Chapter Twenty - Four
I was frozen when I sat on the toilet seat. My positive pregnancy test in my hands.
Oh my god.
I was pregnant. There was a baby growing inside me. A whole damn baby. And it was Mike's. The news of me being pregnant came to me as a gush of cold air that knocked me down as soon as it hit me. My mind went blank and I stared at my test like I could not believe that it was mine.
I was so damn shocked into fear, hysterical and in disbelief that I didn't even realise for how long I had been in the toilet like that. I just know that my face had gone through with different expressions until it had settled on a simple blank face. From the lines that I felt on my face, I just knew that I had cried a lot.
Out of nowhere, there was a knock on the bathroom that I was in.
I was so startled that I jumped a little. That was when I realised that I was at a store and that I was probably keeping other customers from using the toilet.
"Hello? Who's there? We also have to use the bathroom." Somebody yelled from the other side of the door. Then, that person pounded on the door.
"Yeah, one second." I yelled back. The pounding stopped but I still heard the person on the other side groan in frustration.
From the side, I tore some toilet paper, and wrapped it around the pregnancy test before I put it in my bag. Standing up, I flushed the toilet.
"Yo, hurry ... we can't wait out here much longer." The person complained.
Hearing that, in a hurry, I went to the sink and splashed my tear stricken face with water. With a tissue, I wiped my face clean. I slang my bag over my shoulder and check myself in the mirror one last time, to see if there were any traces left on me that indicated that I had been just crying.
Everything was okay. So, I took a deep breath and opened the door. There were three people standing outside waiting for their turn. I muttered an apology as I passed them and with a fast pace, I walked out the store.
When I came outside, I realised that lunch time was about to be over. I needed to head back to the school otherwise somebody would find out that I had gone out of school in the middle of lunch. There was not much I could do at that moment. My mind was not working properly and currently, the best option for me was to go back to school and go about my day as it was.
No one could know about this. Nobody can find out that there was something different about me or even doubt anything. I had to pretend everything was okay.
Finally, with my mind made, I went back to the school. I reached just in time as my next period was just about to start. I tried to calm myself down so that I don't appear frantic or like somebody who just found out that she was pregnant.
When I finally managed to gather my wits, I walked in. Trying to appear calm and collected, when I was anything but.
Taking my usual spot, I glanced around me to see if anyone was looking at me funny. Or my stomach.
Nobody was looking at me differently. Finally, I let myself relax over that. It was a good sign. Nobody saw that something was different about me. Our teacher came soon and started the lecture, however my mind was now wandering on about what I should do next. There were not many options left for me now.
Shirley was not talking to me, so I did not know if I should tell her this. On the other hand, Mike and I had not talked in a full week either, so I did not know what to do with that. Either way, I had to tell Mike that I was pregnant with his child. I did not know how he would react to that.
Chancing a glance at everyone around me, I took out my phone and typed a message to Mike.
*Have something very important to tell you. Meet me behind our school's space, after our school is over. It's urgent.
And I sent it to him.
My hands were shaking as I came to realise the fact that I was actually, really, really pregnant with his baby. What in the world? I was actually pregnant. There was a whole human growing inside me. Tears began pooling inside my eyes and I swallowed hard to not cry in my classroom.
I saw our last text message, it was right before the night we had sex.
*Today's gonna be awesome. It's gonna change everything. I am coming to pick you.
And my reply was, 'Yeah. It is.'
I squeezed the phone in my hand. Mike's words turned out to be way more true than they actually were. That day really did change my life.
I wondered how he would react to this news? Would he be happy? Would he be sad? Would he cry like I did? Will that tear be off happiness and joy or sadness? Would he be shocked? Because I certainly was. It still felt so surreal.
After messaging him to meet me, I went through classes without hearing a word. Everybody's voice was just a background noise as I contemplated what would happen if my family found out about this? I knew their reaction wouldn't be any good, that it would probably bring the death ultimatum to me, but was I ready to take it? Was I ready to tell them all about this?
The answer was no.
I mean sure, I would have to tell them someday but it was not today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow. Or even a week after today. The only thing I knew was that they would find out about this. When? I had no idea but not now. My only problem was now to talk to Mike and see what he thinks about our situation.
The last bell rang.
School was finally over, and now it was time to face reality. I waited for almost ten to fifteen minutes before asking a confirmation from Mike if he were coming to meet me.
He texted back after ten seconds that he was already there. So, without further delay, I headed to our designated direction. I reached the place and saw that Mike was standing there looking into his phone. Slowly, I made my way to him.
Mike heard my footsteps and glanced up to look at me. When I reached him within the reaching distance, I stopped.
"So, what was the important thing that you wanted to tell me?" He asked. This shocked me. He did not say 'Hi,' or hug me, he just got right on the topic. Which was unusual. This was not how he talked to me when he usually met me and his tone was not this flat also.
Still, I ignored it all and without saying anything, pulled out my pregnancy test which was wrapped around the toilet paper.
When I extended it to Mike, he glanced at it in confusion. After a few seconds of confusion, he picked it up from my hand and began unfolding it. As soon as he saw what he was holding in his hands, he looked up at me with a horrified face.
He took a glance at the pregnancy test and saw that it was not just any pregnancy test, but it was a Positive pregnancy test, and he began stuttering.
"Viri, what - " He said, looking down at it to see it again.
I nodded my head and hugged him. He needed the comfort as much as I did. But to my surprise, as soon as I hugged him, he pushed me away. It was such an unexpected move that I stumbled back and was almost about to fall down when I caught myself.
"Mike, what -" I began speaking when Mike slapped the pregnancy test in my hand and walked out the place without saying anything. I was so stunned by all the things that happened that I did not react or do anything except for standing there and watching it all happen.
I looked at where Mike had disappeared and kept staring because I did not know what just happened. I could not comprehend what happened to him. Or why he reacted the way he did.
I just stood there, trying to understand what happened. After some time, I finally realised that I was standing alone in one spot for more than ten minutes.
With my heart in my throat, I pushed myself to move and got out of there.