Colors of Love: Gen. 1.8

I didn’t think my life could get any lonelier. I was wrong. I hated going to school. What had been my greatest joy became my biggest agony. I moved so that I sat in the front of the class for any shared with Tyrian. That was the only way I could get through without being tempted to stare at him the whole time. He equally went out of his way to avoid making eye contact with me.

At home I spent the majority of my time either painting or in my room. I even took my meals there. Seeing my parents made the constant nausea and ache in my stomach that much worse. Any attempts they made to talk to me were met with silence. It drove Mother crazy but she couldn’t force me to talk to her no matter how she wished I could.

My unhappiness with life would no longer be hidden. I didn’t smile for pictures. Didn’t talk to the press. And Cotton. I’d not even talked to him since that morning. Refusing to take any of the bait he tried to bring up. I’d hear my parents arguing about me. Mother was at her ‘wit’s end’ with my sullen attitude over some boy. Father assured her it was only a phase and I’d be back to my ‘old self’ again in no time. Too bad he didn’t have a clue as to what that was.

Two weeks my silent protest went on. I heard their chattering voices before they even walked into my room.

“Dove, darling, your friends are here to take you out for some fun.”

No response from me.

“Okay, well you girls have a good time.”

Even listening to the fading sounds of her heels retreating didn’t make me move from my position.

Candy took a seat beside me. “Dove, come on it’ll be good to go out. We can go shopping or maybe hit up the ice cream shop,” Candy said.

“I don’t feel good.”

“You’ve not felt good for weeks. Maybe getting out of the house instead of moping about would make you feel better.” This time it was Yuki that spoke.

“If my mood is so off putting you are free to leave.”

“She didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that…well you’ve been so not you. Ever since whatever happened with you and…” Candy trailed off.

“You mean ever since I realized that everyone around me only uses me. Yeah not something easy to get over.”

“I’ve never used you!” Candy defended. “Hell I helped cover for you. Do you know how much trouble I could have gotten in if my parents found out?”

Yuki looked at both of us wide-eyed. “What? Covered? Were you cheating on Cotton?”

“No more than he’s been cheating on me.” She had the nerve to look shocked.

“You know?”

Candy looked at her. “Did you two think you were being subtle? Hell even I figured it out with how quickly you were always ready to sing his praises.”

Yuki’s lips pressed into a thin line as she turned away from us. 

  

Candy started to say something else then stopped. She let out a gasp and her eyes got real big. Hopping up from the bed she went over and closed my bedroom door. She looked directly at Yuki with an expression that could kill.

“You better not repeat anything that’s about to be discussed here. NOT A WORD!”

“Okay. Okay. Geez why would I need that warning?”

“Because you are quite literally sleeping with the enemy.” 

    

Again she avoided our gaze unable to deny the truth.

“Dove, how long have you been not feeling well?”

I shrugged. “A few weeks or so.”

“Nausea? Light-headed? Picky about what you can eat?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“My mom. She was like that when she was…pregnant.”

An uncomfortable silence settled between us. What? Pregnant? No. I couldn’t be. No. It was just stress. Had to be stress.

“It…it was just one time,” I whispered. “One time doesn’t…”

Candy sat beside me. “I’m gonna guess it’s not Cotton.”

“Ew. Goodness no.”  I looked over at Yuki. She didn’t say anything. “I can’t be pregnant. My parents will kill me.”

The campaign. The scandal would kill his bid for reelection. How could he portray the upstanding family values platform with a pregnant teenage daughter? A teenage daughter pregnant with a mixed child. It was fine for other people, just not the Milkens. Pregnant by a boy that only wanted to up his status at a new school. A boy that said he never loved me. My parents were right, I was stupid and naive. 

 “She should take a test to be sure.” We both looked at Yuki. “I…I mean she could just be sick right?”

“Right,” Candy agreed. “We need to get you a test.”

“How? If I walk into any store in this town and buy a test it’s over for my dad.”

Candy stood. “We’ll figure it out, but we have to go.”

I nodded, still in shock of the possibility of being pregnant, and followed her out of my room.

Update 9