Sandlot's Baby

Chapter 24: Guidance

Jackie's P.O.V.

Keep walking, keep walking, keep walking.

Keep walking, I kept telling myself as I walked in the pitch black darkness, with the unlikelihood of a street lamp lighting my way once in a while.

One foot in front of the other. Keep going, for the baby.

I suddenly saw a street light up head, my body was washed over with a sense of relief, running towards it, out of the petrifying darkness.

I couldn't believe that I was stupid enough to forget a flashlight... but yet there are others who would believe it since I was already stupid enough to have a child at fourteen.

So touché Mom and Dad.

I sat down under the light, placing my backpack and suitcase beside me, leaning against the wooden pole. I had developed this idea after going past the last two or three lamps for every minute that passed, I felt as if my eyelids were getting heavier and heavier, making it harder to be aware of my surroundings. Might I also add that carrying about ten pounds on my back and lugging around about thirty pounds was absolutely not helping one bit.

I yawned as I pulled down my hoddie's sleeve to reveal my wristwatch.

2:03

I sighed, I had only been walking for about an hour? I haven't even walked a full four miles yet?

If I stop now, I could definitely be found by morning. Only coming this far by foot, in that certain amount of time, only meant that being in a car would only take about four minutes to get to where I am now from my house, if I'm doing my math correctly.

I groaned. I can't stay here, they'll find me... but I'm exhausted, I can barely keep my eyes open...

"Just the size of a raspberry and you're already causing trouble huh?" I rubbed my abdomen, cooing at my invisible child.

Where the hell can I go? I thought as I sighed leaning my head back against the pole.

The Sandlot? No, that'll probably be the first place they look, besides... it's about a forty five walk back towards my house.

I'm not going to Benny's, he obviously made it clear that he doesn't want our baby... he wouldn't be of any help...

The rest of the guys' houses are back at my neighborhood as well... but then that means I would have to tell them what happened... and I positively don't want to be the one to break that news to them all...

Could I go to my school and sleep on one of the benches? Wait no, of course not, students would see me or worse, Mackenzie or her friends... and also the teachers, who would obviously become concerned seeing a fourteen year old girl passed out on a bench with luggage, and call the parents immediately... 

Maybe I should just go back and refuse to go to the abortion and fight with all my might?

Ha, sure like I'll totally be successful in that with my father's strong arms and stubbornness present...

Who can I talk to? Who can help me?

Then it hit me, like the wham of home run baseball being struck by a bat.

Mercedes.

Why didn't I think of her in the first place? Plus she's someone I can talk to and not feel ashamed, she's my best friend, I trust her.

I looked around trying to recognize where I was, using the light of the street lamp. To my relief, I knew exactly where I was.

I had been to Mercedes' house numerous times over the last couple of months, I would sometimes walk to her house with her after school to do homework together and then walk home from there after.