I tapped my pencil on my desk, waiting for the bell to ring for second lunch shift, my lunch shift. Mr. Gray was sitting at his desk typing away on his computer. A couple of boys in front of me were looking through a sports magazine, a few girls, Sasha and Meghan, were talking softly about someone they were pretending to be friends with. I tapped my pencil a little louder, getting annoyed with myself for not knowing how to solve linear systems. Mr. Gray’s eyes looked up from his computer, searching for that annoying tapping sound. I stopped until he glanced back at his computer screen, then started again, slightly softer.

“Mr. Gary?” The intercom crackled to life, loud and scratchy from by the class room door.

“Yes,” he answered spinning his chair around to face it.

“Do you have Audrey Heelman in there?” She woman’s voice sounded odd as it said my name.

“Yes,” he answered looking at me with a questioning gaze.

“Can you send her with her stuff up to the office, she’s leaving for the day,” the voice crackled loudly. I didn’t even wait for Mr. Gray to talk to me, I scooped up my notebook and pencil pouch and left the class room. I heard him say, “She’s on her way.”

The school’s hallways were deserted. The gray blue lockers reached on to the end of the hall, and then when you turn, they reach on down that hall too. I stopped at my locker only to grab my empty bag, besides my Ipod and cell phone, and drop my notebook and pencil pouch off inside it. I wouldn’t get to say bye to my friends for the weekend, but I would see them on Monday.

I reached the office at the front of the school and recognized my second oldest sister standing in the office. I pushed up the heavy wooden door and walked inside.

“Shawna, what are you doing here?” I asked. She turned around, her pretty long brunette hair just like mine, only straightened and not curl like mine. She had on gray baggy sweat pants and brown Uggs. She wore her blue super man hoodie inside out, like everyone was doing.

“Bailee Ann went into labor,” she said leading me out of the office. Outside I climbed into Shawna’s faded blue beat up truck.

“Is Kevin there?” I asked. Kevin Arnold, Bailee Ann’s fiancé and father of her baby.

“He drove her there, duh he’s there!” Shawna zoomed out of the parking lot and towards the ramp onto the highway.

I turned on the radio, my favorite station, and Shawna started singing loudly along to the song. I watched as Shawna sang, her hair flying back from her pretty face. Her makeup was perfectly applied, like she had a professional did it.

When we arrived we took the elevator up to the 4th floor, and sat down in the nice homey waiting room.

“She’s in room 6,” Shawna pointed at a closed door a little ways down the hall. As if on cue, it opened and my mother stepped out into the hall. She saw me and Shawna and walked over.

“She’s not very far yet and I wish you guys could come in, but it’s a small room, not much space.” My mom had bleach blond hair, dyed since she was naturally brunette like me and Shawna, her face botoxed recently, her makeup a little to much for a 47 year old woman. She still went on dates, sometimes with men a little to young for her. “I’m going to find a vending machine, I need some Diet Coke,” my mom turned on the heel of her moccasin’s, which all the girls in my school, including me I must admit, were wearing these days. My mom misses being young a little to much.

“She needs to cool it on the Diet Coke,” Shawna giggled, “She drank two before I left, probably one while I was gone, and now another.” It’s true, my mom is slightly addicted to Diet Coke. The door to room 6 opened again, and this time Rebecca came out. Rebecca Wizard is Bailee Ann’s best friend including a family friend since she was always over at the house. She was nice to all of us, my mother loved her.

“Hi Audrey,” she waved at me. Rebecca had really light brown hair, almost blonde, but definitely brown. She wore it in a ponytail most of the time, but it looked pretty when she let Bailee Ann style it. She strutted over pretending to be a movie star and plopped down in a chair besides me.

“Get out of school early, huh?” She said grinning. She was 20, same age as Bailee Ann. Shawna is 18, already out of high school taking classes at Green Link Community college close by the hospital. She wanted to be a nurse. I am 16, the baby of my family, and still stuck in high school.

“Yeah, thank goodness. I had an Algebra test today and I wasn’t going to pass, I know that,” I said pretending to wipe invisible sweat of my forehead. My mom came back down the hall with a bottle of half gone Diet Coke. She sat down by Rebecca, and they pretended to elbow each other for a little while, then chased each other back into Bailee Ann’s room.

“Weird-o’s,” Shawna mumbled digging her cell phone out of her bag. She went through her text messages. She got up and said, “I have a missed call, I’ll be right back.” She hurried excitedly off down the hall. Sitting alone, I let my feet swing, but the hit a little beam supporting the chair across the bottom, so I stopped. I got my own cell phone out, but all my friends were in class right now and none of then had texted me. Setting it back in my bag I stared at the room 6 door just waiting. Waiting and waiting and waiting, for the baby to be born.


“Welcome home, Drew!” A big blue banner hung across the kitchen arch way. Me and Shawna had painted it. I held the door open for Bailee Ann, who looked extremely tired. Her eyes had no makeup on them and had bags under them. She sat Drew’s carried down on the coffee table then dragged her self to the stairs that went up four steps, did a 90 degree turn to the left, and then went up another 6. Rebecca followed her.

“I want to hold Drew first!” Shawna darted forward and with swiftly gentle hands unbuckled him. She lifted his out slowly, and then positioned in her arms comfortably and then slowly sat down in the rocking reclining chair, rocking slowly. Drew didn’t miss a wink of sleep. My mom was dumping Bailee Ann’s overnight bag into the washing machine, poured in some soup and started it. She pulled the shutter doors shut to hid e the washer and dryer.

“Thirsty?” I nodded and Shawna nodded to, not taking her eyes off Drew. My mom disappeared in the kitchen and came back out with three cans of ice cold Diet Coke. I took mine, opened it and then opened Shawna’s for her. Baby Drew stirred a little in his sleep, his eyes scrunching up and letting out a frustrated cry before settling back down.

Rebecca returned to the living room.

“Bailee Ann just jumped on her bed and now she’s out cold.” Rebecca walked around the couch to Drew and started cooing softly. How is Bailee Ann going to take care of him if all she does is get home and sleep?