Page 59 of Finding Fate

16

Calling Him Out

The next few weeks passed by as uneventful as possible considering everything that had happened. Annie and Tucker got to school early every morning for track practices, and Isabel would carpool with Jet, appreciating the extra hour of sleep she got since the baby seemed to zap so much of her energy, her usual early rising be damned. Jet still had football after school every day, so Annie was watching him practice from the bleachers while she studied. That or hanging out with other friends.

Tucker and Izzy spent their free afternoons wrapped up in each other, savoring each second they had before their parents got home. The grief and constant attempts at persuasion to give up their child was exhausting. Thankfully, Annie and Jet were good distractions most evenings once homework and chores were done.

Isabel felt badly for all the strife she and Tucker had caused their friends. Constantly under their parents’ watchful eyes, Annie and Jet were barely allowed to kiss hello or goodbye and were never allowed a moment alone together when at home. It was unsettling. Annie just wanted time with her boyfriend. Jet, in turn, hated that football took his only parent-free gap in time that he could spend with her. But it was senior year, and he loved being on a team.

Their siblings had been told about the baby, but Tabitha was the only one it seemed to resonate with so far. She’d asked Izzy a few questions in the beginning, but soon became awkward and distant. Isabel hated it. She and Tabby had been close, and she knew the younger ones would likely start to pull away once she started to show.

Her nausea had mostly cleared, but Tucker noticed she had started crying a lot more, and it was getting easier to make her angry. Thankfully, Annie was pretty good at reining her in when they were all together.

So far, the pregnancy remained unnoticed by their peers, even though Isabel was now in her fourteenth week. The teens made it a point to never talk about it in public, especially since the attention from Tucker having a steady girlfriend had just started to settle. They were biding their time, but Isabel knew if anyone needed to know it was Leo.

Her doctor had still cleared her for dance those couple of afternoons each week, with some precautions, but she needed to fill her partner in before he figured it out on his own. He deserved the choice if he wanted to continue the season with her. It was just a hard pill to swallow that he might say no.

As they moved into the later part of September, the heat from the sun wasn’t beating down quite as hard now, but the eighty to ninety degree weather was far from cool. Isabel stared at a tree near their picnic table one day during lunch, appreciating the green of the trees while she still could, wondering how long it would take before its leaves turned brown and fell to the ground, the branches left spread in a bare, depressing state.

“Hey, Izzy, are you going to eat that piece of pie?” Hector asked from across their table.

“Eat your own food, Hector,” Emma scolded from next to him. “I’m sure Izzy doesn’t feel like giving hers away.”

“I was just asking. It’s been untouched and looking delicious since I sat down.”

Isabel sighed inwardly. She had honestly been trying to eat better for the baby, but the dessert had just looked so inviting sitting on the lunch counter today that she hadn’t been able to resist.

“No, it’s fine, Emma. He can have my pie. I don’t need it.”

“Awesome! Thanks, Izzy.” He snatched it from her tray like he was worried she would change her mind.

“No problem, Hector,” she tried not to grate. Now that her hormones were going haywire, her nickname had started irritating her to no end.

“Yeah, I didn’t think you’d mind. I never see you eat anything unhealthy anymore.”

“Just trying out a new diet,” she replied. It was her excuse to anyone who ever commented on her new eating habits now.

“Oh, is it because your clothes are getting tight?” Hector asked, his mouth full of the pie that had sat on her tray less than a minute ago.

Isabel’s jaw dropped, stunned. She looked around at the faces of her friends, who were equally shocked. “Can people tell?” she panicked inwardly.

Her pants had been feeling a little snug lately, and she had a dress or two she didn’t dare try to wear anymore, especially this past week, but she didn’t think her waist was that noticeable. How was she supposed to respond to that?

While she fretted, Emma’s hand flew up and whacked Hector in the arm.

“Don’t be so rude!” the small blonde snapped. “You never talk about a girl’s weight.”

“Why not? I’m just agreeing with her that eating healthy is the way to go. It would suck if she got fat. Then Annie would be the only hot twin at this school. Twins should be hot plural, not one hot, one not.”

Isabel could feel her eyes starting to swim. Why was she about to cry? She should be pissed right now, or at least offended.

She took a few slow breaths and shut her eyes, willing the tears to stay away, but she could feel the water start to leak over the edges. Jeez, it was bad enough that she was so emotional lately, but to actually start crying in public? Her humiliation had standards.

“I’ll be right back, restroom,” she murmured, getting up from her seat to rush inside where she could hide in a stall until her completely unnecessary display of emotion passed.

Annie kicked Hector from under the table just as Emma whacked his arm again.

“What the hell is your problem?” they asked him simultaneously.

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