Vanquished by Katie Clark

he says. “We can talk about whatever you want.”
    Jamie huffs again. She keeps her eyes downcast, picking at the skin around her fingers. “I actually have something to tell you, Easton. It’s important.”
    I watch his eyebrows come together now. His confusion has deepened.
    Jamie swallows hard and glances between me and Easton. “I think I’m pregnant.”
    The words come out so softly that I almost don’t hear them myself. I can tell Easton didn’t hear because he’s not flipping out yet, and Easton definitely strikes me as the flipping out type.
    “Did you hear me?” Jamie asks. Irritation makes her voice rise.
    Before Easton can answer, she says more loudly, “I said I think I’m pregnant.”
    His face goes whiter than the snow in February. “Huh?”
    Jamie starts to cry, an angry frown on her face. “That’s all you have to say?”
    He shakes his head quickly. “No, I mean, are you sure?”
    “Pretty sure.”
    He glances at me, his eyes wide and petrified. “Did you know about this?”
    “She told me this afternoon,” I say. My stomach drops, and I don’t see the humor in the situation anymore. She’s told him. It’s real now. My best friend is pregnant, and our lives are about to be changed forever, one way or the other.
    “What are you going to do?” Easton says.
    Jamie sniffles a few more times. “I’m going to keep the baby. I hoped you’d agree with me on that.”
    “I’ll do whatever you want me to!”
    His passion surprises me. Maybe Jamie is right about him.
    “You know what that means though, right?” I ask. I feel obligated to give him a reality check. “You won’t get to Test for agriculture. You’ll be sent away to a Lesser city.” I can’t picture Easton as a Lesser. Everything about him reminds me of Dad, and that picture doesn’t fit at all.
    I watch the realization set in. His eyes lose some of their light. His shoulders sag a fraction lower. It’s like I’ve just cut away a few years of his life.
    “I don’t care,” he says. He takes Jamie’s hands. “I’ll stay with you no matter what.”
    She smiles through her tears. “I knew you would.”
    “I love you, Jamie.”
    “I love you, too.” They stare at each other, Jamie crying, Easton ashen.
    Now my backyard looks doubly tempting.
    Jamie’s mom storms through the backyard. “Jamie!” she shrieks.
    Jamie and Easton’s hands fly apart like two negative magnets. Red floods Jamie’s face and Easton stands quickly. “I guess I should go,” he says.
    Jamie’s mom glares at him as he makes his hasty retreat, and then she stomps to the tree. “What was all that about?”
    Jamie wipes her tears and stands up. “Nothing Mom. It was nothing.”
    Her mom isn’t at all convinced.
    I stand, too. “I better get home, Jamie. I’ll see you later.”
    No one looks at me, so I sprint across the yard and into the safety of my own house. I peek out the window and see mother and daughter fighting. Her mom is obviously suspicious of the whole Jamie/Easton relationship. Jamie pushes past her mom and storms into her backdoor.
    I can’t help but wonder how long Jamie will be able to keep her secret.
     
     
     
     

16
     
    I’m glad for the quiet of the hospital lobby today. No one met me after school, and I came immediately after class. I’m thankful to be able to visit with Mom alone and give her the books I bought her. I want to laugh with her and see her smile. I don’t want to think about Jamie, a baby, Easton, or Lessers.
    Fischer meets me in the hallway with a smile, as usual. “Hey, Hana. How are you today?”
    Terrible. “Good, how are you?”
    “Doing great. Are you still up for that class?”
    Of course I know what he’s talking about, but why is he talking in code? I glance around and see Dr. Bentford bent over a desk in an alcove behind Fischer’s work area. “Absolutely. When is it again?”
    “I can’t remember. I’ll let you know before you leave. Don’t leave without seeing