I stood up and grabbed my purse and looked at him and said, “I didn’t joke about anything.” and walked away. Seth didn’t know what to say but most importantly neither did Lance. A minute later the two walked outside where I was waiting for them.
“Well uh Jen, I’ll talk to you later, and uh, good luck with the pregnancy, I guess.” Seth said giving me a hug.
“Thanks, you’re a sweetie. See ya later step-bro to be.” I waved good-bye and got in my dad’s car. The drive home was silent. My plan had worked and my dad was exceptionally mad at me. Lance on the other hand didn’t know what to say to me. We arrived home and the guys were already back. My dad went straight to bed without saying good-night.
I heard all the guys in the living room watching TV so I said. “I’m feeling kinda sick right now I’m going to go upstairs and lay down for awhile, go sit with the guys, I’ll be down in about an hour.” I gave him a kiss and a smile and proceeded up the stairs.
Lance walked into the living room and sat down on the couch where the guys were watching some movie on TV. He sat there quietly not uttering a word. Twenty minutes later when everything was quiet he softly muttered, “I can’t believe it.”
Justin was the only one who heard him. “Can’t believe what?”
“She’s pregnant.”
“Who’s pregnant?” Joey asked.
“Jen is.” he said with no change in expression.
“You’re kidding me right?” JC said turning the TV off.
“I...I, no I’m not kidding. We were out at dinner with her father and her dad’s girlfriend Claudia came over and her son, Seth, was joking around and asked her if we had done anything together and she said yes many time and that she was pregnant. I swear she was joking.” he paused. “But..but then Seth said what a good joke she said she wasn’t joking about anything.”
“Dude, I can’t believe it.” Chris said.
“Me neither.” said Justin.
“I can’t believe it, but it all makes sense, she was sick awhile ago, maybe it was morning sickness or something, and when we got back she said she wasn’t feeling good so she went upstairs to lay down for awhile.”
“Well it looks like you’re going to be a daddy.” JC said.
“Me? A daddy? I can’t be a dad yet!”
Meanwhile upstairs I had put on a pair of sweatpants and a shirt and laid down on the bed to sleep for a little while, my head was killing me. I couldn’t get any sleep, it was too early so I went downstairs where it was now silent.
“Hey people, why are you all so quiet?” I asked when I walked in.
“Hi, I thought you weren’t feeling well.” JC said.
“Well I feel a little dizzy and I have this headache and part of me wants to puke but I think I’m better sitting down here for awhile. So why is it so quiet?”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Joey asked.
“Tell you what?”
“That you were, ya know?”
“Sick? Because it’s nothing Joey really.”
“No, not that you were sick, ya know, Pre..”
“You’re pregnant Jen!” Chris yelled.
“Oh that, so Lance you told them huh? Why did you do that?”
“Why shouldn’t we know Jen, were we suppose to find out 9 months from now when you’re in the hospital having a baby?”
I started laughing uncontrollably.
“Why do you think this is funny Jen?” Justin asked.
“I can’t believe it, that’s all. hahahaha” I continued to laugh.
“You’re laughing cause you’re pregnant? Is that some side effect or something?” Joey asked.
“Yeah Joey that must be it. Damn I need to go check on my dad, I’ll be right back, hahaha.” I got up and walked upstairs to talk with my dad. We talked things over and made up, he apologized for having Claudia come when it was only suppose to be the 3 of us. 15 minutes later I went back in the living room where everything was still quiet.
“I’m back.” I shouted as I sat down.
“How’s your dad dealing with the news?” Lance asked.
“My dad? He’s great, he’s laughing too! Seriously!”
“Ok what is wrong with you Hunter’s? You laugh about being pregnant at 17? That’s not funny.” Chris commented.
“Chris, go to hell. And Lance sweetie keep your mouth shut next time, look at what you started.”
“Next time? Let’s hope this doesn’t happen again anytime soon.” Lance remarked.
“Lance are you mad at me?”
“No, I’m just a little shocked. I mean sure I want kids but like I was thinking a bit down the road, you’re only 17 Jen, we’re too young to have kids.”
“No really, if I was going to have a kid at 17 I would probably shoot myself.”
“What do you mean IF?”
“Like I said If I Was going to have a kid.”
“Well you’re pregnant so you are going to have one.”
“I swear I am too damn good! I was only going for my dad but I got you and Seth plus these other 4 fools! I didn’t expect you or Seth to take me seriously but guess I was wrong, huh?”
“So you’re not pregnant?” Joey asked.
“Of course not, I was joking with my dad but only to make him really believe it. But I went up and told him the truth when I realized that you 5 believed it too, that went so far, I’m soooo completely sorry.” I pleaded and giggled at the same time.
Justin, Joey and Chris picked up pillows and threw them at me.
“Hey that’s no way to treat a pregnant lady.” I joked.
They all realized how well they had been fooled and lightened up.
That week went by slowly. I was busy packing my belongings up and shipping them to Florida. My room was looking so bare. I thought back to the good times I had in this room, the only room I had ever lived in. This was the end and a new beginning with a promising future laid before me.
Two days before we were set to leave Kristin invited us all over to her house along with some other friends for a little going away party. That night was full of fun, laughter and tears, I was really going to miss all my friends at home but we all promised to stay in touch through e-mail, phone, mail, and occasional visits. I had the best friends in the world and I knew I would have them forever. That night when I got home I made a phone call to my Aunt Lindsay.
“Hello” She said.
“Aunt Lindsay, it’s Jen.”
“Hey girl how’s it going, ready for your trip?” “More than ready. Anyways I just wanted to remind you that the plane is suppose to be there about 5:45 - 6:15 and I’ll be looking for you.”
“I’ll be looking for you too but it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you, so hopefully you haven’t changed too much.”
“Oh, well I have. Anyways did I ever tell you about my boyfriend?”
“Nope, I’ve never heard a word, except your mother had told me you met some guy and you two were really cute together.”
“Oh ok. Well my boyfriend is coming with me, see he’s from Orlando and he had to come back so we’re coming to Orlando together.”
“Ok, well what’s he look like so I can spot him.”
“Umm well, have you ever seen ‘NSync?”
“I’m from Orlando sweetie, yeah I hung out with them for a few minutes with my friend Tracey’s daughter, why?”
“Ok well you know who Lance is right?”
“Sure do.”
“Well you’ve met my boyfriend then. So look him and then you can find me if I don’t find you.”
“You have a wild imagination Jen, I’ll see you then. Bye.”
Wild imagination. Me? Yeah right. No one ever believed me, I wonder why?
The day had come to say a brief good-bye to Justin, Joey, Chris, and JC. We left at 7:30 p.m. and arrived at the airport shortly after 8:30. The guys went through security and did all necessary things before they took off. We had an hour to waste so we just sat down and talked. I don’t exactly remember the conversations because there were so many going on at one time. I told the guys to meet us at the airport in Orlando around 5:45 - 6:15 in the morning and that I had to meet up with my aunt first but then we would find them.
“Well what does your Aunt look like, we’ll look out for her.” Joey suggested
“She’s a little taller than me she’s 31 and she has short blonde hair to her ears. If you see someone who looks like someone you met before stick near her. Turns out she’s met you guys before. Her friend’s daughter won some contest and she took her and supposedly they hung out with you for like 15 minutes or something.
“When?”
“I think she said not too long ago like back in February or March or something.” The guys thought back to the people they had met in Orlando.
“Wait, I know who you’re talking about, is she like a real jokester?”
“The biggest one I know.”
“I know who she is. You’re going to have fun living with your Aunt she seemed real adventurous.”
“Oh she is. She’s done it all, rock climbing, skydiving, bungee jumping, you name it.” Minutes later their plane was called and I said good-bye to each of them, it wouldn’t be much longer till I saw them again. Lance and I got in the car and drove back to my house where we attempted to get about 2 and a half hours of sleep before we had to get up.
“Come on sleepy heads time to go.” my dad said as he walked into my room to deliver the wake-up call.
I slowly crawled out of bed and stretched, then I grabbed my carry on and my one bag of clothes I hadn’t sent yet and got into my dad’s car along with Lance. At 1:55 a.m we arrived at the airport and sat and waited for the plane to be called.
“Don’t forget...” my dad began.
“To call and write. I know dad, I told you already I would and also Aunt Lindsay and I are going to come back here for Thanksgiving and then you’re coming down for Christmas and then I’ll spend a few weeks with you in the summer. I’ll miss you dad.” I said as I began to feel guilty for how rude I had been to my father the past few weeks.
“I’m going to miss you too princess.”
“You don’t need to worry she’ll be in good hands, she’s got her aunt and then if she ever needs me or the guys we’re nearby.” Lance promised him.
“You’re a good boy. I’m glad my daughter found you and I take back what I said awhile ago about you two, you are good for each other.”
“You don’t know how much that means to hear you say that.” I said.
“Flight 1209 to Orlando, Florida is now loading.” The person on the other side of the intercom announced.
“That’s our flight Jen.” Lance notified me.
I stood up and embraced my dad in a huge hug. “I’m sorry this had to happen.”
“I’m sorry too, I never meant to hurt you like I did, it’s too late now though. Oh well you’ll always be my daughter no matter what.” he apologized and I accepted.
“Well I guess I’ve gotta go now.” I grabbed my carry on bag and hugged him once more. I walked to the terminal without looking back. I stopped before vanishing out of sight and looked back at my dad. I smiled, waved and blew him a kiss and continued to the plane.
The plane was ready to take off and I was paranoid but determined not to show it. I had been to the airport a dozen times but I had never gotten as far to actually get on the plane. What made the ride worse was I was living in the fear of crashing like mother had. It turned out the ride wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be. I had Lance beside me and my cd player and they also showed a movie, Simon Birch, it gave me a good cry for the day. At 6 a.m. we arrived at the Orlando airport. My Aunt was suppose to meet me when I got off the plane so once I was off my eyes probed through the crowd of people and I found her. There she stood about 5’7”, short blonde hair, and young looking, she was my mother’s youngest sister.
“Lindsay” I yelled out hoping she would hear my voice.
She looked around to see where the voice was coming from. Her eyes met mine and she looked behind me and saw Lance and her mouth slightly dropped as she saw I wasn’t joking with her. I waved to her and walked over to her.
“Hey girly, it’s good to see you again.” She said giving me a hug.
“You too Aunt Lindsay.”
“Dear, I thought you were playing a little prank on me when you told me about this boy right here, I didn’t realize you were serious.”
“Guess you have to see it to believe it. Hey look, want more proof.” I said as I walked away over to Joey, Justin, JC, and Chris and brought them over to my aunt.
“I was right I did remember her Jen.” Joey said.
“You know these other four too?” she asked.
“Know them? They’re some of my best buddies, and they just came back a few hours ago from spending a whole month at my house.”
“Oh I bet that was trouble.”
“haha, no actually it wasn’t too bad, two of my best-friends came down for a visit and we went to my school where I had the guys do a little performance. Then mom and dad left after they dropped me off and they went on some getaway and then they went out to visit uncle Ron and then you know the accident. Then dad came home and that bastard wasn’t around he was still at Claudia’s house. We kept the house in good shape.”
“That’s good. Listen we better get you home. I started unpacking some of your boxes in your room but I still need a lot of help.”
“Oh ok. Well I guess I’m ready to go. Bye guys I’ll see you in a few weeks I guess.”
I turned to Lance and kissed him gently on the lips. “I’m going to miss you. Apart again.”
“Not forever though. I’ll see you soon, promise. I’ll call you tonight.”
I wanted to cry but I knew I shouldn’t. It would only be a few days without him but it was a few days too many.
“Ok, see ya.” I said then turned around and went back to my new home with Lindsay.