Changed

"That went even worse than I thought. And I knew it was going to be bad." AJ said, sitting on a bench outside where she had met Punk, "I had to actually run out of the house because they were keeping me in." AJ turned to him.

"Do I wanna know what they said?" Punk asked.

A week had gone by and AJ had plucked up the courage to tell her parents that she was pregnant. For any parent, to hear their seventeen year old daughter was pregnant wasn't exactly ideal or expected, but for her parents, it really was like the world was ending, and if they hated Punk before, they wanted him dead now.

"You were right." AJ nodded, "They want me to get an abortion." AJ said, turning to him as he nodded.

"Well, it's not their decision." Punk shrugged, "It's ours." He nodded.

"They also suggested moving me to a school for troubled teens." AJ nodded, "So there's that too." She said as Punk shook his head, "Have you told anyone?"

"No, I've got no one to tell." Punk shrugged, "I'm just trying to figure it out. Not just what's best for us but… what's best for… it." Punk said as she nodded. She had to admire how responsible he was being. Any other foolish high school boy would no doubt have ran off or encouraged an abortion, but he was really trying to think about things, and how they could work something out. She loved that. She really did.

"Thank you for being here for me." AJ nodded, "I'm sure it would be easier for you to run. You always talk about."

"I'd never run away from you. I'd run with you." He made clear, "But not away from you."

"We can't leave, Phil. We have no money. And we can't then have a baby and bring that into the situation." She said, "It won't work." She said.

"Do you want it?" Punk asked her, "This baby?" He said. To most, it would be a straight yes or no answer, but she just didn't know. She really wasn't prepared, especially at such an age, to answer a question like that.

"I'm seventeen." AJ shook her head, "My mom still makes my dinner for me." She rolled her eyes.

"I don't want you to feel any pressure. I'll be with you for whatever you decide. If you wanna… if you want to get an abortion, I'll be there for you, if you wanna have it, I'll be there." Punk nodded, "I'm not gonna leave." He made himself clear as she smiled.

Being as scared as she was, hearing that from him was such a relief.

"Thank you." AJ nodded, leaning over and kissing his cheek as he nodded, "I think I need to go to the doctors." She said, "To see how far along I am." She nodded.

"Do you want me to come?" Punk asked her.

"My mom said she's taking me." AJ rolled her eyes, "I don't think she'll let you come with us." AJ admitted as Punk nodded, "I'll come see you after." She said as Punk nodded.

"Sure." He said.

"You're about thirteen weeks, April." The doctor nodded as she gave AJ her first ultrasound. AJ could tell she was being extra nice to her because she was so young. She assumed she probably felt sorry for her, which wasn't particularly a nice feeling.

"And can you tell her the best option for her at this age. She's seventeen." Janet stood beside AJ on the bed. AJ really wished it was Punk with her instead of her mother.

"Well it's different for everyone." The doctor smiled, "And it's what April wants. There's abortion up to twenty four weeks, so you still have some time." The doctor said, "You can have your baby, there's a lot of support groups here at the hospital for young mother's, there's adoption and foster care. If you don't feel you can take care of the baby but don't want to go through with the abortion, that might be something worth looking at." She said.

"She goes to school. She has a bright future." Janet said, "You would recommend an abortion, wouldn't you?" She asked the doctor who shook her head.

"It's not my place to recommend anything. April will decide what she wants and we'll help her through whatever that is." She nodded, "This isn't the first time a girl as young as you has been in this situation. I've saw plenty of young girls have their baby and… they wouldn't change for the world."

"Are you encouraging her to have this baby?" Janet asked angrily.

"Mom." AJ shook her head, "I'm so sorry about her." She looked at the doctor who just rubbed her hand softly. She was getting more support from a strange doctor than her own mother at the minute.

"Miss, I'm just encouraging April to do what she wishes. This is her baby, her body and therefore her decision. If she would like to go through with the pregnancy then I have no problem booking her in and giving her information. If she would like to consider an abortion, I can book her an appointment. I think it's important you think about it, April." She nodded.

"This is going to ruin her life." Janet said.

"I bet a lot of young mother's would disagree with you, Miss Mendez." The doctor nodded.

"I don't want an abortion." AJ said quietly as Janet turned to her, "I… I don't want to do that." She shook her head. She knew she wouldn't go through with it. She knew it was her decision and her right to have the choice, but she knew it would stay with her forever.

"April, don't be ridiculous. You can't have this baby." Janet shook her head, "That boy has absolutely nothing to offer you."

"So the father is involved?" The doctor asked as AJ nodded.

"No." Janet scoffed.

"I'd like to see him and April at your next appointment." The doctor nodded to AJ, "I'd like him to be informed about this too." She said as AJ smiled to the doctor with appreciation.

"He won't be involved." Janet said, "Are we done here?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're done." The doctor nodded, helping AJ up, "It's what you want." She told AJ quietly and nodded, "Ok?" She said as AJ smiled and nodded. Having a professional give her support was actually rather helpful and calming, "Oh, don't forget your picture." She said, handing AJ the black and white picture as she looked at it.

"It's really small." Punk screwed his eyes up, walking to school the next morning looking at the ultrasound picture, which was hard to believe that it was their baby.

"Yeah, the doctor was super nice to me actually." AJ nodded, "She basically shut my mom and made sure I knew it was my decision and not hers. And she wants you to come to the next appointment." She said, "I think she understands the situation going on."

"Well at least someone does." Punk said, continuing to look down at the picture.

"Phil, I'm not gonna get an abortion." She said, "I still don't know much right now but… I know we'll figure it out, one way or the other." She said.

"I just want what's best for you." He nodded.

"It would constantly be on my mind. All the time." AJ shook her head, "Maybe if I didn't have you, things would be different."

"Well in all fairness, if you didn't have me, you wouldn't have the baby." He laughed a little as she smiled.

"That's true." AJ nodded, "I know we're scared, and we're young, and we really have… no support from anyone but we love each other. That counts for something, right?" AJ said as Punk smiled and nodded.

"That's all that matters." He nodded, putting his arm around her and kissing her head.

It was such a scary time, but to have each other meant everything.

AJ was in the midst of getting changed for cheer practise when her breakfast suddenly came back on her, making her sprint to the bathroom and throw up.

Whilst she was experiencing the joys of morning sickness, the cheer squad were getting changed in the lockers.

"Anyone have any spear deodorant?" One of the girls asked, checking everyone's bags, coming across AJ's and digging inside as the ultrasound picture fell out, "Holy shit." She said as they turned around, "She's pregnant." She gasped as they all stood up and crowded around the picture as Eve looked over.

AJ had made her way from the bathroom, walking around into the changing area where she saw the team crowding around.

"What's going on?" AJ asked them tiredly.

"You're pregnant." One of them gasped as AJ looked across at them.

"April, is this for real?" Eve asked with confusion as AJ looked across at them.

"It's… it's not mine." AJ shook her head.

"It literally has your name at the top." Eve said, "You are pregnant."

"Can you give me it back, please?" AJ asked, walking over and taking it back from them, walking back over to her bag and putting it in, "Uh… can you guys please not tell anyone about this." She said, looking up as she saw many of them already on their phones, "Please." She begged as Eve looked across at her.

"Hey, why didn't you tell me about this?" Eve asked her, "Is it Phil's?"

"Yes." AJ nodded, "Please, I don't want everyone finding out." She shook her head worriedly.

"Come here." Eve sighed, wrapping her arms around her as AJ hugged into her.

She was supposed to be living her teenage life, taking exams, being on the cheerleading team, going to parties and growing up. This was not part of the plan at all.

Lunch came around and whilst she spotted Punk over with Jamie and the rest of his friends, it appeared that her friends weren't anywhere to be seen.

She paid for her lunch and walked around the cafeteria, pausing when she realised… people were staring at her. And then she spotted people a boy stuffing his jacket up his t-shirt, whilst another was cradling his bottle of water.

She tried to turn a blind eye to it and keep walking forward, but the more she dove into the café, the more she realised everyone was looking at her and whispering. She had no choice but to go sit with Punk, as her friends appeared to be nowhere.

"Hey." AJ swallowed the lump in her throat, sitting down at the table.

"Hey." Punk said, "You ok?" He asked her as she nodded to him.

"Hey, April. Why are you not with Eve and the girls?" Jamie asked.

"I-I don't know where they are." AJ said honestly.

"What? They went out for lunch. They didn't tell you?" Jamie asked as AJ shook her head.

"No, they didn't." AJ shook her head as Punk looked across at her with confusion. It wasn't like her friends to leave her. It was normally AJ who made the plans, he knew that much.

AJ didn't let it bother her until suddenly one of the guys from the football team walked by, throwing a carton of milk down onto her tray as it burst everywhere, "For the baby, Mendez!" He chuckled with his friends as Punk stood up.

"Phil, just leave it." AJ warned him, watching as he tackled the guy over some chairs and tables, punching him in the face. She'd never saw him so angry and violent before and it was terrifying to see.

She immediately left the scene, taking her bag and leaving the school whilst Jamie and his friends jumped in to get Punk off, calming him down whilst the other group of guys pulled their friend away.

"April." Punk turned around, noticing she had gone. He ran off out of the cafeteria and out of the school, looking around as he spotted AJ walking down out of the gates, "April." He called, running after her and catching up to her, "How the hell does everyone know in there?" He shook his head.

"Stay the hell away from me." AJ made clear.

"What?" Punk shook his head as AJ turned to him.

"I said stay away from me." AJ spat. She was horrified by how he had acted. She knew he was defending her, but the level of violence scared her.

"That prick deserved that and you know it." Punk shook his head.

"Just leave me alone." AJ shook her head, walking off as Punk sighed, running his hands through his hair whilst AJ walked off.

She had no idea how quickly things would change. And everything really had changed.