Bastiana has a loving family, two amazing best friends, and a secret.
Over summer vacation, Bastiana and her besties do their best to focus on their bucket list in order to distract them from all the secrets they're keeping from one another. When a...
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Closing the door to my truck as I settle into the driver's seat, I exhale deeply, shaking my head in an attempt to shake off the conflicting emotions running through my body. Tonight's family dinner left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I'm not talking about my mom's hand-squeezed lemonade.
My older sister, Kate, and her husband, Richard, are in town visiting. They made a big deal about having all of us together tonight, even though today was my last day as a sophomore and it's the first night of summer vacation.
I didn't understand their insistence until they dropped the bomb at dinner.
Pregnant.
I guess we shouldn't be too surprised. That's usually what couples do after they get married, even if they did start pretty early.
Too early, it turns out. Everything was fine for the first few minutes after Kate made the announcement. Mom was so excited, and dad congratulated Richard on becoming a father. Everyone was happy, that is until mom asked when the baby is due.
It would be an understatement to say my parents were not pleased to find out that they had conceived two months before their wedding.
My parents have old-fashioned family values, strong ones. Mom cried for the rest of dinner. The look on my father's face as he yelled two inches in front of Richard's face is imprinted on my mind. His face was bright red, and spit flew from his lips, landing on my brother-in-law's face. I've never seen him so angry.
I sat there, frozen in place, as the chaos around me ensued. My mind whirled with terrified thoughts of how my parents would react to the truths I've kept hidden for so long.
Kate and Richard's misstep was a small one, when looking at the bigger picture. They'd been engaged for a year before the wedding, and now they were married anyway. What did it matter if they conceived right before the wedding?
My parents' reactions made it clear that they didn't feel it was such a small misstep after all.
How would they react when I told them about me and what I wanted? I shuddered at the thought, putting on my seatbelt and starting the truck.
As the aging engine roared to life, I sent a quick text to Ry, letting him know I was heading over to Tiana's. It was late, and I had already missed the first two movies, but not showing up at all to the first Rigby movie night of the summer was not an option.
Movie nights are important to Tiana, and Tiana is very important to me. She's my best friend and one of the most important people in my life. I can't imagine what my life would look like without her, and I don't want to.
I met Tiana and Ry on the first day of 6th grade, and we've been side by side ever since. I can't even remember the last time we went more than 24 hours without seeing each other. They're the best friends anyone could ask for.
