She was so relieved he found her. She'd been looking for him all morning. "We have to talk." Sweetheart lead him out of the classroom and outside to their oak tree, out of hearing range of anyone else. Teddy was getting worried, something was really wrong with her?
"What is it? What's wrong??"
Sweetheart's eyes began to fill with tears. How could this happen? What's he going to think? What will my parents say? I don't know what to do.
Teddy wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks and took her hands in his. "Sweetheart, you can tell me. Please tell me."
"I'm pregnant." She looked up at him, not knowing what to expect.
Teddy was silent for a minute. Well that was totally unexpected. "So you're ok, there's nothing really wrong?"
"Nothing really wrong?!? I'm pregnant! I'm 18, unmarried, and pregnant! I'm not even out of high school yet! What are people gonna think? What are my parents gonna say? What am I gonna do??" Sweetheart was getting histerical.
"You mean, what are WE gonna do. Calm down, it'll be ok." Teddy pulled her into his arms and they slid down to sit under their tree. Sweetheart couldn't stop the tears and Teddy held her while she cried. She was so relieved he was going to be there to help her, but there was still the issue of telling her strict Catholic parents. They were hopelessly old-fashioned, they'd never approve.
"Hey look, its Gretsky and Lipinski. Think if we ask them nicely they'll autograph our programs for us?" Rocket chuckled.
"Wayne Gretzsky's a hockey player you idiot!"
*Blank stare* "Huh?"
Ace rolled his eyes at Rocket's sheer stupidity. "It's guys like you that give all us jocks a bad name."
"Ya'll really should stop harpin' on those two, they were really good. They placed third in that competition, pretty damn good for their first time if ya ask me."
Now was Rocket's chance to rebuff. Well, to take it out on poor Dandy anyways, "I don't recall asking you, spaz boy!"
"Hey wait guys, something's wrong. Sweetheart's crying. I wonder why she's so upset?" Starlight was immediately concerned about her friend, especially after what happened at that competition a few days ago.
"C'mon Star, we're gonna be late for class."
"You guys go ahead, I wanna make sure she's alright." Ace walked with her as the others continued on to class. Sweetheart's sobs got louder as they approached, this must be major.
Teddy saw them coming and shook his head at the approaching couple. Ace stopped and pulled Starlight back, "We better be getting to class." Starlight looked back at her dear friend, then nodded and followed reluctantly. Ace threw a comforting arm over her shoulders, "I'm sure she'll be okay."
Sweetheart looked up at the uninviting school as the bell rang. She couldn't possibly go back, not today anyways. She needed some time away.
"Let's go for a walk." Teddy pulled Sweetheart to her feet and they left the campus. They walked to the bridge over Raquette River where no one would find them and ask why they weren't in school. Sometimes living in a small, friendly community was a real drag.
"We don't have to tell your parents just yet. What they don't know won't hurt 'em."
"They're gonna find out eventually."
"Yeah, but I'll be there with you. What are they gonna do?"
"Oh, I dunno. Disown me, imprison you, ship me off to a convent..."
They laughed. "Yeah, they probably would."
"It's not just the fact that I'm pregnant, it's the fact that it's out of wedlock that's gonna get them. It's like a mortal sin or something."
"Or something? You mean you don't know exactly what it means in the holy Catholic bible world??" He smiled.
She gave him a playful shove, "Shut up. I don't live by the book anymore, thanks to your corruption!"
"Oh my god, I just thought of something."
"What?"
"You're not gonna have like quadruplets or anything are you? I mean, you have triplet sisters and I have a twin. Isn't that stuff like hereditary?"
Sweetheart laughed. "Geez, I hope not. Not the first time anyways." She smiled and looked over at him slyly. She loved seeing that Oh my god, you're not serious??? look on his face.
"Speaking of Rose, lets go tell her the good news! She can be the first one to know."
"I'm still not so sure its good news. What are people gonna think? How are we going to afford a baby?"
"Look, don't worry about that stuff, that's my job. As for everyone else, who cares what they think. Our friends are much more open than your uptight parents anyway."
"Hey!" She laughed again. Her parents *were* kind of ridiculous sometimes. "Alright, might as well start with someone who won't disown us totally."
"She'll be thrilled, trust me. You know I can't keep anything from her anyways, she always knows. Watch, after that it'll be easier to tell other people. And then like the day you go into labor we'll finally be able to tell your parents."
