Taking The Test

Just after Susan told me that my brother was coming over, she got serious again and pulled me off to one corner, out of hearing range from Krystal “You have to do something for me,” She whispered, glancing at her daughter before looking back at me. “I can’t tell him I’m pregnant and not be sure, could you go get a test for me?”

I was about to ask her why she couldn’t do it herself when I realized that if she wasn’t here when Chad got here, it could be a problem.

As quickly as I could, I headed off to the nearest drugstore and bought a pregnancy test. Well, I actually bought a two pack, I figured what the hell? I might a well silence the question that’s been on my mind lately.

When I went to the cashier to pay, I groaned when I saw who it was. There is only one person in town that you try not to tell anything to because it will be all over town by the time you walk out the front doors and it was just my luck that that woman was working the front.

“Hello Rhoda,” I smiled, even though I was wishing that she was anywhere else but here at this moment.

“Oh goodness Anna, I haven’t seen you in forever! How have you been? I hear that you had an incident at work the other day, are you ok? And how is that handsome ‘roommate’ of yours?” She scanned the card I had picked up, which was ‘congratulation on the baby’ one for if Susan was for sure pregnant. “I saw Nick and Amy the other day, Amy was just glowing. It’s so nice to see them so happy together after what you did to them a few years ago.”

My smile disappeared, “Just ring the stuff in Rhoda.”

She just smiled at me and I wanted to slap her. “My aren’t you a little grumpy today,” she leaned in closer. “Is it that time of the month dear? You know we do sell pills that will make you less bitchy.”

I glared at her. “Maybe I should have just gone to another drugstore.”

She laughed, “Oh you are so cute. My what do we have here?” She picked up the pregnancy test and looked it over. She raised her brow as her eyes rose to my face. “Are we going to have two new additions to the Pollett family this year?”

I rolled my eyes, “No we aren’t unless Amy is carrying twins. Just ring the stuff through Rhoda, I don’t have all day.”

She gave me a look and rang the test through. “You know Anna; you’d have better luck with men if you weren’t so rude.”

I chuckled, “I have all the luck I need thank you.”

She laughed, “Oh really Anna? The last I heard you haven’t had a steady boyfriend for a while. And you don’t have a great track record,” She went on to name the guys I dated and why things went wrong. “And if that wasn’t enough, you had to go and ruin Jordan’s last relationship as well.” I shoved my debit card at her and didn’t say a word. “He deserves to be happy dear, even if you aren’t.” She handed me back my card and the receipts.

I started to walk for the door and then turned around. “Rhoda, maybe one day you’ll get your facts right and stop trying to screw around with everyone else’s life. Until that day, just shut the hell up.”

I was so angry as I drove home, and I also couldn’t believe that I said that to her. In all the years that I’ve lived in this town, if you wanted a reason to hate someone just talk to Rhoda for a couple minutes, she seemed to have all the ‘gossip’ about everyone in town. Unfortunately, most of what she said was lies and she didn’t seem to care. If she saw couples together that she didn’t think were meant for each other, she went out of her way to try and break them up. If she knew someone was becoming friends with someone she didn’t like, she made a point of taking that person aside to tell them all the terrible things that would happen if they were friends. The day she tried to come between Zach and Mary was the day that I had enough of her. I can’t wait to hear what she has to tell Josh about me when she discovers that we are dating.

I pulled into my driveway just as Zach and Chad were getting out of Zach’s car. “So where were you?” Zach asked as I caught up with them. “What’s in the bag?” I shrugged and continued walking. “Must have been very important if you went into Div’s for it.” He grabbed the bag from my hand and reached inside, pulling out the test. “Anna…?” He held it up and stared at me, unable to say anything.

Chad, who had been on his way up my steps, stopped and went to turn around to see what was going on. I grabbed the stuff back and had it in the bag before he saw. “We have to get inside,” I told both of them as I gave Chad a little push.

“Wait,” Zach called after me. I ignored him and followed Chad into my house.

Once Susan saw Chad she squealed and ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck as she kissed him. “I’m sorry, so sorry.” She sobbed and held tight to him. “Anna!” She pushed out of Chad’s arms when she spotted me and grabbed for my hand. “We’ll be right back honey, don’t go anywhere!” She called over her shoulder as she pulled me down the hall towards the bathroom.

“Did you get it?” She grabbed for the bag and dumped the contents on the counter. “Oh thank God. I was thinking you’d never show up!” She picked up the test, trying to open it but her hands were shaking so badly.

There was a knock on the door and we both turned to stare at it. “Susan?” Chad called through the door. “Is everything ok darling?”

Susan dropped the test on the counter. “Everything is ok Chad; I just have to do something. I had hoped I’d have it done before you got here.”

I reached for the test and opened the box, reading the instructions quickly to her before I handed one to her. She gave me a questioning look and then she smiled as she realized I was taking it too.

“Well darling couldn’t it wait?”

Susan laughed, “No Chad it can’t wait, I need to do this now!”

“And you need Anna in there for you to do it?”

“Honey please, go say ‘hi’ to the kids, I’ll be out in a couple minutes.” Chad mumbled something but he said ok and we heard him move away from the door. “Finally!” Susan exclaimed and she started to undo her pants. “God I’m so excited, I can’t wait.”

I was so nervous as I did the test; I kept going back and forth between wanting to be pregnant and not wanting to be. Susan and I sat on the edge of the tub, staring at the tests as they lay on the counter. The wait, even though it wasn’t that long, seemed to take forever as Susan kept looking at my watch.

When the time was up, we both got up and slowly made our way to the counter, looking at each other, we laughed nervously. “You go first,” she told me.

I shook my head, “No, you go first.”

Susan reached out for my hand and squeezed it, “Let’s both look at the same time.”

I nodded and we both looked down at the innocent looking tests sitting on the counter.

Susan screamed and my heart sunk.