December, Senior Year of High School
The pep band is playing, and my team is already out on the floor warming up.
“Listen, Polly, I gotta get out there, but we’ll talk about it after the game.”
It’s the final night of the Valley High winter basketball tournament. Winning this tournament is all that should be on my mind, but my girlfriend has other priorities.
“But the formal is next Friday, and we have to get a limo.”
“We can talk about it—”
Two steps toward the court and she cuts me off, crossing her arms as her green eyes take on a golden tint. “Do you not care about formal? Or me?”
Polly is beautiful and outspoken and used to getting her way. I admired those qualities in her a year ago, but lately, it feels like it’s at the expense of me and my goals. Or maybe she’s right and I’ve just stopped caring. I’m five months away from graduation and with the colleges scouting me I’m guaranteed to end up playing somewhere awesome. It’s hard to care about formals and limos when I’m about to be a college ball player. One step closer to my dreams of the NBA.
But I do care about Polly.
“I love you and I will make sure it’s everything you want, but right now I gotta win a championship game, babydoll.” I brush a kiss on her pouty lips and haul ass to the court.
We win the game and the mood in the locker room is light. Guys joking around, dancing, and enjoying this moment with the team. Someone has turned on an old school Jock Jams playlist and I sing along to “Crazy Train,” air guitaring when appropriate.
I’m walking on cloud fucking nine until I step out of the locker room. Polly waits for me and the pinched expression tells me that she’s not impressed by the thirty points I racked up on the court. Still, I go for playful when I fall in beside her and drape an arm around stiff shoulders.
“Hey, beautiful. The team is heading for pizza to celebrate. You wanna ride over with me?”
“Ugh. Not pizza again. I thought we could go somewhere nice. Just the two of us. Didn’t your cousins just open a nice restaurant? Let’s go there.”
Her sentiments aren’t totally unjustified. Pizza is the go-to after a win, but even with four years of post-victory pizza binges, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
“Come on.” I link our hands together and try to do my best to look charming. Normally an easy feat, but Polly’s hard features don’t soften under my puppy dog eyes. “We can make winter formal plans after we eat.”
The tiniest crack of a smile pulls her full lips apart and tip upward.
Valley High basketball players, their families, and girlfriends take up most of the small pizza joint. My parents and sisters are here and that’s where I lead Polly.
“Congratulations,” my mother says when we approach.
I barely manage to thank her before Michelle jumps up and throws her arms around my neck. Polly drops my hand and steps aside while my youngest sister squeezes in excitement. “You were amazing!”
“Thanks, Smelly.” I use her nickname and tug on the end of her ponytail. She pulls back and retreats to her seat and I turn to Polly who’s vanished. I spot her with some of the other basketball guys’ girlfriends, huddled around talking about who knows what.
I go ahead and take a seat with my family. The pepperoni pizza in the middle of the table is nearly gone so I know they’ll be heading out soon. Grab a slice and take a huge bite while simultaneously listening to my sister fill me in on the game like I wasn’t there. She’s almost as big a ball fan as I am. Though, she prefers the sidelines to playing. Something about too much running and sweat for her liking.
My phone buzzes in my pocket and when I pull it out and read the screen I stand, still chewing.
Polly: I thought we were going to talk about winter formal. I saved you a seat.
She’s made no attempt to get to know my family in the time we’ve been dating. I guess that’s normal, but my family is so much a part of me and my life it feels weird to keep the two separate. But I did promise her we’d talk about formal.
“See you guys at home later. Gonna celebrate with the guys.”
My family doesn’t put up a fight. I know my parents understand, but Michelle’s smile dims and I hate that.
“Smelly, wanna binge watch Teen Wolf tomorrow? I’m like five episodes behind.” Because I only watch it when she forces me. She knows that, but it doesn’t stop her eyes from lighting up and she can’t nod fast enough. That’s one woman in my life appeased.
The following Tuesday morning I’m sitting in first period willing the bell to ring. When it does, I take one last look around the room, verifying I’m not crazy. All the girls are looking at me, whispering. Except it’s not that kind of look. Discretely, I run a hand under my nose to check for boogers. Run both palms over my face and hair. Four long strides and I’m in the bathroom and staring at my reflection.
“What gives?” I ask to the empty room.
I turn to leave when Timmie enters. It’s a general rule that dudes aren’t allowed to chit chat in the bathroom, but since neither of us has our dicks out, I don’t blow him off when he says, “Hey, Joel.”
“What’s up?” I ask, completely rhetorical and head to leave him to do his thing in peace.
I’ve got one hand on the door to leave when he continues talking, “Sorry to hear about Polly. Or maybe I should say congratulations? Sorry, I don’t know what the appropriate thing to say is, but whatever it is let’s just pretend I said it.”
He starts to unzip, and I push out of the bathroom and replay his words in my head. I head to Polly’s locker. She was out sick yesterday and other than a few texts, I haven’t talked to her since the weekend. A crowd of girls are standing off to the side giving her the same look I got all through first period.
“Hey,” I ask, concern and confusion lacing my tone.
Those green eyes pierce through me and she looks nervous. “Hi.”
Polly is a lot of things. Timid ain’t one of them. “What’s going on?”
The one-minute warning bell for second period rings and she shuts her locker and glances around before speaking.
“Listen, Joel, we need to chat.”
I bob my head for her to continue.
“Not here. How about after school?”
I’ve got practice until five thirty and there’s no way I can wait that long to know what the hell is going on. “Tell me now.”
She swallows and turns her gaze to the floor. My heart is galloping in my chest and I clench my jaw in anticipation because this does not feel like good news.
“I’m pregnant.” Her voice is barely a whisper and I’m so shocked that it takes a few seconds for her words to register.
I’m stunned and utterly speechless. I know I should say something. Literally anything would be better than what comes out of my mouth, which is fucks all for nothing.
Her eyes fill with tears and she shakes her head. “I’ve gotta go to class.”
Sobs shake her shoulders and Polly looks up at me with such agony I want to make it all disappear. I was an ass earlier. She needed me to tell her it would be okay and instead I froze. She avoided me all afternoon, but I’ve finally cornered her before practice to make sure she knows we’re in this together.
“Hey, it’s not the end of the world.” I wrap my arms around her and squeeze. “Our families will help. My mom had me young.”
Sure, my parents are going to be pissed I wasn’t more careful not to knock up my high school girlfriend, but family is everything in the Moreno household. They’ll be upset, but they’ll still love and support me. I can already picture the big smile on my mother’s face at the sight of her first grandchild. I can’t believe it, but I’m a little excited. Scared shitless, but excited.
“No, you don’t understand.” She turns her head and pushes at my chest until my hold breaks.
I still. Hidden in the corner between the locker rooms and my high school gym, I watch Polly square her shoulders and swipe at the tears on her face.
“What is it?” I ask tentatively.
Her expression morphs from fear to timid smile. “Nothing. I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”
I close the space again. “Me too. We’ll be scared together, babydoll.”