Chapter 5
My dad took me home.
He stayed silent the whole way. When we got back, he dropped his duffel bag, sat on the couch, and smoked a cigarette.
Mom was in the kitchen, the clatter of the spatula against the pot echoing from behind the door.
"Mom already filled me in," Dad said.
"Yeah," I answered.
"So this is your choice?"
"Yeah. I decided for myself."
He stubbed out his cigarette. "Alright."
That was all he said.
I stayed home for two days, then headed back to school.
Classes were still waiting for me. No way I was letting my credits for this semester slip.
But the vibe on campus had totally changed.
That first night back in the dorm, Lily was sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone. When I walked in, she shot me a quick, awkward glance.
Emily and Chloe exchanged a look, but neither of them said a word.
I set my bag down and went to wash my face in the bathroom.
When I came back, I overheard Lily whispering to Emily.
"It's true. Ryan's aunt has been telling everyone that Sophie is pregnant with twins," Lily said.
"No way, she's a junior," Emily whispered.
"Who knows?"
As soon as I opened the door, they both clammed up.
I pretended I didn't hear anything, climbed into bed, and yanked the curtain shut.
*****
The next day, as I walked to the academic building, I could feel people staring at me as if I were some kind of spectacle.
Groups of two or three would glance at me, then huddle together, whispering, then sneak another look my way.
I walked into the classroom and took a seat in the back row.
A girl in the front row gave me a quick glance, then leaned in and started whispering to her friend.
When class ended, Grace Fields from my department was blocking the doorway.
Grace was one of those people who knew everyone and always had to get involved in everyone's business, as if it had nothing to do with her.
"Sophie," Grace called out.
"What do you want?" I shot back.
"So, is it true you're pregnant?"
Her voice was muffled, but there were still about a dozen people hanging around in the classroom.
Everyone turned to look at me.
"What's it to you?" I shot back.
"Just curious, you know. Pregnant in junior year? That's gotta be rough," Grace said.
She was smiling, but I knew exactly what her smile meant.
I grabbed my bag and walked right past her, not bothering to respond.
Grace called out from behind, "Someone has an attitude."
Someone snickered.
*****
That night, when I got back to my dorm, there was a piece of paper waiting for me on my desk.
It was a printed sheet of paper, with a few big, bold words on it. [Unmarried and pregnant? Shame on you.]
I picked up the note, glanced at it for a couple of seconds, then crumpled it up and tossed it into the trash.
Lily rolled over on her top bunk.
"Who put it there?" I asked.
"I don't know. It was already there when I got back," Lily replied.
"Was the door unlocked?"
"Chloe forgot to lock it when she went out at noon."
I didn't say anything else.
*****
The next day, a note was posted on the wall next to the hallway bulletin board.
It was anonymous and handwritten.
It read: [Sophie Harper from the Literature Department, junior year, pregnant with twins. No one knows who the father is.]
People were gathered around, reading it, but when they saw me coming, they quickly scattered.
I walked over and ripped the note down.
My hands didn't shake.
But my stomach was churning.
When I got back to the dorm, Lily and Emily weren't there.
Only Chloe was sitting on her bed. When she saw me, she looked like she wanted to say something but held back.
"If you have something to say, say it," I told her.
"Sophie, I wasn't part of what Lily and the others were saying," Chloe said.
"What were they saying?"
"They were talking about you in the group chat. You know, the one for our department."
"What group?"
Chloe handed me her phone.
I glanced at it.
There was a group called "Literature Department Group," and it had over a hundred members.
Lily: [Some people have no shame, showing up to class every day with a belly like that, still acting as if nothing happened.]
There were tons of replies. Some were hyping her up, some joined in the insults, and others posted emojis.
Grace replied: [I heard the guy's family wants nothing to do with her. Poor thing.]
It was followed by many mocking messages.
I handed the phone back to Chloe. "Thanks for showing me."
"Sophie, try not to let it bother you," Chloe said.
"It doesn't bother me."
But as I said that, my hand was balled into a fist inside my pocket.