Hey guys!
Sorry I haven't updated in so long. One thing to remember the questions from my last update are still open so the jury is still out on whether it is single, double, girl, or boy! Anyways your review literally make my day! Please follow, favorite, and REVIEW!
Kisses,
Em
Riley's POV
The seconds passed like years, everything was in slow motion. I glanced down at my stomach and closed my eyes, tears rushing down my face.
"I recommend you book an appointment with her within the next week." The doctor said while handing me a business card for an OB-GYN. She said while quickly standing up and rolling the stool back under the counter. She briskly walked over and rubbed my shoulder reassuringly then left the room.
Lucas's POV
I heard the doctor close the door and I look up. She glanced at me and slowly shook her head before walking away. About halfway down the hallway I saw her slow to a stop and spin on her heel until she was facing me. She said something about me going and getting Riley from the room.
I jumped up and ran in to the room, I didn't know if I could take any more surprises.
Riley was laying in the fetal position on the plastic bench. Her eyes appeared to be glued shut with tears rushing down her face.
I slowly gathered her in my arms and walked out of he door while texting Topanga that I would meet her back at the house soon. After the doctor asked us to step outside Topanga had gotten a call from her office requesting that she come in.
So it was just Riley and I.
I could not explain how awkward and yet heartbreaking to was to have to pry Riley from my neck and sit her in the passenger seat of my car. Lately I had seemed to become Riley's security blanket. She was always holding on to me in someway. One time she had even jokingly said that I was her plaster.
Judging by the fact that the plaster holding her calm facade together seemed to be crumbling to dust I don't think that I am doing well.
I quickly jogged around my car and climbed into the drivers seat. After starting the car I peeled out of the hospital lot and just started driving. My tires hugged the asphalt for what seemed like hours until I figured out where to go.
Our bench.
After the whole "accident" (as Riley liked to call it) occurred her and I had constantly been to the bench, it was where where she poured her heart out only to me. Something about this little old bench that was rusted and dented more then the Statue of Liberty broke down the lengthy walls Riley had built as a defense.
I was just hoping and praying that it worked like that now.
After I decided to go to the bench the drive didn't feel long, maybe ten minutes. Along those ten minutes Riley had slowly unfurled herself and slowly sat back up until she just stared straight at the business card she had wrinkled beyond recognition to my eyes.
I saw her pull her phone out of the pocket of her worn Abercrombie jeans and quickly dial a phone number that I assumed corresponded to the little business card.
It looked like she held her breath as it rang. Each ring seemed to turn her face redder until I could hear the click of a receiver on the other end.
"Hello?" Riley said with a look of pure fear on her face.
Riley's POV
"Hello?" I said, my throat felt like sandpaper and my eyes felt like the Pacific Ocean during Hurricane Sandy, filled with big salty tears.
"What can I do for you today ma'am?" The friendly front desk worker responded over the phone.
"I need to schedule an appointment, Dr. Monahan referred me." I explained hoping that Lucas wouldn't realize what the appointment was for.
"Okay, so if you are looking for a preliminary meeting, which I am assuming you are, we want to get you in as soon as possible. It looks like I can get you in at 3:00 o'clock tomorrow afternoon." The to cheerful woman said.
"Okay that should work," I said after mentally running through my schedule, "Please book that for Riley Matthews."
"Sure hon. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye bye now." The worker said as she hung up the receiver.
"What appointment is that?" Lucas said quietly.
I fumbled for an answer. I couldn't tell him now, but what could I say instead. This was one of those no good choice scenarios, either I outright tell him or I risk getting myself caught in a spider web of lies.
"Oh, it's just a uh back specialist. Dr. Monahan just wanted to make sure I didn't become the Hunchback of New York." I said with a slight laugh. Smooth Riley, really smooth I thought.
"Okay," Lucas said, seemingly okay with that answer, "We are almost to the park, so you can tell me what the real appointment is now or wait for the bench."
"I am telling the truth." I argued with a slight frown.
"Nope." Lucas said as he parked the car. He quickly walked around the car and swung open the door while grabbing me by my waist and pulling me out.
"You get until after that appointment tomorrow to explain yourself." Lucas said as we walked towards the bench.
"Okay," I agreed, "Can I borrow your car real quick tomorrow while you have practice?" I asked. Normally I would just take the subway but after the whole accident went down I didn't feel safe in large public places like that alone any more. To many people, to many malicious intentions.
"Sure, but I don't have to go to practice. You know what, I won't go and I'll just drive you to your appointment." Lucas said as we sat down on the bench.
"No. Lucas, you have missed ten practices, I can practically see your six pack fading." I tried to joke, "You need to go to practice, besides it's a quick appointment. I'll be back before practice is over, I promise." I said while checking the time JAHS football practice ended tomorrow.
"You'll find me sitting on the bleachers tomorrow." I said while standing up and stretching.
"Now, are you going to buy me lunch or what?" I said while pulling Lucas to his feet.
Maya's POV
I ducked through Riley's windowsill as I had done everyday for the past ten years to find something new. Riley completely absorbed in her computer to the point that she didn't even hear the clunk of my boot as it hit the old, creaky hardwood.
"Riley?" I called out, trying to get her attention.
"Oh Maya! I didn't hear you, sorry." She said while quickly slamming the lid of her computer.
"It's fine." I said with worry ringing through my voice. Riley was holding something back.
"So I was thinking dark wash high rise jeans with a flannel and boots." Riley said while gesturing to the outfit she had laid out on her pristine bed.
"Looks good to me. Fishtail?" I asked while sitting Riley down in the chair beside her vanity.
"Messy bun please." She requested while scrolling through instagram. She was on some random ladies baby bows page. That's strange, I thought. Why would Riley be looking at baby bows?
After I prepared Riley's hair and she threw on some makeup and her clothiers we walked down to the kitchen to kiss her mom on her cheek and say goodbye to her father.
Well, that's what we would have normally done. Instead Riley crawled out of her window and onto the fire escape while motioning for me to follow.
What a great start to the day I thought.
The rest of the day didn't get any better. Loads of homework was assigned in every class and there was nothing good for lunch in the cafeteria. It was basically par with my day when Riley announced that she had to go to a doctor's appointment as the bell rang. Before I could even say okay she was out the door and halfway to Lucas's old, beat-up land rover.
Riley's POV
I could not explain how anxious I felt as I sat in the chair in the waiting room. My toes seemed to tap a pattern no legendary percussionist could follow. My gut flipped up and down like the pancakes did when my mom was cooking them. I was worried someone was going to see me, maybe post it on the John Adams High School version of Gossip Girl nicknamed the Eagle Eye after our school's mascot.
"Riley Matthews." I heard called by a nurse in the back of the room as she held the door open with her foot. She tapped her pen against the clipboard patiently as Riley gathered her jacket and jogged over.
"Hi sweetie, right this way." She said once I had crossed the threshold of the door.
She led me back to a small room with what I would guess contained all the instruments necessary for an ultrasound.
"The doctor will be right with you." The nurse said after taking my temperature.
How did I get myself here, I wondered. Barely eighteen and sitting in an OB-GYN waiting to see if my rapist got me pregnant. Living the American dream.
After what seemed like decades the door creaked open and a pretty African American woman named Dr. Mayland (according to her name tag) walked in.
"Hi Riley, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you." She said while clasping my hand in hers. She had that gentle mom like aurora surrounding her, persuading me that I could calm down.
"Hello, Doctor. Thank you for getting me in so soon." I said while settling down in the examination chair and lifting my shirt up as the doctor instructed.
"So Dr. Monahan sent you?" The doctor confirmed as she applied some very cold gel to the lower center of my stomach.
"Correct." I said.
"And her estimate was?" The doctor asked.
"About one and half weeks." I said as I tried to keep a straight face while looking away from the screen.
"Okay so what we are seeing here is what looks like a little peanut." The doctor said while gesturing with her lacquered fingernail.
I slowly raised my eyes to the screen and let out a small gasp as I saw the little oval that the doctor was pointing at.
"That's your baby." She said with a grin.
"Now, I don't mean to brag. But I always predict the gender of the babies before they are born, and I have never got one wrong." The doctor said with a smile.
"And your prediction is?" I asked with an edge of uncertainty cutting through my voice.
"Girl." She said while wiping off my stomach.
Wow. I Riley Matthews am pregnant with a maybe-girl. A girl. A girl that I could dress up in bows and dresses and put her hair in buns and ponytails and pig tails and…
"Okay, so I want to see you in three weeks Riley. Book with the worker at the counter on your way out." The doctor said while giving me a quick hug and effectively breaking me out of my inner monolouge.
As my hand touched the door handle the doctor suddenly turned around and handed me an envelope.
"Pictures," She said, "Of your sonogram." She explained with a light smile and a kiss on the check.
And with that I was out of the office. I scheduled the exact same appointment with the worker and quickly jogged to the car with my head down. As I turned the keys in the ignition I threw my purse and the photos on the ground. I didn't want to be in that parking lot any longer.
The drive to the school went fast and I soon was in the car with Lucas heading home.
"Thanks." I said while grabbing my purse from the ground as I hopped out of the car.
"No problem." He said with a laid back smile.
"I'll see you later." I said.
He gave a quick wave and then sped off.
I walked into my house and settled on the couch with Auggie as soon as I walked in to watch the rest of his real estate TV show he was watching and sighed contently.
I shouldn't have been so happy, but of course I didn't realize what I had left in the car.
Smack dab on the middle of Lucas's Weather Tech floor mats lay a single picture of a sonogram just waiting to be seen by the wrong eyes. All it took was one look.
