Shattered Appearances ✓

s i x t e e n: Losing Sleep Doesn't Compare to This

I stared at the clock on the wall, watching the hands of the clock move in place. It was the only thing remotely interesting in this whole office. The monotone walls hardly sparked my interest and I had no desire to read Mother's Monthly magazine. Around me, pregnant women were excitedly talking with their sources about the future and I couldn't help but huff in annoyance.

Why would people voluntarily want to have kids? Toddlers are annoying little shits.

Stephanie was uneasily crossing and uncrossing her legs every couple of minutes and eventually it got so annoying that I put my hand on her knee to stop her. Monica seemed the calmest and most entertained of us all. She was reading another romance novel with a half naked man on the cover.

After my third consecutive sigh, Stephanie finally snapped and said, "What is wrong with you?"

"Lots of things. Although right now, not getting enough sleep is my biggest problem."

"You could've stayed home. You didn't have to come with us."

I shrugged and rested my hands on my face. "It's fine. I kind of want to see if there's going to be any drama. I even brought skittles." I took out my bag of skittles from my pocket and started to eat the red ones. 

"What kind of drama could you possibly expect?"

"I don't know. Maybe two of the pregnant women have a cat fight? I kind of what to see that happen."

We both laughed before it got quiet again. It must have been another hour before her name was called. Both Monica and Stephanie stood while I stayed seated in my chair. I didn't really want Steph to be uncomfortable with both Monica and I in there. It's more important if her mother goes with her.

Now that I was alone, I begrudgingly picked up a magazine and started to skim through it. There were many coupons for diapers and formulas as well as some interviews. Nothing I was interested in.

After a while, a kid started poking me. I tried to ignore him but soon enough I found myself angrily shouting at him, "What do you want kid?"

He didn't seem affected by my glare because he said in a cheerful voice, "Want to play with me?"

In my most monotone voice I said, "No. Go away."

"Pretty please."

"Please leave."

"I have a new Barbie and Ken doll. I'll let you be Ken if you want."

I looked at him in interest. Almost all the boys I babysat when I was sixteen had G.I Joe action figures. Not one of them bad Barbies, much less want to play the female counterpart.

"You don't want to play Ken?" I asked him to make sure that I wasn't mistaken.

"Nope. I like playing the girl."

He gave me the Ken doll and I looked at the doll for a second before I went along with it. I didn't really put much effort into it but it made the little boy smile so I didn't mind. Eventually his mother was called so he had to go with her. I wondered why they brought him to a gynecologist's appointment but I assumed that they had no one to take care of him. Around fifteen minutes later, Stephanie and Monica came out and sat down besides me.

"What did you do there?" I asked Stephanie once she fully sat down.

"I peed on a stick again. Had some blood tests taken. They're going to call us again in around an hour."

I wanted to groan when I heard those words. I could not handle another hour of sitting in a chair doing nothing.

"Did they say anything?"