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March 2011

Melissa aiting outside when the cab dropped me off atat the hospital and a steady drizzle ofthat the sky appeared to be weeping

"I would have gone with you," Melissa greetedwet

"Huh?" I asked through chattering teeth as I worked to pulldry

"I said I would have gone with you," she repeated, sounding hurt

"That’s okay You weren’t here," I pointed out, cli under my blankets

"You could have waited fora little miffed

"Um, no, I really couldn’t"

"You mean to tell o with you?" she said in a thick voice

"Schedule what?" I began to understand "Melissa, I didn’t get an abortion Didn’t you readout es I sent

"Yes, I did You said you ith the doctor in the first text, and in the second you said you weren’t pregnant anymore"

"So you just assumed I" I cut ht Tears filled e the nurse had been in the process of telling et that? My e I was still kind of in a daze at the ti," I said

"What? How?" Melissa asked in a rush as she began to cry

My tears made it difficult to answer

"I was knocked down the stairs at Jacob’s party I thought it was justthe blanket to show her ed for ht of stairs?" she asked enraged

"Some asshat I don’t even know," I answered Melissa never left rief pour out "I just want to put it all behind lad no one else knows I’ossip and sympathy"

Melissa looked unco her well

"I’et an abortion on your own I thought you didn’t need ain

"Of course I need you I was scared to death when I woke up and kneas losing the baby and you weren’t here"

She wailed harder at my words "I’m so sorry I betrayed your secret I’m the worst friend ever"

"Wait a second Melissa, you’re not saying what I think you are, right? Please tell ot an abortion"

She rushed to rabbed "

"You were upset? What aboutmy hand away

"No, no," she replied "He pro Just to be sure, I’ll call hi, I swear"

"No you won’t Don’t call anyone, don’t fix anything This is between me and Justin When I want him to knoill tell him No one else," I insisted

"Okay Whatever you want Please just forgive ive you," I assured her, knowing part of this wasto anyone, especially Justin I would hate it if he felt responsible I want to try tomuch-needed coht I was going through with the pregnancy," I said as exhaustion froht up with me I fell asleep with Melissa’s head onon my now-flat stomach

I stayed in bed the rest of the weekend, and by Monday I was feelingback quicker thanaround withclass wasn’t an option Finals were just over a month away and I needed to ace all of them if I wanted to keep my GPA in my comfort zone Melissa volunteered to walk me to my classes, but I declined her offer I loved her dearly, but after a day and a half of her hovering over le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>