Nine.
6 weeks later.
Alice.
This can't be happening?! I thought as I glared at the box of unopened tampons. I was nearly three weeks late and I was entering a full blown panic mode. I wasn't a virgin anymore and I didn't have that feeling of security that came with it because I could be 'expecting' and the thought alone was making me shake with fear. I dropped the box to the bathroom floor like it had burned me and bolted out the door. Once I was inside my bedroom I grabbed my phone refusing to cry until I knew exactly why I was late. I wasn't going to start panicking until I'd at least phoned Rose. With each ring I grew more impatient to talk to her and when I heard her voicemail I finally broke down. This can't be happening!
The one day I actually need her and she's not there! I actually threw the little phone across the room I was so angry and upset. It hit the glass photo frame hanging on my wall before crashing onto the floor, bits of broken glass tumbling to the carpet after it. My eyes meet the shatter frame, the stretch of me, Rose and Bella that I'd drawn the year before from a photo we'd taken at the beach made me suddenly remember the best friend I hadn't spoken to since I bumped into her in the hallway. She'd seemed happy enough to speak to me then but would she want to help me now? I hoped so, I scroll through my contacts and thankfully I still had her home number on there. I click ring and wait for her to answer praying that she'll help me and make me feel better like she used too...
Bella.
Saturday started out normal, I got up around 10 o'clock, had my shower and washed my hair but things went downhill from there. The first thing I noticed that wasn't right was when I went to get dressed. My grey and pink snoppy t-shirt was tighter around my stomach than it had been when I'd last worn it and waist band of my skinny jeans felt tighter also. Frowning I threw on Edward's baggy sweatshirt and I went downstairs to have breakfast with my dad. He'd become a bit more lenient concerning Edward since mum had done what she'd done but only because he'd seen how happy being around him had made me. We weren't allowed to be alone in the house though and dad had asked his parents to make sure of the same thing while we were at his house but it was progress. I hurry down the stairs doing my best not to trip. Dad's reading the paper and sipping his coffee. He's a lot better now, he's still not quite back to normal but he's getting there.
"Mornin' Bells."
I smile at him
"Morning."
I go straight over to the fridge, my stomach growling at the thought of breakfast. I grab the milk from the fridge and kick the door shut trying not to fall over my cat, Sam whose decided to meow and whine at me like he does most mornings. I click the kettle on and move to grab the tin of Felix from the cupboard next to me. As soon as I yank the ring pull, the smell hits me. My stomach rolls and I can feel sick rising in my throat. The tin drops from my hand, falling to the floor with a bang as I stumble to the thankfully empty sink. At the sound and sight of me throwing up in the sink dad jumps up from the table and is standing behind me in seconds.
"Bella?"
His voice is worried until I give him the only explanation I can think of
"I think that cat foods gone off, it smells disgusting!"
He laughs relived that it's nothing serious and just my tender stomach overreacting.
"It always smells disgusting, Bells!"
Not to me! I answer mentally. I straighten up and fill up a glass with water. I'm sipping at it when the phone rings. Dads answered it before I've really registered the sound of its ring.
"For you"
He holds out the phone for me and I take it frowning and thinking at first that it must be Angela since I'm seeing Edward in less an hour.
"Hello?"
"Bella?!"
Alice's choked up voice asks
"Alice? What's wrong?"
"Can you come round?"
If I couldn't hear the tears in her voice I would have said no but it takes a lot to make Alice cry and hearing her in the state she's clearly in is enough to make me say
"I'll be right over."
After I've told dad where I'm going and asked him to fed the cat, I grab my bag of the kitchen side and head for the door. Alice only lives across the road from me so I don't need to drive to hers. I'm outside in minutes and she's waiting outside for me. Tear marks stain her face and I pull her into a hug at the site of them,
"What's going on, Ali?"
"I don't want to be on my own. Will you come with me?"
Her eyes are pleading with me to say yes but I need to know what I'm agreeing too.
"Where? What's wrong?"
"Chemist"
She mutters so quiet I'm not sure I heard her.
"The chemist? Why?"
She moves out of my hug and whispers looking down at the ground.
"I need a pregnancy test."
I feel my eyes going wide with the shock of what she's just said but I shake my head and force myself to remain calm for her sake. She doesn't need me going all "What the hell?!" on her just yet, so instead I nod to her and we walk in silence to my car…
…"I can't do it! What if it says I am? Then what do I do?! Oh Bella do it for me!"
Part of me wants to laugh at the things she's saying but this is serious and she needs to take that stupidly expensive test and she needs to do it now.
"Alice I can't do this for you. I'm sorry but I can't."
Her terrified eyes meet mine and I suddenly feel even sorrier for her than I already did.
"Ok well you take one with me!"
I knew I shouldn't have made her get more than one!I sigh
"If I do, do you promise to take it too?"
I didn't see the harm in taking it and if it got her to do the same thing and put herself out of her misery then it was worth feeling embarrassed and stupid for a few minutes right?
When she nods I ripped open the box and shove one into her hand before taking the other one and heading into her bathroom. I close the door and do what I have to do. She's waiting right outside when I step out moments later.
"Your turn"
"Well what does yours say?!"
She asks and I sigh again, a little annoyed that I've just had to take a pregnancy test to make her take it and she's still trying to procrastinate taking it.
"Nothing yet, now get in that bathroom."
She's shaking slightly as she hands me her test a few minutes later. I hand her mine with confidence that I know what it will say. I see the two blue lines on her test and my heart sinks for her. I go to open my mouth to tell her what it says when she does exactly the same thing.
"You're pregnant"
"You're pregnant"
Wait, what did she just say?!
"I'm what?"
I ask her my voice hollow with panic. She's too shocked to cry at seems and she hands me the test I'd taken earlier. Two blue lines. My heart sinks into my stomach and I feel like I'm going to throw up. We were always careful and we haven't slipped up once. How did this happen?
"I guess that silly pact is actually happening after all."
Alice mutters to herself but I heard her. The pact! I'd forgotten all about it! It hits me then how this happened. Just those two words are enough to send a memory of hiding the pierced condom in my top draw. I'd done this! This was my fault and how I was going to have to fix it before it could ruin me!
The next day.
Rose.
It's been six long weeks since my birthday party. I now have my driver's license so I'm free to drive my baby all I want. I start over to the car alone since Emmett has football practice. Normally, I'd stay to watch him but mum made me promise to babysit my two brothers. She's going to some book signing and the day sitter can't stay past four.
"Rose, wait?"
Alice calls to me. I thought she'd already gone home with Jasper but I guess not if she's here. I unlock the car door and call back to her.
"Hurry up, if you want a lift home."
Before I really know it shes in the passenger seat beside me. I go to ask why she needs a ride with me but I stop when i see that a few tears are making their way down her little face.
"Alice what's wrong?"
She looks up at me and know its something bad. She bites her lip and at first doesnt say anything. I nudge her gently in the ribs
"Come on, tell your Auntie Panda all about it."
She giggles at the name. Panda is my nickname for the week but I can feel these two sticking. We're the Squirrel and the Panda Bear.
"I'm, well, I'm er sorta...er –" She babbles and wipes the tears away before muttering
"Pregnant."
Pregnant? No I must have heard her wrong. Alice Brandon, my best friend forever cannot be pregnant.
"What?"
I ask, eyes going wide.
"Oh god don't make me say it again!"
She crieds buring her head into her hands. Shit! What should I say now? I can't say what I'm really thinking, that would hurt her, but seriously is she crazy? Why didn't they use protection? Thinking that makes a lump form in my throat. Me and Emmett didn't so I can't really judge her if thats the case. I decide on congratulations.
"Erm, Congrats."
I smile softly trying to keep my true feelings about her situation to myself. This really can't be happening though, right? She's barely sixteen! Her birthday was two weeks ago for fucks sake!
Her eyes are horrified as she yells
"This isn't a good thing! For god sake, at least Bella was-" She continues to rant but I'm not listening. The past conversation is forgotten when I suddenly see red. She told Bella before me since when are they even talking again?! Let alone telling each other major shit like this! I have practically no control over what happens next. I'm too angry to care that she's vunerable. She's betrayed our friendship by telling that bitch before me!
"You told Bella before me?! Fucking hell, Alice!! I'm supposed to be your 'BFF' remember? Why the fuck did you tell her?"
I shout and she shrinks back into the seat, cowering away from my words.
"But you don't understand-" She tries to say but I'm too mad to let her.
"Get out." I say voice dangerously low before starting my car and revving the engine loudly.
"Rose, please just listen." Alice pleads.
"Get the hell outta of my car!"
I yell and she jumps out of the car as fast as she got into it. I'm out of the school car park in seconds. I know she has no way to get home and I wont make her walk but I need to calm down so I drive up the road to the gas station. As I wait for the tank to fill I think through it all. She told Bella, my enemy, before me, her bestfriend. Why the fuck does it ALWAYS come back to her, that bitch?!
My eyes well up and I can't help but think that me and Alice can never be the same now. Well, not just because of the betrayal, She's having a baby. Holy fuck! No matter now much I hate her right now I defiantly can't let her walk home in the state she's in. It's like when your mum grounds you when you know haven't done anything wrong, you hate her because you now can't go to the cinema with your boyfriend but you still love her because she's your mum. I may hate her but I still love her, she's still my best friend. After quickly paying for the gas I climb back into my car mentally exhausted. I turn back down onto the road that leads to school but she's not there when I drive slowly past so I continue through the twists and turns of the side streets till I see her. I pull up a metre or so ahead of her and lean over to throw open the passenger door.
"Get in then."
I say not smiling like I normally would. She quickly and quietly climbs inside and I pull away from the sidewalk. I take her home, still a bit too angry to actually talk to her. When we stop in front of her house I turn and look at her for the first time since she got in the second time. She's crying again. I reach down after remembering the packet tissues in the compartment on my door. I take them out and kind of launch them into her lap. I may still care about her but that doesn't mean I'm not still pissed off with her. Jumping slightly as it lands, Alice smiles at me and mutters a quick, "Thanks."
"Rose I'm sorry. I really am."
She says blowing her nse on the tissue.
"I know." I say staring ahead.
She climbs out and walks quickly to her front door. I call out the window.
"Alice!"
She turns round.
"Yeah?"
"You need a ride tomorrow?"
She's shocked by the offer but says
"Yes please."
I nod and leave her smiling as I drive off.
Alice.
My stomach grumbles as I stare down at my dinner but I can't eat. Mum and my 10 year old sister, Cynthia are staring at me; I can feel their eyes on me. I don't look up though because I can't look at them. I know they heard me and Bella upstairs yesterday and that Rose dropped me off from school, I also know there dying to ask me about it all.
"So…"
I sigh and look up to meet her curious eyes
"You're talking to Bella again?"
I nod and go back to staring at my plate. Mum carries on talking even though I'm not going to answer her.
"Well that's nice, isn't it?"
I nod once again and continue to pick at my food but not actually eat.
"Cynthia darling, could you go and feed Laya for me?"
Mum asks randomly as Laya is my cat and therefore my responsibility. I suddenly feel very vulnerable without my sister in the room to stop mum asking serious questions. She pulls her chair closer to mine and whispers quietly
"What's wrong honey?"
I can't stop the tears as I try to lie and tell her
"I'm fine"
"No your not."
She gets up out of her chair and bending down beside mine, she pulls me into an awkward hug.
"You haven't seen Jasper all weekend, you're talking to Bella again and you're fighting with Rose. I don't understand. Something's wrong and I can't figure it out. Mary-Alice you can tell me anything, no matter how bad, you know that right?"
I look straight into her eyes
"You promise you won't be mad, that you won't shout?"
She hesitates but after a second or two she nods. I take in a deep breath before blurting out,
"I'm pregnant."
Woo actually managed to get that chapter up pretty quick! Thanks for all your reviews/alerts/favourites :D
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