Tori's POV
"Can anyone tell me why coconut milk gives me such crazy ideas?" Sikowitz boasts as he announced his latest project for our class, the next parade float.
"I don't think it's the coconut, I blame the consumer." Jade snaps from the back of the classroom.
"Sikowitz, didn't we already do a parade float? When we got followed by those guys in our pajamas." Cat reminds him.
"Well, we were in pajamas, they weren't." I corrected Cat.
"Tori, always has to be right with the details. Such a sweet, meticulous girl she is." Jade jumps in maliciously and I roll my eyes, slumping back in my chair with my arms across my chest.
I'm so sick of taking Jade's sly remarks and insults and her attacking me for simply existing. She had been worse lately than usual, and with everything going on, I wasn't going to take it anymore.
"What is so stuck in your craw that you can only think of insulting me as a remedy?"
"You are. You're an ear worm, Tori Vega. An infestation."
"So you can't get me out of your head?" I smirk.
"Not in a good way; If I could put up a bug tent in my brain and fumigate I would."
"It's not like it could improve your personality but you could try." I retort.
"At least I have a personality, you're as dry as day old white bread." She snaps back.
Sikowitz sat in the front of the class and sipped his coconut milk, letting it play out as Cat yelped and brought her knees to her chest and buried her head. I feel tears sting the back of my eyes, trying to withhold them from falling because I don't wanna take the loss. I know it wasn't a competition, and I should be the bigger person.
No one else was getting into our fight, and I was going to have to end it. So I stood up and grabbed my bag, and fortunately for me, when I got the same urge to vomit as I had before, I was already halfway down the hall.
"Jimminy Crickets, Jade. You're always at it with the cat fights." I hear Sikowitz shout.
"Ha-ha-ha! I'm Cat, but I don't like fights." Cat giggles in the background, and then I can't hear anything else.
My breathing quickens as the bathroom door flies open and the stall door hits the wall. I kneel down as fast as I can, praying none of it splatters anywhere else, and that no one else walks in.
"Tori?" I hear a deep voice, and I groan.
"Dang it! You can't be in here!" I whip around to see Beck, watching from the sink.
The girls would do anything for Beck, including not minding him in the restroom. He wasn't a creep, it wasn't like Sinjin and the time he tried to use the ladies room because it was decided it was more comfortable to sit down in a private stall than be side to side with a bunch of guys at the urinals. Even as a woman, I knew you weren't supposed to use a urinal directly next to another dude. It was an unwritten rule.
"I came to check on you. And apologize on Jade's behalf. I didn't realize she had upset you so much. Normally you brush it off but if she's causing you to vomit, I apologize."
I appreciated Beck so much, but he and Jade were proof that opposites attracted and I honestly wondered what side of Jade we didn't see that he was attracted to. Was it her confidence, her ability to speak her mind? Was it her talent? Her looks? She was a beautiful girl, I'd admit that, and had lots of talent.
But Beck didn't seem shallow enough to fall for someone just for looks. Otherwise, he'd be dating my sister. Was it all an act? Did he know about everything because he could read people like a book? What was he doing here? I know Andre didn't tell him anything.
"I'm not upset because of Jade. Sure, she's vicious at times, I've just been a little less tolerant of her lately because I've got my own chiz going on." I inform him, scooting along the wall beside the toilet as he sits down.
"Tori, can I ask you something?" He passes me a dampened paper towel to wipe my mouth.
"Anything." I nod.
"Are you pregnant?" He asks bluntly and I nearly choke on my own spit.
Did he guess that from the vomiting? The mood swings? Did Andre tell him?
"How did you guess that, of all things? The cliche 'Morning' but actually all day sickness?"
"Swear on your grave that what I'm about to tell you doesn't get back to Jade. Because she has no problem knowing where to hide a body and get away with it."
"I swear." I relay.
"Jade is pregnant too. And it doesn't excuse her behavior but she's under a lot of stress right now, and I think if you were to reach out to her-"
"She'll eat me alive! And if I reach out she'll know you told me." I jumped in, cutting him off and he sighed.
I couldn't process what he had just told me long enough before I jumped in, almost immediately having a feeling that it was going to be a favor. I would have never guessed Jade was pregnant because she was always somewhat moody, but I guess it has been on crack lately. It made sense the more I thought of it but it was still shocking and sent goosebumps up my arms. Who was next in Hollywood Arts?
"Not if you bring it up first. Maybe she'll confess to you if you tell her." He pleaded.
"I think if you both are going through similar things maybe she'll open up more, and it'll help her to know she's not alone. Jade always feels like the odd one out."
That made me feel bad. That she always felt excluded and I knew a lot of people weren't friendly because she was intimidating and scary as heck sometimes. I've given her many chances and I can see past it most of the time, we could be quite the duo and trio (including Cat). And he was right, maybe it would help her.
It could possibly give us something to bond over. We were never exactly close, but the time we played husband and wife in the play and bonded over our dislike for the jerk guys at the sushi place. We were never gonna be close, but we would need support more than ever. And having this to share might help each other make decisions. I wasn't sure what I was going to do yet, and I had no idea what was going through Jade's mind either. But Beck was right.
"Fine. But only if I can get her to confess first."
"I don't know, she's kinda stubborn and she won't admit it, but she's scared of what everyone will think."
"Okay, I'll invite her over and talk to her. But please send Sinjin to chaperone outside on the patio again or something."
"You've got yourself a deal, Ms. Vega." He smiles, silently thanking me for giving her a chance.
It was crazy enough that I was in this situation, but Jade, who was dangerous and cautious at the same time being pregnant at the same time as me was a crazy concept and I couldn't quite keep my thoughts from floating off. What were the odds that two of us were pregnant around the same time? Was this an unintentional pregnancy pact? And would anyone else be joining us?
"Tell her to come over tonight, seven-thirty." I half heartedly smile, and he shakes my hand to close the agreement.
Cat's POV
It started off as just simple cramps, which slowly turned into gas pains. Tears stung the back of my eyes as I lay in a ball in bed, watching the time move at an infuriatingly slow pace and wondered what was happening. It hurt to breathe or even move an inch, but I had to use the restroom. So when I stood up and went to the bathroom, I ran the bathtub faucet beside the sink while I tried to relieve myself of the pain, but it was too intense. My heart dropped in my chest as I hunched over through a surge of pain, missing the toilet seat and landing in front of it.
I tried to stand but felt lightheaded as a wave surged over my body, making me lose my balance and I hit the floor against the tub with a loud thud. My brother had something similar happen when his appendix burst and had to have emergency surgery, and I felt panic flood my chest and body. This wasn't like that, it was more of a tightening in my lower stomach. I had heard this happened when the flying ostrich was getting close to dropping it off in my metaphorical "nest".
I had never actually taken a health class, my parents had chosen to shelter me from it. So my only resource was Sinjin, who had spied outside the classroom (because he had been banned from taking it) and he described everything to me in great detail. I heard it right then and there from the only reliable source I had, or the only one who would explain it to me. Why would Sinjin be wrong?
Anyways, I had to call for Sam as the pain only continued in waves.
"Sam! Sam I need you now!" My voice wavers, and for a second I hear nothing.
The bathroom door hits the little spring on the wall, slightly bouncing back as Sam surveys me, tears streaming down my face, and arms around my midsection as I rode out the waves of pain that came and went. I could feel some blood in my pantaloons and Sam could see it too, pooling on the floor. It had to have been a sight to see.
"Cat, what the chiz?" She could only mutter at first glance.
"Sam, I don't know what's wrong, but I think it's a sign."
"Yeah, a sign that you're dying." She stated obtusely.
"You know initially when I said, 'don't interrupt me unless you were bleeding and or dying', I didn't think you'd take it this far. Although, you are Cat." She pondered, getting sidetracked.
"Sam!" I whined in disbelief. "Seriously!"
Suddenly I was feeling fear overtake my body and watched as one Sam became three, spinning in a circle above the floor. It was very rare that my tone changed from happy- go- lucky and sunny disposition to fearful and serious. It must've been a sure fire sign that I was in fact in pain and Sam could read it all over my face.
"Alright kid, we're calling Nona and taking you to the emergency room immediately." She finally responds, suddenly sounding super responsible.
"Oh? What made you think that that would be a good idea?" I replied sarcastically.
Sam ignores me and instead helps me off the floor, throwing my arm around her shoulder. My arms are across my stomach, and my throat begs me for water, retching in pain and burning from throwing up in pain earlier that night. Never had I expected for things to have escalated that far.
We got to the emergency room and they admitted me almost immediately, seeing me hunched over the desk in pain and unable to speak because my fear had silenced me. Fear of not knowing what was happening.
Sam was answering questions about the possibility of toxic shock, whatever the heck that meant, while another doctor was talking to me, but I could barely make out what they were asking as it was only background noise over all the commotion . And then the big question hit and quickly I stopped moaning and shaking, watching Sam's face go blank, too stunned to speak. My anxiety turned to confusion, and I swear you could hear a pin drop.
"Ms. Valentine, did you know you were pregnant?" He asked, turning the screen to show me what the magic wand he had on my stomach was scanning.
I swear if it was possible, the room would have suddenly gotten even quieter.
"Cat?!" Sam's voice wavered in disbelief.
"See, this is why you're having abdominal pain; You have what we call, 'Placenta Previa. It's relatively harmless this early on though and it could move later on. As for the bleeding, its not too heavy, and some cramping is normal too."
"Some bleeding? You call that 'some bleeding?'." Sam scuffs.
"Potential Diarrhea?" I ask, still feeling disoriented and Sam slaps her forehead.
"It may seem scary if it was as unexpected as this, or if she hasn't had period bleeding in a while due to pregnancy. It is a condition where the placenta partially or fully covers the opening of your cervix and-" He begins to explain but Sam cuts him off.
"Listen buddy, she can barely microwave a can of soup, sleeps with a purple giraffe every night, reads her school books upside down so often I have to constantly remind her to flip them around, and echoes the sound a doorbell makes. You're gonna wanna make this as easy as the ABC's, which she can't really do either, but you've gotta dumb it down a bit because big words confuse her."
"Yeah!" I chime in facetiously.
Sam may seem tough on the outside, but I knew she'd go to bat for any one of her friends. I was still a little confused though on how this was all happening. Robbie promised me he was wearing anti-ostrich repellent, and buried an egg from his fridge as a sacrifice.
My thoughts were interrupted by another surge of pain coursing its way through my body, feeling as though it was ripping me to shreds. I wailed and gripped the sheets of the bed I was lying on, feeling my fingers loosen the hold on the bed as Sam wraps her knuckles over mine. I could see the fear and concern in her eyes even though she would not let her tough persona down.
"How is this even possible?" I begin to tear up when it let up, wondering if anything Robbie and I ever did meant anything.
"Is she kidding or does she actually not know about the 'birds and the bees'?" I overhear the doctor whisper to Sam and she shrugs.
"I thought the flying ostrich brought the baby?" I interrupt and Sam's face says it all, heavy with judgment like she couldn't believe her ears.
"Cat? You can't tell me you've never seen a pregnant woman! How do you suppose the baby gets in there?" Sam asks.
"I thought the Ostrich just blessed your wombat one day with one and poof! You birth a baby that you spent months building nests with your partner for!" I insist, unable to believe she's never heard of that.
"First off, you mean womb," She corrects me.
"Cat, the bleeding is coming from your uterus because there's an organ blocking the opening of your womb." The doctor informs me.
"Oh my gosh, how did a whole organ get inside there? Does the baby know how to play it? Oh, he or she is gonna be a musical genius!" I exclaim and Sam shakes her head again.
"That baby won't have a chance of being anything with the word 'genius' in it if you and Robbie are its parents. Robbie had a part in this too, right? So how could you not know?"
"Wait? Is an organ the same thing as a piano?" I drone on and the doctor continues anyways.
"Your placenta, an organ that only grows during pregnancy that feeds your baby, is covering the opening of your canal. It's harmless, and can resolve on its own, but we have to monitor it."
"There's a river inside my lady parts?!" I asked terrified.
"Is she for real?" The doctor sighed, asking Sam.
"I'm more impressed that you know a canal is like a river than I am concerned that you don't know your own body that well. Did you ever take a sex ed class, Cat?" Sam asked and I shook my head, remembering how my parents wouldn't sign the permission slip.
"You're pregnant, Ms. Valentine, the stork, or the flying ostrich definitely will not bring you a baby. But if you've had 'relations' with a boyfriend recently, then he did. And judging by the looks of this ultrasound, you're already five months along. Twenty-two weeks to be exact."
The doctor concludes, and my face drains, fear rushing in and everything else I knew leave my body. Did Robbie know or were we equally naive?
"So no bird? This was all my fault." My voice wavers and Sam shakes her head, sensing I needed comfort.
"Hey- it's okay. You didn't know you were pregnant, you thought the bird was coming, so how would you have known to get checked? Surprises happen, but you have options. And I'll help you no matter what. It's important that we learn from them, and get you educated because reprimanding or punishing you for them isn't gonna help."
Sam smiled gently at me, grabbing my hand as another wave surged through my body on top of me starting to bawl, creating a sensory mess. It meant a lot that in this moment, she hadn't chosen to show disappointment or reprimand me, but took this as a learning experience. It kind of felt like an experience for growth for both of us, because usually she would follow something I said with a smart alec reply, but she had chosen to help me learn and get through it instead.
"We're gonna get you set up with a doctor that specializes in pregnancy and babies, and administer some medicine that will help with the cramps. The pain you're feeling is just Braxton Hicks contractions or "practice contractions". The baby probably isn't coming today, but if you have any concerns though or they intensify, please come back. I'll go grab the nurse to discharge you."
"What is Nona gonna say?" My heart sunk in my chest.
Nona hadn't answered her phone, but it was two I'm the morning, I hadn't expected her to. I knew she'd call immediately when she woke up and listened to her voicemail. Then I would have to talk to her. I dreaded talking to her in fear of letting her down.
"Don't get too down on yourself kid, I'll help you figure it all out. But for right now, I think we should get back home and you should rest."
"Sam? Do you remember when I lived in the attic at school and Robbie would stay there and keep me company?"
"Yeah, before you moved in with Nona, right?"
"That's when I think we 'Summoned' theOstrich Ostrich. Or the 'icky' thing I don't really wanna talk about." I admitted shamefully.
"It doesn't matter when you did, the thing." Sam gagged on the last bit though trying to remain serious. "That was then, this is now; What's done is done, and we know now that you're pregnant and it isn't 'the ostrich' and we'll figure out how to tell Nona and Robbie and-"
"Do we have to?"
"Tell Robbie? Yes."
"Saaaam…" I whine.
"He needs to know. He's equally as involved, and you can't just tell him the ostrich is bringing it. He knows a baby is coming, that's not news. It's more shocking that you two actually thought the stork was gonna place the baby in your womb at some point. I'm still not understanding."
"Well-" I begin.
"It doesn't matter and I don't care. Let's just get outta here." Sam stops me, over the conversation.