Rose came in towards the end of Rey's set, and lifted her glass in salute as Rey started into her last song. It was upbeat, as last songs should be, a celebration of having got through so much and just being here, alive and well and coping with life. Rey let her fingers go into autoplay over the chords, her muscle memory taking over as she sang.
And I never asked for money,
Or what I can't return
For I don't want a thing I cannot own,
I've made it here myself despite all you tried to do,
And what I've made has now become my home.
There was applause as she finished – not as much as some nights, but it was the summer holidays and a lot of people had gone home for the break. Lucky them. Rey packed her guitar away, closed the piano lid and walked down from the stage into her friend's arms.
"You ok, hon?" Rose pushed Rey's hair back from her forehead, and felt her skin. "You're looking a bit out of it."
"Yeah, not feeling the greatest. I'm so tired. Must be the summer weather."
"Definitely." They sat down, and Rose pushed across a large cranberry juice. "So …"
"So?"
"Have you seen the filthy son of a bitch?"
Rey leaned back and took a large sip. "I take it you mean that two-timing shit of an Enric who chose my birthday to tell me he'd split with his wife not to be with me, but to shack up with Bazine? After giving me excuses for two months and then telling me to meet him here after my gig?" Rey drank again. "Nope. But have you?"
"He's moved in with her."
"Bastard."
"You were well rid of that one."
"Yeah, but seriously." Rey waved her hand expansively over the table. "Shagging your top student for a year, telling her that you've got something special planned for her birthday, then dumping her in the changeroom of the club?"
"Yup."
"You're right. I'm well rid of him." She sipped again, then passed it over to Rose. "Does this taste a bit odd to you?"
"Off?" Rose sniffed the drink, then tasted it. "Seems ok to me."
"They might need to clean the pipes. It's got a metallic tang."
"I'm not getting it." Rose passed the glass back.
"I might be coming down with something again." Rey drank gingerly. "Two lots of stomach flu in three weeks is a bit much. I'm tired as all get-out, and I just can't seem to get my act together this week. "
"It is summer. No-one has their act together."
"Yeah."
"So, tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"Seen him again?"
"The ex?"
Rose laughed. "Crumbs, no. The guy from the other week."
"Who?" Rey tried to look innocent, but failed miserably as Rose punched her arm. "Oh, you mean Ben?"
"Yeah. Ben. Has he been in touch?"
Rey just looked at the table, and Rose leaned over.
"You did give him your number, didn't you?"
"Ummm…"
"Did you at least thank him for a lovely evening?"
"I … sort of … left before that." Rey's face was now the colour of her drink, and Rose punched her arm again.
"I left you chatting with him on that night, and then I ran into you when I went for coffee the next morning and you were staggering home with love-bites all over your neck. So don't tell me you didn't do anything."
"We did."
"And was he any good?" Rose cackled as Rey blushed again. "So why aren't you seeing more of him?"
"Because I don't remember his surname, or exactly where he lives, and because I woke up to see my underwear on his pillow and I was too embarrassed to face him, so I crept out, and I haven't seen him since."
"Shame. He seemed nice."
"He was." Rey finished her drink. "And he knows where I work – we talked about books – and he's a student at the Uni, so he's probably gone home for the holidays or something. If he turns up again, that'd be lovely, but it's not essential."
"At least he wasn't an axe murderer."
"Not this one, no. Now Enric …"
"Yeah, I can see him being an axe-murderer." Rose finished hers, and they linked arms as they headed out of The Cantina together.
They headed up the steps to their apartment block, and stopped outside Rey's door.
Rose hugged her hard. "Wanna come with me tomorrow? I need some new underwear, and that warehouse on 43rd is having a sale."
"That'd be a good idea. All mine are acting weird."
"All yours? Haven't you got, like, only two bras?"
"One to wear and one to wash. What's your problem?" Rey readjusted her breasts in their cups, cursing. "Probably could do with a couple more, I suppose. This one's getting stupidly uncomfortable."
"Well I only want two, but the warehouse is doing Buy one Get one Free, so let's."
"Bang on my door about ten?"
"Sounds good." The pair separated, Rey going into her studio apartment and Rose heading up to the two-bedroom she shared with her sister.
The next morning, Rose banged on the door, then listened for the sound of footsteps. She heard them cross the floor, halt – then bolt for the small bathroom that lay off Rey's living space. Two minutes later there was a flushing, and the front door opened. Rose came in as Rey staggered back to her bed and collapsed on it, hugging a pillow to herself.
"What's up, hon?"
"That bastard next door is cooking garlic."
"But you like garlic."
"Not at the moment I don't." Rey clutched the pillow tighter. "Maybe this is why I feel like shit. Food poisoning or something."
"What did you have to eat last night?"
"Burger and fries – the usual." Rey stopped, dropped the pillow and ran for the bathroom again. When she came out, she looked pale and dizzy, and Rose helped her back to her futon.
"I'll make you some tea."
Ten minutes later, Rey was sipping the tea and looking a great deal more human, but Rose was pacing the floor.
"Can I ask you some questions, hon? No judgement, but I think we should check."
"Check what?"
"When you slept with this guy, you used condoms, didn't you?"
Rey blushed. "Well, yes." Then paused. "I think so."
"Every time?"
"Pretty sure … oh …" She set the tea down and put her head in her hands. "Like, we did, each time. I know we did. He's … he was really good about that. But the last time …"
"He used one?"
"He did, but … look, this is a bit gross, but we fell asleep right afterwards. I think he was still inside me."
Rose sat down beside her and took her hand. "And?"
"And when I woke up I left, and ran home."
"Yes?"
"Went to the loo, had a drink of water, went to bed …"
"Keep going." Rose held her hand tighter.
"And then woke up with the world's worst hangover, so I hit the loo to throw up and there was something floating in it." Rey shook her head. "I think I know what it was now. I didn't then, but it makes sense."
"And?"
"It was the last condom." Rey looked as if she was about to cry. "I think it came off inside me, and then fell out when I went to the loo."
"But you're on the pill, right?"
"Absolutely. Take it every day, when the alarm goes off on my phone. It's due to ring in about five minutes. And besides, I had my period last week."
"I remember – wasn't it incredibly light? Over in just a couple of days?" Rose shook her head. "And didn't you have food poisoning or stomach flu or something like that three weeks ago?"
There was silence – a shocked, uncomprehending silence for a minute or two – then Rey started crying as Rose held her.
"It's okay, hon. I'm here. You've got me and Paige. First thing we do, get you tested, then you can work out what your options are. Because there's more than just pregnancy here. If that condom came off, there's STDs as well."
"What? Where?"
"If you mean where can I get tested?, there's a reason there's a Planned Pregnancy clinic near the campus. They're open today. We should go down there."
"But I was going to go shopping with you!"
"Looking after you is far more important." Rose picked up the tea and handed it to Rey. "Let's get you dressed and we'll head down."
As Rey took a shower, Rose made a quick phone call, and wrote down a list. The items on the left were choices; those on the right, prices. At the top, directions and information lay below a time. Rey came out towelling her hair, and Rose sat on the bed while Rey rummaged for clothing.
"I'd be better wearing a skirt, yes?"
"Probably. I called them."
"Why?"
"To check they were open and see if you needed an appointment. They said to come in at 11:30, so you've got time for a bite to eat."
"But shouldn't I be fasting?"
"Not today." Rose checked her list. "All they'll do is a pregnancy and STD test, check you're healthy, then give you the options. I asked them for … I've got the information. We'll talk it over once you've had something to eat."
"Eat. Right." Rey grabbed her wallet. "Wait. You seem so … Have you done this before?"
"Not me." Rose folded the list and slipped it into her pocket. "But someone I know did. Couple of years back. So I know the routine. And besides, you know how I'm always busy on Tuesday mornings?"
"Your second job?"
"I don't get paid." Rose picked up her own bag. "I'm a clinic escort."
"Tell me about it over breakfast. I think I could eat something now."
They made their way to the little café a block down from the clinic, and Rose ordered a fruit salad for Rey, and some dry toast. To Rey's relief, this lot stayed down, and Rose filled her in.
"So if you go for an abortion, you need to be there early. And of course the protesters are always there. They'll be there this morning, but it won't be too bad because it's well after when the clients come in." Rose sipped her iced tea. "You'd think they'd realise a person doesn't come for an abortion for the fun of it. Or doesn't wake up one morning and think Oh, yes, Tuesday. I think I'll have an abortion. Women have abortions for lots of different reasons. But the protesters scream, and guilt-trip them, and lie about what happens inside the clinic. Which reminds me – don't look at the pictures they're holding. They're graphic and disgusting, and usually mis-labelled."
"Beasts." Rey nibbled on a grape. "So what's the information you got?"
"First of all, they check to see if you actually are pregnant. For all we know, this could genuinely be a tummy bug, or some sort of alien infestation."
"Thanks. You're saying I slept with some Interplanetary Space Overlord?"
"At least he was a cute Interplanetary Space Overlord." Rose giggled. "Anyway, if you come up positive, then we can assume what you had a week or so ago was just a breakthrough bleed, and the one you need to know is the date of your last proper period. Do you remember?"
"Oh god yeah." Rey shook her head. "The day after the Revolution."
"What?"
"You don't think I, a native-born English woman, would call it Independence Day, do you?"
"You got citizenship years ago."
"Yeah, but I still have my values!" The pair cracked up. "Anyway, definitely July 5th. Luke was pissed off because he thought I was trying to take an extra-long weekend – the Fourth was Thursday – so I dragged myself in to the bookshop and he had to admit after an hour that I really was in pain. Put me to sleep on the couch in the break room."
"Right. So your choices will be as follows: keep the baby, put the baby up for adoption, have an abortion, or put the child in fo-mmmph!" Rose's last word was blocked by Rey's hand across her mouth.
"That is not an option."
"I had to mention it."
"Okay. You had to put it on the list, but you can cross it right off." Rey looked out the window beside them, over the park to the campus opposite. "I did not go through years of crap, living with Plutt, scrimp and slave and work my butt off to get to university to put a child into the foster system."
"Fair." Rose tapped the list. "And for abortion, you've got the choice of medical or surgical."
"Oh God." Rey dragged her hands down her face. "It's all going to cost, isn't it?"
"Luckily your insurance should cover you for some of it. But yeah, it's not going to be cheap, and depending on which one you choose, it's going to mean a couple of days off work." Rose slid over the list, and Rey looked down at the charges and items.
"So more if I'm totally sedated, less because I'm Rh Positive, but the pill thing means three days off work. Right. Time?"
"Ten to."
"Let's go. The sooner I confirm things, the sooner I can decide."
"You know what's the craziest about the protesters?" Rose faced the entrance to the clinic and linked her arm through Rey's so that they were facing the gauntlet together. A phalanx of angry people stood on either side of the carefully-painted access zone lines, waving placards and yelling.
"No, what?"
"For all they know, you could be coming in here for a pregnancy check with every intention of having the baby, but they'll still scream at you. As if it's anyone's decision but yours."
Rey chewed her lip for a moment. "What about Ben?"
"What about him? If you decide you want to have the baby, then yes, we'll work out how to get in touch with him, but at this stage it is 100% your choice, your decision, your life." Rose hugged her again. "And whatever you choose, you're still my best friend and I still love you."
"Right then. Let's do this." Rey squared her shoulders and walked forward with Rose, between the people who stayed just on their sides of the lines, yet threw imprecations and epithets and impossible pleas at the two women. The door opened in front of them, and they walked from the heat and the curses into a cool, calm waiting room.
