Senior Year, '94. Megan B. March
cheating, and Aria’s freak-out at my house.
“You had me so damn worried,” Jensen said weakly into the phone. “Especially when you didn’t call me back right away and I had to hear from Alicia that you’re in the hospital. Mia, I love you.” He stopped for an uncomfortable amount of time before going on. “What happened with Fallon … I—”
“Jensen, I can’t do this right now,” I solemnly cut him off.
“Okay, okay. I just want you to know how sorry I am and that I love you.”
“I know. We’ll talk about this later. I just can’t right now.”
After telling me he loved me once more, we hung up. Nate came back about twenty minutes later and reached for the TV remote that was lying next to me on the bed, pressing the button and causing the screen to come to life. I told him I’d like to rest for at least thirty minutes, and Nate said he’d keep the sound low. I barely heard the last of what he said before quickly nodding off to the quiet buzz of daytime television in the background.
To what sounded like a slamming door, I startled awake and blinked my eyes several times before looking out the window to see the settling dusk. Just out of sight I thought I saw something move and turned to see a hand pull the chain to the lamp beside my bed. Immediately a bright light filled the room and made me cringe. “Nate? What are you doing?” I groggily asked.
“No, it’s not Nate. He went to get something to eat.”
Recognizing Alicia’s voice, I squinted harder and saw her standing by the window with her hands on the hips of her light blue Guess jeans. Her red sweater seemed to intensify her irritation, if that were possible. “Alicia?” I asked.
“Yeah, it’s me. Why does my brother think you’ll be discharged tonight? You look horrible and I doubt you’re going anywhere!” Nate returned before I had a chance to answer. “She looks terrible, doesn’t she? There’s no way she’s being discharged tonight,” Alicia complained to Nate.
“They thought she would be able to, but she still needs fluids. Probably another day.” Nate is covering for me! Why? I could visually see Alicia relax as she sat on the edge of the bed.
“So … food poisoning? Where did you eat so I steer clear of that place? I’d hate to wind up in here.” Alicia gingerly picked up a box of tissues from the moveable tray over my bed and looked at it like it was some kind of germ machine.
“I’m fine, Leesh, really,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You can tell Jensen that, too.”
Willing him not to open his mouth, I threw a quick look at Nate who furrowed his brow at my little lie. I was relieved when Alicia changed the subject, and after ten minutes of small talk and dodging the answer to what restaurant had given me food poisoning, I promised to call her later. She wasn’t out the door thirty minutes before Krissa stopped by. By then I was really tired, so Krissa didn’t stay long and made Nate leave with her, saying something about Aria being upset that he was there.
Nate had been playing the part well of a true friend, but I was glad he’d finally left. It gave me time to be alone to think about telling Jensen and what I would say. Obviously the truth, of course, but it was going to be difficult. Yes, I knew I’d have to give this some serious thought. Thinking about what I would say and any subsequent possible reactions, I turned on the television as background noise. Now that I was alone it was way too quiet.
After two days I was finally released from the hospital and Alicia insisted on driving me home.
“So,” she said as we were pulling away from the large concrete building, “are you going to spill where it was that you ate that left you out of commission for an entire week?” Alicia gave me the eye. She knew it wasn’t food poisoning. “Honestly, Mia, I don’t understand why you won’t tell me why you were really in the hospital. I’m covering for you with Jensen and I don’t even know why.”
Instead of answering her, I just sighed and looked out the window at the dimming afternoon light. I wanted to tell someone, anyone, of what had happened and why, but I couldn’t find the words. Besides, Jensen would have to be the first. If only I knew what to say ….
After trudging through the early evening traffic in Alicia’s Prelude, she drove me safely home and helped me into the house before getting me settled on the couch with a blanket she found lying on my bed. Carefully draping the blanket over me, she knelt down and smiled sweetly, almost too sweetly, asking if I was hungry or needed anything. The look in her eyes told me that she wanted to know more, and I was more than tempted to tell her everything. Should I? Coming up with something to tell Jensen was going to take some preparation, so I wondered if maybe I should practice on his sister. She was another girl who would certainly understand what I was going through, so when Alicia turned to leave I softly called her name. Surprised, she turned and looked at me.
“I was in the hospital because I had a large cyst that burst and caused a miscarriage.” Just like that my news was out.
Alicia’s jaw dropped as she gaped at me in surprise, lost for words. I don’t know if I had ever seen her with such a blank look. Slowly she came over and knelt down by the couch, putting her hand over mine.
“I was pregnant,” I said, still trying to believe it myself.
“Oh, Mia, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“Neither did I. The baby was about six weeks along,” I said with a touch of bitter icing to my tone. “Thanksgiving,” I added, not sure if Alicia had done the math. She looked sad. “Jensen doesn’t know yet. Please don’t tell him,” I begged. Alicia only frowned, perhaps in thought. “Alicia?”
“Of course, Mia. Sorry, but I’m still processing the fact that I was almost an aunt ... again,” she added quietly. “Almost ironic.”
I looked at her, questioning what she meant, and Alicia reminded me of Savannah. Oh that. I closed my eyes and welcomed momentary darkness. After a few minutes of quiet she asked the question I was expecting.
“How did you get pregnant if you were on the pill?” Her eyes were wider than normal.
“Savannah was on the pill,” I shared, but Alicia didn’t seem pacified by the answer.
“Which means my brother was irresponsible and didn’t use a back-up.” Alicia bit her lip.
“There were two of us involved here. There’s always two involved. It’s not his fault entirely,” I said, feeling a little annoyed that she was blaming it all on her brother. True, he had gotten two girls pregnant, I couldn’t argue with that, but I felt her logic was flawed.
“Point taken,” Alicia directly said. “Do you want me to stay?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine. I’ll call you if I need anything,” I promised.
Alicia handed over the remote and gave me a silent wave before going out the door. Through the double-paned windows I heard the muffled sound of her car door closing before she fired up the engine to drive the short distance to her house. After watching her car slowly back out of my driveway, I visually swept the room, looking everything over and being more than content that I was finally home. The last thing I wanted to do was watch television since that had been my constant companion at the hospital, but the house was a little lonely and the noise coming from the TV would do nothing but help fill the void. The empty screen almost instantly showed a commercial for the health insurance I had purchased through work, a decision in which I was more than thankful. The hospital bill was sure to be astronomical.
Jensen called the next day around noon when I was lying in bed, trying to relax and take