Home > Fighting For You (The Callahans #5)(5)

Fighting For You (The Callahans #5)(5)
Author: Monica Murphy

Yeah. No. I don’t believe her.

I can’t be a father. Not yet.

I’m only seventeen.

 

 

The Aftermath…

 

 

Jocelyn

 

 

I stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror hanging on my wall, looking for a sign. Something on my face, in my stance, within my body, that tells me I’m different. Because I am. Everything in my life has drastically changed in the last month. It all started when I found out my boyfriend Diego, the supposed love of my life, was cheating on me.

Yes, my heart broke, but more than anything? I was mad. Furious. I’ve heard whispered rumors for a while about Diego’s flirting, but I blew it off. So he’s flirtatious, so what? I know he is, but I always believed it was completely harmless behavior.

But when he goes to a party with Cami and flaunts the fact that they’re all over each other—of course I’m going to hear about it.

And lose it.

We broke up, right after we got nominated for homecoming court. It was pure torture, having to stand beside him, and then not make it to the finals. Nope, that honor went to him and Cami.

Thank God, they didn’t actually win.

That was nothing though. The final layer of frosting on my shit cake?

I’m pregnant.

I blink at my reflection, slowly shaking my head. But I just look like…me. Same ol’ Jocelyn.

I turn to the side, smoothing my hand over the front of my shirt, over my stomach. It’s flat. Yet there’s life growing inside of me. A baby who’s about as big as a grain of rice—according to the internet. Hard to believe.

Worse? I don’t know what to do.

I thought about keeping it a secret at school, but what’s the point? They’re all going to find out eventually. I told a few people I was pregnant with Diego’s baby, sprinkling the truth like little bombs here and there, detonating nothing because everyone’s either actually keeping my secret, or no one cares.

The last part hurts, and I know that sounds messed up, but it’s true.

Diego has been no support whatsoever, not that I expected him to be. He probably sits around and laughs about me with his new girlfriend, Cami the worst human being in the world Lockhart.

God, I hate him. I hate her too.

I shove all thoughts of Diego and Cami firmly out of my brain. Forget them. I have more important things to focus on. Like the fact that I’m responsible for another human being’s life. I’m going to be a mother.

A mom.

I’m seventeen. I’ll be eighteen when the baby is born.

Only eighteen.

A shiver moves through me and I collapse on top of my bed, burying my face in my pillow.

I’ve cried enough to fill a bucket full of tears. I’ve wailed and lamented at how unfair life is. Then I remember I’m the idiot who told Diego he didn’t have to use a condom that one time, and I cry all over again because I’ve got no one to blame but myself.

At one point I even told myself I asked for it. I deserved to get pregnant, like it’s some sort of punishment. But now…

Now I’m going to be strong and deal with it. I have to. This isn’t the end of the world. I’m going to survive. Maybe my dreams will have to be put on hold somewhat. Or just—rearranged. Postponed. But I can make this work. I can be a mom and go to college. I can take care of myself and someone else. I’m the oldest of three, and I’ve been the responsible one my entire life.

I can do this. I’ll need a little help, I’ll need my poor, distraught parents to come around, but I’ve got this.

Rising to my feet, I go to the mirror once more, and stare at my reflection. I look myself square in the eye, my lips curling in the faintest smile, but it feels phony, so I let it fade.

“You’ve got this,” I whisper to myself, ignoring my too wide eyes and my trembling lips.

And I swear that no matter what, I’ll keep telling myself it’s true.

 

 

One

 

 

Jocelyn

 

 

I’m sitting in Mrs. Adney’s office for the first time in my high school career. My mom is with me, and the reassuring smile she flashes in my direction, every once in a while, as we wait for the vice principal to return does little to calm my nerves.

Everything is changing. All because of one stupid mistake. One careless decision altered the course of my life and I don’t know how to change it.

Well. I do know how. I just don’t want to make that my choice. And that’s the beauty of it, right? A girl in my situation might want to abort her baby, and that’s her right, but I don’t want to.

And that’s my right too.

“Sorry about that.” Mrs. Adney bustles into her office, settling behind her cluttered desk onto her groaning chair. She called us into her office almost ten minutes ago, then immediately had to leave to go take care of a “situation” on campus.

“It’s all right,” Mom says, her barely there smile appearing almost brittle. My news pushed her straight over the edge and I don’t think she knows what to do about it.

About me.

“What did you want to talk about?” Mrs. Adney’s expression is impassive. Blank as a fresh piece of paper. But come on. She has to have heard the rumors. They’ve been spreading around campus for weeks. Over a month.

It’s November. Volleyball season is over—my last year playing since I’m a senior. We made it to the semi-finals before we got beat, and I cried and cried. All the other seniors did too, but not as much as me. It was probably hormones.

Being pregnant is weird.

I told my parents about my little situation a few weeks ago, and after much arguing, crying and carrying on by all three of us, Mom finally said she was calling Mrs. Adney. Like my vice principal has the magic solution.

The woman runs around putting out fires all day. Though I don’t think she’s going to have an answer to make my predicament any easier.

“I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day, Mrs. Adney.” Mom smiles, the brittleness disappearing some. My mother has impeccable manners. She’s polite. My entire family is polite.

I’m sure that’s why what I’ve done is so shocking. Good girls like me don’t get pregnant. They go to school, date good boys, do good things and get good grades, and then they get into a good college.

I sort of went off the good path. Probably getting together with Diego was my first mistake.

“Please, call me Diane.” Mrs. Adney’s gaze slides over to me. “Your daughter is a delight. It’s always bittersweet, losing our seniors. Especially the good ones.”

I’ve heard that my entire life. A pleasure to have in class. An excellent student. Quiet. Respectful. Oh so smart.

All those compliments can be tossed out the window now. I’m the bad girl. The dumb one who got knocked up by her cheating boyfriend, who then proceeded to dump me rather publicly. Oh, and at one point he even implied I was lying about the pregnancy.

He’s a great guy, huh?

Fucker.

“Well, that’s why we’re here.” Mom sounds hesitant. This confession will be her first to someone outside the family, and I know she’s having trouble with it. She needs to spit it out quick, like ripping off a Band-Aid. “Something’s—come up. With Jocelyn.”

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