Back from New Orleans. What a great place! I adore the ghost stories. So gory yet so interesting.

As soon as my mom said it I knew what had happened. I knew Ella was too smart to get lost. She was also too defensive to get kidnapped, let alone the fact she was never alone anywhere... I also knew what had happened because Ella had been talking on the phone with Nudge the day before and had mentioned running away. Hey! Don't judge! I thought she was kidding, like one of those new sayings.

Besides the point, I pulled out my phone and called Nudge.
"Hello?" I heard after one ring.
"Is she with you?" I said, stepping outside. I knew there was going to be swearing, whether it was from my end our hers.
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb with me Nudge. You know Ella ran away." I was getting frustrated. I needed my little sister home with me.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"Nudge these are the shortest God damn sentences you've ever said in your life. Tell me where my sister is." I responded.
"Sh-She ran away." Nudge finally stated after some time.
"No shit. Now where the hell to?" I was too aggravated with Nudge. I knew I was being a bitch but this was too much for me.
"I can't tell you. She doesn't want you to know. She doesn't want her mom to know either. She'll be attending school and crap for a couple months but she won't come home because she doesn't want you or your mom mad at her; she knows you two will be pissed off at her and she loves you guys and stuff but I can't tell you where she is so you just have to accept it and face the facts. She'll be back in like nine months." Nudge said in one breath.
"Nine months?" I said, confused. "Where is she currently?"
"I c-can't tell you."
"You have got to be shitting me." I finally sighed. "She's with you isn't she?"
"Um..." Nudge tried to think of a response.
"See you in five... And if you and her leave that house, it'll be the last thing you ever do. I am not chasing you to Hell and half of Georgia. Got it?"
"I-I g-got it."
"Good." And with that I hung up. I went upstairs and into Ella's room, noticing the abundant amount of things missing, but one thing remained. Her teddy bear she slept with nightly. I took it and then proceeded to begin to leave. I told Mom I knew where Ella was and I would be back shortly. My mom's tears dried and she smiled at me, nodding. As I drove over to Nudge's house I just couldn't stop thinking about the subtle hints Nudge had been giving. I wasn't able to clarify why she was gone but I did try. Nothing seemed to fit together in my mind.

I pulled into Nudge's driveway and saw Nudge was standing outside of the house. She was leaning against the wall and had her left hand resting on her right arm, nervously. Her face paled as I stepped out of the car, as I got closer I could see she had tears running down her cheeks and bags under her eyes. She had no make up on and was wearing pajamas. Her normally straightened hair frizzed out. When I was in front of her I could see the grip on her arm tighten and the tears flowed faster.
"She's with you?" I asked.
"Sh-she's in my room," Nudge sniffed, "Sh-she's okay."
"What's wrong?" I was shocked at Nudge's look.
"I-I can't... She'll tell you." I sighed at Nudge's response but let it be.

I followed Nudge into the house. It smelled like vanilla and roses. As I went further upstairs the smell of vanilla deepened. I could hear sniffling behind Nudge's door and I jumped two stairs to get into Nudge's room before Nudge herself. I threw the door open and tackled Ella, hugging her tightly. I pulled away from Ella to see her face reflected Nudge's, but with darker bags under her eyes and more tears.
"What happened? Please just tell me." I begged holding Ella tightly again. Ella looked me in the eyes, then down at my shoes. This went on for some time until she finally took in a deep breath and met my eyes.
"I-I'm pr-pr-pregnant." She shuddered.
"Your... Your pregnant?" I repeated. Ella nodded in response.
"Are you sure?" I couldn't quite process it.
"I took three pregnancy tests... They all came up positive." I just stared at Ella. I wasn't mad at her, more at Dylan.
"So... You... You and... You and Dylan..." I couldn't form the sentence, I was shaking. Ella didn't meet my gaze, instead choosing to look at the vanity behind her.
"I can't believe this..." I finally got out. Ella looked as if she had been slapped by the words that just escaped my mouth.
"Look, you're not the one who won't be able to look her mom in the eyes for nine months!" Ella said in a shrieking whisper. "Besides, its not like you and Fang haven't gone that far yet."
I stared at her disbelievingly. "No. No we haven't."
She looked at me and she had a look of suicide on her face, "R-really?"

I couldn't imagine what was going through her head. Thinking what she would do with a baby, how she could even try to handle having one let alone taking care of it.
"Are you keeping the baby?" I blurted out, not even thinking.
When Ella didn't respond, still lost in her own thoughts, Nudge answered for her.
"She was going to give it to an orphanage."
I was taken aback by the 'it' in that sentence, "First of all he or she is not an it. They are a living breathing child inside Ella's body. Second of all, if you go through with giving that baby away you will regret the decision forever. You are going to keep the poor child and love them, or I will." I stated, firmly.
"Fine. Well you can keep it." Ella retorted, "I don't want a baby and that's final. I especially don't want a baby now!"
"Ella. I am trying to help." I said.
"Well go help somewhere else! You aren't helping at. All." She screamed.
I threw down the teddy bear I had in my purse and yelled, "Then take this worthless piece of shit. At least you'll be able to love it! You're acting spoiled and if that's how you want to act you can stay gone!" I didn't mean what I said. But I had already said it, and it was too late to take it back so instead I stormed out of the room in rage. As I began to leave I heard a shriek.
"I hate you!" She screamed. The worst words to ever leave her mouth. I felt tears begin to form in my eyes and I shut the door softly as I left the house.
I got in the car and began to drive home. I didn't tell my mom why Ella had run away, just said it was something Ella would tell her when she was ready. I wasn't able to focus the rest of that day and decided it would be better to lie down and sleep.

"Good morning cunt face." I heard as I awoke.
"Look who finally decided to wake herself up." Came another voice.
"Leave me alone..." I sighed.
"Wah-wah. You gonna cry like a baby? Go running to your mommy. Oh, that's right. She left you here because she didn't want you." Came the first voice.
"It's not like your parents didn't leave you here either..." I said, "Besides, how did you know that?"
"It's called the records section of the orphanage. All parents have to give a reason."
"You're lying."
"Here, take a look for yourself." As I sifted through the paper I read the reason 'Take this thing off my hands.' was written in swooping letters. I felt my eyes begin to sting with tears.

I woke up and realized I wasn't lying. If Ella wasn't taking the child I would. No child deserved to think their parents didn't love them.

No one ever needs to know what I named this document.