9-1-1 ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ sʜᴏᴛs

Teen pregnancy - Evan Buckley

Jaelyn Buckley - 16

Jaelyn Buckley strutted into her high school classroom, the clatter of her boots echoing down the hallway as she flashed a smile to a group of boys hanging near the door. She was no stranger to attention; she thrived on it. Whether it was from her good looks or the reputation she'd built for herself, she had become the center of most boys' worlds, and she knew it. They'd lean in closer, tease her, laugh at her jokes just to get a flicker of attention in return.

"Morning, Jaelyn," one of the boys said, eyes twinkling as he took a step closer to her. His hand brushed lightly against her arm as if testing the waters.

She smirked, letting her gaze linger on him for a moment longer than necessary before pulling away, biting her lip playfully. "Morning," she replied, her voice soft, teasing, and full of hidden meaning.

She loved the rush of power that came with flirting— the way she could control a room without even trying. But Jaelyn was smart too, and she made sure to never let the flirting get in the way of her studies. As soon as she sat down at her desk, her demeanor shifted. She pulled out her notebook, her eyes focused on the work in front of her. Despite the glances and whispers from the boys in the room, Jaelyn could switch into "serious mode" when she needed to.

She finished her work quickly, ignoring the lingering eyes. Inside, there was a slight unease—a nagging feeling she had been brushing off for weeks. Her period was late, and she had started experiencing morning sickness. She didn't know what was going on, and the fear that had settled into her gut wasn't one she could easily dismiss.

---

At lunch, Jaelyn met up with her best friend, Zara. Zara handed her a small, discreetly wrapped box under the table. It was a pregnancy test.

"I couldn't buy one myself," Jaelyn whispered to her friend, glancing nervously around the cafeteria.

Zara nodded. "Don't worry, I got it. You gonna take it today?"

"Yeah, I'll do it after school. I've been feeling...off. I just—I don't know what to think right now."

They sat in silence for a few moments, the reality of the situation looming over them. Jaelyn hadn't exactly been careful. Her relationships were fleeting, impulsive, and reckless, just like her dad had been at her age. But that was part of the thrill, right? She never thought about the consequences—until now.

"So," Zara began hesitantly, "what if it's positive? What are you gonna do?"

Jaelyn stared at her half-eaten lunch, the question hanging heavy in the air. "I don't know," she admitted. "I'm not ready to be a mom, Zara. I don't even know who the dad is. It could be anyone. But... I could never..." Her voice trailed off, as the thought of terminating the pregnancy became too much to bear.

Zara squeezed her hand. "Whatever happens, you've got me. And you've got your dad, Jaelyn. He's going to help you through this."

Jaelyn forced a smile, but her stomach churned with anxiety. She wasn't so sure.

---

Later that afternoon, Jaelyn was home alone. The house was eerily quiet, and she could feel the weight of her fear pressing down on her. The small box Zara had given her sat on the bathroom counter, its presence taunting her.

She couldn't put it off any longer.

Taking a deep breath, Jaelyn opened the box, hands shaking as she did the test. The seconds felt like hours as she waited for the results to appear.

Finally, there it was. Positive.

Her heart raced, and her vision blurred as panic surged through her. She wasn't ready. She didn't even know who the father was. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be a mother. Not like this.