Southern Belles, a Novel About Love, Purpose & Second Chances (9781310340970) by Sarah Anderson Page A

plus one to show a positive result. Others had
lines, two lines pregnant, one line not. I was counting on one
line. I was too young to be a mother, especially an unmarried
mother.
    “I think this one’s your best bet.” CeCe
whispered in my ear.
    “It has two tests just in case it’s wrong,
has a plus sign, and you’ll know in three minutes if you’re
pregnant or free.” She said turning towards me with her fake black
mustache suddenly appearing above her upper lip.
    “Oh good gravy CeCe.” I stepped back, taking
the box from her. “Let’s go.”
    We were back in the dorm room fifteen
minutes later. I took the test and started towards the
bathroom.
    “Do you want me to go in with you?” CeCe
asked.
    “Not unless you want to hold the stick.” I
said, closing the door behind me.
    “Okay, that’s all you. I’ll be right here
waiting—right outside the door if you need me.”
    I sat down and took the test out of the
package. I removed the cap on the end of the stick and said a
prayer. I pleaded to God to please let me not be pregnant. I asked
him for forgiveness for doing something I now knew that I shouldn’t
have done with Skylar. I hoped he heard me and would have mercy on
me. I had a plan for everything but being pregnant at 18 was not
part of it. I put the stick down and peed. I finished and placed
the cap back on over the tester part. I flushed the toilet and put
the test on the back of the toilet; I didn’t want to see anything
it had to show me yet. I opened the door and was suddenly
face-to-face with CeCe.
    “What’d it say?” She asked grimacing.
    “I don’t know; I haven’t looked at it
yet.”
    “Char, you have to read it.”
    “I don’t think I can. I’m afraid.” I said,
starting to tear up.
    “The result won’t change; whatever it is.”
She said carefully. “What are you going to do if you’re
pregnant?”
    “I don’t know. I haven’t let myself think
about that.”
    “Would you keep the baby?
    “Of course I would. I don’t want to be a
mother now. But if I am—I don’t want anyone else to have my
baby.”
    “Oh.” CeCe said softly. “What about
school?”
    “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’ll do. I
guess I didn’t think about it.”
    “What about Skylar?”
    “What about him? I have no way to get a hold
of him. And obviously, he doesn’t care enough to call and see how
I’m doing. Or maybe call and see if he got me, I don’t know,
pregnant.” I said starting to feel the hurt and anger build up
again.
    “Do you want me to read the results?” CeCe
asked gently, with her arm on my back.
    “Yes. No. Wait.” I said as I took a deep
breath in. “Yes.”
    CeCe walked into the bathroom and picked up
the stick. She paused a moment before turning around. I kept my
eyes closed and started to cry harder. I didn’t want to see her
face because I knew I’d be able to tell the results by looking at
her and I could barely breathe thinking what might happen next.
    “Char, it’s positive.”
     
     
     
     

Chapter 7: A Clearer Picture
    The
next few weeks were a blur. I was still in shock and didn’t know
what I was going to do. I wanted to become a writer more than
anything. Now, I didn’t know if that would ever happen. I thought
about Trudy and how she got pregnant and stuck, permanently, in St.
Marys. I didn’t know how I’d tell my parents—or even when I’d work
up the courage to tell them. They loved me so much and believed in
me. I didn’t want to embarrass them or let them down. I felt like
such a failure. I always listened to them and did the right thing.
I couldn’t imagine telling them the whole story. It was starting to
turn into a Jerry Springer episode titled ‘where’s the daddy’. I
felt like an idiot. And other than CeCe I was alone in this. I
hadn’t told Richie either and knew I needed to tell him next. I
figured that he would help me tell our parents at least.
    I continued to attend classes, sick and
pale. My appetite got a