CHAPTER 21

-Evelyn's P.O.V-

It's been a week since I last spoke to Alexander. At this point I have no idea what he's upset about. He was the one that left me behind. He's the one that walked away from me. I didn't do anything wrong. The boys were leaving for their orientation the next day and Alexander still hasn't told me anything about it. "Evelyn you should come with us." Natasha and Dawson had come over to my house since they were accompanying the boys to the university the next day. I shook my head in response. I sat at the edge of my bed hugging the stuffed bunny Alexander had gifted me with the promise ring.

"Alexander didn't invite me to come. I don't want to make it awkward for all of you." Dawson was silently sitting on the floor while Natasha sat next to me.

"Matthew is your brother though. Who cares what Alexander says?" Natasha tried to convince me to tag along, but I knew better. If Alexander didn't want me, there was a reason.

"It's fine. I'll be fine. You guys go and enjoy the trip. It'll be the last one you'll be able to take with Matthew for a while." It would also be the last one I would take with Alexander but again, he didn't want me there. Tears threatened to escape but I coughed them away. "Anyways, it's getting late, and you all have an early trip. Better get some rest." Natasha nodded and with a hug and goodbye left my room. Dawson hesitated to leave but ended up doing so as well. I knew he felt guilty for what happened between Alexander and me. I lay on my bed looking up at the ceiling, the bunny still in my arms. Senior year will start in a month. I couldn't believe that summer vacation was nearly over. What was going to happen to Alexander and me? Were we over? Why? Over a stupid comment Dawson made. The tears that had threatened to escape had found their way out and the sobbing didn't stop until it dozed me to sleep.

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"Senior Year here we come!" Kristine screamed in the car as she drove out of my driveway.

"I can't believe we're already seniors." Natasha squealed from the passenger seat. I smiled and threw my hands in the air like she did. As we arrived at school, we were greeted by Dawson who was already waiting for us.

"Ready to rule the school?" He said as he walked along us into the building. All eyes were on us. With Matthew and Alexander gone we were the new popular kids in town. Our cool entrance broke when some weird smell made me run into the girls' restroom. Natasha and Kristine follow along.

"Are you ok?" Kristine asked from outside the stall. I was vomiting my insides out. I flushed the toilet and walked out. Rinsing my mouth and fixing my makeup.

"I'm ok. I skipped breakfast this morning, it probably made me queasy."

"Let's go to the cafeteria then." We walked out of the restroom. Dawson was waiting for us with concern in his eyes.

"Are you ok? Do you need to go to the nurse's office?" I shook my head and walked along them to the cafeteria. "Stay here, I'll get you something." I wasn't going to argue with him about that. I did want to just sit down. After a few minutes, the twins and Dawson came back with their and my food. It was French toast, fruit salad and milk. I took one bite of the toast and soon my gag reflex kicked in. I pushed the tray aside and covered my mouth, taking a deep breath to prevent me from vomiting in front of everyone.

"I think something I ate last night made me sick." I saw how all three were deeply concerned about me. It was the first day of school. The first day of Senior Year. I didn't want to ruin it for anyone. "I'm fine. I was probably too nervous last night, and dinner made me sick. No big deal." Everyone ate their breakfast in silence, but I could tell that they were all worried about me as they glanced at me from time to time. I laid my head down on the table. What is wrong with me? The bell rang and we all headed to our first period class. Dawson and I had Algebra together. Mid-class I started feeling sick again.

"Mrs. Peterson, Evelyn isn't feeling well, can I take her to the nurse's office?" Mrs. Peterson had been Alexander's and Matthew's teacher last year. She adored the two, so she instantly took a liking to me and Dawson.

"Yes, go ahead." Dawson helped me to the nurse's office. My face and lips were becoming pale, that's what Dawson said.

"It could be a stomach virus, unfortunately all I can give you are TUMS. I'll call your parents and let them know." Nurse Patty said as she handed me the purple TUMS, soon leaving the room to make the call at the front office.

"Evelyn this is going to come out of the blue, but…" Dawson started saying but soon stopped. I turned to look at him. I was laying down on the hard rock that this school called a bed. He was sitting on a metal stool next to me. He looked hesitant to ask as he fidgeted with his fingers.

"Dawson?"

"When was the last time you got your period?" He threw that question at me out of nowhere, catching me by surprise.

"I'm sorry, what?" What was he asking?

"At the graduation party I asked you and Alexander if you were using protection. You said you kept on taking the Plan B, but the pill doesn't work if you take it continuously like that. It's not a birth control." At this point I was very confused why he was saying all this. But I had to admit that I didn't know that about the pill.

"Dawson, what are you saying?" I kind of knew what he meant but I don't think I wanted to hear him say it, but at the same time I did want to. I was confused about all this.

"Is it possible that you could be pregnant?" He finally asked what I didn't want to hear. When exactly was the last time, I got my period? With everything that happened last month I didn't stop worrying about it. The thing was that Alexander and I never spoke again after the incident at the restaurant. During orientation he actually decided to just stay at the university. Matthew came back to spend the last remaining weeks with Natasha, but Alexander didn't come back. He didn't want us to make up. That was his way of saying we were officially over. I closed my eyes, tears flowing out without my consent. I shook my head trying to remember when the last time was, I had my period. I had my period before the pool party but anything later than that? It had already been 2 months since. Why didn't I think too much about it? Other things were on my mind. I opened my eyes and I saw Dawson's worried expression. "Evelyn, you…" But before he could say anything else the nurse walked back into the room.

"Your parents are on their way to pick you up. You may rest up for the time being. Mr. Khinbert you can go back to class." Dawson nodded and patted my hand.

"I'll go to your house after school." My mother picked me up maybe 15 minutes after. It felt like an eternity waiting for her. I couldn't stop thinking about what Dawson said. Could I really be pregnant? My mom made me soup but even that I couldn't hold it in.

"Try to get some sleep. I'll make a doctor's appointment for tomorrow." I nodded as she walked out of my room. I turned to open the drawer in my nightstand and took out a black velvet box, in it was the promise ring Alexander had given me not so long ago. I looked around my room. I had taken down everything that reminded me of him and put it in a box in the attic. I had tried so hard to erase him from my life and now there was a great probability that I could be carrying his child in me. I sobbed as I put the ring back in the box and the box back in the drawer. I dozed off to sleep not wanting to think anymore.

"Ev." I heard my name being called from a distance. "Ev. Can you wake up for a second?" It was a male's voice.

"Alexander…" I called out as I drowsily opened my eyes. But as the light adjusted, I could see that it wasn't him. "Dawson?"

"Sorry to wake you up. I brought this for you." Dawson handed me a brown bag. "Your parents aren't home, so it was easy to sneak it in. Inside the bag were a couple pregnancy tests. "I didn't know which one was more reliable, so I got a few." I nodded and made my way into the restroom. I looked inside my cabinet for a plastic cup to pee in. I grabbed all 5 pregnancies test he had bought and dipped them in my urine before taking them out the cup and placing them flat on the surface of the counter. I walked out of the restroom and sat on the edge of the bed next to Dawson. "How long does it say we have to wait?"

"3-5 minutes." Dawson set the timer on his phone. I rested my head on his shoulder not knowing how to feel about all this. Something in me was telling me that even without the confirmation of the tests I was positive that I was pregnant with Alexander's baby. Tears started flowing down my cheeks. Dawson wrapped his arms around me. He knew that I was also pregnant without needing to see the tests. His phone went off indicating the time was up. He walked with me into the restroom and all the tests read the same. "It's…"

"Positive."