Starting Over

No More Monkeys Jumping On The Bed

Delany and I sat on my bed in the room we shared. "I wish they would stop," she mumbled.

Our parents have been arguing all week. My father's upset at me, and my mom is upset at my father. My father looks at me like a vegan hippie looks at a slaughter house now, and my mother can't stand it. Sometimes, the look of disappointment flashes through her eyes when we're talking at dinner - that my dad never has with us anymore, saying he'd prefer to eat outside - or she'll choke up when she asks me how I'm feeling.

Only my parents and Darrien knows. I haven't told my best friend, or even my sister.

The yelling from downstairs stopped and Delany and I looked at each other. We both creeped towards the steps. "She's only seventeen...." my father said softly.

"Go back to your room," I whisper yelled at Delany. Since I'm three years and two weeks older than Delany, she has to listen to me. When she was back in the room I started to pay attention again.

"You're right Charlie. She is only seventeen. She's pregnant, and she's going to graduate in two months. And she needs us. Especially you, Charlie."

"Maybe it would be different if she wasn't having it with that boy-"

"Oh, so it's about Darrien?" my mom yelled. Lowering her voice, she continued, "It's because of him?"

"Why can't she just get rid of -"

"Shut up, Charles."

"I'm just saying Willow, what if she doesn't even want the baby...." It was silent for a moment, and I don't know if it was because I was pregnant or just being myself I went downstairs.

"I'm keeping this baby, Dad." I said confidently. "As much as I don't want a baby right now, he has a right to live."

"That's so dumb, Cassidy. Your life will be ruined because of that thing."

"Shut up!" I yelled at him.

"Cassidy." my mom warned.

"Let her talk Willow," my dad said.

"If you really have such a problem with me being pregnant, then you can leave. I don't need you stressing me out right now, and that's all you've been doing since we got back from the hospital. I thought fathers were supposed to support the family, but all you're doing is making it worse. Mom shouldn't have to defend her child like you're not a parent too. Dad-" I stopped myself. "Charles, please. Just leave."

"I was waiting for that all week Cassidy. Thanks sweet heart. Maybe you won't fail in life after all." he said before heading to the door.

"Aren't you going to get some bags?" my mom whispered.

"They've been packed since Monday," he said slamming the door.

I looked at my mom and saw she was going to cry. I went over to her and hugged her. "Mom, please don't cry...." But she did, and so I did. When Delany came down and figured out what happened, she cried too.

"Why did he leave us?" Delany whispered into my long straightened dark brown hair.

"It's my fault," I croaked. "It's because I'm p- going to have a baby."

Then we all cried some more.

None of us bothered getting dinner once we were all drained out of tears, but my mom ordered Delany and I to drink a glass of orange juice before we headed to bed.

We silently got ready for bed in our separate bathrooms and layed down without saying a word. I flicked the lights.

"Good night," I told her.