Chapter 26
It's Saturday. I sigh looking in the mirror in my bedroom. I never looked so terrible ever in my life. I can't believe I broke up with Jacob. I haven't seen him in a week nor talked to him and I miss him so much. Bella been asking me about Jacob but I tell her that we're on the offs and it was something that was going to come sooner or later. His jealousy and his situations and me being in this situation myself.
I am still a pregnant high school. God, he's such a jealous teenage boy but I have to give him some comfort. I don't know what he's going through with Bella and Victoria nor has he told me what's been going on. So, I'm half and half. You have to be there for me too and not only for Bella even though her life is threatened. I can't even hang out at Sam's house and you have to come here. So, yeah. It's whatever.
I'm here moping and trying to pick up the pieces of my life changing and he's going around doing him. "Yeah." I say walking from the mirror and back to the computer desk. I sigh looking into the biology book. "Ms. Thorne, I need you to stay behind after class." I say repeating the same words Mr. Howard said. I couldn't even stay before I was hit with that deadly headache. I wonder what he wanted.
I look out of the window. The Sun is out. I'm not feeling as bad as I was a few days ago and maybe it was because of Mr. Howard presence, weather or me just being dehydrated. I'm feeling a little bit better even though my appetite has increased a little bit. I guess it's normal along with the tiredness. I breathe out closing the book. The nurse is supposed to be coming over to my house today.
We'll be having a little conversation discussing my pregnancy and everything else. It's a new and first for me to have someone other than Mr. Howard visiting my house. So, it'll be refreshing. I shake my head getting up out of the chair and walking out of the room. I sigh still looking at the broken TV and walk into the kitchen.
I walk to the fridge and open it up. I didn't even get a chance to ask if Jacob took my sonogram or not. He was in that mood. I sigh looking around the fridge. "I need to go shopping. It's no food." I say closing the door. Jacob and his friends are eaters. I walk to the phone and pick it up dialing Jacob's house phone. "Hello." Billy answers. "Billy, It's Lacie. Is Jacob home?" I ask him.
"He's not here, Lacie. How are you and the baby doing?" He asks. "We're doing fine. How is he?" "He's a little bit down since you two broke up." I bet. "Right, well tell him that I called and my door is always open for him. I really miss him." I say. "I will, Lacie." "Thanks, Billy. Bye." I say. "Bye." I hang up the phone and look around the cabinets and see they're mostly empty.
"It's no food." I say closing the cabinets up. I don't want to invite her over and it's no food in the house. That's kind of rude plus Jacob is the only one I know who as a car. I doubt Sam will let Emily leave the tribe or Kim but I don't have no car. Bella's probably busy with Edward or Paul. It's a fine time to break up with the only guy who has a ride.
I could call Mr. Howard to come take me grocery shopping but he's my teacher and that is inappropriate. I'll guess we'll have to have a conversation without no food. Sounds like she's here. I sigh walking to the door and open it just as she's about to the knock on the door. "Hi, Lacie." She say holding her purse.
"Hi, Nurse. Come in." I say moving out of the way to allow her in. She walks in looking around the house and I close the door behind her. "Sorry, you had to come out on a cold Saturday." I say leading her to the couch for her to sit down. "It's okay. You're not the first student I visited outside of the school." She say sitting down and putting her purse on the coffee table.
"Right, I hope you ate because I have no food in the house to offer you." I say sitting next to her. "I'm alright, Lacie. Where are your parents?" She asks still looking around. "They're still traveling. They're work orientated. So, they're not always home." I say nodding my head. "That's kind of sad." She say taking off her jacket. "I'm kind of use to it but you know I get kind of lonely." I say shrugging my shoulders.
"Right, how's your boyfriend Jacob?" "He's okay. We're on the offs now but we're trying to make it I mean it's to be expected. He's the jealous type and he didn't like me hanging around Mr. Howard." I say. "He's jealous of Mr. Howard?" She asks grinning a little bit. "Yeah, he's kind of a young teacher and he's on my back about school work. I missed like two months of class." I say.
"And, why was that? Was it a family emergency?" She asks me. "Um." I drag out not wanting to answer the question. "It was two months of you missing class. All of your teachers was wondering why you was missing and no one could get in contact with you. Your phone number and house address was false." She say while I picture Mr. Howard standing looking at a paper.
"That was my old address and I didn't think to change it when I moved. Can we move on, Nurse?" I ask her. "Okay." She say nodding and going into her purse. "I brought you pamphlets about teenage pregnancies." She say getting about four of them out of her purse. I nod taking them from her and looking at them. "Thank you, I have like twenty of them already." I say placing them on the coffee table.
"How's the pregnancy going?" She asks. "It's going good. I'm not feeling sick no more." "Have you been back to the hospital or a clinic for a check up after you was diagnosed with dehydration?" "No, I have not but I'll try to go again." "Are you pregnant?" She asks. Hold up, she stepping over the line. "I am pregnant." "You don't act like it." She say.
"I am pregnant. I threw up a couple of days ago plus my appointment is coming up again." "Do you need someone to come with you?" "No, my boyfriend is coming with me." "How supportive is he?" "He's very supportive but he has been feeling down lately for a couple of months but everything is good between us. I can count on him to be there for our baby." I say.
She nods her head looking around the house. "Sorry, about how it looks especially the carpet. It was a break in and they trashed the whole house." I say looking at the mud stain. "Sorry, to hear about it. Was you hurt?" She asks looking at the mud stain too. "No, I was not and do you know what can get out stains? That mud stain been there for weeks. Well, probably not weeks but around that time." I say to her.
"You can try club soda. It gets rid of all of the stains." "So, that can be used on carpets and not just clothes too?" "It can, Lacie. You're trying to avoid the subject." I'm really not. "I'm not. I'm feeling better now and after learning that I can lose my baby in a heartbeat and the many situations that I was in. It's really an eye opener, Nurse." I say trying to add feelings to my voice.
"I want to share a story with you." She say. Oh, no. I don't want to hear no one's personal's story. "I feel that I shouldn't be into anyone's personal business nor life. I don't feel that I need to know, Nurse. That is too private." I say to her but I feel that she wants to tell the story. "Alright, Lacie. Have you had any troubles lately?" She asks me.
"Not since the break up with my boyfriend." "Pregnancy wise." She say. "Oh, right. Nothing of that sort. Just the normal morning sickness. I haven't felt the baby kick." I joke out. "You won't till at least sixteen weeks to twenty-five." She say. I nod at that information. "And, what about growing a baby bump?" I ask wanting to know. "Around the fourth month." She sadly answers.
Oh, that's why I didn't want to hear about anyone's personal story. I should apologize. "I didn't mean to make you upset. I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive subject. I'm sorry." I say nodding my head. "It's okay. I'm still dealing with my loss." She say crossing her legs. It get awkwardly silent. I don't know what to say. "Right, do you want some tea or something? I only have water bottles." I say getting up and walking into the kitchen feeling her eyes on my back.
"I'll take a water bottle, Lacie." She say. I nod opening up the fridge and grabbing a water bottle out of the fridge. I close the door looking at the top of the fridge. Can't believe someone stole my sonogram. "Is something wrong?" She asks me. "Yeah, did Mr. Howard tell you about my break in?" I ask walking out of the kitchen and handing her the water bottle before sitting back down.
"He told me a little bit about how your house was vandalized." "Yeah, it was weird because my sonogram that was hanging on the fridge and when everything was cleaned up. It was nowhere to be found." I say shaking my head. That's another mystery. Who would steal my sonogram picture? "You think the person stole it?" She asks me.
"I think so. The attack was personal because I have no valuables in this house and I was never attacked or anything till the day after Mr. Howard popped up." "You think he had something to do with it? He's not that type of person to risk his life and career over an attack." She say getting defensive. That's a 180. "I didn't say he did." I say ready to dig into her.
"But you're assuming that after he found you that you was attacked and he's the one to blame. Are you in some type of trouble?" She asks sitting the water bottle on the table. "No, I am not in some type of trouble. I am not that type of person because of my hair?" "Because of your hair, attitude, and gloves." She say pointing to my gloves.
I wiggle my fingers around. "Is that a style or are you in a gang?" She asks. "I'm not in a gang and that is what most people think that I am. It's just the way I act. I changed my hair color to black and I'm trying to ease out of being that type of person I mean I have a boyfriend now and I'm about to be a mother in a couple of more months." I say nodding my head.
"That's good to hear. You don't want people to assume that you're a bad person by the way you dress and act. It's good that you're changing things around." "And, I really am but it's kind of hard because you'll slip back into that same road." "And, you're not in a gang or anything?" She asks again. "No, I am not." "Do you mind me asking why did you pick to color your hair gray?" She asks me.
"Because I love gray and it goes well with my brown skin. What did you think when you first seen me? If you don't mind me asking." I say. "That you're a delinquent and it was proven when you came to school and missed classes up to two months in all of your classes plus it was assume that you had attacked Mr. Howard." She say changing into a smart tone.
Oh, so the main reason comes out. "I didn't attack him. He assumed that I attacked him. I never put my hands on him and he asked me that. It was other people all around him. Do he have proof that I attacked him?" I ask her. "No, he does not but he said the last person he seen was you." "How? I don't know where he lives. I don't have a car or anything." I say shaking my head waiting on her to put Jacob in it.
"Maybe it was your boyfriend." She say making me grin hard laughing on the inside. "Jacob would never and I met him after the whole we thought Mr. Howard was leaving to another school and maybe county. I don't have time and thanks for coming." I say getting up letting her know it's time for to go. She gets up too grabbing her purse.
"You're welcome." She say as I walk to the front door and open it up for her. "See you at school." She snidely say walking past me. "See you at school, Nurse." I say and close the door behind her locking it. Let me call the police and tell them about these two suspects. I shake my head sliding down against the front door. Them or Jacob friends wanting to tear up my house or Jacob himself. I need to call him.
After finally getting in contact with from calling his house and Sam's house, he was finally found at Sam's house. I told him about what happened today with the school nurse and his response was just silence but I can tell he wanted to tell you told you so or something. "So, what should I do?" I ask him on the phone. "I don't know, Lacie." He say. I breathe out already sick and tired of his attitude.
"I'm at home by myself with no TV." "It was your choice to not buy a TV, Lacie." "You're the only one who I know with a car. I know Bella is busy but I am bored." I say looking out of the living room window. "I don't know. Why don't you call Mr. Howard?" He asks. "He's busy and I'm sure he's with his undead or dead wife." "What does that mean?"
"That he couldn't get his story right when he was talking to me. One night he said she was the dead and another time he tells me she's fine. So, yeah." I say shaking my head. Mr. Howard is on some other things too. I admit I slipped up giving him the benefit of the doubt after he accused me of attacking him. "Okay." Jacob only say. "Okay, is that all? I miss you very much, Jacob." I say shrugging my shoulders.
He breathes out making me roll my eyes. "You don't miss me?" I ask when he doesn't say it back. He pauses. "Not really, Lacie." "Just tell me how you feel and we can go from there. I been dealing with some things too and I'm sure you think I'm nothing but a liar." I say. "I don't know what to think, Lacie. Is there something you want?" He asks.
I look around the kitchen mostly at the refrigerator and cabinets. "I need a ride because I have no food in my house. I do have to eat, Jacob." I say. "Why don't you call Mr. Howard to take you to the store." "Jacob, please. I have to stay healthy and I don't have a car. I have a baby in my stomach and I can't afford to get sick. You would not want me to break your neck." I seriously say.
He doesn't say anything for a couple of seconds. "Are you coming? At the end of the day, you have to deal with this so called relationship and not your friends nor father. I'm the one being cruel when you're going around acting like a little child." "You don't know a thing about what's going on." He growls out. Ohh. "That's the problem. You do not want to tell me?" I ask him.
"No, I do not." He say and I feel tears forming in my eyes. "Yeah. Maybe when you find time to come around you'll see that you don't have nothing left and I am not going to be here nor abide by your rules or the Pack rules. You don't have me no more, Jacob. You find your imprint and I hope she makes you happy in life and I'm being cruel. Bye, Jacob." I say and hang up the phone. I slide down to the floor and pull my legs to my chest placing my head on my knees. "Forget you, Jacob." I muffle out nearly crying.
After having an emotional breakdown for about fifteen minutes, someone knocks on my front door. That was fast Jacob. I get up off the kitchen floor walking to the front door and opening the door not even asking who it is and who do I find at my door. "Mr. Howard." I answer looking around him to see if Jacob is behind him or in the car even though that's a straight fantasy.
He looks around too then back at me. "Expecting Jacob?" He asks me. "Yeah, I was. I just got off the phone with him like twenty minutes ago." I say disappointed. He nods his head. "Have you talked to Nurse Miller?" He asks bringing me out of my cloud. "I did. Come in." I say moving back for him to walk into the house. He walks in the house and I look around one more time to see if Jacob is outside before closing the door.
I turn around leaning on the door to face him. "Sorry about not showing up after school. How you been, Mr. Howard?" I ask him. "I been fine, Ms. Thorne." He answers and I point to the couch for him to sit. He sit down with me sitting next to him. "That's good to hear. I been without a TV." I say pointing to the empty spot where the TV use to be.
I notice that he's always wearing casual clothes when he's around me. He is a teacher but it's never regular clothes. "You haven't been out to buy a TV yet?" He asks me. "No, I have not but since you are here and here to change my life around." I say getting up off the couch and walking into the kitchen to show him my empty cabinets and empty fridge.
It's silent as he looks at them then back at me. "I ran out of food if you haven't came to that conclusion." I say closing the fridge. "I came to that conclusion. Where is Jacob and your parents?" He asks me. "Parents gone. Jacob and I had a fight and I broke up with him. So, he was my only ride to getting food. I'm starving and pregnant." I say walking back to the living room.
He looks at me sitting back on the couch. "I don't have a car and I was wondering seeing how you're visiting me if you can take me the store to buy some groceries for the house." I say hoping he'll say yes. "I mean if you're not busy." I say rubbing on my stomach to add to him saying yes to me. "I can take you to shop for groceries but not the TV, Ms. Thorne." He say nodding his head.
"Let me go upstairs to get my cellphone." I say getting off the couch and walking fast up the stairs and into my room to grab my cellphone off the computer desk. I walk to the window closing it down and locking it. I look at my phone to see if I had an text messages from Jacob. None at all. "I guess what I said got to him." I say putting on my shoes and grabbing my coat. I walk back down the stairs to see Mr. Howard still sitting on the couch.
"Are you ready?" He asks standing up. "I am." I say grabbing my keys off the nightstand and looking into the mirror at my appearance. I look so ugly and old. I notice Mr. Howard looking at me. "I'm ready." I say walking off from the mirror and towards the door opening it up for him while he stands there looking at the mirror before walking out of the door. I hit the light off before leaving out of the house too and locking the door.
I'm viciously munching on a hamburger while in the car with Mr. Howard. He glances at me before going back to driving. "Maybe you should slow down before you throw it up." He warns me rolling the car window down a little bit. I can't help but laugh. "I haven't had a burger in months probably since the last bonfire I went too. Have you been to one?" I ask him. "No."
I nod going back to eating this time more slower. It get silent in the car. "Thanks again. I really appreciate it. This should last me for almost a month." I say looking at the groceries that's sitting on the car floor. It's more in the trunk. "That's good. Maybe you shouldn't allow Jacob and his friends to eat up your food no more." He say. "And, I'm not. I have to think of myself and my baby." I say grabbing my water and drinking it.
"I really appreciate, Mr. Howard. Maybe you should come over for dinner one day like I said before and we can actually talk about some things maybe even personal things." I say. "I might take you up on that offer, Ms. Thorne." He say. I nod my head drinking more water while he turns on my street. "Looks like your ex-boyfriend is here to take you to the store." He say while I wrap up my burger putting it back in the bag.
I look at Jacob's car in the driveaway. "I am so not ready for drama." I say to Mr. Howard. "It's what you expect after a break up." He say. "Well, I hope he save that crap and help put these groceries in the house. It's time to grow up." I say tying my food bag into one of the groceries bag. "Those are mine." He say to me. "Oh, Sorry. I thought they was mine." I say untying and taking the food bag out of it.
I move my hair out of the way as he pull up in front of my house and turn the car off. I look at the front door. "Either he can help or he can out of my house and take himself home. I don't have time for games." I say taking off my seatbelt along with Mr. Howard. I open the car door while he pops the trunk. I wait for the front door to open up for him to help out.
"I don't think he's going to come out." Mr. Howard say. "That's okay. I'm so over him." I say leaning back into the car to grab my food bag and walking to the back of the trunk and grabbing two bags. I take my keys out of my pants pocket and walk up to the house while Mr. Howard is still at the car and unlock the door opening it up and not seeing Jacob in the living room.
Okay. I walk into the kitchen setting the bags down on the floor. "Jacob." I call walking out of the living room and running up stairs while Mr. Howard walks into the house. I check my bedroom and not seeing him in there and I check the other rooms. He's not in there too. "I don't have time for games." I say turning around and walking back downstairs and out of the house to see him helping by Mr. Howard's car grabbing some bags out of the trunk.
"Where were you?" I ask walking down the porch. "Bella's house." He answers looking at me. "That's good to hear. Did you say Hi to Mr. Howard?" I ask walking past him. "He said hi." Mr. Howard say while I watch Jacob just walking into the house. I walk to the trunk. "Did he really, Mr. Howard? He has this jealousy thing about me and you." I say to him.
"There's nothing going on between us." He say. "That's what I said but did he really?" I ask grabbing some bags. "He did, Ms. Thorne." He say and walk past me. Okay. I'll have to check. I sigh walking into the house and putting the bags in the living room. "I think it's some more and that is it." I say to Jacob who just walk past me ignoring me.
"Thanks again, Mr. Howard." I say to him. "No problem." He say walking to the front door. "Don't forget. Just pick a date and we can have dinner over my house to discuss everything if you want too." I say walking behind him. "I will. Bye." He say walking out of the house and to his car passing Jacob. He speaks and so do Mr. Howard. Okay, that must be something good.
"Bye." I say holding the door for Jacob and closing it behind him when he walks in and locking it. I look at Jacob walking into the kitchen and putting the bags on the floor. "Mr. Howard helped put groceries in the house and I'm glad you wasn't in your attitude." I say walking into the kitchen and looking at him taking out the food. He doesn't say anything.
"He was nice enough to help me out. Are you starting to come around?" I ask wanting to know while he takes out of the club soda that I brought. "Not yet." He answers putting it on the counter. "Well, I hope you do because I am ready and it's on you but I understand if Sam ordered you not to tell me anything. I understand you don't want in this relationship because it's too much. It's called communication, Jacob." I say taking the groceries out of the bag.
"I'm not ready to talk." He say. "Okay, I understand that but you have to talk to me if you want to save this relationship. You do not than let's move on but I'm not going to take this silence and disrespect from you. It's either yes or no in saving this relationship and you want no. So, yeah." I say walking to him and rubbing on him his shoulders.
"I know you missed me because I missed you." I say sounding like a girl. "I missed you, Lacie. I been real busy." He say putting food in the cabinets. I nod my head grabbing the club soda. "I brought some club soda to pour on the carpet to get that mud stain out of the carpet." I say walking to the mud stain and grabbing the water bottle off the table. She didn't even open it. Weird ass Nurse.
"It might not be mud if it hasn't came out yet." Jacob say while I stare at the stain. "Jacob, that is mud and all of the other mud came out of the carpet. So, if this club soda and some soap do not work than it's a sign from the people upstairs." I say causing him to pause in putting the groceries up. "You think?" He asks at the same time as I do.
I kneel down to look at the stain again. "Yeah, I do. Either it pertain to Mr. Howard or the person who broke into my house and trashed it. I'll go from there." I say running my finger across it and standing back up to walk back into the kitchen. I put the club soda back on the counter. "After this you can leave or do whatever, I'm going to sleep and get some homework done." I say helping put the rest of the groceries up. He doesn't say anything. Whatever, Jacob.