As Jade walked towards her home, laughing with Nick, she noticed a frustrated Colleen walking towards her. She would have ignored her, if she hadn't bumped into her.
"You could say sorry, " said Nick. "You did crash into her first."
"I might have known you'd be out with your boyfriend Jade Sutherland, lets hope you haven't been as irresponsible as your sister, " whinged Colleen.
"What do you mean by that?" asked a bemused Jade.
"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough." Jade shot a bewildered look at Nick, as Colleen scuttled away.
"What do you reckon Kirsty's done now?" said Jade. "No doubt she's run off to join the circus or something." As they reached home, they laughed about the possible escapades Kirsty could have gotten into, nowhere near the real truth. The atmosphere changed as they saw a silent Kirsty, staring at the lifeless television, and her mother with her head in her hands.
"Don't you have to switch the television on to watch it Kirst?" said Jade, receiving no answer. Nick noticed the tension.
"Actually, I think I'd better go. I'll see you tomorrow." Jade nodded, kissed Nick on the cheek and stood, halfway between her sister and her mother.
"What's going on here then? Is this something to do with what Colleen said?"
Kirsty sprang up. "What did Colleen say to you? Has she been spreading gossip again?"
"Not yet but she probably will be." Jade was confused yet again.
"Perhaps you'd like to tell your sister what's going on Kirsty, " said a detached Shelley. "I'm sure that'll provoke a reaction."
Taking a deep breath, Kirsty began to speak. "Jade, I'm pregnant."
"You're what?" Jade's calm resolve faded. "And I suppose its Kane's?"
"Yes it is." One down, millions to go, thought Kirsty. Perhaps she could have a daily target of people to tell.
"How could you do this Kirsty? All this time we were worried about you, and you were with him. You're sick."
"Blah, blah, blah, how could I be so irresponsible? I might as well moan at myself."
"I'm going to find Nick."
"Tell him if you want!" Kirsty shouted as Jade left. "Tell everyone, because you know what? I don't give a damn anymore!"
"Now look what you've done Kirsty, " said Shelley. "That attitude is hardly going to help."
"Well neither is Jade's!" Kirsty stormed upstairs, and began to cry in the privacy of her own room. Now all she had to tell was her father and Dani.
***
Shelley decided to tell Rhys and Dani about Kirsty's pregnancy, since her daughter was being so haphazard about it. She waited, and wondered who would come home first; each person was no more difficult to tell than the other. Rhys would be fuming, and would probably demand to kill Kane after shouting at Kirsty. Dani, well, she wasn't sure how she'd react. It was the most unexpected thing that could happen. It took a while for Shelley to realise that she hadn't cooked anything. She searched the fridge and tried to think of something she could create with cheese, broccoli and a carrot. She didn't have long to think before her husband returned, looking unusually pleased with himself.
"Good evening Mrs Sutherland, and might I say you are looking lovely this evening, " said Rhys, wrapping his arms around his emotionless wife.
"You look happy, " she said, drained. "Have you had a good day?"
"Great, " smiled Rhys. "I've been to the bank and think that we finally have enough money for a decent holiday. Abroad."
"That's wonderful."
"How was your day? Weren't you meant to be taking Kirsty away?"
Shelley didn't know how to start. "We've had a change of plan. You see, I haven't been entirely honest with you about her. I was sending her to the grandparents because I wanted to give her time to think." She took a deep breath, "Because she's pregnant."
Rhys' rare smile faded gradually. "You're joking?"
"As if I would."
"And nobody thought to tell me? Jeez I'm only her father. And it's Kane's? What the hell?" His voice rose, as did his temperature, "Kirsty get down here now!"
Kirsty arrived, with fresh tears on her skin. "I suppose you've told him." She stifled her tears.
"Don't you be smart with me young lady, what do you think you were doing running off with him and getting yourself pregnant?" Rhys was visibly destroyed, pacing around the room, not even looking at his daughter. "Didn't you think? What about the…I'm gonna kill him." Rhys marched towards the door.
"Don't Rhys, " screeched Shelley. "That won't solve anything. We need to all talk together, make a decision."
"Make a decision?! What decision is there to make?! I'm not having my daughter having the offspring of that rapist, that mongrel in my house."
"He's not a mongrel, " shrieked Kirsty. "I love him, and I'm keeping this baby."
"Like hell you are, " shouted Rhys. "If you think I am going to tolerate this, then you are very much mistaken."
"I don't expect you to, I just don't believe in murdering my baby."
Rhys was silent. He couldn't argue with that. His voice lowered, until it was nothing but a bitter snarl. "Get out."
"What?"
"Get out! You are not living here while you have that, that thing inside you. You can fend for yourself."
"Rhys, be rational, where can she go?" said Shelley, almost in tears herself.
"She should have thought about that before she got knocked up!"
Kirsty ran out of her house, in aggressive tears, she could hardly breathe through crying so much. She collapsed in the front garden, she felt weak, where could she go? She heard a voice. Dani.
"Kirsty what's wrong?" Dani put her arms around her sister. Kirsty sprung up, ripping her sisters arms from her.
"Get off me. I'm leaving."
"Why, tell me what's wrong Kirst?" Dani looked genuinely concerned, oblivious to the tension inside.
"You're going to hate me."
"I could never hate you Kirst. You're my sister." Dani reached to hug Kirsty, who stepped away.
"Wait!" Kirsty took a deep breath, and stopped crying. "I have to tell you something, you aren't going to like, and you probably won't want to hug me anymore. I'm pregnant with Kane's baby."
Dani looked gobsmacked. "You're pregnant, with Kane's baby?"
Kirsty nodded. They stood in silence for a moment, Dani still looking her sister in the eye. She didn't know what to say, and she certainly didn't want to hug her.
Admitting defeat, Kirsty ran out of the front garden, into the darkening Summer Bay night.