As she and Mallory made their way through the halls, halls they'd traveled thousands of times before, Elizabeth felt hundreds of eyes burning into her. Everyone was staring and not a head was turned away from her. A few kids even managed a snicker or two as she passed. She felt tears sting her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. She took a deep breath and held her head high. When she noticed Ben Silverman standing by his locker, struggling to open it (it wasn't hard to notice him, as he was the only student with his back turned to her), she began walking faster, towards him. Mallory scurried to catch up with her.
"Hey!" She shouted, angrily, at him.
When he turned around, all the staring students immediately turned away and continued on with their business.
"Oh. Hey, Liz," he said, nervously.
"What the hell is all this!" Liz cried, gesturing toward all the students who had just seconds ago been glaring at her.
"What?"
"Liz, I'm gonna go to lunch…" Mallory said, not wanting to intrude.
"No. Stay."
"Ok," she conceded, without question.
"Who did you tell, Jackass!" Liz demanded.
"I didn't tell anyone, Liz," Ben insisted.
"I only told my family and Mallory's. You had to tell someone!"
"I just told Matt! I swear!"
Matthew Bridges. His best friend.
"Then Matt told everyone else," Liz said.
"Matt wouldn't do that to me."
"Well, he did."
"How can you tell?" Ben asked.
"Everyone was staring at me! No kidding, EVERYONE!"
"Nobody was staring at you, Liz. You're just paranoid. Nobody knows."
Just then, two students walked by, whispering and laughing.
"Oh yeah. Nobody knows," Liz replied, rolling her eyes.
"Look, I didn't tell anyone but Matt. If Matt told people, that's not my fault."
She shook her head in disbelief.
"Jackass," she said, walking away, with Mallory trailing close behind.
Mallory was laughing.
"What?" Liz asked as they walked down the halls again.
"Nothing it's just…you are so your mother's daughter."
"Why?"
"All of that, back there with Ben. All of that was Abbey. Especially the jackass bit," Mallory said.
"No, that was all me, honey," Liz replied.
"Own up, Liz. You are just like your mom."
"You're kidding, right? I'm exactly like my dad. Everybody says so."
"Then they don't know you. You got that spitfire attitude from your mother and no one else. And you're the spitting image of her too. Except maybe your nose. And your height. You definitely didn't get that from her. Or your dad, come to think of it."
"Ok, why did you choose right now to bring this up?" Elizabeth asked.
"I don't know. It just occurred to me."
"Well. I hope this baby isn't like its father."
"Come on. Ben's not a bad guy. He's freaked out. He doesn't know what to do," Mallory pointed out.
"Oh, and I do?"
"Well, men are pigs. We knew this already."
Liz laughed, cynically.
"And Ben was talking about marriage before. Marriage! Ha!"
"He panicked."
"I'm never getting married. Not to Ben Silverman or anyone else."
"You don't mean that, Liz," Mallory said when they reached the cafeteria and got in the lunch line.
"Oh, yes I do mean that. I'm not letting any man take away my identity."
"That's not what marriage is about though."
"Marriages never last anyway," Liz added.
"Sure they do. Look at our parents. Both our parents have been married twenty-some years, Liz. That's no small accomplishment."
"Well, they're different."
"Why?"
"They just are. This is the 80's. Things are different now."
"Oook, whatever. You'll change your mind eventually."
After getting their food, they took their trays and sat down at an empty table. Mallory decided it was time she changed the subject. If only slightly.
"So how do you feel about this whole thing with your mom?"
"What."
"Her being pregnant and all."
"I don't know," Liz said, moving her food around with a plastic fork. "It's weird."
"Well, yeah. God, if my mom was pregnant now…I'd probably kill myself or something."
"Thanks, Mal.That's encouraging. You're a real pal."
"Hey, I'm sorry. But I mean, think about it. You're going to be pregnant at the same time!"
"We already are, Mallory."
"You know what I mean. But at least you'll have someone to like…talk to. Relate to. That sort of thing."
"Yeah! And golly gee, I sure hope we can go to Lamaze classes together too!" Liz exclaimed mockingly, with a big fake smile on her face, giving Mallory a thumbs up.
"My God. You're already having mood swings."
Elizabeth laughed and flung a few peas at Mallory with her fork. She ducked just in time.
"Eight more months of this joyous bliss! I can't wait!"