June 3rd, 1998
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The door slamming caused the entire little house in Pembley to shake.
Ethan?s stomping around in his back bedroom could be heard throughout the household. Sharlene, his mother, looked to her husband, Wesley, who just shook his head. ?Leave him be for now.?
Eighteen year old Ethan Kaiser fumed as he stood in his tiny room. His entire world had collapsed with the news that his girlfriend was pregnant. Jenny Whitmore was his childhood sweetheart. Everyone in Pembley knew they?d end up together. The two had shared a sandbox, then a desk at preschool, their lunches in elementary, first kisses in junior high and sweet I love you?s in High school. The old biddies in the hair salons would gossip about what they imagined their wedding would be like and how long it would take for Ethan to propose. Everyone thought it would be soon, especially after Ethan?s older brother, Bradley, had gotten engaged. Love was in the spring air.
Anger roiled within him as he paced the confines of his bedroom. Tonight was supposed to have been a wonderful night. His brother?s last night as a bachelor. Tomorrow, Bradley Kaiser would marry Stephanie Kent, a woman Ethan had grown to love as a sister long ago. Tonight was a night of celebration. His celebrating was cut short, however, when Jennifer pulled him away from the festivities. As Ethan cast himself across his bed, face scrunched up in a mangle of pain and torment, he replayed the night?s events in his mind.
Ethan held Jenny?s hand firmly as they crept away from the town party and down to the creek where they spent so much of their time. The crickets chirped in the warm night air around them and the full moon shone brightly, reflecting upon the bubbling creek?s waters; to Ethan it was romantic. Jenny was a vision of beauty tonight, too. He loved his small town girl. Her long, brown hair was left to flow freely down her back.
He ran a hand down her side, along the long, white, cotton dress, bringing her to face him. It wasn?t until he leaned in to kiss her that he knew something was wrong. Jenny turned her head away from the kiss and stiffened in his arms. ?What?s wrong??
Jenny sniffled and turned away from him completely. ?I don?t know how to tell you, Ethan. I love you and I don?t want to hurt you..?
Her words alarmed him, but Ethan moved towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. His head tipped forward to rest against hers, breathing in the scent of her flowery shampoo. ?Jenny, you can tell me anything,? he whispered. ?You know that, honey.?
Jennifer trembled and shut her eyes, but remained facing towards the creek. Her shame wouldn?t allow her to face him. ?Ethan,? her voice barely a whisper. ?I?m pregnant.?
The words no teenage boy wants to hear. But it meant more to Ethan than just a baby made out of wedlock. He knew for a fact it wasn?t his. While he sometimes questioned his parents? lectures, their purity advice had stuck with him throughout the years. He and Jenny were hardly perfect, but he?d never slept with her. Ethan respected her far too much to take something so precious from her. When the full effect of Jennifer?s words hit him, he stepped back in horror.
Jenny finally turned, tears streaming down her face. ?I?m s-so sorry, Ethan.? She moved towards him, but Ethan backed away further. ?I didn?t mean to hurt you.?
?Who?? Ethan couldn?t even look at her. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes and his hands balled into angry fists at his sides.
?It doesn?t matter, Ethan..? Jennifer squeaked as she tried to calm him down.
?Of course it does.? Wild, teary eyes swiveled back to stare at the tear stained face of his, now, ex-girlfriend. Rage and anger threatened to burst him at the seams. He rushed forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. ?Who, Jennifer? Who did you whore yourself out to, hmm?? He didn?t let her go, even when she began to sob. ?When did this happen? Were you ever going to tell me if you hadn?t gotten pregnant? Would you?!?
Jenny shook in his grasp. ?Jason! It was Jason, Ethan! Let me go, please!?
And he did. The sound of his best friends name made him release her so quickly that it was like he?d been burned. ?When,? he croaked, wanting to simply run away from it all.
?Three months ago.? Jenny hugged her arms to herself. ?I?m so sorry, Ethan. It just.. It happened and he was there for me. You?ve been so caught up with your brother and Stephanie lately that I--?
He cut her off. ?Busy helping my brother with the biggest step in his life! I?ve been there for you since we were kids, Jen! You couldn?t give me a couple months to sort out my family life? What about that time you left to help your sister when her husband died? You were gone for six months and we had to talk through letters! I didn?t go jump your best friend!?
Jenny hung her head. Ethan just stared at her in silence. When she didn?t say anything, he walked away, but not back towards the party. He had to get away. If he saw Jason right now, he?d tear him limb from limb.
_________________
The door slamming caused the entire little house in Pembley to shake.
Ethan?s stomping around in his back bedroom could be heard throughout the household. Sharlene, his mother, looked to her husband, Wesley, who just shook his head. ?Leave him be for now.?
Eighteen year old Ethan Kaiser fumed as he stood in his tiny room. His entire world had collapsed with the news that his girlfriend was pregnant. Jenny Whitmore was his childhood sweetheart. Everyone in Pembley knew they?d end up together. The two had shared a sandbox, then a desk at preschool, their lunches in elementary, first kisses in junior high and sweet I love you?s in High school. The old biddies in the hair salons would gossip about what they imagined their wedding would be like and how long it would take for Ethan to propose. Everyone thought it would be soon, especially after Ethan?s older brother, Bradley, had gotten engaged. Love was in the spring air.
Anger roiled within him as he paced the confines of his bedroom. Tonight was supposed to have been a wonderful night. His brother?s last night as a bachelor. Tomorrow, Bradley Kaiser would marry Stephanie Kent, a woman Ethan had grown to love as a sister long ago. Tonight was a night of celebration. His celebrating was cut short, however, when Jennifer pulled him away from the festivities. As Ethan cast himself across his bed, face scrunched up in a mangle of pain and torment, he replayed the night?s events in his mind.
Ethan held Jenny?s hand firmly as they crept away from the town party and down to the creek where they spent so much of their time. The crickets chirped in the warm night air around them and the full moon shone brightly, reflecting upon the bubbling creek?s waters; to Ethan it was romantic. Jenny was a vision of beauty tonight, too. He loved his small town girl. Her long, brown hair was left to flow freely down her back.
He ran a hand down her side, along the long, white, cotton dress, bringing her to face him. It wasn?t until he leaned in to kiss her that he knew something was wrong. Jenny turned her head away from the kiss and stiffened in his arms. ?What?s wrong??
Jenny sniffled and turned away from him completely. ?I don?t know how to tell you, Ethan. I love you and I don?t want to hurt you..?
Her words alarmed him, but Ethan moved towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. His head tipped forward to rest against hers, breathing in the scent of her flowery shampoo. ?Jenny, you can tell me anything,? he whispered. ?You know that, honey.?
Jennifer trembled and shut her eyes, but remained facing towards the creek. Her shame wouldn?t allow her to face him. ?Ethan,? her voice barely a whisper. ?I?m pregnant.?
The words no teenage boy wants to hear. But it meant more to Ethan than just a baby made out of wedlock. He knew for a fact it wasn?t his. While he sometimes questioned his parents? lectures, their purity advice had stuck with him throughout the years. He and Jenny were hardly perfect, but he?d never slept with her. Ethan respected her far too much to take something so precious from her. When the full effect of Jennifer?s words hit him, he stepped back in horror.
Jenny finally turned, tears streaming down her face. ?I?m s-so sorry, Ethan.? She moved towards him, but Ethan backed away further. ?I didn?t mean to hurt you.?
?Who?? Ethan couldn?t even look at her. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes and his hands balled into angry fists at his sides.
?It doesn?t matter, Ethan..? Jennifer squeaked as she tried to calm him down.
?Of course it does.? Wild, teary eyes swiveled back to stare at the tear stained face of his, now, ex-girlfriend. Rage and anger threatened to burst him at the seams. He rushed forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. ?Who, Jennifer? Who did you whore yourself out to, hmm?? He didn?t let her go, even when she began to sob. ?When did this happen? Were you ever going to tell me if you hadn?t gotten pregnant? Would you?!?
Jenny shook in his grasp. ?Jason! It was Jason, Ethan! Let me go, please!?
And he did. The sound of his best friends name made him release her so quickly that it was like he?d been burned. ?When,? he croaked, wanting to simply run away from it all.
?Three months ago.? Jenny hugged her arms to herself. ?I?m so sorry, Ethan. It just.. It happened and he was there for me. You?ve been so caught up with your brother and Stephanie lately that I--?
He cut her off. ?Busy helping my brother with the biggest step in his life! I?ve been there for you since we were kids, Jen! You couldn?t give me a couple months to sort out my family life? What about that time you left to help your sister when her husband died? You were gone for six months and we had to talk through letters! I didn?t go jump your best friend!?
Jenny hung her head. Ethan just stared at her in silence. When she didn?t say anything, he walked away, but not back towards the party. He had to get away. If he saw Jason right now, he?d tear him limb from limb.