Two Weeks Before Graduation. (Part 4)

Class went on, Michelle still wondering what she was going to do. It was her last class of the day and she was ready to head home. Adam poked her and gave her a reassuring hug letting her know, even if it was for that second, that things were going to be all right. She headed out of the door, ready to go home, practicing what she was going to tell her mom. The bus ride home was a lot faster than she hoped and when she got there, no one was around. Using the spare key hidden in the porch light, she opened the door and let herself in. ‘I wonder where my mom is,’ she thought as she made her way to the kitchen. There was a message on the machine - it was from her mom. ‘I'm at your grandma’s house. If you're hungry there are leftovers in the fridge.’ Who would eat at that time? She called up her grandma’s house.1

"Hello?"2

"Hey Aunt Mary how's it going?"3

"Hey there Shell everything is good. How are you?" She said over enthusiastically.4

"I’m all right. Is my mom there?" She lied through her teeth.5

"Yeah, just a second."6

"Hello?"7

"Hey Mom."8

"Hey there, is everything all right?"9

"Yeah, well, no, well, I don't know." She stammered.10

"Well, Ill be home in about 5 minutes."11

"Okay mom, see you then."12

Five minutes seemed like an eternity. Her mom walked in the house, carrying her cousin who was about to turn two years old. He smiled and jumped out of her moms’ lap and walked to Michelle. She picked him up and twirled him around - she loved kids and everyone knew it.13

"What's the problem Shell?" Her mom asked.14

"Well I wanted to tell you and dad but I didn't want both of you in for a surprise."15

"You're not in any kind of trouble are you?"16

"No, at least not yet," she said.17

"Well, don't keep me waiting what's going on?"18

"Mom . . . I'm . . . I'm pregnant." She managed to say after a few minutes.19

"Pregnant? How . . . when? Why? Michelle, why would you want to ruin your life? Michelle you had so much going for you. What were you thinking?"20

And with that Michelle broke into tears. "Mom, I'm sorry," she said, as she ran up to her room and called her cousin. Even though he didn't live in the same state, she trusted him like she trusted her own siblings. Gently he comforted her and told her that if she needed anything to call. She would eventually – she knew that already. Her mom walked into her room, but didn't say anything for a few minutes. 21

"Who's the father?" she asked.22

"Mm . . . Mike is mom."23

"Mike? Who the hell is he?" She started to question, really outraged.24

"He's a guy I know."25

"Well, I’d hope you would know who the hell he is. How old is he? How come I've never met him before?"26

"Mike is 24, he doesn't live around here," she said, almost immediately regretting it.27

"Twenty four! Ill have his ass thrown in jail!"28

"Mom, he didn't rape me," she said in a soft voice, which no one had heard before.29

"Oh, are you sure he's the father Michelle?"30

"MOM! I'm not going around sleeping with people, sure it was a mistake, but I've learned."31

And with that, her mother left her room. Michelle wondered about her life. She wanted to major in journalism at college. She had plans to travel the world. She didn't picture herself as a teen mom, a statistic now. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the phone.32

"Hello?"33

"Hey, its Mike - just calling to see what's up."34

"Oh, just the person I wanted to talk to."35

"Oh? What's going on?" He questioned, almost scared.36

"Mike I tested today, I'm pregnant."37

"So?"38

"So? You're the father!"39

"I can’t have kids - you're just trying to pin this on me. I'm not a fool, and even if I was, I'm not the father of your child!"40

"Mike, how can you talk this way? You know you are!" She said, fighting her tears.41

"I guess a paternity test will prove that, but until then, don't contact me." And he hung up the phone.42

‘Oh great,’ she thought, ’I was hoping that at least Mike would stand up and be responsible. I guess I thought wrong.'43

She figured she had a long weekend ahead of her, so she took out her senior essay and decided to work on it, somehow adding in how her life has changed from one mistake. One mistake that no other teenage girl should make. One mistake that would follow her around for life. One mistake - one mistake she planned on learning from.44