As Robbie pulled into the driveway, his and Amy's cellphones went off. Amy answered hers as she climbed out of the car.
"What's up Lauren?"
"Where are you!?" Lauren asked, her voice panicked.
"I just got back home from shopping. What's up?"
"Come over! Now!" Amy's brows furrowed in confusion. She turned to tell Robbie she was going over to Lauren's but saw that he was running towards the kitchen door of Madison's house so she turned back to Ashley.
"I'm going over to Lauren's" Ashley nodded and headed into the house while Amy headed for Lauren's. Once she got there Madison and Lauren met her in the kitchen, grabbed her arms, dragged her upstairs to Lauren's room and shut the door. Before Amy could ask what was going on Madison spoke up.
"People know!"
"Know what?"
"That you're pregnant!" Lauren said worriedly.
"What!? How? The only people I've told are you two and Robbie only told the boys." Madison pulled out her cellphone and showed it to Amy. The screen read: Ricky knocked up Amy Juergens! Did you know? Amy looked at Madison in confusion. "Who's Sarah?"
"My lab partner in Biology. Oh Amy, how do you think this got out?" Before she could answer the boys came barging into the room, Robbie looking like he'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Simon looking worried about Amy's reaction and Terrance looking very angry. Terrance shut the door behind him.
"Do you know?" he asked hotly.
"That other people know? Yeah. How'd you know?" Amy asked curiously. Robbie sighed and answered her.
"So apparently Melissa Thomas was in the baby store while we were there today and she heard me tell you the books were a gift for the baby. She was at the party last night and saw you and Ricky talking, and me grab him, and put it all together." Amy's eyes widened in surprise but quickly narrowed with confusion.
"How do you know all that?" she asked curiously. This time it was Simon who answered.
"She texted the info to a bunch of her girlfriends, including Tommy Pearson's girlfriend, who texted it to Tommy who texted me, since he knows I'm friends with Robbie and he's had a crush on you since we were in like the third grade." The crush was news to Amy but she had a more pressing concern on her mind. She glanced around the room.
"We gotta tell the 'rents."
"What for?" Madison asked.
"Madison, if our peers know now, it's only a matter of time before their parents find out and we should at least give ours a heads up that the rumors and negativity are about to start flying." Madison glumly nodded in agreement, as did everyone else. "Since your house is in the middle let's ask our parents to all come over to your guy's place." Everyone nodded and quickly dispersed. Amy and Robbie headed home to ask their mom and Ashley to join them at the Coopersteins' for a moment while Lauren and Terrance headed home to ask their parents to do the same. Once all the parents, minus George who was still at work, were assembled, Amy spoke for the group.
"So I don't know if the girls and guys told you all, but I'm pregnant." Amy watched the parents exchange surprised and then sympathetic glances. "I'm not telling you guys because I'm looking for sympathy. I'm telling you because some of the kids at school are starting to talk about it and we didn't want you all to be caught off guard once people start talking about me." Madison and Simon's dad recovered first. He looked at the six of them.
"You all knew already?" They nodded and then Madison spoke up.
"Amy told us the day after her doctor confirmed it and Robbie told the guys."
"How did these other teens find out?" Terrance and Lauren's mom asked.
"I took Amy and Ashley to a baby store a little while ago to start shopping for things and a girl we go to school with overheard me tell Amy I was buying her the books she wanted as a gift for the baby. She texted some people and it got back around to us." Simon chimed in.
"We figured you guys should be clued in before the rest of our community starts getting wind of this and talking about Amy." Madison's step-mother looked around nervously. As much as she loved her family and got along with everyone, she still felt a little like an outsider and wasn't sure if she should speak up, but she was feeling brave today.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" she asked Amy. Amy smiled at her.
"No, thank you. I've gotten a job and I'm working on childcare arrangements for while I'm at school. I just wanted you guys to be prepared in case any negative vibes came your kids' way just because they're friends with me and my family."
"Don't worry about a bunch of gossips, Amy," Lauren's mom assured her. "We know who you are, we love you and we've got your back." Madison and Simon's dad nodded their heads in agreement.
"Thanks Mrs. Debra," Amy said with a smile.
"I think this calls for a family barbeque," Mr. Cooperstein said, earning a confused look from the teens. For the past thirteen years, ever since the boys were three, whenever one of the three families had a reason to celebrate they would call up the other two and the three families would have a barbeque to share the good news. Mr. Cooperstein looked at the teens' confused faces. "Oh come on. I understand that no parent wants their child to become a parent as a teenager but having a baby is still a reason to celebrate and Amy's a sweetheart. She'll be a great mother, just like her mom." At his explanation and praise Amy rushed forward to hug him.
"Thanks Mr. C." He chuckled and hugged her back.
"No thanks necessary kido." Anne smiled and stood.
"I'll call George and let him know and we'll see you all in a bit," Anne stated. The teens dispersed while the adults organized who was bringing what to the barbeque. The girls headed up to Madison's room to gab while the boys dispersed to get changed into workout gear and shoot hoops in the Treacys' backyard for a bit. Anne called George to fill him in and he promised to close up shop early and buy the meat on his way home. Anne prepared a salad and was working on making iced tea when Madison's step-mother came into the kitchen carrying a large bowl of potato salad and then placed it in the fridge to chill. Debra was right behind her carrying a platter of cut up vegetables and a large bowl of dip, which she also placed in the fridge to chill. The men got to work getting the folding tables and chairs out of the garage and setting them up while the women chatted in the kitchen and sipped iced tea, secretly planning a small baby shower for Amy. The girls came over a little while later and settled into the living room to watch a movie until the barbeque was ready. George arrived shortly thereafter, laden with burgers and hotdogs for the grill. He said a quick hello to Amy and then headed out back to join the other men around the grill.
As the three families settled down around the tables to dig into their little feast, Amy looked around and smiled. Sure she still had a lot of things to figure out about how she was actually going to take care of a baby while working and going to school, but she knew it would be a little easier to figure it all out with so much love and support around her. She caught Robbie's eye down the table as he reached over to grab a burger for his plate; he smiled and winked at her. She turned to her left when she heard Lauren try to get her attention and she joined into the carefree, mindless chatter with her family and friends.