When Love Knocks

…. Graduation Day 2010 “Neva, are you coming out of there? Or am I needing to come in there?” called an impatient Madilyn from the other side of the bathroom door. Nevaeh almost didn’t hear her as she stared at the two faint but there, pink lines on the pregnancy test. She felt like she could faint, how had this happened? She obviously knew ‘how’ it happened logistically, but she and Ezra had been careful, they always were. There came a rapid knock at the door, “Nevaeh are you okay?” Madilyn called before she finally answered her best friend, “Madi, I’m not going.” Madi’s exasperated reply came back, “Why the hell not? We’ve spent four years in this hell called high school, and of all days you decide today, you’re not going. You’re going whether I have to drag you or you walk on your own two feet.” She finished with a tone of finality, and Nevaeh knew there wasn’t going to be any use arguing with Madi once she had her mind set. “Madi?” she asked as she unlocked the bathroom door and poked her head out, “Madi, I really can’t go.” Neva said, taking a deep breath trying to calm her nerves before she started crying. Madilyn might be stubborn and pushy but when it came down to it, the girl’s heart was bigger than her body and knew when something was really bugging her friends, “Hey babe, is today upsetting you that bad?” Nevaeh shook her head, “No, I’m excited about today,” she began, “Madi, I’m. . .” She couldn’t even get the word out before her emotions overtook her thoughts and she started crying. She felt Madilyn pull her towards her bedroom at the end of the hall, she felt the bed behind her and sat down, she felt the bed dip as Madi sat beside her and pulled her into a comforting hug. She didn’t know how long they stayed that way, only that eventually she stopped crying and her face was wet with the remnants of tears. “Madi pulled away slightly so that the two girls could see the other's face, “Now what were you trying to tell me?” she asked softly. Nevaeh let go of her and was slightly shocked to see that she still held the pregnancy test in her hand. She took a deep breath, “Madi, I’m pregnant.” “Shut up!” Madi said in a whispered yelled. Nevaeh held out the test for her friend to see, “I’m serious Madi.” “So this is why you don’t want to go?” Madi asked as she took the test from her friend and looked at the positive test. Neva nodded, “Yes” she replied simply. Then came the question she was dreading because she still didn’t have a definite answer for it because her heart and brain were torn over the matter, “Are you going to tell Ezra?” She was silent for a moment before fresh tears began to fall from her eyes, “Madilyn, I don’t know if I can. I can’t just ruin his life as well.” She began and was about to continue when a knock on her bedroom door sounded followed by the gruff masculine voice of her father, “Are you girls ready? Nevaeh, your mother wants pictures before the ceremony.” Madi looked at Nevaeh and smiled, “It’ll work out either way, just let me know and I’ll be there for you.” she said to her. Madilyn stood and held her hand out to her, “Almost done Mr. Z, we’ll be down in just a minute.” “Alright, just try and make it quick. You girls know how Ann gets when the time starts getting close.” The sound of fading footsteps let the girls know they were alone again and Madi turned to Neva, “Now, let’s get you fixed back up and get going before your mom takes one look at you and knows somethings wrong.” Nevaeh smiled slightly, “She is going to know something eventually, sooner she knows it might not be a bad thing.” she said, shrugging her shoulders. Which caused Madi to wince slightly, “Neva, I love your mom, but she is just about as bad as every other busy body in this town and there’d be no way it wouldn’t get back to Ezra eventually. I just think maybe you should wait until you know that this is what you want.” “Madi!,” Neva gasped. “I can’t believe you would even hint about that.” “That’s not what I meant.” she said in defense taking a tissue and wiping away the streaks of mascara on Nevaeh’s face. “I was going to say adoption. Wouldn’t it be better if your parents never knew they had a grandchild then come to love the little booger and miss them?” she asked as she reapplied Nevaeh’s mascara. “Michael and Evan already gave them grandchildren. . .” she began. “Yeah and Jenny and Tyler are adorable, but they aren’t your kids. Parents are weird, they want to have grandkids from all their children. Mine can’t wait for me to find a guy to settle down with and start having kids. They have more baby fever than I do.” Madi said. “You’re impossible Madi,” she said smiling as her friend began picking up the make-up. “You wouldn’t love me any other way.” she said with a wink. “Now let’s get your dress on. Just because we have to wear these boring gowns doesn’t mean we can’t look smoking hot underneath.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nevaeh squirmed in the hard metal chair that had been set up in the gymnasium as she listened along with the other graduates to Principal Chandler talk about how they were born for greatness, and that they would succeed in the world wherever they went. It made Nevaeh want to hurl, how could she become great if she had a baby to take care of besides herself. She scooted to the edge of her seat ready to jump up and dash out of the gym, but when she glanced around Ezra caught her eye and sent her a dazzling smile. He looked good when he cleaned up like today, no smudges of dirt on his cheeks, his black hair combed back so that his beautiful green eyes could be seen. She raised her hand in a small barely noticeable wave, and smiled back feeling guilty. He was destined to be great not her, he had been sent every scholarship and acceptance letter from colleges all over the country; she really couldn’t tell him she was pregnant, “. . .And so with that let’s begin with the presentation of the diplomas.” Her attention was dragged back to the front as a round of applause erupted from friends and families in the stands. It was just like rehearsal yesterday, once she noticed that her classmates beside her stood up she would stand up too and the row would walk up to the stage and receive their diplomas one by one, pause for a picture to be taken and then go back to their seats. Once everyone was back they’d sit down together. She just couldn’t understand how she had gotten pregnant, it was what baffled her the most, they had used a condom, they always used one. She didn’t remember it breaking, did he even put one on? She was sure that he had, all of this thinking was making her nauseous. Maybe it was the baby, oh God, the baby. Was she ready for a baby? Sure she had helped out Melanie while Evan was gone with Tyler but that wasn’t her baby, this was her baby, hers and Ezra’s. She was nudged by her classmate and friend Dylan, “Neva, come on it’s time for our row.” he whispered to her. She smiled and they stood up moving towards the stage. His voice still in a whisper, “Is everything okay? You seem to be zoning out pretty badly today.” “Yea, I’m okay Dylan, thanks for asking though. Just ready to get this over with.” She replied. “Nevaeh Lynn McKay.” said Principle Chandler. Nevaeh walked up the steps and to the middle of the stage where she shook hands with her right and reached with her left for the diploma. A slight pause, a flash to indicate a picture being taken, and then she finished walking across the stage. She looked up to see Madilyn whispering something to Ezra and her stomach lurched. She took a seat as the rest of her row finished their walk across the stage. The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur. As the last row made their way up to the stage, Dylan gently grabbed Nevaeh’s arm, “Neva, you don’t look so good. Come on, let's get you some air.” Nevaeh nodded in agreement as her stomach continued to roll. As soon as Dylan was able to get her out of the gymnasium she hurried to the nearest trashcan and lost what little food she had in her stomach. Dylan rubbed her back and held her hair out of the way, “Just nerves?” He asked as she stood back up and grabbed the tissue she had pinned inside her gown wiping at her mouth. Nevaeh nodded, “Yea, of course.” she said. “I don’t believe that for one minute. You don’t get nerves, you’re in front of crowds all the time. Singing, acting, you name it. What’s really going on?” Dylan asked. She chewed on her lip and as she finally came to how she would tell him the door to the gym opened and the crowd began to spill out into the vestibule separating them. Putting a smile on her face she looked for her family when a familiar hand tugged her back and two arms wrapped around her. “Hey babe, we did it. Now we can go out and conquer the world.” Ezra’s smooth masculine voice said. He gave her a quick peck on the lips, “I need to talk to you later. Meet me at our spot?” “Yea, I’ll see you there.” she answered, giving him another quick kiss as she spotted her parents and siblings. “Love you.” “Love you too Ezra.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “What do you mean I’m leaving tonight? You guys just planned this without telling me?” Nevaeh asked incredulously. “Nevaeh dear, we thought you should go and enjoy traveling with your aunt for the summer before you start college in the fall. Now go get packed, you don’t want to be late for your flight.” Nevaeh’s mother said with a note of finality in her voice saying she didn’t have a choice in the matter. “You can’t just do this! What if I had plans? Graduation parties? Seeing most of my friends before we all go our separate ways?” “You can visit during holidays and breaks.” “What about Ezra? I don’t even get a chance to tell him goodbye?” “You’ll be on the phone with him every night anyway. Now go get packed, I’m not telling you again. I am still your mother.” Ann said and turned to go into the kitchen signaling the end of the conversation. Nevaeh turned away and went up to her room where new suitcases lay on her bed, “This may be for the best. Then I wouldn’t have to tell Ezra right away. He could finally make a decision on where he wants to go without me taking up all his time.” she said with reseverence, “But that still doesn’t make it fair they planned this without me knowing.” she added. She placed her hand on her belly, “We’ll get through this bub, me and you, and we’ll support your daddy however we can.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nevaeh sat on the plane staring at her phone, she should have messaged Ezra that she wasn’t going to make it so they could talk tonight. She chewed her lip and typed out a message N: Ezra, I won’t be able to make it tonight. :( My parents surprised me with a trip with my aunt, I had no idea >:( I’m so sorry and I love you so much, talk soon :* “Excuse me ma’am, it’s time to shut phones off,” a flight attendant said, interrupting her typing, she nodded and hit send before shutting off her phone and pulling out her MP3 player and headphones, settling into the seat for the flight. Perhaps traveling now would be good, especially since she might not get the chance after having a baby to care for.