CHAPTER 6

Laura's eyes were red, her head pounded furiously. The more she tried to hold herself from crying, the more the tears dropped uncontrollably. She twisted and turned on her bed thinking to herself the way forward, but she couldn't control her tears.

After calming herself within a significant amount of time while she sat on the street bench, she decided to walk home. She was overcome with so much sadness that she did not feel the unusual distance she walked; she didn't even notice the numerous eyes that glanced at her ghastly face.

She reached home only to fall on her bed and cry even more heavily.

"BRR BRR BRR!" Laura's piteous groaning was immediately disturbed by her vibrating phone on her bedside table. Grabbing the phone and seeing who it was, with two sniffs, a cough, and an 'ahem', she sat up and tapped the green button.

"Anna." Her croaked voice sounded.

"Laura? Why do you sound this way?" Anna's questioning voice replied.

Caught unawares— as she didn't expect to be found out so soon, Laura paused for what felt like 10 seconds and responded. "It's… uh nothing. I lost my voice."

"Laura… were you crying?" Anna pressed.

"No, I… uh—"

"If you can't let me know now, tell me that you'll tell me later. Just don't lie to me…please." Anna interrupted her. With this, Laura wailed into Anna's ear.

"Anna…." She wailed some more. "I'm pregnant."

"What?!" Anna was shocked.

"My life is ruined! It's all over for me!" Laura's agony was revealed with every word. "What do I do now? I thought things were getting better, Anna." Her sobs intensified.

"This cannot be true." Anna was in disbelief.

"I thought I was finally being rewarded for my hard work…for my perseverance! For all my suffering!" Laura was unstoppable. Saying this, she began coughing profusely.

"T-take it easy, L-laura." Anna stuttered. "I'll be right there now, please wait for me." After making this known, the beeping sound echoed in Laura's ear; Anna had dropped the call.

Laura turned her phone off as she embraced the deafening silence of her room. Touching her belly, she bit hard on her lips, trying with even more effort to fight back the tears, but her lips quivered even more, allowing her to cry effortlessly.

For what felt like 40 minutes of a wet face, and constant sobbing, Laura's doorbell chimed. Her bare feet dropped on the cold tiles, pulling herself to a standing posture, she dragged her feet to her door. Checking the peephole, she relaxed after recognising the face that stood in front of the door.

She lazily unlocked her door and opened it, letting Anna cautiously walk in. Anna observed her red swollen face and scrunched her face in pity. "Laura," escaped from her lips.

"Please tell me it's not true." Although Anna knew that Laura was a novice to sexual life, she didn't panic about the experience she had with the strange man because Anna's lifestyle precisely revolved around that, but this… This was just too much. Getting pregnant was out of bounds.

Hearing her best friend's words didn't help matters at all, Laura immediately broke down on her.

Holding Laura in her arms, she consoled her as much as she could. As Anna patted Laura's back, she also was perplexed about certain concerns. Didn't Laura go for a checkup? Didn't she anticipate a baby? Wasn't Laura too careless about how she handled the aftermath of the sexual intercourse?

But hearing the sounds coming from Laura made Anna remember that Laura was an absolute novice to these things, she wouldn't have thought about that at all. She wouldn't have thought about taking some pills to not allow the growth of a child. She wouldn't have thought of even the basics of things.

Thinking about this, Anna's heart broke even more for Laura. She mentally blamed herself for Laura's current predicament. If she knew so much about what Laura should have done to avoid getting pregnant, why didn't she advise her on what was best to do? Why was she so nonchalant about Laura's health even when she contributed to her having such an experience?

Anna gathered herself and realised what was appropriate to do now. She carefully pulled away Laura's hand, grabbing her head off her shoulders, which she was currently sobbing on. "Let's quickly get an abortion, Laura." Her eyes lit up even more as each word left her lips.

Laura's eyes dimmed as she heard these words, she rubbed her nose, lazily walked to her couch and sat down, looking into space.

"What do you say?" Anna closed the slightly ajar door and hastily tagged behind Laura. "It would be over by tomorrow…all of this." She whispered. Silence followed. "Laura?"

"I can't…please." Laura finally spoke.

"What do you mean by that?" Anna was bewildered. Aborting the child was the only solution to this, was Laura stupid?

"Anna, I want to give birth to the child. I do not want to end its life."

"What?" Anna was convinced that Laura was out of her mind. "This is an opportunity!" Anna pressed on.

"Stop trying to change my mind, Anna. I'm going to be a mother." Laura looked determined. Anna knew she was serious.

"What about your career, your dreams, Laura?" Anna spitefully said. Everyone in the orphanage knew about Laura's brilliance. Laura was very intelligent and focused. Everyone saw how Laura struggled to get the scholarships which propelled her to who she now was, Anna was annoyed that she was willing to let everything go because of a child.

"That'll just have to be halted for now. It's a huge loss for me…I'll get back on my feet later."

"Are you out of your mind, Laura?" Anna spat. "How would you take care of the child with no job, what about your living expenses?" Laura turned her face away from Anna.

"I'll think of something, you do not have to be bothered, Anna."

Silence filled the whole apartment when Laura voiced this. Guilt gripped Anna by her neck for 3 minutes, opening her lips, she finally spoke.

"Come live with me."