"Haven, we need to talk." My mom's voice drifted from downstairs up to my room.
It had been a few days since I had told her. Aspen still didn't know. I couldn't tell him. I feared it would ruin him, us. I was scared that I'd be like those girls on Teen Mom or 16 and Pregnant whose lives just turn to complete crap if he knew. I wanted to make whatever time we had together last until he found out and left me. Don't get me wrong, Aspen was a cool guy. Loving, kind, caring, respectful, fun to be around... I just didn't know what this kind of surprise would do to him. I knew he hated surprises, though I never knew why. You may think of me as selfish, for keeping this from him, but what would you do in my place? For all I knew, I'd be kicked out of the house, living on the streets like some wash out. That wasn't me. I was a smart kid, mostly. Yeah, I know you're laughing right now. What kind of smart kid gets knocked up as a teenager? Me, that's who. Anyway, Aspen didn't run away from his problems. He faced them head on, right away, and dealt with them. That's what I was most afraid of. I was deathly afraid he'd be so freaked out that he'd up and leave without thinking things through properly.
"Haven!" My mom's voice was a tad bit louder this time.
I cringed. "Better get this over with," I muttered. I walked out into the hallway and leaned over the banister, looking down at her. "What?"
"Come down here," she said, hands on hips. "I think there's a few things we need to talk about, don't you?"
"Not really. I can handle it."
"Like hell! What do you know about being a mom? Let's go."
"No," I told her. "You look like your going to bend me over your knee and spank me like a petulant child."
I got my attitude from her. "Quit being a smartass. Act like an adult and come down here!"
"You might kick me in the stomach if I go anywhere near you right now." Okay, ouch. I saw the brief glimpse of hurt in her eyes, which she quickly replaced with anger.
"When have I ever laid a hand on you?" she yelled. "Get down here and talk to me!"
Well, she can't get much more angry than this. "A'ight. I'm coming." I padded down the stairs in my bare feet, walked past her and sat on the couch, acting like nothing had happened. "What's up?"
She sat in the chair across from me. "This is all a game to you isn't it? Haven, this is serious. You're PREGNANT! P-r-e-g-"
"Mom! I know how to spell-"
She just carried on like I didn't say a word. "-n-a-n-t. What're you going to do now, hmm? What about school? What about everything you've been working for? All of your dreams?" Mom shook her head, appearing disappointed. "And what about that kid. What's-his-face?, that you've been dating? Is he the father? Or is it someone else? You're not acting serious at all. I raised you so much better than this. Why -"
"Mom!" I interrupted her. I was so done with her b.s. "Will you listen to me for once? Let's get on thing straight:" I pointed a finger at her. "YOU didn't raise me. I raised me. You were to damn busy worrying about yourself and what you wanted." I relaxed back into the couch and continued, nonchalantly. "I'm not asking for your help. I'm not some charity case. I wouldn't even DREAM about asking you for help, ever. You know why? You'd just give me hell over whatever it is and tell me 'I told you so' when you didn't tell me anything. I know more about being a mom than you think. I've been watching kids since I was twelve for money to save up for whenever I would need it. And guess what? I have most of it! I only spent it on things I absolutely had to. Not that you'd know or care about any of this. You're never around to know if I was an alcoholic or going drugs.
"Oh, and that guy I've 'been dating' has a name. It's Aspen, and we've been dating very well over a year now." I paused for a moment at her look of shock. "See what I mean? You've never been around. And before you ask, no, he doesn't know I'm pregnant, yet. I'll take care of that on my own. Yes, I'm keeping the baby. I don't know where I'm going to live, but I'm keeping it. I don't care what you say. This is between me and Aspen. Not you. As far as I'm concerned, I don't really give a crap if you're a part of the baby's life or not. If you want to, you'll actually have to be around and pretend to show some interest. I'm not going to let my child grow up like I did. I'm going to love he or she and care for him or her, unlike you."
If her pale eyes had heat vision, I'm sure I would have been incinerated. I didn't care. I meant every single word. "Okay." She stood up and moved her long, dark brown braid over her shoulder and down her back. I watched her hand turn and open the door to our back patio. She paused and looked at me just before she left just long enough to say: "Just so you know, I'm not the type of mother to kick her daughter out just because she got knocked up just like some tramp." Exit Mom.
I let out a breath. Good old Mom. I know it seemed like she was trying to help by letting me stay, but I knew better than to expect kindness from her. She just offered so she could watch me fail and laugh. Little did she know, I wasn't going to fail. Not like her.
Hey, could be worse. I could be working at McDonald's by day and the street corners by night.
