Prologue
A ndrea held in a cry as she rushed down the long empty hallway towards the girls' bathroom. Thankfully, she made it before losing the school lunch of cold pizza and chocolate milk that she'd eaten an hour earlier.
Sitting on the floor, breathing through the nausea, trying to recover, she heard someone else walk into the bathroom. Hearing their voices, she immediately knew who it was. Tiffany and Heather, her older sister Amy's two close friends.
The three friends were all cheerleaders and by far the most popular girls in school. The other two girls' egos and attitudes were as big as their parents' bank accounts. How her sister had become close friends with them baffled her.
The trio made it their mission to torture Andrea every chance they could. Thankfully, this time it appeared that her sister wasn't with the other two girls.
Amy was by far the worst of them in how she treated Andrea. Maybe it was because Amy's torture continued long after the last school bell of the day.
She held in a groan. Why was it that those girls always showed up when she was in a bad state?
"Did you hear what she did yesterday?" Heather giggled.
"What?" Tiffany asked.
"She purposely burned the hair on Toby's arm in science class," Heather responded with a chuckle.
It wasn't on purpose. Toby Little was a very hairy ninth grader who had leaned close to her (to look down her top, no doubt) and had singed his arm on the Bunsen burner.
"That girl is mental," Tiffany added.
At that moment, Andrea understood that the two had seen her come into the bathroom.
"I don't see how Amy is related to her."
Not wanting to play their game any longer, she flushed the toilet and walked out of the stall. The two girls were leaning against the sinks, vaping and staring at her as if they were friends waiting for her to finish up.
Andrea washed her hands quickly, without saying a word to either of them. When she moved towards the towels to dry her hands, Heather stepped in front of her.
"Heard you and Tommy were seen together last week after the game," Heather sneered.
Tommy White was an all-American football star. He was the small-town hero that would take the struggling team all the way to state. No doubt, in the coming years, he'd be signed by some college and then play in the big leagues.
He was by far the most popular boy in the entire school. The fact that he'd been dating her on and off for the past few months had been nothing short of miraculous.
He was the reason she was hiding in the bathroom after lunch. The reason she was, even now, plotting a path for her new life.
"So? You dumped him before the first game of the season. Remember? We've been seeing each other since then," Andrea countered.
"That was before I knew he was going to take us all the way to state." Heather smiled. "We got back together last night at Kimberly's party, just so you know. I can't believe Amy didn't tell you."
Was it true? Even though her heart skipped, she tried to maintain an indifferent attitude.
"Good for you," she said as she tried to sidestep Heather. She came up against Tiffany's shoulder as the other girl blocked her path. "What?" She threw up her still-wet hands in exasperation.
"We just want to make sure you keep out of our way. Tommy is off-limits from here on out," Tiffany hissed.
Not giving a shit any longer, Andrea took Tiffany's expensive silk top in her hands and used it to dry her wet and soapy fingers.
Tiffany gasped at the same time Heather balled her fist and punched Andrea in the stomach. Hard. Too hard. Andrea doubled over, wheezing for breath. Moments later she felt a rush of blood flow down her legs. The cramps brought her to her hands and knees and her head spun. She threw up whatever small amount remained in her stomach all over her hands.
The two girls laughed as they strolled out of the bathroom, unaware they had just ended a life. One that Andrea had so desperately wanted, regardless of her young age. Regardless if Tommy or anyone else knew about it.
Had they somehow known? Known that she had just found out that morning she was pregnant with Tommy's baby? She had planned to tell him after practice that day. To make sure he knew that she didn't need him in her life. She only wanted the baby, not some jock that would no doubt run around on her.
She looked down at the dirty tiles under her hands and willed herself to get up and head to the nurse's office. Instead, she crawled towards the toilet and waited until most of the bleeding and cramping had stopped. Then she stuffed three fresh pads in her underpants, cleaned her pants as best as she could, then wrapped her sweatshirt around her waist before rushing out of the bathroom to head home. Anger and tears blinded her vision, and she bumped into a solid mass in the empty hallway.
"Hey," a soft deep voice said. "Are you okay?"
Strong hands gently took her shoulders, stopping her from falling backwards. She blinked and looked up into the warmest blue eyes she'd ever seen. To her horror, she burst into tears and melted into Dean Wallis's arms.