"Pre… preg… pregnant?" Ashley Stuttered. I just nodded my head confirming her question.

"When? How? What happened?" Boy, she is full of questions.

"Um…" I wasn’t so sure I could talk about this completely but I had to now. To stall I got up and went to the bathroom. I washed my face and calmed myself down before re-entering the bedroom. Ashley must have been deep in thought about what I told her because she didn’t even look up when I entered the room. I took a deep breath and sat down on the bed next to her. She jumped when she realized I had come back.

"Ash. I am not sure how…" She cut me off.

"Spence, I’m not sure what to say." Well at least she is being honest with me.

"I know and it’s okay." I reassured her. "I was fourteen. I had only gotten my period the year before and afterwards I stopped having it. I had started getting sick a lot too, so I figured he had gotten me pregnant. I had to make sure so one day after school I walked to the drug store and stole a test. I was too scared someone would tell on me if I bought one. That night after everyone went to sleep I went into the bathroom and took the test. It was positive. I was so scared of what would happen if Stan or even my mother found out. I didn’t tell anyone. I hid it by wearing baggy clothes all the time. I was going to run away and raise the baby on my own, but I never got the chance." I was crying thinking about the next part. I wiped a few tears away and stood up. "I was three months along and decided that now was the time to leave. I had also been going to a free clinic that would not contact my family. I had a hard time explaining the bruises on my back. I had covered my stomach to protect the baby when Stan attacked me and stuff. I didn’t want him to hurt it or her. I figured I would finally have someone to love me for me. I wasn’t sure how I was going to support us but I would because anything was better then staying in that house." I took a really deep breath to try to stop crying so I could finish.