The Boy Next Door (Mavin)

Chapter Nineteen: Bad News

Chapter Nineteen:

Purposely avoiding Gavin was a lot harder than I had thought.

I always saw him in the hallways forcing me to run and hide before he saw me. I was lucky so far, but eventually he'd confront me. I know he would.

There had been rumors circulating about Gavin and Meg being a thing. It hurt more than I thought it would. However, I personally never saw the two of them together. Other than that one time in the hallway and Meg looked rather pissed off then.

I brushed off the pain but the voice in my head tended to remind me every waking moment. I tried to focus on other things, like school for once. The voice would just get louder in those instances.

He pitied you. That's why he stayed around for so long.

They're happy together. Athlete and cheerleader.

They'll be together for a long time, you'll see.

When the voice wouldn't stop, I'd be forced to cut. Then and only then would a new, harsher pain subside to take over the old. But the true pain always came back. That never failed.

I made a promise to myself, however. If they were still dating by summer, I'd be forced to do what I had tried to overcome for so long. Something I hadn't told anyone about, except Gavin of course.

Suicide.

~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Gavin, can we talk?" Meg asked. It had been a couple weeks since I cleared things up. My heart ached to see Michael again, but he seemed to have vanished from thin air.

"Uh, yeah. Sure," I responded, letting her lead me down a hallway. When we arrived to our spot, I immediately noticed how she seemed to cradle herself.

"What's up," I asked, genuine concern in my voice. Even though I didn't reciprocate the feelings she felt for me, I still had that empathic trait in me.

"I... I found something out. Something you're going to hate," Meg said, her voice quivering.

For some reason, my mind darted to Michael. I imagined him getting jumped or worse, getting killed. But why would Meg know that? She believed Michael was a nobody.

"What is it?" Fear began coursing through me.

"I'm... I'm pregnant, Gavin," Meg told me.

My throat went sandy dry as the words left her mouth. Pregnant? She was only fifteen.

"That's horrible! Who did it? I'll give them a beating they won't forget," I told her, tightening my hands into fists.

"You did, Gavin. You're the only person I've had sex with," Meg said.

Me? I was going to be a father? No... no I wasn't. There was a mistake. I was only fifteen. I couldn't father a baby. Not now.

"Are... are you sure?" I asked, hardly thinking before the words left my body.

"Yes, I'm sure! What the hell? Do you think I'd make this all up?," Meg said, tears springing in her eyes. Her back hit the wall and she slid down it, pulling her knees into her chest. I crouched down next to her, pulling her into a comforting hug.

"Meg. It's going to be okay. You... no... we'll go to the abortion place and we'll figure it out. It's going to be okay. I promise," I soothed her.

"I can't do that," Meg whispered.

"Why not?" I asked, even more panic rising inside me.

"My parents wouldn't allow it," Meg choked.