On the Edge (9 page)

“Cool.  I’ll pick you up for school on Friday and you can put your overnight bags in my car.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

“Awesome.  I’m going to head home now.  There’s some more soup in the fridge if you get hungry later.”

“Thanks, Abby.  I love you girl.”

“Love you too, Katherine.”

On the drive back from Katherine’s my stomach starts to turn.  I hurry to get home because I feel like I’m going to throw up.  Maybe Katherine’s sickness isn’t necessarily from the alcohol she drank.  I’m wondering if she has a touch of the stomach flu. 

I pull into the driveway and screech to a halt.  I jump out and run to the nearest place to vomit; the flower bed.  My parents heard my abrupt stop in the driveway and rush out of the front door.  My dad holds my hair back with one hand while holding me around my waist with the other to keep me from falling over.  When there is nothing left in my stomach, he lifts me in his arms and carries me to bed. 

My mom is fretting around me with a thermometer and a cool wash cloth.  “You don’t have a fever, Abby.  What did you eat today?”

“I had some eggs and toast with orange juice this morning.”

“Well, maybe it didn’t settle with you.  You should try to get some rest.”
              I roll over and close my eyes.  The next thing I know, I’m being awaken to the sound of my phone alerting me to a message.

Are you ignoring my calls?

Shit!  It’s Tommy.  I quickly message him back.

No.  Sorry.  I’m sick and was sleeping. 

I urge my phone to vibrate, but nothing comes in.  I begin to feel dizzy and can longer keep my eyes open.  I drift back to sleep. 

I don’t know how long I have been asleep but when I open my eyes, the sun is setting and I see a figure sitting in my desk chair.  I try to sit up and the figure comes to my bedside.  Oh my, it’s my Tommy.

“Lay down baby.  I’m here now.”

“I’m thirsty.”

“What do you want me to get you?”

“I’d like some ice water.”

“Coming right up, angel.  You lay down now and just rest.”

My mom comes in while Tommy is getting me something to drink and she has my laundry basket.
  “Hey, baby girl.  I did your laundry for you.  I’ll leave your basket here and you can put them away later or I’ll do it for you while you’re at school tomorrow.”

“Thank you, mom.”

“It’s not a problem baby.  Tommy’s been by your side for the last two hours.  I think I may have misjudged him in the beginning.”

“Really?  You’re admitting that you may have been wrong?”

“Yes, Abigail Marie Wilkinson, your mother can admit when she’s been wrong.  Don’t act so shocked,” she says, teasingly.  “How are you feeling?”

“Mom, I feel like crap.  All I want to do is sleep.”

“That’s to be expected,” she says as she places a cool rag on my forehead.  “Just try to rest and sleep when you can,” she says as she kisses the top of my head.

Tommy’s back carrying a glass of ice water.  He sits on the edge of the bed as I sit up.  Oh, the water tastes so good on my lips.  I think I drink half the glass before my thirst has been quenched.  My mom leaves the room and Tommy turns on the bedside lamp.
  “How are you feeling?”

“Better than I did a few hours ago.”

“That’s good.  I was worried about you.”

“I see that
.  I’m sorry that I worried you,” I respond while twisting my comforter in my hands.  I hate that I worried him.

“It’s okay babe.  You
were sick and couldn’t help it,” he remarks as he lays next to me on the bed.

I snuggle against his chest and listen to his heartbeat.  God, how I love this man!  He is the sweetest, most attentive man I have ever known.  I never imagined that he would come over after that text message. 

“When I got your message that you were sick, I just had to hurry over.  I knew that I needed to be with you during this time.  I would have just sat at home worrying if I didn’t see you.”

“Thank you, Tommy.  I was surprised to see you sitting here watching me sleep.”
             

“I love watching you sleep.  I watch you sleep whenever I can.  You are beautiful even in your
dreams.  I am still in awe at how I was lucky enough to find a wonderful woman like you.  I don’t deserve you.”
             

“Tommy, stop that. You do deserve me.  It is I that
doesn’t deserve you.  You are smart, funny, and handsome.  I love you.”

“I love you too, angel.  You make me complete.  Now, you need to get some rest and I’m sure your mom doesn’t want me staying much longer.  I’ll call and check on you tomorrow after school.”

With that, Tommy gets up.  He kisses my forehead as he brings the blanket to my chin and tucks me in.  I love him more than he will ever know.  I drift back to sleep and dream of my Tommy and a future with him.  I am awakened from my dream by my alarm.  It’s six o’clock in the morning and I need to take a shower since I didn’t get one last night. 

                          
*   *   *

Another week of the same old routine except cheer has ended.  I have been feeling off all week.  If I don’t feel well soon, I’ll need to remember to make an appointment with my physician.  My mood has been changing and I feel ill most of the day.  I just want to feel normal again.  It’s getting harder to push through each day. 

Katherine is waiting for me by my car.  She has this huge smile on her face.  She must be excited about our trip to the mall tomorrow.  I unlock the car from across the parking lot and Katherine climbs inside.  I take my seat at the wheel and start the car. 

“Are you feeling alright, Abby?” Katherine asks with concern that floods her face.

“Do I look like I’m feeling alright, Katherine?!” I snap back at her.

“Whoa, where did that come from?”

“I’m sorry.  I just don’t feel well.”

“Please don’t bite my head off when I ask this, but, have you and Tommy been using protection during sex?”

Oh shit!  My stomach is really churning now.  Pregnancy never crossed my mind before.  No way can I be pregnant!

“No,” I almost whisper in response.

“Abby, I’m no expert when it comes to pregnancy, but I think you should take a pregnancy test.”

I feel the tears begin to swell in my eyes.  How could I have been so stupid not to use protection?  Is Katherine right?  Could I be pregnant?  Oh my God, my parents will kill me.

“What do I do, Kat?” I beg her for a magic answer through tears that are streaming down my face.

“Well, don’t cry about it.  Not until you know for sure.  Right now, you just need to make it your top priority to pick up a pregnancy test,” Katherine says as she wraps me in a hug.

I nod in response.   N
o more worrying about that right now.  I’ll have to pick up a pregnancy test while we’re out tomorrow.

                    
 
              *   *   *

    Michael and Jason are sitting in the living room when we walk in.  I place my backpack on the wall hook and look back at Katherine.  Her cheeks are tinted a rosy color and her mouth is slightly open as if she’s in awe.  I know that look.  It’s the same look that I have when I see Tommy. 

“Hi, Abby,” Michael says.

“Hi, Mike,” I respond back trying to hide the amusement on my face. 

He gets up and gives me a hug and a kiss on my cheek.
  “Hi, Katherine,” he says as he gives her a more than friendly hug and a kiss on her cheek.

“Hi, Michael,” she says quietly.
  She looks toward me with a questioning look on her face.  My brother better ask her out soon because I am no good at keeping secrets.

They guys resume watching television as we make our way back to my room.  Katherine has packed every beauty magazine she owns.  I sure hope that I’m not expected to spend all evening looking through these books.  I just want a simple dress with a simple hair do for graduation.

“So, did you know Mike and Jason were coming?” She asks as she thumbs through one of the many magazines.

“Honestly, yes I did.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?  I could have reapplied my make-up and brushed my hair on the drive over.”

Here we go.  Katherine’s so wrapped up in herself. 
“I’m sorry, I guess it just slipped my mind,” I lie.

Katherine gets up and grabs her make-up bag and her brush and gets to work on her appearance.  I lie down on my bed and close my eyes for a moment.

“Abby, you need to wake up.  It’s time for dinner,” Katherine says as she gently wakes me.

“Oh, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”
             

“It’s okay, Abby.  I just put on my ear buds and listened to music while looking through the magazines.”

I get out of bed and glance at myself in the mirror.  I look hideous.  I put a little make-up to cover the paleness in my face and the circles under my eyes.  I’m not going to fool anyone but maybe they won’t talk about how ill I look. 

We sit down at the dinner table.  Our seats have changed, yet again.  My dad is at the head of the table with my mom to his right.  My brother is next to my mom and Jason is at the other end of the table.  Katherine is to my dad’s left and I am beside her.  My mom has made a honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus and fresh baked dinner rolls.  This is one of my favorite meals but I’m just not feeling too hungry.  Everyone is talking and laughing while I push around the food on my plate. 

After dinner, Michael asks Katherine to go on a walk with him.  Jason and I tell my mom that we will clean up.  She cooked and it’s only fair that we clean. While picking up the mess, Jason and I talk for the first time since the day after Michael’s accident.

“Abby, you don’t look well.”
  Jason has a look of great concern for me.  Lately, a lot of people have been concerned for me.  Unfortunately, I don’t think concern is going to be in their vocabulary if that pregnancy test comes out positive.

“Yea, I don’t feel well but I’m sure this will pass.  It’s probably just stress with finals coming up,
” I lie.  I’m not stressed and finals never worried me before now. 

“I’m worried about you,
” he says as he places his hand on my forehead.  Why is it that everyone does that when someone doesn’t feel well?

“A lot of people are worried.  I’m going to go to the doctor next week.”

“Good.  Why don’t you go lie down on the couch?  I’ll finish up in here.”

I do as Jason suggests and go lie on the couch.  Jason meets me out there a few minutes later.  He walks over and places a throw blanket over me and sits at the end of the couch.  We are watching the six o’clock news.  I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know Jason is carrying me to my room.  “Where’s Michael and Katherine?”

“They are outside.  You’ll be happy to know that he asked her to be his girlfriend and she said yes.”

“That’s great!”

“Yes.  Now, you need to get to sleep.  Katherine said she’s going to sleep on the couch tonight so she doesn’t disturb you.”

“Oh, okay.  Thank you, Jason.”

He leans down and kisses my forehead and exits my room.  I smile at the thought of my best friend dating my brother before drifting off to sleep.

                   
 
              *   *   *

I awaken in the morning to Katherine getting ready.  She has her ear buds in and is quietly singing the words to ‘If You’re Not the One’ by Daniel Beddingfield.  She seems genuinely happy.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Katherine this happy in all the years I’ve known her.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” she says.

“Good morning.  You seem happy today.”

“Oh, I think you know why!”

“Yes, I do.  I’m so happy for you.”

“I promise, Abigail, I won’t hurt Mike.”

“I hope not.  I love you both,” I say, “What time do you want to go shopping?”

“Oh, since you haven’t been feeling well, I was going to go with your brother and let you rest.”

“Oh, okay, that’s fine.  I’ll probably go see Tommy this afternoon then.  Mom and Dad told me that I could spend the night with Tommy on the weekends.”  I was surprised when my parents allowed me to start spending the night with Tommy.  I know I’m an adult, but I figured I would still be controlled to a certain extent.  

Katherine finishes her make-up and runs a brush through her hair.  She turns and kisses my cheek and is out the door to spend the day with my brother.  I crawl out of bed and throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and put my hair in a ponytail.  I throw a change of clothes and something to wear to bed in my overnight bag and head to the front door.

“Mom, I’m going to head to Tommy’s for the night.”

“Honey, do you feel up to going?”