“Yeah, tough break for November, too. She deserves better.”
“Straight up.”
“Naw, Miss Thing got what’s comin’ to her.”
“How you figure?”
“She used to think she was all that, but now she ain’t nothing but!”
“Girl, you just be hatin’!”
“I wonder who else she been with.”
“She keepin’ the baby?”
“She got a dead baby-daddy. That sucks.”
“I’ve seen some live baby-daddies that ain’t much better than a dead one!”
“Straight up.”
“I wonder what Josh’s parents think about the kid. They have lots of cash, somebody said.”
“So?”
“Well, if you got enough money, you can do anything!”
“Would you give up your baby to its grandparents?”
“Not me. But my man’s parents are whacked. I wouldn’t do that to a kid.”
“I might think about it—I could go out and have fun and not have to worry about some cryin’ baby back home that needed changing!”
“Then you better keep your pants on, girlfriend. You ain’t fit to be a mother!”
November knew what the kids around her were saying, and not only did it embarrass her, it ticked her off. It made her blush to imagine what kids were saying about what she and Josh had done, and she felt like smacking some of the self-righteous girls who tried to look down on her. Arielle was one of them.
“What’s up, November?” Arielle said one day after school.
“Nothing much,” November replied, trying to dig her English book out of her locker in a hurry so she could avoid talking to her.
“Word is you and Josh were a lot closer than you let on.”
“Why you tryin’ to be all up in my business?” November slammed her locker door.
“So you’re keeping the baby?”
“It’s really none of your business, Arielle,” November replied tersely as she snapped the lock onto the metal hasp.
“You don’t have to get all salty,” Arielle replied, rolling her eyes. “I thought we were tight.”
“We used to be,” November said after a pause, a hint of sadness in her voice. “But lately you been acting like you all that and a bag of chips!”
Arielle leaned against the lockers. “It wasn’t me who changed. When I broke up with Jericho, you and Dana acted like I’d dumped you as well. So I moved on.”
“Well, keep moving. I gotta get to lunch.”
“I’d wondered why you were gaining so much weight,” said Arielle as she walked alongside November. “You used to have such cute clothes.” Arielle brushed a speck of dirt from her Ultrasuede miniskirt.
“And you used to be likable,” November retorted. She hurried away in the other direction—angry, embarrassed, and hurt.
She threw her books onto the lunch table and flopped down next to Dana and Olivia.
“So who peed in your cornflakes?” Dana asked.
“Teachers. Haters. Arielle.” November blinked hard—she wasn’t sure if the tears were from anger or frustration, but she was really tired of crying all the time.
“Don’t let lowlifes get the best of you, November,” Olivia said gently. “I face it all the time.”
November sniffed. “I’m okay. At least for the moment. Can I have some of your fries?” she asked Olivia.
“You want to go to the mall with us after school?” Dana offered. “Shopping cures all problems!”
“I’m with you on that, but I’ve got a doctor’s appointment after school,” November told them.
“You going by yourself?” Dana asked. “I can drive you if you want some company.”
“Thanks, but my mother’s going with me. I guess she’s finally quit pretending this will go away, and now she wants to get information so she can stress me out for the next five and a half months! Already she’s got me drinking guava juice and eating raw carrots. And save me from Internet baby blogs!”
“Aw, quit complainin’,” Olivia said, intently mixing a slab of butter into her mashed potatoes. “At least you got a mama to fret over you.”
November and Dana exchanged glances. “What happened to your mom?” Dana asked gently.
“She died the day I was born. A rare childbirth complication called postpartum hemorrhage,” answered Olivia. She buried the butter into the potato mound. “Basically, she bled to death.”
At the words “childbirth complication” November shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Complications? She’d never given a moment’s thought to complications. Man, she was totally clueless. She forced her attention back to Olivia. “That’s so sad,” she whispered.
“I didn’t know,” Dana added softly. “I’m really sorry, Olivia.”
November inhaled. “My dad died when I was ten. I still miss him.”
“You got memories of him?” Olivia asked.
“Yeah, lots of good ones, although it’s like they fade as I get older,” November mused. “I hate that.”
“I don’t have one single thing to remember,” Olivia said, her eyes filling with tears. “It’s like a clean notebook—full of pages with nothing written on them.”
“My mother makes me itch,” Dana told them, “but I wouldn’t know how to breathe without her. It must be really hard.”
“You know what it’s like not having a mother?” Olivia asked.
“I can guess, but not really,” November replied.
“Imagine being born without your right hand. You learn to do stuff without it. You eat with your left hand and figure out how to tie your shoes. You only need one glove in the winter. But you can’t clap.”
November rubbed her hands together unconsciously. “Deep.”
“You function, sort of, but you’re missing something vital. Feel me?”
“Yeah,” said Dana.
“My daddy raised me. He did a pretty good job, and he loves me something fierce. But he never much cared about what I ate, so I grew up on Froot Loops and french fries, and he never once took me shopping for anything other than groceries. I’ve always envied girls who go to the mall with their mothers. I bought my first bra by myself.”
“I think I’d rather do that trip without my dad,” Dana said with a smile.
Olivia smiled back. “Don’t get me wrong. I owe a lot to my dad. He used to read to me every night, and that’s how I learned to love books. He made me study so I could make good grades, and he taught me to be tough so I could face airheads like Arielle.”
“Sounds like you got her on your mind,” November teased.
“I could care less about that little twit. She’s the one who’s thinking about me. Every time I see her in the hall, I make a fist and mouth, ‘I’m gonna pay you back!’ She wrinkles up her face like she’s about to cry or puke, then runs in the other direction.” Olivia laughed. “The threat of terror is a powerful thing!”
“Are you really going to get her?” Dana asked.
“Of course not. But she doesn’t know that. It’s the intimidation factor that makes me powerful. As long as she’s scared of me, she won’t bother me.”
“Arielle’s been laying kinda low anyway since Logan got busted,” Dana added.
“I heard she dumped him just like she dumped Jericho. The girl does not deal well with stress!” November said.
“Anybody know what’s going to happen to Logan?” asked Olivia. “Not that I care.”
“Lots and lots of jail time.”
The bell rang and the three girls put away their lunch trays and headed for class.
CHAPTER 20
FRIDAY, MAY 21
AFTER DR. HOLLAND FINISHED HER EXAMINATION, she snapped off her gloves and told November, “You seem to be doing fine, dear, but your blood pressure is a little higher than I’d like to see, and it’s a little early for your feet to be swelling like they are. I want you to eliminate salt from your diet.”
“No salt? I’ll shrivel up and die
!” November wailed.
“If we don’t get that blood pressure down, that’s a real possibility,” the doctor warned.
“For real?”
“My job is to keep you and that baby as healthy as possible. Your job is to do your best to follow my guidelines so we don’t have to worry about such serious complications, okay?”
November immediately thought of Olivia’s mother and nodded. “I’m trying. I take those stupid horse vitamins every day. My mom has become a health food addict, and I even try to exercise a little.”
“Good.” Dr. Holland scribbled notes on November’s chart. “Do you have any other questions for me?”
“Uh, I don’t want to sound stupid, and I read a bunch of stuff on the Internet, but it just seems amazing that a little mini-me knows what to do in there, how to grow and stuff.”
“You’re right. It is incredible. I think that’s why I stay in the business. The creation of life is truly awe-inspiring. Your baby has a heartbeat now, you know.”
“Really?”
“Would you like to hear it?”
“Can I?”
“Sure. Would you like your mother to come in and listen with you?”
November agreed, and her mother was called into the examining room while Dr. Holland hooked up the fetal monitor, explaining that it could both detect as well as project the sound of a tiny heartbeat.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Nelson. Are you ready?” the doctor asked.
November’s mother sat down in a chair and nodded. Her face showed a mixture of excitement and resignation. “I suppose there’s no turning back now. The whole idea of my daughter being pregnant is something I’ve had to get used to,” she admitted.
“I understand completely.”
As the doctor adjusted the dials on the machine, Mrs. Nelson asked, “Is November okay? Is the baby healthy?”
“Everything is fine right now, but I’m little concerned about her blood pressure. I’ve advised her to stay away from salt.”
“Really? Is there a problem? Should I be concerned? Should we call a specialist?” Mrs. Nelson rattled off questions like machine-gun fire. “I’m looking this up on the Internet as soon as we get home.”
November put her hand on her forehead and shook her head. “Now you’ve done it, Dr. H. You’ve told the queen of healthy eating that I can’t have salt. She’ll be checking labels and making me eat tasteless food for the rest of my life!”
Dr. Holland laughed. “You should be thankful you have such a concerned mom, November.” To Mrs. Nelson she said, “Moderation is the key right now. I’m keeping a close watch on her.”
Mrs. Nelson didn’t seem to be completely convinced, but she nodded in agreement.
Dr. Holland adjusted the ultrasound machine as well as the probe that was connected to November’s belly. “Here we go.”
The room was silent for a moment, then November could hear the softest little rhythm, LUB-dup, LUB-dup, LUB-dup. It sounded like the heartbeat of a mouse. Dr. Holland adjusted the volume, and the rhythmic thuds almost boomed in the small room.
“Is that my baby?” November asked, her voice full of awe.
“Yes, it is.”
That’s my baby! she thought. A real baby! Somehow the heartbeat made it all completely real.
“How big is it?” she asked.
“About five inches long now—the size of a baking potato.”
“When do I find out if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“We’ll do a sonogram next month, and, if the baby cooperates, we’ll find out then.”
November glanced over at her mother. She was amazed to see tears streaming down her mom’s face. “Are you okay, Mom?”
Mrs. Nelson pulled a tissue from her purse and wiped her eyes. “Of course, honey. It’s just…it’s just so overwhelming!”
“I’m glad you came with me, Mom,” said November with feeling as the doctor unhooked the machine.
“Me too, sweetie.”
“When will I feel it move?” November asked the doctor as she touched her belly gingerly.
“Soon. It might feel like you swallowed a small fish that’s wiggling around, or like there’s a butterfly fluttering around in there. Did you know that the fetus can already suck its thumb?”
“Wow.”
“What can I do to help, doctor?” Mrs. Nelson asked.
“Make sure she drinks lots of water, eats several healthy meals a day, and no more fast food. We don’t want this kid coming out craving burgers and fries! Also, November probably needs to take a nap after school.”
“School is almost out for the summer, so she’ll have lots of time to eat well and rest.”
“What about my job at Stepping Stones summer camp?” said November. “I volunteer there every summer, working with the disabled kids. Can I still do that?”
“Is it safe?” Mrs. Nelson asked the doctor. “Some of the clients there are heavy to lift, and some are a little hard to control. I wouldn’t want November to endanger her health or the safety of the baby.”
“Oh, Mom. I always work with the three-year-olds. I’d be fine.”
“I know,” said her mother, glancing at the baby ducks in the picture on the wall. “But you know what the old people say….” She let her voice trail off.
“Disabilities are not contagious, you know,” the doctor said softly.
“Oh, I know that. In my brain I do.” She turned and faced the doctor. “Did November tell you about her older brother? He has Down syndrome.”
“Yes, it’s in her medical history. Now that is something that is inherited and can be passed down genetically.” Dr. Holland looked directly at November’s mother. “Perhaps we should schedule an amniocentesis—to make sure the baby is developing normally.”
November, who had been sitting slumped and dejected, raised her head then, silenced her mother with a glance, and told the doctor, “We’ll let you know.”
The doctor jotted some information onto November’s chart. “I’ll leave that decision to the two of you. Maybe a summer of reading, relaxing, and light exercising might be better for all concerned,” she commented. “Maybe you can take a parenting class or a predelivery class instead. Here’s a flyer on a program I think is pretty good. Call them. The more you know about what to expect, the less afraid you’ll be.”
“I think we’re both pretty scared. Thank you, Doctor,” Mrs. Nelson said as they got ready to leave.
“I’ll see you, November, around the end of June or first week of July,” the doctor said. “Call me if you have any concerns.”
November answered, “Okay.” She picked up her purse, then hesitated and looked back at the small machine that had detected the heartbeat. “Amazing,” she whispered.
CHAPTER 21
FRIDAY, MAY 21
WHEN NOVEMBER AND HER MOTHER GOT home, the telephone answering machine was blinking. November sunk down on the sofa, picked up the phone, and dialed the code to check the messages.
The first was from Dana. “Hey, girl. Just checking on you. Maybe the doctor made a mistake and you’re not pregnant after all; it’s just a case of too many mashed potatoes!” November grinned as she listened.
“Seriously, let me know if everything is okay, or if you need any help. I sure am glad school is almost out. When I get back from the Black College Tour—did I tell you Kofi was going in your place? Yum. A week on the road with my dude. Anyway, when we get back, I’m working at the mall. You know that new boutique store that sells the fly outfits? With my employee discount, I won’t save a penny, but I sure will look good in my new rags when we bust in there as seniors!” Then there was a silence. Dana continued, “Hey, sorry. I forgot you won’t be able to wear cool clothes—at least for a while. But we’ll get you hooked up after the baby is born. Don’t worry. Hey, I gotta go. Kofi’s on the other line. Call me when you get a chance.”
November sighed. Dana was right. Senior year. Everyone had said it would be the best time of her life. Dates. Parties. Cloth
es. The prom. All of it screwed up because of this.
She clicked over to the next message. This one was from Olivia, sounding a little hesitant. “Hi, November. This is Olivia. I hope your doctor visit went well. Guess what? I bought a baby memory book for you from the home shopping channel. It’s so you can keep a record of everything that kid does and says and how you feel about it. I hope that’s okay.”
November pictured Olivia’s earnest face and smiled. She was definitely glad she’d gotten to know her better. Olivia continued, “You know, we talked a little today about shopping. Maybe one day during summer vacation, if you’re not too busy, I mean, maybe me and you can go to the mall and look for a couple of maternity tops for you. Maybe even some baby clothes. But if you’d rather do that with Dana or your mom, I understand. I just thought it might be fun. I’m going to work this summer down at the public library. I work there every summer. It’s quiet, nobody bothers me, and I get to read a million books. Besides, it’s a nice break from all the noise of band practice. Call me if you feel like it.”
November promised herself she’d call Olivia after dinner. She clicked over to the third message. The caller ID indicated it was from somebody named Henderson Grant, attorney-at-law. Probably one of those annoying salesmen, November thought. But her heart began to thud as she listened. “This message is for April and November Nelson. We would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss the future of your unborn child. Our clients, Brock and Marlene Prescott, would like to make this process painless as well as profitable for you. A meeting has been set for June twenty-eighth, at ten in the morning, in our offices downtown. We look forward to working with you.”
Stunned, November held the phone in her hand until it started making that irritating beeping noise to remind her to hang it up. “What the hell…?” she muttered.
Her hands trembled as she redialed for the rest of the messages. There was one left, and it was from Jericho. “Hey, November. I just want to give you a heads-up. My uncle Brock and aunt Marlene have lost their minds—both of them. I guess you know they found out about the baby. News like that travels fast. Anyway, Aunt Marlene has decided she wants custody of the baby when it’s born. Their lawyer is gonna call your mother soon—offer you money to give up the baby. I just wanted to warn you. Take care, girl. This is a mess! Catch you later.”