“I think I’m pregnant.” Paul declared.
And the boys started laughing.
“That’s fat, kid. That’s fat.” Jared said to Paul.
“I’m serious.” There was genuine panic in his eyes now. “Yesterday I was a sick pack! How can my belly turn like this in one night? That’s ridiculous. I vomited this morning, too, and I have this craving for Chipotle. I am pregnant.”
The boys looked at him as a crowd might at a heretic.
“Are you serious?” Sean tipped his hat up and adjusted his bangs.
“Dead serious.”
“You’re a boy.”
“Who said I wasn’t?”
He looked incredulous. “Boys don’t get pregnant.”
“I think one might consider this a special case.”
The boys looked totally shocked. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.”
Strained silence fell at once.
“You’re really pregnant?” Dan asked again.
“Yes.”
“But . . . but.” He shook his head.
The clock ticked, making the atmosphere tenser.
But Paul laughed, thumped his belly and got the pillow out his shirt. “Oh my God! The funniest thing! I’m just kidding!”
All at once the boys wrestled him.
And the boys started laughing.
“That’s fat, kid. That’s fat.” Jared said to Paul.
“I’m serious.” There was genuine panic in his eyes now. “Yesterday I was a sick pack! How can my belly turn like this in one night? That’s ridiculous. I vomited this morning, too, and I have this craving for Chipotle. I am pregnant.”
The boys looked at him as a crowd might at a heretic.
“Are you serious?” Sean tipped his hat up and adjusted his bangs.
“Dead serious.”
“You’re a boy.”
“Who said I wasn’t?”
He looked incredulous. “Boys don’t get pregnant.”
“I think one might consider this a special case.”
The boys looked totally shocked. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.”
Strained silence fell at once.
“You’re really pregnant?” Dan asked again.
“Yes.”
“But . . . but.” He shook his head.
The clock ticked, making the atmosphere tenser.
But Paul laughed, thumped his belly and got the pillow out his shirt. “Oh my God! The funniest thing! I’m just kidding!”
All at once the boys wrestled him.
