The Girl in a Hoodie

Chapter 71

James's POV:

I'm not too sure if telling Rose, Piper and Jasper the truth was the right decision. Even though we told them not to say anything, each one of them is making it obvious to both of my parents that something's happened.

Rose keeps on giggling whenever Riley and I enter the same room as her. Piper is continuously giving us looks, except she gives Riley sympathetic ones and me dirty ones. Why do so many people see it as me doing the wrong? Riley and I have talked and it's not even like we're mad at each other still. I don't get why people are trying to find a way to break us up. First Michelle, now Piper. And then Jasper always grimaces or sulks whenever I hug, kiss or am purely just sat next to my girlfriend. It's doing my head in. At least Laci's being supportive.

At school on Tuesday, everyone was obsessing and non-stop talking about prom. I'm thinking of asking Riley to go with me tonight. I've sort of planned a small date for us since I know that the other day, she wanted us to have some time away from everyone else, but instead I took her to a club with a couple of friends, which I was able to tell really wasn't her favourite scenery. Especially when she's pregnant.

All that is constantly running through my mind is the thought of her carrying our child. She had her first scan yesterday and everything looked fine. We still don't know the gender yet, but I don't really mind. I don't think Riley does either. We did have to lie to my parents however, and tell them we were just going out to the shops to buy some things for Christmas. They believed it though. It just meant we had to fake holding a bag of shopping when we got back home by putting a cushion into a carrier bag so that it looked full. At least they didn't ask to see what we got or else we would have had quite a bit of explaining to do.

"James?" Riey whispers as she nudges my arm. I turn my head and raise an eyebrow at her and then she nods towards the front of the class. I look up and notice Miss Nigel glaring at me, except it was a face of confusion, like she was pondering, trying to figure out what I was so deeply thinking about.

"Um, yes...?" I ask. By now, the entire class was looking in my direction and Freddie was smirking.

"I was asking you to tell me the chemical equation for respiration?" she responds, but confusion still evident in her voice. I look to my left to seek Riley for help. I honestly couldn't remember anything. I know the word equation is Oxygen + Carbon Dioxide is... Wait, no. Glucose + Oxygen = Carbon Dixoxide + ... I don't even know that.

Riley moves a piece of paper in my direction with one hand.  Her pencil case was in front so no one was able to see what she was shuffling towards me. She rested her elbow on the table and started chewing on her nails slightly to hide the fact she was doing anything.

Miss Nigel fake coughs as she waited for my answer, but when I try to read Riley's writing I couldn't. Noticing this, she sighed quietly and took the paper back, quickly trying to make it clearer as she scribbled over it.

"I'm waiting," Miss Nigel says. I try to suppress an eye-roll. It was clear that she was waiting, there's no need for her to announce it.

Riley passes the small note to me again.

C6H1206 + O2 = CO2 + H20

How in the world do I read that out? I look at her and she nods, but then shufffles about in her seat.

"It's C6H12-" I say but then Riley starts shufling about in her seat, making me feel uneasy. "-06 + 02-" She continues moving around and when I look slightly under the table, I see that she was clutching her stomach. I look straight at her and raise an eyebrow but she shakes her head. It looked like she was trying to hold back a whimper, so I place my hand on her knee and rub it slowly. "- equals C02 + H20," I finish.