Jungle Princess ✔

Chapter 46: Despite The Tears

"What are we going to do?"

That was the question. And there was only one answer.

"I say we get rid of it," Tamsin spoke up.

"But is that what Amitola wants?" Amarissa asked. She glanced at Amitola, who sat beside her on the bed, face stricken with misery. Amarissa had never seen someone look so miserable.

"Yes," Amitola replied quietly, clenching her fists and slowly looking up to both of them.

Amarissa exchanged a look with Tamsin. "Are you sure? I mean, it' a pretty big deal, and you might change your mind," Tamsin said.

"I want it more than anything," Amitola said fervently, face screwed up into a grimace. "The sooner it is gone, the sooner I can forget."

"Was it..." Amarissa didn't have the heart to continue that sentence. After hearing Amitola describe what had happened, it sounded as if Keon had forced himself upon Amitola against her will. But then, she said she didn't know it was him...so was she in denial of her desires?

"We need to go to a clinic," Tamsin plotted, pacing the room, hair flying behind her. "I'm guessing Daniel doesn't know?"

Amitola shook her head. "No, he doesn't. And I don't want him to."

"Then it's settled," Amarissa chimed in. "We'll go in secret, the three of us. Together. Hopefully we don't need the permission of a parent."

"I don't think so, for these things," Tamsin said, but there was doubt in her voice.

Amarissa rubbed soothing circles on Amitola's back, assuring her, "It'll be alright. We'll help you."

Amitola just stared at her hands, nails digging into her thighs. She was surprisingly calm. Amarissa hadn't seen her shed a single tear since she had met her. Amarissa admired her strength. Perhaps that was why she was queen of the island.

"Thank you. For everything," Amitola muttered, finally locking eyes with each of them in turn. "I'm glad I found out now before it was too late. Before..." Amitola gestured with her arms curved in the air in front of her stomach, symbolizing a swollen baby bump.

Tamsin and Amarissa laughed. "Yeah, that'd be funny, waking up one morning with a huge belly," Tamsin giggled. "Imagine that? Not knowing you were pregnant until the last minute."

Amitola laughed along too, but she seemed wreaked with exhaustion and melancholy. Amarissa glimpsed the time to be almost half past eight. Still too early to switch off on a Friday night.

"We need something to cheer ourselves up," Amarissa said after the laughter died down like a deflated balloon. "How about a movie?"

Tamsin and Amitola's eyes lit up. "Yeah! Great idea, Rissy!" Tamsin exclaimed. Amarissa was full of great ideas that night. "What movie, though?"

"Whatever Amitola wants," Amarissa said as she got up to get her laptop.

"I don't mind," Amitola said timidly.

"Can we watch the Princess Bride?" Tamsin suggested when she saw it on the Netflix movie page Amarissa scrolled through.

"A tale of love and adventure," Amarissa read. "Yeah, sure, why not?"

So they settled on Amarissa's bed, amongst pillows and blankets, smuggling a packet of salted popcorn, watching a story that transported them into a whole different world. Tamsin of course swooned after Westley, while Amarissa just marveled at how beautiful Princess Buttercup was. Beside her she couldn't tell what Amitola was thinking, however she could tell the story was affecting her somehow. Maybe it was the fact that Princess Buttercup was being forced to marry a man she did not love, or that she had her own true love she thought was dead, but the story did bare some resemblance to what Amitola had described about her life. Perhaps it wasn't the best movie choice to try and take Amitola's mind away from her problems.