AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My friend finally manages to stammer, “I don’t even know what to say right now, girlfriend.”
I just giggle.
“But wait there’s more: the best part is that Carl doesn’t judge me for what I eat. He loves to grill, no matter what the weather and encourages me to devour as much as I want.”
April is so flabbergasted at this point that she hardly knows how to reply.
“Okay, so if your boyfriend were here right now, what would you have him cook?”
My mouth waters and I answer immediately. “Two steaks, medium rare, and a baked potato with cheese and bacon and sour cream.”
“Two steaks and a side? Jesus, that’s a lot. Wait, is that one steak for him, and one steak for you? Or both for you?”
I smile like that cat that got into the cream.
“Both for me.”
April gasps then, her brown eyes like saucers.
“OMG! I’m not judging you or anything, but holy shit girlfriend! Two steaks is a lot, and I’ve never seen you eat so much before.”
I shrug nonchalantly. “Like I said, I’m burning a lot of calories with Carl. I sneak over to his house pretty much every night he’s not working, and sometimes I’ll even go in the morning before school when I know he’s about to have a long day at the station. You know, to help him get that pre-shift tension out.”
April nods. “You’re a good girlfriend, but I’m worried about you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I mean, just with the sneaking around and the strenuous workouts. It’s a lot for curvy girls like you and me.”
I laugh, waving my hand in the air.
“No, there’s nothing to be worried about, trust me. But I’m going to head to the kitchen to grab that snack now. Do you want something?”
April shakes her head.
“No, I’m good, thanks. Oh wait, maybe a Coke if you have one.”
“Sure,” I nod. “Coming right up.”
With that, I head to the kitchen and grab two sodas, a bag of chips, and two cupcakes from the pantry. This looks so yummy, but when I re-enter my bedroom, April’s got her nose buried in her textbook, so I try to settle down and study too. Oh god, this is awful. I’m so bad at memorizing names and dates, so I’m going to have a hard time on this test. Come to think of it, this entire semester is going to be absolutely brutal, but I can’t slack because my goal in life is to graduate and get out of my parents’ house.
But then, as I finish a chapter, my stomach turns. I cover my mouth with my hand and burp loudly before running into the bathroom. In a panic, I lift the toilet lid just in time before spewing a rush of green and brown vomit. It tastes vile and there are tears in my eyes as I heave painfully.
“Holy crap, Colleen, are you okay?” my friend asks from in back of me.
I sit gingerly onto the cold, white tile floor and nod. “Yeah, I think it’s just a bug or maybe something I ate.”
April bites her lip. “Oh hon, I’m so sorry. Did you have seafood? Or maybe some avocados? My stomach always reacts badly to that stuff.”
I shake my head.
“No, just the usual. But I’m fine. I just don’t think I’m up for studying anymore.”
My best friend gets a damp wash cloth and presses it to my warm forehead. She has a troubled expression on her face and bites her lip before speaking.
“Colleen, I don’t know how to say this,” April says hesitantly. “Except you’re eating a lot more than usual, you’re always hungry, and your boobs are definitely getting bigger. Now this? What gives?”
“It’s nothing,” I say, shaking my head.
April gives me a searching look.
“Are you sure you’re not pregnant, girlfriend?”
The word falls between us and I try to ignore it, but my heart starts to race.
“I can’t be because Carl and I always use protection.”
“Always? You know it’s hard to be one hundred percent careful all the time.”
I look down at my twisted hands. “Okay, you’re right. There were a few times when we didn’t use a condom because we got too caught up in the moment. So yes, he has finished inside me without protection a few times, but honestly, it felt so good.”
That’s all my friend needs to hear, and she stands up. “I’m getting you a pregnancy test.”
“No, I’m not pregnant. I think it’s just something I ate, trust me.”
April nods.
“Well then, if that’s the case the test will be negative and we can go back to our normal lives.”
I know my buddy isn’t going to stop until we see the ‘not pregnant’ symbol on a test, so I finally give in, and she takes off. In a quick fifteen minutes, April’s back and hands me a cardboard box.
