I know it's short. Sorry. Hopefully, the next couple of chapters will be longer. But we'll see; I don't know how long I want this story to be. Enjoy.

Chapter 4

"So you're staying with Collins and his parents now?" Maureen asked Andy, a few weeks later, when they were hanging out at the Johnson's house. School had started and they were all struggling to adjust to a heavier schedule.

"Yeah," Andy said, smiling slightly, "at least until my emancipation order goes through. Roger's mom didn't think it would be a good idea for me to stay at his house, because of his dad, but there's no worry of that at Collins' place. It's very nice there. I like his parents a lot. And you know how Collins is, always stepping in to take care of me when Roger's not there."

"Everyone loves me, and everyone loves you, Andy," Collins said, smiling down at her. "You know, if I wasn't gay…" His voice trailed off playfully.

Andy laughed. But as quickly as she had, she stopped. She had been having flashes of pain in her chest and shoulders occasionally, but she thought it was just tension, so she took Ibuprofen to relieve the pain.

Now, though, she was feeling sick. Without even politely excusing herself, she ran out of the room, across the hall to the bathroom, and slammed the door, so the others wouldn't hear her being sick.

Finally, a few long seconds later, she stopped. She collapsed against the bathtub, shaking violently. "Andy, are you OK in there?" Roger called, knocking on the door.

"It's— it's open, Roger," Andy said weakly. A second later, Roger opened the door and went in to her.

"Andy, what's wrong? Was it something we said?" he asked her. He sat down on the floor with her and took her into his arms. "Are you sick? Talk to me, baby, what is it?"

"Well… I've been feeling nauseous for a while now— a couple weeks, at least— but I've never thrown up until now," Andy admitted, embarrassed.

"What do you suppose it could be; the flu?" Roger asked, stroking her hair.

"No," Andy said, "as a matter of fact, I'm sure it isn't. I… I think I'm pregnant, Roger."

Roger looked down at her. "You do?" he asked. "Baby, that's great." Then he noticed her face. "Isn't it?"

"I don't know, Roger," Andy said. "I don't even know for sure. I'll have to find out. But we're seniors, Roger. We can't have a baby now. We have to graduate and get through college and go into the work force. How are we supposed to do that with a baby?"

"I don't know, baby," Roger said.

Andy grimaced. "Roger… I hate to say this, but… please don't call me that. I… I don't want to think about the fact that I'm the first pregnant senior."

Roger stared at her, taken aback. But he saw her reason and respected her wishes. "OK, Andy," he said, "I'm sorry. What can I do to help?"

"You don't have to, Roger," Andy said. "It's OK, I'll live."

Roger sighed and pulled her close to him, wondering what they had both gotten themselves into.

Maureen walked into Collins' house, the next day, and heard yelling. She found this to be very odd; Collins was the most laid-back person she knew, and his parents never yelled. Listening more closely, she realized that it was Roger and Andy. She walked closer to the slightly-ajar door and listened.

"Roger, what happened last night… it was a mistake," Andy said.

"A mistake? Andy, you call me losing my virginity to someone a mistake?" Roger said angrily, obviously upset.

"Well, in case you didn't notice, I lost my virginity, too!" Andy yelled.

"Then how can you call that a mistake?" Roger demanded. "It was beautiful, Andy. It was the best night of my life. Andy, I love you. What more could you want?"

"We had too much champagne, Roger. It never should have happened; at least not yet. Roger, you know we weren't really ready."

"The champagne changed that."

"That's exactly my point."

"OK, so what do you want to do? Get an abortion?"

Outside the door, Maureen was stunned at Roger's angry suggestion. She now knew two things she hadn't known before, that Roger and Andy were keeping from them: that they had made love and Andy was pregnant as a result. But she continued to listen. Andy was her best friend. She didn't want her to get hurt.

"No, Roger, I don't want that. That's killing our own child. But we can't keep the baby. We just can't. We're seniors. We're supposed to graduate. We—"

"Yeah, you already mentioned that before we went to the doctor, Andy. Isn't that our only choice?"

"I don't know, Roger, but I can't do this anymore."

A stunned silence followed. Maureen knew Andy had hit a soft spot on Roger.

"What do you mean, 'you can't do this anymore', Andy?" Roger choked. "Besides this, what have I done? I've always been there for you! You can't leave me now, not when you're like this!"

"Well, if you're not going to be supportive of me, what should I do, Roger?" Andy yelled at him. "I'm not going to just stand by and argue with you about this. If I have to make this decision by myself, then I will."

"So you don't want to listen to me and get an abortion, but you'll make some other stupid decision by yourself? Is that how that is, Andy?" Roger yelled after her.

Maureen quickly backed away from the door and walked down the hallway, just as Andy burst out the door. Slamming it behind her, she stormed down the hall, not even noticing Maureen. Then she walked out of the house and was gone.

Roger opened the door and came out and Maureen stormed up to him. "Roger, what the hell did you do to her?" she demanded angrily.

"What do you mean, 'what did I do to her'?" Roger snapped. He looked down at her angrily. "Were you listening?"

"Yes, of course I was listening!" Maureen yelled. "How could I not have heard? I was walking by and I heard the two of you going at it! I don't get you, Roger— she tells you something like that's happened and you completely blow up at her for wanting to make a choice herself? It is her body and stuff, after all!"

"I'm the baby's father, Maureen!" Roger yelled.

Maureen couldn't stand to see Roger anymore. "OK, either you get away from me now and go after her, or I might claw your eyes out, Davis," she snarled angrily. Roger stared at her. "Go on, get out of here!"

"Fine!" Roger yelled, and he stormed off as well.

As always, don't forget to review. Next chapter will be up as soon as possible. I don't know how long this story will be, so it may only be a couple more chapters. We'll see how much time I have. Review!

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07