The stick didn't lie. Not the first one, or the second, or the third. It showed two lines and knowing already that the condom had broken, and she was late, she believed the stick. The stick had just ruined more than her day.
She sat back against her bed out her head between her legs wondering how did this happen to her.
She knew how of course, she just couldn't believe she put herself into this situation.
She never should have gone to the party, but it was the end of the school year and she wanted to have fun. She was going into her senior year of high school, this was going to be her year.
The party was a rite of passage, a welcome to senior year and welcome summer event. All of her friends were there, and she wanted to be as well.
Carol had made so many plans with her friends for senior year. That was all going to change in one way or another, no matter what she decided.
This was supposed to be the best year of her life, except five weeks ago she had done something way out of character, reckless and wild.
And the stick told her just how reckless and wild it was.
Why, oh why did she think he was so cute, it wasn't like they were friends at all. They didn't move in the same circles, but they knew who each other was before the party.
She didn't particularly even like him, more like she knew who he was, but that didn't matter to her.
He was just another face in the sea of faces at school, like she was to him.
It could be classified as ambivalence even, he existed and so did she, never affecting each other.
Except they did affect each other now.
They hadn't seen each other since that night either, and she wasn't bothered by it.
But now, she was a little bothered by something. He own stupidity to be exact.
She had walked out on the deck that night to get some air because that creepy Ed Peltier was bothering her. He was always bothering her, he just could not take a hint. She had been dodging him all week in school and now he was ruining her night.
And there he was sitting with his feet up on the table, work boots and all, smoking a cigarette.
She turned to go back inside and then she saw Ed looking for her inside, she was trapped. She didn't want to go back inside, so she stood there her shoulders slumped down in defeat.
She turned back, he had been watching her. She could see his blue eyes even in the dark.
"Hiding out from Peltier again?" He said purposefully mispronouncing his name.
"How'd you know?"
"Guys a douche, saw him following you before." He said. "I get the feelin this isn't the first time either."
He took a drag of his cigarette as she shook her head.
"Come, sit down, I won't bite, unless you want me to." He gave her a small grin as he sat up to make room for her at the table. He pulled a chair out and asked her again to sit.
And she did.
They talked for a long time that night. He was an ok person as she got to know him. Still not her circle of friends, but maybe they would nod to each other in the hall next year since they knew each other a little better.
Maggie and Andrea came out to check on her and were both surprised at who she was talking to. She said she was fine and they left her to it.
After about an hour Ed found her, she got up in a panic and Daryl pulled her into his lap and started kissing her.
That would make him leave her alone.
He was an awesome kisser. The best she'd ever had.
Ed turned and walked back into the house, mission accomplished. But, Daryl didn't let her up for air until he was ready to.
Then he asked her if she wanted to get out of there and she did.
/
So here she was sitting on her bedroom floor, five weeks later, with three sticks of doom.
If he had called her she might not have answered anyway.
It was just a thing.
Except the condom did break and they both knew it.
She picked up the phone and dialed Maggie who answered before the ring ended on her end of the phone. Maggie had been sweating this for a week, ever since Carol told her that she fucked Daryl Dixon in his truck after Glenn's party. That was news enough, but now she was late.
"Well?" Maggie didn't even say hello, she had been waiting for this call.
"No Bueno." She said. "Three tests all positive."
"Shit, shit."
Carol sat back against the bed again. She had just turned seventeen this past May, she couldn't believe this. She had just passed her driver's test. This could not be happening to her.
"What are you gonna do?" Maggie asked, bringing her back from her thoughts.
"I don't know. I really don't know."
"Car, you have to tell him, I mean, you should."
"Maggie, it was a one night stand, we never even said we would keep in touch, it was just a...." Carol said.
"Well, he got you pregnant, Carol, it only takes one time." Maggie said, trying to get her to see this had to be dealt with, sooner rather than later.
"Yes, I'm aware of that, thanks Mags." Carol was starting to get upset.
This was totally overwhelming, she started to cry, big tears falling down her face and into her lap. Maggie could hear her sobbing from her end of the phone. It had hit her, Carol was starting to cry harder and hiccup her breath coming in short bursts now.
Maggie took a deep breath and spoke into the phone.
"I'm coming over Carol, breathe, just breathe."
A/N: Let me know what you think.
