Chapter 1
She stared at the plastic stick. Two pink lines taunted her as tears fell from her eyelashes. "Why me?" she asked herself. "I'm too young to have a baby," she cried. "Mom's going to kill me." Stephanie sat on the edge of the ugly avocado-coloured tub as she stared at the pink lines.
The canary yellow toilet and robin's egg blue sink in the bathroom clashed with the decor. It looked like someone had vomited the colours of the rainbow all over the washroom. She kicked the orange shag bath mat on the worn brown linoleum floor. Stephanie curled her lip back when the rug made a wet squishy noise.
Mary Lou knocked on the bathroom door. She got the Plums to let Stephanie stay with her at Point Pleasant for the last two weeks before school started. "May I come in?" Mary Lou asked.
"Sure. It's unlocked," Stephanie replied, voice hitching from sobbing.
"Oh no," Mary Lou said, sitting beside her friend on the edge of the tub. Mary Lou removed the pregnancy test from Stephanie's hand. She could tell from the look on her best friend's face that the news was not good. "What are you going to do?"
"Call my daddy. He'll help me," she replied. "I'll ask to live with grandpa and grandma in Chicago."
"Chicago is far away. Is Joe Morelli the dad?" Mary Lou asked. Joe had told everyone that Stephanie Plum was his property and would claim her before leaving for the Navy. Mary Lou wondered if the rumours were true.
Stephanie shook her head. "Besides that incident when I was six, Joe and I never had any sexual contact. Do you remember the Cuban family we met here during spring break?"
"Steph, please tell me you didn't have sex with one of those boys," Mary Lou groaned.
"Okay, I won't," Stephanie snapped. She wanted her friend's support, not criticism.
"Which one?" she quietly asked, realizing she had not acted like a supportive friend.
"The short, skinny one, Ricky, with the dark, silky hair and brown eyes," Stephanie dreamily said. "He came into the Tasty Pastry on June 15th. You remember me saying that I got tingles all over whenever he's around?" Stephanie waited for her to nod. "Ya, him. He kissed me, and my hormones went wild. OMG, Lou. His mouth on me, you know, down there, was a-freaking-making. I think I orgasmed. My whole body shook. Then he pushed into me and made my body shake again. I had to wash my clothes when I got home, so my mom didn't see the blood and semen in my panties."
"Because you didn't use protection," Mary Lou said, stating the obvious.
"No, we didn't. I'm so stupid, and I let myself get carried away," Stephanie cried. She nervously tugged on her blue shirt.
"Did he leave right away?" she asked. Mary Lou stilled Stephanie's hands.
Stephanie shook her head no. "He helped me clean the bakery and walked me home," Stephanie replied. She pulled her hands away from Mary Lou and picked at the loose threads on her jean shorts.
"I heard Joe slept with Valerie before leaving for the Navy. He stopped by the bakery first, but the door was locked," Mary Lou stated, trying to make her best friend feel better about her situation.
"I bet she was pissed," Stephanie laughed. "Thanks, Lou. You knew exactly what to say. I love you."
"I love you too, Steph. Come with me to call your dad," Mary Lou said, grabbing her best friend's hand. Stephanie pulled her hand free to wash her face. Mary Lou silently handed her a clean towel. The two girls had been friends since they were babies. They were part of the same Burg baby group with Joyce Barnhardt, Shirley Porter, Tina Rosolli and Gretchen Piper. Stephanie and Joyce had always hated each other. Shirley was Stephanie's cousin, while Tina and Gretchen were close friends.
"Hello," Frank answered the phone.
"Hey, Daddy. Are you alone?" Stephanie asked.
"Your mother is visiting your grandparents with Valerie," he replied.
"Thank god for small miracles," she sighed. "Um. Daddy? Could you come to Point Pleasant to the Molnar's beach house?"
"Will you tell me why you've been sick?" he countered. He suspected Stephanie was pregnant. Her brand of feminine products did not get replenished in a month. Frank noticed the small details.
"Yes," Stephanie replied. She wondered if her dad knew.
"I'll be there within the hour," Frank said before hanging up. He didn't contact Helen to tell her about the sudden trip.
Stephanie stared at the phone. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "Daddy is disappointed in me," she cried. Mary Lou wasn't sure how to respond. She wrapped Stephanie in her arms and let her cry into her shoulder.
They lay on Mary Lou's bed and cuddled together as they frequently do. "Lenny asked me out," Mary Lou stated, distracting Stephanie with her own teenage angst.
"Did you say yes?" Stephanie knew Mary Lou hoped the quarterback would ask her out. Typically, the quarterback dated the head cheerleader, but he didn't like Tina Rosolli. "Oh my god. You agreed to date him," Stephanie shouted.
"Shhh. My parents don't know. We're going to see a movie when I get home," Mary Lou stated.
Frank drove to Point Pleasant, assuming that Stephanie would say she got pregnant. He saw the handsome dark-skinned boy walk her to the door after her shift in June. The boy tugged a curl to wrap behind her ear and kissed her lips. Frank pretended to be asleep on the couch when she entered the house and went to the laundry room. Helen had finished washing and folding laundry but didn't bring it upstairs. She liked to leave it for the morning.
He stopped at the Point Pleasant travel agency to purchase a ticket for the first flight to Chicago. Frank assumed Stephanie would like to leave Trenton during her pregnancy. If Stephanie decided to stay home, the plane fare wouldn't break the bank.
Frank parked at the curb in front of the house. Stephanie approached him and held out her hand. Frank grabbed Stephanie's hand and let her lace her fingers with his like she did many times before. "Hey, Pumpkin," he said, leading Stephanie down the beach.
"I'm sorry, daddy. You're going to be disappointed in me," Stephanie said, wiping a stray tear from her chin using her free hand.
"Does this have to do with that boy I saw you with back in June?" he asked.
"You were awake?" Stephanie cried.
"I feigned sleep. I'll tell you a story. When I finish, you tell me if I'm correct. Okay?" Frank asked.
"Okay, daddy," she replied.
"My brave, adventurous, curious daughter longed to fly and be free. She got held back by her mean, overbearing, Burg gossiping mother and reprimanded if she didn't toe the line. For several years, my curious daughter asked her mother why she had urges and strong emotions towards boys. Her mother told her to behave like a proper Burg girl and stop asking questions. My daughter called her grandmother Plum to ask the same questions and got the answers she longed to hear from her mother. But when the mother found out, my daughter got forbidden from spending time with her grandparents. One day, when the hormones were ready to cause my daughter to explode, she met an attractive Latino boy. He met her after work and kissed her. They got carried away and gave in to their hormones. Unfortunately, they forgot to protect themselves from STDs and pregnancy. It's two months since the incident, and my daughter, my beautiful, curious and adventurous daughter discovered she's pregnant and has feels trapped," he finished.
"Yes, daddy. You're right," Stephanie said, passing Frank the pregnancy test. Tears dripped off her jaw, soaking her blue top.
"I called your grandparents in Chicago. They'll wait for you at the airport." Frank gave her the airline ticket. "I packed your bags, and I'll drive you to the airport. But only if you want to go."
"It's for the best. I want to say goodbye to Ricky, but I think leaving now is for the best," Stephanie said.
Stephanie held her father's hand as they walked across the damp sand back to the Molnar beach house. She hugged Mary Lou goodbye and promised to keep in touch. "I love you, Steph. Be brave, be strong, be happy and be Wonder Woman," Mary Lou said.
"I love you too, Mary Lou. I'll understand if your parents won't let us talk. Daddy had to tell your dad why I was leaving early," Stephanie stated. "We both know how the Burg can be. It's the only reason I agreed to go tonight. Please tell Ricky where I've gone."
They thanked the Molnar's for their hospitality. Martin promised to keep the pregnancy a secret. Frank guided Stephanie to the passenger seat after loading her beach bag into the trunk. As he drove towards the airport, he said, "It breaks my heart to send you away, but it's best for you and the child. I'll support your decision to keep the child or give it up for adoption. I'm your father first."
"Mom's going to freak," Stephanie said, crying. She wasn't going to see her friends for at least a year.
"I'll handle your mother. Right now, your happiness matters the most to me. The Burg would destroy you," Frank explained. Stephanie knew he was right. Helen Plum would tell everyone that her sixteen-year-old daughter was a slut and screwed random strangers.
Ricky returned to Point Pleasant for the second last weekend of August. Stephanie said she'd be there with her friend's family. He walked along the beach towards the blue and white house when a blond, blue-eyed girl approached him. "Hi, Ricky. Are you looking for Steph?" she asked.
"Yes. Is Steph here?" Ricky wondered.
"No. I'm sorry, Stephanie left a few days ago to live with her grandparents," Mary Lou replied. She gave him the phone number Stephanie had left behind. He slipped the paper into his jeans pocket.
"Oh. If you talk to Steph, can you say I was here?"
"Sure," Mary Lou stated before walking away. She was afraid to tell him that he would become a father. Mary Lou promised to keep Stephanie's pregnancy a secret. Unfortunately, the Burg never got the memo.
Ricky kicked the sand and walked back to the beach house his family rented. His sister Celia watched as he returned. She ran out to meet him a few meters away. "Was Steph there?" Celia asked.
"No, gone. Moved away without saying goodbye," Ricky sadly replied.
"I'm sorry, Ric," Celia whispered and hugged her brother.
"Babe left me," Ricky said as a tear dripped from his eye.
"You don't know that for sure. Maybe Steph had no choice," Celia offered. "Ric, she'll come back to you. Keep the faith."
Ricky shrugged until Celia released him. He ran to the rental home and went to his room. Nothing could assuage the guilt he felt for taking Stephanie's virginity or heal his broken heart. Ric vowed never to fall in love again. Images of Stephanie's wildly curly hair and beautiful blue eyes would haunt him for the rest of his life. "I love you, Stephanie. You will always be my Babe."
Frank had helped Stephanie get to the security gate at Newark airport. "Please call when you get there," Frank whispered, hugging his youngest daughter.
"Okay, daddy. Thank you for helping," Stephanie said before kissing his cheek. Stephanie loaded her bags onto the conveyor to get scanned. Her ticket got checked, and she got directed to the correct gate. Before leaving, Stephanie turned around to blow her dad a kiss. She noticed he looked sad to see her go.
He waved at his daughter one last time. Frank waited until she was out of sight before exiting the airport to drive home. His baby would have a child in nine months. "God, please keep her safe," Frank prayed.
Helen hung up the phone after talking to Luanne Molnar. She fell onto the kitchen chair. Her daughter, Stephanie, was pregnant. "Why me?" Helen cried. "Why did my daughter have to act like a slut?" She wasted no time spreading the rumour around the Burg.
Frank dropped by the legion to have a drink with his friends. Joe Juniak approached him, carrying an extra beer for his buddy. "Thanks," Frank grunted. "What's the occasion?"
"Susan got an interesting phone call today. She heard that Stephanie is pregnant from whoring herself, and you shipped her to Chicago," Juniak announced. Frank was furious. Only Frank, Luanne, Martin, Stephanie, Mary Lou and his parents knew Stephanie got pregnant. He raised an eyebrow, keeping his emotions hidden from his friend. "Susan heard it from Helen, who got the news from Luanne Molnar."
"I'm going to kill her," Frank mumbled. He slammed the empty beer bottle on the table and pushed his chair back. Frank drove home, ready to handle his gossiping wife. He entered the house when Edna answered the ringing phone.
Edna Mazur received a call from her best friend, Mabel Markowitz, Helen's next-door neighbour. Mabel had heard through the Burg gossip grapevine that Edna's youngest granddaughter got caught prostituting herself and got pregnant. "What do you mean?" Edna asked her friend.
"Helen heard it from Luanne. She got the news from Martin, who heard it directly from Frank, your son-in-law. Frank disowned Stephanie and shipped her off to live with his parents," Mabel explained.
"Stephanie is not a prostitute. I bet that no good Morelli boy took advantage of her," Edna stated. She was furious that Helen was spreading horrible things about Stephanie.
"Angie Morelli said Joseph had sex with Valerie, not Stephanie. Stella Gazarra said she saw a dark-coloured boy walking Stephanie home one night a few months ago," Mabel added.
"Hmph. Until I hear it from my granddaughter, I don't believe a single word," Edna said before saying goodbye.
Four hours after Stephanie left her dad at the security gate, she landed in Chicago's airport. The kind flight attendant took her to baggage claim. "Would you be okay from here? I have to catch another flight in thirty minutes," Rita asked.
"I should be okay. My grandparents should be here soon. Thanks for helping me, Rita," Stephanie said.
"No problem, dear. Take care of yourself, okay?" Stephanie nodded, fighting back the tears threatening to drop from her eyes.
"Stephie," a familiar voice called as Stephanie reached for her luggage.
"Grandma," she cried and flew into her arms. She hugged Stephanie as Frank Sr grabbed the bags from the belt.