Banter || Hemmings

Yon Ju Roku

I hadn't seen Luke, or any of the gang for that matter, for at least six weeks after the eventful party. I'd had to stop drinking due to me having an on and off stomach bug. Arielle had also stopped purely because I'd stopped and she hated going to parties without me. Ari and I were just chilling in my bedroom making jokes and swiping through each other's Tinders.

"So what's up with your friend Calum?" she asked out of the blue.

"We're not really friends anymore but he's pretty cool. He plays the bass and likes to write music. Last I heard he was studying to become music teacher," I shrugged.

"He was super hot!" she shouted and wacked me on the boob due to me left swiping a guy on her account.

I immediately clutched my tit and almost started crying at how much it hurt. Arielle shook her hand in pain.

"Fuck! Do you have rocks in your bra?" she almost screamed. She stopped for a second and looked at me funny, "have your boobs been sore?" she questioned.

"Yeah but I think it's cause they're growing," I shrugged; still holding my sore boob.

"And you fucked Luke at that party aye?" she confirmed.

"Yes...why?" I confirmed slowly.

She suddenly leapt up and bolted downstairs. I was left in shock and confusion until she ran back in with something in her hand.

"And that is?" I laughed.

She tore it open and threw the pregnancy test at me. I blankly stared at her in total confusion. I couldn't be pregnant. There was no way.

"I don't need it," I said then threw it back to her.

"You do," she insisted, throwing it right back to me.

"I don't," I pressed as I threw it back again.

"Sore boobs, the vomiting in the mornings as well as nausea, your higher sex drive coupled with your exhaustion. Bro, you're pregnant," she listed then pegged the test at me.

"Keep your voice down," I shushed then stared down at the test. "I'm not pregnant," I assured her.

"Prove me wrong then," she challenged.

I rolled my eyes and got myself off my bed. She followed me into the bathroom and sat on the sink while I took the test. I set the text beside her then sat on the closed toilet. She set a timer on her phone then started talking to me about how she'd applied for this secretary job. We were deep in the conversation when the timer went off and scared us both.

"You ready?" she asked as she held the upside down test.

"You're wrong," but those words turned around and bit me in the ass.

"It's positive," she told me.

I felt my stomach drop; I really wanted to puke. I shook my head and snatched it off her. That couldn't be right.

"No this isn't right. I need to take another one," I frantically told her.

"I don't have anymore but we can go and buy some," we stared at each other for a second before sprinting out of the bathroom to throw on hoodies. We didn't even put shoes on over our socks we just collected our hoodies, wallets and Arielle's keys before thundering down the stairs. The closest servo was only five minutes away so once we got there we ran inside. We scoured all the shelves but couldn't find any so we had to drive an extra ten minutes to the closest Woolworths. Once there we sprinted straight to the right isle and grabbed a box of every brand. We also picked up a two litre bottle of apple and mango juice for me to drink and some vanilla yoghurt for Arielle.

I drink half the bottle of juice before we got home so that as soon as we got there I could run upstairs and take a few tests. By the time I'd finished the whole bottle I'd taken one of every text. Arielle even took three to make sure they weren't defective. Every test I had taken was lined up along my bed while Arielle's were in her hand. All hers were negative while all mine were positive. We both just scanned the tests for about ten minutes before looking at each other. So she was right. I was pregnant.

"What am I gonna do?" I asked her.

"Well first off you have to tell your mum," she said quietly.

"Fuck," was all I managed to whisper.

"Then you gotta tell Luke," she added.

"Fuck," I whined a little louder.

The room fell silent again as we both looked back at my eight pregnancy tests. I heard faint footsteps but I was too wrapped up in my own little world to take any notice of them; or my bedroom door opening.

"What was with all the noise?" mum suddenly asked; scared the shit out of Arielle and I.

We both look at her like deer's caught in headlights. She gave us an odd look then looked down to Arielle's hand. She then leaned slightly to the side, past me and scanned the tests on my bed. She then looked me dead in the eyes.

"Please tell me they're all negative and this was just for fun," she told me slowly.

I felt my eyes well up with tears but couldn't stop myself from breaking down. Mum immediately came over to hug me as tight as humanly possible.

"I'm so sorry," I cried out.

Mum held the back of my head to her chest as Arielle rubbed my back, "...at least you'll stop drinking and I'll know where you are now," she tried to joke but it fell flat. "It's okay honey. I'll support you no matter what," she assured me.

"Thanks mum," I managed to whisper then hugged her tighter.