Chapter 9:
Teresa had kept herself locked in her bedroom for the past 4 days. She'd been sick, so her mother had not made her go to school. She played "The Stranger", track 5 over and over on her CD player. Her mother couldn't understand what was wrong with her. Was it Taylor? she wondered. No. Teresa had been fine the days following Taylor's leaving. Was she having repercussions 2 months afterwards?

It was a rainy afternoon that Mrs. Wilcombe had off when she decided to step in and find out what was going. She knocked on her daughter's door. Teresa's voice said for her to come in. Inside, she found the room in disarray. Teresa was curled up on the floor with a blanket wrapped around her. Her face was red and tearstained.

"Teresa? Honey, are you okay?" Mrs. Wilcombe asked.

Teresa just looked up at her. "Mommy? Mommy, come sit with me please."

Mrs. Wilcombe, confused, sat down with her daughter on the floor. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"Mommy, I've been bad. I've done something so wrong…"

"Teresa?"

"I'm pregnant," Teresa wailed, tears flooding her eyes.

"You're…what?" Mrs. Wilcombe asked.

"I'm gonna have a baby, Mommy," Teresa sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry… Please, please don't leave me, Mommy. I can't do this alone. I'm sorry…"

Mrs. Wilcombe was in shock. "I…"

Teresa's arms wrapped around her, and the grown girl climbed into her mother's lap. Mrs. Wilcombe also began to cry as her daughter, her baby, clung to her sobbing.

But you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want
Or you can just get it old
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through
When will you realize…
Vienna waits for you

next
contents