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“This happened before … that,” I said.
“Are you absolutely sure it’s yours, son?” my father said, his voice low.
Chloe was taking a sip of water—probably to fight off a panic attack—and choked on it.
“Excuse me?” Mrs. Appleby asked, lowering her hand from in front of her mouth for the first time in minutes.
“Just so we’re clear, Graydon, are you calling my daughter a liar or a whore?” Mr. Appleby demanded, his face darkening quickly to a rank purple color.
“Daddy!” Chloe wailed. Her water goblet clanged against the side of her plate.
My father stood up from the table, his knees knocking against the edge, rattling every piece of crystal and silver. “I’m sorry, Charles, but this isn’t the kind of thing a kid can leave to chance,” he said, flattening the front of his wool di
Across the table Chloe started to shake. I got up to go over to her, but her father stood up too, and I knew there’d be no going around that end of the table.
“Get the hell out of my house,” he thundered, his jowls trembling as he faced my father. “Get the hell out of my house now!”
Mrs. Appleby started to cry into her napkin.
“Clarice,” my mother said imploringly.
For whatever reason, the sound of her own name made Mrs. Appleby wail even louder. She got up and fled the room. As soon as she was gone Chloe started crying too.
“Are you people going to go or am I going to have to make you go?” Mr. Appleby said. He took a menacing step toward us and I swear I almost peed my pants.
“No need. We’re gone,” my father replied, raising his hands. He turned around and strode out of the room.
I looked at Chloe. She looked so fragile and scared and sad. This had not gone anywhere close to what I’d hoped.
“Mom,” I said. “Shouldn’t we stay and, like, talk about this?” As much as I wanted to escape, I didn’t want to leave Chloe behind. But I couldn’t exactly take her with us either.
“There’s no need for that, Jake,” Mr. Appleby said. “I can take care of my own daughter just fine. In fact, as of this moment, you are no longer welcome in this house. Chloe, you are forbidden to see this boy, do you understand me?”
That got Chloe out of her chair too. She ran out the same way her mother had gone, her hair streaming behind her. I heard her footsteps pounding up the stairs, and a moment later, a door slammed.
So I guess our parents weren’t going to help us figure out what to do.
“Let’s get out of here,” my mother said, her voice cracking. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. My shoes felt like they were encased in medicine balls. “Jake? Let’s go.”
She grabbed my arm and pulled, tripping me sideways toward the exit that led to the foyer and the front door. Toward freedom. Kind of, anyway. The worst part, I guessed, was over. Chloe’s dad knew, and I was still alive.
I looked back over my shoulder one last time to see Mr. Appleby glaring down at the table, tugging his napkin between his two hands over and over again. I had no idea what kind of lecture waited for me at home, but I had a feeling that whatever was going to be said inside the Applebys’ house was going to be a hell of a lot worse.
november
Did you guys see Chloe in gym this morning?
Uh, yeah. What is with the man sweats?
And did you notice her, um, gut?
Looked more like a bump to me, if you know what I’m sayin’.
No. What are you saying?
A bump. You know. Like a baby bump?
No!
YES!
Shut up! Are you serious?
Who do you think the father is?
Hammond Ross. It’s gotta be.
I du
watching her from afar with his mope on.
Please. Like Queen C would ever allow a Norm to enter her crystal palace.
What about Jake Graydon?
What? No.
You said it yourself. They have been spending a lot of time together.
OMG, poor Ally!
You mean poor Chloe.
Right. Her too.
ally
“It’s official,” Chloe said. “I’m going to have a baby.”
Never had those words been uttered in such an unenthusiastic tone. Chloe sat down at the end of our lunch table, bringing with her a cloud of her rose-scented perfume, and placed a stack of lavender envelopes down in front of her. I closed my laptop, which was open to my mom’s latest ten bridesmaids dress options, and looked at Jake. Sha
“Um, I thought we already knew that,” Jake said.
Chloe hooked her bag strap around the back of the chair. “Yeah, but now it’s definitely happening. My parents are one hundred percent against abortion, which I was dreading anyway, so … it looks like I’m about to get seriously fat.”
She put her hand on her stomach under the table. She was wearing a cable knit tunic and leggings, which had become kind of her signature look lately, and she, of course, rocked it so well that some of the underclassmen were now mimicking it.
I stared at Jake, frozen. His right eye twitched, and from what I could tell he wasn’t breathing. Did this mean …? Was she saying she was going to keep the baby? I had this awful feeling I was about to see my boyfriend faint or explode.
“Wow. So … wow,” Jake said, lowering his fork. He’d already wolfed down half of his cafeteria mac and cheese and looked to be regretting it.
“Don’t worry. I’m giving it up for adoption,” Chloe said. “My mom’s interviewing agencies today, actually.”
I blew out a breath and Jake did too. I saw Sha
“Oh, thank God.” Jake exhaled, collapsing forward so fast his head almost hit the table.
“Wow. Tell me how you really feel,” Chloe said with a touch of sarcasm.
“Oh.” Jake blinked, sitting up straight. “Sorry. Are you … I mean, you’re not upset, are you?” I saw him swallow when she didn’t say anything, his Adam’s apple bobbing over the collar of his rugby shirt. “Are you?”
“Yeah, I mean … this is a good thing, right?” I said, trying to help him out. “Some couple will get a baby they really want and it’ll have a good home.”
“Yeah, I guess. It’s just so weird,” Chloe said. Her eyes unfocused as she stared at a random point on the table. “The first baby I ever have … and it’s not going to be mine.”
Her hand was on her stomach again and I felt as if my own organs were turning to rock. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be inside her brain, inside her body. Not even the tiniest bit. I looked over at Sha
This was one of those rare moments when I completely forgot she’d gone after the guy I liked and I just felt bad for her.
“But at least I get to stay in school,” Chloe added. “My parents wanted me to drop out and get a tutor and try to keep the whole thing a secret, but I said no. I’m not ashamed,” she said, her eyes shining. “And I’m not go
I swallowed hard. I always knew Chloe was brave, but this was a level of strength I hadn’t seen before.
“So. What’re those?” Faith asked. She pointed at the envelopes, effectively changing the subject.
“Oh, invites to my birthday,” Chloe said, slipping a few from the top of the pile. “I don’t feel like having one, but Mom and Dad are all about keeping up appearances, so it looks like I’ve got a party to plan.”