For Keeps by Natasha Friend

Author:Natasha Friend
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin USA, Inc.
Published: 2010-12-15T22:01:48.714000+00:00

Ten

IN THE MORNING, when I get out of the shower, Liv is sitting at her desk in her pajamas, staring at the computer.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

She shrugs.

I lean in to look.

“Pregnant Teen Help dot org?”

She nods.

I swallow. “Please tell me you’re researching something for school . . . some health project, or . . .”

Silence.

“Liv.”

More silence.

“Oh my God, are you serious?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know.”

“You think you’re . . .”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I just yakked.” She points to the trash can. “I couldn’t even make it to the bathroom.”

“Well,” I say briskly, “you probably just have that stomach bug. The one Schuyler had. She was out all last week.”

“Did Schuyler’s boobs hurt?”

“Your boobs hurt?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, do they or don’t they?”

She shakes her head again. “Maybe. A little. Maybe I’m just being paranoid. But my period’s late. I know that.”

“How late?”

“Three days.”

I breathe out. “Well,” I say. I grab the other desk chair, sit down next to her. “Three days is nothing.”

“You think?” she says, looking at me with eyes that are suddenly too big for her face.

“Listen to me,” I say. “I’ve been three days late before. I’ve been a whole week late. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”

“Well, not if you’re a virgin.”

“Well, yeah. Obviously. But even if you’re not a virgin. . . . Wait. You and Finn have been using protection, right?”

“Of course.”

“Every time?”

Liv gives me a look. “Josie, do you think I’m an idiot?”

“No. No, of course I don’t. Just . . . Liv, you cannot freak out over three days. You’ll drive yourself crazy.”

“I know. I am.”

“It could be stress, hormones, diet. . . . All sorts of things can affect your cycle.”

“I know.”

I hesitate, then ask, “Do you want to take a . . . you know . . . test?”

She shakes her head. “Not yet. I don’t want to know yet. I just want to . . . not know for a few more days.”

“OK, so we’ll wait, then. And stay calm.”

“Right.” Liv nods. “OK. You do the calm part, though, because I don’t know if I can.”

“I will,” I tell her.

“Thanks.”

We hug. I hold on tight, too, because something just dawned on me. This is where Liv was coming from last night. This is why she went off on me. Her whole “you’re so lucky to have Kate, you shouldn’t take Kate for granted” spiel now makes perfect sense. Liv really needs a real mom to talk to. Not just an egg-donor surrogate from Minnesota who doesn’t know squat.

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