Secrets

Disclaimer: I don't feel like repeating it…read the previous chapters. The song is Secrets by Good Charlotte.

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update! And, people, I want reviews!

In the dark
In the darkness you will find
Dirty little secrets we all hide
Cause' we all have a darker side
A place we keep where no one else will find

Cause' everybody wants to hide their secrets away
Nobody wants to stand up to the pain
But I will stand up to the pain
Wake up and fight again
If you could dance with me through this rain
And we will fight, we'll fight again, fight again

In the back, in the closets of your mind
That's where skeletons and dirty secrets hide
And I'll rip out my insides
And leave them on display for you tonight…

Oh...God! How can this be happening to me! I didn't do anything wrong! There are so many women out there who can't conceive, why do you give me a child when I'm not trying for one, and you can't give one to them! This is so unfair! How am I going to tell Jake? I don't want to ruin his life. What about Mom and Dad? They're going to be so upset! I promised them I would remain a virgin until marriage! Will they ever trust me again? My life will never be the same again, will it? What have I done...? What have I done...? Ruthie was crying hard now, not even bothering to try and stop herself. She just wanted to get it all out. Maybe she would feel a little better. It was Tuesday night. The same night she had found out she was pregnant from the home pregnancy test.

For the next several days Ruthie kept to herself. She sat locked away in her room all day, wasting the precious amount of time she had for summer vacation. The Camden family could sense there was something wrong with Ruthie, but didn't dare to confront her about it. They figured that, if she needed help, she would come to them, not wait for her parents to come to her. Eric and Annie respected her privacy and let her have her space.

It had been only 5 days since Ruthie saw the two pink lines on the home pregnancy test, confirming her worst fears. She had never done as much thinking before as she had in those 5 days. Am I going to keep this baby?, was the question that kept coming to Ruthie's head. Abortion was never an option. Ruthie shuddered at the very thought of killing her baby before it had a chance to live. It was between adoption or keeping the baby and being a full time mother. But, I'll only keep him or her if I have Jake's support. Jake… How am I supposed to tell him? Jake had called Ruthie several times in the last couple days, but Ruthie never returned his calls. She didn't want to face him. She didn't want to see his life ruined by a stupid mistake they both made. Jake was too…happy. That was the only word for it, and finding out his girlfriend is pregnant might just put an end to the happiness.

Ruthie's thinking was interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in." Annie's figure appeared in the doorway, and then, a half a second later, was sitting on Ruthie's bed, next Ruthie.

"Is there anything you would like to talk about?" Annie asked casually. Annie had no intention of pressing Ruthie for answers to her questions, she just wanted to have normal conversation with her youngest daughter.

Ruthie's face drained of color when she was asked this by her mother. Does she know? Did she catch on somehow?

"No, I don't think so. Is there any reason that you asked?" Ruthie said nervously, giving her mother a small, weak smile.

"Oh, no. But," she put her hand on her daughter's shoulder "if there's anything wrong you can always tell me, don't hesitate. I love you Ruthie. Good night." Annie left Ruthie's room, slightly disappointed that she was unable to retrieve any information.

Mom knows something's wrong. I can't keep this a secret much longer. I'm going to have to tell them soon, very soon. But, I'll have to tell Jake first, he's the father, he should know first. But, I don't want to tell him. But, at the same time, another voice inside Ruthie's mind was screaming. What do you mean, not tell him? He has to know!

Finally, Ruthie came to a conclusion. She picked up the phone and dialed the number of the Gardner house. Her call was picked up on the first ring by Tom.

Ruthie took a deep breath, fought back the tears that were forming in her eyes and talked.

"Tom, listen, I need you to tell Jake something, for me, I know you two are really close and I don't know what else to do…"

"Err… sure. Shoot."

"Tell Jake that…"

A/N: Sorry it's so short! I had to get the story moving. Next chapter is going to be longer, better, and will probably focus more on Jake. If I'm feeling nice, the next chapter will be up either tomorrow or Tuesday. Again, REVIEW! Please. I want everybody who reads to review, even if it sucks (and this chapter does.)