Chapter 4 A Not-So-Secret Secret

Time flew by after Bella's birthday. The entire Marcus episode became a load on her heart, and eventually, thoughts of him slipped away from her but still a compulsion for her. Always beside her at school, helping her across the awkward bylanes of her social life was Riley.

Right now, Ava was at her usual place in class, right next to Riley. She just stared, her eyes drawn blank at the notebook just in front of her. The words merged, and none of them made sense.

There came a thud when the door was slammed open against the wall. Ava flinched with the sound. Mark entered and was a sight of red rage. All heads turned to him in the classroom.

"Ava! You have to listen to me!" he bellowed. His voice echoed along the room.

Ava froze, a pen slipping from her fingers. Her heart raced, while the adrenaline pumped through her body, sending her stomach into knots. At that moment, he was all but impossible to ignore as his looming presence seemed to shrink the room.

"Uh-huh. I don't want to talk," said Ava in a low voice as she got up. She merely stepped another half toward Riley like somehow this suddenly made her unpopular and so she tried avoiding it.

But that was of no use to Mark. He strode a huge step toward her, thumping a finger onto her. "You have to take me back, Ava! I am begging you! And you owe Bella an apology! You humiliated her at her party, and you wrecked everything!"

Ava's complexion turned red-hot. She readied her mouth to say something; nothing came out.

Immediately, Riley had jumped in between Ava and Mark. "Back off, Mark!" she growled. "Ava doesn't owe you or Bella anything. You were cheating on her; this is on you, not her!"

Mark swiveled his enraged gaze toward Riley. "You're meddling in matters that are none of your business! You don't get to lecture me!"

Riley squared her shoulders and answered, "I'm allowed to protect my friend. Now listen to her, or get out!"

It was altogether chaotic. At the lightest provocation, noise levels peaked and Ava felt extremely sandwiched in between. She never thought she would see Mark so rowdy or so loud or so relentless. With Riley standing her ground, saying sharp and uncompromising things, somehow Ava drew her attention and began to feel very small under it.

And then the ground tilted beneath her feet. All vision before her started to sway, while all sound lost itself in a high-pitched ringing. Her knees betrayed her, and she felt herself falling over. Riley, quick enough to act by instinct, reached out to grab her just before she hit the ground.

"Ava!" Riley cried out screamingly. Out of panic, she grabbed her belongings, threw them inside her bag, and barged out of the classroom. Whispers filled the halls behind them, but Ava was hardly aware of just how much was happening around her. All she felt was this immediate emptiness, this spinning sensation, and, in an instant, the burgeoning wave of unconsciousness crashing down on her.

Ava sat, trembling, weak, and almost dragged to the floor, in some room at the school nurse's office. "Slow down," said the nurse while helping Ava sit down. Mildly waving the fan as she offered water, she asked, "What happened?"

"I don't... I don't know," murmured Ava in a tiny voice. "I got dizzy... and just... fell."

Meanwhile, Riley stood by squeezing her hand. "It's okay, Ava. We'll work it out. Just stay with me."

"You seem weak and stressed out dear," said the nurse. "How about I give you a referral to the nearest clinic to run some tests so we know what is really wrong with you before it gets out of hand?" she continued.

"I think that's a good idea." Riley agrees.

"Alright then, give me a few minutes as I prepare the referral form for you." With that, the nurse walked out.

She soon came back with the referral form.

Riley helped Ava out of the school clinic as they made their way to her car.

They got into the car and headed straight for the hospital. Ava sat in the back carrying her handbag, mind swirling. While she fought with herself as she tried to think of something else. Every thought, however, so often turned back to the events of the night with Marcus weeks back. New thoughts, however, joined the previous ones, especially on what Mark did. It weighed heavily against her chest, much like a dull complaint flashing in her stomach, and really not about fainting.

While Ava leaned back on the bed, looking a little dizzy, the doctor began to examine her completely. The nurse checked her vitals and glided out of the room with a promise to be back soon with the results. Then she held her breath and forced herself into silence in an attempt to calm herself. Beside her, Riley stayed, clutching her hand and seeking to comfort her without words.

Finally, the doctor entered there, clipboard in hand. His face turned serious, and without doubt, Ava's heart began to pound in her chest.

"Ava Thompson?" the doctor inquired while looking directly at the girl.

"Yes," she managed to push out with a little voice.

The doctor drew in air; "The results are in... You're pregnant."

Ava's mind went blank. Blinking several times, she could not fathom the information. Beside her, Riley gasped, squeezing her hand till she thought it would break. Ava's stomach twisted with shock, and fear and disbelief swirled together.

"I... I'm... pregnant?" she intoned, shaking.

"Yes. You're a few weeks along now. You should schedule follow-up appointments, and then we can meet and discuss with you and your guardian about your options and next steps," the doctor replied.

She tried to clutch the little bit of shakiness left in her hands about what he told her; however, her mind was in no way blissful. A dozen wild thoughts loomed large in her mind-all concerning Marcus-rushing to last night, the ordeal she wanted to keep under wraps. Mark, Riley, and the thoughts of her parents came back to her too, and suddenly the world started tilting and crashing down.

Holding on tight to her right hand, Riley was indeed in her moment of staying alive.

The doctor took a few steps away to give them some privacy. Buried under her hands, Ava managed to process everything that had happened.

She was pregnant with Marcus's child!