I was hugging the toilet again when someone knocked on my door. I pulled myself up and looked in the mirror. My skin was pasty, and my hair clung to my sweaty face. I blew my nose, splashed water on my face, and tried to smile. I looked like shit. Maybe I could just ignore whoever was here, and they would go away.
“Scar?” Lily called through my door.
I couldn’t ignore her. She was my best friend. That, and she knew my car so she knew I was home.
“Coming,” I called out. My throat hurt from throwing up. I opened the door, and Lily stood in front of me, looking fresh. She was in her office attire–a blouse and suit pants, with her hair pulled back. Her smiled faded when she saw me.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I nodded. “I’m fine,” I said. I hugged her. She pulled back when I let go and narrowed her eyes at me.
“I’ve known you long enough to know that you’re not fine when you say you are. Have you been throwing up again?”
I couldn’t lie to her. What would one more be, to be honest? But she would see through this lie. It was the only reason I had to tell the truth, which was saying something about how far this had gone, but that was another worry for another time.
“What’s going on, Scar?” Lily asked.
“I think it’s a stomach bug.”
Lily raised her eyebrows. “For three weeks? No bug lasts that long.”
I shrugged. “I’m going to make tea. Hopefully, that will stay down. Do you want something?”
“No, thank you,” Lily said, but she followed me to the kitchen where I put on the kettle. “Are you pregnant?”
I froze and swallowed hard before I turned around.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said. “How long have we been playing this game with boys? I think I can handle myself by now.”
Lily didn’t laugh at my attempt at a joke. Shit, she was serious.
“You know that I’ll support you if you are,” Lily said. “I’m worried about you. You keep to yourself so much now, and you’re never this sick. This looks a lot like a baby to me.”
I shook my head and took a cup out of the cabinet for myself.
“Are you sure I can’t get you anything? I bought fruit tea the other day. It’s pretty good.”
“Don’t change the subject,” Lily said. I knew where she got her serious attitude from. Evan was just like that–to the point.
I sighed. “I’ll go get it checked out, okay? I’ll go to a doctor, but I know it’s probably going to be a digestive thing. Or a parasite.” Like a baby. “I’ll probably get antibiotics or something.”
Lily narrowed her eyes at me. “You can’t skip out on it,” she said.
I chuckled. “Yes, Mom.”
“I still think you’re pregnant,” Lily said.
I shook my head. “I’m pretty sure I would know if I’m pregnant,” I said. “You know, periods and everything.”
“You’ve been regular?”
Thank God, she’d asked it right. I’d been very regular. I was having a baby, so I didn’t have my period, too, but that still counted as regular. Right?
“Yeah, nothing wrong with my cycle.” I patted myself on the back for my diplomatic answer.
Lily looked at me, and I blinked, trying not to look as guilty as I felt. I was still lying to her in a way, and I hated lying to Lily. She was my best friend, and she didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve any of it–not me lying to her or sleeping with her dad or carrying her siblings.
“I still think something’s up,” Lily said.