Mom was too ecstatic about my ‘getting over him’ to notice how... well, changed... I was. My dad and Christy noticed, and they were worried. Dad never really confronted me about it, but he would stop and ask me if I was okay whenever Mom wasn't around. Christy… she took a more direct approach."
Nikki peered around her curtains to see who’d rung the doorbell. It was Friday, and Nikki’s parents would be home from work in an hour. Matt hadn't called recently, but she still couldn’t be sure if he'd really let go of her once and for all. Christy stood on their welcome mat, hopping from one foot to the other. The bell rang again, and Nikki sighed. Her best friend never gave up once she’d set her mind to something. Nikki thudded down the stairs and opened the door.
"Hi. We need to talk." Christy walked past Nikki and into the house.
"What do you want?" Nikki closed the door and followed Christy to the living room.
"You've been acting like this for too long. Either tell me what's going on or snap out of it. Everybody goes through hard breakups at some point, but only the wackos and people in movies go about moping for two months. School starts tomorrow, and I am here to make sure you are there, and you won’t gather negative attention."
Nikki just scowled at her. "I'm fine. Now go away."
"You aren't fine until you treat me like your best friend. Nobody tells their best friend to go away when they're getting over a breakup. Since I know you're not over it -- I mean, seriously, you have to stop this to be over it -- you are not fine." Christy gestured wildly with her hands as she spoke. It seemed like she contained all the energy Nikki lacked these days.
Nikki sighed. "Whatever. What do you want me to do, stand on my head and crack jokes?" She intended the comment to be funny and sarcastic; instead, Nikki just sounded old and tired.
"If that's what it takes." Christy softened. "C'mon, Nikki, you know you can tell me anything. Why not just let it all out? Get it over with?"
Nikki opened her mouth with a retort, but then she paused. She bit her lip, and suddenly burst into tears. "Oh… Christy! I..." She couldn't speak through her sobs.
Christy led her to the couch and they sat down. She rubbed Nikki's back. "There, there now, let it all out. It's not that hard."
They sat there for a few minutes, the room silent save for Nikki's weeping. Her body shook, and she gasped for air. After a while, she started to calm down, and she took several deep breaths. Christy waited patiently for her friend to tell her the story.
"I... we... we slept together. Oh, Christy, I know we shouldn’t have, but I didn't mean it to happen, and it was all so fast, and we were all alone, and one minute we're drinking sodas and the next... oh, Christy!"
Christy's hand paused on Nikki's back. The only sounds were Nikki’s shuddering sobs. How did this happen?
"Say something!” Nikki pleaded. “Please."
"Even if you didn’t mean to, it still isn't right."
Nikki nodded. "I know, but that isn't the worst of it."
"What? Do you feel guilty for ignoring him? It is rather natural after something like that."
"Yes, yes, but... Christy..." She suddenly shoved off the couch and paced to the television, then back to the couch. She popped her knuckles and literally wrung her hands while continuing this course for several minutes. "Christy, I think I'm... I think I'm pregnant."
"Pregnant?" Her friend sat for a minute, absorbing this, while Nikki continued to talk.
"Yes! I don't know what to do. I can't tell Mom, I can't, and I won't tell Dad, and I should tell Matt, but how could I tell him something like that?" She motioned wildly with her hands as she spoke, and her voice rose with each sentence. "And there's nobody to talk to, I'm so lonely, and I don't know what to do, -- Christy!" She broke into sobs again and collapsed back into the sofa. “I -- I can’t live with this -- it’s so awful, and I’m so ashamed. It just
Nikki peered around her curtains to see who’d rung the doorbell. It was Friday, and Nikki’s parents would be home from work in an hour. Matt hadn't called recently, but she still couldn’t be sure if he'd really let go of her once and for all. Christy stood on their welcome mat, hopping from one foot to the other. The bell rang again, and Nikki sighed. Her best friend never gave up once she’d set her mind to something. Nikki thudded down the stairs and opened the door.
"Hi. We need to talk." Christy walked past Nikki and into the house.
"What do you want?" Nikki closed the door and followed Christy to the living room.
"You've been acting like this for too long. Either tell me what's going on or snap out of it. Everybody goes through hard breakups at some point, but only the wackos and people in movies go about moping for two months. School starts tomorrow, and I am here to make sure you are there, and you won’t gather negative attention."
Nikki just scowled at her. "I'm fine. Now go away."
"You aren't fine until you treat me like your best friend. Nobody tells their best friend to go away when they're getting over a breakup. Since I know you're not over it -- I mean, seriously, you have to stop this to be over it -- you are not fine." Christy gestured wildly with her hands as she spoke. It seemed like she contained all the energy Nikki lacked these days.
Nikki sighed. "Whatever. What do you want me to do, stand on my head and crack jokes?" She intended the comment to be funny and sarcastic; instead, Nikki just sounded old and tired.
"If that's what it takes." Christy softened. "C'mon, Nikki, you know you can tell me anything. Why not just let it all out? Get it over with?"
Nikki opened her mouth with a retort, but then she paused. She bit her lip, and suddenly burst into tears. "Oh… Christy! I..." She couldn't speak through her sobs.
Christy led her to the couch and they sat down. She rubbed Nikki's back. "There, there now, let it all out. It's not that hard."
They sat there for a few minutes, the room silent save for Nikki's weeping. Her body shook, and she gasped for air. After a while, she started to calm down, and she took several deep breaths. Christy waited patiently for her friend to tell her the story.
"I... we... we slept together. Oh, Christy, I know we shouldn’t have, but I didn't mean it to happen, and it was all so fast, and we were all alone, and one minute we're drinking sodas and the next... oh, Christy!"
Christy's hand paused on Nikki's back. The only sounds were Nikki’s shuddering sobs. How did this happen?
"Say something!” Nikki pleaded. “Please."
"Even if you didn’t mean to, it still isn't right."
Nikki nodded. "I know, but that isn't the worst of it."
"What? Do you feel guilty for ignoring him? It is rather natural after something like that."
"Yes, yes, but... Christy..." She suddenly shoved off the couch and paced to the television, then back to the couch. She popped her knuckles and literally wrung her hands while continuing this course for several minutes. "Christy, I think I'm... I think I'm pregnant."
"Pregnant?" Her friend sat for a minute, absorbing this, while Nikki continued to talk.
"Yes! I don't know what to do. I can't tell Mom, I can't, and I won't tell Dad, and I should tell Matt, but how could I tell him something like that?" She motioned wildly with her hands as she spoke, and her voice rose with each sentence. "And there's nobody to talk to, I'm so lonely, and I don't know what to do, -- Christy!" She broke into sobs again and collapsed back into the sofa. “I -- I can’t live with this -- it’s so awful, and I’m so ashamed. It just
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