Forced to have the Player's Kid (Book One of The Great Age Plague Series)

Chapter One

As soon as I woke up, I knew it was The Day. After a night of tossing and turning and cursing just about everyone, I fell into a fitful sleep that was so unfilling, I felt like a burnt piece of toast upon waking up. But even worse was the dread- today was the day I was to meet my "husband," the man who I was going to lose my virginity to, and the father of my first child.

I just prayed to God he wouldn't suck.

Sitting up, the butterflies in my stomach took on a whole new life. Even though the last thing I wanted to do was eat, I figured I should at least attempt to drown the damn things with orange juice. I walked through my pure white room, about as virginal as I was, and petted my cat Lilac on the way out the door. She meowed at me, as if wishing me good luck.

I was going to need it.

At the kitchen table sat my mother, her cheeks hollow as she attempted to eat a whole plate of eggs. My mother was one of the few survivors of what was now dubbed The Great Age Plague, which essentially took out everyone's parents, including my dad. I smiled sadly at her as she attempted to stomach the scrambled eggs. Her apetite had shrunk signficantly since the plague, as she nearly starved to death while sick, and now she was attempting to stretch her stomach back into a normal size. I still remember when she dieted for New Year's Eve years before the plague.

She looked a lot sadder today than she had ever been since my Daddy's death. She knew what was going to happen to me today. Although I had ample time to get to know my new "husband" and almost two years to get pregnant, I still didn't have a choice who my assignment was, which I knew made her sad. At my school, couple's were allowed to apply for the choice of who they reproduced with, but I've never had a boyfriend my entire life; the only person I was really close with was my best friend Cally, and it's not like I could have a baby with her. Cally was probably already pregnant with her boyfriend's baby, as soon as she found out about the new law she just went ahead and asked him. Although I was happy for her, I was also extremely jealous- she was so lucky to have a boyfriend who loved her.

"Adira, are you sure you don't want to just... I don't know... move to Italy?" my mother asked. I almost laughed- there were no people left in Italy, we both knew that. I shook my head.

"No Mom.... Look, it's not... It's not that bad," I tried. I frowned and poured myself a glass of orange juice. I was trying to stay positive for her sake, but it was just so hard. She sighed, rubbed her face, and put on a smile.

"I guess you're right.... you know, it will be nice to have a baby around the house. I bet she will be just as adorable as her Mama... I can't believe you're going to be a mother," my mom said honestly. She smiled for the first time that morning, and it lit up the room. My moms always been great at finding positivity in everything. I wished I could be like her. All I could think about was losing my virginity to a stranger and trying to go college with a baby.

I shrugged.

"Don't get too excited, I'm not pregnant yet," I said as I finished up my orange juice. After leaving the kitchen, I hurried to put on a nice outfit and make up. At the very least, my new husband will at least think I'm pretty. I put mascara on my eyelashes, framing my baby blue eyes, and curled my blonde hair. Finally, I put on a little pink blush and lip gloss. I don't like to wear a lot of make up.

After that, I went to my walk- in closet filled to a the brim with clothes. I tried on what felt like a million outfits before settling on a black circle skirt and cozy maroon sweater. I grabbed a book off my shelf to read during the ceremony and stuffed it into my faux-leather shoulder bag.

Here goes nothing.