Chapter Four (Two Weeks Later)
Annabeth
I walk into the kitchen and grab an apple. "Bye!" I call, walking to the front door.
"Wait!" my father yells and I squeeze my eyes shut. Please, don't ask me where I'm going. "Where are you going so early? It's only 9.30am."
"I'm going out with Percy," I quickly say. I'm not lying about that.
"Where to?"
"Just out and about. We'll probably go to his mom's place," I lie. We won't be going there today.
"Okay, how about you bring how over for dinner?" my dad suggests.
"I'll ask him," I reply and slam door the shut, not wanting to talk anymore. I sigh, walk towards Percy's step dad's car and slide in. "Hey," I greet.
"Hi, Wise Girl," he replies and drives off.
"Not so wise anymore," I mutter. He ignores what I said and carries on talking.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Sick and tired," I huff. "I was sick earlier but I might be sick again later."
"Oh, crap. Not in Paul's car," he groans and I have to chuckle.
"I'll try not to but if I do- blame the baby," I reply.
"Baby, do not make your mommy sick in this car!" Percy says, staring at my stomach.
"It's weird you saying that," I whisper.
"What?"
"Mommy. I'm seventeen, I'm meant to be revising for exams and getting ready to be the famous architect I've always wanted to be," I reply, tears flooding my eyes. Not again. Please, don't cry.
"You can still be a famous architect. You can go to night school," he says.
"I could," I reply. It's not a bad idea. "But what about school?"
"Remember last year there was a girl in her last year of school? Anyway, she was pregnant and she stayed home with the baby for a few weeks before coming back to school for about three hours everyday. I'd love to be a girl," he says, dreamily. "I could stay home longer if I had a baby."
"Yeah, and while you're at home you have to change the baby's diaper, clean it's sick up and-"
"Okay, I get it. I don't want to be a girl," he quickly says and I chuckle.
"I didn't think so. I suppose I could hire a tutor or something. My dad is a university professor so I'm sure he can teach me a few things," I add.
"There you go. Calm down a little. Relax- stress is bad for the baby," Percy says and I look at him wide-eyed.
"Have you been reading baby books?" I ask.
His cheeks turn pink and he avoids my gaze. "Maybe…"
"Because if you have then you're amazing. Every time I pick a baby book up one of my parents walk in and I have to hide it, or I can't concentrate," I say and he sighs in relief.
"So, you don't think I'm… weird?" he asks.
"Nope. I think it's nice that you are reading about it. Oh and before I forget my dad wants you to come to dinner." I watch Percy's reaction.
"Why?" he asks, obviously nervous.
"I don't know. He likes you, I guess," I reply.
He chuckles. "Wait until he finds out I got you knocked up. He's going to kill me."
"Maybe," I say and smirk when Percy gulps. "But I think he'll get used to the idea after a while." He relaxes a little then and we sit in silence.
"Is the hospital that way?" he speaks up, pointing to a road on the right.
"The left," I reply. "I thought you said you knew where it was."
"I thought I did," he says and I roll my eyes, as he turns left.
We drive for about another fifteen minutes until Percy stops the car after finding us a space in the car park. "Are you nervous?" he asks as we get out of the car and walk towards the large building.
"A little," I reply and we walk inside. Instantly I feel sick. I hate hospitals. They always remind me of my mom and they have that horrible smell.
"You okay?" Percy asks, noticing me pale.
"I just feel a little sick," I reply. He hands me his bottle of water and I take a big gulp.
"Better?" he asks and I nod, handing him the bottle. We walk towards the large desk where three people sit behind.
"Hi," I say to a pretty blonde.
"Hello," she squeaks. "What's you name, Hun?"
"Annabeth Chase," I reply.
"Are you here for a scan?" she asks, looking up from her computer.
"Yeah," I say and she types something out.
"Okay. Floor 5, room 23," she explains.
"Thank you," I say and Percy and I walk towards the elevator. We head up to the fifth floor in silence and we search for room 23 once we get off.
"Here it is," Percy says and we walk into the waiting room.
We sit down and I try to ignore the looks off the adults. My eyes fall on a pregnant girl who looks younger than me. She also looks like she's ready to explode. "The father ran off as soon as I told him I was pregnant," she says, noticing me eye her bump.
"I'm sorry," I reply.
"I'm not. He was an asshole anyway," she says, shifting in her seat. "I hope you don't get as big as me. You feel uncomfortable doing anything."
"When are you due?" Percy asks from beside me.
"Two months," the girl says and my eyes widen. "Hard to believe, huh? By the time I'm nine months I'm going to be the size of an elephant. How old are you?"
"Seventeen," I admit, even though I was thinking about lying.
"I'm fifteen," she says, not even caring that the other people are staring at her.
"Does it bother you?" Percy asks. "Everyone staring I mean." As soon as he says that everyone looking at the girl looks away. The girl laughs.
"Nah, they can mind their own business. Yeah, it was stupid to sleep with the guy and you hate the thought of having a baby at first. But as soon as you feel it kick you fall in love with it," she smiles, rubbing her large bump. I like this girl, I decide.
"Bethan Thomas," a nurse says and the girl stands up.
"That's me," she says and then looks at me. "Good luck."
"You too," I reply and the girl walks into the room. "I really like her," I say.
"Hmm, she's nice. I wonder if you'll be as big as her," Percy replies.
"I hope not," I say and pick up a magazine.
We wait for about half an hour before my name is called. I stand up and walk towards the room but notice that I can't hear Percy behind me. I turn and find him still sitting down. "Are you coming?"
"Do you want me to come?" he asks and I nod. He shrugs and follows me into the room.
"Why? Do you not want to come in?" I ask.
"Nah, I want to but it's up to you really. You might not want me there," he replies.
"Trust me, I'd rather you be there than anyone else," I say as we walk into the room. The nurse sitting down looks up from her clipboard and smiles.
"Annabeth Chase?" she asks and I nod. "Please get on the bed." I take a deep breath and climb onto the bed, Percy sitting down on the seat beside it. I look around the room while the nurse types on her computer.
The room would probably look bigger if there wasn't so much stuff. There's a lot of equipment on the nurse's desk and objects unknown to me that are hanging on stands. The walls are white with pictures of different families stuck on them. "I'm Dr. Bennet but call me Sarah," the nurse speaks up. "I just have a few questions to ask. Is that okay?"
"Yeah," I reply.
"Okay, do you smoke?" she asks.
"No," I reply.
"Do you have any allergies?"
"None that I know of," I reply.
"Okay," she says, writing on the clipboard. "And you are seventeen years old?"
"Yeah," I say and I notice her glance at me. This angers me just a little, remembering the girl in the waiting room that everyone stared at. "I know you're probably thinking that we were stupid and trust me I know we were stupid and it was a mistake but it's either keep the baby or kill it and there's no chance I'm doing the latter."
"Actually, I was thinking that you are the first teenage couple that don't look like they want to kill each other already," Sarah says and I sigh.
"We're not a couple," I say, pointing to Percy and then me. She looks confused now. "But thank you. I feel better knowing not everyone thinks I'm an idiot."
She smiles and puts her clipboard down. "Okay, let's have a look at your baby," she says. "Can you lift your shirt up?"
I nod and do as she says. "The gel is a little cold," she warns me and spreads it across my stomach. I gasp- it's freezing! She then places another object on my stomach and moves it around, staring at the screen of a piece of equipment. "And there's your baby," she says and points to a small dot.
"Oh my god," Percy whispers and I jump, forgetting he was there. I look at him and smile. "It's…" he trails off.
"Beautiful?" the nurse finishes.
"I was going to say weird but beautiful will do," he chuckles. The nurse points out parts of the body and I smile at the screen and at Percy's amazed face. I'm starting to get used of the idea of having a baby. "Would you like a picture?" the nurse asks and I nod, unable to speak.
Once she finishes and I pull my top down she hands me a picture and then another to Percy. "Will you be here for my next scan?" I ask, not wanting another nurse to take her place.
"Yep," she says. "Make an appointment for a few months time and if you want you can find out the sex of the baby."
"Thank you," I say and shake her hand. Percy does the same and then we leave.
"Okay, where do you want to go?" Percy asks, driving off as soon as we get in the car.
"My place," I say and he nods.
"Sure."
"I think now is the right time to do it," I say and Percy looks at me in confusion. "Eyes on the road!"
"Sorry," he says and looks at the road again. "You think now's the right time to do what?"
"To tell my dad."
AN: Review and tell me what you think.