When I rang the doorbell Bex answered. I smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

"Oh my god, what are you doing here, you look terrible. Come in,come in. mooooom, c'mere." She opened the door wider and dragged me in. she pushed me back onto the couch and wrapped a blanket around my shoulders.

"What Rebecca?" Ms C said snappily, shuffling into the living room from the kitchen. When I saw her I tried to wipe the mascara off my face but she saw me. "Good heavens girl, what happened to you?"

"I'm pregnant," I said on the verge of crying again, my face crinkled unpleasantly - probably.

"Oh my god. Who's the guy?" Bex said shockingly serious. Then she smirked and wagged her eyebrows.

Ms C grabbed a throw pillow and tossed it at her daughter. "Rebecca! This is serious business."

"Sorry mom. But really, Amber, who's the guy. And why aren't you home? It's almost eight on a school night."

"My childhood bestfriend ya know...took advantage of me," I said, rubbing my hands on my thighs. I didn't look at them while I spoke, but I heard Ms C drop her mug.

"Oh heaven, let me go make you some tea," the oldest Mack said and shuffled back out of the room.

"I got kicked out by my mom and I don't want to have an abortion," I blurted out to Bex. I leaned back against the couch and closed my eyes, I really didn't know what to do.

"What? Why? How could she do that?" Bex said. Her tone was disgusted and angry.

"She said it was all my fault without knowing the story and that my little sister shouldn't have a slut for a role model."

"That's terrible, Amber. I'm so sorry." Mrs C said handing my a cup of fruity scented tea. "Stay here as long as you'd like or need too. I know what it's like being a teen mom and raising a teen mom. We'll help you, you can have the guest room and maybe the office could become a nursery and oh, the appointments. Bex go make her an appointment. Andi! Come here!"

She paused to take a deep breath after her rambled thinking. She squinted her eyes and pursed her lips. "You'll need prenatals and maternity clothes. And we'll have to start looking at daycares, and make sure you get a tutor in case you get put on bed rest." She smoothed down a blanket on the other end of the couch and sat down. "Hmmm, you'll have to tell your teachers and principal. You should file a report and...and I think that's it. Andi! Where are you?"

Andi finally dragged her feet down the stairs and answered Ms C's calls. She also didn't hide her surprise at seeing me. "Amber, what are you doing here? I mean why are you here? Are you okay? Is the baby ok?"

"Andi, show Amber to the guest room and take her bag," she said, handing my bag to Andi.

"I can carry my bag," I said, standing up from the couch.

"Nonsense. Andi, don't let her fall either," Ms C said, waving us off. Andi shrugged and took off towards the stairs. Luckily, I could still run to catch up with her, but I had a feeling one day I won't be able to.

/||\\/||\\/||\\

I was sitting on the bed in my new room flipping through a fashion magazine when Bex came in with a plate of food. "For you. You should eat, for the baby. You should also consider filing a report like mom suggested."

I smiled while taking the plate and thanking her and promising to consider it. I ate most of the food and briefly contemplated the report before it slipped my mind and I fell asleep.

I woke up again at five in the morning like clock work, but didn't throw up this morning. I did sit on my bed wallowing in crippling nausea though. Eventually, it faded enough for me to get up and get dressed, do something with my greasy hair and try to tame the oils on my face. I walked downstairs where the Macks were already eating and had an extra seating ready.

I sat down and had a few bites of the french toast that Mr H had made. I really wasn't to hungry because of my nauseous spell this morning. Ms C handed me some -rather unpleasant- prenatal vitamins and insisted that I took them and ate for the baby. So I reluctantly did.

/||\\/||\\/||\\

When I got to school I part from Iris and head to the office. The secretary takes my name and tells me to wait in his office until he arrives. I do, I look at a picture of his wife, I assume, holding her swollen belly. I muse at the fact that that will soon be me. The other picture on his desk is the same lady sweating and exhausted looking holding a tiny baby, but she looks so happy.

"I see you saw the pictures of my wife," the principal says, shaking me from my trance.

"Mhm, the baby is beautiful," I say, looking up to meet the eyes of the school's director.

"What can I do for you today, Amber?" he says adopting a professional tone.

"I'm pregnant?" I blurt out. But it comes out more like a question.

His jaw dropped a little and his eyebrows raised as if he was about to say something… life changing. "Well Miss Reversi, our school hasn't had a teen pregnancy in about six years so there is likely to be some uproar, but the student s shouldn't get too wild. Do you plan on continuing your studies, Miss Reversi?"

"I do plan on it, unless I get put on bedrest, which means I'll get a tutor then." I'm rambling helplessly, my mouth seems unglued. "Oh, there's something else. I was raped, by a sophomore here."

Now it's Mr Jon's turn to ramble. "That's unheard of. He should be expelled right away and reported. Have you filed a report Miss Reversi? What's his name? Is he an athlete?"

I smirk a little, I can't help the fun of getting people in trouble. "Bryce Evans. I think he plays football. He also drugged me, just thought I should add that. Class has started and I really need to get going can you right me a late pass?"

He nodded, mutely, looking at my abdomen. I put a protective hand over it, even though there's only a slight protrusion from my skin. I walk back to class in silence thinking about how people will react when I tell them. Almost as soon as I'm settled in my desk the secretary comes over the P.A. and call Brcye to the office.