Toxic 2: Lethal

Doctor Part II

Chapter3-Doctor Part II

"Dad, Larry, we need to talk." I said, walking up to them.

The both got to their feet.

"What did the doctor say?" Dad asked, worry lines still present on his forehead.

I took the picture from behind me and handed it to him. "I'm... pregnant."

Larry's eyebrows rose to the point where I didn't think they could move any more. "Are you sure?"

"Dad, you've seen an ultrasound. Two of them. You should know what a baby looks like."

He sighed and handed the picture back to me. "You know we're going to have to tell your mother soon."

My stomach dropped and I bit my lip. He was right; mom needed to know. She'd want to know that something was wrong with me. But I was afraid of her reaction.

She was mad when she found out I was dating Jason and continued to do so after she told me I wasn't allowed to. She was mad at me for always sneaking out and smoking with him. She was mad at me for hating dad even though she did just as much as I did. She was mad at me for being with Ava, one of the reasons for my drug use ending and my tolerance for gay people. Would she be mad at me for this?

"Lydia, you don't have to do it right away." Ava said, rubbing my arm. "There's a lot we need to talk about first."

I looked over at her, unable to think of anything to say.

"You both should get home. Skipping school on the first day isn't a good idea." Dad said.

"Can I ride home with Ava? We need to talk." I asked, following him and Larry outside.

Larry nodded. "Of course."

Dad glanced at him but said nothing.

"What are people going to think of me?" I mumbled to Ava when she was the only one in earshot.

"They are going to think that you're the most amazing person in the world." She kissed my cheek and opened the car door for me.

I got in and looked at the picture again. My future was that picture. That baby growing in my stomach was my future. If I wouldn't have been so stupid with Jason, I would have been enjoying my senior year the right way, with Ava.

I looked over at Ava. "How'd your dad let you skip school?"

"I told him you were sick and going to see a doctor." She took my hand and squeezed it. "He knows how serious we are."

"He's really okay with it? With us?"

She laughed like I'd told a really funny joke. "Lydia, you worry way too much. My dad loves you. Like a second daughter, I'm sure. He knows I love you and that this isn't just a stupid fling."

I ran a hand through my hair and let my head tilt back. "What are we going to do about the baby?"

"This may be our only chance to have a baby. I-I think I want to keep it." She was dead serious now.

I looked over at her, my heart racing. Was she sure she wanted this? I wasn't even sure I did and I was the one carrying the baby. "Really?"

She glanced at me. "It's our baby, Lydia. Even if it doesn't have my genes or anything. I don't want someone else to raise it and call it theirs."

I smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Ava hung the picture of the baby on the wall behind my bed before sitting down beside me. "We may have to take some pictures down when we get more of the baby."

"We can start with the picture of me in the white t-shirt."

Ava rolled her eyes. "It either stays on your wall or goes to mine. But I'm not taking it down completely."

"I have a feeling this baby will think I'm the fun mom."

"Oh, really?" She started tickling me and I screamed.

"Ava!" I couldn't stop laughing, even as I spoke her name.

She laughed and pressed her lips to mine, her fingers going still. Her hand rested on my stomach. "Are we going to keep the baby?"

"You're really worried about that, aren't you?"

"Well, duh. This is a baby, Lydia. A human being. We can't just... forget about our responsibilities and have fun like we used to."

I sighed and sat up on my elbows. "I get that, Ava. But isn't it kind of early to think about now?"

"You're three months pregnant. That means you have six to seven left. That's not a lot of time to make decisions. Like what if we want to move out and live on our own."

I raised my eyebrows. "Do you want that?" It'd be fun to live with Ava. The baby would always be around us and we'd be a family.

She shrugged and sat up against the pillows. "Kind of. But I think we should wait until we graduate."

"It's hard to believe I'll have a baby before I graduate."

She started playing with my hair, her voice lowering in volume. "We're going to be okay, Lydia. Trust me."

I smiled at her. "I don't doubt you. I never have."

She kissed me. "So you want to keep the baby? Because I think we should figure that out first. Well, right away."

I laughed. "You worry too much."

She groaned and pressed her forehead to my shoulder. "Lydia..."

"Yes, I want to keep the baby. No, I don't want you to worry yourself to death."

She lifted her head, her eyes wide with happiness and filled with tears. "Yes?"

I nodded.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me, moving so she was laying on top of me.

"Ava, you're going to crush the baby. Not that you're fat or anything. But I am."

She pulled back and narrowed her eyes. "You are not fat."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're pregnant. There's a difference."

"What?"

"You glow now. Well... more than before."