Hey Monday-Sincerely, Tuesday

Tuesday-Where I drink my weight in sweet tea

"Dammit!" I yelled, pawing through the fridge.  "Mom, are we all out of sweet tea?"

"No, Tuesday, there's more out in the garage," my mom said calmly.  She wouldn't be calm if she was me, in major need of sweet tea.  Like, rightnow. 

I skipped out to the fridge in the garage, and grabbed the gallon of sweet tea out of it.  Not bothering to go back inside, I cracked open the lid and started drinking it.  "I'm going to the store," I shouted thorugh the door, and left.  I didn't have any shoes on, and I had the tea in my hand, but WHATEVER. I walked the 3 blocks to the convienence store, drinking tea the entire time.  I bought three tests.  Paying, I bolted out just in time to throw up in the street. 

"Tuesday?" a soft voice said.  I looked up to  see Jamie, looking concerned from her usual perch on  the bench.  She placed a gentle hand on my back.  "Are you sick?"

I shook my head.  "No, I'm-" and was abruptly cut off by another wave of tea-puke.  Coughing, I spat into the gutter.  "I'm not sick."

"Then why are you horking your guts out into the gutter?" Jamie asked.  I handed her the three tests without a word.  Straightening up, I chugged some more tea.  I thought barfing it up would make me not want it, but no.  Jamie was staring at me openmouthed, looking from the tests to me to the jug of tea to the puke.  Yeah.  The puzzle pieces were fitting together for me too. 

"Are you?" Jamie asked. 

"I don't know," I said honestly, starting towards my house.  Jamie followed.  "That's what these are for."

"Who?"

"Who do you think?" I snapped, irratible.  "I would never do it with anyone else."

"When?"

"About a month and a half ago..." I mumbled.  "God, I'm such an idiot!" I moaned, burying my face in my hands.  "What am I going to do when these tests come out positive? How will I tell Monday?  God, how will I tell my mom?" I wailed, panicking.

"Tuesday, are you sure you're...you know..." Jamie said. 

"I don't know what else it could be," I said. 

"Um, it could be that you drank almost a gallon of tea," Jamie pointed out, gesturing to the now almost-empty jug of tea. 

"Does that explain why my boobs hurt?" I mumbled. 

"No.  Good point," Jamie admitted as we tromped up the stairs to my room.  I walked into the bathroom with her right behind me. 

"Um, Jamie?" I whispered.  "You don't need to see me whazz on my prego test stick.  Jus tgo to my room and tell Monday where I am.  I'll explain the rest."

She skittered off to my room, and I entered the bathroom. 

I did my thing, washed my hands, and brushed my hair to try to clam down.  Not like it helped or anything, but still.

After a minute had passed, I took a deep breath of courage and looked at the stark white stick. 

A little pink plus sign sat on it. 

It was positive. 

I was pregnant. 

I sank to my knees, hyperventilating.  Oh my God.  I pulled my emergency paper bag out of my pocket and breathed into it.  That didn't stop me from panicking.

Tuesday, calm down, you're stronger than  this, a voice in my head chided me.  Something Dad had always said. I stood up, took the test and walked into my room. Monday and Jamie sat there, waiting.  Jamie was gnawing at her nails, Monday looked totally bewildered. 

"Jamie said you had something to tell me, Tuesday.  What's up?" Monday asked, and I could hear my knees knocking together. 

"I-I-I-" I stuttered uncontrollably. 

"Deep breath, Tuesday," Monday said, embracing me and rubbing my back.  "Then try again."

I inhaled and exhaled like an asthmatic.  "I-I'm p-p-p-p-p-preg-pregnant," I managed. 

Monday gasped.  He took my by the shoulders and looked me in the eye.  " Are you sure, Tuesday?  Maybe you're just sick.  We should see a doctor," he babbled.  I waited until he paused, then showed him the stick. 

He took it and stared at it, his eyes growing wide.  "Oh my God," he croaked out.  "You are."

"I'm sorry, Monday," I murmured.

"Are you going to..you know...get rid of it?" Jamie asked.  Monday and I bothed looked at her like she was crazy.

"NO! That's totally sadistic!" we both snapped.

She rolled her eyes.  "I'm going ot give you  some alone time."

***

"Are you going to keep it?" Monday asked.  I shook my head. 

"No.  Even though I already love this child just as much as I love you, Monday, I don't think we can be parents.  Adoption is probably the best bet," I assured him. 

He sighed, blowing a strand of scruffy hair out of his face.  "Okay.  I'll take a look in the newspapers.  You, Tuesday, need to tell Chelsea."

"Need to tell Chelsea WHAT, Monday?'

I turned around to find my mother standing there.  I gulped.  "Mom," I said.  "Hi."

"Tell me what, Tuesday?" my mother said.  Wordlessly, I handed her the test.  Her eyes widened at the result, and then they turned steely. " Get out of my house," she told Monday. 

"But, Chelsea-"

"You are not permitted to call me that anymore, Monday. And YOU-" she barked, turning to me, "-are getting an appointment at the clinic."

I took a deep breath.  "No," I said firmly. 

My mother turned to me, eyes flaring.  "WHAT?" She growled.

I set my jaw.  "I said no.  I'm not getting an abortion, and Monday is not leaving.  This is just as much my fault as it is his.  And I can't kill my child."

"Then what are you going to do, Tuesday?" Mom said.  "Keep it? Throw your life away?"

"No.  Although I love this baby, Monday is going to find someone to adopt it."

My mother breathed a sigh of relief.  "I'm not happy about this at all, young lady, considering it's been a year and you and Monday haven't done anything rash until now," she said, "but I'm glad that you and Monday have thought this out." She pushed her hair away  from her face and went downstairs.  I knew she was going to get a tonic and gin, like she always did when she was really upset. 

I walked towards Monday.  "Find an adoption couple STAT.  I am going to get some pre-natal vitamins," I said, and marched right back out the door.  I needed the vitamins, and I needed some more sweet tea.