Life's Flashing Before My Eyes by Emma Widmer (red white royal blue TXT) 📕

hoped for the best, but prepared himself for the worst. Time to man up and call Elle.
“Hey Bryan. Sorry if I disturbed you all day. We need to talk.”
“What’s going on? You called me so many times.”
“Well, I had some news to tell you.”
“Okay love, what is it?”
“I don’t know if I want to tell you this over the phone or in person, it’s a big deal.”
Bryan started to get nervous. He didn’t know if they were breaking up. He didn’t know what to expect, or what to say, but he wanted the news right away. No more waiting.
“Tell me now.”
“Um, I went to the store today…”
“And?”
“I am pregnant.”
“What?”
“Yeah.”
There was a long pause, and tears filled both ends of the phone. They were both so scared, and Bryan felt absolutely horrible. He couldn’t man up enough to hold back the tears.
“Elle, I am so sorry. This is my entire fault. I don’t even know what to do; I literally ruined your life.”
“Bry, don’t worry. I think we need to talk this out. I have to tell my mom, and you have to tell your dad. All I know is that I refuse to get an abortion. Tell me now if you feel different, but all I know I can’t kill a precious baby. I would rather keep it, with or without you.”
“I understand, and agree. I also want to keep to keep the baby, but do you know how much help we will need? We are sophomores and juniors in high school. I don’t know how we will handle this. I am so sorry I did this to you. I wish I would have respected you. I am so sorry.”
“Bryan, stop worrying.” Elle is crying as she says this. She is trying to pretend like nothing is wrong, when she knows it is.
“Okay, I am going to talk to my dad in the morning and you can tell your mom in the morning too.”
“Sound’s good. I love you Bry, don’t worry about anything yet.”
“I love you too babe. Call me right after you talk to your mom. I want to know everything. Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine, thanks for asking. But go to sleep! It’s getting late. Good night!”
“Good night.”
They both hung up and Bryan ran to his room crying. I don’t know what I was thinking. I wish I could change time. I wish this didn’t have to happen. She is trying to cover up her tears. I could tell, and that makes me feel worse. I hope her mom understands. I hope my dad doesn’t get too mad. I hope he doesn’t hit me like when I was little.
Bryan lay in bed and cried himself to sleep.

Elle woke up the next morning at 4:38, feeling worse that morning than the one before, and ran straight to the bathroom. She had all the lights turned off, and put the fan on so the smell of her vomit wouldn’t upset her stomach any more. Her mom woke up a little later to hear Elle crying over the toilet.
“Elle, what is going on?”
“Nothing, I just don’t feel good.”
“Okay, what do you think you have? You have been feeling like this for a few days now.” As her mom kneeled to the ground, she put a pony tail in Elle’s pin straight brown hair, so it won’t get into her eyes. Her mom was beautiful. She had dark brown hair, just like Elle, but her mom’s was wavy. She had beautiful green eyes. She was tall and skinny.
“I’m pregnant.”
“WHAT?”
“Mom, I am not kidding. I didn’t find out until yesterday morning. I am so sorry. I really didn’t know what to do; I just knew I had to tell you right away. Please don’t hate me completely. Please. I don’t want to lose you. I am really sorry, but I need support from someone. Mom, please understand. Please.” The tears were running down her face like water pouring out of a faucet. She couldn’t even think straight. She felt like the way she did when she found out that her dad died. All different emotions were running through her head. It was like the traffic on Transit, but with different feelings all racing through the same intersection. Elle’s heart.
“Elle, listen to me. I don’t hate you. I am your mother. I could never leave you. I am here to support you. But, why so young? I am shocked.”
Elle was hyperventilating. She didn’t know what to say or do first. She just let all the tears out as her mom rubbed her back and comforted Elle in her time of need. I don’t know why my mom isn’t mad at me. I thought she would kick me out. I thought she would be swearing and yelling at me. I guess I have nothing to worry about yet. I should just really talk it out.
“All I know is I didn’t want it to happen, but I guess I let it happen. If I could change things, I would but I can’t.”
“What do you mean by change things? I can assure you everything is going to be okay. I will be here for you. You have nothing to worry about. When this new baby joins our family, things will be different. Right now, nothing needs to change. You are going to be fine. We will work this out together.” Her mom was holding back the tears.
“I wish my brother didn’t die. I wish my dad didn’t die. I wish I wasn’t... I am sorry mom; this is just hard for me. I am ruining everything. I know it has to be hard for you too. I must be messing up everything. It’s my entire fault.”
“Don’t say that Elle. Your brother and dad died and there is nothing we can do about it. We got over that. I know it is hard but you are all I have left. I need you just as much as you need me. We have to be strong for each other, and nothing can hold us back. We can’t change the past honey. All we can do is make the future better. I can assure you that we are going to be just fine. Stop worrying darling. Why don’t you take a nap and call Bryan. I don’t mind if he comes over. Are you going to stay together?”
“You don’t hate him?”
“Everyone makes mistakes. Elle, just because this was a big one doesn’t mean I have disrespect for either of you.”
“Okay, thanks mom.” She walked away, still letting tears out, but now more like a dripping faucet. I am so happy my mom understands; I just wish I knew if what she said was what she really meant. Elle thought her mom was so cool for understanding. She was only thirty five, and she went through a lot too.
For the rest of the day she waited for Bryan to call. God, please let Bryan’s dad understand like mom did. I need you to be with him. Please God, please. I can’t lose him. We need each other. God, Please.

What a rough night, Bryan woke up thinking. I can’t believe that really happened. I thought it was a dream. Is Elle really pregnant? Yes, he knew it wasn’t a dream. Elle really told Bryan she was pregnant. Worrying about the conversation with his dad, he didn’t want to move. What was he going to say? What would he do to me? I don’t want to go through with this, but I want to do it for Elle. I know I just have to.
“Bryan!” His dad was calling him down from the kitchen. “Come down for breakfast!” He knew he had to face the conversation sooner than later. It’s now or never Bryan.
“Coming dad!” I have to do this. I have no choice. Come on Bryan, man up. Tell him. Do it for Elle. Do it for our baby.
As Bryan walked into the kitchen, he was thinking about what he should say. Man up. Just man up.
He sat down at the table with a cup of coffee shaking in his hand.
“Dad, we need to talk.”
“Okay, what is it Bee?” Bryan knew his dad loved him. Just like Elle, he lost one of his parents too, but Bryan lost his mom while she was in labor with him. What if that happened to Elle, he thought?
“Dad, I got Elle pregnant. Please don’t get…” His dad interrupted.
“BRYAN. YOU IRRESPONSABLE PIECE OF SHIT! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose dad, cool it.” I knew this was going to happen, he thought. He is going to keep blowing up on me and there is nothing I can do about it.
“Bryan how the hell are you going to keep a baby? There is no way I am taking any responsibility in this. Good luck.”
“Dad, I have no mom, I need you.”
“That’s too bad Bryan; I don’t care what you need from me. If you needed anything, you shouldn’t have screwed up like you did. That was just stupid. To be honest, I don’t even want to look at you. I don’t know what to do with you.”
“What do you want me to do, just leave? Kick me out on the streets?”
“I am about to. Why don’t you just go away? I just want you to go leave for a while. Figure out what you are going to do with your life before I do kick you out.”
Bryan just walked away. He left the house with no place to go, and just walked. He watched cars race by, wondering if any of the people in these cars are going through the same things as me. Pregnant girlfriend, dead mom, kicked out of the house, depressed, confused. The streets were filled with cars and people. They were shopping and living out their lives. The sky was bright, and the sun was shining, but the cold air ran chills through Bryan’s body. As he watched the leaves fall, he thought to himself.
How could I do this to myself, my dad, Elle’s mom, to Elle? I can’t even look at my self. I got kicked out of my house. My own house! All I can do is walk around these cold streets by my self and regret every mistake I have ever made in my life.
It was getting late, and dark. He thought it might be a good idea to start walking over to his friend’s house, where he would be sleeping at for the next few nights. It was only a few blocks away.
He was thinking about Elle as he blindly walked across the busy street. I am clueless, he thought. I don’t know what to do. It was dark, and the headlights blinded him as he stared at the car that was coming straight at him. He just stood there as the drunk driver swerved through traffic, and in the blink of an eye, the car slammed into Bryan. The driver was got out of his car, and stood over Bryan. Now, a helpless boy.
The police showed up at the scene. The sidewalks started to fill as out lookers gawked. Once the ambulance arrived, they immediately got Bryan up and put him on a gurney. The paramedics ran in IV into Bryans arm and the ambulance sped away, its lights piercing the night’s darkness.
Bryan’s dad showed up at the hospital later that night. He walked up to the front desk as fast as he