"This is the cutest thing I've ever seen," Edie breathed. She was looking thoughtfully at a little cream lace dress.
"Put it in the basket, but get it in a 6 month so she can wear it in the summer," I say. Edie and I rode out to Hollywood today, Wednesday, to go shopping at Bel Bambini for baby stuff. It was far enough away from home that no one would see us, and celebrities always shopped there to get their babies clothes.
Edie examined a breast pumped and started to laugh. "I just can't believe you're going to be a mom. It's insane. We won't be able to go to parties or anything anymore!"
"I know," I say. "I have to tell you something."
"I'm so getting this for you," Edie says, adding the pump to the basket.
"Edie, I'm serious."
"What?" Edie finally turns her attention to me and absentmindedly reapplies her lip gloss.
"I- I don't know who the dad is," I whisper.
"No," Edie says breathily. She grabs my wrist, giving me a flashback of Monday.
"Yes."
"Oh. My. God. Who?" Edie shrieks.
I bite my lip nervously. "Ryan."
"Ryan Smith?!"
"Shh!" I pull Edie into the far corner of the store and look around cautiously. "Yes."
"No you didn't. There is no way you cheated on Parker."
"Kay, well obviously I did. It was in June, at Brandon Stevens' end of school party. Parker and I got in a fight over what I was wearing, cause he thought I looked like a slut. I guess I drank too much and Ryan was all over me. I barely even remember it. I remember finding Parker after and he drove me home and took care of me. I never told him because it was a huge mistake. Then, my doctor told me when the baby was conceived. She didn't know the exact date, but it was in that week. It could be either one of them."
Edie just stared at me with her mouth open.
"Say something! Tell me what to do."
Edie thinks for a moment then she snapped her fingers. "Paternity test. You can do them while you're still pregnant. My cousin got one last month."
"How do you do that?" I ask.
"You just ask your gyno to check the DNA. Get a piece of Parker's hair out of his shower or something. If it's not Parker's not the father then you know it's Ryan's."
Edie is right. I need to get this over with before the baby is born so I can straighten everything out.
"I still can't believe you banged Ryan. He's so fine," Edie hummed.
"No, he's a jerk. On Monday he got all up on me. I hate him so much. I don't even care what the results are, Parker's going to be the father of my baby, and no one will ever know otherwise."
* * *
Thursday night I was curling my long blonde hair while sitting at my makeup table. I was getting ready for the first home basketball game after winter break, and Parker was really nervous. He is the captain of the varsity basketball team, which is impressive since basketball is really competitive in our area and he's only a junior.
I was over the top with St. Vincent school spirit, in my maroon oversized St. Vincent crew neck tennis sweatshirt, gray legging, tan and leopard Sperry's, and a maroon and white polka dot ribbon tied to a bobby pin pinning back the front of my curls. I look hot and skinny, not pregnant at all. Parker needs my support, and doesn't need to worry about anything.
