Forgetting - Part 7

I walk into the clinic moments after Kim, but all she's doing is standing there in the middle of the office. I tap her on the shoulder and point to the reception desk. She takes a breath and walks up to the desk.



"Do you have an appointment?" The chick behind the desk asks skeptically.



"Um," Kim looks at me. "Yes."



"Name?" She stares at Kim. She seems to melt under the glance.



"Kimberly Brook." She says without thinking.



I nudge her and give her a look as if to say aloud, "Don't you remember your fake name?"



"I'm sorry, that name isn't here. You can make an appointment to come in another time if you want."



"No thank you. I think I will go home and never come back." She says and she books it out of the office like she was in mortal danger.



I run after her and catch her in the parking lot. This time I have the upper hand, the keys.



"Hey! Where do you think you're going?"



"Home."



"What about this?"



"This? What this?" She has a crazed, frantic look in her eye.



I put my hand on her stomach and say very slowly, "This."



"Oh, that."



"It wont magically go away Kim."



"I know but, well..."



"Well what?"



She takes a breath. "Well you were right! I'm running away when it should be my responsibility. I'm the one who got into this mess in the first place and it does have a beating heart after all." She puts her hands on her stomach and breaths deeply. "It's mine."

I put my hand on her shoulder and she looks at me. She actually has the balls to smile right now. Just another reason for me to admire her. Thanks.

"So when will you tell Jesse?"

The smile vanishes. "When it feels right."

"Kim, come on. You have to tell him soon. It's his too."

"You're right."

"And what about mom and dad?"

"I'll tell them if they notice."

"Kim."

"Or when it feels right." I shoot her a look. "Or when they get home."

"Are you sure you can do this? We can go back inside and get it done."

"No. I almost made a huge mistake Jules. I need to do this, I can feel it. Something is going to happen, just wait and see. It's going to be huge."

I believe it, but for some reason I am terrified of what will happen.

Forgetting - Part 6

"Hi. I need to set up an abortion as quickly as possible." I tell the woman on the other end of the line.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"You'll need parent consent."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that." I hang up the phone yet again. We don't have the time to wait for our birthday in three weeks, neither of us know when it would be too late. This was the third clinic I have called today that won't let us come in without parent consent.

"Hey, try this one." Kim throws a page of the newspaper at me with a small add highlighted.

I read it out loud. "Free woman's clinic for all ages and personal problems. Counseling available. Call today, continue your life tomorrow." I look up at her. "This one seems a lot sketchier than the other ones. Are you sure you want to try it?"

"How much you wanna bet they ask for parent permission?" She throws back at me.

I pick the phone up again and dial the number.

"Hello?" I can tell the receptionist is smacking gum.

"Hi, I need an abortion and fast."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"We have an opening today at five. Can you make that?"

I look at my watch. It's only three - thirty. "Yes."

"Name?"

"Kira Heaven." I say the fake name Kim chose.

"Alright. You're on for five."

"Great. Thank you so..." She hangs up the phone before I finish my sentence. "Come on, we have to find this place."

We get in the car and drive in silence. I glance at her every few seconds.

"Kimmie?" I ask after a long time of nothing but driving.

"Mmm?"

"How did this happen?"

"It was a mistake. I really don't want to talk about it Jules."

"Okay."

We only spend another five minutes at most in silence. We pull into a shady apartment complex.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Kim asks hesitantly.

"Yep." I point to the sign with the offices in the building. They include a tatoo parler, a clothing boutique, a beauty school, and the free clinic. "Come on. You're the one who wants to do this."

"I don't want to, I need to."

"Do you really need to though?"

"Yes I do. I'll be at college in the fall. I won't have time for a kid and I don't deserve to ruin my body just to give the thing to someone else."

"Thing? It's not a toy it's a child!"

"Not yet. It's not going to be a child. It will never get that far."

"It's heart is beating Kim. It's alive and it can't fight or speak up for itself. It's helpless and it's yours and you don't care."

"And you do? You made the appointment! You drove! You're just as bad as I am Julia!"

We both stand in the parking lot facing each other, not speaking. She makes the first move and she goes inside the building. I look back at the car and then follow her. Yep, I love her.