Free Anything but Normal by Melody Carlson Page B

that her nails dug into her palms.
    “Well, you can check with the receptionist. They might be able to fit in a physical.”
    “Just a physical? What about—what about the—the procedure?”
    “The abortion?”
    “Yes. I mean, I thought that I was going to have it today .” “Today?”
    “Yes!” Sophie felt like she was falling, tumbling down into a pitch-black hole of hopelessness. “That’s why I came!”
    “I understand your sense of urgency. Trust me, you’re not alone.”
    “But I am alone.” Sophie was crying now.
    “I know it’s an emotional time. But you need to be examined by the doctor, and he may want to do another pregnancy test just to be sure—”
    Sophie’s legs were shaking as she stood up. “I need to go.”
    “Don’t forget to make an appointment with the—”
    “No.” Sophie’s voice was too loud. “Of course I won’t forget.” Then she walked out of Mary’s office and right past the receptionist’s desk. Without saying a word, she turned down the dark corridor and headed straight for the back door. She felt numb as she exited the building and got into her car.
    As if on autopilot, she drove home, where she intended to simply lie down on her bed and just die. After all, she was partially dead already, right?

8
    “Why’d you blow off yearbook committee yesterday?” Wes asked Sophie during journalism class.
    “I had a dentist appointment.” Another lie. Not that she was counting anymore. But Sophie knew she wasn’t a good liar. She kept her eyes on the computer screen, pretending to be absorbed in her work as she made some final tweaks to the front page of next week’s paper.
    “You could’ve told someone.”
    “I forgot.”
    “Are you okay, Sophie?”
    She looked blankly at him. What was he insinuating here? Did he suspect something? Was he able to see right past her cloak of deception? Just the same, she would not give him an inch. She scowled. “Do I not look okay?”
    He made a crooked smile. “You look great. But that headline is a little strange.” He pointed to the screen and chuckled.
    She stared at the headline that she’d just pasted and read it aloud. “‘Who Will Wear the Crow?’” She frowned. “Huh?”
    “I think you dropped an n .”
    “Oh yeah. ‘Who Will Wear the Crown?’” She shook her head. “Duh.”
    “But I do think it’d be amusing to see Katie Dannon wearing a crow on her head.”
    “What makes you think Katie Dannon is going to win?”
    “Just a hunch.”
    Sophie inserted the n and hit save.
    “Uh, speaking of homecoming . . .” Wes cleared his throat. “And crows.”
    “Yeah . . . homecoming and crows.”
    Sophie knew where he was going with this. She had to come up with a nice way to turn him down. Carrie Anne or not, Sophie did not want to go to that dance.
    “I know you’re probably going to say forget it,” he began. “And I wouldn’t really blame you. I just hope you won’t hold it against me for asking. I mean, you’re the coolest girl I know, and . . .” His voice trailed off.
    Now she felt guilty. “I’m the coolest girl you know?” she said.
    He nodded. “Yeah. And I was just hoping that maybe you’d want to go to the dance with me. I mean, just as friends.”
    “Just as friends?” She looked curiously at him.
    “Not that I don’t want to be more than friends. I mean . . . well, I like you, Sophie. You’re fun and you’re funny and you’re real, you know?”
    She didn’t know what to say. Why did he have to be so sweet about it? He was making this difficult.
    “So, if you’re going to turn me down, could you, like, just get it over with?” He smiled nervously.
    “Okay, fine,” she said. “I’ll go with you.”
    “Really?”
    Had she just agreed to go with him? She’d heard the words come out of her mouth, but it wasn’t what she’d meant to say. What was wrong with her anyway? Did being pregnant mess with your head as much as it messed with your body?
    “You’re not just