Free November Blues by Sharon M. Draper Page B

speeches.
    â€œI’ve been thinking, November,” her mother said, “that you don’t have a clue about what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
    â€œIt’s not like I planned it,” November retorted as she poured low-fat dressing on her salad.
    â€œDo you have any idea how much baby stuff costs?” her mother asked.
    â€œYou mean like little T-shirts and stuff? Don’t people give you those at a shower?” November had never really thought that far into the future.
    â€œOh, come on, honey. Don’t be so naive. Assuming you have a shower, what happens when those three or four pieces you receive as gifts get dirty, or the baby outgrows them?”
    â€œI don’t know. I guess I’d have to buy some more.” November wished her mother would get off her back. This was getting annoying.
    â€œAnd what will you use for money? Your American Express Gold Card?” Mrs. Nelson wore a faint smile.
    November scowled. “I guess I’ll have to use my allowance money.”
    â€œAllowance money is for teenagers who go to school and need notebook paper or lunch money or a candy bar. It’s not for baby clothes and diapers. You’ve kinda moved from the world of a kid who really has nothing to worry about except doing homework and washing the dinner dishes, to the other side of the street—to the domain of a young mother who has to take care of her own kid.” She waited for this to sink in.
    â€œSo what am I supposed to do?” November finally replied, a little fear in her voice. “You’re not gonna help me?”
    Instead of answering, her mother asked, “How much does a box of diapers cost, November? And how many diapers does a baby use in a day? Or a week?”
    â€œI don’t know. Can’t we just figure out all that stuff aswe get to it?” November felt like she was choking on her salad.
    â€œWhat about baby food? Formula? Bottles? Spoons? Blankets? Clothes? Do you have any idea how much any of this costs? What about day care? Who is going to watch the baby when you go back to school? I certainly can’t—I have to go to work.”
    â€œWhy are you sweatin’ me like this?” November said, becoming frightened as well as annoyed.
    â€œI don’t sleep at night, November, wondering about the answers to all those questions,” her mother said honestly. “I think it’s time you figured some of this out yourself.”
    â€œI guess I’ll get a job,” November said weakly. “Babies are little. It couldn’t cost that much to feed one. Right?”
    â€œBabies grow up, and become children, and then young adults like you,” her mother reminded her. “Have you given any thought at all to how you’ll take care of this baby, how you’ll pay for what it needs?”
    â€œYou’re scaring me, Mom,” November said, putting down her fork.
    â€œGood.”
    When November’s cell phone rang, she grabbed it thankfully.
    â€œHey, Jericho,” she said when she checked the caller ID. “Nothing. Just finishing dinner. Hey, you want to take me to the store? It will save my mom a trip. Cool. See you in half an hour.” She snapped the phone shut, relieved to escape the lecturing. “That’s okay, isn’t it?” she asked her mother.
    â€œSure, that’s fine. I have some papers to grade anyway.”Mrs. Nelson stood up and took her plate to the sink. “Uh, does Jericho know?”
    â€œYeah, I told him.”
    â€œI figured you had. Well, I have a job for you while you’re at the store.”
    November sagged. “More health food?”
    â€œNo. Take a notebook and pen with you, and I want you to write down the prices of all those things we talked about. Diapers. A baby gets changed at least six times in twenty-four hours—maybe more. Find out the cost of a week’s worth. Milk. How much is a can of baby formula? A