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Chapter 6 - Secrets Unraveling

Monday faded into Tuesday, and before I knew it, the week had flown by in a blur of classes, assignments, and carefully avoiding Justin. Every time I saw him in the hallway, I ducked into a bathroom or turned down a different corridor. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to him—I did. But what would I say? How do you tell someone like Justin that you're pregnant?

Each day felt heavier than the last. Tara had noticed my mood, but I brushed off her concerns with excuses about stress and schoolwork. I wasn't ready to tell anyone else yet. I wasn't sure if I ever would be. For now, I'd keep pretending.

But secrets have a way of surfacing, even when you try to bury them.

It was Wednesday afternoon when things started to unravel. The day started out like any other—teachers lecturing, students half-listening, the usual chaos of high school. But in third period, something changed. I could feel it, like a storm brewing just beneath the surface.

I was sitting in math class, barely paying attention as Mr. Donovan droned on about geometry, when I heard two girls whispering behind me.

"Did you hear about Mia?"

My heart sank instantly. I kept my eyes on my notebook, my pen trembling in my hand.

"Yeah, I heard something, but is it true?"

"I don't know, but Tara said—"

I whipped my head around, glaring at the girls. "What did Tara say?"

They both looked startled, eyes wide, as if they hadn't expected me to overhear. The red-haired girl, Chelsea, quickly glanced down at her desk, avoiding my gaze. The other girl, Jenna, fidgeted nervously.

"Oh, nothing," Jenna said quickly, her voice too high-pitched to be casual. "Just... you know, rumors."

I felt my pulse quicken, my palms growing clammy. Rumors. The word echoed in my head, and my stomach twisted into knots.

"Right," I muttered, turning back around. My mind raced through a million possibilities. What did they know? How did they find out? Tara wouldn't have said anything... would she?

The rest of the class passed in a haze, and as soon as the bell rang, I bolted out of the room. I needed to find Tara.

When I finally tracked her down, she was standing by her locker, chatting with some of the girls from the cheer squad. She looked up as I approached, her expression brightening. "Hey, Mia!"

"We need to talk," I said, my voice sharper than I intended.

Her smile faltered. "Uh, okay?"

I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the nearest empty classroom, closing the door behind us. Tara looked confused, a slight frown tugging at her lips. "What's going on?"

I crossed my arms, trying to keep my voice steady. "I heard Chelsea and Jenna talking in math class. They said you told them something about me. About... you know."

Tara's eyes widened in shock. "What? No! Mia, I would never—"

"Then how do they know? How are people finding out?" I snapped, the panic rising in my chest. "Tara, I haven't told anyone but you and my mom. So if they know, it's because someone's talking, and that someone isn't me."

She stepped forward, her expression softening. "Mia, I swear, I didn't tell anyone. I've kept your secret, I promise."

I wanted to believe her. Tara had been my best friend since we were kids. But the whispers, the looks I'd been getting all day... someone was talking. And the walls were closing in fast.

I pressed my palms to my forehead, feeling the weight of it all crashing down on me. "I can't do this, Tara. I'm not ready for people to know."

Tara bit her lip, looking like she was trying to find the right words. "Mia, I get that you're scared, but... it's going to come out eventually. You can't hide it forever."

"I know," I whispered, my voice breaking. "But I'm not ready."

There was a long silence between us, and for a moment, I thought Tara was going to press the issue. But instead, she sighed and nodded. "Okay. I won't say anything. But if you need to talk, you know I'm here, right?"

I nodded, though the knot in my stomach didn't ease. Tara meant well, I knew that. But good intentions couldn't stop the inevitable.

As I walked down the hall to my next class, I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone who passed. The whispers hadn't stopped—they were growing louder. And I could feel the eyes on me, curious, judgmental, waiting for the moment the truth finally surfaced.

The rest of the day was a blur of anxiety. I barely made it through my classes, the weight of everyone's stares pressing down on me. By the time the final bell rang, I was ready to bolt out of the building and disappear. But just as I reached the front doors, someone grabbed my arm.

"Mia."

I turned around, my heart sinking as I saw Justin standing there, his expression serious. He still looked like the guy I kissed at the party—confident, a little cocky—but his eyes were filled with something I hadn't seen before. Concern.

"We need to talk," he said, his voice low.

I swallowed, my throat tight. "Justin, I—"

"Look, I've been hearing stuff. And I know something's going on." He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. "If it's about us, about the party, just tell me. I don't want things to get weird between us."

I blinked, surprised. He thought this was about the kiss? About whatever awkwardness he imagined was between us? For a brief moment, I almost laughed at the irony of it all. If only that was the biggest problem I had.

"It's not about that," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Then what is it?" he pressed, stepping closer. His eyes searched mine, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of vulnerability beneath his usual bravado. "Mia, you can talk to me."

I wanted to tell him. In that moment, I wanted to spill everything—the pregnancy, the fear, the pressure of trying to keep my life from falling apart. But the words caught in my throat, stuck somewhere between fear and shame. What if he reacted the same way everyone else would? What if he judged me, too?

So instead, I shook my head. "It's nothing, Justin. I'll... I'll figure it out."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but after a long pause, he sighed and nodded. "Okay. But I'm here if you need me."

I watched him walk away, the weight of my secret crushing me from all sides. The walls were closing in, faster than I could keep them up.

And I was running out of time.

4o