Craig Owens- She's Shaking. 17

"The test has come through positive, this means..."
'Get to the point,' I think as I stare into the doctors eyes. They're a light shade of brown, like her skin.
"That you're pregnant."
She knows. She knows this is a mistake. I don't need this kind of drama in my life right now. She could tell from the minute I walked into the clinic. I was uneasy and I spoke in a fast pace, I also came in alone. No one was there to comfort me.
I only nodded, that's the only thing I could do right about now. Nod.
"I can arrange for you to go see a counselor?"
The last time I saw a counselor was when Elizabeth Tims' mum passed away in high school. Jia and I pretended we were close friends with her just so we could skip math to see the counselor. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
She noticed I wasn't replying, "there are pamphlets in the foyer about
options-"
"There is no option. Do you really think a pamphlet is going to change my mind? Do you really think I'm going to punish this unborn child by killing it all because of a stupid mistake I made?" I finally spoke up.
"What I was trying to say was-"
I had to cut her off again, "I think ill be right," I said rather bluntly, "I'm just going to go now."
Craig didn't take the news too well. It was two days after Christmas and my mum had gone to the store for some milk.
"You're what!?"
"Pregnant..." I bit my lip and looked to the table.
He gazed up from his breakfast, suddenly he had lost his appetite.
It was an awkward scene, Craig was sitting at one end of the table and I was sitting at the other end.
"How? I don't get it."
"Please don't make me explain," I rolled my eyes.
"What are you - I mean what are we going to do?" he barely managed to get the words out of his mouth.
"I really have no idea. As far as I'm concerned my career is over and I'm only here on a working visa, no job, no visa. Goodbye America and I'm back in Australia."
I was now talking too fast.
Craig rubbed his eyes as if he was trying to think up some kind of master plan.
"I'll marry you then," he stated.
"What!?" I spat.
"You're not going anywhere. I'll marry you and you can take up permanent citizenship here, we'll move in together and bring up this kid as best as we can."
I sighed, "Craig... we haven't even been together for a year. It's not that easy you know?"
"That doesn't mean a thing to me. We can make it that easy," he assured.
"I can't marry you," I shook my head, running my fingers through my hair.
"I don't care if we get married in Vegas and you divorce me the day after, I need you and the child here."
I laughed a little. "We haven't thoroughly thought this through."
Just as he was about to reply my mum burst through the door. I glared at Craig and mouthed, 'don't say a word'.
"It sure is chilly out there!" she said before looking at both Craig and I.
I faked a smile and stood up grabbing my coffee cup, "you're just used to the Australian climate."
She walked to the cupboard and got out the coffee, she could sense the tension, “yeah, yeah I guess I am. Is something up?" she asked as she made a coffee for herself.
I rimmed my coffee cup with my finger, "no nothings up," I said placing it into the sink.
Craig coughed a little and got up, "I'm just going to start packing my stuff. My parents are expecting me back in Michigan soon."
"Oh why so soon?" my mum asked.
"Family... stuff."
He still hadn't told me what was going on back home and right now I could admit that I didn't care all that much.
"I'll help," I nodded.
Mum gave us a suspicious smile before we both walked to my bedroom silently. The silence was broken as soon as my bedroom door was shut andI started to cry.
"What are we going to do?" I said in between sobs.
"We'll move to Michigan, get married and raise this kid. Its going to be hard with me on tour but we'll cope," he shook his head.
"Move to Michigan!?"
"We have no other option, surely we can't start a family in this tiny apartment."
"Married!?"
"Are you going to work with me here or not?"
"I'm too young to get married, what about my job Craig? What am I going to do?" I sat on the side of the bed as he paced the room.
"You're too young to be pregnant aswell but that didn't stop anything. Anyways, Chiodos are doing pretty well and I have hope for Cinematic Sunrise so as far as financial problems go, were pretty set," he assured.
"Its alright for you, I move to Michigan, we get married, have this kid, you're on tour 75 per cent of the time and I'm at home... being a housewife. A housewife Craig! That's something I promised myself I'd never be."
"Can we argue about this another time? You have to tell your mom."
"No."
"What!?"
"She'll kill me. What about your parents? I haven't even met them yet. Oh great."
Craig knelled in front of me and looked at me in the eyes, "can you believe me when I say we'll be okay?"
I wanted to believe him, I really did. I nodded and wiped the tears away from my eyes.
"I'm going to Michigan for a week, I think you need this time to be alone with your mom. When I get back you'll have to contact Jia and the boys and let them know and then we'll figure out what were going to do from there."
They say a mother becomes a mother when she finds out she's pregnant but a father becomes a father when he holds his child for a first time.
Right now I was being the mother of the situation and wanted what was best for my child, even if it meant giving up my dream.
"Craig."
"Yeah?"
"I'll marry you and... I'll move to Michigan," I said unexpectedly.
Craig smiled and hugged me as tight as he could. "I promise I'll look after you."