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Secrets Don't Make Friends

Running From Lions

Jack

I could hardly sleep last night, I was too nervous. Today was going to be my first day back to school after the winter break. I felt like I was going to be sick. I barely ate breakfast this morning because I was full of anticipation. There was no hiding my stomach anymore. Everyone was going to know my secret.

I completely blanked out during the drive to school. I just stared out of the window playing every scenario, of what was going to happen my first day back, in my head. I didn't even feel the car when it stopped moving.

"Jack, look at me." My mom told me. I turned my head from the window and looked at my lap, but not at her. She stayed silent for a little before talking again.

"I know it feels like you're going to die if you walk through those doors, but you won't. Take it from someone who knows. I was called every name in the book at school when I was pregnant with you. But looking back now I can only laugh because most of those the people that made fun of me are doing way worse off than I am. And their words didn't change anything about me. I still graduated and I still had you. The most successful thing I've ever done in my life was have you and none of those low-life assholes could take that away from me. So I want you to go in there and not let anyone's words affect you. Because in a few years what they say won't mean shit to you and you'll be able to laugh it off. Okay?"

"Okay." I sniffled and wiped my eyes.

"Come here." My mom wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheek. "You'll be fine, I swear." She said and I hugged her back tightly.

"Okay." I repeated and made sure all my tears were gone.

"Alright, have a good day. I love you."

"I love you too." I told her.

I opened the door and got out. My mom didn't drive off though. She watched as I walked towards the front doors.

I wore a sweatshirt today to try to hide my stomach but of course it didn't work. My stomach still poked out from under it. My heart began to beat fast as I noticed a couple of stares from a few people on the stairs leading up to the front doors. I tried my best to ignore it as I walked inside.

Inside wasn't much better than out. I caught so many looks as I walked to my locker. It was hard to ignore them now with the silence that followed. I opened my locker, quickly put the books I needed into my backpack, and walked to my first class. I couldn't walk fast because my feet were sore from the extra weight.

"Dude are you pregnant?" I heard a guy condescendingly ask as I walked through the math hall. I continued to walk past him and go straight to my class. I sat at my desk and placed my head in my hands and took a deep breath.

"Um are you okay, Jack?" I heard my math teacher ask. She was giving me the same look everyone else had given me.

"Yes ma'am. I'm fine." I mumbled quietly and she nodded.

I couldn't focus on anything other than the glances I got all through class. I felt relieved when my teacher got a call on her phone for me.

"Jack, they need to see you in the front office." She told me.

I gathered my things and placed my backpack on my back. It was only ten minutes before class ended, but I was able to walk through the empty halls. I made it to the office and went to the secretary's desk.

"Hi my teacher told me I was needed in the front office." I told the secretary.

"Are you Jack Barakat?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am." I answered.

"Okay Mrs. Kerry needs to see you in her office." She told me. Mrs. Kerry was the school counselor so now I was worried. I thanked the secretary and walked back into her office.

"Hi, Jack right?" Mrs. Kerry asked, she took a quick glance down at my stomach.

"Yes, hi." I said quietly.

"Okay. I called you in here because there has been quite some chatter about you this morning. Um a few students said that they think you might be pregnant so I thought it'd be best if I brought you here to ask you myself."

"Um okay."

"So are you pregnant?" She asked.

"Yeah." I answered shortly. It was obvious I was and I didn't like that I was pulled out of class for this. It didn't take a lot to annoy me now.

"Okay um I um I'm not sure I understand how exactly." She told me.

"I had sex and now I'm pregnant." I shrugged.

"But you are a male correct?" She asked.

"Yeah, it’s uh complicated." I sighed.

"Okay.” She nodded and just continued on. “Well I'm here to help you with things like this, so let's talk about it. Do you know who the father is?"

"It's one of two guys." I said, and she took a deep breath.

"Oh, uh do they attend this school?"

"Yeah."

"And do they know you're pregnant?"

"Yeah." I repeated and leaned my head on my hand. The bell rang signaling it was time to go to our next class, but Mrs. Kerry wasn't letting me leave.

"I'm sorry if this seems a little invasive. It's just my job to check on students when things like this happen." She said and I nodded. "Are you still living at home?"

"Yes."

"Do your parents know that you're pregnant?"

"It'd be kind of weird if my mom didn't know by now." I said sarcastically, and Mrs. Kerry looked at me. "Sorry sometimes my hormones give me short patience." I apologized and fought back the urge to roll my eyes.

"It's okay. There's just one last thing. There is another option for you. I know that teenagers can be brutal and the rumors and bullying might become too much for you to bear after a while. So you could go to alternative school and finish up there. Only if you want."

I didn't want to go to alternative school. I wanted to stay here with my friends, but all the chatter and rumors going around might get to me like Mrs. Kerry said. Maybe alternative school was a bad idea to have for backup.

"Um can I think about it for a few days?" I asked.

"Yes of course. Here are a few pamphlets you can go over with your mom and just get back to me when you decide." She said and handed them too me.

"Okay. Thank you." I said and stood up.

"Let me write you a note for class." She grabbed a pass and filled it out for me. "Okay you can go now. Just be careful, Jack." She said, worriedly. It made me feel bad for being kind of snappy with her cause she actually seemed to care.

"I will. Thank you again." I said and left her office.

I began to walk to my next class. The halls were empty, but I still felt panicked. When I walked into my class all the students were going to turn to look at me. I didn't want that kind of attention, especially not now. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad for me to skip, just for today. I just needed a way to get home.

Alex had math this period and Zack had library aid. It would probably be easier/quicker to get Zack to help than Alex right now. I bet he could sneak away without getting noticed. Also, I still needed to talk to him more to stay on his good side. I pulled out my phone and texted him.

Jack
Hey Zack, you have library aid this period right?
Delivered 9:14pm

Zack Merrick
Yeah why what's up?
Read 9:15pm

Jack
I kind of don't feel good and I need to go home. Do you think you can sneak away and take me?
Delivered 9:15pm

Zack Merrick
Yeah where are you now?
Read 9:16pm

Jack
Making my way towards the front of the building
Delivered 9:16pm

Zack Merrick
Okay I'll meet you in the parking lot by my car
Read 9:17pm

Jack
Thank you
Delivered 9:17pm

I continued to walk out of the school and to the parking lot. I felt so relieved being out of there. The stares and whispering made me feel disgusted with myself, I couldn't take more of it. Luckily Zack was walking out of school a few minutes later. He walked over to his car and hugged me.

"Tell me what's really going on." He said and I stared up at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You would have gone to the nurse if you really didn't feel good." He said and I sighed.

"Everyone kept staring and talking about me. It made me feel like a freak."

"Jack you're not a freak. You're pregnant."

"I know that, but that doesn't stop them from staring. I just don't want to do this today. I'll come back tomorrow and start over." I promised and he nodded.

We both got into Zack's truck and he drove me home. We both stayed silent the entire drive, Zack understood that I wasn’t in the mood to talk. When he pulled into my driveway he turned his car off.

"You don't have to stay. I don't want you to get in trouble for not going back." I said.

"I don't want to leave you alone right now." He told me and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I wanted to be alone right now, but I didn't stop him.

I went and unlocked my door for us and Zack followed me to my room. We sat our backpacks down and I kicked my shoes off. I just wanted to lay in bed for the rest of the day. I laid back in my bed and pulled the cover over myself.

"Are you hungry or anything?" Zack asked.

"No, I just want to lay here." I mumbled.

"Here I'll lay with you." Zack got in my bed and laid down next to me. Uncomfortable didn't even begin to explain what I felt. The last time we laid in my bed together, we had sex. Zack turned to face me and began to rub my stomach. I didn't mind it since it was soothing.

"Can I ask you something?" Zack asked, quietly.

"Mhmm." I hummed with my eyes closed.

"Why did you ask me to take you home and not Alex?"

"Oh… because I wanted to spend time with you." I said. It was more like I needed to spend time with Zack. And Alex wasn’t so good at math so I didn’t want to take him out of class. "And I know you've been worried about me and the baby." I added. That part was true.

"Yeah. I know being in this situation wasn't ideal for you, especially with me, but I care about you both and I want to make sure you’re are as comfortable as possible for the next few months."

"Thanks Zack. I've really appreciated all the help you given me. And yeah this situation wasn't ideal, but you've made it more doable." I wasn't exaggerating much.

"You're welcome. And I'm going to talk to my mom tonight and try to talk her out of doing a custody battle. It just wouldn't be fair for you and your mom."

"That would be great! Thank you, Zack!" I exclaimed.

"No problem. Besides we'll be able to spend more time together with a split custody." He said and wrapped his arm around me. I let out a sigh and accepted my small victory.

*****

Zack left before my mom came home. I was happy to see her so I could tell her Zack was going to ask his mom not to do a custody battle.

"Hey mom guess what!" I exclaimed when she walked through the door.

"You skipped school today." She stated. She sounded disappointed and kind of angry.

"Yeah." I mumbled and looked at the ground.

"Jack we talked about it this morning-"

"-Yeah but I couldn't take the staring or the whispering. I even got called into the counselor's office because she said so many people were talking about me." I complained.

"It doesn't matter what others say, Jack."

"Except it does! Mom, it's twice as bad for me because I'm a pregnant teenager and I'm a guy! I can't catch a break." I said with tears starting to pour over.

"Aw Honey." My mom came over and sat next to me on the couch. She pulled my head to rest on her chest and then she began to rub my back. "Sorry, I shouldn't have forced you to go when you obviously weren't ready. How about you stay home tomorrow and I call in sick. We can just take a breather and think of a way to fix this." She suggested. My doctor’s appointment was tomorrow and usually I would go to school for half a day, but skipping sounded better.

"Yeah that would be great. And Mrs. Kerry, the school counselor, suggested that I go to alternative school with the other pregnant people." I told her and wiped my eyes.

"Yeah they tried to get me to go there too. What do you think? Do you want to?"

"Yeah I think so."

Notes

Next Chapter is one of my favorites!

Title Credit: Running From Lions by ATL

Comments

@dirtylaundry
You’re welcome <3 and thank you so much for reading it!!

Jalex95 Jalex95
10/16/17

@T-what
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! And thanks again for reading it and all your feedback! I hate reading stories that take forever to update and that don’t finish too, that’s why I try to make stories that I can upload at least once a week lol but thanks again <3

Jalex95 Jalex95
10/16/17

I loved this story! Thank you for taking us on this lovely journey and for a wonderful ending!

dirtylaundry dirtylaundry
10/15/17

Awwww, no thank you, it was a lovely journey and I enjoyed this fic so much. Probs to you for never abandoning this and pulling through to the end. I hate reading stories that are put on hold randomly and never get finished.

T-what T-what
10/15/17

@Apathy4Sympathy
Lolol Alex has finally come to his senses. And a PTV and ATL hybrid would be weird in real life now that I think about it lol I don’t know what I’ll do without this fic either, Well I might become bored and write another one haha

Jalex95 Jalex95
10/11/17