The Rabbit Hole

Chapter 2

Finally, I get to the mall. It took me a while to leave the house, because I kept being yanked to the bathroom by my gut, puking the time away. Casey called me about twelve times, asking whether I'm coming to the mall or not and I kept giving her the same answer, "yes, I'm on my way," all the while having my head sunken into the toilet. In almost an hour and a half, I got my body back in order, no gagging, no pausing midway and waiting to see if there's anything else left to regurgitate. Everything was fine.

Casey waves me over to a table she got for us at an ice-cream parlour, she even ordered me a chocolate and vanilla swirl -I just hope I don't puke after my first lick.
"Gee, what took you so long?" she asks, while tapping her bare wrist to indicate a fake watch.
"I felt a little under the weather all of a sudden. But I'm fine now."
"Alrighty then, let's go and get you a prom dress." She sings out and takes me by the arm and leads me to the first shop among many. We've cycled each shop at least three times, searching for the perfect dress. We've been at it for hours, I can barely feel my feet. Among the many shops we've been to today, only two shops stood out, and in each, one dress "called out my name" as my ever-loving BFF says. The first shop had a very lovely dashing black glimmering V-neck jump prom dress with adjustable spaghetti straps. Sliding the tip of my finger on the edges of it gave me a sense of awe, I envisioned myself gliding through prom with this beauty draped on my body. Price tag, $590. The second shop and my other option was an angelic white floor length gown with a High Neck, Open Back prom dress from Jiovani, I gasped upon its sight, felt goosebumps run up and down my body as I slid my fingers on it. There was no doubt, this dress was mine. The price tag siphoned another gasp out of me, totally out of my price range at a warping $2450. My heart sank as I stared at the dress I wanted so badly, in my hands but ironically out of my reach.
"We'll take it." Casey tells the store clerk. I glare at her with shock and awe. "Casey, I can't afford this." I admit to her.
"I know. But I can." She says it with a smile.
"Casey, no. I won't allow you to do that."
"'Won't allow me to do that?' What are you my mother? Relax will you? It's a gift."
"It's too expensive a gift."
"So? That's what friends do, buy expensive gifts for one another," she says again with a smile and adds, "so I can hold it over your head," and finishes it off with her fake evil laugh. "Shut up," I say, laughing, "but seriously" I continue, "I'd rather go halfzee's on this." She sighs loudly and gives in, "fine, Mrs. No-handouts."
Out of the mall and on our way home I get a surprise call from Mother dearest, no doubt I already know what's this about, but I must admit, all that shopping actually erased the thought of going to see the doctor completely, I totally forgot about it. "Hello," I say to mom on the other end of the call. "Hi, Sweetheart. What did the doctor say?"
"uhh, I'm heading there right now."
"Heather.." She drags my name out.
"What, Ma? I totally lost track of time shopping. I'm honestly going to the doctor, I swear."
"You better not be lying to me."
"oh God, I'm not, I swear, jeez."
"Okay. Did you get your preferred dress?"
"Oh, Mom I can't wait to show it to you." I say in excitement, I even let out a giggle.
"it's not too expensive I hope."
"we'll talk about that when I get home, okay?"
"Heather," she stretches the last syllable in my name.
"Goodbye, mom." I hang up the phone. "The doctor?" Casey asks with a hint of doubt in her voice. I take it she expects me to ditch going to the doctor, Lord knows I've done it countless times and told my parents I went when truly, I didn't. "Yeah," I regretfully say to her.
"You're really going?"
"Yes, I am. Not only because I want to get my mom off my back but another part of me wants to know what's ailing me."
"This must be serious, huh?"
"Just a few minutes of puking that's it-" inadvertently, I bump into a very thin middle-aged man with a body scent of car oil. The collision caused me to drop my shopping bags to the ground. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," he politely says while helping me pick up my shopping bags. "It's alright. I clearly wasn't paying attention neither." I say to him and he chuckles under his collar and hands me my bags and apologizes once more before walking off. "You alright?" Casey asks.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Check your pockets, maybe he could have took something."
"Really, Casey? The guy is totally harmless."
"Just humour me," and I do so as she asks, I go through my pockets and in the mean time Casey goes through her own pockets -like that guy bumped into her. "oh no," I say, sounding alerted. "What is it?" Casey asks in a concerned tone. "My phone. My phone is missing." I say to her.
"No. I knew it! I'm calling the police." She dips into her jacket pocket and pulls out her phone. "Wait, wait relax," I laugh while speaking and showcase my phone safe and sound, right in my hand. "My phone's right here, I was only joking."
"ahh, you bitch!" She replies irritated.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help it. You're too easy."
"Go to hell."
"Awww, forgive me Casey-case. BFF's?" I plead to her with my arms stretched for a hug.
"yeah, yeah. I'm gonna get you back though." She states, hugging me back.
"Yeah, right. Why are you so suspicious of everyone though?"
"Better safe than sorry." She says.

The quick taxi drive from the mall to the nearest clinic took a few short minutes. Casey decided to join me for the quick check-up, I believe she's just as curious as I am to find out the reason for my sudden illness. Deeply, I'm not really that worried but it doesn't hurt to find out, unless the doctor decides to give me a shot for my troubles, the thought of it kind of makes me want to cross my fingers and say repeatedly "please don't give me a shot," I really do hate needles. Sitting in the waiting room watching as the time goes slowly by, listening to Casey sitting by my side reading and flipping through a five month old fashion magazine and pausing momentarily to glare at an outfit she finds interesting. Sitting across from me is an old man and his sickly grandson whom after every minute keeps coughing convulsively, and of course, not neglecting the asthmatic woman at my other side who seems to look as if she's keeping the number of her breaths to an even minimum. Over at the next seat is a guy with a really bad case of cold sores, I quickly noticed him because of each passing second he favours me with a blushing glance and an awkward smile. Looking at these people makes me feel like I'm just taking up space for the real sickly. I should just take my bags and leave this place, and tell Mom when I arrive that the clinic was closed, or that I have a minor stomach bug. Yeah, I can't sit any longer in here, I'm leaving. Upon getting to my feet, my name is called out by the receptionist, "Nice timing of getting up," Casey says sounding impressed. If only she knew that I was getting up to leave this place. "Be back in a sec," I say to her while pacing towards the nurse leading me to the doctor.

The doctor has asked me all the questions I kind of expected, placed the cold part of the stethoscope on my chest, asked me to breathe and all that, in the end he said there was nothing wrong he could find about me, but he's going to need to do a blood test to be sure. Great, the needle is coming, I should've crossed my fingers when I had the chance. I waited an extra ten to fifteen minutes for the results of my blood test to return. The doctor returns with a kind of puzzled look on his face and looks at me. "The results of your blood test have come back," he starts and clears his throat before continuing, "your blood tested positive for a hormone called 'human chorionic gonadotropin' also known as 'hCG'".
"Okay. What does that mean?" scared out of mind I ask him, fearing the answer to be that I may be dying and I only have a few weeks to live. For God sake, please don't let it be that. I'm still far too young for that, I haven't even graduated from high school yet, hell, I don't even have my driver's license. There's just too much left that I haven't done of yet. What kind of illness do I have? I hope he doesn't say that I'm slowly losing the use of my brain and in a matter of time I'll be braindead and trapped within my body. If my brain is giving out then I promise I'll play with the Rubik's cube often to keep my brain busy. I'll complete every crossword puzzle on every magazine and newspaper I read and even start playing Sudoku nonstop. "Heather," the doctor says in a serious tone of voice. "Yes?" I say the word beneath my voice, dreading what comes next. He breathes out sharply and says, "you're pregnant." I wish I was dying.

~Shouldn't have used cheap rubbers, Heather. Enjoying the story so far? I'm curious to hear what you think~
*p.s* Pardon my wit. I just love putting my inner thoughts down.