The Way We Were

The Way We Get Caught

Mercedes tapped her sparkly lavender nails against the porcelain of the sink nervously. It had only been two minutes but she was close to pulling out her hair.

Speaking of her hair, she still needed to do it. She decided to go on and do it. She grabbed her flatiron and ran it through her hair before plugging in her curling iron.

She put big curls in her hair and then combed them out slightly. She felt a lot calmer by the end of it.

She looked at the counter in her small bathroom and took a deep breath. It was past time. She picked the pregnancy test up and read it.

Negative.

Mercedes let out a squeal of happiness and wrapped in it toilet paper before stuffing it at the bottom of her trashcan.

Now that her big issue was taken care of, she could get back to getting ready for her date in total peace and harmony.

W.W.W.

Marcus peered into the trash. It was his week to take it out and after a long day at work, it was annoying. But Mrs. Parks came up with a good chore wheel and the kids did their work without whining so he could, too.

He cocked his head to the side and peered at something wrapped in toilet paper. Mrs. Parks said she'd emptied everyone's cans. Maybe one of the kids threw something out accidentally?

He picked it up and took the paper off (mentally swearing to wash his hands immediately after). His brows drew together and he nearly gasped aloud. It was a pregnancy test! A negative pregnancy test.

He set his lips and put it back before tying up the bag and taking it out to the cans outside. Then he came in to wash his hands.

He spent the next ten minutes thinking of how to tell his daughter how he knew and what they were going to do about this.

W.W.W.

Marcy pulled all of her hair to the side and cracked her neck. It was stiff from staying at one angle for so long. She closed the book she had been looking out of and went to put it back on a shelf.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in!" She called out.

Marcus shuffled in. "Sweatpea."

"Hi, Daddy." She turned from the bookcase.

He sat on her bed and patted the space between her workbooks. "We need to talk."

"Actually we do." Marcy sat in the spot she'd recently vacated and tugged at her sweater. "I wanted to talk to you about Christmas."

"Christmas?" Marcus eyed her.

"Yes. Remember my friend, Jude? From my party?"

Marcus cocked his head. "No."

"Blond, blue eyes, skinny, talks like a surfer cuz he is one?"

Marcus nodded. "Yes. He was very polite."

"Yeah." Marcy played with her fingers. "He needs a place to stay for a few weeks."

Marcus frowned. "Why?"

"His parents are totally evil! They ship him all over the place and leave him there like a forgotten shoe while they vacation to who knows where! He's always alone and it's not fair! They already left him at a boarding school in Sweden and Daddy, you know how it is in Sweden!"

"Sweetpea! Sweetpea!" Marcus waved his hands to get her to calm down. "He can stay! He can stay!"

Marcy tried to calm her heart. She was fiercely protective over her friend and his dismissive, absent parents. "Sorry. I promise he won't be a problem. You won't even know he's here."