La Vie Est Belle

La Vie Est Belle

By: Candy Corn

Present

I pull my Corvette into the driveway and shift it into park. I grab the “Thank you for shopping with us” bag and pull out my house key, which I painted hot pink with light pink polka-dots when I was thirteen. I unlock the front door and walk into the kitchen. I dug through the bag and found the pregnancy test. I took it out and walked into the bathroom.

I just looked at the pregnancy test as I slowly watch the words get stronger. I’m so scared, wanting to know if I’m pregnant. I looked at the test again to see what the result is. I lean against the bathroom door, and slowly slide down the door as the tears start to fall. I look at the test again, just to make sure that I was reading it correctly. It still said “PREGNANT”. Looking at the test brought me back to that night. I was walking to my car after my German class at Quinsigamond Community College, I just hung up with my mom telling her that my class just ended and that I’m on my way home. This is my last year at community college, before I can transfer to a “college” college, and start on my Bachelors at 18. The next thing I know I was up against my car and a guy was on top of me.

I made the flashback stop, and I started crying even harder. I pulled my cell out of my pocket and dialed the one person who I can trust and I knew was home. I called Susan.

“Hey Caelyn, is everything alright?” Susan asked

“Susan – Can you come to me house? I need you” I replied between my sobs

“What’s wrong? Are you alright?” Susan responded

“No, not at all! My parents aren’t home, and I need you right now. I think, I think I’m pregnant,” I whispered. Hearing myself say the word, realizing that it’s true, it seems so unreal. I’m a perfect kid, I work, go to college, and still finish off some of my high school classes, and I’m only 17. What am I going to do with a child?!

“Caelyn, I’ll be there in a couple of minutes, okay?” Susan responded after a couple of minutes of hearing her breath while I cry.

“Okay, thank you Susan,” I responded as I hung up. I looked at the pregnancy test again. Yup, it still said “PREGNANT”. I took it and set it on the sink as I got up. I opened the bathroom door and waited for Susan to show up.

Four Months Pregnant

I pulled into the Chicopee Public Library parking lot. I looked at my belly, even with my long, flowing, shirt, my pregnancy still shows. I got out of my car, locked it, and walked into the library. I walked down the stairs to the reference desk. I saw that the Teen Times will be meeting in the history room. I was the first one here, so I took a seat and pulled out my notebook. Slowly, everyone came in one-by-one, and we started the meeting slightly on time. Twenty minutes into the meeting, a horrible nauseous feeling came in a rush. I looked at Jess, and excused myself from the meeting. I asked the reference library where the bathroom was. Luckily it was close. I ran to the bathroom with my hand to my mouth and my purse hitting my back. I ran into the first stall, attempted to hold my hair back and vomited into the toilet. A couple minutes later I heard Jess calling for me.

“Caelyn, are you okay? What stall are you in?” Jess asked

“No, want to hold my hair back for me? I’m in the first stall,” I called back. Jess came in and held my hair back. After a couple minutes of vomiting I felt much better. I left the stall and brushed my teeth, I know keep toothpaste and a tooth brush on me. Evidently, morning sickness isn’t just in the morning, who knew! I looked at Jess, who was still in the bathroom, waiting for me, and I started to cry. Jess pulled me into a hug and stoked my hair as I cried on her shoulder.

“Caelyn, everything will be okay. I promise,” Jess whispered into my ear. I finally calmed down after a couple minutes. I touched up my makeup and looked at Jess through the mirror.

“You can’t promise that. My father doesn’t even talk to me. I haven’t seen my mother outside of work, if I’m able to even talk to my father or live in their house, then maybe I would believe you,” I said as I dropped my makeup into my bag and turned to her. We both walked out of the bathroom and into the history room together. Kathy gave me a look and said, with her annoying voice,

“So glad that you could join us, we were just talking about teen pregnancy. Want to weigh in?”

It seemed as if everyone looked at Kathy with a “Did that just come out of your mouth?” look. I looked up at Kathy, with a look I can’t even describe. Smiled, and replied.

“I’m sorry Kathy, but we only want to use stories that are consensual, because rape and sexual assault is a whole different story,” The rest of the group looked at Kathy. Her look was surprised that I came back with a response, and a good one at that! I smiled and said, “Okay, shall we continue?”

Nine Months Pregnant

I’m spending the day with my boss, we’re doing errands for work and for my new baby girl that is a week late. We’re only picking up the last couple things, when I felt the worst contraction known to man!

“Susan, it’s time!” I said. Susan looked at me, and then at my belly, and everything connected. She got me to the car, and started driving to Mary Lane. Luckily we were at Walmart, so we were closer than if we were at Big Y. We get to the doctors and I’m doing the funny breathing thing. It’s kind of helping, but there is still pain - - - Pain that no guy will ever feel.

Seven Hours in Labor

12:15 AM, May 4^th

“Good morning Caelyn! How are we doing today?” My doctor asked in a too cheerily of a voice at this hour. I looked at her and smiled.

“I’m doing good, hungry and tired, but I’m goo – AHHHHHH!” I screamed. It was another contraction.

“Okay Caelyn, at your next contraction take a deep breath and push really hard for me, okay?” My doctor asked. I could only accomplish a nod, because the next thing I knew, I was pushing. I looked around the room and saw my father, which meant so much to me. When I told my father that I was pregnant he kicked me out, so I’ve been living with Susan for the past nine months. He hasn’t even called or talked to me since I told him. The only time I see my mother is at work when she has a book, we talk on occasion, but not too often. So having my father there is like a dream come true.

The next couple minutes were a blur; it was filled with doctors and nurses, and pushing, and crying, and awing. The next thing I knew I was being asked what I wanted to name my daughter. I looked down at this sweet, innocent, little child, who was conceived by a rape, I never knew someone that beautiful could be the result from something so evil.

“Susan Troi Adams,” I said, “That’s her name. Susan Troi Adams,” I smiled as I looked down at my Susan, and she smiled back at me.

The End