Chapter 13

AN. I have given up naming chapters because I just can't think of good names so I'm sorry if anyone particularly likes their chapters named :)

The booklet said we would be waiting for five measly minutes, but these minutes stretched and seemed like an eternity as we sat on Owen's couch both of our heads bent towards the little strip that held our futures. After what seemed an age, the little strip turned blue and blue meant positive. Owen's face paled but I for some obscure reason found myself smiling. I had a little Owen growing inside me how magical was this but my happiness was short lived when I realised what this would mean for Whitney. Owen had his head in his hands and I realised instantly that he was not happy about this. I went and sat next to him and snaked my arm around his waist, he shrugged me off but that didn't deter me I wasn't going to be shunned for something that wasn't my fault.

"What is your problem?" I asked him

"Annabel," he sighed. "Think of your poor sister what will this do to her and I don't even think I'm ready to be a dad yet."

"Owen, yeah it might be hard on Whitney but she'll have to deal with it, and that is just nonsense. You are already the perfect father figure for anyone in my eyes and you shouldn't knock yourself back in life or you won't get anywhere."

"Yeah, this is just great my first time and look what I did."

"Hang on sorry." I said a smile forming on my face. "Owen Armstrong did I just hear you right? Was I your first?"

Owen began to blush fiercely and I knew this meant that I was.

"Well I know I wasn't yours but I could have been if it wasn't for Will. Couldn't I?" He asked with uncertainty in his voice.

"Yeah of course you would have been, and Owen this baby isn't just my fault it takes two to tango you know." I attempted again to put my hand around his waist this time he relented and let it stay there.

"You're right Annabel, I shouldn't have took it out on you. I was just worried but that was no excuse anyway there isn't really anything to be worried about, and I'll tell you this now Annabel, if Will Cash so much as breathes in your direction for the next nine months he's dead. I don't care what you say I will not be held responsible for my actions if he touches you again." He said this with such ferocity that I knew he wasn't joking around.

"It's okay Owen, I'll be really careful. I hardly leave the house without you anyway now. What are we going to do about Whit?"

"Well Annabel, as hard as this may be for you to do we're going to go see her and your mother and break the news to them both as gently as humanly possible. Okay?"

"Owen are you totally crazy?" I asked him I knew for certain that if we went ahead with his plan I would never be spoken to by anyone out of my family ever again. As much as I was happy about our little surprise I did want to actually live to see it grow up.

"Annabel, it would be easier to tell them now than to keep them in the dark. They will have time to adjust to the idea and eventually they will forgive you. If we wait then it will just take them longer to get use to it and it might open old wounds, we don't need that." He reasoned always the logical thinker. Of course he was right he always was, there was me trying to get myself out of bother while he was actually trying to make everything turn out okay in the long run. This was why I loved the guy.

I drove us to the hospital but today it took us half an hour I constantly thought of things that would make us delay our mission. Owen eventually got wise to this and threatened to make us both walk there so I picked up the pace after that. When we arrived we went through the same rigmarole as the last time, the only difference was that this time we knew where we were going. When we got there we knocked out of sheer politeness and waited for my mother to beckon us in. After about two minutes she came to the door looking healthier and happier than last time. We walked in and looked around, the place was exactly the same as before but today Whitney was sat up in bed a bright smile etched onto her svelte face. The room seemed brighter but only from the glow that radiated from the two people, now four, all crammed inside. I looked at my mum's face and my heart broke how could I break this to her?

After a while of happy silence Owen stood up off the seat that he had somehow aqquired and announced that we had something that we would like to say.

"Go on Annabel," my mum started. "We're dying to hear why you actually made this appearance today we weren't expecting you today"

"Well mum, actually it's a really important and serious matter. Umm, you might want to sit down." Owen offered up his chair as my mum's smile began to slowly fade. I felt tears prick the back of my eyes as my mum demanded to know what was happening.

"Well, mum I'm really sorry to break this to you," I looked over at Whit who's smile had faltered leaving just a ghost of the happiness that was there a few minutes ago. "I'm pregnant." I braced myself for the coming onslaught I was about to face, and come it did.

"Well, I really don't know what to say. I had expected more from you, you only left school a year ago. I thought you of all people were going to do something with your life not just go and get knocked up. Did you even think about Whitney and what this could do to her? I bet you didn't did you? Only caring for yourself. What the hell were you thinking!?"

"Mum I'm sorry it was an accident and I love Owen, it isn't like he's going to up and leave is it?"

"Oh really? You think he's really going to want to stay around knowing that you're pregnant and it's his doing?" She turned to Owen. "Well go on are you going to stay with my daughter?"

"Mrs Greene. Of course I am, I love the bones of this girl and she is my everything if I had to choose between Annabel and my music I would choose Annabel, and I seriously hope that means something to you. Just because she's pregnant doesn't mean I'm going to abandon her not when she needs me more than ever." He raged.

"Well, I'm sorry Annabel you;re not keeping it." She said the word 'it' as though whatever 'it' was going to be repulsed her.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her taken aback at her ferocity.

"I mean you're getting an abortion, right now if I have anything to do with it, you're in a hospital aren't you? It's the perfect time."

I fell into Owen's arms tears streaming down my face, tears of sadness but also anger. How could she, my own mother, of all people tell me that I needed to get rid of my baby?

"Mum no, I can't do it. I won't do it and you can't make me!" I practically screamed.

"Annabel, that baby..."

"Everyone!" Whitney interrupted shockingly. "It's Annabel's baby therefore her decision. It doesn't bother me, why should my experience make others stop attempting to be happy. Leave her mum if she wants to keep it let her."

She walked up to me and wrapped her arms around me.

"Good luck" she whispered.

Gobsmacked me and Owen left the hospital and went back to his when we got there we were still shocked.