Chapter Two
Peyton walked into the girls' washroom to the sound of someone puking. She was about to turn around and leave when she saw Haley walk out of the stall.
"Hey Haley. You okay?"
"Better now. I'm feeling a little queasy this morning."
"You coming down with something?"
"I don't know. It usually goes away by second period."
"Usually? How long have you been feeling like this?"
"A week or so I think."
"Haley, I know this is none of my business but could you be pregnant?"
"What?! No!"
"You're positive? Because morning sickness is a telltale sign."
"I'm not pregnant." Haley's voice was shaking. "I can't be."
"So you and Nathan haven't."
"Yeah but we're careful."
"Careful's not always good enough. Have you had your period?"
"No. I'm a few days late. God, I was hoping this would just go away."
"Hey it might be a false alarm. Look, we'll get you a test. No need to worry until you know for sure."
"I can't just walk into a store and buy a pregnancy test."
"Then I will."
"You'd do that?"
"Sure. I wouldn't be the first time." She caught the look Haley gave her. "I'm friends with Brooke remember?"
"Right."
"Your parents at home?"
"No, they're visiting my sister."
"Good. Come on."
"I can't cut class. Not for this."
"Sure you can, especially for this. It's not you're going to be able to concentrate until you know one way or another anyway."
"I guess. Might as well get it over with."
30 minutes later
Haley paced back and forth across the room, wringing her hands. "How much longer?"
"Thirty seconds. Okay, done."
Haley stopped just short of the bathroom. "I can't look."
"Do you want me too?"
"Could you?"
Peyton went into the bathroom and picked up the test off the counter. She brought it out to Haley.
"What does it say?"
"It's positive."
Haley sank to the floor and put her head in her hands. "What am I going to do?"
Before Peyton could think of something to say the phone rang. "I'll get that." He picked up the receiver. "Hello, James' residence."
"Peyton, is that you? Is Haley there?"
"Yeah."
"Can I talk to her? She wasn't in class today. She never misses class so I was worried about her." "She's not feeling very well. Nathan, why don't you just come over here."
"Peyton, what's wrong."
"Just get over here."
***
Nathan let himself into Haley's house and rushed up the stairs. He found her curled up on her bed, sobbing. He was immediately at her side, stroking her hair, trying to get her to talk.
"Come on baby, what's wrong." Haley's sobs got louder. He looked at Peyton, who was sitting in a chair by the bed. "What's wrong with her?"
"Tell him Haley."
"I.I.ca...n't." She was barely coherent.
Peyton handed Nathan the pregnancy test that was still sitting on the dresser. He turned pale as it all became clear.
"Is this what I think it is?"
"It's positive."
"God.um.I need to sit down."
"You already are."
"Right. My head won't stop spinning."
"Then knock it against a wall or something because Haley needs you."
"Yeah. I've got it from here Peyton, Thanks."
"No problem. I'll to you later Haley."
After Peyton left Nathan gathered a still crying Haley into his arms and held her against him. "Shhhhh. It's going to be okay."
Haley looked up, wiped the tears from her eyes. "How Nathan? Seriously. How is it going to be okay. I'm pregnant. I'm still in high school and I'm going to have a baby. Nothing you say is going to change that."
"I know Hales, I know. Believe me, I'm just as scared as you are. See that's the thing Haley, this happened to both of us and we are going to get through it together,"
The next day
Nathan ran into Peyton in the hall before class and approached her. "Hey."
"Hey. How's Haley?"
"Scared. She stayed home today. Yesterday was pretty overwhelming."
"No kidding. How are you doing?"
"I'm not even sure. I have a million thoughts going through my head and not one of them makes any sense."
"Well I'm no expert but I hear that's pretty normal. So, you guys talk much after I left?"
"Yeah. We agreed that we need to tell our parents before we make any decisions."
"Probably a good idea. I don't envy you though."
"I gotta get to class. I promised Hales I'd take notes for her. Thanks for being there for her Peyton. I really appreciate it."
"Anytime."
Later that night
"It's going to be okay." Nathan squeezed Haley's hand as they sat on the couch in her living room.
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart."
"So Nathan," Haley's mom said cheerfully as she sat down. "I hear you're back playing basketball.
"I'm practising again yeah but I haven't played any games yet. I'm hoping to be in the next one."
"I'm sure you'll be great."
"Thanks." Nathan wanted nothing more than to run out of there. Haley's parents were just starting to warm up to him and now they were going to think he was the scum of the Earth. When Haley's dad walked in he gulped. This was it.
"Dinner was really great."
"Thank you. That's very sweet."
He squeezed Haley's hand again, hoping to give her some courage he didn't have.
"So..um Mom, Dad.we kind of need to talk to you."
"What is it Sweetie?"
Haley took a deep breath, no sense dragging it out. "I'm pregnant."
Her dad spit out his coffee and her mom nearly choked on her cookie.
Mr James spoke first. "Tell me I didn't hear what I thought I heard."
"It's true Dad."
He got up from his seat and headed towards Nathan, who had never felt smaller. Haley ran between her dad and her boyfriend. "Dad, please, what's that going to help? Let's just talk about this."
Nathan felt he needed to say something. "Mr and Mrs James, I know I'm not your favorite person right now and I don't blame you. I just want to tell you that I love your daughter and I'm going to be there for her."
"Just like your dad was there for Karen?"
Nathan winced.
"Dad, that's not fair."
"I'm sorry sweetie but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"That's it. Come on Nathan, I'm not letting you take this from him."
"It's okay Hales."
"No it's not."
Haley's mom ran out after them. "Haley, Nathan, wait." They turned around. "I'm sorry about that." She addressed Nathan. "It wasn't fair of him to mention your dad. He's just shocked and upset."
"I don't blame him. But I'm not my father and I'm not walking away." "Have you decided what you're going to do?"
"You mean like adoption?" Haley cut in. "Not yet. We wanted to tell you guys and Nate's parents first."
"Fair enough. I just want you to know that whatever you decide, we'll support you," she looked at Nathan again, "both of you."
"Thanks Mom."
"Yeah, thanks."
Peyton walked into the girls' washroom to the sound of someone puking. She was about to turn around and leave when she saw Haley walk out of the stall.
"Hey Haley. You okay?"
"Better now. I'm feeling a little queasy this morning."
"You coming down with something?"
"I don't know. It usually goes away by second period."
"Usually? How long have you been feeling like this?"
"A week or so I think."
"Haley, I know this is none of my business but could you be pregnant?"
"What?! No!"
"You're positive? Because morning sickness is a telltale sign."
"I'm not pregnant." Haley's voice was shaking. "I can't be."
"So you and Nathan haven't."
"Yeah but we're careful."
"Careful's not always good enough. Have you had your period?"
"No. I'm a few days late. God, I was hoping this would just go away."
"Hey it might be a false alarm. Look, we'll get you a test. No need to worry until you know for sure."
"I can't just walk into a store and buy a pregnancy test."
"Then I will."
"You'd do that?"
"Sure. I wouldn't be the first time." She caught the look Haley gave her. "I'm friends with Brooke remember?"
"Right."
"Your parents at home?"
"No, they're visiting my sister."
"Good. Come on."
"I can't cut class. Not for this."
"Sure you can, especially for this. It's not you're going to be able to concentrate until you know one way or another anyway."
"I guess. Might as well get it over with."
30 minutes later
Haley paced back and forth across the room, wringing her hands. "How much longer?"
"Thirty seconds. Okay, done."
Haley stopped just short of the bathroom. "I can't look."
"Do you want me too?"
"Could you?"
Peyton went into the bathroom and picked up the test off the counter. She brought it out to Haley.
"What does it say?"
"It's positive."
Haley sank to the floor and put her head in her hands. "What am I going to do?"
Before Peyton could think of something to say the phone rang. "I'll get that." He picked up the receiver. "Hello, James' residence."
"Peyton, is that you? Is Haley there?"
"Yeah."
"Can I talk to her? She wasn't in class today. She never misses class so I was worried about her." "She's not feeling very well. Nathan, why don't you just come over here."
"Peyton, what's wrong."
"Just get over here."
***
Nathan let himself into Haley's house and rushed up the stairs. He found her curled up on her bed, sobbing. He was immediately at her side, stroking her hair, trying to get her to talk.
"Come on baby, what's wrong." Haley's sobs got louder. He looked at Peyton, who was sitting in a chair by the bed. "What's wrong with her?"
"Tell him Haley."
"I.I.ca...n't." She was barely coherent.
Peyton handed Nathan the pregnancy test that was still sitting on the dresser. He turned pale as it all became clear.
"Is this what I think it is?"
"It's positive."
"God.um.I need to sit down."
"You already are."
"Right. My head won't stop spinning."
"Then knock it against a wall or something because Haley needs you."
"Yeah. I've got it from here Peyton, Thanks."
"No problem. I'll to you later Haley."
After Peyton left Nathan gathered a still crying Haley into his arms and held her against him. "Shhhhh. It's going to be okay."
Haley looked up, wiped the tears from her eyes. "How Nathan? Seriously. How is it going to be okay. I'm pregnant. I'm still in high school and I'm going to have a baby. Nothing you say is going to change that."
"I know Hales, I know. Believe me, I'm just as scared as you are. See that's the thing Haley, this happened to both of us and we are going to get through it together,"
The next day
Nathan ran into Peyton in the hall before class and approached her. "Hey."
"Hey. How's Haley?"
"Scared. She stayed home today. Yesterday was pretty overwhelming."
"No kidding. How are you doing?"
"I'm not even sure. I have a million thoughts going through my head and not one of them makes any sense."
"Well I'm no expert but I hear that's pretty normal. So, you guys talk much after I left?"
"Yeah. We agreed that we need to tell our parents before we make any decisions."
"Probably a good idea. I don't envy you though."
"I gotta get to class. I promised Hales I'd take notes for her. Thanks for being there for her Peyton. I really appreciate it."
"Anytime."
Later that night
"It's going to be okay." Nathan squeezed Haley's hand as they sat on the couch in her living room.
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart."
"So Nathan," Haley's mom said cheerfully as she sat down. "I hear you're back playing basketball.
"I'm practising again yeah but I haven't played any games yet. I'm hoping to be in the next one."
"I'm sure you'll be great."
"Thanks." Nathan wanted nothing more than to run out of there. Haley's parents were just starting to warm up to him and now they were going to think he was the scum of the Earth. When Haley's dad walked in he gulped. This was it.
"Dinner was really great."
"Thank you. That's very sweet."
He squeezed Haley's hand again, hoping to give her some courage he didn't have.
"So..um Mom, Dad.we kind of need to talk to you."
"What is it Sweetie?"
Haley took a deep breath, no sense dragging it out. "I'm pregnant."
Her dad spit out his coffee and her mom nearly choked on her cookie.
Mr James spoke first. "Tell me I didn't hear what I thought I heard."
"It's true Dad."
He got up from his seat and headed towards Nathan, who had never felt smaller. Haley ran between her dad and her boyfriend. "Dad, please, what's that going to help? Let's just talk about this."
Nathan felt he needed to say something. "Mr and Mrs James, I know I'm not your favorite person right now and I don't blame you. I just want to tell you that I love your daughter and I'm going to be there for her."
"Just like your dad was there for Karen?"
Nathan winced.
"Dad, that's not fair."
"I'm sorry sweetie but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"That's it. Come on Nathan, I'm not letting you take this from him."
"It's okay Hales."
"No it's not."
Haley's mom ran out after them. "Haley, Nathan, wait." They turned around. "I'm sorry about that." She addressed Nathan. "It wasn't fair of him to mention your dad. He's just shocked and upset."
"I don't blame him. But I'm not my father and I'm not walking away." "Have you decided what you're going to do?"
"You mean like adoption?" Haley cut in. "Not yet. We wanted to tell you guys and Nate's parents first."
"Fair enough. I just want you to know that whatever you decide, we'll support you," she looked at Nathan again, "both of you."
"Thanks Mom."
"Yeah, thanks."
