Short Story Series: Yvette

The call had happened. The news had arrived. Yvette slowly hung up the phone after she got the message. The world around her slowed down and gravity seemed to get heavier. She slid down the wall into a seated position and curled up into a ball. The call was from her doctor. The news was she was going to die in July from an acute blood poisoning that no hospital could cure.

She had tried every possible way she could. Doctors tried every cure and experiment known to science. Reiki masters tried every healing method they knew. Hypnosis. Everything. Nobody could do anything. She was helpless. She was only nineteen and had recently graduated high school. She was going to go to Yale. Now, in one month, she was going to the grave.

None of her family knew what was happening to her; she didn’t want them to until she knew that there was nothing she could do. Now, the only thing she could do was cry. “I don’t want to die.”

Mom had gone shopping, but she’d be back in a couple of hours. Dad was at work and would be home a few hours after Mom. All Yvette wanted to do was wrap her arms around them and cry and tell them everything. The comfort they could give her was better than the cold comfort of the doctors telling her that her death would be painless and would probably happen in her sleep.

Yvette trembled at the thought of her parent’s reactions when she tells them. She knew they would try to find her a cure, but she already knew there wasn’t one. She’d tell them of course, but there’s no way they’d listen; she’s only a child fresh to the adult world how could she know? The only reason they didn’t know was because she lied to them about where she was going and asked the doctor, who was a friend of hers not to tell anyone.

There was a sound at the door and Mother came through. “Hello, Yvette. Oh, what’s wrong, dear?”

Yvette looked at her mother with teary eyes. “Mom, I need to tell you something. It’s really, really important. You’re going to want to sit down though.”

Mother put down the bags in her hands. “OK. Lets go to the kitchen.”

When Mom sat down Yvette let out a short sob. “Mom, y-you know all those times I said I went to Kelly’s house? Not all of those visits were true. I was going to the doctors and stuff. I-I am dying.”

Mother’s jaw dropped and then quickly closed up. “No, no you’re not. You can’t be, you’re too young. You can’t die. This has to be a lie.”

Yvette hugged herself. “It’s true. I didn’t want to tell you two because I didn’t know if I could cure it or not, but I have one month and nobody can do anything. I don’t want to die!”

Yvette embraced her mother in tears. Mom returned the embrace. “You’re going to be fine. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Yvette sobbed. “No!”

They held each other for the next few minutes. Mom denying and comforting. Yvette crying. The only words going through Yvette’s mind were “This is not fair”.

After a while Mom suggested that they bring in the groceries before the food goes bad from the heat, just to take their mind off of death for a while. After unpacking and putting away the groceries, Mom called Dad and told him about what happened, shortly after he came home. Yvette was terrified. She didn’t want to explain this to anyone, especially her parents. It wasn’t fair for her to keep this a secret anymore though. The same reaction came from Dad, but angrier and far more terrifying.

Dad called the hospital and heard the news from them. He slammed the phone after the hospital hung up on him, and defeated he slid down the wall into a seated position. Yvette and Mom joined him.

“What are we going to do?” He breathed. “I can’t lose you, my only child, my daughter.”

He broke down in tears and nobody said anything for quite some time. Yvette, Mom, and Dad all held each other crying.

Finally, Yvette spoke up. “There’s nothing that can be done. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything until now. I love you. Mom. Dad. I love you.”

Her voice broke up and for a while she couldn’t speak. “I-I’m going to die. I don’t want to. I want to live. But I’m going to die.”

Short Story Series: Helen and Thor

“Thor, I’m pregnant.” Helen’s reflection responded with a stressed expression.

She took a deep breath. Mixed emotions rose with the inhalation and almost came pouring out on her exhale. “A-and it’s yours. No it ours. Y-you’re the father. Oh God, I’m so screwed.”

She wiped the tears that began flowing down her pale face smearing some of the make-up she had on. Not that she could look any worse right now. Her blonde hair had tangles in the worst spots and her clothing was ruffled because she had rushed putting them on. Again she breathed in and out. “Thor, I’m pregnant. The baby is ours.”

She repeated this several times and eventually out of frustration tossed herself into her bed. Fortunately her house was really well insulated and her bathroom was right next door, or her parents would have heard what she had been saying. Helen was terrified. What was she going to do now? Thor needed to know. Her parents would find out anyways, so they needed to know. Everybody in school would find out and then she’d be a nobody. Not that she had many friends to begin with. She shook in fear on her bed, occasionally a sob escaped her lips.

She had found out this morning and spent the entire day avoiding Thor and trying to figure out how to tell him. It was only a matter of time that he’d come knocking and her parents would let him in, then everyone would know that she was upset, and they’d pester her and she’d eventually have to give in. She didn’t want that to happen. “Oh God, help me please. I don’t know what to do.”

Her parents were strict Catholics and believed in consummation, and when they’d find out that she’s pregnant she didn’t know what they’d do. Thor would be given the worst from them too. Every part of Helen hurt.

She didn’t even know if she wanted to have the child.

A small voice squeaked from her lips. “Mom, Dad, I’m pregnant.” Suddenly those emotions that she dammed up broke out and she put her head in a pillow and cried her heart out for a good fifteen minutes. After that she threw the pillow at the wall with significant force.

Then the dreaded door bell went off. After a few breathless moments the dreaded “Honey, it’s Thor.” echoed up the stairs. Helen’s heart skipped a few beats. She tried to say something, but her throat had closed shut and she could not speak.

“Honey?”

Helen began to panic. She hastily cleaned herself up and tried to wipe the make-up off of her face and then stepped to the top of the stairs. Her mother was at the bottom of the stairs with Thor right next to her. Thor in his handsome leather jacket. His wavy brunette hair. His perfect blue eyes. For a moment, Helen lost her breath, but she nodded at Mom and Thor, wincing at the stupid gesture.

Mom looked at Helen with concern as Helen descended the stair. “Are you OK, honey? You look like you’ve been crying.”

Again her throat closed up and she couldn’t say anything. She prayed to God to let her speak. Thor spoke up. “She had a rough day in school. I was just coming to check in on her.”

Mom smiled. “Aren’t you a sweetheart. You’ll grow up to be a wonderful gentleman.”

Thor blushed. “I’m not sure how much more I’ll grow up, ma’am.”

Mom chuckled and began walking away. “Alright, I’ll let you two be. Take care of her.”

Thor nodded and smiled back. “OK, ma’am.”

I whispered to him. “Can we talk?” as soon as Mom was out of sight.

We went upstairs to my room. After we made it he asked. “Where have you been all day?”

Helen sat on her bed and bowed her head. A couple tears dropped off of her face. “I’m pregnant. It’s ours.”

Thor’s expression changed from confusion to shock. His hands dropped in mid-gesture to his sides. “What?”

“I’m pregnant.” Helen dared to look into Thor’s eyes. “The baby is ours.”

“Y-you’re pregnant. That’s why you’ve been avoiding me all day? Why the hell didn’t you tell me at school?! God damn it!” A few other expletives exploded from his mouth and a few moments later, they heard stomping up the stairs.

Dad loomed into the room. “What is going on?” his bear like voice cowed Helen even more and Thor backed off a bit.

Thor looked back at Helen. “Screw this, I’m leaving. I’m not having anything to do with this.”

Dad grabbed Thor on his way out. “Not having anything to do with what?”

Thor jerked his arm out of Dad’s grasped and continued leaving. “Don’t touch me old man.”

Dad roared various statements at Thor and shortly after there was a loud bang as the door closed. Soon after, both Mom and Dad were in Helen’s room. They both had their arms crossed.

“What happened, honey?”

Helen looked at her parents and then burst out crying. “I’m pregnant. The baby is Thor’s. I’m scared. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do.”

Dad was the first to react. “I’m calling that disrespectful punk’s parents.”

Mom wrapped arms around Helen. She cooed loving caring words. Helen was a little surprised at her parents. She hadn’t expected their support, in fact she had expected them to yell at her and throw her out of the house. She smiled and returned her mother’s warm loving embrace. One last tear, a tear of happiness rolled down her face, and all the fear and uncertainty washed away.

The last words out of Helen’s mouth for the rest of the night were. “I’m keeping it.”