AN: Thank you all for the reviews and faves and follows. Which I know I say every week, but I really do love the appreciation! Thank you for continuing to read this and continuing on this journey with me:) So I'm kind of losing track of days now haha. I've been off for too long doing nothing. Totally not complaining, but I'm also going a little crazy! Gives me some time to write though! Also this Chapter is set up a little differently, it's mainly thoughts - but nonetheless, still has some important information. And I actually looked up everything that Ally Google's in this Chapter and my friend saw my history and was like... Do we need to talk? Haha!
Anyway, remember that one episode where Ally had glasses? I'm using that here because I kinda feel that means she wear contacts otherwise... But the glasses thing totally makes sense:P So, Read, Review, and Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally. This stuff is not allowed on Disney Channel haha!
Parties & Mistakes
Chapter 16: Ally's POV
My eyes snapped open as what sounded like millions of papers, fell to the ground. I blinked away the grogginess and adjusted to the darkness around me. What just fell? I propped myself up and leaned over the edge of the bed. Everything was still perfectly poised on my desk, all of my books were in line on the shelves, the sheet music was still laid out on top of my keyboard and my song book hadn't fallen off of my bedside table. So what made the noise?
I kneeled on my bed and turned around to face my headboard where the bay windows lie. The windows were closed, there was no wind, and my blinds hadn't been banging against the frame. I sighed, this forced me to get up and investigate otherwise I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. I turned on the light on my nightstand and reached for my glasses. Both of these options gave me clearer sight in the search for what had fallen.
I panned the room until my eyes landed on my wall calendar. It was one of those Christmas presents that you kind of need, but then forget about it come February. I'm the worst at flipping the months. I remember loving this one! It was adorned in pictures of artists and sheet music from broadway classics and was so unique. My dad had gotten it for me on a trip to New York - stopping in at Juliard for anything interesting. While this had piqued my interest at first, it seemed I had stopped flipping by April. I glanced at the time - 3:46am. It was officially Sunday, which meant it was officially the first day of December. God, I've been lazy. I flipped passed the missed months, the sheet music that I could probably play on the piano and the artists who had composed and performed those songs. December was a collage of musical posters - Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Avenue Q, Rent, The Sound of Music, Chicago, Les Miserables, The Lion King, Book of Mormon, American Idiot, West Side Story - there were some truly amazing ones on that list. I smiled and tacked it back up on the wall.
Soon my house will be adorned in Christmas decorations. The trees, the lights, the garlands - it's all so perfect. It's my favourite time of the year and all I ever wish for is snow. It's a little unrealistic living in Miami, a white Christmas really would be gorgeous. Thoughts of the holidays danced through my mind as I placed my glasses back down on my bedside table. I situated myself back into a comfortable position in bed and pulled the string to turn off the light.
My mom loves Christmas. It's the one time she's not consumed by studying animals. She gets really into it and decks out every inch of the house in Christmas fashion. She has so many little traditions that start on the 1st and reach their peak by Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I remember this one year - when I was 13 - I had just gotten my period for the first time ever, and she embarrassingly worked that into one of the Christmas games. She was just so excited over both occasions. If you'd call getting your period an occasion...
I stared up at the dark overhanging light in my room, then propped myself up. I squinted towards my calendar, but when darkness and bad eyesight failed me, I grabbed my phone. It turned on quickly and brightly, causing me to blink uncontrollably. I shifted the page until I found the calendar app, then shifted again back to November. A blue dot appeared below the 14th. My heart sunk. I knew what that blue dot meant. I knew what Trish had programmed into my phone.
I knew that meant I was late.
Two weeks.
Oh my God, no. I sat up straight in bed and stared into the dark corner of my room. No, that can't be right. I mean, there has to be some explanation, right?
I swiftly shoved the covers off of my body, leaving a mess of sheets on my bed. I raced over to my desk - grabbing my glasses along the way - and gathered all my papers, rearranging them and throwing them to the floor, just so I could get to my laptop. The welcome screen was taking far too long to bring up. Oh my God, this is life or death here! Turn on already! Finally, the old beast sputtered to life and I entered my password. With baited breath, I typed my sentence into Google.
'What can cause a late period?'
I clicked on the first link, assuring me not to panic. It outlined 7 items that could possibly affect your period. Illness. Well, I haven't really been sick, unless you count now, but what if that's... Medication. I'm not on anything prescribed and I'm also not taking anything over the counter. The first two already aren't applying to me, this isn't going well. Weight Issues. I'm not overweight and I'm not underweight. Honestly, my weight has been pretty stationary since I was 14. Extreme Exercise. What do I have to exercise for? I'm not training for a marathon, or race, or swim meet, or anything of that sort. I don't do extreme exercise. Miscalculation. I'm regular; I have weirdly always been that way. Every single month, come the 13th or 14th, here is my 'gift'. I sniffed, why doesn't anything apply to me?
Stress. There it is. Number 6. Stress. Well, Lord knows I've been incredibly stressed out lately. But is that enough? Could I really be so stressed out that I'm making myself late? But what about everything else... A change in routine. Does sex count as a change in routine?
I typed my second search of the night -or early morning - into Google. 'Can losing your virginity delay your period?'
The results brought up hundreds of forum pages. It seemed as though teenage girls and their boyfriends, all had the same question after having sex for the first time. I clicked on various posts, skimming through the answers that people of experience and doctors alike had written. The number one factor seemed to be stress. You're stressing yourself into a late period! Okay, sure. I've definitely had my fair share of stress these past few weeks - not over what they're talking about on the forums, but stress nonetheless. But even during exams when I've dealt with some of the most stressful moments of my life, I wasn't late. I'm never late.
And apparently losing your virginity doesn't do squat to your cycle. If you're late and just happened to have lost your virginity earlier that month, it's a coincidence, you're stressed, or you're pregnant.
I ran my hands through my tangled, ponytailed hair and sighed. Just one more search...
My hands flew over the keyboard as I typed the words I dreaded. 'Pregnancy symptoms'
Thousands of answers were at my fingertips. The 15 signs of pregnancy! Early pregnancy symptoms! The 10 most common symptoms of pregnancy! I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This isn't how I should be spending my Sunday morning. I should be asleep. I shouldn't be worrying about this.
But I am and it's even more proof that I'm not the girl I thought I was. I bit my lip and opened my eyes, hands shaking as I clicked one of the links.
The 10 Most Common Signs of Pregnancy!
1. Prickling, Tingling Nipples
I hadn't notice that per say. But I hadn't really been paying attention to my boobs. They're non-existent to say the least, although... Since Wednesday I've felt tingling but I thought that was just my new bra. Friday, I thought maybe it was just Austin since my whole body was tingling. Have I been covering for myself?
2. Tender, Swollen Breasts
Well, that may have been why I got a new bra. My old one had holes in it but it had also been tight the past few weeks. I thought the wash had done it. And the fact that I got it when I was 14 made me think I needed a new one... So long old lucky! Hello up one cup size?
3. Spotting and Cramping
That would be a no. I closed my eyes and thought back through the month that had passed since the event. I'd never spotted or gotten anything remotely like a period, but cramping... Maybe those cramps the first two days after we'd done it, were more than I thought.
4. Nausea and Dizziness
I can attest to this. It's been a steady build for the past 3 weeks. All of it had been written off to stress, at first. I thought I was so stressed out I was making myself sick. But then came dizziness and nausea and actually throwing up. And that has definitely built up. It's not the standard 'morning sickness'. It doesn't stay in just the morning. Honestly, ever since Monday I've felt pretty awful all day. The flu doesn't do that. It doesn't stay and bother you for over a week. I put my hand on my head, propping it up. God I feel sick.
5. Fatigue
Yes. I've been tired for days, weeks. That was all entirely stress to me. I was just run down and stressed and made myself sick, that was all right? I just wanted to stay in my bed because it was comfy and I was sick... I always wanted to sleep because I was sick and stressed... It's all unravelling isn't in?
I sighed and moved onto the next. My breath came out shaky and harsh. My hands were trembling. My eyes were holding tears that I was determined to not let spill over.
6. Needing to pee frequently
I don't know. I don't know. I don't track how often I go to the bathroom. Was it more or less? Did I always have to pee? I don't know.
I could feel panic brewing in the pit of my stomach. Hysteria threatening to take me over as I continued down this list.
7. Vivid Dreams
I never remember my dreams. I never have. I'll wake up and it's just gone. But I can remember now. Does that count as vivid? Or am I just trying to mould my answer to this? But what if it's the truth? What if I've been hiding things from myself and I'm just realizing it now?
I wiped at my eyes. I wasn't being pulled under by this. But the second that first tear fell, the floodgates opened. Silent rivulets flowed down my cheeks.
8. Altered Sense of Taste: Aversions and Cravings
The tomatoes. It was an aversion, wasn't it? I couldn't eat them because I physically can't now. I sniffed, determined to make it through. Did it count that I really wanted salty things? Or did I just want salt because that was the only thing that didn't make me sick? Or did they go hand in hand?
9. A Missed Period
Well, that's what brought me here. Shit. I've never been this late before. This is terrifying. I never thought I'd have to go through something like this. How could we be stupid? That question had been in mind for weeks, but at least now it more of a frame. I'm late. I'm so late.
The first sob bubbled over in my chest and I slammed my hand down on my desk. God this explained how emotional I've been. I'd complained about my emotions throwing me for a loop for this whole month, this is it. There has never been a time in my life where I'd cried this much. I glanced back up at the computer screen and focused my eyes through the blurred vision of tears.
10. The Proof: A Positive Home Pregnancy Test
My stomach seized. I'd have to take a test. Nausea overtook me and I shot out of the chair, yanked my bedroom door open, and ran to the bathroom across the hall. I swiftly closed the door behind me and turned on the light and fan. I hunched over and emptied the little food that I had consumed on Saturday into the toilet bowl. The moment it was over, I flushed.
It was then that I placed my glasses on the ground and sobs took over my body. My shoulders shook with the force. This can't be happening to me. I cried with my back against the cool porcelain of the bathtub, knees to my chest, head in my hands. What did I do to deserve this? Why am I suddenly this girl? I rested my head against the plaid fabric of my pyjama pants, defeat sinking in.
I cried until my chest hurt and my eyes were dry. I steadied my breathing and stared at the baby blue wall in front of me. Great colour for a bathroom, looked more like a nursery... I pinched the bridge of my nose, willing myself not to cry again, put the glasses back on, then stood on unsteady legs. Glancing down at the toilet almost made me want to throw up again. I turned away and stretched out the kinks in my body, then glanced at my reflection in the mirror. Surrounded in the blue glow of the room, was me. Awful. I'd never seen myself look this bad. I looked down at the ground, stray, strands of hair falling into my face.
My legs propelled me back into my room, and I slowly closed the door. Averting my eyes of the words, I exed out the window on my laptop, then turned it off.
"Ally?" my mom whispered as she opened the door. "What are you doing up?"
I cleared my throat, not fully trusting myself to speak. "I had to go to the bathroom and I noticed my laptop was on, so I'm just turning it off."
"Okay, are you alright?" worry crept into her voice. Ever since I returned home early from the date with Austin on Friday, she'd been really concerned about my well being. Within reason, I'm pretty concerned myself.
"I'm fine," I whispered.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive," I scoffed, still facing the back wall of my room. There was no way I would let her see my face right now.
AN: Hope you liked that! I've been more than a little excited to post this one and the ones after this for that matter. I love how a majority of you guys have picked up on my hints! I've been dropping them at least since Chapter 11! Anyway, on to the next portion of the story! Drop me a review:)