The Show Goes On

Nerve Endings

"Are you pregnant?" Maxx repeated, his tone gentler than the look on his face.

"I don't know." I whispered quietly "And don't say that word. Cody might hear you."

Maxx raised an eyebrow. "Why does it matter if he hears? And how don't you know?"

I groaned, yanking my blanket away from him and curling up in a tight ball. "Just go away. I have a headache."

The door to the bunks slid open and closed and I thought he had left. Cautiously, I poked my head out of my blanket cocoon only to find both Maxx and Austin staring back at me. "Shit."

"Is she pregnant?" Maxx asked Austin.

"You told him?! I thought you wanted-"Austin was cut off by Maxx.

"I found the receipt in your bag, Dumbass. Is she pregnant?"

"I don't know." Austin looked at me. "Are you pregnant?"

"Stop saying that word!" I shouted, tensing as the noise out in the living area stopped after my outburst.

"Guys, seriously, stop bothering Alyssa." Cody called out. "Don't make me come back there."

Maxx turned back to me "Tell him you're fine or he's going to come and ask what's going on."

"Good, then he can rescue me from you two." I snapped, ignoring their hurt expressions. I really didn't want to be mean. I just had no desire to discuss this topic.

"No, I'll tell him what I found and for some reason you don't want him to know." Maxx said "What's it going to be Aly-cat?"

"Al, is everything alright?" Cody shouted, his heavy footsteps getting closer.

I screamed into my pillow before replying "Yeah, Austin's just telling bad jokes." The footsteps retreated with a laugh.

"If you took the test, how don't you know?" Maxx was relentless with this conversation.

"I didn't." I muttered, reaching for my bag.

"Didn't what?" Austin asked in confusion

I pulled out the unopened pregnancy test kit. "I didn't take it."

Maxx sighed, shaking his head as he took the box from me. "You're as bad as Brie."

"Is she pregnant?" Austin burst out and I quickly covered his mouth, holding my breath to make sure the other guys were still joking around.

"Sorry." Austin muttered as I released him. "Is Brie pregnant, Maxx?"

"No. But she thought she was and it was like pulling teeth to get her to take a damn test." Maxx looked at me and I thought I was going to get a lecture, but instead he just hugged me. "It's going to be alright." He pulled back so he had eye contact "You need to take this test so you know. You could be worried over nothing."

"I can't take it here. Not while he's sitting on the other end of the bus." I tried to take the box back. "Why do you care anyways?"

"Because you're my friend and I've already been through this with Brie. I just want to help." Maxx slid open the door to the bathroom. "We'll keep the coast clear."

I looked towards Austin for help. "You need to do it. I didn't buy those tests for fun."

"Fuck you both." I hissed, getting out of my bunk and taking the test into the bathroom. My hands shook as I read the instructions and peed on the stick as the paper said. Three minutes. A plus sign would appear in three minutes if I was pregnant. A minus sign would relieve me of all this stress.