“Looks like we get the smaller one,” Seth laughed.
“You go in your room and sleep. I can fit on that couch,” Lia said.
“No I can sleep here you take my bed,” Seth said.
“Get some blankets we can sleep on the floor together. I have to use the bathroom and change,” Lia said.
While she was in there he got blankets and pillows and put them on the floor. When she came out she laid down and was asleep as soon as Seth laid down with her. He watched her for the longest time. Just watching her sleep next to him gave him the inter peace as nothing else could. It wasn’t something he could explain he just felt it.
His Mom checked on them before going to bed. She stood and the doorway for a little bit. He didn’t let her know he was awake; he didn’t want to hear anymore of her excuses for his Dad or her not coming to his game. He was almost an adult, but they have been at every game of his since little league, and it hurt a little that they weren’t at this one. Soon he fell asleep with Lia snuggled up close to him.
~~*~~
When they woke up on Sunday it was already late morning almost noon, Lia was already awake and in the bathroom. He went by the bathroom, he though he heard her throwing up. He knocked on the door, “Lia are you in there?”
She didn’t answer right away. “Lia?” he asked again.
“Yeah I’ll be out in a minute,” she said.
When she opened the door he was standing there, “Lia we need to talk alone, get dressed.”
She got her clothes and went back in the bathroom when he got out. She didn’t say anything to him. He went to change and met her in the hallway. He took her up to the roof knowing it was the only place they could talk privately.
“How often have you been getting sick? I want the truth,” he said.
“That Saturday night you were with me, and a few days this week and then this morning,” she replied.
“What about being nauseated?”
“I don’t know a few times I guess. Why are you asking me this, Seth?” she asked.
“I have to know something, Lia, and please tell me the truth. Did you miss a period this month?”
“You think I’m pregnant?” she looked at him in shock. “I’m not due for it till next week.”
“It would make sense all the times you’ve been sick or nauseated,” he said.
“I have no idea if I am since I’m not even late. I think it has more to do with you leaving,” she said.
“You sure it’s next week? I thought it was this week,” Seth said.
“You know when I’m supposed to have my period? Really?” she asked.
“Lia I know everything about you, you should know that by now,” he said.
“Yeah I know that. I never thought you kept track of that, though.”
“It’s not that I kept track of it I just know. Do you keep track of it on a calendar or anything? It’s real important, Babe. If your pregnant it make this mess were in a whole lot messier,” he said.
“Not every month and that would be at home. Do you really think I am? God what would we do?” Lia said.
“We have to get a test and see if you are.”
“I think it’s too early. I’ll wait another week and take one the following week if I don’t get it,” she said tears forming in her eyes. Seth saw them and pulled into his arms, “Don’t worry we’ll figure something out if you are.”
“There’s only two choices, have it or have an abortion,” she said.
“Look let’s not jump the gun here. When you get home we’ll see if you’re late if you can figure it out and if not we’ll wait two weeks and take the test.”
“I’m scared Seth. Our parents will kill us for sure,” she cried.
“We’ll have to make decisions when we find out,” he said.
“You have to make me another promise, Seth, if I am I want you to finish football up here and get that scholarship. I don’t want to tell the parent right away either,” she said.
“Lia, if you are I’m not leaving you down in PA by yourself,” he said.
“Yes you will, you’re going to need that scholarship more than ever if that test is positive,” she said sitting heavily on the chair.
He knelt down in front of her, putting his hands on either side of her face, “No matter what I love you, but I don’t think I can stay here if you are.”
“For us you need to,” she pleaded.
“I’ll think about it,” he said.
Chapter 24
They spent the rest of the afternoon walking around New York with Cris and Steph. Seth didn’t leave Lia’s side all day. He watched out for her the whole day. He was worried for her; he didn’t want her to be pregnant. He didn’t know what to do; his insides were churning with fear. At one point he thought he wanted her pregnant so no one could keep them apart, but now that the reality of it was here a fear swept through him.
Actually it was terror, could they raise a kid? What if God forbid anything happened to Lia or the baby? He couldn’t even think that. His mind kept racing round and round with all the possible things that could go wrong. He instinctively reached for her to pull her closer to him.
“Seth, stop hovering. It’s no different than yesterday,” she whispered.
“God, Lia yesterday you got in that fight with Felicity and the day before you got hit by that cheerleader,” Seth said.
“Stop it, Seth. You’re going to drive me crazy. We don’t even know yet,” Lia said. “I want to enjoy the day with you three, without you being neurotic.”
“I’m not neurotic,” he said.
“Yes you are. Let’s just go back to your place and watch movies or something,” she said.
“No I’ll stop it or try to,” he muttered.
“What are you two whispering about?” Cris said.
“Nothing that’s any of your business,” Lia retorted.
“Don’t get snippy with me,” Cris said picking her up and twirling her around in a tight circle making her dizzy. When he put her down she couldn’t stand right.
“Cris, I’m gonna kill you,” Seth said through clenched teeth. “Look what you did to her.” Seth had to hold on to her till the dizziness went away.
“I’m fine, Seth he always does that to me and you know it. You’d think after all these years I wouldn’t get dizzy any more. If you guys wouldn’t mind can we head back I want to lie down and relax with Seth, before we go back?” she asked.
“Not a problem with me. My feet are killing me,” Steph said.
“You want us to get a taxi back?” Cris asked.
“Mister penny pincher is getting a taxi!” Lia said.
“I didn’t say I was paying,” Cris joked.
“Figures,” Lia retorted.
“We can walk back I’m fine,” Steph said.
“No seriously if you want a taxi back we can get one,” Cris said to her.
“No, its fine,” Steph said jumping on his back. “You’ll be my taxi.”
They walked back slower than they did going. Lia took in all the sights around her. New York was definitely a lot different than at home, people where going everywhere at a fast pace. People were passing them on the sidewalk like they were standing still. Some of them made rude remarks at how slow they were walking.
“Just think it’s a Sunday, you should see it during the week,” Seth said.
“We’d probably get run over,” Steph said laughing.
When they finally got back to the apartment Steph sat down heavily on the couch, took off her shoes and sighed a sigh of relief, “This feels so good to finally be off my feet,” she said.
Cris sat down next to her pulled her foot on his lap and started rubbing her feet, “I think I just died and went to heaven. That feels so good,” Steph sighed.
Seth sat on the other couch and motioned for her to sit by him. She laid down and put her head on his lap. He was rubbing her neck and shoulders puttin
g her to sleep. “Has she been sleeping this week?”
“Yeah I guess, I don’t hear her moving around at night. She’s been working a lot this past week when she doesn’t have practice,” Cris said. “Why?”
“Just checking don’t want her to lose sleep too,” Seth said.
“You’re not sleeping, Seth?” Steph asked. “You know this whole thing just really sucks. The two of you are so stressed out, you’re not sleeping and she’s sick all the time.”
“What do you mean?” Seth anxiously asked.
“Big mouth,” Cris said.
“Oh sorry I forgot,” Steph said.
“You’re keeping something from me?” Seth demanded.
“Not really, she probably told you anyway. She’s been sick, but I think it’s getting better,” Cris said. “She didn’t want me to tell you so you wouldn’t worry. It’s really no big deal; she’s just upset about you moving.”
“Yeah that’s probably it,” Seth said. He moved her a little so he could get up off the couch. He went to the window and stood there staring out. He was lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice Cris walked over to him until he spoke, “Seth what up?”
“Nothing, but I need to find a place to live back home. She begged me to finish the football season to see if I get a scholarship, but I don’t care about that. I’m moving back as soon as I can.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but for your future and my sister’s, stay and finish the season here. You need the scholarship to go to college. It’ll take a lot of the stress off you and her. She won’t get a scholarship so she’ll have to pay for her own college and if yours is paid for it’ll be so much easier. Do yourself a favor and listen to her,” Cris said.
“We’ll see, but I’m definitely moving back by the holidays. I just have to find a place to stay,” Seth said.
“What about Mr. Grayson?”
“He said for college not about before, but the next time I’m home I’ll stop by. Don’t say anything to Lia yet I don’t want her hopes crushed if I can’t find a place,” Seth said.
“I won’t. We have to wake her up though we have to be heading back soon.”
Once Lia woke up she was starving so they raided the frig to see what was in there. They heated up some leftovers from the party; there was pasta with sauce, salad with italian dressing, and some really good bread, from the bakery around the corner.
Lia sat at the table nibbling on the bread and salad. “Do you want any of the pasta?” Seth asked.
“Yeah a little bit.”
“I thought you were starving,” Cris said.
“I am this salad tastes so good I’d rather eat it than pasta,” Lia retorted. They sat there eating not talking much, just a little gossip from home, but nothing real important.
By the time they were done, it was time for them to leave. Seth went down to the garage with them. “You know how to get home right, Cris?” he asked.
“Yeah I know.”
“Good, Lia call me the minute you get home,” Seth said giving her a kiss.
“I will,” she mumbled through the kiss. “Love you, Babe.”
“Love you, too.”
She waved to him from the back of the car as they pulled out. It tore the hole in his heart bigger to see her face looking so sad. He wished he was already eighteen because he would have left with her right now. He went upstairs and into his room he had a lot of thinking to do.
Lia sat in the back of the car and feeling sadder the further away they got. She fell asleep at the border of New York and PA. She woke up when Cris told her they were home. She ran in the house and up to her room to call Seth.
“We made it home,” she announced when he pick up his phone.
“Already? Cris must have been flying?” Seth said.
“No more than you do,” she teased. “I had a really great weekend with you, I miss you already,” Lia said.
“Did you think anymore on what we talked about?”
“No, I didn’t. I fell asleep on the way home,” she said. “You know me and car rides, they always put me to sleep.”
“Yeah I do. We always wondered if you would fall asleep when you started to drive,” he said.
“Ha ha, not funny,” she said. “So what did you do after we left?”
“Just sat in my room, trying to make some decisions.”
“Did you come up with any?”
“Only one, I’ll finish football here. I have to wait till I turn eighteen to do any of my other decisions and by then football is almost done.”
“I’m glad you’re finishing football, it’s something you love.”
“Did you check your calendar?”
“No, I didn’t I called you right away.” She really was afraid to check it, she thought she was due next week, but there’s that little inkling of doubt that Seth might be right. She didn’t want him to be right.
“Look for it, please,” he begged.
“I will when I get off the phone with you.”
“Lia, you’re killing me right now. I need to know now,” he groaned.
“Fine!” She opened her desk drawer and pulled it out. She knew right where it was, but she didn’t want to look. She looked at August. She stared at in horror, Seth was right she was due this week. “Oh, God,” she whispered.
“Lia? I was right wasn’t I?”
“Yeah you were. Oh God, Seth what are we gonna do?”
“I’m coming down there, now! You have to take a pregnancy test,” Seth said running out of his apartment.
“Seth, no you can’t come here, everyone will wonder why you’re here. If I am we have to keep it a secret for now,” she pleaded.
“Why?” he stopped by the elevator, but didn’t hit the button.
“We have a lot of decisions to make whether were having it or not, for one. I don’t want anyone trying to influence us, it’s our decision. Before we start freaking out we have to find out first and I don’t want to take the test here. Do you have practice tomorrow?”
“Yeah all week after school, but I can come down after,” he said pushing the up button to go to the roof.
“No it’s too much for you to drive all that way and then to drive back. Come down this weekend and we’ll see then,” she said. “And Seth really think hard what you want to do about it. I’m telling you now you’re finishing football up there, no matter what.”
“Not if you’re pregnant, I’m moving back right away.”
“No don’t ruin our future. You’re talking like you want to have it,” she said.
“Don’t you, Lia?” he asked holding his breath. “I know were young, and I thought babies would come after college, but I wouldn’t feel right you getting an abortion.”
She sighed. But before she could say anything he cut her off. “You really don’t want it?”
“No I do. I thought you wouldn’t,” she said. “Not now anyway.”
“Take the test tomorrow and call me after I get out of practice. I don’t think I can wait till this weekend.”
“I want you here with me.”
“I want to be. If only I would have thought sooner we should have done it up here today,” he said.
“Oh yeah right, with my brother and his girlfriend there that would have gone over good. I have to work tomorrow right after school, why don’t we just do it on the weekend; you can come down on Sunday?”
“The game’s Friday this week and I can leave right after that.”
“No Seth it’s too late I don’t want you getting in an accident. I need you in one piece,” Lia said. “The one thing I want to do is finish out the cheerleading season. They won’t let me cheer next year, but I really want to finish this year out.”
“What if someone falls on you again? And this time on your stomach or back,” Seth said.
“I’ll be careful. The only reason I got hurt this week was my fault I wasn’t concentrating, I was thinking about yo
u being here. It was totally my fault,” she reiterated.
“We’ll see. First we have to find out if you are,” he said.
“This weekend we will and then we can discuss what we’re gonna do. I have to get some sleep I’m really tired,” Lia said yawning.
“Should I call you in the morning?”
“Of course. I miss you,” she said.
“Same here, talk to you tomorrow. I love you,” Seth said. After hanging up he sat up on the roof in the same spot Lia and he did the night before. This was a serious problem they had; if he stayed up here she’d take the brunt of it from her parents all alone. Then again she was right they’d need the scholarship more than anything, and football was only two more months. If they did keep it a secret just till the season was over he could possibly get the scholarship, but if they did that she couldn’t stop cheering without everyone asking why.
Everything kept going round and round in his head. He couldn’t make any sense of what to do. When another problem entered it, what if her parents make her get rid of it. She was underage and they could force her he guessed. They really had to figure all aspects of this before they told anyone. This weekend they’d have to discuss it all. If she was pregnant, he serious thought she was, but he’d wait for the test to be done.
~~*~~
Lia sat in her bedroom thinking; how was she going to wait till the weekend to take the test she wanted to know now, but she thought it was probably too early. She was also thinking what would they do? Her parents would probably freak out, and his would blame her for it all. That she ruined his life etc. The one and only thing she was certain of Seth was going to finish this football season. After that they’d see what happens. Did they find out right away about the scholarships or did they have to wait, and did he have to be in school up in New York for him to get it?
She fell asleep wondering what was in store for them.
Chapter 25
The next day Seth called Lia in the morning, after school, and before bed. As the week progressed they spoke less and less, between the two of them having school, practices and work it was impossible for them to talk all the time. By the end of the week Lia was worried that he wouldn’t be able to come this weekend.
He didn’t call her Friday morning so she woke up to her alarm going off. Groggily she hit snooze and fell back to sleep. When her alarm went off again she looked at the time and she was worried. Why he didn’t call me? Picking up her phone she called him; it went to his voice mail. Getting out of bed she headed into the bathroom to start getting ready for school. She felt something was wrong, but had no clue what.