Innocent and Pure Unlike Me Chapter 3

July:
Nothing Stays the Same

Chapter 3
Six weeks have passed since the party and I am still trying to piece things together. I felt guilty for leaving Brad and Mandi’s the morning after and finally stopped over to apologize for what happened along with ignoring her babysitting calls. My mom or her mom had taken my place for the past month since I was afraid to talk to her. I didn’t want to see Brad and I was angry because he didn’t take me home. If he would’ve brought me home I probably wouldn’t be in my current predicament.
I knew today I would have to baby-sit Alex so I came over to Mandi’s house a few hours early so we could talk.
“Haven’t seen you in a while, stranger. And you’re here a few hours early to watch Alex. I don’t go into work until four today, and I only put Alex down for his afternoon nap.”
“I know,” I said “I just wanted to talk to you, and I’m sorry about what happened last time I was over, and I was really pissed at Brad about the night before.”
“What’d he do?” Mandi asked as she made herself comfortable on the far end of the living room couch.
I took a seat across from her “He saw me totally smashed and didn’t bother to take me home!”
“Kristen, you know his truck only has room for three people. He had no idea you were going to be there, and he had to pick Adam and Derek up and take them home. He was only on break at work too so he couldn’t be long.”
“But he could’ve called you.”
“Kristen, we have a kid. Alex was sleeping, and you know how he gets when you wake him.”
I sighed. “True, he’s a crabby little man.”
“You weren’t supposed to be there, but why then did you wish he picked you up?”
“I saw some things when I woke up, and I heard Cassidy say a few things when I was at the mall with Alicia last month.”
“What do you mean by things and rumors?”
I swallowed hard knowing I would have to tell Mandi the truth eventually. “I think I got raped.” I managed to squeak out.
Mandi paused for a moment, holding her hand up to her lips. “I knew something wasn’t right,” she said “But wow, I didn’t know, or think, I’m sorry. I feel like last time you tried to tell me I was forcing you to tell me what happened. Brad said he felt pretty guilty leaving you there. He had a feeling that’s what happened. I wanted to cry when he said that, even I was angry with him for a little bit, but I wanted you to tell me the truth.”
“Wait, he knew that would happen?”
“He didn’t know it would, but by the look on your face when he walked through the door he had a feeling.”
“I feel terrible, Mandi. Broken, shattered, sick, and tired. I just want it all to end, but it can’t end yet. Not for a while. Not ever.”
“What do you mean, Kristen?”
“I might also be pregnant,” I planted my face into my hands. “I’m late.”
“That doesn’t always mean you’re pregnant. It could just be stress.”
“Trust me, Mandi. It’s not just stress. I’ve been peeing every ten minutes, certain smells make me gag like never before, I’ve been exhausted for the past two weeks, just saying the wrong word or looking at me wrong makes me tear up, and my boobs hurt so much I can barely put a bra on without trembling in pain.”


“You may be right. I’ll buy you a test.” Mandi explained to me “You don’t have to come with me, but if it reads positive I can take you to the planned parenthood place. Either way I’ll take you, it’d probably be best for you to get an appointment scheduled to be tested for STDs.”
“But,” I said to her “I move in two weeks, what if nothing’s open until August?”
“Then you’ll have to find the nearest planned parenthood or family planning clinic in the city you move to, unless you’re ready to tell you’re parents.” she told me.
“I really hope I’m not pregnant.” I said to her.
But, to my disgrace the pink lines did not lie. Within less than a minute a bright pink plus sign formed in the results circle. Now, I have to figure out how I’m going to explain this whole mess to my parents.