Expecting Freshman (Editing)

Chapter 8

  'Hey, it's me...Ian. How does Saturday night sound?' I read his text, on cloud nine. I was sitting in my living room, listening to the sounds of my grandmother chopping tomatoes.

  I smiled and replied, 'sure' It was only Tuesday, so I would have to wait a long time.

  "Abby!" I heard my  grandmother yell from the kitchen.

   Smiling, I got up. "Yes?"

  "How was your first freshman day?"

  "It was great, actually."

  "How did your presentation go?"

  "Bad at first, but I think it went over pretty well."

  She looked at me, like she suspected something. "Why are you so...giddy?"

  I shrugged, "Can't I just be happy?" She looked at me, kind of like you...happy? "Fine, okay...there is this person."

  "Is it a friend?"

  "Yes."

  "Is it a girl?"

  "Actually, it's a guy."

  "A guy?!"

  "The one I ran into at orientation."

  "Abby, have you ever heard that saying, wisdom comes with age? Well, since I am older, I am much wiser and more experienced with life; I'll tell you this strait foreword and save you the heart brake. No man will anything to do with a teenage girl whom is pregnant."

  That tore me up, I had already thought about it...but it hurt t come from her. "How can you say that to me? To anyone who is going through this same thing?! You are old, yes, but you are from a time when you were shamed for these types of things...it's not like that now. Some teenage pregnancies do end up with a marriage or the parents dating...it's common now."

  "Only if they guy is the father of the baby!!" she yelled at me.

  I flinched, pretty sure I heard the sound of a door opening. "No! There are some men out there who just have good hearts!" I yelled back.

  "What did I miss?" I heard Karson ask me, from behind close to the door frame.

  "Abby thinks--"

  "Grandma, I don't think... I know." I huffed, "i'm leaving."

  "And where exactly do you plan on going?!"

  "Away from you," I muttered, storming out of the house angrier then anything in the world.

  "Abby!" I heard Karson yell, "wait up!"

  I shook my head, speed walking, but he caught up too me. "I can have a normal life! I can, I can," I said, crying really hard.

  "What did she say to you?"

  I shook my head, "it doesn't matter. I just want to be left alone. I want to go for a walk."

  "Abby, I can't let you do that. I can't let you go walking, not like this. Who knows what could happen?"

  "I wouldn't do anything to hurt this baby."

  "But someone else may," He whispered.

  "Karson, walk with me." I took a step, and he was by side in a heart beat. "Do you think it's possible for me to have a normal life after all of...this?" I struggled for the right words to say.

  "Why? Is that was she said?"

  I shook my head, "She told me that I won't be wanted by any guys for the rest of my life, all because of this baby. But, it's not like I did something stupid and got pregnant, I was raped."

  "Abby--"

  "I am not a terrible person, I have a good heart. Why can't I be loved? Why can't--"

  "Abby, slow down. Men will want you, just it'll be a shock to them. They'll be afraid at first..."He admitted.

  "I'm not scary!"

  "They'll be scared, just because the responsibilities you have, and they may be able to face up to that quite yet."

  "Will I ever find someone?" I had stopped walking and looked at him.

  "Eventually, and until then I will be there for you." He hugged me, and we started walking again. "So, what brought this up?"

  "I have a date this Saturday."

  His eyes got wide, "What's his name?"

  "Ian, he's a freshman." I blushed so bad.

  "I'm impressed," he laughed. "We should go home so you can apologize to grandma."

  "I don't want to, she made me regret everything I was proud of myself for."

  "And ignore her, you can still be proud of yourself. I was proud to hear that you were going to keep it and raise it, because it couldn't control when to become a baby."

  "Karson, I don't believe you."

  "I am serious, Abby."

  I sighed, "fine, I'll go apologize to her. But I am not eating dinner down there, or having any conversation with her."

  "You have to get along at some point," he looked at me, with a der look on his face.

  "That's when she apologizes to me, and shows me she is truly sorry." I stopped walking, and went back the way we came. I hesitated when I opened the door, but Karson encouraged me to go onward. "Grandma?" I asked.

  "In...in here sweetie," it sounded as though she had been crying.

  I walked in, not making eye contact with her. "I am sorry for what I have and said, but you could've been a little nicer about it. I will eat dinner, but in my room tonight. And, I'll find a ride to school tomorrow."

  "Let me take you," she said.

  I nodded, "I am going upstairs...alone."

  I could see Karson frown, "but what--"

  "I just want to be alone, he's your nephew; talk," and upstairs I went. When I got in my room, I noticed my phone on my bed. It was a text, from Ian. 'Thanks, I can't wait'

  Smiling, I replied, 'yeah, me neither.'

  I laid down on my back on my bed, staring at the ceiling and just thinking. Soon enough, I got a reply. 'That makes me feel good.'

  'I bet it does' I sent, slowly drifting off to sleep, a dream less, solid sleep.