Thursday rolled past, nothing new, nothing special. I got up, went to class, did some studying, and went to bed again. I woke up Friday feeling tired and nervous.
I had Fridays off from class. Still, I got up early anyway and went to the library to get some studying in.
I could barely sit still. I had made a decision to do something really unpleasant, something I really didn’t want to do. If I could have it my way, I’d never go through with it.
But I had to tell my parents what was going on. I had to tell them that I was pregnant, because sooner or later they were going to find out anyway. I might as well get ahead of it and maybe give them enough time to come to grips with the truth before I actually gave birth.
I was nervous all day long. I didn’t know how they’d react. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe they wouldn’t totally freak out. Sure, they wouldn’t be happy, but maybe they wouldn’t try to disown me completely.
Friday afternoon rolled past and I walked home from campus, deciding it was too nice to waste it riding my bike. Truthfully, I was just putting off my unpleasant task.
I got back to my apartment at around five o’clock. My dad would be getting home from work in a half hour.
Harper was sitting on the couch when I got inside.
“Hey,” she said, looking up. “Where have you been?”
“Library,” I answered, dropping my bag on the kitchen table.
“Nerd,” she said, grinning. The Real Housewives of something or other was on TV.
“Rotting your brain?” I sat down next to her.
“Sure am. These women are my role models.”
“Probably not the best role models in the world.”
“Why not? They’re rich, hot, and sassy. Who doesn’t want that?”
“That’s not how I’d describe them,” I answered, laughing.
“I don’t know, Avery. These women have reached the pinnacle of their lives. They married rich men and are now debutantes in the modern fashion. Look as they parade about on television, selling their privacy for a taste of stardom.”
I shook my head, grinning at her. “Nice lecture.”
“Thanks. I’m using that bit for my pop culture class.”
“Oh, so this is research?”
“Sure. Anything can be research if you think about it.”
“I’m not so sure that’s true.”
“Take your little project, for example. You get to spend time with a hot guy and feel his body as much as you want, all in the name of science.”
I laughed. “Science can be pretty great.”
“I know, right?”
“It’s a shame that I’m pregnant with his illegitimate child.”
“Yeah. That does put a damper on things. Still, I don’t see why that’s stopping you.”
“Things are complicated enough,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t want to end up like those women.” I nodded at the TV, smiling.
“You wish you could be a Real Housewife,” Harper joked. “That would truly be the pinnacle of your career.”
“I really hope not.”
“What, you think Gibson is going to let you actually work? You’re going to pop that little athletic baby out and he’s going to put you right in the kitchen.”
I laughed. “I doubt that.”
“You just wait and see. Gibson is probably super regressive. Nothing feminist about him.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. And who knows? Maybe that’s hot.”
She laughed, grinning at me. “Damn, Avery, that’s pretty dirty.”
“What? So I like a man who can take control.”
“Okay, I don’t need to hear about your S&M fantasies.”
“Whatever.” I leaned back and sighed. “Speaking of me being preggers, I’m calling my parents and telling them soon.”
Harper looked surprised. “Really?”
“Really. I want to get ahead of this thing.”
“Good for you. I’m impressed.”
“Why?”
“If I were you, I’d be putting that bad news off as long as possible.”
“Yeah, probably. You’d admit it to them while you were giving birth.”
“Nah. Maybe after the baby was born. But I could always still deny it.”
“Seriously though, I have no idea what they’re going to say. I’m really nervous.”
She put her hand on my leg. “You’re going to be okay. I promise. No matter what they say, you have me.”
I smiled, and for a second I felt better. “Thanks, Harper.”
We sat back and watched the rest of the Real Housewives episode, cracking jokes about their gaudy outfits and their absurdly meaningless and fake fights. It was amazing and fun, and for a second I forgot about my problems.