Broken by Navaura Campbell (reader novel .TXT) 📕

“Even after what you know?”

Timothy sighed, “Everybody has something they wished they’d never done in life Tamarah.”“Yeah, but everybody don’t get pregnant as a result either. I just know Vanessa’s going to hate me after this. She’ll never speak to me again.”

“Tommy’s not the only guy in school she can get.” He stated, flickering his gaze out toward the harbor, watching as a boat loaded with several people made it’s way out toward open waters.

“Tommy’s the only one she’s ever liked. The night of the party she was going to give herself to him.”

Timothy’s gaze turned back to Tamarah, amazed at how not even smeared makeup could mar her beauty. “So then it could have been her in this situation than you.”

Tamarah shrugged, “Better her than me.” She mumbled.

“Well, don’t feel bad about things now. Pregnancy is just a consequence of not using protection.”

Tamarah gave a flippant expression in her reply, “You don’t say?”

Timothy shook his head, “Yeah, I do say and I’m not joking. Maybe you had no business being there to begin with.” Her heart dropped at his words and she realized that he was chastising her. “I don’t need you to beat me over the head about this Timothy. I know I did wrong and I regret it ok.”

“Regret won’t undo the situation.”

“I know. Geez, if you are going to make me feel like I should be stoned then maybe you should just go on home.”

Timothy sighed. “I’m not trying to stone you. I just want you to know that there are consequences for every decision you make and this is just one of many on your plate at the moment.”

“I know that already.”

“So then do the right thing and tell before you make this situation even worse.”“She’s not going to want to be my friend after this and really I wouldn’t blame her.”“If she did, you would deserve that.”

Tamarah’s head snapped up at him as he stood up. “I know that too.”Timothy sighed and said, “I will see you tomorrow in school. Tonight’s bible study.” Tamarah shrugged her shoulders and glanced out at the open waters.

“You know...”

“Thanks, but no thanks.” She interrupted, “Maybe another time. Now is not the right time. Too much on my mind.”

“Alright, have a good evening.” His footsteps were heard as he walked from the doc to dry land.

~ ~

Later that night at dinner, Jordan Williams sat down to an unusually quiet dinner with his family. Vanessa sat stirring uneaten food on her plate while Craig wolfed down anything that came his way. Denise seemed lost in her own thoughts. Exhaling sharply, he opened for discussion, “any body have anything exciting to talk about tonight?”

“not from me.” Craig stated in between mouth fulls.

“Me either.” Vanessa followed, lifting a fork full of food to her mouth.

“Well, I had an interesting day at work today. My secretary Bridgett called in sick today. She think she may have the flu so I told her to take a few days off work and then get back to me. I called in to a temp service and they will be sending someone out first thing in the morning.”

Silence ensued. Jordan glanced around the table at everyone, hoping at least one of his family members would say something, however, all was quiet. “I think that it’s a good thing I’ll be in court the whole time she’s sick, because we will be wrapping up our case over the next few days.” Still no response. Jordan exhaled sharply, “Can someone please tell me what’s going on? Why are you guys so quiet?” Craig pushed out his chair, “Honestly dad, I’m not feeling well. If it’s alright with you, I’m going to excuse myself and go to bed early tonight.” Before Jordan could reply, Craig took his plate to the sink and exited the kitchen. “Me too, I have a lot of homework to do and I want to get it done so I can hit the sack early tonight.” Vanessa copped out, pushing her chair out and fallowing behind her younger brother. With the kitchen half emptied, Jordan turned to face Denise, who just sat staring at him. “Are you alright, or would you like to excuse yourself as well?” Denise sighed, shook her head no and spoke what was on her mind. “I’m pregnant Jordan.”

Jordan narrowed his brows, “What? That can’t be possible I thought you were on birth control?” Denise sighed, “I am.”

Jordan cleared his throat. “And you still got pregnant?”“Yes.”

“hmmm.” Jordan pushed his plate away from him. “How far along are you?”“In a couple of weeks I go for an ultrasound and by then I will know.”“That’s good.” With that, Jordan went silent. Denise sat across from him, her brown eyes unsure. They sat like that for five minutes before Jordan stood up to take his plate to the sink, going toward the door. “Is that all you have to say?” Denise inquired as he crossed the threshold to the door. He paused, “For now, yes. I need a shower and some R and R. I’m tired.”

Denise sighed and glanced down at her plate, suddenly full.

Chapter Ten

~ ~

Kalen was stooped down in the refrigerator pulling something out when Timothy came through the door, his satchel over his left shoulder. “Hey, Kalen.”

“What’s up Tim.” She closed the fridge and turned toward the stairwell, biting into a red crisp apple on her way up to her bedroom. Timothy set his bag down on the kitchen table and opened the fridge, rambling through til he found some left over chili from last night’s dinner. His mind was still on the conversation he’d had with Tamarah at the docks a couple of days ago. Although they were halfway through their project, which they’d met today at the library to organize their research, Timothy had sensed her mind was overloaded with thoughts about her secret and what she would do with it. She had been quiet and pretending to be reading over the assignment when really all she was doing was staring at a screen with a few bibliography annotated. Sighing, he thought that she would feel so much better once she did actually tell Vanessa what had happened. He could tell that Vanessa knew something wasn’t right so she’d kept her distance over the past week. He knew without doubt that once Tamarah delivered her news that everything would hit the fan. Not only would he know but by the end of that day everyone else would know too. The amazing thing he wondered was how with Draniece and Athena knowing, no one else knew. Athena was quiet, so it was more likely she wasn’t going to tell but Draniece? What made her decide to not tell? She sure did tell everything else. Inhaling sharply, Timothy furrowed his brows, already hearing the rumors, slander and backlashing she’d receive. He was sorrowed that Tamarah would suffer what she would unintentionally have to go through all because of a decision she made at a party. A decision she’d be conformed to throughout the rest of her high school years. A decision that would ultimately ruin a great friendship between two best friends.

~ ~

Monday Morning

I felt something was wrong, knew instinctively upon awakening that today wasn’t going to be a great day for me. Don’t ask how because I’m not sure. I just know ever since I was a little tot, I’d get these feelings of forebodance and with each minute closing in they’d get even stronger until...something would occur. The last time I got this feeling was in Sixth grade when the middle school I attended cafeteria burned down. So needless to say, although this doesn’t happen often, when ever it does happen, it’s usually something horrid and today proved to be no exception as my insides began to hum with excess energy. The dread that encompassed me revealed itself through my expressions at breakfast as I sat sullenly munching on jellied toast and stirring cold eggs around on my plate. They’d been sitting there a good ten minutes now. My father glanced up at me, his gaze mirroring mine, “Are you ok, cupcake?” I felt a tiny flicker of a smile, but even that took a lot as my expression went back to where it was. “I’m ok I suppose.”

“What’s wrong?” He sat down the newspaper he’d been reading and stared at me.

I sighed and stood up, finally deciding it was time to go. “I’m not sure. I just know that today isn’t going to be my best day.”

~ ~

As Tamarah approached the school, she stopped, stared at the giant building looming ahead and could hear music playing in the background of her mind; As if she was a woman going to the gallows. Sighing heavily, she opened the big glass doors.

There weren’t many students arriving at this time. She’d told Tommy that she wanted to meet him a good thirty minutes early in the library, that way the morning crowd wouldn’t have to hear what she was about to say. Clearing her throat, she walked down the hall to the first door on the right. Once she stepped on the beige carpet, the sound of her heels quieted as she scanned the steel tables for Tommy. He wasn’t anywhere in the front. Pulling her back pack closer to her shoulders, she marched her way past the front book cases and then to the back where a second set of tables were. Tommy sat with his feet crossed at the ankles, both propped up on the table while leaning back in the chair. “Look at what the cat dragged in.”

Tamarah cut her eyes at him, stopping in front of him. “I only came to tell you something.” Her tone was serious.

“What?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Tommy let out a hoot of laughter. “You’re pregnant?”

“Yeah.”

He laughed some more. Tamarah stood there with a look of cold anger in her dark charcoal eyes. When he saw her expression, he realized she was serious. Raising a brow at her, he inquired, “What are you going to do about it?”

“You mean we...What are we going to do about it?”

Tommy removed his feet from off the table, put them on the ground and leaned forward, closer to her, “Naw, I mean what are you going to do about it? I ain’t got nothing to do with this.”

Tamarah narrowed her brows, “Ain’t is not a word and you sir do have something to do with it. You’re the only person I’ve ever been with, so this is not just my responsibility but yours too.”

Tommy shook his head, “You expect me to believe that?”

Tamarah’s eyes turned stormy, the rage clear in her pupils. “I don’t give a damn what you believe Tommy, but that’s the truth, so don’t try to make me look like some two bit whore when I’m not.”

Tommy laughed again and then sighed. It was then while staring in his features, she realized that the irises were red. Feeling her body tense together, she asked him, “What the hell have you been toking on?”

He laughed again. It was then she realized that talking to him was useless. Turning around she walked out of the library, leaving him giggling in hysteria by himself. As she took a deep sigh, she