Perplexed - A Jonathan and Nancy story

The Senior and the Doctor

A week later, Thanksgiving break, I kept feeling a fluttering feeling in my stomach.

The holidays have been different ever since it all happened a year ago. Everything was different. The boys weren't allowed out at dark, all of our homes were searched, but no monster was found, and Barb never came back.

I sat holding hands with Steve at the dinner table as we ate Thanksgiving dinner that consisted of a burnt turkey, clumpy mashed potatoes, and a half-burnt-half-raw pumpkin pie. My mother isn't the best of cooks.

"So, Steve," my father emerged from the kitchen with a glass of chocolate milk for Holly. "How's school going for you?"

"It's good, sir. Senior year is a breeze," Steve replied as he leaned back in his chair.

I kicked his foot under the table. My father didn't know that Steve was a senior. He thought he was a junior like me.

"Oh..." my father said as he dropped as spoonful of potatoes into his plate.

***

Later that night, we watched our tapes of Rocky, Rocky II, and Rocky III and drank apple cider. Steve and I shared a blanket and I slowly drifted to sleep with my head leaning over on his shoulder.

***

The fluttering feeling kept happening over break. I had an uneasy feeling about it, so I made a doctors appointment.

When I got there, I filled out the information and they called me into the office.

"Nancy, I don't know if I should congratulate you or not, but you're pregnant," the doctor spoke in monotone as she stared at the clipboard.