I stared at the pregnancy test in the dim light of the school bathroom, my head full of confusion. What will people say? What will the teachers say when they found out about this? Everyone is expecting better things from the top learner of the class, they are expecting university acceptance letters and perfect class scores not a positive pregnancy test.

He promised me that I won't get pregnant no matter what.... he said he was preventing for pregnancy. I was always wondering how could a man prevent for pregnancy but little did I know he was not telling the truth. I have to tell him about this, I can't carry this alone.

 I put the pregnancy test inside my school bag and washed my face and then I stepped out of the bathroom looking for Julian. Finding him was easy because he is always at the rugby field with his friends and along side them full of girls and he looked completely untroubled.

The moment I saw him my heart was full of fear, not knowing how do I start from telling him about the pregnancy. "Julian? Can I speak with you privately." His face became hard and serious as if he was seeing a trash.

"Uh, sure. Give me a sec, guys," he muttered, tossing the ball to his friend. Then he pulled me away from his friends, away enough that no one could no longer see us.

"What do you want Chloe?" "You can see that I'm busy with the guys," he said crossing his arms tightly across his chest.

Without even speaking I take out the pregnancy test and held it out between us. Julian look down at it quietly and his face became hard. Before I could even speak he grabbed my wrist so hard making it hard for me to breathe.

"Are you out of your mind?" he hissed, his voice was cold. "Do you have any idea what this does to me? My career? My scholarship? You're going to ruin my life!"

"Your life?" "What about mine you just ruined Julian?" "You promised that I won't get pregnant!" "I'm just a seventeen years old girl, What will people say?"

"Then fix it!" He began to step closer. "Remove the pregnancy Chloe, It's your problem not mine.... get rid of it immediately."

 "Julian it is not that simple I could die in the process....."

"Listen to me carefully," he interrupted. "There is no us and this never happened.... If you tell a single person, if you ruin my future, I will make sure your life at this school becomes a living hell, Do you understand me? Take care of it."

He didn't even wait for me to answer he just walked away leaving me standing there alone. I just stood there looking at him walking away trying to keep myself together. I should've known better than this. This is not what he promised me, now I have to face my friends and family alone and face the shame alone. What did I expected from him anyway? It is now clear that all he wanted was to take my pride away.

That night I couldn't sleep at all, my room felt very tight and strong as if it knows my problems. Every time I closed my eyes I could still Julian's angry and hateful face and I kept recalling Julian's words over and over again, "remove it Chloe it's your problem not mine."

When my morning alarm finally rings, I dragged myself to the bathroom mirror staring at my pale face and the dark circles under my eyes and I wear my oversized tunic to hide my stomach. I felt very sick on my way to school and I had to stop two times and lean against the neighborhood wall,, so I wouldn't throw up but feeling sick was not as bad as how scared I was to see Julian. As soon as I entered the school I saw Julian and his friends walking right down to the hallway with his friends and he was happy as if nothing matters and here I was worried and full of shame and my heart started beating fast.

Julian didn't even stop or look at mme,he just continued laughing with his friends, and passed me as if I wasn't there and he whispered to his friends.

"Look at her, I don't even know what I saw in her in the first place she is such a dirty girl."

An hour later the tension become more suffocating in AP English class, Julian just sat two rows ahead of me.

"Class be quiet, before we begin with today's syllabus I want to acknowledge Chloe, she had achieved the highest marks in the district for preparatory exam," Mr Khumalo said.

Normally I would be very proud but today I wanted the ground to swallow me due to shame until the class is over.

I thought the whole class now know my secret and what I do. Julian moved closer to Marcus and he didn't even bother to lower his voice.

"Top learner of the class?"

"Too bad books don't teach you how to close your legs around boys, some girls are desperate and they will do anything to trap a guy."

Marcus snorted turning around to look at me with judgmental eyes.

"For real?" I thought clever girls don't go around opening legs to every boy."

I wanted to scream and tell the whole class the truth and at the same time I wanted to hide, to run away but yet I couldn't. Julian wasn't just ignoring me to protect his rugby scholarship, he was actively starting a horrible rumor. He was telling everyone I was a crazy stalker just to protect himself before I could tell anyone the truth. After the class has ended Julian came to me angry and unstoppable.

"You better had removed that thing already." Julian said with a harsh cold voice.

"This is how it is now?"

"What about the love you promised me... you said you will always be there for me, you can still makes this right and I am willing to forgive you and give you a chance in our baby's life." I replied and tears started filling my eyes.

"Who's baby.... I am not even sure this baby is mine... just get rid of it Chloe." 

Right then, the classroom door opened. Madison, the head cheerleader and Julian's popular girlfriend walked in to drop off a sports note on Mr. Khumalo's desk. She looked perfect and her uniform fit her perfectly. On her way out, she stopped right by Julian's desk and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Are we still going to the mall after rugby practice babe?" Madison asked quietly.

Julian's angry face changed instantly into a big smile. He reached up and held her hand tightly, "Always, beautiful, I'll meet you by the car."

He leaned up and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh out loud. He looked completely fine, like he didn't care at all that he had ruined my life less than twenty-four hours ago behind the sports shed. I forced myself to look away, staring down at my notebook until my eyes filled with tears.

When the final school bell rang, I felt completely broken inside. I walked slowly toward the exit, wanting nothing more than to go home, lock my bedroom door and hide from everyone staring at me but when I reached the hallway near the water fountains, my path was blocked.

Julian was standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed tightly over his rugby jacket. Marcus and Sfiso stood right behind him like guards.

I tried to walk past them looking down but Julian stepped right in front of me and cut me off.

"Where are you rushing to, top student?" Julian sneered, dropping his voice to a scary whisper that made my skin crawl.

"Going to buy another pregnancy test to show people?"

"Let me pass, Julian," I whispered, my voice shaking as I gripped my bag straps.

He didn't move Instead he leaned closer, his big body blocking the light in the hallway.

"Listen to me carefully, Chloe... I saw you looking at me during English class,If you think your perfect school grades are going to make people believe your lies, you're stupid and You're a crazy, obsessed stalker who couldn't accept that I don't want you, That's the story everyone believes now."

"You lied to me," I whispered, tears finally running down my face.

"You promised me you were preventing this!"

Julian let out a mean laugh and turned to Marcus.

"Hear that? She's still crazy." He turned back to me, his eyes looking completely dead.

"I didn't promise you anything, get it through your thick head and If you say a single word to the principal or my coach, I will make sure your life here is a living hell until graduation, clean up your own mess and stay far away from me."

He shoved past my shoulder hard, leaving me standing all alone in the crowded hallway while the other students watched and whispered behind their hands. He had stolen my pride, given me a complete nightmare and now he was going to let the whole school break me even more.

A moment later I received a text from Julian.

"Come to my house right now.... don't tell anyone, I bought another pregnancy test... we need to be 100% sure before we can fix things."

I stared at Julian message for a while and I wanted to believe him. He was finally reaching out and he wasn't ignoring me anymore. Maybe the way he treated me in AP English class was just to protect his rugby scholarship and maybe in private he is going to notice me again.

Inside I was happy that finally he had finally noticed me and realized his mistakes and I was also glad that at least my child will have a person to call a father.

I didn't take a taxi instead I walked a long distance towards a wealthy gated estate and my oversized tunic felt very heavy and my stomach twisted with every step but the hope in my heart kept me moving.

When I arrived, Julian was already standing at the front of the door holding it open.

"Get inside," he whispered' pulling me into the empty entrance hall. "The domestic staff are off today and my parents are at a charity dinner in Sandton unit late, you don't have to worry about anything we are completely alone."

"Julian the rumors at school... Marcus and everyone in the cafeteria were saying..." I said.

"Forget about Marcus," Julian interrupted.

His voice was low with comforting tone like the old time when we were alone behind the sport shed. He reached out and gently took my school bag from my shoulder.

"I had to do that Chloe, if the coach thinks I'm distracted or getting into trouble... my entire future is gone, you know how much that sport scholarship mean to my family." he said.

He pulled a pregnancy test on his pocket.

"I bought this on my way home," he said pushing it inside my hands. "The cheap ones from the local clinic can be wrong, let's get a real truth... I want to be part of our child life."

I looked down at the test. "And if it say the same thing?"

Julian stepped closer and he reached out and gently moved a strand of my hair behind my ear. His hand felt very warm and different from how tightly and roughly he had grabbed my wrist yesterday.

"If it say the same thing again, we are in this together," he whispered.

"I told you I will always be there for you, didn't I? now go and test again."

I took the test and walked into the guest bathroom. My hands were trembling as I open it, I waited and stared at the test until the result were clear, "PREGNANT 2-3 WEEKS." I opened the door and handed the test to Julian. He stared at the test for a while as if he was trying to understand something and a moment later the soft in his face vanished replace by a cold look but then his smile soften again and he throw the test in the bin and looked at me.

"We are in this together Chloe," he said stepping closer an wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I'm sorry Chloe.. I know I have caused you so much pain but you don't need to cry anymore, I'm right here."

"How?" I whispered laying my head on his chest. "Everyone at school hates me and Lerato won't even speak with me but I always known that one day you will change your mind and I'm very glad for that." 

"Let them talk," he murmured kissing my forehead.

He started leading me slowly up to the stairs to his bedroom.

"They don't know anything, you are the smartest girl in class and you are very special... let's just forget about the school and the rules for tonight, just be mine."

His sudden kindness makes me believe him. After the whole day of everyone ignoring me, his touch felt like fire in my body. When we got to his bedroom he locked the door and pulled me into the bed. I knew it was wrong and I shouldn't trust him again after everything he has done to me but I was desperate to be held and feel alive like I wasn't completely ruined and alone.

He began to unbuttoned my my school tunic and his hands were warm against my skin and he pulled me even closer. For a moment everything faded away' the fear the pregnancy test and the whispers in the school disappeared and in those moments I truly believed he was mine again. 

An hour later I sat up pulling my school tunic back over my shoulder and a relief I felt was immense, we were going to fix this together. Julian was Iying and his face was full of mockery and the warm comforting boy from an hour ago was gone.

"You really are completely naive , aren't you?" Julian said.

"What do you mean ?" I replied my hand stopping halfway through buttoning my shirt.

Julian moved closer, "you see how cheap you are." "You ran over here the second I sent you a text and end up sleeping with me all because you are desperate for a savior... you really thought this meant something?"

"Julian you said you were ready to be part pf our lives!" "How could you do this to us" 

"I do want to be part of removing that thing Chloe!" He said pulling out his phone. "My uncle owns a private hospital in the town and he said he can help in removing the baby." "Chloe this is no longer your decision alone, I equally have the same right as you over that pregnancy and I said you must get rid of it!"

I stared at him.

"An abortion?" "Julian I've told you that I'm scared and I don't know if I can."

"You don't have a choice in this!" Julian interrupted. "You thought I was going to let you ruin my life like this?" "My uncle will fix your little proble, and then you are going to stay far away from me!"