A/N: Content warning for mentions of abortion.
Main POVs: K.C., Jenna, and Imogen.
A week after school ended for the summer, K.C. was earning some extra cash by washing Mr. Edward's car. So far he was sweating buckets due to the heat and his t-shirt was soaked but it was worth it for twenty bucks.
He was in the middle of vacuuming the inside of the car when Clare walked up to him. She was wearing a sleeveless salmon shirt dress and brown sandals. She was carrying two glasses of iced tea. "My mom told me to give you one while you take a break," she said while giving him a glass. K.C. eagerly took it; He was thirsty.
"She suggested it or you did?" He asked with a teasing smile as she blushed. They looked around to make sure no one was watching before sharing a sweet kiss. He got a whiff of the coconut shampoo she washed her hair with.
"You're going to break up with Jenna today right?" She asked him. He took a sip of his iced tea before replying. He savored the taste of it on his tongue. It was homemade with a lemon slice and sugar. It tasted far better than the cheap cartons of iced tea he had to drink with his meals at the group home.
"Unfortunately no, because we're going to that roller rink later for her birthday, remember?" He reminded her. He had saved up enough money to buy himself and Jenna a ticket and treat her to pizza at the place too.
Clare frowned at that, and he couldn't blame her. He was itching to break up with Jenna but he just couldn't find the right time to do it. He knew that the longer this whole situation went on, the higher chances of someone getting hurt was inevitable. He just didn't know whether he would be more comfortable with Jenna being hurt or Clare.
"Don't worry. We'll be done soon, and I'll be with the girl who really matters to me," he assured as they shared another kiss. It soon turned heated.
They only stopped when they heard someone clear their throat, and that someone was Clare's older sister Darcy. Her and her boyfriend Peter were watching them with amused looks on their faces.
On her fourteenth birthday, Jenna looked at two pink lines on a pregnancy test stick.
For the past two months, she had been constantly throwing up her meals, getting sick at the smell of bacon, and weirdly dipping bananas in ranch. Now she knew why.
Tears welled up in Jenna's eyes as she sank down onto the bathroom floor. She was pregnant at fourteen. She was just entering high school in a couple months.
Her and K.C. used condoms every time they had sex. She thought that the pull out method was enough but her boyfriend insisted on condoms. He was way smarter than she was so she trusted that with condoms, they were never going to risk a pregnancy, yet here she was.
Fear seeped into her as she thought about how she was going to handle this. Neither her nor K.C. were ready to be parents, and she had all of these great things she wanted to do in high school that couldn't be done with a baby. She didn't want to face the judgmental looks from people at school or people out on the street. She didn't want to face her brothers' reactions to her being pregnant. They would all take turns killing K.C.
She had no idea what she wanted to do.
Imogen quietly ate breakfast with her at a small, quaint restaurant in the city. No sound was made at the table except the sounds of forks and knives hitting the plates or someone drinking a beverage.
To her annoyance, her mother decided to try to start up a conversation.
"What else would you like to do, Imogen? It's a long beautiful day," her mother asked her politely. 'Go home,' was the blunt answer she almost let leave her lips. She didn't want to spend time with her stuffy, judgmental mother. The woman refused to let her get her favorite chocolate chip Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes, saying that she was "too old" for it. She didn't allow her to drown her pancakes in syrup and strawberry sauce either. An hour spent with Natalie Granger, and she already felt like a caged bird.
"To the zoo," Imogen answered instead. In all honesty, seeing lemurs probably would make her feel better. Just a little bit though.
"The zoo would be nice, but unfortunately I don't think I have much energy to walk around that place. Maybe we could go shopping at the mall today," her mother replied. "There's nothing that makes a mother and daughter bond easier than shopping, right?" She asked with a smile.
Imogen had no desire to go shopping with her mother. Natalie would not let her pick out the clothes she wanted. It would all be boring dresses, pencil skirts, blouses, and blazers. The very idea made her gag.
Since her dad was recently diagnosed with early signs of dementia, a day nurse came in and took care of him every day. She bathed him, helped him cook meals, and watched over him while he worked. In the meantime, she was forced to live with her mother on the weekends, and she wasn't even allowed to bring Volta.
"I don't feel like shopping," Imogen rejected before taking a sip of her glass of apple juice. Natalie pursed her lips, and it almost made Imogen feel bad. Then her mother went back to smiling again. Honestly Imogen didn't know her mother could still smile these days. She had gotten used to her mother's constant frowning and looks of disappointment.
"You know what? I have something better in mind for us than shopping," her mother replied. Imogen raised an eyebrow.
"And what's that?" She questioned, feeling on edge. Natalie's definition of fun was far different than hers.
"You'll see."
K.C. looked down at his newly earned cash in pride. Not only was he paid twenty dollars for cleaning Mr. Edwards' car but Mrs. Edwards also gave him a ten dollar tip as thanks. He found a quick way to spend some of the money by buying himself and Clare some smoothies at The Dot.
"Jenna wants me and Alli to come by her house later and help her get ready," Clare mentioned before taking a sip of her strawberry banana smoothie. They were in a booth at the back of the restaurant where hopefully no one could see them.
"That's good," he replied before taking a sip of his own pineapple flavored one. It was a slow sip to really appreciate the taste. Smoothies were a luxury treat he could barely afford before now.
"I really feel bad about this situation, K.C. She adores you," Clare added with regret in her voice.
"She'll get over it and find someone better for her anyway," K.C. dismissed with a shrug, "After tonight, I'll only care about you."
She smiled, but it was a tight uncomfortable smile.
As Jenna put on a cute teal tie shirt and white shorts, she noticed how tight the clothes were around her. It was only going to get worse in the coming months.
"This eyeshadow palette is going to look great on you," Alli gushed to her as she did her makeup. It was colored teal to match her shirt. Along with her outfit, she was wearing press on nails that were styled in a French manicure. She unfortunately couldn't afford an actual French manicure at the nail salon so she had to make do with the press ons. At least they didn't look too plastic.
Clare was watching them both quietly on her bed, and Jenna could tell that something was going on with her best friend, but it was probably nothing compared to what she was going through right now.
Alli must have noticed her stormy expression because she suddenly stopped applying mascara to her eyelashes. "Is something wrong Jenna?" She asked in concern.
Jenna decided to just come out with it. "I took a pregnancy test this morning and it came out positive," she answered, staring into the window numbly. Alli's eyes widened like saucers.
"Holy shit," she replied, "…Does K.C. know?"
"Not yet," Jenna answered, "I probably can't even go roller skating tonight." It was the beginning of fun things she wouldn't be able to do because she had a baby growing inside of her.
"Are you…okay?" Alli asked again, and Jenna finally turned to look at her friends.
"No," she answered honestly. She then focused on Clare and her reaction set off unusual warning signals in Jenna's head.
Clare's face was completely white in fear.
Imogen was shocked, shocked when she saw where her mother was taking her.
It was an aquarium, and she felt the same excitement she would have at the zoo here.
She had her hands on the glass along with some little kids and looked at the fishes swimming in wonder. There were all kinds, and they were all beautiful and colorful. A turtle swam up to her and she was sad she couldn't pet it.
Imogen skipped up to her mother afterwards, who was sitting on a bench in the center of the room. "Let's see the sharks next!" She urged. They were big and scary, but that's what made them exciting!
"Oh I don't know about that, I'm afraid that they could get behind that glass and eat me," her mother replied lightheartedly.
"Oh don't be a scaredy-cat, that glass is thicker than Degrassi's list of incidents on the Wikipedia page!" Imogen argued as she pulled her mother up from the bench. She tugged her along as they entered the water tunnel holding in the sharks. Imogen couldn't help but squeal as she looked up in every direction. "I'm naming this one Cuddles," she declared while looking at one that just swam above her.
"Cuddles?" Her mother asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It feels right," Imogen replied with a shrug.
At Shazam!, K.C. definitely noticed that something was up with his girlfriend. Jenna had a gloomy expression on her face and refused to go skating like everyone else. She just miserably sat at their table.
"What was the point in taking her out to this place then?" He asked Connor grumpily as they skated together in circles around the rink like everyone else. "This is why I'm leaving her, she's the worst."
"Maybe she's going through something, and you're not helping by cheating on her with Clare," Connor replied as he did a spin, balancing himself so he wouldn't fall.
"Yeah, well you can't blame me for looking for comfort in other areas at this point," he reasoned before crashing into a wall. He tried to brush it off before slipping and falling hard on his ass.
A group of kids pointed and laughed at him as they skated by.
"What are you going to do, Jenna?" Alli asked her as she sat next to her at the table. Clare was on the other side and quietly eating pizza. Her other best friend's silence was really making her uneasy right now. Clare wasn't bubbly or talkative like her and Alli was unless it was about a book, but she usually wasn't this quiet.
"I could keep him or her," Jenna answered, but the very idea of that option was terrifying. She would have to walk around with a huge belly for months on end and go through childbirth. And then she would have to spend every minute she could for the rest of her life taking care of a tiny human.
"Or you could not be a teen mom at fourteen and put the baby up for adoption," Alli pointed out, and that seemed to be the more appealing option. The baby would go to a loving, supportive home that would be able to take care of him or her. But she would still have to go through childbirth.
It was Clare's suggestion that completely floored her because of what it was.
"I think abortion would be the best option for you at this stage, Jenna," she said softly while averting her eyes. Jenna looked at Alli in shock, and her friend was sharing the same sentiment.
Abortion was the quickest option, but most controversial. It was commonly seen as an act of murder and Jenna could not believe that her Christian best friend would even suggest it.
"Abortion is never an ideal option and should always be the last resort, but my mother always told me and Darcy that it's the best option if your situation isn't good, which it isn't Jenna," Clare explained, "You don't want to raise a baby with K.C."
"Why not? He's my boyfriend and he would support me if I really want this baby," Jenna argued.
"K.C. is cheating on you," Clare confessed, and Jenna felt as if someone pulled a rug underneath her. But the next words that came out of Clare's mouth made it even worse.
"With me," her best friend finished, and Jenna felt as if someone stabbed her in the gut.
After they were done at the aquarium, her mother drove over to a big candy store on the outskirts of the city. "Pick whatever you would like and as much as you want," her mother said with a smile and Imogen did what she was told.
She had one bag of sour gummies that were either bears or worms. Then she had a bag of chocolates and candied nuts. Finally her third bag was full of skittles, starbursts, lollipops, and gum. The sugar rush she was going to experience tonight was going to be biblical.
Her mother paid for all three bags of candy without a fuss, and Imogen didn't make it far out of the store without opening up one of the bags and shoving a cherry flavored lollipop into her mouth. When they got in the car, her mother turned on the radio and played her favorite kind of music, pop.
"Why are you doing all of these nice things for me?" She questioned in confusion. Her mother was always strict on her candy intake as a kid. She was often restricted to two pieces of candy at the minimum at birthday parties.
"I'm your mother, I'm supposed to do nice things for you," her mother replied as she drove. She then sighed. "Imogen, you are truly a unique child, and I'm going to be honest in admitting that I've had difficulties dealing with that as a parent. A part of that is because I know how kids at school treat kids who aren't normal and I don't want you to go through that. You probably think I'm the worst compared to your father and maybe you're not wrong since I can go too far sometimes. But I love you, I want the best for you, and I want us to have a good relationship. I have made a lot of mistakes with you, but I want to fix them. Please give your mother a chance to fix things with you," her mother pleaded. Imogen had to think on it.
"You won't get mad at me for however I dress anymore?" She asked.
"I was never truly mad, just scared of how you'll be treated because of it. But if that's how you want to express yourself, that's your right and as a mother I can only support you," her mother answered.
A soft smile etched on Imogen's face as she ate her candy. Maybe things between her and her mother won't be so bad anymore after all.
K.C. finally came off the roller rink with Connor and headed back towards the table, but the girls approached them first.
There were tears in Jenna's eyes along with pure rage, and from Clare's guilty expression, K.C. knew the cat was out of the bag. He didn't bother to ask what was wrong. He didn't even notice she was gripping a cup of soda tightly as he began coming up with excuses.
"Jenna I can explain-"
A cold splash of soda hit him right in his face.
"Fuck you, K.C. When school starts back up and you see me in the hallways, don't speak to me. Don't even look at me," Jenna cut him off coldly before storming off. Alli followed her and looked back at him with disdain. Clare looked at them, and then looked at him with regret.
"I think it's best if we do the same," she added before walking away as well, and despite there being so many people in this place, K.C. had never felt so alone.
"What an unfortunate outcome," he heard Connor say.
Unfortunate outcome was an understatement.
The next morning, Jenna had made her decision on how to go about her pregnancy. She made sure that Kyle was still asleep in his room so he wouldn't overhear this conversation.
"Yes, we do walk-ins," the woman said on the other line of the phone call. There was no judgment in her voice when Jenna told her that she was pregnant and what she wanted to do.
"Thank you, ma'am," Jenna replied as she ended the call. She then got dressed in preparation to head out. Everything that happened in the past twenty four hours was the second worst she had ever experienced in her life after her mother dying, and she knew that being pregnant only made it worse.
She was choosing to get an abortion.
The next morning, they did get to go to the zoo. And Imogen couldn't be more giddier the whole time. Her mom let her pet llamas and ride horses! Now they were at the mall and going shopping as her mom wanted to do.
"Can I get this one?" She asked her mom as she stepped out of the fitting mom wearing a red and white striped romper with black cats printed all over it. They were going to meet up with her grandmother later at a restaurant.
Her mom looked her up and down, and she feared she would say no. Instead her mom just nodded. "It looks cute on you," her mom complimented warmly. Imogen looked to where a pair of black cat ears were on display on a stand. They were styled to be worn as a headband.
"Can I wear those ears with this?" Imogen asked again, and this time she saw the hesitant expression on her mom's face. Her mom quickly dropped it and put on a smile.
"Of course, every cute outfit needs an equally cute accessory," her mother answered.
Imogen squealed as she went to grab the cat ears.
K.C. had called Jenna five times and each time the call went into voicemail. He knew their relationship was truly done.
He fell back against the bed, feeling dejected. Jenna had every right to dump him. He deserved it. But it hurt that she didn't even want to speak to him. He was going into high school already thick into some drama.
'Maybe if you had simply never dated her and chose Clare in the first place this would have never happened,' a voice that sounded suspiciously like Connor said in his head, and while K.C. wanted to tell the voice to fuck off, he knew it was telling the truth. He should have picked Clare. His feelings for her were way stronger than his feelings for Jenna despite Jenna giving him sex.
He lifted himself up and dialed Clare's number. She was feeling guilty by everything that happened but maybe she had changed her mind about them not speaking after a good night's rest.
"You have reached the voice message of Clare Diana Edwards. I am not currently available at the moment but I promise you that I will contact you as soon as I can. Have a wonderful day," was what he could hear on the other line after a few rings. He had a strong feeling Clare wouldn't contact him back as soon as she could.
K.C. fell back on the bed, feeling even more dejected.
Both girls clearly hated him now.
A/N: Well this love triangle was bound to end this way, but in a far more chaotic way than in the show. However things have...changed and Clare certainly won't be making shady remarks about Jenna's pregnancy in this AU!