Chapter Eight
Do Some Explaining
Elizabeth looked away, wishing to be anywhere but Tia's bedroom. She
finally willed herself to look at Maria then nodded. "Yeah, I'm pregnant."
Maria shook her head in disbelief. "But… how?"
"Well, Maria, I think that it all starts with the birds and the bees."
Tia said, snickering slightly.
Elizabeth put a hand out to shush Tia. "Maria, I didn't tell you that
Conner and I… well… you know. And it kind of went wrong."
Maria walked over and sat down next to Elizabeth on Tia's bed. "How
long have you known?"
"Since Tuesday."
Maria shook her head again, as if to let the information sink in. "Do your parents know?"
"Yeah." Elizabeth said quietly. "Dad freaked when he found out, and he
kicked me out of the house. I'm staying with Conner's family for awhile."
Maria looked at her again. "Whoa. I never thought that your dad would
do that, no matter what you did." She shook her head. "But then I never
thought that you'd lose your virginity before we were out of high school."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Maria, God! I thought that you'd be the last
person to lecture me on the decisions that I make."
"No, Liz, really. I'm not giving you a lecture. I'm just shocked with
what happened." Maria stated. "I never meant to be rude."
Elizabeth smiled slightly. "Sorry, I overreacted a little. I've had so
many lectures about what happened already. I don't need one from you."
"Hey. I'm behind you no matter what you do. I'm your best friend after
all." Maria said, giving Elizabeth a hug.
************************************************************
Elizabeth walked up the front step to Conner's house, and let herself
in. She'd been fighting off morning sickness for almost an hour, and was
in the mood to just lay down and take a nap. They hadn't accomplished
anything on their French project, and Elizabeth had been more then ready
to leave.
She quickly walked upstairs to her room, and changed into some
sweatpants and an old T-shirt. At that point she noticed a note in the middle
of her bed.
Liz-
Andy wanted me to go to HOJ with him.
I'm going to tell him what's going on. I'll
be home by four. Love you.
Conner
Elizabeth smiled at the sight of Conner's familiar pig scratch. It was
probably better that Andy knew she was pregnant. Besides, she knew that
Andy would be a great friend, and be nice about all that was happening.
Elizabeth was glad that she had such great friends. Maria had even
agreed to tell Ken what was going on.
She was about ready to lay down when a wave of nausea hit her. Instead,
she walked into the bathroom she and Conner shared.
Fifteen minutes later, Elizabeth walked downstairs to the kitchen.
Forget trying to take a nap. She'd decided against it after she threw up
the second time. It was almost getting pathetic. All she really wanted
was to get through one day without throwing up. It didn't look like it
was going to be happening.
She walked over to the cabinet and took out a glass, and then got a
drink of water. Elizabeth wished that Conner was home so she could talk to
him. She sat the water on the table, then walked back up the stairs to
get her creative writing notebook. Might as well get started on her
assignment.
Elizabeth took her notebook out of her backpack and then grabbed a
pencil out of the side pocket. She was about to leave and go downstairs,
when she saw Megan standing in the doorway. "Hi."
"Hey Liz." Megan said politely. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Sure." Elizabeth said, sitting down on her bed. She motioned for Megan
to sit down beside her. "What's up?"
Megan bit her lip. "I just wanted to make sure that I knew what was happening and all."
"You mean, between Conner and I?"
"Yeah. I heard that you were pregnant, and mom told me that you were
going to be staying with us for awhile."
"Dad kicked me out of the house."
Megan looked shocked for a second. "Whoa. I didn't hear that part of
the story. I didn't know that that had happened."
Elizabeth smiled weakly. "It did. I guess you're probably pretty shocked with this all."
"Yeah." Megan sighed. "It's a lot to take in. I can't believe that it's
true. You're so responsible and stuff. And I can't picture Conner as a dad."
Elizabeth nodded. "I think that he'll make a good one."
"Does that mean that you're going to keep the baby?"
Elizabeth nodded again. "Your brother and I talked about it for a long
time last night. We both think that that would be best."
"I just kind of wanted to hear it from you. It's so unreal, almost."
Megan said. "But I think that you'll make good parents."
************************************************************
Conner walked up the stairs, and knocked on the door to Elizabeth's
room. He'd told Andy what had happened, and it had gone well. Andy been
really nice about it, and had said that he thought that they were doing
the right thing.
"Come in." she said softly. Conner walked in and saw her sitting at the
desk, writing in her notebook.
"I told Andy. He's cool with it." Conner said, crossing the room. He
saw that she was working on her creative writing assignment. "How are you doing?"
"Okay. I got sick earlier this afternoon, but I feel better now." She
bit her lip. "Maria knows, she heard Tia and I talking about it."
Conner sat down on her bed. "At least she knows."
Elizabeth got up and sat down on his lap. "Thank God our friends have
all been understanding."
"Yeah." He said, giving her a soft kiss.
"I talked to Megan, too. I told her what we decided."
"How'd she take it?"
"Pretty well." Elizabeth leaned her head against his shoulder. "She's
still in shock. But wouldn't you be, too, if you were in her situation?"
Conner nodded. "Like if she told me she was pregnant or something, I
would have freaked, and probably killed the guy that got her that way."
Elizabeth smiled. "I can picture you doing that. But I don't think that
you'll have to worry about Megan getting pregnant."
"I never thought that I'd worry about you being pregnant." He said
quietly. Elizabeth knew what he meant instantly. She knew that he still
couldn't believe that it was happening to her, them.
"It's weird, isn't it?"
Conner nodded, and gently placed his hand on her stomach. In eight
months, they were going to have a baby to take care of. "So much has
changed since we first met."
"Things are going to keep changing." She added, reading his mind. "Our
future is going to be different."
Conner ran a hand through her hair. "What about college?"
Elizabeth bit her lip. "I'm still planning on going, and you should be
too. All of the schools offer parenting dorms."
"One of us can do night school, so someone can always be with the
baby." Conner added. "My mom will be willing to help."
"So will Jess. We were both planning to go to the same college anyway."
Conner gave her another kiss. "We'll work things out, Liz. There's a
reason why this is happening now, so we'll make the best of it."
"You think?" She asked.
Conner nodded. "Everything's going to work out. You'll have the baby,
we'll go to college, and we'll raise the baby together." He wrapped his
arms around her.
"You make everything that sound so simple." She said softly.
"I know that it's so much more complicated then that, but everything
will be okay in the long run."
Do Some Explaining
Elizabeth looked away, wishing to be anywhere but Tia's bedroom. She
finally willed herself to look at Maria then nodded. "Yeah, I'm pregnant."
Maria shook her head in disbelief. "But… how?"
"Well, Maria, I think that it all starts with the birds and the bees."
Tia said, snickering slightly.
Elizabeth put a hand out to shush Tia. "Maria, I didn't tell you that
Conner and I… well… you know. And it kind of went wrong."
Maria walked over and sat down next to Elizabeth on Tia's bed. "How
long have you known?"
"Since Tuesday."
Maria shook her head again, as if to let the information sink in. "Do your parents know?"
"Yeah." Elizabeth said quietly. "Dad freaked when he found out, and he
kicked me out of the house. I'm staying with Conner's family for awhile."
Maria looked at her again. "Whoa. I never thought that your dad would
do that, no matter what you did." She shook her head. "But then I never
thought that you'd lose your virginity before we were out of high school."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Maria, God! I thought that you'd be the last
person to lecture me on the decisions that I make."
"No, Liz, really. I'm not giving you a lecture. I'm just shocked with
what happened." Maria stated. "I never meant to be rude."
Elizabeth smiled slightly. "Sorry, I overreacted a little. I've had so
many lectures about what happened already. I don't need one from you."
"Hey. I'm behind you no matter what you do. I'm your best friend after
all." Maria said, giving Elizabeth a hug.
************************************************************
Elizabeth walked up the front step to Conner's house, and let herself
in. She'd been fighting off morning sickness for almost an hour, and was
in the mood to just lay down and take a nap. They hadn't accomplished
anything on their French project, and Elizabeth had been more then ready
to leave.
She quickly walked upstairs to her room, and changed into some
sweatpants and an old T-shirt. At that point she noticed a note in the middle
of her bed.
Liz-
Andy wanted me to go to HOJ with him.
I'm going to tell him what's going on. I'll
be home by four. Love you.
Conner
Elizabeth smiled at the sight of Conner's familiar pig scratch. It was
probably better that Andy knew she was pregnant. Besides, she knew that
Andy would be a great friend, and be nice about all that was happening.
Elizabeth was glad that she had such great friends. Maria had even
agreed to tell Ken what was going on.
She was about ready to lay down when a wave of nausea hit her. Instead,
she walked into the bathroom she and Conner shared.
Fifteen minutes later, Elizabeth walked downstairs to the kitchen.
Forget trying to take a nap. She'd decided against it after she threw up
the second time. It was almost getting pathetic. All she really wanted
was to get through one day without throwing up. It didn't look like it
was going to be happening.
She walked over to the cabinet and took out a glass, and then got a
drink of water. Elizabeth wished that Conner was home so she could talk to
him. She sat the water on the table, then walked back up the stairs to
get her creative writing notebook. Might as well get started on her
assignment.
Elizabeth took her notebook out of her backpack and then grabbed a
pencil out of the side pocket. She was about to leave and go downstairs,
when she saw Megan standing in the doorway. "Hi."
"Hey Liz." Megan said politely. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Sure." Elizabeth said, sitting down on her bed. She motioned for Megan
to sit down beside her. "What's up?"
Megan bit her lip. "I just wanted to make sure that I knew what was happening and all."
"You mean, between Conner and I?"
"Yeah. I heard that you were pregnant, and mom told me that you were
going to be staying with us for awhile."
"Dad kicked me out of the house."
Megan looked shocked for a second. "Whoa. I didn't hear that part of
the story. I didn't know that that had happened."
Elizabeth smiled weakly. "It did. I guess you're probably pretty shocked with this all."
"Yeah." Megan sighed. "It's a lot to take in. I can't believe that it's
true. You're so responsible and stuff. And I can't picture Conner as a dad."
Elizabeth nodded. "I think that he'll make a good one."
"Does that mean that you're going to keep the baby?"
Elizabeth nodded again. "Your brother and I talked about it for a long
time last night. We both think that that would be best."
"I just kind of wanted to hear it from you. It's so unreal, almost."
Megan said. "But I think that you'll make good parents."
************************************************************
Conner walked up the stairs, and knocked on the door to Elizabeth's
room. He'd told Andy what had happened, and it had gone well. Andy been
really nice about it, and had said that he thought that they were doing
the right thing.
"Come in." she said softly. Conner walked in and saw her sitting at the
desk, writing in her notebook.
"I told Andy. He's cool with it." Conner said, crossing the room. He
saw that she was working on her creative writing assignment. "How are you doing?"
"Okay. I got sick earlier this afternoon, but I feel better now." She
bit her lip. "Maria knows, she heard Tia and I talking about it."
Conner sat down on her bed. "At least she knows."
Elizabeth got up and sat down on his lap. "Thank God our friends have
all been understanding."
"Yeah." He said, giving her a soft kiss.
"I talked to Megan, too. I told her what we decided."
"How'd she take it?"
"Pretty well." Elizabeth leaned her head against his shoulder. "She's
still in shock. But wouldn't you be, too, if you were in her situation?"
Conner nodded. "Like if she told me she was pregnant or something, I
would have freaked, and probably killed the guy that got her that way."
Elizabeth smiled. "I can picture you doing that. But I don't think that
you'll have to worry about Megan getting pregnant."
"I never thought that I'd worry about you being pregnant." He said
quietly. Elizabeth knew what he meant instantly. She knew that he still
couldn't believe that it was happening to her, them.
"It's weird, isn't it?"
Conner nodded, and gently placed his hand on her stomach. In eight
months, they were going to have a baby to take care of. "So much has
changed since we first met."
"Things are going to keep changing." She added, reading his mind. "Our
future is going to be different."
Conner ran a hand through her hair. "What about college?"
Elizabeth bit her lip. "I'm still planning on going, and you should be
too. All of the schools offer parenting dorms."
"One of us can do night school, so someone can always be with the
baby." Conner added. "My mom will be willing to help."
"So will Jess. We were both planning to go to the same college anyway."
Conner gave her another kiss. "We'll work things out, Liz. There's a
reason why this is happening now, so we'll make the best of it."
"You think?" She asked.
Conner nodded. "Everything's going to work out. You'll have the baby,
we'll go to college, and we'll raise the baby together." He wrapped his
arms around her.
"You make everything that sound so simple." She said softly.
"I know that it's so much more complicated then that, but everything
will be okay in the long run."