Chapter 9Not the Flu

Luna bolted out the door when the bell rang after class. She kept her head low, ignoring the chatter of her classmates around her, and trudged down the hall toward her locker. Issy was leaning against it, fiddling absentmindedly with the lock. She dropped it as Luna walked up and touched her forehead, just like their mother always did when they were sick.

“Are you okay? I heard you were sick in class?” Issy mother-henned around her, feeling her glands and trying to look into her eyes.

Luna waved her away.

“I’m fine. Probably something I ate.”

Issy looked skeptical.

“I eat the same things as you. I’m fine.”

Luna shrugged.

“Then it’s that stomach thing that’s been going around. I’m fine, Is.”

“I don’t know, Luna. Maybe you should go to the nurse. Or we can call Dr. Ramirez. You haven’t been feeling well for weeks. Shouldn’t the flu be gone by now?”

“It is! I mean, it’s getting better. I feel a lot better now, I swear.” Luna opened her locker and leaned in as far as she could go, trying to end the conversation.

“You nearly just threw up in class, Luna!”

Luna shushed her, looking around to see if anyone was listening.

“Shhh! Is, come on! It’s embarrassing enough without the whole school hearing about it.”

“You almost threw up in class,” Issy continued, her voice lowered. “You feel sick almost every morning . . .” Her eyes widened as realization washed over her. “Luna . . .”

“No!” Luna shook her head, her hair whipping back and forth violently.

Issy grabbed her arm and pulled her across the hall into an empty classroom.

“Luna . . . you’re sick every morning.”

“I’m not!” Luna insisted, furious all of a sudden.

“Yes, you are. The smell of food makes you queasy. Your boobs are bigger, Lun.”

Issy had a shocked look on her face as she put it all together. Luna shook her head as Issy took her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at her.

“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

A tear slid down Luna’s cheek. She wiped it away angrily.

“I don’t know.”

Issy’s face blanched. “When did it happen? Wait . . . who? Who was it?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does! I thought we told each other everything! You’re my best friend, Luna. How could you not tell me you’re seeing someone?”

Luna laughed bitterly.

“Because I’m not.”

Issy shook her head.

“Well, obviously you are. When do you even have time? I don’t get why you’re still lying to me?”

“I’m not lying, Issy!”

“Then tell me!”

Luna slammed her backpack down.

“Remember that night at the party? The guy I was talking to?”

“The hot blond guy? Of course. It was him?”

“He put something in my drink, Is!”

Issy’s mouth fell open.

“He drugged you?” She was outraged as Luna nodded. “So what . . . he forced you to have sex?”

“I wasn’t even awake when it happened. I wasn’t even sure it did. But I thought . . . I was sore . . . I guess I didn’t want to believe it. But yeah. I knew he did.”

Issy hugged her hard.

“He raped you, Luna. We should call the police!”

Luna pulled away hard.

“No! No one can know about this, Issy! I’m serious.”

“Luna! Don’t you think people are going to figure it out eventually?”

“I might not even be pregnant, Is. And if I am . . . on the off chance that I really am . . . then I don’t have to be.”

“You’d get an abortion?”

“I don’t know, Is. Maybe. Yes. I haven’t even processed this yet. For all we know, I have the flu. Or food poisoning. It could easily be food poisoning.”

“Okay . . . then we need to find out for sure.”

The door opened and a tiny Grade Nine boy walked in.

“Get out! We’re talking in here!” snapped Issy.

Luna couldn’t help but smile as he ran back out.

“So, we need to get you a pregnancy test, Lun.”

Luna hugged her.

“You’re right. And thanks.”

“For what?”

“For not judging me? For being my sister? Just thanks.”

Issy hugged her back.

“Anytime.”

***

The day passed by in a blur of classes and conversation. Issy made sure to meet Luna outside every class and walked her to her locker. She was the self-appointed buffer between Luna and everyone else in the world for the rest of the day. When the final bell rang, Issy was waiting at the door of Luna’s English class.

“So don’t forget . . . read the first four chapters by Monday,” the teacher was calling out over the dull roar of the students as they packed up their books and raced to get out the door to start their weekend. Luna trailed behind them, knowing that she was going to get an answer soon that she wasn’t entirely sure she was ready to hear.

“Everything okay, Luna?” Miss Hicks asked.

Luna looked up from her backpack.

“What? Oh . . . yeah. Thanks. I’m good.”

The teacher smiled kindly at her.

“Okay, well, have a great weekend. I’m curious to hear what you think of the book.”

“Yeah . . . I’m looking forward to reading it.” She glanced up as Issy walked in. “Hey, Is.”

“Hey. You ready?”

“Yeah. I think so. Have a good weekend,” she called to her teacher.

“You too. Bye, girls.”

“Bye. Okay, Luna. We’ve got an hour until Mom and Dad come home. We have to go to Shoppers Drug Mart. Do you need to go to your locker?”

Luna zipped up her backpack.

“No. I grabbed everything I needed before English.”

“Cool. So I was thinking . . . maybe we should go to a different neighbourhood. You know . . . so no one sees us buying a test?” They were heading toward the bus stop.

“Yeah. That’s actually a really good idea. Should we go over to Keele?”

“Yeah, there’s a Shoppers in the plaza there.” The bus pulled up just as they got to the bus stop and Issy fished for some change for both of them and dropped it into the toll box. They fell into two seats behind the driver.

“So are you okay?”

Luna looked at her, thinking for a minute.

“Yeah. Well, no. I’m scared, Is.”

Her smile was shaky. Issy took her hand and Luna rested her head on her shoulder.

“I know. I am too. But I’m here, okay? No matter what.”

“I know you are.”

They made it to the plaza before they knew it and walked into Shoppers, quickly casing the place for familiar faces. Finding no one they knew or even vaguely recognized, the girls sidled into the family planning aisle.

“I didn’t know there would be so many different kinds of tests,” Issy exclaimed. “How do you know which one to get?” She picked up a First Response test, then a Clearblue test.

Luna looked over her shoulder, holding an e.p.t. test.

“I have absolutely no idea,” she replied. “They all kinda look the same. Should we just get all of them?”

“Luna, they’re like fifteen dollars each! Just pick one!”

Luna sighed and looked down at the tests in her hands.

“Okay. Well . . . this one has a digital readout. And it says it’s the most accurate for early detection.”

“Early detection,” said Issy, trying to read the box over her shoulder. “What does that mean?”

“I think it means you can take it earlier than any other test.”

“Like in the morning? Why is that important?” Issy asked, squinting to read the small print from an arm’s length away.

“Not early in the day! Early in your cycle.”

“Ooohhh! Yeah, that makes more sense. So get that one.”

Luna nodded and put the other tests back on the shelf. She turned and thrust the box at Issy.

“Hey!”

“You get it, Is.”

“Oh my god, Luna. I think you need to do this for yourself.”

Luna nodded. She took a deep breath and headed to the cash.

“Hi there!” The cashier was smiling at Luna as she plunked the test down and reached into her backpack for her wallet.

“Hi.”

“So will that be all for you today?”

“Yes, thanks.” Luna pulled a twenty-dollar bill out and waited.

“Are you interested in our weekly special? We have personal packs of Kleenex brand tissues for ninety-nine cents.” She was smiling broadly at the girls.

“No. Thanks. We’re all set for Kleenex today. Just this.” She glanced over at Issy, raising her eyebrows.

“Okay then. Will you be needing a bag today?”

“Umm . . . no. I’m good. Thanks. So how much do I owe you?”

“That’s sixteen dollars and twenty cents.” Luna handed over her twenty and stuffed the test into her backpack.

“Thanks.”

It felt like the longest bus ride home they had ever been on. Both of the girls knew that Luna would be taking the test when they got home and they were equally nervous about the results. They were holding out hope for a negative test but both were terrified that it might come back positive. They rode the bus home in silence, Luna leaning her head on Issy’s shoulder, her hands wrapped around her backpack protectively. She watched the neighbourhood pass by, noticing the rundown church, the plaza mini-mart, and the ethnic food stores. It all passed by in a blur. The bus stopped at their corner and they stepped off. They walked home wordlessly and went up the stairs into the house. Thankfully, no one was home yet. Issy turned to Luna.

“Well . . . let’s get it over with. Mom and Dad will be home soon.”

“Yeah . . . okay.” She followed Issy upstairs to their bedroom. She took the pregnancy test out of her backpack and stood in the doorway of the bathroom they shared. “I’m scared, Is.”

“I know.” She hugged Luna hard. “Go ahead. I’ll be right here, okay?”

Luna nodded and closed the door behind her. She came out a minute later and sat down on the bed beside Issy.

“So?” Issy asked.

“We have to wait three minutes. I left it on the counter.” She grabbed Issy’s hand. “You need to distract me for three minutes, Is. I’m totally freaking out.”

“I know. Me too. Everything is going to be fine, Lun. No matter what, okay? We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

Luna tried to smile.

“Has it been three minutes yet?”

“I don’t know . . . didn’t you look at the clock?”

“I was too busy trying not to pee all over my hand!”

Issy tried to suppress a smile.

“It’s not funny!” said Luna.

“It kinda is. Did you actually pee on your hand?”

“No!” Luna shrieked. “That’s disgusting. I peed on the stick!”

Issy looked at her sister.

“It’s probably been three minutes, Luna. Do you want to go check?”

“Can you look at it, Is? I can’t do it.”

Issy nodded.

“Okay. I’ll look.” She tried to stand up, but Luna was still holding tightly to her hand. “Luna, you have to let me go if you want me to check.”

“I know. I’m just not sure if I’m ready to know.”

Issy sat back down and hugged her.

“It’s okay. Let’s just find out, alright?”

“Okay. Okay, go check.”

She forced herself to let go of Issy, who walked into the bathroom with her shoulders squared. Luna found herself holding her breath as Issy stood in the doorway of the bathroom, holding the test in her hand. She looked up at Luna and met her eyes.

“Well? What does it say?”

Issy’s face crumpled.

“I’m so sorry, Luna.”

Luna stood up and held out her hand.

“Let me see it.”

Issy held the test out to her. Luna took it and looked at the word PREGNANT staring up at her.

“Oh my god. I’m pregnant, Issy.”