Not That Simple - Chapter 3
Almost a month had passed since that day, and the events were still whizzing fresh in Kay's mind. She could remember it all so clearly, that sometimes it scared her. She remembered the intital shock upon hearing the news that she was pregnant with her rapist's baby, then the intense fear that followed shortly afterward, knowing that she was responsible for another human life.
God, she didn't even know his name. Didn't know the monster that was the other half of her baby. What kind of child would she be having, anyways? Kay shivered at the thought.
That is, if she decided to have the baby at all. She knew she was going to have to make her choice soon, as she was one month pregnant.
That afternoon in English class Kay was slumped down in her seat, eyeing the back of the head of the boy, who just so happened to be Miguel. For a long time after the rape she couldn't even look at him. She knew in her heart that if he hadn't rejected her for Charity, this never would have happened.
It was bittersweet, really. One moment she hated him, cursed his very name. Then the next she couldn't help but get lost in his saphire blue eyes as she felt her old feelings starting to resurface.
Everytime she got morning sickness those feelings vanished. She had to make herself go numb inside, she knew it was the only way to survive.
Her English teacher's loud, thundering voice broke her train of thoughts. "I think it would be nice to start off the school year with a good old fashioned debate. Anybody have any suggestions for a topic?"
A girl with dark brown braids in the back row raised her hand. "How about abortion? That's always a hot issue."
If you only knew how "hot", sister! Kay thought with some bitterness. This was really a topic she was not looking forward to getting into.
"Okay class," the English teacher began. "Would anybody like to start? Don't you all jump at once!" He gave a half-hearted laugh at his attempt at a joke.
"I think it's immoral and wrong," Charity said, tapping her pencil on the desk. She smiled sweetly over at Miguel, waiting for his approval.
"I agree with Charity," Miguel's voice was trance-like, not revealing much emotion.
"Objection!" Kay shouted fiercly, without meaning too. She blushed, realizing that the whole class was staring at her.
"This is not a courtroom, Ms. Bennett," the teacher said sternly, but gave a slight smile. "Now, as you were saying?"
"What right do we have to tell women how to handle their bodies? I mean, isn't it a woman's choice if she wants to have something growing inside her for nine months?" Kay stated, not knowing how much of that she really believed, but she knew she had to defend herself. The question is, from what? From the judgemental glare of her fellow students, or prehaps from her own guilt?
"But what about the BABY'S rights?" a boy that Kay didn't know spoke up. He must be a transfer student or something, she thought, because she couldn't remember seeing him around.
"So the rights of an unborn fetus are more important than the mother's?" came from the girl with the dark brown braids. Kay smiled faintly at her as if to say 'thanks for the support'.
"Killing an innocent baby is the same thing as murder!" Charity said shrilly, and at that moment Kay had to stop herself from laughing out loud because Charity sounded as if she were about two years old.
"I don't think using abortion as another means of birth control is right, but what if...if the details concerning the child's birth were different? Like what if the mother was raped, or-or something," Kay stammered, clenching her sweaty palms together and prayed to God that noone would suspect anything from what she had just said.
"If the mother was raped," Charity voice came out like a thick patch of ice, and it chilled Kay to the bone. "It's still hers. She's stuck with it for life."
On that pleasent note, the bell rang signaling that it was time for lunch. Kay breathed a sigh of relief, happy to be finally out of that classroom and away from Charity's icy stare. Scooping up her books quickly, she headed for the door, not bothering to look back at Charity or Miguel.
Kay had too much else on her mind to deal with the two of them. She knew what she had to do.
Almost a month had passed since that day, and the events were still whizzing fresh in Kay's mind. She could remember it all so clearly, that sometimes it scared her. She remembered the intital shock upon hearing the news that she was pregnant with her rapist's baby, then the intense fear that followed shortly afterward, knowing that she was responsible for another human life.
God, she didn't even know his name. Didn't know the monster that was the other half of her baby. What kind of child would she be having, anyways? Kay shivered at the thought.
That is, if she decided to have the baby at all. She knew she was going to have to make her choice soon, as she was one month pregnant.
That afternoon in English class Kay was slumped down in her seat, eyeing the back of the head of the boy, who just so happened to be Miguel. For a long time after the rape she couldn't even look at him. She knew in her heart that if he hadn't rejected her for Charity, this never would have happened.
It was bittersweet, really. One moment she hated him, cursed his very name. Then the next she couldn't help but get lost in his saphire blue eyes as she felt her old feelings starting to resurface.
Everytime she got morning sickness those feelings vanished. She had to make herself go numb inside, she knew it was the only way to survive.
Her English teacher's loud, thundering voice broke her train of thoughts. "I think it would be nice to start off the school year with a good old fashioned debate. Anybody have any suggestions for a topic?"
A girl with dark brown braids in the back row raised her hand. "How about abortion? That's always a hot issue."
If you only knew how "hot", sister! Kay thought with some bitterness. This was really a topic she was not looking forward to getting into.
"Okay class," the English teacher began. "Would anybody like to start? Don't you all jump at once!" He gave a half-hearted laugh at his attempt at a joke.
"I think it's immoral and wrong," Charity said, tapping her pencil on the desk. She smiled sweetly over at Miguel, waiting for his approval.
"I agree with Charity," Miguel's voice was trance-like, not revealing much emotion.
"Objection!" Kay shouted fiercly, without meaning too. She blushed, realizing that the whole class was staring at her.
"This is not a courtroom, Ms. Bennett," the teacher said sternly, but gave a slight smile. "Now, as you were saying?"
"What right do we have to tell women how to handle their bodies? I mean, isn't it a woman's choice if she wants to have something growing inside her for nine months?" Kay stated, not knowing how much of that she really believed, but she knew she had to defend herself. The question is, from what? From the judgemental glare of her fellow students, or prehaps from her own guilt?
"But what about the BABY'S rights?" a boy that Kay didn't know spoke up. He must be a transfer student or something, she thought, because she couldn't remember seeing him around.
"So the rights of an unborn fetus are more important than the mother's?" came from the girl with the dark brown braids. Kay smiled faintly at her as if to say 'thanks for the support'.
"Killing an innocent baby is the same thing as murder!" Charity said shrilly, and at that moment Kay had to stop herself from laughing out loud because Charity sounded as if she were about two years old.
"I don't think using abortion as another means of birth control is right, but what if...if the details concerning the child's birth were different? Like what if the mother was raped, or-or something," Kay stammered, clenching her sweaty palms together and prayed to God that noone would suspect anything from what she had just said.
"If the mother was raped," Charity voice came out like a thick patch of ice, and it chilled Kay to the bone. "It's still hers. She's stuck with it for life."
On that pleasent note, the bell rang signaling that it was time for lunch. Kay breathed a sigh of relief, happy to be finally out of that classroom and away from Charity's icy stare. Scooping up her books quickly, she headed for the door, not bothering to look back at Charity or Miguel.
Kay had too much else on her mind to deal with the two of them. She knew what she had to do.