Release Me

Chapter 1: Bitches & Burritos

My name is Reyna Lance. 16 years old. Wearer of band tee shirts. Reader of books. Watcher of Netflix. Consumer of pizza.

Source of all school gossip. Target of pointing fingers and snickers.

Sufferer of severe anxiety and depression.

Yup. That's me.

***

Oh.. did I forget to mention that I'm six months pregnant?

***

As I walk through the cafeteria, people look my way, then quickly turn as if they'd seen a ghost.

Tray in hand, my eyes quickly scan the room, looking for my table.

My table: The one invisibly barricaded by pure disgust and rejection for our kind.

Our kind: The kids who listen to punk music and intensely don't give an f.

I spot my group and stroll over. Almost immediately someone steps in front of me, making the tray painfully press against my stomach.

"Look at that." Oh no. Helen. Her ex-boyfriend was the one who knocked me up. He skipped town after.

I roll my eyes. More taunting.

"The walking freak show." She tries out the new nickname while her other evil minions watch.

"Look at that." I stare up at her face.

"The walking prostitution ring." Helen just laughs.

"So. The worm has teeth." She replies with a sneer.

"Just leave me alone, Helen. I'm not in the mood."

"Fine. Go back to your fellow weirdos then." Helen sighs, annoyed. I take a slow, deep breath and walk over to my 'fellow weirdos.'

I sit down next to my best, and only, friend Parker Hayes. He smiles brightly towards me as some others nod. Most of our table just keeps eating.

"God I'm starving." I mumble into my burrito.

"Same." he responds taking a large hunk of pizza in his mouth.

"What?! Why didn't you tell me they had pizza?" I ask.

"Oh, I took the last piece." Parker says cooly.

"Asshole of the year goes to..." I say under my breath.

"Me, of course" Park mock bows. "Because 'asshole of the year' just happens to be the only who is sticking by your side through all this."

"Guess so." I shoot a dopey smile at him.

"Speaking of 'all this'," Parker starts. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, the anxiety pills make the morning sickness worse, but better puking than hospitalized, right?"

Parker nods in agreement.

"Oo! And yesterday," I continue excitedly, "I felt her kick!"

Parker's eyes go wide.

"Wait, are you serious?" he asks. I shake my head 'yes'.

"Do you think she'd kick for me?" he asks more my stomach than me.

"You can try." I say, giving the go-ahead for him to feel my belly. Suddenly, I feel a small movement and Parker's face lights up with amusement. He rubs his hand over my belly, earning one more kick from the baby.

"Oof." I mutter, holding the bottom of my pregnant bulge.

"Pee?"

"Pee." I reply and make a run for the bathrooms, which probably looked like a half-paralyzed penguin trying to waddle.