Chapter 6: Plans on what to do
After calming down a little, the two friends start to discuss Abby's situation. "Abby, what are you gonna do?" Susan asks her.
"I don't know. I can't stay here though, and I can't tell Carter."
"Why not?"
"Because, he has so much ahead of him. This would just ruin it. I can't do that to him."
"Abby, he's gonna find out eventually, it's gonna be kinda hard to hide in a few months."
"I know that's why I have to move."
"What! Abby are you crazy? Where are you going to move? What about your mom and brother?"
"I'm going by myself Susan."
"What? Where are you gonna go?"
"I DON'T know!"
"So what are you gonna do, drive around till you find a good place to stay? Come on Abby, this isn't logical." There's no way I'm gonna talk her out of this, Susan thinks.
They say nothing for a few minutes, as Abby just paces around her room. "Abs, I have this friend… in Chicago. Maybe you can stay with her." Susan suggests, carefully choosing her words.
"Is it one of your crazy aunts?" Abby asks.
"Yes. But no, not one of the old crusty crazy ones. She's cool, just finishing up college. I can see if she can take you in for awhile."
Abby considers this. It doesn't sound like too bad of an idea. "Okay," she says in a whisper.
"Okay?" Susan asks.
"Okay." Abby reassures her, and goes to hug her best friend.
"I should probably call her and make sure it's okay though first," Susan tells her.
"Yeah," Abby agrees, as Susan picks up her cell phone to call Chicago.
"Are you sure about this?" Susan asks Abby as she waits for her aunt to pick up the phone.
"Is she answering?" Abby asks, getting impatient. Susan hangs up the phone and throws it on the bed. "Nope," she says, disappointed.
Abby looks at the clock. "Susan you should be getting back to school," she tells her.
"Nah, I'll just stay here, I don't feel like going back anyways," she tells her, and Abby is glad Susan is staying there; at least she didn't have to be alone for awhile.
The girls are getting settled and watching television when Susan's phone rings. She jumps to get it, and it's her aunt from Chicago. She picks it up after telling Abby who it was. "Hi, Aunt Marcie? It's Susan. I need a really big favor…"
After about a half hour of talking to her aunt, Susan finally hangs up the phone.
"So…?" Abby asks.
"It's settled. You can stay there," Susan says. She doesn't know what to feel because she is happy Abby found somewhere to stay, but she felt as if she was losing her.
"I guess… I should start packing," Abby says, breaking the silence.
"Yeah," Susan says as she gets up to help her. "She said you could come anytime, but on Thursday she has classes, so it'd be better if you came before or after that."
"Okay," Abby says as she goes over to her dresser to start packing clothes. "How am I gonna get there?" she asks.
"Drive I guess," Susan tells her.
"Suz, can you come with me?"
Susan knows she couldn't say no to her best friend, especially at a time she knew she needed her the most. Plus, a road trip might be kinda fun. "Sure," she says.
"So what made your aunt decide to take me in?" Abby asks, getting curious.
"Um, actually the same thing kind of happened to her when she was your age," Susan tells her. "My whole family doesn't really talk to her much because of what happened, but hey, she's happy."
Abby seems sad. "Do you think that will happen to me? Do you think Maggie and Eric will stop talking to me because of this?" Abby asks Susan, her eyes filling up with tears.
"Aw, Abs, of course not. And if they do, you will always have me," she tells her. This seems to cheer up Abby a little bit, and she continues to pack.