Chapter Four
Breaking Point
That afternoon, Elizabeth walked down the halls of SVH toward her
locker. Most students had already cleared out, but Elizabeth had had to meet
with Mrs. Dalton to get the assignment that she'd missed the day
before.
Besides, it didn't matter if she was right out the door or not. Jessica
had cheerleading practice, so she would have to be back in two hours.
Elizabeth shoved her French book into her locker, and took out her
physics book, the book they were reading in English, and her creative
writing homework, as well as the drafts of her article for the Oracle. Why
was it that the one night that she didn't want to deal with anything, she
had a mountain of homework to do?
Elizabeth sighed, oblivious of the person walking up behind her. She
roughly shoved her books in her messenger bag.
"Hi."
Elizabeth turned around, surprised to see Conner standing there,
jiggling his keys in his hand.
Elizabeth smiled, and slammed her locker shut. "I assume you want to
know if I need a ride. Sorry, Jess has practice, so I get to wait around
for her."
Conner took her bag from her, and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Taken care of. Jess has her set of keys with her. I had Tia inquire."
Elizabeth nodded, and rested her head against his shoulder. It had been
a long day, and she still had to talk to her dad that evening. The
fireworks would soon be exploding.
************************************************************
Elizabeth looked nervously at the clock. Her dad was supposed to be
home at any minute, and she knew that she'd decided to tell him as soon as
he got home. At that moment, she saw his car pull up in the driveway.
Elizabeth took a deep breath, and walked out of her room. She paused
before walking down the stairs, then walked down cautiously. Ned was in
the kitchen with her mother. Elizabeth entered the room.
"Dad?"
Ned smiled warmly at his daughter. "Hi honey. How are you doing?"
Elizabeth bit her lip. "I need to talk to you."
Her father's brow furrowed, and he nodded. "Okay. Just let me change."
Elizabeth nodded, and left the room. She sat down on the couch in the
living room. About five minutes later, her dad walked in and sat down
across from her.
"So, what do you want to talk about?"
The moment of truth had arrived.
"Dad," Elizabeth started, "I know that you won't approve of what is
going on, so please just let me talk and don't interrupt." She didn't let
him answer, and rushed on. "I'm pregnant."
Ned stared at her in disbelief, but only for a few seconds. "What!" he
roared.
"I'm…"
Ned cut her off. "I heard you! What the hell were you thinking?"
"Dad…"
"You listen to me, young lady. What made you think that you were ready
to do have sex in the first place?" Dammit, you're only seventeen!" He
spat, eyes flashing.
"Dad, let me explain."
"No, let me talk! You aren't old enough to be doing that! I don't even
want to know what was going through your head!"
"Please, dad, Conner and I never meant for this to happen."
"Conner!" Her dad shook his head. "I never trusted that boy in the
first place. Now look what he's done, getting you knocked up!"
"Dad, it's just as much my fault as his."
"You're right. You're responsible for your own actions. And I won't
condone what you've done."
"Dad..." Elizabeth tried, but her father cut her off again.
"Your mother and I tried to raise you right, but you've turned into
every other street kid! You'll be a teenage mother, with a baby whose
father won't every be there."
"Conner's not like that!"
"I'm not going to support a teenage mother. You're out."
Elizabeth took in a sharp breath. He couldn't mean it, could he? "What
do you mean?"
Ned's eyes were cold. "Go upstairs and pack your things. You aren't
living here anymore."
Elizabeth got up from her seat, and walked blindly towards the stairs,
her eyes filling with tears. She'd know that her dad would be upset,
but she never thought that he'd kick her out of the house.
Jessica was leaning against the door of her bedroom, waiting for her
sister. The expression on her face made it obvious to tell that she'd
listened to the explosives. Wordlessly, she wrapped her sister up in a
hug, and then led Elizabeth into her room.
"Go ahead and pack some stuff. I'm going to call Conner and tell him
what's going on. Maybe you can crash there for a day or two. I'll try to
talk to dad once he cools down." Jessica disappeared into her own room.
Conner heard the phone ring, and checked the time. Probably Elizabeth,
calling to tell him how her dad reacted. He picked it up on the second
ring. "Hello?"
"Conner? This is Jessica."
"Jess?"
"We've got a slight problem at our house. Dad totally lost it with Liz,
and he's kicking her out."
Conner felt his heart thud against his chest, and blurted out words
before thinking. "I'll come over and get her. I'm sure mom will let her
stay here for awhile."
Jessica walked back into Elizabeth's room, only to see that her sister
hadn't moved from the spot she'd been in five minutes before.
"Conner's going to come over and get you. He said that you could
probably stay with them for a few days. Come on, I'll help you get your
stuff."
Conner parked his car in the Wakefield's driveway. He took a deep
breath, then started to get out, but Elizabeth slipped out the door.
He walked over to her. "Hey."
Elizabeth felt Conner gently wrap his arms around her. She immediately
felt calmed. He pulled away and took her bag. "It's going to be okay
Liz."
Elizabeth didn't speak, just got in his car and waited for him to toss
her bag in the trunk. Conner got in, and started the engine. "Thanks."
Conner nodded. "It's my fault too."
Elizabeth nodded. She knew exactly what he was talking about.
************************************************************
"Mom?" Conner asked, poking his head in his mother's bedroom.
"Come on in, Conner."
Conner came in, surprised to see her sitting on her bed. "Mom, it's
about Liz."
"I figured. What happened?"
"She told her dad, and he freaked. Then he kicked her out of the
house."
Mrs. Sandborn nodded. "She can stay here as long as she needs to.
Elizabeth is such a sweet girl. It's a shame that she has to go through with
this."
Conner couldn't believe that his mother had picked up on it so fast.
"Thanks. Can she stay in the guest room?"
"Sure."
Conner walked up the stairs, and into his room where Elizabeth was
waiting on his bed. "Mom said you can stay as long as you need too." He sat
down next to her, and hugged her.
"God, I can't believe my dad did that. I never thought that he would do
that. I thought that he'd at least understand what happened."
"Don't think about it. Let's get you set up, okay? You look like you
could use some rest." Conner said, picking up her bag.
"Fine. It's going to be a long day, and it's time that we tell our
friends the whole story."
Breaking Point
That afternoon, Elizabeth walked down the halls of SVH toward her
locker. Most students had already cleared out, but Elizabeth had had to meet
with Mrs. Dalton to get the assignment that she'd missed the day
before.
Besides, it didn't matter if she was right out the door or not. Jessica
had cheerleading practice, so she would have to be back in two hours.
Elizabeth shoved her French book into her locker, and took out her
physics book, the book they were reading in English, and her creative
writing homework, as well as the drafts of her article for the Oracle. Why
was it that the one night that she didn't want to deal with anything, she
had a mountain of homework to do?
Elizabeth sighed, oblivious of the person walking up behind her. She
roughly shoved her books in her messenger bag.
"Hi."
Elizabeth turned around, surprised to see Conner standing there,
jiggling his keys in his hand.
Elizabeth smiled, and slammed her locker shut. "I assume you want to
know if I need a ride. Sorry, Jess has practice, so I get to wait around
for her."
Conner took her bag from her, and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Taken care of. Jess has her set of keys with her. I had Tia inquire."
Elizabeth nodded, and rested her head against his shoulder. It had been
a long day, and she still had to talk to her dad that evening. The
fireworks would soon be exploding.
************************************************************
Elizabeth looked nervously at the clock. Her dad was supposed to be
home at any minute, and she knew that she'd decided to tell him as soon as
he got home. At that moment, she saw his car pull up in the driveway.
Elizabeth took a deep breath, and walked out of her room. She paused
before walking down the stairs, then walked down cautiously. Ned was in
the kitchen with her mother. Elizabeth entered the room.
"Dad?"
Ned smiled warmly at his daughter. "Hi honey. How are you doing?"
Elizabeth bit her lip. "I need to talk to you."
Her father's brow furrowed, and he nodded. "Okay. Just let me change."
Elizabeth nodded, and left the room. She sat down on the couch in the
living room. About five minutes later, her dad walked in and sat down
across from her.
"So, what do you want to talk about?"
The moment of truth had arrived.
"Dad," Elizabeth started, "I know that you won't approve of what is
going on, so please just let me talk and don't interrupt." She didn't let
him answer, and rushed on. "I'm pregnant."
Ned stared at her in disbelief, but only for a few seconds. "What!" he
roared.
"I'm…"
Ned cut her off. "I heard you! What the hell were you thinking?"
"Dad…"
"You listen to me, young lady. What made you think that you were ready
to do have sex in the first place?" Dammit, you're only seventeen!" He
spat, eyes flashing.
"Dad, let me explain."
"No, let me talk! You aren't old enough to be doing that! I don't even
want to know what was going through your head!"
"Please, dad, Conner and I never meant for this to happen."
"Conner!" Her dad shook his head. "I never trusted that boy in the
first place. Now look what he's done, getting you knocked up!"
"Dad, it's just as much my fault as his."
"You're right. You're responsible for your own actions. And I won't
condone what you've done."
"Dad..." Elizabeth tried, but her father cut her off again.
"Your mother and I tried to raise you right, but you've turned into
every other street kid! You'll be a teenage mother, with a baby whose
father won't every be there."
"Conner's not like that!"
"I'm not going to support a teenage mother. You're out."
Elizabeth took in a sharp breath. He couldn't mean it, could he? "What
do you mean?"
Ned's eyes were cold. "Go upstairs and pack your things. You aren't
living here anymore."
Elizabeth got up from her seat, and walked blindly towards the stairs,
her eyes filling with tears. She'd know that her dad would be upset,
but she never thought that he'd kick her out of the house.
Jessica was leaning against the door of her bedroom, waiting for her
sister. The expression on her face made it obvious to tell that she'd
listened to the explosives. Wordlessly, she wrapped her sister up in a
hug, and then led Elizabeth into her room.
"Go ahead and pack some stuff. I'm going to call Conner and tell him
what's going on. Maybe you can crash there for a day or two. I'll try to
talk to dad once he cools down." Jessica disappeared into her own room.
Conner heard the phone ring, and checked the time. Probably Elizabeth,
calling to tell him how her dad reacted. He picked it up on the second
ring. "Hello?"
"Conner? This is Jessica."
"Jess?"
"We've got a slight problem at our house. Dad totally lost it with Liz,
and he's kicking her out."
Conner felt his heart thud against his chest, and blurted out words
before thinking. "I'll come over and get her. I'm sure mom will let her
stay here for awhile."
Jessica walked back into Elizabeth's room, only to see that her sister
hadn't moved from the spot she'd been in five minutes before.
"Conner's going to come over and get you. He said that you could
probably stay with them for a few days. Come on, I'll help you get your
stuff."
Conner parked his car in the Wakefield's driveway. He took a deep
breath, then started to get out, but Elizabeth slipped out the door.
He walked over to her. "Hey."
Elizabeth felt Conner gently wrap his arms around her. She immediately
felt calmed. He pulled away and took her bag. "It's going to be okay
Liz."
Elizabeth didn't speak, just got in his car and waited for him to toss
her bag in the trunk. Conner got in, and started the engine. "Thanks."
Conner nodded. "It's my fault too."
Elizabeth nodded. She knew exactly what he was talking about.
************************************************************
"Mom?" Conner asked, poking his head in his mother's bedroom.
"Come on in, Conner."
Conner came in, surprised to see her sitting on her bed. "Mom, it's
about Liz."
"I figured. What happened?"
"She told her dad, and he freaked. Then he kicked her out of the
house."
Mrs. Sandborn nodded. "She can stay here as long as she needs to.
Elizabeth is such a sweet girl. It's a shame that she has to go through with
this."
Conner couldn't believe that his mother had picked up on it so fast.
"Thanks. Can she stay in the guest room?"
"Sure."
Conner walked up the stairs, and into his room where Elizabeth was
waiting on his bed. "Mom said you can stay as long as you need too." He sat
down next to her, and hugged her.
"God, I can't believe my dad did that. I never thought that he would do
that. I thought that he'd at least understand what happened."
"Don't think about it. Let's get you set up, okay? You look like you
could use some rest." Conner said, picking up her bag.
"Fine. It's going to be a long day, and it's time that we tell our
friends the whole story."