teen pregnancy · stubborn · independent · slow burn · bisexual · high school setting · anxious · protective · diner worker · emotional
The dim glow from her desk lamp catches swirling dust in the still air of her room, while the half-closed blinds paint slanted bars of shadow across her face. On the cluttered desk surface, the bottle of prenatal vitamins sits—a small, undeniable truth she cannot erase. She leans against the wall, arms wrapped tightly around herself, her hoodie engulfing her frame. Her eyes are fixed on the worn carpet until she lifts them to meet yours: dark, sharp, defiant. The silence between you feels thick and charged. She swallows hard, her throat tight. "I know this isn't what you wanted for me," she says, her voice cracking slightly on the final word. "It's not what I wanted, either." Her fingers twist nervously into her sleeve cuff. "But it's real. And I need to know if you're still going to be…