Page 12

“Missed what?”

“My period.”

All I could do was stare at her. I remembered when she came into school angrier than I’d ever seen her, and when I begged to know what I’d done, she told me it was her time of the month. Back then, I barely knew what that meant. These days, I knew when to give her chocolate and space.

So when I didn’t hear from her for a week, I figured that was what was going on.

“What do you mean it’s late?”

She glared. “Well, when a man sticks his dick inside a woman⁠—”

“I mean, y-you said you were on birth control.”

“I am,” she hissed, cheeks pink. “But . . . it’s not one hundred percent.”

“But we didn’t use condoms. You said it wouldn’t happen!”

“I know what I said!” She crossed her arms tightly. “I just didn’t want to buy them and do birth control too. What would Dale say?”

“Jade.” I ran my hands through my hair. “What the—no. No way.”

“Yes way.”

I was an idiot. A complete and total idiot. That was the only reason I said what I did. “I can’t leave if you’re pregnant.”

Jade stared. “Is that what you’re worried about?”

“I-I mean, yes but—” She had it worse. She had to be more scared than I was. All of that was right at the tip of my tongue, but the terror made it sticky.

The damage was done.

“Glad you have your priorities straight,” she muttered as she turned to walk away.

I stopped her. “Have you taken a test?”

“I don’t know what to do,” she snapped. “Dale will tell everyone if I get one from Food ‘n’ Things.”

“Then we don’t go there.”

“And betray him?” She shook her head.

“Jade, we have to. We have to know.”

She frowned. “Fine. I’ll go on my own.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“And have to deal with the way you’re glaring at me? No, thank you.”

“I’m not. I didn’t⁠—”

“You’re worried about your precious future.” She rolled her eyes. “I should’ve seen this coming.”

Jade stalked away, boots slamming on the ground. I watched her go, knowing she needed time to cool off.

And I needed time to panic about what was going on.

I tried to imagine it. Really, I did.