unthinkable

"It's becoming something that's impossible to ignore."

She had been avoiding mirrors lately. The only mirror that Rhea allowed herself to was the medicine cabinet mirror in the bathroom. Her view of herself was limited to the shoulders and above. So every morning she would check her hair and make-up only before heading to the bus stop. No primping in front of the full body mirror in the hallway. Rhea wondered if her mom was becoming suspicious, but she couldn't bear to look in that mirror.

The signs were obvious to her. The ten pound weight gain, the fuller boobs, the glowing skin, the slightly protruding belly that could not be sucked in. And of course Rhea knew it had been three months since Noah's condom broke, three months since her last period.

Noah. He might be slightly more panicked than her, which she found oddly comforting. Rhea was no fool. She watched the shows on TV about teen pregnancies. She knew the chances of Noah sticking around and really being there for this baby were minute. But right now there was hope that he would, so Rhea held onto that.

Soon everyone would know. Rhea was running out of loose clothes she could wear and get away with without question. And even those "loose" clothes were becoming snug. In a month there would be no denying. Rhea was a skinny girl so any weight gain stood out.

So today she took the first step and told her two best friends. Rhea knew she would need them by her side when she finally worked up the nerve to tell her parents.