“So, where is the furniture?” Paige asks.
I glare at her. “We’re not rich.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Sorry.”
We haven’t had money to buy anything yet. All we had was what Kai had when he was staying with his brother. It’s not much; we have our clothes, a bed, a small dresser, and TV that looks more like a computer monitor than something you watch television on.
“Why don’t you guys go to a thrift store and find something?”
“We will. We wanted to wait to see what Kai's paychecks will look like with him working full-time these past two weeks.”
I follow Paige around the apartment as she looks around. “I’m sad we’re not going to live with each other now.” She turns to me and frowns.
“We still can. Once Kai turns eighteen, we could find another place.”
“No offense, B, but I don’t want to live with a baby,” she says with a wince.
“Oh.”
I guess I can’t blame her. I don’t exactly want to live with one either. I’m kind of forced to now, though.
“When doyou have to pick up Kai?” Paige asks with her mouth full of a chicken nugget.
I drove us over to Wendy’s for lunch since there was nowhere for Paige and me to hang out in my apartment. Unless we wanted to sit on the floor, or our bed, but she didn’t trust that.
We’ve been catching up with each other. She finally got her phone back, and she isn’t grounded anymore. I guess you could say we’re both not grounded anymore.
“He’s coming home with Kevin.” Since they still work together, Kai has been leaving me the car. It’s not like I’ve been going out anywhere. There is nowhere to go, and I’m trying to be cautious of money. This is the first time I’ve been out, asidefrom when I went to buy Kai’s Christmas present and a couple of grocery trips.
“You guys are like your own little family,” she coos.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I guess we are.”
“How are you feeling now? Are you feeling better about everything?”
After telling her about what happened with my mom, she wasn’t shocked, to say the least. Sometimes when Paige was over, we would watch16 and Pregnantand my mom would warn us about teenage pregnancy. Paige has heard my mom say, time and time again, that she refuses to raise another baby.
“If it weren’t for Kai, I would still be in a panic. He’s been so easygoing with everything and has stepped up. It was the opposite of everything I thought he would do.”
“What did you think he would do?”
“Leave me.”
“I’ve heard it happens. I’m glad he hasn’t.” She pauses while she finishes her fry. “Are you coming back to school?” We watch each other in silence. “Please tell me you’re coming back. You can’t leave me alone.”
“I don’t want to. That school makes me puke every time I step foot in it.” I’ve talked to Kai about this, and he said he would buy me packets to do so I could still get my high school diploma. I told him to wait until I was out of my first trimester, and maybe by then, my morning sickness will go away. My second trimester is only a couple of weeks away. Going back with a growing belly is something I’m not sure I can do. I’m still kind of embarrassed about being sixteen and pregnant. I’m sure I’ll be the topic of conversation.
“You really didn’t look good when you got sick.”
“Don’t remind me.” Thinking about the smell that lingered through the halls up to the classroom makes my stomach turn. “Have you told your mom about me?”
“No. Do you think I’m crazy? I’ll get lectured by her, thinking I’m going to be next.” She says and takes a sip of her orange Fanta. “That reminds me, I need to get on birth control.”
“Are you having sex?”
“Not right now. But you never know. I want to be prepared.”
“That’s probably a good idea.”
