still needed, things that would be expensive. Charlie and Sue had already done everything for her; she couldn't expect them to do more.

Bella also worried that she wouldn't be ready for classes emotionally. Since moving to Forks, she'd tried to come to terms with the depression that plagued her while living with Renee. She no longer felt hopeless and alone, but there were still moments when life seemed overwhelming. Crying was no longer an almost-daily occurrence, but there were still nights when she would curl up in bed and let her emotions consume her.

Sue and Charlie had both been very concerned about her after learning of her pregnancy. They had thought it might be helpful for her to speak to someone about her feelings and issues—a counselor—but Bella didn't feel as though she needed to go that far. The option was always open if she changed her mind. Instead, she began to keep a journal, writing out all of her hopes and fears, especially about the baby. She'd spoken to the guidance counselor at school a couple of times, when she was feeling particularly down, but she found herself feeling much more optimistic as the days went by.

With her decision made, Bella took the paperwork upstairs to her room, placing everything in her desk drawer. She felt better knowing that college wasn't an unattainable dream, just not currently part of the equation. Grabbing a notepad, she scribbled down the application and scholarship deadlines for the spring semester of the next year and stuck the paper to the corkboard behind her desk. She smiled at the goal she had set for herself, reveling in the knowledge that even with a baby, she could still attain some of her dreams.

~ O ~

Jessica Stanley stood near her locker, watching with a scornful gaze as Mike Newton stumbled helplessly down the hallway. He pushed and shoved people out of his way, no doubt trying to catch up with the retreating form of Bella Swan. Jessica scoffed out loud as she thought of the pale, mousy girl, wondering why Mike was so interested. When she compared herself with Bella, she knew there was no contest—at least there shouldn't have been.

In her own mind, Jessica considered herself to be a catch, one of the most popular girl's at Forks High. She was a cheerleader, vice-president of her senior class, and a great conversationalist. Her curly hair was shiny and beautiful. She'd been told by numerous guys that she was hot and she chose clothing that accentuated her figure. Bella was nobody—a plain girl with frizzy hair and Goodwill clothing. She was like a shiny new toy and Jessica vowed to make sure Mike grew tired of her soon.

Jessica knew there was more to Bella's story than she was willing to divulge. She couldn't imagine why someone would move across the country in the middle of their senior year, to live with a father they barely knew. There was definitely a secret there and she was determined to find out exactly what it was.

She also was not falling for this little game Bella was playing with Mike, ignoring him and pretending that she wasn't interested. Jessica just knew that Bella secretly wanted Mike; she was just playing hard to get. It annoyed her that Mike was putting in so much effort to win Bella's affections when she would have given into his advances with little effort at all.

Before she could put much thought into her plan to humiliate Bella and seduce Mike, Kate and Lauren arrived at her locker, dragging her away to cheerleading practice.

~ O ~

Grabbing her backpack and slamming her locker with force, Bella moved quickly down the corridor towards the front entrance. She could hear Mike calling her name, but she pretended not to notice, shoving the buds attached to her Ipod into her ears and cranking up the volume. She sighed in relief when she saw Sue's car parked near the front entrance.

She had an appointment with Dr. Weber today, to have an ultrasound and hopefully find out the sex of her baby. Excitement coursed through her veins as she thought about buying pretty dresses for a little girl or Mariners jerseys for a little boy. Bella giggled, realizing that Charlie would buy Mariners jerseys for the baby whether it was a boy or a girl, and probably make it go fishing before it was even old even to hold the pole.

Filled with nervous energy, Bella was relieved when the nurse finally called her name, escorting her back into one of the clinic's examination rooms. Sue sat patiently in the waiting area while Dr. Weber did her exam, joining Bella when it was time for the ultrasound.

Bella held tightly to Sue's hand as the technician set up the machine. Once everything was running correctly, she lifted Bella's shirt, squirting a pile of cold, gooey gel onto her barely-there bump. Bella smiled up at Sue as the Doppler moved across her stomach, the fast-paced thumping of her baby's heart filling the room. Tears flowed from her eyes as she saw the first image of her baby on the tiny monitor.

Looking up at Sue again, Bella realized she was crying too. Too choked up to speak, she gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She was so happy to have Sue there with her, knowing this would be a much different experience if she would have had to experience it alone.

The technician continued to move the Doppler along Bella's stomach, taking measurements and checking to make sure the baby was progressing as it should. Finally, turning to face Bella, she asked, "So, do you want to know the sex?"

Bella grinned and shook her head yes.

~ O ~

Feeling annoyed, Jessica decided to cut cheerleading practice short. After Mike's pathetic display of chasing Bella through the hallway, she had no desire to yell and smile. All she wanted was to do was curl up with a pint of Ben & Jerry's and watch trashy TV talk shows. On second thought, she decided that a banana split from the diner sounded divine. She could even drive by Newton's Outfitters on her way, nonchalantly checking to see if Mike was working the evening shift.

"Let's go to the diner," she whined to Kate and Lauren. Her two best friends reluctantly agreed, allowing her to drown her sorrows in a milkshake and fries. As they were finishing up their meal, Kate's phone beeped loudly with a text message.

"Hey, my sister wants us to drop her off some dinner over at the clinic. She's working late. Is that okay?" Kate asked.

The girls quickly ordered a burger and fries for Tanya, making their way to the clinic.

~ O ~

Bella stood near the reception desk, her ultrasound picture in her hand. She stared at it while she waited for the secretary to schedule her next appointment, memorizing the features of her baby from the fuzzy photo. Sue had stepped outside to call Charlie and tell him the good news.

The receptionist smiled at Bella as she handed over her appointment card.

"Oh, was your ultrasound today?"

"Yes," Bella replied with a smile, turning the photo around for the woman to see.

"Were they able to tell you what you're having?"

"It's a boy!"

"Oh my God! You're pregnant?!?!"

Giving the receptionist a weak smile, Bella turned to see Jessica Stanley staring at her with a menacing smile on her face.

"Jessica, it's not…could you just—"

"I knew there was something about you Bella, but I never would have dreamed this. Oh my God. I can't wait to tell Mike. He isn't going to want you anymore when he finds out."

Tears filled Bella's eyes as Jessica pulled out her cell phone and began texting furiously. Knowing there was nothing she could do now to stop the rumor mill from turning, Bella dropped her head and went out to meet Sue.

~ O ~

The next morning, Bella tried to ignore the beep of her alarm clock. She shut it off with a resounding slap, pulling her old quilt over her head. She'd known she couldn't keep her pregnancy hidden for much longer, but she had desperately wanted people to find out on her own terms. Now, there was no telling what sort of gossip Jessica had created overnight.

Moments later, Bella heard a light rap on her bedroom door.

"Come in," she responded with annoyance.

Sue pushed the door open slowly, peeking her head in to assess the situation. Relieved to see that Bella wasn't crying or breaking down, Sue moved into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Are you going to stay home?" she asked.

"I want to. I just feel like it'll be worse if I don't go," Bella responded with a sigh.

"I just worry," Sue said as she patted Bella's hand. "Too much stress isn't good for you or the baby."

"I know. Do you think, if it's bad…could I switch to home-schooling sooner?"

"I don't see why not; everything is already set-up. But do you really want to let those girls win, to force you from school before you're ready? Because of a boy you aren't even interested in?"

"I guess not," Bella whispered as she dropped her head and picked at some loose threads on her blanket.

"Don't be ashamed of yourself or the baby. Charlie and I aren't. We love you and we support you. So you made a mistake—everyone does. You go into that school and hold your head high. You're being responsible and doing the right thing. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks, Sue," Bella said, leaning forward to give her a hug.

"Hurry up. Breakfast is getting cold."

~ O ~

Pulling into the parking lot, Bella could see students milling about, taking advantage of the unusually warm and sunny day. As she exited her car, she felt the eyes of the other students watching her, staring at her well-concealed stomach. She'd worn a loose-fitting t-shirt and one of Charlie's old flannel shirts, not wanting to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her little bump.

Walking into the school, she continued to notice the stares and hear the whispers. While most students tried to be conspicuous in their gawking, there were a few that openly gaped at her. She hated being the center of attention, hated that the other students were talking about her and making assumptions about how she'd gotten in her position.

By lunchtime, rumors were flying through the school. Though Bella tried to ignore the comments, it was hard not to listen in to some of the things that were being said about her. Everything she heard was lies, all fabrications with little to no basis in the truth. Most of the rumors made her out to be some sort of Lolita, a promiscuous girl that had seduced half of the boys in the school since her arrival.

Boys that she had never even spoken to were claiming to have been with her, relaying bawdy tales of having sex with her in their cars or getting a blowjob in the school parking lot before class. No one seemed to question them, instantly believing that the lies must be true; she was pregnant after all, and only the school slut could end up in such a state.

By the time the end of the day had come, Bella was finding it difficult to hold it together. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry, to let Jessica know she'd broken her down. Somehow she found the strength to keep going, staring straight ahead as she moved through the hallways.

Arriving at home after her long, arduous day, she immediately moved to the living room to find Sue. Seeing the pain in Bella's eyes, Sue held her arms out and Bella collapsed into her chest, letting the tears she'd held in finally fall.

~ O ~

Though her first day back after her secret was revealed had been nothing short of Hell, Bella couldn't allow herself to give in. She'd always been weak, cowering in fear at the first sign of trouble. She thought about how she'd clung to James long after she felt anything more than friendly affection for him, so scared of being alone. She thought about how desperate she had been for someone to love and care for her, wanting affection in any way that she could get it. Bella realized that she had done so many things, sacrificed so much of herself of herself to appease those around her.

She didn't want to be that girl anymore.

Bella was going to a mother soon and she knew she needed to be strong for her baby. Soon, someone else's life would be completely dependent up on her. She needed to change, to learn to be more independent and face her problems instead of hiding in the corner.

With newfound determination, Bella forced herself to continue going to school. The first week was painful, but when she refused to acknowledge the rumors, things eventually died down. Jessica Stanley and her friends still tried to goad her into a reaction, but Bella simply ignored them. She refused to turn back into the weak, wallowing girl she'd been in Jacksonville.

When spring break finally came, the official date Bella had originally set to stop attending classes, she felt an immense sense of relief, pride, and accomplishment. She'd promised herself that she would survive and she had.


A/N: Thanks to the ladies at The_Gazebo for the rec, as well as for their discussions about my story. Your questions and concerns have been noted and addressed. =)

Thanks to my beta lislar for correcting my mistakes, making sure that I stay on track, and listening to all my crazy ideas. You've been a great beta and I friend. I really appreciate all you do.

Reviewers get a teaser (hopefully sent out sooner this time!). Next chapter, a certain green-eyed Cullen makes his first appearance.