Chapter 11

"Heather, we need to talk".

Stacy and Pamela walked over.

"Mr. Michaels, you too. Here, let's go into the storage area."

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Heather's not pregnant," said Pamela, holding up a pregnancy test.

Heather and I looked at each other, eyes wide.

"See! I told you so!" Pamela said, pointing the test at Janice. "Guilty as sin."

"What that fuck ... what the hell is going on?" Janice said, her voice a terse whisper. "And you're both in on it?"

"Listen, I..."

"No, wait..."

"I mean..."

"Listen," Heather said. "Okay, fine. You found me out. But how... ?"

"This is my test," Pamela said. "One of them went missing - I was sure I had done two of them. But then you got pregnant, and something about it ... and then I noticed - see here? That's my nail polish. I was doing my toe nails when I did this one."

"Oh jeez."

"Enough of this chit chat! Heather what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Janice," Heather responded, in a pained voice, "I ... listen ... I didn't join the pregnancy club to get pregnant. Okay? I don't want to get pregnant. There. I said it."

"What? What, exactly, did you think we were going to do in the 'pregnancy club?' Scrapbooking? The whole point of the damn club is to get pregnant! Why the hell were you such a bitch about joining if you didn't want to get pregnant?"

"I..."

"Yeah, Heather," Pamela joined in, "why are you here? You never said."

"Actually, I'm interested too," I added, looking at Heather.

"I..." Heather's lip began to quiver, "it's just that..."

"You better fess up, or we're going to march your ass in there and tell everyone what you've done, and won't that be a wonderful scene? I thought we were friends! Everyone was working so well together, even Mr. Michaels was finally cooperating ... and now this! What are you up to?"

"I..." Heather looked at me, then looked down, a tear dripping down her cheek and onto the floor. "I had to."

I gently stroked her arm. "But why?" I asked.

"Because..." she looked me in the eyes, now shaking like a leaf, "because..."

"Because?"

"Because I love you," she whispered.

"So what," Janice said, "we all love him."

"Not like that! I mean I really love him."

"No!" Pamela blurt out. "Really?"

"Yes!" Heather sobbed. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"But then why would you allow ... I mean ... why not..." I stuttered, flabbergasted.

"Because I knew I couldn't stop them ... and then I knew you would ... I mean, who wouldn't? After all, you don't know me from a scummy hole in the floor ... and why would you? Nerdy, shy, bookish, Heather - always so smart with such a bright 'future' ... Fuck the future! I want you now! I always have, ever since Geo-1, and ... and ... I knew I couldn't, but I couldn't stand you being here without me..."

"But then," Janice asked, "why didn't you have sex? Why didn't you get pregnant!"

"Because I love him!" Heather said, fiercely. "I don't want him like that. Not like that. No way, like that. I want him..."

"I love you too," I said.

Instantly, the room went silent.

"What... ?" Heather asked in a hushed whisper, almost not daring to listen.

"I love you too," I continued. "I know, I know - it's stupid, it's ridiculous, it's wrong, you're less than half my age! But dammit I love you too. Oh! And of course I love you two as well," I added, looking at Janice and Pamela, "but not like I love Heather. I ... I've wanted to say so ever since day three, really. It just hit me how you were my soul mate and what a shame it was that I wasn't 15 years younger, and I knew it was impossible ... it should be impossible ... it is impossible! But somehow, stuck down here in this fantasy land of beautiful and caring people and surrounded by so much love ... But somehow..."

"But somehow here we are..." Heather said, crying freely now, and desperately reaching up for my mouth. "Here we are..." she said again softly, pulling me into a desperate kiss.

"Uh ... maybe we should give them some privacy," Janice said, pulling Pamela out of the room.