Laughter Lines (A Dan Smith/Bastille Fanfic)

35. The Scare

Another week went by. I was feeling excited because I will be seeing Dan at Reading and Leeds on the weekend. I would still flush to myself remembering how Dan let me have the explosion my body was craving for over the phone. That was the one and only time we ever had a phone sex. Admitting that it was his first time, I felt really embarrassed that I had asked him so bluntly to do it and was surprised that he was so good at it. He didn't believe that it was my first time too.

Walking through the hallway of my apartment, I grabbed my bag and keys and swung the door open as I was ready to go to work. Not long after I stepped out, I saw someone walking slowly up the staircase. It was Jennie.

"I thought you had already left," she murmured. Her face was unusually pale and dull. She looked like she was sick.

"Jennie... What are you doing here?"

"I came to apologize about last week. I was being a bitch. I am so sorry, Anna," she muttered, a tear fell from her eyes.

I immediately pulled her body into a hug. She began to sob unconsolably.

"That's okay. I've forgotten all about it. Is everything alright with you? You look sick..." I asked, feeling very concerned. I offered her to step in and have a sit on my sofa. I then went into the kitchen and made her a cup of tea.

When I looked back at Jennie, she was glaring at the wall, looking really troubled. It made me worried to see her looking so glum. I sat in front of her and placed her tea on the table.

"I'm late, Anna," she murmured.

Furrowing my brows, I shook my head. "Maybe I should call Julian and tell him you're running a bit late because you're here. He'll understand..."

Dropping her head, she exasperated. "No, Anna. Not that kind of late." Her head snapped back as her eyes widened. With trembling voice, she slowly repeated, "I am late...." She then glanced at her stomach.

"Oh my god!"

"I am freaking out, Anna! I don't know what to do," she cried. I shushed her, trying to calm her down.

Still feeling shocked, I started to ask her all the questions floating in my head. "How late are you? When was your last period? Have you done any test to see of you're.... Pregnant?"

Her lip trembled. Dropping her head into her hands, she began to cry again. I quickly put my arms around her and held her to me. Between sobs, she got out, "I don't know what to do. I haven't told anyone about it. Not even Harry. I don't want him to freak out."

Rubbing her arms, I told her, "We need to get you tested, Jennie. I'll come with you. We can go now..."

"I have the kits with me. I wasn't sure which one was the best so I bought them all," she murmured as she patted her bag.

"Okay, why don't we start doing the test now?"

"I am not sure if I want to know..."

"It would be better if you know for sure...." I convinced her. Her hands were trembling when she took all of the pregnancy test kits out of her bag and walked into the bathroom.

She came out of the bathroom a couple of minutes later with three sticks on each side of her hand. "Now what?," she asked.

"I think we have to wait for a few minutes."

She looked up at me, her brows furrowed. She stared at the freshly wet sticks, looking horrified. "I need a drink," she muttered.

"Oh, no, you can't! Not until we know what the results are. And not if they are positive..." I murmured.

She sighed and brought herself down on the sofa again. She placed all of the sticks on the table, looking at it one by one. Jennie's eyes widened as she began to notice something.

"Oh my god!"

I went over to see the verdict. She closed her mouth with both of her hands, looking frantic.

"Anna, they are all positive..."

I glanced at all of the sticks and then to her. I gave her a smile and added, "Congratulations..."

"No. No fucking way! These are wrong! I am not pregnant!," she cried and buried her head in her hands. I tried to comfort her but she was going frantic.

I sighed, not wanting to tell her that six positive tests could not be wrong. She then realized that she had to accept the fact that the tests were really positive and that she was really pregnant.

"What do I do now, Anna?"

I hugged her tightly. "You'll do the best you can, Jennie. And I'll try my best to help you. But you need to talk about this with Harry. He is the father. And you guys live together. He will know eventually..."

She shook her head. "No, no, no. Harry must not know. Promise me Anna, this is just between the two of us. No one should know about this. Promise me!"

"Okay. I promise..." I sighed.

"I am not sure if I am going to keep it. I need time to think, so if I decided not to have it, then Harry would not know I was even pregnant to begin with."

My eyes widened. Is she really going to abort the baby? I shook my head. "Jennie, I am sure there are other ways. Do you really want to... Uhm.. Discard it?"

"I am not sure yet," she muttered. "I can't have this baby. I know Harry is not ready. I know I am not ready," she murmured. I hugged her again and then she pulled away from me, wiping the tears off her eyes. She then began to pick up the sticks one by one from the table and chugged them into a plastic bag. She then walked into my room and hid the tests in my wardrobe like it was the last place that Harry would find them. Like as if Harry would be in my apartment at all to start.

I then rubbed her arms supportively. "I'll be here for you whenever you need me. I'll come to your check ups if you need me to..." I looked at her and gave her a nervous smile, adding, "I know I am in no place to have any say in your decision, Jennie, but if possible, please keep abortion as the last option..."

She swallowed. Her face was still in disbelief. She nodded, then turned, taking a final look at me and smiled, "Thanks, Anna."

And then she left.