Note: I think an old episode of Boy Meets World got lodged in my sub-conscience and emerged itself last chapter (and this one too), so yea, kudos and credit to the creators of that show for inspiration.

And oh, yeah, I have no idea how much abortions cost or whatever, so sorry if my information is a bit off. I'm really to lazy to go research it and I have an algebra test tomorrow, so yea, there's my flimsy excuse. Back to the (still-hopefully-enjoyable) story.

Ch.3-The End of Aquarius (aka: decisions & such wotnots)

"So like, what's the plan, Linds?" Kim asked, chewing on some gum.

"I haven't got that far yet, I kinda hoped you could help me."

"First you've got to decide girl."

"Decide what?" Linsdey watched Kim blow a bubble, pop it with her tongue, and then start chewing again. A slow and methodic pattern, over and over and over again, oddly very agitating.

"Linsd, seriously, you know what you have to do…right?" God, Kim thought to herself, this kid has no clue about anything, how in the hell is she gonna survive? Good thing she's got me…although I don't know how much help I can possibly be…

Linsdey sighed and shifted her weight. "Yeah, I know," she choked out, gulping. This wasn't exactly easy. She had grown up in a fiercely advent Republican home…what would her parents think? Life was really hard sometimes. Make that all the time.

"So like, I know this guy right…" Kim stopped at Linsdey's weird look. As if she could read her mind she said, "no, I never had to go to him…some of my friends did…anyhow that's not the point. The point is you'll need six hundred bucks, minimum. And that's if he likes you."

"Six…six hundred?" Her jaw dropped in shock. Unbelievable! She had what, seventy, eighty bucks, maybe, including the money Grandma had left her and rusty quarters she found lurking under couch pillows.

"Yup. Hey are you all right, you look kinda pale. Kinda like that girl in that movie, you know the one with the vampires?" Pop went another bubble.

"Could you PLEASE stop chewing that gum!" Linsdey shouted out, surprising even herself.

"God, sorry, it's not my fault you're knocked up, you don't have to act like a bitch when I was just trying to help."

"Wait Kim, I'm sorry!" called to Kim's retreating back. Great. Just great. "I think I'll lock myself in my room, delusion myself into thinking that none of this is happening, and then pray, really, really hard." She muttered. (ß thanks Elizabeth :)

~

"Neal! There you are! Why weren't you at the bus?" Sam magically reappeared at Neal's shoulder, handing him a few sheets of paper; "Here are my math notes by the way. You can borrow them and make copies."

"Yeah, thanks."

"So where were you?"

"Um…doctor's appointment." Neal said in a clipped voice, stuffing the notes in his bag.

"Ok…well, anyhow, you should have seen Bill today. He was hanging out with Gordon. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with him, I just didn't know they were so close--"

"Look Sam, just because a person acts slightly different from how they used to be doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them! It's called growing up! Is that such a hard concept?"

"Wo Neal, I'm sorry I just meant--"

"And what the hell is Borderline Personality Disorder anyhow? Who comes up with this stuff? I want a second opinion I tell you, my mother always told me to make sure I got a second opinion, and she's right, doctors these days think they know everything, well I'm getting a second opinion!"

"Um…ok Neal…how much coleslaw did you eat? I heard the lunch lady accidentally left her fake teeth in a big vat of it--"

"HEY SAM!" a voice bellowed down the hall, followed by a pair of arms that swept Sam up in the giant herd.

"Hey Neal! I'll talk to you later ok!"

"Yeah, right, whatever. Beam me up off this hellhole that is high-school Scottie, ASAP."

~

"Just tell him already and get if over with."

"Kim!"

"What?"

"I can't."

"Sure you can't, it's easy. Just go up to him and say, 'hey Nick, what's shakin'. Look, you kinda got me pregnant, so can you cough up a couple hundred bucks to pay for the operation? Thanks, mi amigo."

Lindsey shook her head at Kim's daring nerve. "No. I can't."

"Yes, you can."

"No…I can't. You can't possibly understand."

"Well I'm trying here, I can only work with what I've got."

Linsdey sighed and absently blew a strand of hair away from her face. "So…you really think I should tell him?"

"Go for it. Just don't take too long, I never watched the Human Development video but I know those things don't just like, stop growing because you want them to. Ewww Linsd! Watch the shoes!"

Just then a janitor walked by and shook his head. Great. Yet another puddle of puke for him to clean up.

~

"So Sam my man, there's gonna be this like, totally-kick-ass party Friday night at Chad's house, you're in right?"

"Um…"

"'Cause like, everyone's going."

"Oh, yeah, well, I can't drive so I won't have a ride so, you know…"

"Hey no problemo! My cuz, he's eighteen, can give you a lift in his Vett. It's a sweet ride man, dark blue with white racing stripes, chicks really dig it."

"Not that Sammy here needs a car to impress the ladies!"

Sam smiled weakly at the chortles echoing around him. It was still pretty unbelievable. He was popular. Sam Wier, well liked and hanging with the in-crowd. Yup, someone was definitely messing with the universe.

~

Cindy wiped the tears off her wet cheeks, but it was no use, they kept flowing despite her best attempt to stop them. Her head snapped up out of the folds of a tissue when the door opened, as she dashed into a toilet stall and stuck her feet up on the seat cover so no one could detect her presence.

"So like, are you going to Chad's party Friday night?"

"I don't know, I have like nothing to wear!"

Cindy swallowed a sniffle. That should be her out there, talking with her friends about what shoes would match her sweater for the party of the year.

"Tell me about it. My mom is like so last century. I get less than five bucks a week allowance! How is a girl supposed to shop on that?"

Idly she read the writing scribbled on the door, toilet paper dispenser, and in every available corner of the stall. Anything to keep from thinking about what the girls out there were talking about.

Hey ladies! Call (323) 849-5610 if you want a good time with Stevie the Stud!!

That is so stupid, she thought languidly, 'the Stud?' what a pompous jerk. You'd have to be a moron to like actually call.

"Hey! I heard that Chad's parents are going out of town, and he ordered fireworks with their check book!"

"No way? Seriously? That would be like so cool."

Jennifer is a royal bitch.

Jessica is worse, she is such a skank.

Why do girls have to put each other down all the time? Cindy wondered. Are we really that insecure?

"And you know how big his house is right? Well there's going to be like eight bedrooms there…and a basement."

Slut List!

Abby Mitchel

Megan Hausman

Sandi Q.

Sandi L.

Lauren Gallar

Cindy Sanders

Keyla Fodly

Cindy nearly choked. Her name written on the wall…her reputation completely shot down…all her hard work living up to everyone's expectation of 'little miss perfect', with perfect grades, perfect body, perfect boyfriends, the kid whom mothers always speak of nicely, and tell their own kids to take a leaf out of her book…down the drain, for something that never even happened, something she didn't even do…

"Ten bucks Cindy Sanders is there--"

"With Sam Wier!"

"Yeah, totally."

There went any remains of her mascara.

~

"Hey Nick…we need to talk."

"Ooh…the talk, better watch out man, that's a bad sign."

Linsdey glared at Daniel, something she normally didn't do, but it just seemed like there was this voice screaming in her head and the heat was rising and her brain was about to explode and she just wanted him to shut up. He ignored her, as usual.

"Sure Linsd, what's up?" Nick asked, smiling at her. He was so happy, so very, very happy. Nothing could spoil his wonderful mood. Even if his dad yelled at him to go to college, or he messed up his drum solo, or he ran out of pot, what did it really matter? He had a great girl by his side, that was all that counts.

"Alone." She said, attempting to sound firm and wincing as her voice wavered.

"Yeah, ok."

They were now standing behind some bleachers by the burnout patio, out of eavesdropping range.

She took a deep breath. Oh GOD, the voice screamed in her head, ohgodohgodohgodohmygod.

"Nick…"

"Yeah?"

"Ok this isn't easy so don't interrupt me cause then I might not be able to get out what I have to say and its really important--" She realized she was babbling and abruptly shut her mouth.

"Hey wait…" His voice took on a sudden twinge of panic, "you're…you're not breaking up with me, are you?"

He gulped and she just had to laugh. Hysterical laughter ripped from her throat and tore through the air, piercing the harsh chilly atmosphere. It sounded crude and spontaneous, even to her ears. Oh if only breaking up with a boyfriend were the least of her worries.

"No Nick, sorry to disappoint you but if anyone does the breaking up it will have to be you."

His sigh of relief was audible.

"However, we do have one other slight problem."

He raised his eyebrows quizzically. "I'm pregnant." Shock took the place of confusement, as he dropped to the ground in a dead faint.

~

Oo…is it getting interesting yet? Nick fainted ::giggles hysterically:: that's it, I'm switching to decaff.

And as for the title…I don't know…the song was playing it my head for some obscure reason. Probably because my dad went into retro mode and was dusting off all his old records. Anyhow. Yeah.

(BTW--we're going to see a slightly darker side to all our characters, especially Neal and even cheery, peppy Cindy. Slightly-out-of-character but it is my story and who says the chars can't grow in different directions? Anyhoozle just letting y'all know in advance.)