I hadn't heard from Joan since the shower and I tried not to worry. Joan didn't like to stay in touch with people and it always pissed me off, it made me worry even more. When she finally did call I was at home in the baby room putting things together. I had realized when I'd gotten home from the shower that the baby bath needed to be taken out of the box, cleaned, and put together. It wasn't like you had to do much, just attach the base and after washing the tiny sponge pillow, you'd attach it with velcro. I was of course, putting it off for no reason in particular and washed all the baby clothes instead. I was attaching the base, when she called. I took the phone out of my pocket and let it ring twice before I answered, so it didn't seem like I was actually doing nothing.
"Hello?" I asked, but I knew who it was.
"Hey, it's Joan."
"Oh,"I say surprised. "What're you doing?" I hold the phone with my shoulder as I twist the screws in place, from base to basin.
"Um, apparently I, uh." I could picture her shaking her head confused. "I'm apartment hunting with Axel." I stopped what I was doing and grabbed the phone with my right hand.
"Your what?"
"Yeah,"
"What about-"
"Yeah it was true, but I gave Axel proposal some thought and I figured we can still be engaged and not get married for a while."
"So you are pregnant?" I ask worried. Joan was not a motherly type of person.
"Oh! No! I thought you meant the getting engaged thing. Yeah, no. Turns out I am just a hypochondriac."
I took a second. Shocked at what I'd just heard. She never called to tell me this and I just assumed- but no turns out she isn't, this whole time. Huh. What kind of person just lets her friends think something like that. I decide that it wasn't worth the trouble of fussing over.
"So what'd you call about?" I ask, changing the subject.
"Nothing really, I'm just tired of looking around for an apartment. I thought I would call and see what you were doing." Um, okay, I thought. That's strange.
"Why? I'm a really boring person..."
"You're like the only girl friend I have."
"Well if you're absolutely dying to know, I'm putting a baby bath together. For fun."I add with my eyebrows rising in sarcasm.
"Sounds like it." I set down the basin and stand (quite slowly might I add) and get a drink from the kitchen.
"Where are you looking for an apartment?"
"Mostly downtown, that's really the only place to look."
The whole conversation was quite boring to be honest. I listen to her talk about Axel while I finished putting the bath together and folding more clothes. When she finally did hang up I was exausted. I had never heard Joan talk that much. Ever. But I was happy that her and Axel were getting along. She seemed to be doing okay at least.
Eventually sitting on the floor that long was getting to my back and I had to lay down. I kept getting cramps, but I eventually took a nap.
YOU ARE READING
Skinny Love
Teen Fiction'A teenage girl comes face to face with her past and must deal with its consequences.' Ella got pregnant at seventeen, by her best friend but he doesn't know about it. Instead of telling him she changed schools and took on a new life where no one kn...
