Over the Wall: A Collection of Short Stories (NaNoWriMo 2014)

Day 13: Three Minutes

Note: This is dedicated to writewithink for all her help during NaNoWriMo :)

Three minutes was a long time. Three minutes was an especially long time for Kirsten Mathers, who was waiting to see if her life was about to change dramatically. Of all the days to happen, she thought. It was the day of her tenth high school reunion and she was sitting in the bathroom on one of their stupid little bench things in the lobby part of the bathroom in the country club with her current best friend, her estranged best friend from high school, the guy she most recently had sex with, and her best guy friend that she’s known since high school. It was a lot to handle.

It had all started a few days ago. She had suddenly felt very sick and had brushed it off as a bug. Then the next day she realized that her period hadn’t come in a while. Then this morning she started putting it all together. By that time she was already on the way to the reunion so she had to wait to get a test.

When she arrived at the hotel where she was staying and where the reunion was being held, she and her friend, Harper, were swept up by all the people she hadn’t seen in years. Then she remembered why she hadn’t spoken in ten years, she had a lot of good reasons.

By the time they were finally able to make their way to the room they were sharing it was time for dinner and they still had no time. Jessica, Jess, Kirsten’s estranged best friend from high school, then decided to corner them and start reminiscing about the “good old days.” Along with her Jess brought, Kyle, Kirsten’s best guy friend from high school. Finally Kirsten said,

“Guys, I have to go and run an errand.”

“What errand?” Jess said.

“Just an errand. It’s really important.”

“Is it for tampons?” Jess asked, making Kyle cringed. Kyle was one of those sweet and shy guys that blushed easily so obviously he didn’t like this conversation.

“No, it’s not for tampons.”

“Then for what?” Kirsten sighed. She had forgotten that Jess was not physically able to let things go. She and Harper looked at each other, trying to decide what to do.

“Jess just let them go okay? If Kirsten wanted to tell you what she was doing she would have told you by now.” Kyle said, stepping in. Kirsten had the urge to hug him. This had been their relationship in high school as well with Jess prying into Kirsten’s life and Kyle stepping in when needed.

“Thanks Kyle. We’ll be back.” Kirsten and Harper practically ran to the car and then drove to the drug store down the street.

When they came back they tried to run to the bathroom without being seen but they were intercepted by Brody, the guy Kirsten had most recently slept with and probably the one who might have gotten her pregnant. Especially since they had been sleeping together for three months. It wasn’t made any better by the fact that she hadn’t slept with anyone else. Stupid monogamy.

Brody was supposed to be on a business trip until Monday but apparently he had felt bad about the way they had left things. That’s what led to Kirsten blurting out what exactly they had bought at the drug store and where they were going and exactly when her last period had been.

Brody, as expected, started freaking out but they were able to get him to finally calm down and got him to come to the bathroom with them. That’s when they were again intercepted, this time by Jess, who was followed by Kyle. Eventually they had to tell them too.

That’s what led them to where they were now. Kirsten had just finished the humiliating act of peeing on a stick and was now sitting on the little bench thing. She decided that peeing in a silent room when you know a group of people are listening is the most embarrassing thing in the world.

Jess was sitting on the bench next to her with Harper on the chair next to the bench. The boys sat on the floor. Brody had grumbled about sitting on the ground but it hadn’t taken too long of a lecture about modesty and women being treated like objects for him to finally shut up.

Harper couldn’t believe what was going on. She hadn’t gone to this high school, she hadn’t met Kirsten until their junior year of college, but she had wanted to meet the people Kirsten had talked, and complained, about for so long. So she tagged along. But then Kirsten had started worrying about if she was pregnant or not. It actually made Harper a little happy she had come. Not that Kirsten might be pregnant, of course. Just that she was here. Especially since Brody had shown up, Harper hated him. He had tried to make a move on her too many times, both before and after he and Kirsten started dating, for Harper to ever trust him.

She liked Jess and Kyle though. She had met Jess a few times before and had liked her but she had never met Kirsten’s other old friend, Kyle, before. He seemed sweet and she liked sweet. He was so hung up on Kirsten though, everyone could see it. He should make a move, once things settled down. Brody didn’t deserve Kirsten but maybe Kyle did.

Jess was anxious. After all this time she had finally had the chance to patch things up with Kirsten once and for all but then this happened. She hated that Brody guy and she thought Kirsten’s friend, Harper, hated him too. That made her like Harper, even though she hadn’t liked Harper the times she had met her because she seemed slutty but she had changed her mind.

God that Brody guy was creepy. First he had tried to sit on the bench with her and Kirsten and now he was trying to sit on the floor to look up her skirt a little bit. Jerk. He could have gotten her friend pregnant and now he was trying to scam on her and Harper. She hated guys like that.

Brody couldn’t stand this anymore. Everyone was trying to act normal but this was not normal. He knew he shouldn’t have gotten involved with Kirsten. He sure hoped that she had been sleeping around like he had, then maybe she wouldn’t try to pin this thing on him. He was not going to be a father. Never. Not if he could help it. Brody stood and everyone turned to him, surprised at his sudden movement. There were still two minutes left until they knew but he was getting up.

“I’m going.” He said.

“What?” Kirsten said.

“I have to go. I can’t handle this and you can’t pin this whole thing on me.” Kirsten looked confused.

“What do you mean, pin this on you? You’re the one who came here.”

“Yes, but not for this.”

“What did you come for then?”

“To make up. To hook up. Not for this. I’m not ready for this and I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for this.”

“So you’re just going to run away?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m doing.” He left the room. Kirsten almost ran after him but she was suddenly hit with a weird feeling. Was it relief? Yes, it actually was.

Kyle was glad that Brody had gone. He seemed like such an asshole and that he didn’t care about Kirsten as all. He was ready to just get this all over with.

Kyle’s train of thought was interrupted by Harper suddenly waving her hands around. They all turned to her.

“What is it?” Jess asked.

“It’s time.” Harper said. They all turned to Kirsten now.

“It’s time?” Kirsten’s voice was shaking. Harper nodded.

Kirsten looked down at her hands, they were also shaking, and grabbed the little stick. She looked up at all of them one more time before turning it over, ready to see if her life was about to change.