Kaira Storm: The Teenage Girl's Guide to Saving the World in 24 Hours

Lesson Two: Think Before You Speak

Oh, jeez. Why tonight?

'Say something, Kaira.'

I realised my mouth was hanging open. I quickly closed it and tried to offer support in the most efficient way possible.

'Are you sure you're pregnant?' I asked. 'Could just be gas. My stomach's a little bad today. We shouldn't keep eating that Chinese takeaway.'

'It's not gas, Kaira,' Eva said. 'I've taken like twenty pregnancy tests in the last month.'

'I've read that those are really inaccurate,' I said. 'You're not actually supposed to pee on them. You're supposed to put them under your tongue. Like a thermometer.'

'I know what you're doing,' Eva said.

You really don't, I thought.

'You're a good friend,' she said. 'But there's no denying it. I'm going to have a baby.'

Eva inhaled sharply and blew all the air from her lungs. She blinked a few times. She was trying not to cry.

'Have you not thought about... You know... The 'A' word?'

'Kaira!' Eva shook her head violently. 'No. You know my opinions about abortion.'

'Not that,' I said. 'I meant the other 'A' word. Adoption?'

'Oh. I don't know. I want to keep it. I couldn't give it away.'

'You would make a good mother,' I said.

'I know, right?' Eva wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed. 'I think so too.'

'But you're very young to have a baby.'

'Not really. My mum was eighteen when she had me.'

'But she was with your father, wasn't she?'

'That's true.'

'Who is the father?'

I was genuinely interested. I had only kissed a guy and even that had been too much for me.

Eva thought about the question. I conducted a mental scan of our classroom. I may have been the new girl but I was able to get to know everyone in class within the first month. Eva had never mentioned any of the boys though.

'I don't know.' Eva whispered and looked guiltily around her darkened bedroom. 'Is that bad?'

'That's pretty bad, yeah,' I said.

Eva looked wounded. I have the tendency to say things before I think about how they will affect another person.

'I mean, I'm not saying you're a slut or anything,' I said. 'It's just... Don't you have any idea who the father is?'

Eva gave me that look. You know the look when your best friend wishes you were more comforting? Maybe that's just the sort of look I get. She shrugged it off anyway. She knew I meant no harm.

'There's two possibilities,' Eva said.

'From school?'

'One is.'

Eva was silent. A large part of me wanted to go and sit on the side of her bed, throw my arm around her, and comfort her. An even larger part of me wanted to get the hell out of there so I could actually do my job.

'Eva, I don't know what to say.'

'Just tell me how to tell my dad.'