Second Chances and Choices

Chapter 15

As they headed out of the Lodging House the next morning, Kloppman addressed Briar and handed her an envelope, saying it had arrived for her earlier.
"Who’s it from?" asked Lit’l Bit.
"I don’t know," said Briar. She tore open the envelope and read the letter inside. Her eyebrows knitted together and she shook her head almost disbelievingly.
"What is it?" Lit’l Bit asked again. "Briar!" Briar had dashed up the stairs back to the bunkroom and slammed the door behind her.
Lit’l Bit told Jack to go ahead without her and she went upstairs, finding Briar had locked herself in a bathroom stall.
"Briar, is everything alright?"
"No." came the reply from inside.
"Briar, come out this minute."
Briar hesitated then obeyed and stepped out of the stall. She wasn’t crying but her face was red and her eyes were troubled. "It’s from Dr. Evans. I went to him for a check up a few days ago. I’m pregnant."
Another uncomfortable silence followed the statement then Lit’l Bit spoke. "Are you sure?"
Briar nodded.
"It’s not…"
"Not Oscar. Blink. Oh god." She put her hand on her forehead and handed Lit’l Bit the letter before going into the bunkroom and lying down in bed.
"Is it that bad?" Lit’l Bit ventured carefully after reading the letter.
"Yes! I don’t want a kid!" cried Briar.
"Oh, Briar, you’re in a real jam." She stroked her friend’s hair soothingly. "Are you going to tell Blink that he’s gonna be a father?"
"He doesn’t deserve to be told," said Briar.
"What about David? I think you owe him that much to tell him."
"I’ll tell him. But he’s not going to be a father either."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I’m not going to have this kid."
Lit’l Bit frowned. "Abortion? Briar, maybe you should think this over."
"There’s nothing to think about. Should I go see David now?"
"You might lose the guts later," said Lit’l Bit. "Hey don’t worry about a thing. I’m here for you okay?"
Briar leaned over and hugged her. "I know. Thanks."
"What was that all about?" asked Jack when Lit’l Bit had caught up with him at the D.C.
"Never mind," she said. "I’ll be right back." She walked off again to where Mush, Kid Blink and Race stood.
"Mornin’ Lit’l Bit," greeted Mush with a smile.
"Hello boys," she smiled back then turned to Blink. "Could I borrow Mush and Race for a minute?"
"Sure thing," he said with a slight arch of his eyebrow.
"Thanks," she said sweetly then let her fist fly at his nose.
"What was that for?" he cried, putting his hand over his nose.
"For Briar!" she yelled back. The other two looked at her curiously. "I’ve got something to tell you two," she said quietly.
"Go ahead," said Racetrack.
"Well, last night Jack and I... we got back together," she finished avoiding meeting their eyes.
"You did? That’s.... great, I guess," said Mush though he didn’t sound convincing at all.
"The fight’s over?" asked Racetrack.
"Yeah, we made up and he said he’ll never do anything like that again so... C’mon guys, you always said you wanted me to be happy, well I am. I’ll never forget what you did for me. You guys are the best friends a girl could ask for." She wrapped an arm around each of them as she spoke and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek then turned and walked away so she wouldn’t see the heartbroken looks on their faces.

Briar took her time walking to the Jacobs’. She went over what she was going to tell David in her mind till she got to the tenement. Mayer Jacobs opened for her and let her in, telling her that David was in the bedroom.
"Come in," came David’s voice when she knocked on the door.
She went inside and saw Sarah sitting in front of the dressing table while David slipped on his vest.
"Mornin’," greeted Sarah and David smiled at her.
"Mornin’," echoed Briar. "Uh, Dave I gotta talk to you," she mumbled quickly. David looked over at Sarah who got up and closed the door behind her. "Maybe you should sit down."
David frowned and remained standing. "What is it?"
"I’m pregnant," she whispered helplessly.
David’s expression changed from concern to complete anger. "Oscar?"
Briar shook her head. "Blink."
"How long have you known?" he demanded.
"Just this morning."
"Oh, this is… great! This is just great!" he exclaimed throwing out his hands and pacing back and forth across the room.
"Do you see me jumping for joy here?" she yelled.
He stopped pacing and stared out of the window with a grave expression. "What will my dad say? He’ll kick me out of the house! I’ll have to quit school!"
"It’s not my fault!" Briar shouted back. "What do think this is doing to me? Being a teenage mom isn’t exactly what I had in mind for myself!"
"What’re you going to do?" he asked.
"I don’t know," groaned Briar and she dropped onto the bed, pressing her palms to her eyes.
David just watched her. "You can’t have this kid," he said after a long pause.
"Don’t you think I know that?"
"I mean, I can’t be a father, that is, if I live after my dad finds out. How the hell am I supposed to support a family? On my allowance? Or your newsie wager?"
"You you you! Since when did this whole damn thing become about you?" yelled Briar glaring up at him.
"Because you have nothing to worry about. All you have to do is hold out these few months then it’s up to me to do the rest."
Briar stood up, sending him the coldest look she could get out of her narrowed eyes. "Nobody’s forcing you to do anything. I came here to tell you because I knew I had to. I could’ve just gone through with the abortion and nobody had to know anything." She turned and opened the door to leave but David held her arm back.
"You’re going to have an abortion?"
"I wanted to tell you, but you wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise." She shrugged off his grip and left.
"Lit’l Bit?"
"Huh?"
"Aren’t you going to eat?"
"Eat who?"
"Lit’l Bit!"
She snapped out of her dreamlike state and turned to look at Jack who was frowning at her with both amusement and concern. Briar still hadn’t shown up and though it could be just paranoia, Lit’l Bit couldn’t help feeling that something was wrong.
"Aren’t you hungry?" Jack asked again.
"I’m okay." She shrugged and started to eat slowly, keeping her eyes locked on the door just in case. She felt Jack’s hand slide around her waist and come to rest on her leg but she took no interest to Jack’s disappointment. Just then, the bell above the door tinkled and Briar came in looking flushed and frustrated.
"What the hell happened?" hissed Lit’l Bit once Briar had sat down with them.
"Hell happened, that’s what," Briar whispered back.
"He flipped out?"
"He freaked out is more like it."
"Why that…"
Briar shushed her as Jack leaned in to ask, "I thought you went to pick up Davie."
"He’s not coming today," was Briar’s snap answer. Jack shrugged and sat back again.

That evening, Lit’l Bit noticed the faraway look in Briar’s eyes. Her suspicions were confirmed when Briar asked without looking up, "Where’s Snoddy?"
"Dunno," said Mush. "He wasn’t at the D.C. this morning."
"Was he at Tibby’s?" she asked Lit’l Bit.
"No, didn’t see him there."
Briar nodded and went upstairs. Lit’l Bit followed her with her eyes. Wonder why she’s interested in where he is? Come to think of it, Snoddy’s been acting kind of weird around Briar. I’m gonna have to confront him about this, she thought.
"No, I don’t like Briar.” Snoddy shook his head violently. "I mean, I do like her just not in that way."
Lit’l Bit crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Uh huh, yeah right."
"It’s true!" he cried. "Besides, even if I did like her in that way, she’s David’s girl."
Lit’l Bit scoffed. "Not anymore."
Snoddy looked up from the pillow he was straightening and frowned. "What do you mean? What happened?"
"They got into a fight and I don’t think they’re gonna be seeing each other anymore," she replied.