Toni leaned in to Veronica, her left cheek pressed against her chest as she looked at the home pregnancy test on the counter from a distance, like it was a ticking time bomb. Veronica was trying to comfort her, her arms around the younger girl protectively, but Toni knew if she had to look down on a little plus sign, there would be no protection her best friend could offer to her.
"How long do you think it's been?" Toni asked her, looking fiercely at the test, trying to develop telepathic skills that would display a negative sign on the screen.
"I don't know. A little while." Veronica was staring just as intensely at the spot on the counter where a small plastic object currently held Toni's future.
Toni slipped out of the older girls arms and crept near the counter. She took a few steps back again, shaking her head vehemently.
"I can't do it." she said, "Ronnie? Can you look for me? Just tell me what it says."
Veronica nodded and gulped, walking forward, feeling her heart pounding just as much in anticipation. She picked up the test and stared down on it, then looked up at the tan girls terrified face. Toni scanned over her expression, trying to determine the answer from it.
"Plus or negative?" she asked, clenching her sweaty palms at her sides, trying to remain calm and brace herself for the worst.
"Toni," Veronica said slowly, "You know these things aren't always accurate the first time..."
"Oh god!" Toni brought a hand up to her mouth as tears sprang into her eyes, "It's positive isn't it?"
Veronica nodded solemnly as her friend burst into a fit of cries. Veronica felt a fresh surge of anger sprout within her for Cheryl, the soccer girl, who in only two short weeks had managed to make Toni cry more than Veronica had ever seen in their entire friendship.
"My parents are going to hate me!" Toni yelled.
Veronica shook her head solemnly. "No they won't. Tones, just calm down and"
Toni screamed and grabbed the shower curtain, ripping it down off its rungs, needing something to take out her anger on. Veronica quickly jumped over to her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, allowing her to soak the front of her shirt in her anguish.
"We'll get some more of these." she soothed, referring to the pregnancy test, "It could be wrong. They're wrong all the time."
Toni nodded, though both of them knew the chances of it being wrong were very slim. She showed all the early signs of a pregnant woman, that was undeniable.
"And if it's right?" she asked, looking up at her best friend with her light brown watery orbs.
Veronica sighed, gently stroking her hair, "Then you'll have some big choices to make."
--
Veronica stared at her friend, a few hours later, curled up into a ball in fetal position, sobbing into a stuffed hippo.
"You know you have to tell her." she said.
Toni sat up and glared at the Veronica, "Oh really?" she snapped, "Thanks for figuring that out, Sherlock." she hurled the hippo at her, successfully hitting her in the head.
"And your parents." Veronica said, dodging the hippo, rolling her eyes at Toni's childish ways, "Well, I mean, that is, if you decide to keep it."
Toni sat up and sniffled, looking at Veronica, realization dawning on her, "If I decide to..." she jumped off the bed and wrapped her arms tightly around Veronica, "Oh my God, Ronnie!"
