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Senior year high school, October

Sunshine, Mississippi

Most stories start at the beginning But not this one This one starts at the end Or, at least, what I thought was the end--of ht it was all over because of tords

"It’s positive"

Tords Two little blue lines

My storeen Sunshine High School football jersey clings to my torso, stained with dark sweat spots under the pits--and it’s got nothing to do with the Mississippi sun I take the stick fro one blue line will disappear

It doesn’t

"Sonofabitch"

But even at seventeen, ument--an explanation Reasonable doubt

"Maybe you did it wrong? Or et another one"

Jenny sniffs as tears gather in her baby blues "I’ve been gettin’ sick every mornin’ for the last week, Stanton I haven’t had my period in two months It’s positive" She wipes at her cheeks and raises her chin "I’m not stealin’ another test from Mr Hawkin’s store to tell us e already know"

When you live in a small town--particularly a small southern town--everybody knows everybody They know your granddaddy, yourbrother and sweet baby sister; they know all about your uncle who got locked up in the federal penitentiary and the cousin as never quite right after that unfortunate tractor incident So on birth control pills, and inancy test

Unless you want your parents to hear all about it before your girl even has time to piss on the stick

Jenny wraps her ar hands As scared shitless as I a And that’s onstupidity

People can say what they want about feood But I was raised on the idea that o doith the ship So the fact that irl is "in trouble" is no one’s fault but ainst ’s gonna be all right"