The Weekend - Completed

Chapter 30

The days that followed had been hectic, if I wasn't sitting exams I was revising for them. The only time I tore my mind away from study was during the short, nightly phone conversations Daniel and I shared almost religiously at 8pm each evening. My dad had given up trying to get me to take a break instead he brought dinner up to my room each night and he'd watch me eat whilst I studied.

I swear my dreams were filled with numbers and equations. So when my final exam finished at eleven on Thursday I was overjoyed. Although Daniel's exams had finished Wednesday morning I hadn't spoken to him since Tuesday night because the lads had a rugby match in Stoke, just one more night apart, I was getting the nine o'clock train in the morning and then we'd have the whole of the carefree Summer together.

I'd been home an hour, my bag was thrown in the corner of my room, where I knew it would stay for at least two months. I was on my second cup of tea and flicking casually through the local newspaper, I'd half read a story about residents protesting against a new shopping complex claiming it would bring undesirables into the area. I smiled to myself as I imagined old Mrs Connors from number 12 with a placard in one hand and walking stick in the other, hurling abuse at the authorities. The repetitive ring of the telephone pulled me out of my daydream.

"Hello Alex?" Daniel's voice sounded strange muffled perhaps. It didn't matter to me I was so glad to hear his voice.

"Hiya, this is a nice surprise" I answered chirpily, I went to continue but Daniel cut me off.

"Oh Alex I don't know what I'm going to do" I now recognised the strange tenor to his voice, he was crying. My mind raced thinking of all the awful things which could have happened, each moment was followed by a greater sense of nausea and dread.

"Oh god Daniel what's wrong? Is it your mum and dad?" He replied 'no' in little more than a croaked whisper.

"Your sister then?" I probed.

"No, everyone's okay" then the phone line went silent, I waited as long as I could knowing he was building up to telling me whatever awful thing had happened. I felt so helpless I knew he was suffering; all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and tell him everything would be okay.

"Daniel please tell me what's wrong, what's happened?" I pleaded.

"Alex I love you, I'm so sorry" I could hear him sobbing down the phone, I didn't understand what was going on and suddenly I was too frightened to ask.

Finally Daniel broke the long distance silence between us, "Tina's pregnant" my brain couldn't process what he'd said

"What?" Confusion thick in my voice

"Tina's pregnant" At the precise same moment I was able to comprehend the situation I had an uncontrollable desire to vomit. I dropped the phone and sprinted for the bathroom.

My head swam as I fell towards the toilet just in the nick of time. Long after the nausea had subsided the shock of recent events still had me vomiting violently.

I collapsed onto the floor next to the toilet making sure I was still in reaching distance should I need it. I sat there for a couple of minutes studying the tiny splatters of vomit on my jeans not wanting to think about anything else, I felt nothing and I was eternally grateful for the temporary reprieve.

I don't know how long I sat there; I questioned I could have moved even if I'd tried. I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with me or if I'd imagined the whole horrible conversation, until my mind focused on what had happened then it hit me like a train, a high speed express train to be exact.

I was glad I was sitting on the floor as I doubted my legs would have held my weight. Then the tears came, each time I imagined them together my body convulsed with loud gut wrenching sobs. How could he have done this to me? I wailed over and over again, the tears flowing down my face soaking my t-shirt, I wiped clumsily at them with the back of my hand but they just kept coming.