NEWBORN: Book One of the Newborn Trilogy (35 page)

Setting aside my glass, I stand up and hug
her. “You’re a great roommate,” I say, embracing her strongly, “and
a better friend. Thank you!”

Hugging me back, Kiri giggles. “Thank
you
for being a great friend and roommate. I should get you
drunk more often. This is fun!”

I feel it coming.

Lurching from her arms I double up over my
trashcan. I throw up magnificently into it. What the fuck? I cough
horrendously. More comes, spewing from my mouth. This is awful.
Terrible. Oh geez!

“Wait here!” Kiri tells me. She runs out the
door. I know she’s going to the bathroom to get paper towels. In a
moment she’s back and mopping my face with a wet one, her
expression pained. “Oh, Nora,” she says sadly, “I guess there has
to be a first time! Oh no!” I’m hurling again. “Easy does it!”

Grabbing a paper towel, I wipe my face.
Gross! “What’s happening?”

“You’ve had too much to drink is what’s
happening,” Kiri informs me. “What did you have at The Mousetrap
again?”

Coughing, I say, “Gin and tonic!”

“You’ve been mixing,” Kiri says, “no wonder
you’re sick! Here, let me get you a glass of water.”

I shake my head, confused. “I don’t
understand!” I expel. “I
never
vomit. Even when I’m really,
really
sick. My reflexes are so poor for it, Mom said I
would probably never vomit. I don’t understand!”

Kiri goes to the bathroom with my flute
glass. When she returns, it’s brimming with fresh, crystal clear
water. “Drink,” Kiri says, handing it to me. “It will refresh your
stomach. It’s empty. Too acidic.”

Drinking the water down, I feel better.
Except for a moment when I think I’m going to throw up again. It
passes. I drink more water, finishing the flute. I definitely feel
better now. Burping, I make Kiri giggle.

“There’s an art to drinking,” Kiri begins.
“It’s important to learn –”

I’m running to the bathroom. Oh no!

Fuck! Fuck!

Stay inside me for another second! The next
moment I’m over the toilet and spewing majestically into it,
coughing midway and everything. The works. Geez, this sucks! I feel
completely horrible.

Following me gingerly, Kiri hands me a paper
towel. I wipe my mouth. A moment later she’s back from the sink
with the flute glass refilled. I wave it away this time. Best to
learn from my mistakes.

“I never throw up!” I exclaim. “Never, Kiri!
I
didn’t
feel sick. This is coming totally out of left
field. It’s so strange!”

Kiri grabs my arm.

“Ow!” I yowl. “What – what is it?” Turning
around, I look into her unflinching, deadly serious gaze.

It dawns on me.

Holy bejesus shitballs
! No way! I
don’t believe it.

“I’m not pregnant!”

“We can’t know!” Kiri exclaims. “You could
be!”

I shake my head, refusing to allow it. “Not
possible.”

Grabbing my hand, Kiri drags me back into our
room. She forces me to sit down and then proceeds to force paper
towels and water on me. I take them so she will shut up. She
doesn’t, of course.

“Before you kill the idea,” she begins,
sitting down opposite me, “answer a few questions for me.”

“I –”

“Humor me!” she yells.

“Okay!” I gasp.

Geez, what a tyrant!

She takes a deep breath. “Did you use a
condom?”

Fucking shitballs!

“No,” I answer. Kiri gasps. “But –”

“Yes?” Kiri pushes. “Please tell me good
news!”

I wipe my mouth with a paper towel. “There
isn’t any, Kiri. We didn’t use a condom.” Well, what the hell am I
supposed to say? He’s a wizard and he charmed my cunt? Give me a
fucking break.

Kiri sighs heavily. She’s looking at me as
though I’m a dying patient in a hospital ward. “Strike two,” she
says. “The problem is –”

“Wait! You can’t skip to strike two!”

Leaning back in her chair, she crosses her
arms. “Having sex is strike one,” she says. “So yes I can. One more
question. Have you missed your period this month? You
have
to tell me, Nora!”

Geez, what a personal question.

At least I can answer it honestly unlike the
condom question. “I don’t know,” I tell her. “It’s not my time for
another ten days.”

Kiri swipes her bobbed hair to the side. “I
guess we can’t know till then, unless you want to take a pregnancy
test.”

“No thanks,” I tell her, “I’m too embarrassed
to go out and buy one.” Leaning over, I take Kiri’s wine flute from
the windowsill. There’s still some left, so I drink it. “Could
you?” I ask her.

“I’m not going to buy you a pregnancy test,”
Kiri says to me. “In the meantime, Nora – when we don’t know
whether you’re pregnant or not – you should probably abstain from
alcoholic drinks!”

Spluttering on my wine, I put it down.
“Right!”

“Do you feel pregnant?” Kiri asks, looking me
up and down.

“Feel pregnant?” I guffaw. “What does that
feel like?”

Kiri shrugs. “I don’t know, but do you
feel
pregnant?”

No. I can’t be pregnant. Not me. Not Nora
Saynt-Rae. Pregnant at eighteen? Never! It could never happen. Not
with any boy. Sighing my relief, I lift wine to my lips. Hastily
put it down again.

The truth is we
didn’t
use a condom.
I’m sure spells in the magical world sometimes go amiss. Geez, what
a hard question. Do I feel pregnant? Hum – no condom, true. No
period yet, true. Do I
feel
pregnant? The revelation hits me
like a tidal wave. What was it Mom said? That I – I’m
glowing
…

I jump to my feet. “Oh my god!” I scream.
“I’m pregnant!”

I’m out the door, running down the stairs
fast as I can.

“Nora!” Kiri yells, darting after me. “Come
back!”

I’m long gone. Out of dorm building C and
running in the direction of Red Square.

Holy fucking shitballs!

I’m pregnant!

* * *

Evening is falling into night. I’m chasing
lit lampposts to the center of campus. My feet thrum on the
pavement, rhythmic with my panting. They are nowhere near fast
enough to distract my thoughts.

I’m pregnant! How did this happen? To me of
all people! My parents are going to be so angry. Well, Dad will be
furious. Mom will have a field day. She’ll be able to tell me off
for life. Her dream come true. They can never find out – never
ever. How on earth am I going to deal with this?

Calm down
, my alter ego tells me.
People have babies every day!

Not helping!
I exclaim.

I arrive at Red Square, panting and grasping
a stitch in my side. Geez, this must be the fastest I ever got
here. There’s no time for sightseeing. I’m looking for someone.
Someone I want to kill!

“Gabriel!” I scream to the open square.
“Gabriel! Show yourself!” The square is nearly deserted now most
classes are adjourned, but a girl exiting the Daniel J. Evans
library stares at me as she emerges. “What are you looking at?” I
yell at her. She promptly runs away. “Gabriel!” I shout again,
louder this time. “You’re in trouble! I know you can hear me! I
know you’re somewhere! Gabriel!”

I stop shouting long enough to gasp the
evening air. Nothing. Nobody responds.
Fuck!
Leave it to a
wizard to impregnate you and then disappear. It doesn’t help he can
literally disappear into thin air. It’s all too easy for him. I
hardly blame him for taking the opportunity. Wait – yes I do!

“Gabriel!” I scream. “Gabriel!” I’ve gone
crazy. So young, too. “You better –!”

A pop sounds. “Yes?”

I whirl around. “Gabriel!”

He’s here before me, gorgeous as ever.
Dressed in resplendent jade robes today, Gabriel spreads his arms
wide and bows deeply. “Gabriel Edward Lucius White at your service.
How may I assist you?”

“You!” I storm, “are in trouble!”

Righting himself, Gabriel swipes his blond
hair to the side of his forehead. “So I’ve heard,” he says, his
expression impermeable. “What have I done to make your life
anything but the best it’s ever been? I under –”

“Gabriel!” I interrupt. “I’m pregnant!”

Pause.

I’m trying to discern the expression on his
face. This semi light isn’t helping. I wish Red Square was better
lit. Do I want to know?

“No,” Gabriel says at last, “you’re not.”

We stare at each other, each with our own
thoughts. Denial – really? So predictable. That’s textbook. There
are like twelve steps of acceptance or something. Trouble is I
forget what the second one is. Oh well.

I’m attempting to stare him down. It’s hard
in the dark. “Yes, I am.”

“How do you know?” His tone is doubtful.

“Because,” I answer, stalling, “I feel
it!”

Gabriel shakes his head. I see that much
through the impending night. “You can’t
feel
pregnant, Nora.
Not this early.” Geez, I hate it when he’s condescending! He sighs
resignedly. “
How
do you feel pregnant?”

“I’ve been throwing up like crazy,” I tell
him. “And I – like –
never
throw up.”

He considers this. Then rejects it. “You’re
not pregnant.”

“How do
you
know?” I say angrily.
Fucking know it all. “
You
can’t know what’s happening inside
my body, Gabriel! You have no idea! Are you not ready to be a
father – is that it? Is it cowardice on your part?” Okay – perhaps
I shouldn’t have gone there. But I did. Too late. Too bad.

“Nora!” Gabriel’s loud, overriding me. “First
of all, I actually
do
know what’s happening inside your
body. Second of all,
because
I know what’s happening inside
your body, I know you’re
not
pregnant. Nora, we’ve been
through this. I’m not a mediocre wizard! I’m not an average wizard!
I’m a –”

“I know, I know!” I’m rolling my eyes.
“You’re the crème de la crème!”

“Releasers need top marks,” Gabriel explains.
“Think doctors or lawyers for Immags. You’re not pregnant. How do I
know? Because
I
did the magic to ensure you wouldn’t be
pregnant. Being a brilliant wizard, I didn’t fuck it up!”

Arrogant bastard.

“For the record,” Gabriel continues, “I’m
comfortable with the idea of being a father. I’d make a great
parent. Why? Because I have great parents. Sometimes that’s all it
takes. I would, Nora – I would be a fantastic dad! You, on the
other hand – you with all your craziness – are the question
mark!”

So I won’t be a mom. Not yet. That’s too bad,
because I’d love the opportunity to show my mom how to be a mom. It
wouldn’t include tearfully dropping my daughter off at school then
ignoring her for two months.

“Light, Gabriel,” I demand. “Give me
light!”

Gathering his wand, he says, “Lumio!”

We’re blinded by a bright light. Gabriel
proceeds to dim it so it’s manageable. Shielding my eyes, I glimpse
his face. A blaze of blond hair and turquoise eyes stun me. How
come I’m always shocked by his beauty? It’s almost like I forget.
Right now his expression is surprising me more.

It’s forlorn.

“Sorry,” Gabriel says, “didn’t mean that. But
you’re not pregnant. The spells I put on both of us made sure it
couldn’t happen. You think I’m so careless with your feelings that
I’d screw it up?”

I shake my head, eyes wide. “Of course not! I
thought – you know – when you’re hot, things happen. Like
distractions. Gabriel, I never doubted you. As a wizard, at least,”
I add without thinking.

Turquoise eyes harden. “How about as
other
things?”

Oh shit!

“Oh,” I begin, “I – I don’t understand.” Best
to play stupid.

Luckily, Gabriel is distracted. “The
turtleneck!” he observes, expression lightening. “You’re wearing
it! Comfortable?”

Looking down, I take in the gray fabric.
“Very comfortable!” I say happily. “People are always asking me if
I’m cold and they think I’m lying when I say no. I’m not – the
joke’s on them! I’m comfy!”

Gabriel nods approvingly, the turquoise of
his eyes looking me up and down. “I want you to be comfortable,
Nora, or else I will fail in my duty to protect you from the pain
of an Immag life!”

He means this as a joke. I’m not laughing.
Because I’ve remembered something and it’s rising in me like a
storm. “Gabriel!” I shout at him. “You cursed my pain away when we
were having sex!”

I don’t care if people hear me. It doesn’t
matter. What matters is how Gabriel will react to my indictment.
Will he deny it? In which case we’ll have serious issues. Or will
he fess up? In which case we’ll have serious issues.

Hands on my hips. “You did, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but I only –”

“How could you!” I exclaim, interrupting. “Do
you realize what you’ve done? You’ve stolen my first time! I can
never be a virgin again! Now – thanks to you – I didn’t get to
experience my first time, either!”

“Nora, I don’t –”

“Understand?” I finish for him. “Of course
you don’t! Because you’re a guy. All you care about is yourself!
How dare you take away my pain, Gabriel! How dare you assume I’d
rather not feel than feel pain! It’s better to feel pain than
nothing at all, Gabriel! You gave me nothing at all!”

Oh geez, here they come. The tears. Not tons
but a few – I’ve never been much of a crier. This is hitting me
hard. I can’t explain it. Wiping my tears, I sniff the cool evening
air. Why are my feelings such a mystery to me all the time? I
rarely feel in control of myself these days.

Gabriel is swiping his blond hair to the side
of his forehead in agitation. “I – I’m sorry,” he says falteringly.
“You
have
to understand, Nora – I was trying to alleviate
your pain. That’s what the Alleviate spell does. It makes your
nerves register pleasure –
only
pleasure. I had no idea you
wanted pain!”