Page 93 of How to Score Off Field

Preggo.

Oh god.

“You’re not,” she reassures me with almost no information because the idea of it being true is too surreal. “You can’t be.”

But I could be.

Because we didn’t use protection.

“But what if I am?”

A soft exhale of surprise escaped her lips. "Wow, that's... that's…are you sure?"

I lean back against the couch cushions, my mind racing with a million thoughts. "I mean, I haven't taken a test yet, but something’s off. My body just…knows, does that make sense? I'm kind of freaking out over here, Miranda."

I stand, pacing around my living room, my heart racing with anxiety. I need to confide in someone—lord knows I can’t tell my brother or my parents, at least, not yet—and Miranda is always the first person I call when I have a problem.

She knows everything.

She also knows I have a very low chance of getting pregnant.

Miranda's soothing voice floats through the phone. "Come on, relax. There's no way, Tess. Remember that time we laughed about the so-called 'pregnancy symptoms' when you had sex with that one guy Paul? It's just your body playing tricks on you."

I sigh. "I know, but it feels different this time.”

She chuckles. "Trust me, fate has better timing than this. Let's not jump to conclusions. Remember, we've got a girls' night planned next weekend, and you’ll feel normal. We'll laugh about this too, I promise."

Her optimism works; it begins to melt away my worries, and I smile a little. "You always know how to make me feel better, Miranda."

"Of course, that's what best friends are for. Now, go treat yourself to some chocolate, watch a cheesy rom-com, and relax. Everything will be okay." There’s some background noise, and it sounds like she’s moving around. “Listen, I wish I could come over, but I just walked into the chem lab for my makeup test.”

She lowers her voice. "Hey, it's going to be okay. First things first, have you talked to a doctor about this?"

"No," I admit, feeling a twinge of guilt for not seeking professional advice sooner. “Isn’t the first thing you do is run out and get a test?”

“Usually.” She laughs. “At least that’s what I’ve done, but you’ve had issues with your lady parts. You should go have an honest conversation about what's going on.”

Since when is she so mature all of a sudden?

"You're right. I should definitely do that." At some point.

Just not right now.

Right now, I’m too freaked out.

"In the meantime, let's not jump to conclusions. Remember that time we thought you had that rare tropical disease after we came back from Cancun, and it turned out to be a bad case of food poisoning?"

I grin at the memory despite the situation at hand. "Yeah, I remember. I guess I do have a tendency to overthink things every once in a while."

"Oh, you absolutely do. But that's what I'm here for – to keep you grounded and remind you not to spiral into a frenzy of what-ifs."

My chest squeezes with warm fuzzies. She’s such a damn good friend. "Thanks, Miranda. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd probably drive yourself crazy," she quips quietly. "Now, promise me you'll schedule that doctor's appointment. Don’t geek out and run and get thirty tests. You’re probably just stressed out.”

"I promise.”

But my fingers are crossed behind my back.

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