Page 62 of The Fadeaway
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The following Tuesday morning I’m sitting in first period willing the bell to ring. When it does, I take one last look around the room, verifying I’m not crazy. All the girls are looking at me, whispering. Except it’s notthatkind of look. Discretely, I run a hand under my nose to check for boogers. Run both palms over my face and hair. Four long strides and I’m in the bathroom and staring at my reflection.
“What gives?” I ask to the empty room.
I turn to leave when Timmie enters. It’s a general rule that dudes aren’t allowed to chit chat in the bathroom, but since neither of us has our dicks out, I don’t blow him off when he says, “Hey, Joel.”
“What’s up?” I ask, completely rhetorical and head to leave him to do his thing in peace.
I’ve got one hand on the door to leave when he continues talking, “Sorry to hear about Polly. Or maybe I should say congratulations? Sorry, I don’t know what the appropriate thing to say is, but whatever it is let’s just pretend I said it.”
He starts to unzip, and I push out of the bathroom and replay his words in my head. I head to Polly’s locker. She was out sick yesterday and other than a few texts, I haven’t talked to her since the weekend. A crowd of girls are standing off to the side giving her the same look I got all through first period.
“Hey,” I ask, concern and confusion lacing my tone.
Those green eyes pierce through me and she looks nervous. “Hi.”
Polly is a lot of things. Timid ain’t one of them. “What’s going on?”
The one-minute warning bell for second period rings and she shuts her locker and glances around before speaking.
“Listen, Joel, we need to chat.”
I bob my head for her to continue.
“Not here. How about after school?”
I’ve got practice until five thirty and there’s no way I can wait that long to know what the hell is going on. “Tell me now.”
She swallows and turns her gaze to the floor. My heart is galloping in my chest and I clench my jaw in anticipation because this does not feel like good news.
“I’m pregnant.” Her voice is barely a whisper and I’m so shocked that it takes a few seconds for her words to register.
I’m stunned and utterly speechless. I know I should say something. Literally anything would be better than what comes out of my mouth, which is fucks all for nothing.
Her eyes fill with tears and she shakes her head. “I’ve gotta go to class.”
* * *
Sobs shake her shoulders and Polly looks up at me with such agony I want to make it all disappear. I was an ass earlier. She needed me to tell her it would be okay and instead I froze. She avoided me all afternoon, but I’ve finally cornered her before practice to make sure she knows we’re in this together.
“Hey, it’s not the end of the world.” I wrap my arms around her and squeeze. “Our families will help. My mom had me young.”
Sure, my parents are going to be pissed I wasn’t more careful not to knock up my high school girlfriend, but family is everything in the Moreno household. They’ll be upset, but they’ll still love and support me. I can already picture the big smile on my mother’s face at the sight of her first grandchild. I can’t believe it, but I’m a little excited. Scared shitless, but excited.
“No, you don’t understand.” She turns her head and pushes at my chest until my hold breaks.
I still. Hidden in the corner between the locker rooms and my high school gym, I watch Polly square her shoulders and swipe at the tears on her face.
“What is it?” I ask tentatively.
Her expression morphs from fear to timid smile. “Nothing. I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”
I close the space again. “Me too. We’ll be scared together, babydoll.”
26
Katrina
