Page 64 of Good Girl

I stared at the text until the words blurred and my heart began to slow into painful, pounding beats in my chest.

No...

No, I couldn’t. I couldn’tcheatgrades like that. A hundred thoughts flooded my mind at once, but through it all, one thing was clear. Haley and Paul wouldn’t care about the truth, and I didn’t doubt for a moment that Paul would make good on that threat if I didn’t do what he wanted.

How the fuck was I going to getanyof my men to forge grades for Paul? They wouldn’t, and as soon as I tried to ask them, they would learn of this situation and kick me to the curb without a second glance.

Nausea rose, and I abandoned my phone to flee for the bathroom. Out in the hall, the floor became unsteady, and I reached out to the wall for balance, but it swayed in front of my eyes like water. My heart pounded, and burning hot sweat lanced down my spine, then the world tumbled and I fell into darkness.

I was only out for a few seconds, but it was long enough for a passing student to help me to my feet and insist they take me to the nurse’s office.

Inside, a kindly woman named Mildred sat me down on a stool and gave me some water. Then she began asking me some questions about how I was feeling. Such an innocently kind question sent my heart beating off rhythm, and the strong urge to spill my guts rose up.

I refrained, though, and instead shook my head.

“Now then, how long have you been feeling unwell?” Mildred asked as she busied around.

“Uhm... I don’t know, a couple of days. Since Saturday.”

“Four days. Any other symptoms besides nausea and vomiting?”

“No, I mean I’ve had a bit of a headache, but I haven’t been sleeping.”

“Any reason why?” Mildred settled in front of me and began winding a blood pressure cuff around my arm.

“Exams,” I offered lamely, and Mildred nodded knowingly.

“Understandable. Too many people study too hard and don’t eat properly. The next thing they know, their blood sugar is in the toilet.” She chuckled softly, and the cuff began to tighten on my arm as she pumped.

“Yeah... something like that,” I murmured.

“Now then, I’m sorry I have to ask this, but given your symptoms and your elevated heart rate I just have to check. There’s no chance you are pregnant, is there?”

“What?” I lifted my gaze to her kindly blue eyes as a soft cotton blanket descended over me. “Pregnant?”

“Have you had sex, either protected or unprotected, with anyone in the last month?” Her eyes crinkled as she smiled warmly, emphasizing the wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. It was strangely all I could focus on as my mind fell quiet, void of any thought but those words.

“No...” I began with uncertainty “I mean...” It hit me like a freight train. Friday night when I had been moping in bed, Haley had ruled out my period for being the reason I was doing it because we bled in sync and hers had been the week before.

I hadn’t gotten my period.

Not in over a month.

Hot tears filled my eyes, and my throat constricted as Mildred took my hand.

“I–I don’t know,” I stammered. “I honestly... I don’t know. I’m on the pill but I... I don’tknow.”

31

CHARLOTTE

In just a few days, my entire world had been catapulted into a blender and the remains were strewn as far as only I could see.

Haley and Paul were breathing down my neck with constant pressure to use myinfluenceto change their grades into something amazing. The problem with that, other than the obvious, was that I hadn’t said a word to Derek, Samuel, or Matt. I was too aware of how revealing such a threat would put undue pressure on them and I was clinging to the smallest ray of hope that if I appeased Paul and Haley, things could go back to normal and I could enjoy my time with the guys.

If I told them, what was to stop them from cutting me loosejust in case?

Only... that relationship hung by a thread. My inability to give the nurse a clear answer had given her cause to give me a pregnancy test, blood and urine.

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