Shattered Appearances ✓

t h i r t e e n : Stage One is Always Denial

Last night, Stephanie finally decided to tell dad the entire truth. Well almost everything, she did exclude the fact that she might be pregnant. Realizing that I was in fact innocent, I was ungrounded and Stephanie received my punishment.

It was early in the morning, six in the morning to be exact, but Stephanie woke me up because she wanted to take the test now.

"Can't this wait three hours?" I said as I looked at the clock.

6:17 am.

Groaning again, I pulled my sheets above my head. She pulled them down and shook me. "No, I couldn't sleep that night. I can't delay it any further."

"So you decided to ruin my sleep?" I rubbed my eyes together and sat up. I leaned over and opened the drawer where the bag was. I shook the bag so all the contents feel out. Stephanie grabbed the test while I opened one of the bags of chips and started eating it.

"Fatass." Stephanie muttered playfully but still extended her hand so I could give her some.

I shook my head and clutched the bag tighter to my body. "Just because of that, I'm not gonna give you any."

Steph rolled her eyes but opened the pink box. I bought a set of two and Stephanie took one out and left the other inside the box.

I stood up and stretched my arms to try and get some more energy in my system. My headache from yesterday disappeared, thankfully, so I was able to think clearly.

When I saw that she was till of my bed, I pushed her off, much to her annoyance. "Come on now, I have shit to do. I'm not waiting three hours until you have the courage to pee on a stick."

She put up her hands in surrender and went into the bathroom. Knowing that this would take at least ten minutes, I went downstairs and made cereal for both of us. There was no way I was going to fall asleep now.

Once I poured the milk and put the cereal in, I went back upstairs with both bowls. Setting one of the bowls next to my dresser I began to slurp my milk rather loudly. Stephanie came out of the bathroom and rolled her eyes at the noise.

"You're such a weird eater. Don't you carry about what people think."

"Not when it's six in the morning and I'm hungry." I told her and I finished the last of it. She grabbed her bowl and started slurping her breakfast. I knew she was distracted though because she misdirected the spoonful of milk and the liquid spilled on her shirt.

I laughed and grabbed a tissue from my nightstand and have it to her.

"How many minutes are left?"

Stephanie checked the digital clock and then held up two fingers.

It felt like forever until the clock read 6:28. I tried to act nonchalant about it, but it was still nerve wracking nonetheless. When it was time Stephanie abruptly stood up and went into the bathroom to get the pregnancy test. When she came out, her eyes were closed and her hands covered the part that revealed the results.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Is it okay to say no?"

"No."

"Then yes." I walked over next to her and when she felt my presence, she removed her hand and opened her eyes. On the test, there were two red marks.

She was pregnant.

I patted her back and said, "You'll be eighteen in a few months. Dad can't get that mad. By the time you'll deliver the baby you'll be in college."

She just continued staring at it but she wasn't at all surprised. She did take another one before this and it had the same result. We were kidding ourselves by thinking the result would be different this time.