Pregnancy Test by Rosie Holdsworth

My hands were shaking as I unwrapped the pregnancy test. Dad's rings watched me from the bathroom sink. I took a drag on a rollup I had resting on the window ledge. Chris still hadn't texted, and my phone's screen sat empty. I heard my brother come home, slamming the door and greeting the dogs when they barked and yapped. Dad yelled over the sound of the TV for the dogs to shut up, and his voice was thick with alcohol.

I peed on the stick and waited. My period was late. I was gonna be like my mum. She had me at 15 and always said she wished she hadn't. Still nothing from Chris.

"Katie! Are you smoking in there?" Mum banged on the door.

"I'll just be a minute mum", I shouted back.

"I've told you about this a thousand times!"

The broken lock gave way and Mum burst in, towel still wrapped around her wet hair and dressing gown on, just as the two lines appeared. I shoved the test into my pocket, but she grabbed my wrist."That had better not be what I think it is", The colour rose to her cheeks. "Oh Kate you're not.. tell me you're not!"

She pulled the test out of my hand and I started crying. "I'm sorry Mum, I'm sorry!"

My brother appeared behind her. "What's going on?",

"Katie's what's going on! It's that Chris isn't it? You've not even done your GCSEs, how could you be so stupid?!"

Downstairs, Dad yelled at us all to keep it down, cursing the TV as his team lost at full time. The dogs whimpered.

#Prose