AN: this is exactly 1,000 words. I feel accomplished. This is also the last short chapter for quite a while. Thanks for bearing with me.
21.
Review:
SuperKassu: It absolutely blows my mind that some people who read this are in college or older. *Yelling out the door* Hey, mom! Someone older than me reads my fanfiction!
[18] Distrust
18 March, 4:05 AM
38. Lea
I wake up with an unpleasant feeling deep in my stomach. It doesn't hurt exactly, but it feels as if there's friction in the inside of my torso.
I sit up, and this proves to be a mistake. I feel my stomach clench, and I know that I'm going to vomit. I clap a hand over my mouth and leap out of bed. Somehow, gagging and coughing, I make it to the bathroom. There I lean over the toilet and cough up a mass of mucus that floats to the surface of the water in a ball of faintly yellow transparent goop.
I have just enough time to think "Was that it?" before the real thing begins and I heave the remains of last night's dinner into the porcelain bowl. After about a minute of dry heaving the spasms subside. I straighten up and flush the toilet.
Poe curls around my ankles, purring.
I feel like crap. I'm achy and sore and my stomach is making a fuss even though there isn't enough in it to fill up a thimble. What's wrong with me?
Am I pregnant? I close my eyes and try to weigh the odds. Condoms are 98% effective under ideal laboratory conditions, but the conditions were far from ideal. Two virgins-or maybe just one because I don't really know about myself—with no real idea what they're doing. It wouldn't have had to be a very big mistake, barely one at all.
I start pulling on yesterday's clothes; there is no way in hell I am letting this happen. I'm going to straighten this out right now before my maternal instincts kick in.
I creep downstairs, still pulling on my jacket. Kip snarls at me and I send him skittering under the table with a swift kick. I have no patience right now.
The night air feels good. I have to stop once to gag up bile into a bush by the road, but I make it to the store in good time. I find the aisle I want and pick up three of the little pink boxes before I realize that I didn't bring any money.
The silent cursing lasts a few seconds, and then I slide the pregnancy tests into the hole in my jacket lining I made when I tore out a piece to clean Jeff's arms. It has the added benefit of concealing the packages without a bulge.
I go into the store's bathroom and lock myself into a stall. I have to read the instructions two or three times before the words make sense. When they finally do I sigh and sit down. My hand is shaking so much I can barely hold the tab still. I shake the plastic case vigorously for at least two minutes before I think to check.
Negative.
I let out a relieved sigh, thunking my head against the wall of the stall. Thank goodness. Panic over; I'm fine, I think.
I hear the bathroom door open. It's probably an employee who saw me come in here. I stand up and flush the toilet, making my face into a picture of calm as I do. When I open the stall door it's not an employee. It's Taylor, standing at the mirror. We make eye contact in the glass and I see the surprise on her face.
"Hey," I say.
"Hello," She shoves something out of sight. I catch a flash of glass reflecting the florescent lights.
"Whiskey?" I say, "or brandy?"
"Whiskey," She says and produces the bottle.
"Here," I say, and hold out my hand."
"What?" I'll smuggle it out."
"You, really?"
I smile, "You'd be surprised."
She hands the bottle to me and I slip it in with the pregnancy tests.
"I wasn't here," I say.
"Neither was I." Taylor pushes the bathroom door open.
And, of course, there's Jeff. I sort of knew he'd be there.
He tilts his head slightly, and I interpret it as a questions.
"Fine," I say.
"If you say so," He shrugs.
"You're worse than Kaylee."
He snorts.
"Lea," Taylow says, "the cashier is looking at us weird."
Jeff and I both glance over. The tired-looking woman at the register is looking at us weird.
"We are right in front of the bathroom," Jeff says.
"Should we move?" Taylor asks.
I chew on the inside of my cheek, "Probably."
Jeff and I both turn and walk down the nearest aisle. Jeff's hand shoots out and grabs something off the shelf, shoving it into his pocket before I even see what it is.
"Out the back?" I ask, thinking about the theft detectors at the front of the store.
"Yes." Jeff darts into an Employee's Only door. I'm right behind him.
It takes a couple minutes to find a door outside, and then we have to wait for Taylor to catch up.
"You two are crazy," She pants.
"Oh yes," I say, "totally insane."
Jeff rolls his eyes at me, a smile stretching the scars across this mouth.
I pull Taylor's liquor out of my pocket, catching one of the little pink boxes before it can escape and tip Jeff off to the situation. I hand the girl the bottle.
"Nothing for me?" Jeff pouts.
"Steal your own liquor."
"I'd sweat you don't care about me."
"I don't."
"Thanks."
I wave him off, "It's four in the morning. I'm going home."
"Me too," Taylor says, "see you tomorrow."
"See you," I say, and wave as she walks away.
"You alright?" Jeff asks as soon as she's out of earshot. I glance up at him and see genuine concern in his eyes.
"Fine," I say.
"You've thrown up."
"I'm fine. I promise."
Just like the last time he asked me, I see the tiredness in him and he just nods.
"I'll see you soon," I wave at him as I leave. I don't want to bring him into this. It won't work.