I'm so sorry I didn't update on Wednesday! I'm on vacation with my family in Colorado. We're RVing and so I have crappy internet, so I just decided to do what I could and post two chapters today. Sorry, and I hope you enjoy chapters 37 and 38!

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Kind

(adjective)

Good-hearted or understanding

EX: The boy was kind toward the embarrassed girl.

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Thursday

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I passed Freddie in the hallway before detention. He moved past me, eyes turned away, careful not to look at me. It hurt, but I should've expected that. He was just as hurt as I was. I found myself wondering what I would see if I could see into Freddie's thoughts. I'd caught a glimpse of his face earlier in the day, and knew he still wore the same vacant expression as the night before. What was behind that blank stare? Anger? Resentment? Was he just in shock?

I hadn't told Carly anything yet. Freddie had stayed away from us during most of the day, and she probably attributed my moodiness to hormones. I would hate telling her the events of the previous night, but I knew her well enough that I could usually predict her reaction. Most likely she'd scold me for lying to Max, then offer ice cream and Girly Cow to drown out the pain.

I wondered what detention would be like now that I'd been discovered. I hoped Ripoff Rodney would be there. As nasty as he was, I'd rather haggle with him than watch Freddie avoid my gaze.

I trumped over to the bathrooms as a wave of nausea swept over me. Fortunately, I kept from actually throwing up by breathing really slow and drinking icy water from the fountain. After that, I plucked up a dab of courage and went into Mr. Howard's classroom for detention.

Max was inside staring out the window. I wondered how he felt. I mean, he didn't have anything to do with this. Or at least, that's what I told him. But either way, he knew something extremely personal that he probably shouldn't, and he'd hurt two people pretty bad. Was he guilty? Maybe. But no matter what he felt, at least he wasn't weighed down by the actual truth.

Freddie was on the other side of the room. He was focusing in on some book. His brow was furrowed as he read, and I almost smiled. That look was familiar to me; it was one he had often worn when I tried to explain my thought processing to him. Really, anything was better than the mask of unfeeling he'd been wearing. That expression was completely foreign to me. It scared me.

Ripoff Rodney was nowhere to be scene.

I sighed. Normally…

No, not 'normally'. There was nothing normal about that situation.

I wanted to leave, to run from my problems like I did all too often. But I was determined to make it through the next 7 hours of detention, one day at a time.

I glanced toward Max and slowly made my way over.

"Hey Max?"

He glanced up, and seemed somewhat confused to see me.

"Sam? I thought for sure you'd be at home today…"

He trailed off as some random student wandered in and plopped down in a back corner, most likely with intent to nap for a while.

I shrugged, acting nonchalant "I can't miss any more school."

"That makes sense."

He glanced at me and leaned toward my ear.

"Not to sound rude or anything, but what do you want? I thought I was the last person you'd want to talk to."

My eyes wandered to the other side of the room where Freddie sat with his book.

"No. Not really."

He saw where I was looking and nodded, understanding.

"I see."

"You aren't going to tell anyone, are you?" I said in a hushed voice.

Max looked taken aback.

"No, of course not!" He glanced in Freddie's direction and quieted his voice, "I'd never do that. I respect your privacy."

I glanced over at Freddie again, who suddenly jerked up and glared in our direction.

"I'm still here, guys! Stop walking on eggshells. GOD!"

He left then, and I was rather surprised. Fredward Benson is not the type to skip detention, regardless of the reason.

He must be really mad.

"Sorry."

"S'okay."

"I hope… I wish you luck, Sammy. With all of this. You didn't deserve any of it."

I did. I had cheated and lied. I had been horrible to the people who loved me most, and this was my punishment.

"Thanks, Max. Hey, do you think you could get me some books or something? I need to do some research… I'm a little underprepared."

He smiled faintly.

"I've got some books I can give you. I'll bring them tomorrow."

With a glance at the sleeping kid in the corner, he added, "In a not-conspicuous paper sack."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"No, really. Thank you. I'm really sorry you got mixed up in this. I promise, I won't bother you any more."

"No matter. We've only got, like, two weeks of school left. I leave for college a week after school ends."

My eyes widened.

"Are you kidding?"

"Nope. I got accepted into Brown, but only if I start now."

"Rhode Island? Wow. Congratulations!"

He smiled, the first real smile I'd seen in a while.

"I know. I've been dreaming about that school forever. I'm so excited, and my family is proud as a peacock."

I laughed lightly, which made Max's smile widen slightly.

"What'cha gonna study?"

Max and I had never really talked about the future together. I had always wondered what his goals were, though.

"Music and Architecture."

"Wow. Double major."

He shrugged, "I'm an overachiever."

I grinned, and decided that maybe detention wouldn't be so bad after all. I was convinced once again that Max deserved somebody amazing. He was a fantastic guy. He was funny and entertaining, but he knew how to be serious. After all the crap the two of us went through together, I couldn't stand the thought off all his dreams wasting away, of him being miserable.

It was also nice knowing that he wouldn't be there when I started looking really big. Because frankly, I didn't want anyone to see me like that.

I found myself wondering whether Freddie would still defer college a year. Was there enough time to change that, or would he be here while I…

Yikes. I hoped he could change his plans. Otherwise, I might have to go on a little "vacation" during the summer.

Max and I chatted about his college plans and my lack of said plans.

"You really don't have any future goals? None?"

"Nope. But then, there are some bigger problems right now, if you know what I mean."

He nodded, "Yeah, but you should still have some kind of plan. I mean, you're gonna need a job at some point. Isn't there anything you're passionate about?"

"Food."

"Food?"

"FatCakes. And meat."

"Right. Well, maybe you could be a cook. Or a food taster. Or… I don't know. I taste tester for FatCakes Incorporated."

I perked up, "That's a thing?"

"I don't know, maybe. But you should figure out stuff. Hospital visits aren't exactly cheap. And so are babies."

I jerked back. That word still got to me. Baby.

"Are you okay?"

"It's just… that word. 'Baby'."

I tensed as I said it, but pushed on.

"Somehow, it's hard for me. I screamed at Carly when she said it after I first told her. I just couldn't handle it. 'Mom' and 'dad' are tough too, but not as bad as they used to be."

"Really? Why do you think words like that are difficult?"

I shrugged, "It's like, I'm still in denial. I didn't want to believe that there was a… a baby, you know, growing inside me. I never really wanted to be a mom. And my dad…

"It's just hard, thinking about the fact that I might have to take care of another human being. I can't even take care of myself."

"You don't have to…"

"Abortion isn't an option."

He raised an eyebrow, "I never said-"

"You did. Last night. And it's not like I never thought about it, I just don't have the money. And, you know, it's murder."

Max sighed.

"I didn't really mean it last night. I would've never gone through with it. I was just… scared. I mean, I just started emailing the guy that will be my roommate at Brown, and I've got plans. I'm sorry if I made you feel like I was-"

"No harm done."

I didn't need to hear a speech. I knew why he had been scared, and I understood, because I was scared too. All the reasons he had for being afraid were all the reasons I lied to him. Protected him. Freed him.

"Anyways, I meant that you could try adoption."

"Oh."

How had I not thought of that?

"But even if you want to keep the kid, I think you'd be a good mom."

"Thanks."

"If you ever have a question, you can call me. You aren't alone."

I smiled at him in immense gratitude.

"Thank you. You can't imagine how much that helps."

Before he could respond, we heard a loud yawning from the corner of the room, where the guy had been sleeping. Whoops, I guess we forgot about that.

Fortunately, he was just waking up.

He groggily asked, "What are you all starin' at?"

I glanced at Max, and found him looking back at me with a relieved and somewhat amused expression.

"We were watching the tarantula on your head", he shouted over to the boy.

He jumped up, suddenly VERY awake, and began swatting at his head crazily.

"Where is it?! Where is it?! DID I GET IT?"

I stifled a laugh and Max answered, "Yeah, I think you got it."

The boy stopped and took a look at our barely contained laughter.

"There was never a spider on my head was there?"

"Nope."

Mr. Howard walked in right then and dismissed us.

Max walked me home, and helped me from falling down while I was laughing.

Thank God for friends.

…

Will Sam and Max get back together?

Will Max find out the truth?

What will Sam do about the baby?

WHERE IS THE SEDDIE LOVE?

Review, and all these questions will be answered.

You know, in later chapters.

REVIEW!