Secret

By Maxine Lartey

Monique changed back into her pyjamas. She was glad that her dark complexion meant that no one could see her face burning with embarrassment.
She found her mum making breakfast into the kitchen
“Mum, can I talk to you?”
“Always, love,” she answered, smiling.
“Well, I’ve been sick.”
“Oh dear,” said Monique’s mother turning to look at her.
“And then…well, let’s just say my bladder had a mind of its own…”
“Oh, you poor thing!” said Monique’s mum, putting a hand on Monique’s forehead.
“Mum! I’m not a baby,” she replied defiantly.
“You probably have a bug. You can miss school today.”
“Thanks mum.”
Monique turned and started to walk away.
“Darling, if you ever get pregnant, you would tell me wouldn’t you, Monique?”
“Of course, mum” Said Monique, shocked.
“When I had Kamal your grandfather wouldn’t talk to me for months. I just don’t want you making the same mistakes I did.”
Monique trudged up the stairs to her bedroom. Her mum’s words kept playing over and over again in her mind. Could she be pregnant?
At Lauren’s party, a few weeks ago there’d been lots of people and fun and beer. She felt a little reckless and knew her mum would not approve but she wouldn’t get in to any trouble. And then later on Ben, Kate’s boyfriend had showed up. They talked and danced and drank. They’d kissed, something Monique wasn’t proud of, but it had been nice to feel wanted, and as long Ben didn’t say anything, what was the harm?
But then Ben had led Monique to Lauren’s bedroom, and past that the night was a blank.

Monique put her coat on over her pyjamas and snuck out the back door, so that her mum didn’t see her. At the chemist she bought a pregnancy test. It is really hard to buy a pregnancy test because she did not want anyone to know she might be pregnant and then tell her mum. It was ten pounds which seemed stupid because you can only use it once. The look the chemist gave her almost turned her to stone.
Back home she locked herself in the loo and read the instructions carefully. Taking the test was no problem; it was waiting for it to be ready to read that was difficult. After ten minutes Monique finally made herself look. Two blue lines. The instructions on the packet told her she was pregnant.
“No. I can’t be. It’s not true,” she whispered to herself. It’s okay, she thought. I’ll do another test, and this one has to be wrong. But turning out her pockets she didn’t have even half the money to buy a new one.

The next day at school was very hard. The events of the previous day were still fresh in her mind. She didn’t know what to do. All day the only thing on her mind was whether or not she should keep it. What will Kate think of me? She wondered, what will my mum do? I’ve gone and made the same mistake she did.

Kate could tell that something was on her mind.
“What’s up? You’ve been down all day.”
“It’s nothing much, don’t worry,” replied Monique.
“Come on babe, we tell each other everything. You look like you’ve eaten cold porridge,” moaned Kate.
“Look,” Monique didn’t mean to snap, “it’s just I’ve got stuff on my mind, that’s all.”
“Well, we all have stuff on our mind. Ben’s been acting all funny, but I suppose that doesn’t matter because Monique has problems so big that no one else matters.” Kate snapped back.
The hurt and coldness in Kate’s voice made Monique burst in to tears.
“”Hey babe, I’m sorry. I have all this negative energy I need to get out, that’s all,” she said giving Monique a hug.
“It’s not that, It’s just…Oh, Kate I’m so sorry,” sobbed Monique
“What about? You haven’t done anything,” said Kate
“I have…Oh Kate. You remember Lauren’s party?”
“Yeah.”
“Ben and I sort of kissed…but it was a mistake, I mean we were so drunk.”
“You did what?” Kate yelled, so that people stopped and looked at them both. “Wait, with my boyfriend?”
Her face looked like she had been slapped a thousand times and now she wanted revenge.
“It was an accident, I’m so sorry. I just had to tell you, because…”
“Because what?” Shouted Kate.
“Because I’m pregnant,” she sobbed. She hadn’t meant to tell her that bit but it came out like word vomit.
The bell for afternoon lessons rang.
Kate walked away, without looking at her and Monique had never felt so alone.

That evening, she went home and worried about how she would tell her mum. She didn’t have to worry for long as soon Kate was at her door.
“Hey Kate come in. Monique is upstairs”
“Actually I wanted to talk to you”
“Really well come in and grab a seat. So what’s on your mind kiddo?”
Monique’s heart was thumping in her chest like an animal trying to get out of a cage as she sat on the stairs listening to their conversation .
“If my boyfriend cheated on me and took advantage of my friend should I dump him or give him another chance ?”
“That’s a hard decision to make. Do you like him enough to give him another chance. Can you trust him? Is your friendship worth it?”
“I do like him but my friendship is not worth it. I don’t think I can trust him. Thanks for the advice”
“No probs kiddo.”
Monique was stunned Kate had not told her mum she was happy but still surprised.
Kate climbed the stairs and saw Monique.
“I am not going to tell your mum,” she whispered. “I’ll let you do that I realised our friendship is more important then a stupid boy who takes advantage of you, and I will stick by you and the baby.”
“Thanks and I promise never to do anything with your boyfriends no matter how drunk I am.”
“You better not or I will slap you!” and suddenly they both laughed.
“Would you come down with me while I tell my mum I’m pregnant?”
“What are friends for?”
Kate and Monique hugged and held hands as they descended down the stairs to tell her mum.