Covering the Carolinas Read Free Page A

dad
waiting to tell us bye before we head out.
    “ Girls, y’all be careful. Please call if
things get out of hand,” Mama says.
    “ Yes, ma’am.”
    We get in Carleigh’s car and make our way to the
party on Broad River. Our small town is right on the North Carolina
and South Carolina border and on the weekends both Carolinas
collide for a good time.
    As the evening progresses, I try my best to have a
good time, but all I can think about is why I feel like shit as I
take a drink of my beer. When Carleigh walks over to see if I want
a bite of a s’more, I feel my insides turn upside down. I quickly
shake my head no and hurry away from her.
    As soon as I’m out of sight, I spew the
contents of my stomach. Then, as if a light bulb goes off, reality
sets in… Oh my gosh. I can’t deny it
anymore. I’m late, like two months late. No, this can’t be happening. It was the only time I’ve ever
been so stupid. This has got to be some bug. It can’t happen, not
my senior year! Deep down, I know I’m lying to myself
and as I make my way back to the party, I’m confronted by my
sisters.
    “ How late are you?” Carleigh asks.
    “ What? What are you talking about? It’s just a
little upset stomach.”
    “ Mar, we live with you remember? You look like
you’ve been run over by a tractor, you’ve had one beer to your
normal eight, and just tossed your cookies when I offered you
chocolate! Sis, I think it’s more than a stomach bug,” Tinleigh
says surely.
    “ I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about
it,” I say as tears fall from my eyes knowing I’m lying because
it’s all I’ve thought about, but prayed it wasn’t true.
    Carleigh takes the beer from my hand as they
both embrace me. Probably shouldn’t drink
any more of that. After trying to hide my emotions, we
decide it’s best to leave the party but we don’t go home. Instead,
we go to the city park.
    “ Mar, what are you going to do? I mean are you
going to keep it?” Carleigh asks.
    “ How can you even say that? I can’t get rid of
it. That goes against everything we were taught growing up. I know
regardless of the situation, there’s a reason for everything. No,
I’m not happy. In fact, I’m scared shitless. I mean I know I do
stupid shit and Mama and Dad kinda expect that from me, but they’ve
taught me better than to think it wouldn’t happen to me. I need to
just pray the test is negative in the morning.”
    “ I sure hope you’re right, but regardless,
we’re here for you.”
    After a few moments of silence, Tinleigh breaks it.
“So did y’all see Mark? He was totally wearing high waters. I don’t
know what Sally sees in him. He’s a total dork.” We all burst out
laughing as she stands and does her best impersonation of him.
Leave it to her to take the attention off me. We sit, laugh and
enjoy just being sisters trying to forget what is on the horizon.
Before we head home, we stop at a convenient store for a pregnancy
test.

Chapter 2
    MARLEIGH
    Saturday morning, I wake with the light of day. I
didn’t sleep well last night, and I know that this morning is going
to be an end to a lot of things I’ve planned in my life. I don’t
need a test, I know what it’s going to reflect. It’s going to be
positive. I just have a gut feeling.
    Looking at my phone, I see I have a text from
GC. Oh gosh! My stomach does
a flip-flop and my heart begins to shatter when I think of him
losing his dream because of one stupid act.
    GC: Sorry I missed your call last night. I was at
the court with the guys and knew you’d be out. Call me when you
wake up!
    To reply before or after the verdict? That is the
question.
    Me: It’s okay. We went to the river, but came home
early. I feel like crap. I’ll call you later today.
    I don’t wait for his reply; instead, I hurry to the
bathroom and open the pink box, pee on a stick, and wait. Sitting
on pins and needles in the bathroom, I jump out of my skin when
there’s knock on the door.
    “