Famous (ON HOLD)

Tension

"Tell me to shut up if I ever get on your nerves by calling too much," Courtney told Heather over the phone. It was nearly 1:00, and Courtney was calling Heather for what must've been the one-hundredth time in the last two hours. She had been clinging to her best friend like a lifesaver for the past few days.

"You're not annoying me," Heather responded, smiling so tightly that her cheeks hurt. Courtney couldn't have been more obnoxious, but Heather was willing to bury her irritation for the time being.

"I swear, I just have one more question, and then I'll leave you alone!" Courtney said.

"Fire away."

"It occurred to me that I have to tell my parents that I'm pregnant sooner or later. I said I probably wouldn't get an abortion, but they may just be my motivation to get one. They're the last people in the world I want to tell."

Heather pulled her knees against her chest, fiddling with her pastel pink fuzzy socks. "Courtney, I think you're catastrophizing this. Your parents might be disappointed, but it's not like they'd disown you or anything."

"Disowning me would be the nicest thing they could do," Courtney stressed. "Don't you remember meeting them at the Young Lawyers booth last year?"

"—Yeah." Heather cringed. "Ok, I may have to retract my statement. But only a little. They were high-strung, but I still don't think they'd do anything that bad to you." The truth was, she had no idea how they'd react. She was trying to remain positive. Courtney already had a hard enough time as it was.

"Heather, they don't want me having a baby until I'm MARRIED. I'm not even DATING anyone right now!"

"Do they not want you pregnant, or do they not want you raising a child without support? Big difference there."

Courtney exhaled deeply as she dragged her hand down her face. "Raising a child, obviously. But I can't tell them who got me pregnant because they'll react even worse."

Courtney's parents -especially her mother- hated Duncan with a burning passion. They only saw him as a bad influence, and they were right. When she was with Duncan, she did many things she swore she'd never do. He had shaped her entire perspective on what being a "good girl" meant. Courtney loved being a goody-goody, but Duncan made her resent her parents' rules. She became more and more like him each day while still trying to hold onto her innocence. Perhaps that was why they ended the way they did—too much push and pull.

"Well, whatever you decide to do, I'll support you all the way." Heather twirled her hair.

"I think—I think I want to tell my parents today." Courtney let out a breath, "just to get it over with. I can't see myself actually going through with an abortion. I'm so nervous, though. Like, I'm literally shaking right now."

"Do you want me to come with you to tell them—"

"Please?" Courtney answered, not missing a beat. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I can muster up the courage. I'm a grown woman. Don't feel pressured!"

"Courtney, I'm the one who suggested it. Chill."

"I know, I know. Sorry. I'm such a wreck right now!" The day prior, Courtney had bought three pregnancy tests to make sure, then cursed herself for spending unnecessary money, throwing them all away before she even used them.

"I don't blame you, babes," said Heather. "Your situation sounds like a nightmare."

"Nightmare is an understatement," Courtney groaned. "I feel like such an idiot. This could've easily been avoided."

"I'm so sorry, Courtney. I know you're badass enough to get through it with or without a man. And don't tell me you're not because I won't believe you. I will force badassery on you whether you like it or not."