Not Another Teen Pregnancy Story

Chapter Eleven Falling Apart

It seemed like a normal day at school until fourth period and Chris and Beth came running up to me with panic stricken faces.

"What?" I asked them as they yelled my name in hushed whispers.

They looked at each other before they answered.

"I don't know how to say this." Beth started.

"Yeah, it's really bad." Chris finished. 

"Just tell me." I was growing impatient. I wanted to see Daniel again, especially because I hadn't heard from him all day today, only last night.

"Rachel hooked up with Daniel." They both said in a rush. My heart skipped a beat. What?

"When?" I hadn't thought Daniel the cheating type.

"After you two broke up. I guess recently." No, that couldn't be. I mean I'm not dating Daniel now or anything, but why would she hook up with Daniel recently after a break up? How could she. I thought she was my friend.

"Where did you hear this?" I felt my face flush red. 

"Chloe, but the whole school is talking about it." Of course they were. Frustration tears started to fill my eyes. Great, just great, crying at school. I couldn't let my feelings have such an effect on me.

"I... I need to go home." I felt like everyone was watching me as I ran to the nearest exit and fled the scene. School was full of chaos and I needed to detach myself from it.

Beth and Chris might have said something, but I didn't hear it. I was running, as fast as you could in six inch heels, to my car to leave this place. I couldn't believe Daniel and Rachel could do this to me! It was just like Rachel to spread her legs so fast. And Daniel! Preaching all about love and interest and then hooking up with that... that... girl!

Ugh. I needed a cigarette. But I couldn't smoke. I wouldn't smoke while pregnant. I wasn't that stupid.

Maybe ice cream would help.

~~~

I don't know how long I'd been sitting up in my room, but I do know I went through four tubs of ice cream. I only got up to pee and get more ice cream. Netflix and Ice cream was my therapy at the moment. 

The second I had gotten home I had turned my phone off and thrown it across my room. I think it was wedged in between my dresser and a lost brush and missing backs to my earrings. I didn't think much of my phone at the time. I also turned my computer off and shut anything down that was connected to the internet. 

Except Netflix. But no one could really talk to me over Netflix.

And if they could, they deserved to talk to me.

There came a knock from my door that only startled me because I thought it might be Beth and Chris. But then I remembered I put the security stuff on, so if it had been them the whole house would be rocking out to alarm sounds and the whole swat team would show up with their guns and black uniform.

"Yes?" I asked, just making sure they weren't ninjas at breaking in or anything.

"Lydia? It's me." My dad. He twisted the doorknob and walked in without invitation. I guess he didn't have to ask to come in because he sorta owned the house. My dad wasn't wearing his suit and tie anymore, which meant he'd been home for more than an hour. Long enough for him to drink a scotch and change clothes before hounding me about school. It was a routine.

He sat on the edge of my bed, his eyes looking around the room. I mean the mess*

"Do you want to tell me why you weren't at school today?" I didn't break eye contact with the TV drama.

"Nope." I really didn't want to explain that this guy that I had been dating knocked me up, but I had broken up with him, but now he knew I was pregnant, but he also hooked up with one of my frienemies. Yeah, not something you explain to your dad. Especially, if he doesn't know you're pregnant.

"Liddy, school is important. I thought after last night-

"Dad, it was what, three periods I missed? It's not a big deal." I put the ice cream tub down and clicked the tv off. Dad was such a buzz kill.

"Lydia, I just wish you'd tell me whats going on? I thought things were good." Since when were things good? When were they ever good? I felt like crying the pressure was invading on my sanity.

"Dad, nothing is going on!" I whined only proving the point that there was something wrong. 

"Then why are you eating ice cream and watching tv? I'm beginning to think we should turn off the cable, you watch too much tv lately." How could he say that? He wasn't here enough to know what I did! If he had been around, I wouldn't be pregnant! And Daniel wouldn't have hooked up with Rachel because I would still be dating Daniel because I would've had a semi-functual parental. I could blame my mom, but I know people don't know when they're going to die. nuff said.

"I like ice cream and I enjoy tv because-

"Come on Lydia, tell your old man what's going on in teenager-land." I sighed and faced him. I couldn't put my dad off for long, he was inevitable.

"Fine. But just remember I'm not willing to tell you, you forced it out of me!" I said like some con man in jail, ratting out to the police. I felt pithy.

"Uh huh okay, hun." He gestured for me to continue.

"I... well... hmm I dont know where to start." I wet my lips to try and think. What all should I tell him? I could bring up Daniel so it would soften the blow about me being pregnant. Ohmygosh! When am I telling my dad I'm pregnant? Not now! I can't! Okay, I'll tell him about Daniel but only that we were dating. I'll tell him everything except that I'm pregnant. Okay, breathe.

"Take your time, I have all day." I scoffed at my dad for his comment.

"Well, I was dating this guy named Daniel and then I broke up with him." My dad nodded.

"Why?" This was odd. My dad usually didn't ask me why I broke up with guys I had been dating, he just kept going to work and didn't lose sleep over it. Face it, what father is broken up about his daughter being single?

"Uh I hmm... I was scared."

"Of what?" Was I really going into this with my dad?

"To love him." Yes, yes I guess I was.

"Okay, so you broke up with him and then what?" I sighed, where was I?

"That was a couple months ago and I realized a week or so ago that I still have feelings for him. Today, at school I found out from Beth and Chris that Daniel and Rachel hooked up." Saying it out-loud was like getting stabbed and watching the person stab you. The realization of someone physically hurting you hit hard.

"Isn't Rachel your friend?" I nodded. My dad looked like he was trying to process this. "Why would your friend do that?" That's when I started to cry. Because my dad asked me the same question I was asking myself.