Melting Ice

Chapter 53

"Yes, yes yes!", I shout with happy tears streaming down my eyes and I hug him ever so tightly.
"Clove Hadley", Cato announces, "I like the sound of that".
"I love it", I agree.
"I love you".
Then, I look him in the eye, take a deep breath and say, "I'm ready". For the first time in forever, I think he understand because he says, "Are you sure? I can wait..".
"No", I say quietly, "Now".
Not a single moment of doubt hits me until we are just about to do it.
"You ready?", he asks.
I nod and await the pain.
And trust me, it hits me like a bullet. I have to hit my lips together in order to stop myself from yelping. I'm so pathetic. For a split second, I look down and see a bit of blood and freak out. I shut my eyes to calm myself down. This is supposed to be fun! Clearly not the first time though...
"You okay Clovers?", he asks me after a while.
"Yeah", I manage to say, "Keep going". Somehow, the pain has decreased and it feels, well...good I guess.
It takes a while for everything to sink in: the proposal, telling my parents, the night of the proposal. Now this...
"Clove? How are you doing?", calls Carla through the bathroom door.
"Oka-". I'm interrupted by my breakfast spilling out of me, into the toilet.
"Oh god Clove", mutters Carla, bursting through the door with a pink bag in her hand, "Let it all out hon". I feel so pathetic. Why does my immune system have to be so weak? Strangely enough, I can handle fighting to the death but as soon as I pick up a vomiting bug, I feel like I'm dying. First, Carla whips out a hair band and smoothly gathers all my hair into a bun on the back of my head. Before I can mumble a "thank you", I have to vomit again. What else is there to bring up though?
"You done?", Carla asks before spraying the air with a can which collects the awful smell and replaces it with a fresh smell.
"Are you sure your okay?", she asks me for the thousandth time again.
"Yeah, it's just one of those things", I tell her as I stand up to wash my face and hands.
"I'm not trying to worry you Clove but are you sure your not pregnant?".
"Of course not Carla. How would that be possible?".
"Come on Clove", she begins, "You've had the talk. You know how it works...". I playfully punch her.
"Shut up".
"I'm being serious Clove, have you missed your period?".
"I don't know...maybe", I blurt out, "It was my first time though, it doesn't happen like that".
"But I can", she fights back, "Do you have a test?".
"No...I threw the spare away because I was sure I wouldn't be using it anytime soon".
"Well, you need one", Carla tells me.
"What if Cato-".
"Cato", she interrupts, "Will have to be a big boy and deal with it".
"But Brianna-".
"Is in the past. Now, go and change then sit your ass down whilst your best friend goes out to buy you a pregnancy test".
I sigh,"What the hell would I do without you?".