Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
But still. What does that make us? What are we? I run my hand through my hair, gripping it tightly. I’m confused, and all of this confusion is causing me inordinate amounts of frustration. I just want answers, but I have no idea who to go to for them. I doubt Brick is going to want to have this conversation. I barely want to have it, and all I’m currently doing is talking to myself.
At that moment, my cell phone rings, shattering all of my thoughts. I need a break anyway. Running around in circles isn’t going to get me anywhere.
Even though this call is coming at an ungodly hour, I’m viewing it as a godsend.
“Hello?” I answer without checking the caller ID. Whoever it is, it doesn’t matter. I’d talk to a telemarketer right now if that would distract me.
“Tammy! You’re awake?”
“Mamie?” I’m surprised she’s calling me so late. She’s my best friend, so I’m not mad or anything, just worried. “Are you okay? Is everything okay?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I messed up. I messed up!” With Mamie, that could mean a whole host of things. I love my friend dearly. She was my roommate for all four years of college, and we’ve been going through these career lows together, lamenting about how crazy student loans are and the load of crap that makes up our respective jobs. Mamie is a dog walker but studied fine arts in college, so she’s been trying to launch that side of her life while also remaining financially alive.
We’ve been one another’s rock.
But to be perfectly honest, I might be more of the rock than Mamie on occasion. Her life can get a little messy at times.
She’s a sweetheart, she truly is, but Mamie has this habit of getting into not-so-ideal situations with boys. She’s pretty and blonde and likable. Men are drawn to her, always wanting to go on dates with her, but Mamie can be naïve and oftentimes finds herself calling me, crying about this guy or the next. And I’m always available to listen because usually I’m at home, not with a guy, but with whatever latest novel has caught my attention.
I also like hearing her tales. She’s great at regaling me with her exploits.
Tonight sounds like it might be one of those typical Mamie boy problems.
“What happened, Mamie? Tell me. I’m sure everything will be okay.”
“No, it won’t,” she wails. “I’m going to get pregnant and die, and then my baby won’t have anyone except for this idiot!”
“What are you talking about?” She’s ranting at this point, probably having more of a conversation with herself than with me, which often happens on the phone. Sometimes, if I just let it happen, Mamie figures out her problems all on her own.
“I’ve been hooking up with this super hot guy, Coby. He’s really nice and stuff, but I don’t want to have his kids. But we didn’t use protection tonight. I guess we were just so caught up in the moment, but now I’m so screwed! I shouldn’t have let him come inside me. I’m supposed to be more careful than this.”
“Okay, Mamie. I’m going to need you to take a very deep breath.” I know Mamie is a lot smarter than this, but when it comes to men, it’s like she loses all reason, and the world is literally ending every time something bad happens. “Breath in and breath out.”
“I can do that, I can do that,” she says. I hear her gulping in the air, maybe taking my advice a step too far, but soon, her breathing evens out. There’s still the occasional catch – I’m guessing from the falling tears – but she isn’t wailing into my ear any more. With her heartrate down, she’s going to be a lot more reasonable.
“Okay, Mamie. I promise you this isn’t the end of the world. You’re not going to have this man’s baby unless you want to have this man’s baby. And from the way you sound, you don’t want to have this man’s baby.”
“I don’t want to have his baby,” Mamie whines.
“Okay then. So what you’re going to do is find a 24-hour pharmacy; I know there’s one right by where you live. You’re going to get some over-the-counter plan B, and you’re going to take it.”
“I’m going to…” Mamie starts, but she trails off like she’s zoning out.
“Mamie! Listen to me. Go to the drugstore on the corner and get some plan B. Take it immediately.” I have Mamie repeat what I just said back to me so that I can make sure she has internalized it. While she does that, I start to think about what just transpired a couple of hours ago and realize that Brick didn’t use a condom either. The thought never even crossed my mind because I was so surprised that we were about to have sex, I could only focus on getting his cock inside of me. My mind could only follow that one track. I’ve never been so singularly focused like that before.