Alice returned the next night with a plastic bag full of food which she
deposited on the kitchen table. She didn't say anything at all about the
candles burning around the room.
"Why did you call him?" Riley asked as Alice unloaded the bag.
"Because you need him." was the reply.
"I do not need him Alice. My mom brought up two kids without any man and I can do it."
As to prove her point, Alice swiftly blew out six candles in the kitchen.
"What are you doing?" Rileys shouted. "That's my electricity!"
"Riley," Alice began.
"Uh-oh." she thought. "This must be serious. She's Riley-ing me, not Clarke- ing me."
"You may be able to make a choice betweebn hot water or electricity, but you won't be able to with a baby and you won't have to with Shane."
"I refuse to marry someone for money." Riley replied, relighting her 'electricity'
"Stabilty." Alice corrected. "Not money. Look around you at the dump you're stuck in."
She didn't reply. She was well aware of the irony of living in a place called 'Paradise Heights' when in reality it was more like living in the ninth circle of hell.
"I'm not saying he can't be involved."
"Riley you're problem is you have morals but far too much pride."
"For your infomation I have no pride, I just I figured if my mom could do it, so can I."
Alice sighed and slammed her hands on the counter top. "But your mom didn't do it! She dragged you and Sydney around all the time with no money. Look how Sydney turned out."
Riley ignored her and finished putting the food away. Eventually she sat down at the kitchen table and began tracing patterns with her finger.
"Do you think it's really a good idea?" she asked, already sounding defeated.
"I think it's your only option."
"But...."
Alice sat down and grabbed hold of Riley's hands. "Listen to me. You're pregnant and instead of gaining weight, you're losing it because you can't afford to eat. Marrying Shane means that you're baby will have the life it deserves. The life you never got. Do you really want your child to go through what you went through?"
Riley rubbed her eyes, then demanded. "Get me the phone."
So there she was, a week and a half later with her life packed up in boxes behind her as she nervously waited for Shane's arrival. Riley was dressed all in black, she thought it was appropriate, she was mourning the life she was leaving behind, even if it was a shit life. Her boss hadn't even cared that she was quitting, he just nodded and promised a small bonus in with her next wages. Sally had practically squeled with delight. Riley still hadn't decided what to tell her mother. She hadn't spoken to her in six months and the idea of just saying 'guess what, I'm pregnant and marrying someone I hardly know', didn't appeal to her. She knew Sydney would nod and relpy with:
"Good for you Riley."
But Sydney Clarke's views on things where always the far end of extreme. Riley checked the time, he was late. Her stomach was doing flips, Alice had been blaming the onset of morning sickness. It was her nerves. To occupy herself Riley flipped open a copy of the magazine Alice wrote for and searched for her page. There was a black and white photograph of Alice, smiling, looking like someone's caring older sister. Then there where the letters. 'Dear Alice, I just kissed a boy and I think I might be pregnant.' Riley could hardly believe some of the things she read, and teenagers thought they had problems. It was laughable.Suddenly the intercom buzzed and Riley dropped the magazine in shock before hurrying over.
"Hello."
"It's me. You ready?"
Ready to leave her life behind? No. But would she ever be?
"Why did you call him?" Riley asked as Alice unloaded the bag.
"Because you need him." was the reply.
"I do not need him Alice. My mom brought up two kids without any man and I can do it."
As to prove her point, Alice swiftly blew out six candles in the kitchen.
"What are you doing?" Rileys shouted. "That's my electricity!"
"Riley," Alice began.
"Uh-oh." she thought. "This must be serious. She's Riley-ing me, not Clarke- ing me."
"You may be able to make a choice betweebn hot water or electricity, but you won't be able to with a baby and you won't have to with Shane."
"I refuse to marry someone for money." Riley replied, relighting her 'electricity'
"Stabilty." Alice corrected. "Not money. Look around you at the dump you're stuck in."
She didn't reply. She was well aware of the irony of living in a place called 'Paradise Heights' when in reality it was more like living in the ninth circle of hell.
"I'm not saying he can't be involved."
"Riley you're problem is you have morals but far too much pride."
"For your infomation I have no pride, I just I figured if my mom could do it, so can I."
Alice sighed and slammed her hands on the counter top. "But your mom didn't do it! She dragged you and Sydney around all the time with no money. Look how Sydney turned out."
Riley ignored her and finished putting the food away. Eventually she sat down at the kitchen table and began tracing patterns with her finger.
"Do you think it's really a good idea?" she asked, already sounding defeated.
"I think it's your only option."
"But...."
Alice sat down and grabbed hold of Riley's hands. "Listen to me. You're pregnant and instead of gaining weight, you're losing it because you can't afford to eat. Marrying Shane means that you're baby will have the life it deserves. The life you never got. Do you really want your child to go through what you went through?"
Riley rubbed her eyes, then demanded. "Get me the phone."
So there she was, a week and a half later with her life packed up in boxes behind her as she nervously waited for Shane's arrival. Riley was dressed all in black, she thought it was appropriate, she was mourning the life she was leaving behind, even if it was a shit life. Her boss hadn't even cared that she was quitting, he just nodded and promised a small bonus in with her next wages. Sally had practically squeled with delight. Riley still hadn't decided what to tell her mother. She hadn't spoken to her in six months and the idea of just saying 'guess what, I'm pregnant and marrying someone I hardly know', didn't appeal to her. She knew Sydney would nod and relpy with:
"Good for you Riley."
But Sydney Clarke's views on things where always the far end of extreme. Riley checked the time, he was late. Her stomach was doing flips, Alice had been blaming the onset of morning sickness. It was her nerves. To occupy herself Riley flipped open a copy of the magazine Alice wrote for and searched for her page. There was a black and white photograph of Alice, smiling, looking like someone's caring older sister. Then there where the letters. 'Dear Alice, I just kissed a boy and I think I might be pregnant.' Riley could hardly believe some of the things she read, and teenagers thought they had problems. It was laughable.Suddenly the intercom buzzed and Riley dropped the magazine in shock before hurrying over.
"Hello."
"It's me. You ready?"
Ready to leave her life behind? No. But would she ever be?