Chapter TWO

I didn't call Paige that night, and I wasn't even upset that she didn't call me, either. There was too much on my shoulders. I couldn't handle the pressure of knowing everything. I knew my mother was getting divorced from her second husband. I knew my dad was getting remarried. And I knew my big sister was pregnant.

   The next day was my last day of class, before two days of exams. And then it would be graduation. I was so close to finishing high school. We had already had Prom, a month ago. My date, Allen Sharpe, was a friend of Tess' boyfriend. He barely kissed my cheek at the end of the night. I had been looking forward to summer for so long - to turning eighteen, to being free, at least for awhile.

   "Did you talk to Paige?" my mother asked that morning, pouring herself a coffee.

   "Yeah, but -"

   "Well, why didn't she come home?"

   "Mom, she's been staying at Keegan's since, like, April," I told her.

   "Yes. I know she didn't like the fighting. But you told her it's over now, right?" Her eyes were burning holes into my soul. "I just want my girls home."

   "She's not... coming home," I managed to say.

   "Why?"

   "She's... you should call her, okay?" I finished, before slipping on my shoes to leave for school.

   Tess knew something was wrong the moment she saw me at my locker. I let out a breath I'd been holding in, so glad to see her.

   "What's wrong?" she asked, after hugging me.

   "Uh, so..."

   "Elena, what?"

   "Paige is pregnant," I spat out. "My mom's husband left, and my dad's getting married this summer."

   "Paige is pregnant?" Tess looked shocked. Of course she was.

   "She told me yesterday. My family is such a mess," I sighed.

   "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, El," she said quickly, then hugged me again.

   I managed to get through the day, but barely. It was the last day of school. I had been so looking forward to this day and now I couldn't even enjoy it. I just kept imaging the mess that summer was going to turn into.

And somehow it was a couple days later when the shit really hit the fan.

   "Elena, you didn't tell me that your father called you..."

   My mother was waiting for me when I got home from school - my final exam. Like, standing at the door, waiting to pounce.

   "Uh, am I supposed to tell you when he calls me?" I asked, stepping around her and into the house.

   "Yes, when it's news this big." She looked so serious.

   "It's not really your business, Mom. Who told you, anyway?"

   "Oh, of course his cousin Sheryl. She called me today," my mom went on.

   "You still talk to dad's cousins?" I asked, dropping my bag.

   My mom ignored this question. "Does Paige know?"

   "Not yet."

   "Well, he wants you to go to the wedding, I assume?" she asked. Her face was red. She looked like she might explode.

   "Yeah."

   "Well, I guess you and Paige will go together..."

   "Mom, you haven't talked to Paige yet?" I suddenly realized she hadn't told her about the baby yet. It had been all week.

   "She's busy, Elena," my mom snapped.

   "You have to talk to her," I finished, and kept walking towards the stairs to go to my bedroom.

   It turned out that my mother actually did have a heart, down in there somewhere. She wasn't good at showing affection or, you know, holding to any commitments of her marriages, but apparently babies were her weakness.

   She found out that Paige was pregnant the day of my graduation, the next afternoon. Paige showed up wearing a tight shirt and skirt, practically rubbing her little baby bump for all to see. Of course my sister would do that.

   "Paige..." my mother began, obviously wondering what she was doing.

   I had to go sit with my classmates in a minute. The ceremony would begin soon.

   "So, I'm having a baby," Paige said, without much hesitation.

   I looked at Paige in shock and back to my mother, who looked frozen but only for a moment. I expected this news to be shared in person, but not at my graduation ceremony. I thought my sister was smarter than that.

   But suddenly our mother shrieked and then they were hugging and crying and celebrating. My heart felt broken as I walked away, so confused. My sister, who was supposed to love and care about me, had taken over my important day.

   The next month was all about Paige, for my mother. I, on the other hand, made my presence sparse at home. I was so sick of hearing about baby clothes and cribs and bottles and breastfeeding. Tess didn't mind that I was back to spending most of my time at her house.

   "Your mom is really excited about Paige having a baby?" she asked me, as we painted our finger nails in her bedroom. "That's crazy."

   It was a week before my birthday. The last month had flown by and it had been a pretty chill summer so far. Tess and I had gone to a concert an hour away, and had a few beach days with friends. I honestly felt like I was in limbo, suddenly. High school was over and I was just waiting for my birthday, waiting to become an adult. Waiting for something... better.

   Don't get me wrong, I was happy for Paige, in a way. I wanted her to be happy. I was even glad her and mom were talking again. But suddenly it was like I didn't exist in their world, though. My mother was even okay with Paige permanently moving in with Keegan, as long as they promised to visit often. And they did, but I wasn't there.

   "It's so weird," I told Tess. "I guess I should be happy for Paige, right? At least happy that our mom is happy for her? I don't know. It's weird that they are like best friends again, suddenly."

   "You've got me, though," Tess laughed. "I still can't believe you're not going to be here on your birthday."

   I would be gone for two days. Only two days, but one of them happened to be my birthday.

   "I wish you could come," I told her.

   "Me too! Of course I'm stuck with Clare every weekend all summer." Her sister was twelve. Her parents worked way too much and were out of town almost every weekend. Tess actually could have gone with me if it weren't for Clare.

   "I know. And I have to drive alone to South Haven for my dad's wedding on my birthday weekend. Paige gets to bail, of course. Dad is not happy about the baby."

   Tess laughed. "Well, he's the one who lives three hours away."

   "True. I leave next Saturday morning," I sighed.

   "We can celebrate your birthday on Friday night?" she suggested.

   I let myself smile. "Okay, cool."

   Paige and Keegan were at the house when I went home from Tess' the next day, to shower and change clothes. My sister had a very noticeable baby bump now and it made me feel uncomfortable. I couldn't imagine her taking care of a baby. Being a mother. 

   "Elena, I haven't seen you, like, at all since your graduation!" she yelled, coming in for a hug.

   "Oh, summer, you know?" I answered, gently patting her back and then backing away again.

   "She's never here," mom added, shaking her head like I was the one she was disappointed in.

   I bit my tongue. "Tess and I have been... just trying to enjoy our summer."

   "You're going to college together," Paige said plainly, like I didn't know this.

   "Yeah," I nodded. "But I have to go South Haven next weekend, on my birthday, remember?"

   Paige was stunned for a moment. "Right. I guess I forgot about that."

   "Yeah, cause you don't have to go," I snapped.

   "Elena, enough," our mom interrupted. She shot me a look. "We are trying to plan Paige's baby shower, here."

   I looked around, actually now noticing there were magazines and cards and a baby store website up on my mom's laptop. Keegan sat close by, quiet.

   "Oh, well, don't let me stop you," I spat out angrily, then walked through to go up to my room.

   I made sure to slam my door as hard as I could, too.