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Date Posted: 16:04:16 05/06/10 Thu
Author: 
Page
Subject: Yes, I'm a homework ho. *G* This particular assignment got me moving on a part I've been trying to write for the past couple of weeks. The Line, Please prompt was what I needed to do it. >>>
In reply to:
debikm
's message, "Homework Ho!!!" on 20:31:46 04/30/10 Fri
(Btw, I'm down to 130,000+ words on Carey On. I just hope when I finish it some agent or editor won't tell me it needs to be fleshed out, or I'll end up on the evening news with my neighbors being interviewed saying, "We never thought anything like this would happen! She just seemed so nice!")
Excerpt from working title Royal Orleans
©2010 by Juli Page Morgan
Posted for purposes of critique and does not constitute publication
Peeing into an empty, sterilized mayonnaise jar at 6:00 a.m. wasn’t Sherry’s favorite way to start a Saturday. Following it up with what amounted to an advanced chemistry exam added to the deterioration of the day. But the two-hour wait to see if her life was about to change forever was the worst.
She sat on her couch with her hands folded in her lap, waiting for the alarm clock to sound her doom. Why she’d set the alarm she didn’t know; it wasn’t like she was going to forget to check the test at the proper time. But the instructions had said to set it, and she’d been sure to follow each of them to the letter.
For the sixtieth time in a minute her eyes checked the large clock hanging over the television. Seven minutes left until she knew for sure. Not that she didn’t already know; she did. Tender breasts, queasy stomach, two missed periods – yeah, she knew.
Sherry had learned one thing – taking two pills the day after missing one didn’t do a damn bit of good. Shocked by recent events and confused by the time change, she’d forgotten to take her birth control pill the morning of Mike’s funeral. That afternoon Geoff had made love to her, his way to celebrate life he’d said. Well, they’d not only celebrated it; they’d started it.
Glancing at the clock again she curbed her impatience to charge into the bathroom and check the test. The instructions said to wait two hours and so she would. Might as well; after all, she’d been painstaking about doing the test right. Of course, she could have done a haphazard job for what it mattered. The end result was the same.
Her mother was going to freak out. Sherry winced as she imagined Marlene’s reaction to the news she was going to be a grandmother. “I told you, Sherry,” she’d say. “Be careful! Don’t do anything stupid! How many times do I have to tell you this?” More than she had, evidently.
The toast and coffee Sherry had for breakfast solidified into a ball in her belly as a low buzz came from the alarm clock in the bedroom signifying time was up. Or maybe it wasn’t her breakfast; there was a lot more going on in her belly now than digestion.
Though her legs trembled, Sherry forced them to carry her into the bedroom where she turned off the alarm clock. She crept toward the bathroom, her actions that of someone expecting to encounter a roomful of rabid dogs. With a deep breath she entered the small room and approached the counter, resisting the urge to cover her eyes the way she did during gory parts of horror movies. But just as she couldn’t resist peeking through her fingers to see if Michael Myers was creeping up behind Jamie Lee Curtis, she couldn’t keep from staring at the pregnancy test next to the sink.
Teeth fixed on her bottom lip she peered at the tiny mirror on the kit. With no sense of surprise she noted the stark black ring in the test tube.
It was official – she was pregnant.
Vertigo overtook her, and she stumbled to the bathtub. Perching on the edge, she lowered her head between her knees until the whirling in her head subsided. Shaking, she sat up and pushed her hair from her sweaty face. She felt weak and wondered if she could make it to the bed. Moving like an old woman, she got to her feet and shuffled into the bedroom where she dropped onto the mattress like a deflated balloon.
Though she hadn’t set foot in a church in years, her Catholic upbringing came roaring back, threatening to swamp her with shame. Pregnant and unmarried; she might as well start stitching the big red “A” to wear on her chest. With irritation she beat the feeling down. She’d never had the least interest in what the Church thought about such matters. And besides, she figured even the Pope would give in if he’d ever been on the receiving end of a kiss from Geoff Albright.
As if they had a mind of their own, her hands rose and settled over her abdomen. Maybe she imagined it, but it seemed like a surge of energy passed from her womb to her palms; in that moment it went from being a pregnancy to being a baby.
“Are you as scared as I am?” she asked, amazed at how calm she sounded. “You don’t need to be. I’ll take care of you.” Funny, she didn’t feel like an idiot talking to the baby. In fact, it was comforting, nice to know she wasn’t alone in this. “Don’t worry if I freak out every now and then. I think that’s normal, so just ignore any rushes of adrenaline that might come your way. There’s so much to do!” She sighed. “I guess the first thing is to tell your father…”
Her heart gave a lurch at the term ‘father,’ and she had to take several deep breaths to push it out of her throat and back to her chest where it belonged. “Sorry ‘bout that. One of those adrenaline things I was talking about.”
Geoff hadn’t been back to New Orleans since he’d left her there after they’d returned from England. He’d headed straight to L.A. to record the new album with Xander, but he hadn’t forgotten her. He called at least twice a week, and almost every other day she found a note from him in the mail; scribbled messages that detailed exactly what he planned to do to her the next time he saw her. The last several notes had been signed “Love, Geoff,” and Sherry had shivered in delight at this new development. But now a different type of shiver shook her. What would he do when he found out she was carrying his child?
During their last phone call Geoff had indicated he might try to sneak away and come see her soon; all she could do was wait for his arrival since she had no intention of telling him over the phone, or worse, writing the news in a letter. No, she had to tell him in person so she could see his eyes when he found out.
With a sigh, she got off the bed and went into the bathroom to clear away the paraphernalia from the pregnancy test. She’d waited two hours for its results, and she supposed she could wait for Geoff to find his way back to New Orleans before she told anyone. She just hoped he’d show up before she had to meet him at the door looking like she’d swallowed a basketball.
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I hoped someone would run with the 'ho' thing! -- debikm, 16:44:19 05/06/10 Thu
Wow, Sherry went from virgin to pregnant?! Cool!
I love her trepidation, the feeling of helplessness, like things have just careening out of control with you hanging on for dear life. But the idea that there's someone to share it with, even if they are about the size of an Egg McMuffin so far, is a great touch.
I want to know what happens next!!!
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Oh, I'm all about me some hos (hoes? hose? help!) >>> -- Page, 21:12:33 05/06/10 Thu
>Wow, Sherry went from virgin to pregnant?! Cool!
>I love her trepidation, the feeling of helplessness,
>like things have just careening out of control with
>you hanging on for dear life. But the idea that
>there's someone to share it with, even if they are
>about the size of an Egg McMuffin so far, is a great
>touch.
Believe me, Geoff had made darn sure by this time Sherry was no longer a virgin. *G* And the Egg McMuffin reference? Bwahahaha! I think I might have to use that, with your permission.
>
>I want to know what happens next!!!
Oh, it's good! *BEG*
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I didn't invent the Egg McMuffin...;-) -- debikm, 22:00:16 05/06/10 Thu
>>Wow, Sherry went from virgin to pregnant?! Cool!
>>I love her trepidation, the feeling of helplessness,
>>like things have just careening out of control with
>>you hanging on for dear life. But the idea that
>>there's someone to share it with, even if they are
>>about the size of an Egg McMuffin so far, is a great
>>touch.
>
>Believe me, Geoff had made darn sure by this time
>Sherry was no longer a virgin. *G* And the Egg
>McMuffin reference? Bwahahaha! I think I might have
>to use that, with your permission.
By all means, though McDonald doesn't demand royalties for being mentioned in literature, do they?
>>
>>I want to know what happens next!!!
>
>Oh, it's good! *BEG*
Aggghhhh!!!! You're killing me here, Page!!!
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Hey Page >>> -- Esther, 09:27:21 05/15/10 Sat
The angst in this piece was phenomenal! The waiting, the words of the past, the forcing herself to go look. I was right there. And then the physical proof and her acceptance. This had a lot in it for such a short scene and you covered it all.
The only thing that made me go hmmm was in the firt paragraph. Two hours? What kind of archaic test was she using? Or is it me in the wrong time-period? *G*
Hugs
Esther
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