Secrets Don't Make Friends

Jack

Cass just texted me asking if I wanted to go to the mall with her. I wanted to say yes, but I didn't know if my mom would let me out of the house. We hadn't said a word to each after yesterday morning when I made that rude remark to her. I wanted to apologize but I also wanted to give her time to cool off just in case. I guess now was the best time to get it over with.

I walked out of my room and went into the living room. I could hear my mom's TV on in her room so she was most likely in there. I walked to her closed bedroom door and took a deep breath before knocking.

"Yeah?" She asked through the door.

"Can I come in?" I asked.

"Sure." She stated.

I twisted the doorknob and opened her door. She was lying in her bed in her bathrobe. She looked at me expectedly when I walked in without saying anything.

"Um can I go to the mall with Cass?" I asked quickly.

"Do whatever you want." She answered nonchalantly. She always answered like that when she was mad at me.

I sighed and walked to the side of her bed. "I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it." I apologized.

"You said it so you had to mean it." She shrugged.

"Mom, I was just annoyed that I had to leave the house for you to hook up with some guy, but I don't think anything bad of you." I said honestly.

"Well next time you can stay home and hear everything." She joked and I playfully rolled my eyes. And just like that we were back to normal. "What are you going to the mall for?" She asked.

"Cass is part of Pink Nation of whatever for Victoria Secret and they're have a sale so she asked me to come with her." I explained.

"Ooo I should go check online." She said and pulled out her phone.

I took out my phone so I could text Cass. She was going to come pick me up once I replied to her. I told her I was ready and she said she was on her way.

Cass came to get me ten minutes later. My mom gave me money to buy her the outfit that was on sale despite me telling her it was for "younger people." Cass and I made it to the mall and surprisingly were able to get the outfits in the correct size with all the people in the store. We did have to wait twenty-five minutes in line though.

I let Cass talk me into going to forever 21 after we left Victoria Secret. Shopping was keeping my mind off of this whole telling-Alex nonsense so I was up for more of it. I idly walked with Cass towards Forever 21 until we came across a store with a strong scent.

"Oh my god those smell so good!" Cass exclaimed as we walked passed the candle store in the mall. I, on the other hand, had to hold my breath because the smell of the candles was staring to make me feel sick. "Let’s go in there." She suggested.

"I can't. The smell is too strong." I said and she chuckled.

"You're over exaggerating." She said and grabbed my hand.

"Cass, I'm serious I can't. I feel like I'm going to throw up, the scents are too strong." I told her and she stopped. I took a few steps away from the entrance before it could make me gag. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but it felt like I was exhibiting pregnancy symptoms. I hated that I knew that I could get pregnant. Now I was just going to think everything little thing meant that I was pregnant.

"You sound like a pregnant lady." She joked, but I didn't laugh.

"Shit." I sighed and sat down on a bench in the middle of the walkway.

"I was kidding." She said and sat next to me.

"I know... I just." I stopped to think of a way to tell her this. "There's a chance that I could be pregnant." I told her and she rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha very funny. Now come on let's go to Forever 21." She said, but I continued to sit. I should have known she wouldn't take me seriously.

"No Cass really. My grandma told me two weeks ago. I have a birth defect or something." I said and she looked at me skeptically. "I've been throwing up for the past three mornings. My mood has been unstable and most smells that use to didn't bother me are making me gag. I t-think I might be pregnant." I told her. Saying that last part out loud made my eyes swell with tears. "Or I could just be paranoid."

Cass didn't say anything at first. She just looked at me trying to figure out what to say.

"You're not joking?" She asked and I shook my head and sniffled. I hated that I was crying in public, but I couldn't help myself. My emotions were impossible to control now. "Wait so you think you're pregnant? Why haven't you taken a test yet?"

"I don't want to face reality. That was the first time I've admitted that I might be pregnant out loud."

"It's okay to be scared. But you should find out pretty soon so you can figure out what you want to do." She explained. "Let’s go to the store down there. We can get a test and you can take it really quick. You never know, maybe you aren't pregnant. This test will be able to ease your mind."

"Or ruin my life." I mumbled.

"You'll never know if you don't try."

I sighed and nodded. Then she grabbed my hand and helped me up. She walked with me to the convenience store in the mall and we went to the feminine care aisle. I tried to convince myself that I was worried about nothing. My body was just giving me pregnancy symptoms simply because I thought I was pregnant.

"Here this is the one from those commercials." She said as she picked up a pink box.

"I feel so fucking sick." I said nervously.

"It's okay, Jack. Just take deep breathes. We'll know the truth soon." She said as we walked up to the counter. She handed the box to the cashier and pulled out her debt card.

"You don't have to spend your money, Cass." I told her and she brushed it off. She swiped her card and waited for the receipt. The cashier handed her the bag and we both thanked him.

I followed Cass out of the store and to the bathrooms. She stopped in front of the male bathroom and handed me the bag.

"Okay go in one of the stalls and take it really quick." She told me.

"I have to do this by myself?" I asked.

"Well yeah. I can't go in with you." She said with a light chuckle.

"What if we go in there." I pointed to a family bathroom that was just one stall. The mall was semi empty on this side because it was Monday and most people were at Victoria Secret anyways.

"Okay quickly." She rushed me into the bathroom and stepped in behind me. She closed the door and locked it.

I took a deep breath and opened the box. Then I pulled the stick out and my hands began sweating. I couldn't believe I was actually doing this. I just found out that I could get pregnant and here I am two weeks later testing to see if I was.

"I'll turn around." Cass said and turned her back to me.

I decided to just do it and get it over with. I unbuttoned my pants and pulled them down along with my briefs. Then I held the stick with one hand and used the other to aim with. It was hard to pee with Cass in here with me and with a pregnancy test in one hand, but somehow I got it done. I peed on the stick as much as I could and sat it on the sink. Then pulled my clothes back on.

"I'm finished." I told Cass and she turned back around. I flushed the toilet and went to wash my hands.

"All this waiting is torture. You sure you're not just messing with me?" She asked.

"I think we're way past a joke." I said pointing down at the test.

"Right right. That's true."

We stood in the bathroom silently waiting for the test to be finished. It began beeping not too long later and Cass and I looked at each other. I didn't want to look down.

"You do it, I can't look." I told Cass.

"I don't think I can either, Jack." She said. "How about we look at the same time?" She suggested.

"Ugh okay fine. Shit okay on the count of three." I told her and she nodded. "One...two...three..." Cass and I both looked down at the pregnancy test.

"Jack-"

"-Please tell me that doesn't mean what I think it does?" I begged.

"The box says a smiley face means pregnant." She read to me. "So you weren't lying." She said quietly. I stuck my head into my hands and began crying. I was continuing in my mother and grandmother's footsteps. I was going to be a teenage parent just like they were.

"Jack, hey it's going to be okay. You're fine. You have a family, friends, and a boyfriend that love you. You're not alone." Cass said and I immediately thought of Alex. He was going to be angry. I couldn't hide this secret from him.

"Alex is going to be so pissed." I cried and she shook her head.

"He won't be angry, just maybe a little shocked."

"No I already told him that I could get pregnant and he was so worried about getting me pregnant. He wouldn't even have sex with me a few days ago."

"That's so lame, but he was kind of right to be worried considering you are pregnant." She said. "When was the last time you two had sex?"

"The Monday after your birthday." I said as realization hit me. I had sex with Zack within that same weekend. What if he...no that wasn't possible. "We used a condom." I said to myself trying to remember what happened that day with Zack. I used a condom with both Alex and Zack, how was it possible that I was pregnant?

"Yeah but it could have broken." Cass said and my stomach dropped.

"Oh no oh no oh no!!" I panicked.

"Jack please breath." Cass begged.

"No Cass you don't understand!! I-I... had a sex with Zack the day after your party." I admitted.

"What??? Why???"

"Because Zack told me that Alex had cheated on me with Hayley at your party and I wanted to get back at him. Now I'm pregnant and either one of them can be the father." I said. I walked over and sat on the toilet because I felt like I was going to pass out. I looked up at Cass and she was just staring at me in shock.

"Wait wait start from the beginning!" She demanded and I did. I told her everything about Zack telling me that he liked me to Alex not knowing that I knew he cheated. I even told her that Zack had given me two weeks to tell Alex about us or he would do it for me. She looked even more distraught once I finished.

"How has this all been going on without me knowing?" She asked.

"I didn't want anyone to know. If Alex ever found out about Zack and me, he would for sure break up with me."

"But you have to tell him Jack! He has to know that's there's a chance he might not be the father."

"I can't! Telling him that I had sex with Zack is one thing, but telling him I'm pregnant and he might not be the father is torture and I can't do it- I won't do it."

"So you're just going to let him believe that he's the father for the rest of his life? What if the baby comes out looking like Zack? You don't think Alex will be the slightest bit curious as to why it doesn't look like him??" She scolded me and I broke out into tears again. "Jack no I'm sorry. I'm not trying to upset you, I'm just trying to tell you why you can't keep this from Alex any longer. You have to tell him the truth."

"I can't Cass!" I whined.

"Yes you can. You and Alex have been together for a long time. He will be hurt at first, but over time he'll learn to forgive you. And he can't be that angry since he cheated too." She said and I nodded in agreement.

"I'm gonna tell him." I said and grabbed tissue to wipe my eyes. "I have to tell him." I said to myself.

"That's the spirit. And there's one more thing that you're going to have to do." She sighed.

"What's that?" I asked.

"You're gonna have to also tell Zack."

Notes

Sorry this took so long, I was out of town. But now the story is getting to the good part lol

This chapter isn't named after Take Cover sadly (because all the other lyrics are going to be used for other chapters) but it's named after an All Time Low song anyways!