Page 50 of Finding Fate

Annie turned to Jet, ready to explain, certain she would have to, with Tucker stunned to silence, when she heard her friend’s normally bass like tone emit a hoarse whisper.

“Izzy thinks she’s pregnant.”

Jet’s eyes grew wide, and he looked at Annie to have her confirm or deny the remark. She gave him a look that said ‘I’m afraid so.’ He turned back to his distressed friend. “Dude, I didn’t even know that you guys were having sex.”

“Oh my God, really?”Annie rolled her eyes. “Babe, that is not the issue here. My sister could be pregnant,” she hissed. She turned back to Tucker and shook his shoulders to break his trance. He looked back at the face that was so much like his girl’s as Annie spouted off directions.

“Look, we need to find out for sure. I’m going to go back inside to take care of Izzy. You and Jet are going to go and get a test,” she instructed, jabbing Tucker’s chest with her finger.

“A test?” Jet repeated.

“We’re going to do what?” was Tucker’s response.

“You’re going to go get a test while I take care of my sister and your possibly knocked up girlfriend.” Was she stuttering or something? She thought the instructions were pretty simple.

“And what? Have her take a test here in a restaurant where someone might walk in? Or should we take it back to my place or your house where our parents could see it and freak out?” he asked, lacing his retort thick with sarcasm.

“My mom got called into work, and Tyler’s over at Jet’s playing with Chris. We’ll just have to make sure we take out the trash before anyone comes home,” Annie proclaimed, already starting to walk off. “Now get your butt’s in the truck, and go get that test. Izzy and I will be waiting for you when you get back.”

* * *

The two friends pulled out of the parking lot minutes later to run the simple, yet terrifying, errand the irate twin had given them. Jet drove, knowing he would have been shit behind the wheel if it were him in his friend’s position. Tucker moved restlessly in the passenger seat, cracking his knuckles, gripping his neck, tapping his fingers against his seat, and then his legs as his toes tapped at the empty soda bottles on the floorboard.

Tucker needed a distraction. “Dude, I still can’t believe you and Izzy had sex,” Jet commented casually as he turned at a light.

“I can’t believe this might be happening,” Tucker replied quietly, swallowing hard; he looked to his friend, silently begging for a lifeline.

“Look,” Jet offered, trying to sound reasonable and keep his friend sane. “This could be nothing. We’re worrying before we even know anything.”

Tucker nodded, greedy for the chance to doubt. If Izzy was pregnant, life as he knew it was over.

“So, how was it?” Jet asked, going for a different distraction when Tucker seemed to calm. He watched as the worry shifted into awe.

“It was unbelievable, man, mind-blowing… Being with her is nothing like with other girls. Would you believe she likes to take charge?”

“Yeah?” Jet asked, honestly surprised.

Tucker nodded. “She can get wild. It’s so hot.”

“Izzy wild in bed? Who knew?”Jet thought as he rolled the idea around in his head. “Good for you, man,” he said as they turned into the parking lot. He pulled into the first open spot he could see. Cutting the engine, he reached for the door.

“I don’t think I can do it, man.”

Tucker looked frozen, his fingers white-knuckling his thighs. “Sure you can,” Jet encouraged. “I know it’s humiliating to be buying one of those test things, but Annie’s going to have our asses if we don’t do it and get back soon.”

“I know that, but it’s not about the humiliation. If I go in there and buy one of those, it could confirm everything.”

For the first time since he had heard the news, he realized how completely terrified his friend must be. “Buying a test isn’t going to change what’s already there or isn’t there. What’s done is done.”

“I know.”

“Well, come on then. Let’s go get this over with before we have to face the wrath of Annie.”

Tucker took in a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, alright, let’s go.”

It seemed to Tucker as if their walk to the pharmaceutical section was going way too fast. Each step sounded in his ears, the people around them, and the voice on the intercom becoming background noise as they drew closer and closer to the dreadful test.

“Over here,” he vaguely heard Jet say from his side.

---