CHAPTER 3-----40 STICKS

Ramona woke up with a start and looked around the room. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on the person beside her. She let out a small scream then placed her hand on her mouth. The man beside her turned a bit and his eyes fluttered then he went back to sleep.

Ramona let out a sigh of relief as she stood up from the bed. She picked her clothes and had a shower before leaving the room. She st stopped at the door for sometime as she stared at the man on the bed. Then she opened the door and scurried away.

On her way out, she saw Jules sprawled on the bed of an open room.

"Juliette!" She screamed as she shook her roughly.

"Don't call me that ever again!" Jules said, shooting up from the bed. Ramona gasped and her face went red.

"You can let go of my hand now." She whispered, painfully. Jules looked at the hand she held tightly and blushed.

"Sorry." She apologized. They both ran out of the club and hailed a taxi as they drove to Ramona's place.

"You know Farah's gonna be mad, right?" Jules asked, eyeing Ramona. Ramona nodded in the positive. "And you're not worried?"

"Not in slightest. It was worth it. My first time and I didn't regret it." Ramona said as she glanced at Jules with a smile.

"He must've been good in bed."

"He was. How was your night?" Ramona asked, suggestively.

"Oh. My. God. He was a monster. His dick was as big as a wine bottle. Fat and thick and he—"

"Enough! I didn't ask for details." Ramona shrieked as she placed her hand on Jules' mouth. Jules mumbled a protest then locked Ramona's palm.

"Ew!" Ramona shrieked, withdrawing her hand. "Disgusting minx."

"Hey, only Farah is allowed to call me Minx, 'kay?" Jules asked, staring pointedly at Ramona. Ramona rolled her eyes muttering a faint whatever.

"Here." the cab driver announced as he parked at the curb of the house. Ramona brought out her purse and paid him then they stepped out.

"Do not tell her I slept with someone–neither should you give her the details of your sexcapade." Ramona cringed. They walked into the house and found nobody home.

"Great! No one's home." Ramona said, heaving a sigh.

"So we can talk about mine and your sexcapade?" Jules asked.

"You had sex, Ramona?! I expected it from Jules already." John, Farah's husband, said as he stepped down the stairs.

"You just had to say it?" Ramona said, giving Jules a side eye. Jules shrunk into the sofa as though trying to hide herself from Ramona's gaze.

"No worries, Mona. I won't tell Farah. Uncle Promise."John said.

"Thank, Johnny." Ramona said as she climbed up the stairs. She walked into her room and had a shower. When she came out of the bathroom, she heard her aunt's voice downstairs.

"Aunt—" she called, going downstairs.

"Ramona Phillips!" Her aunt said, coming to pull her ear. "Where the hell were you last night? Curfew was 1am."

"Haha! That looks funny. She looks like a monkey." Jules laughed.

"Wanna try pull her ear? Come." Aunt Farah said, smiling at Jules and beckoning to her. Despite the warning glances John and Ramona threw at Jules, she still walked to Farah. Immediately she reached Farah's side, Farah grabbed hold of her ear too and twisted it.

"Ow! Ow!" Jules cried.

"Next time don't laugh in the face of discipline, minx." Farah said as she turned back to Ramona, waiting for an answer.

"Where were you both? I know Jules had a wild night. I mean, it's obvious but did you have a wild night, Ramona?"

"Hey!" Jules yelled at the same time John said see, I told you.

"No, I didn't. I just stayed in a locked room til this morning." Ramona lied. Farah looked at her then let the both of them go.

"Good." Farah said as she walked to the kitchen. John looked at Ramona who shrugged at him.

"Let's go eat."

****{}****

It had been a month since the celebratory night. Ramona lifted her heavy eyelids and let out a small yawn. She tapped the power button on her phone and groaned when she saw the time.

"How in hell did I sleep this late?" She groaned as she fell back down to the bed.

"At this rate I'm forced to ask, Ramona, are you pregnant?" Farah asked, walking into her room with a cup of water. "Here. I thought you'd want it." She said, handing Ramona the cup.

"Thanks." Ramona said, sitting up. She took the cup from Farah and gulped it down. "And no, Aunt Farah, I am not pregnant." she said, scoffing. Farah smiled as she walked out of the room.

Ramona stood up and walked to her bathroom so she could dress up and get ready for the day. After coming out of the bathroom, she put on a Jean and shirt then went to check her email.

"Ahhh!" Ramona screamed in delight. She lifted her laptop and balanced it on her arm as she ran out of her room. "Aunt. John!" she yelled in excitement.

"What? What's wrong?" Farah asked.

"Judging by her tone and the way she looks, nothing is wrong. So the right question should be, what's right?" John said in an I too know manner. Farah and Ramona rolled their eyes.

"You guys!!!! I got in!" Ramona squealed as she wrapped her arms around Farah.

"Ayy! The university? My baby!" John said as he came to join the hug.

"We'll celebrate tonight. Call up the minx and see if she'll join."

"Alright." Ramona said as she went back upstairs.

"Jules, I got in." She said into the phone.

"So did I!!" Jules yelled in excitement.

"We did it, boo." Ramona said. They passed congratulations then Ramona invited her to the celebratory dinner.

"I'll be there. Shame my boy won't be there." Jules said.

Ramona rolled her eyes then hung up the call. She was about to go sit on her desk when she felt a sudden feeling at the back of her throat. She ran into the bathroom and threw up. Ramona sat at the toilet for a while as she thought about something.

"When was the last time I had my period?" She thought. She hurriedly rushed to her phone and called up Jules.

***<>***

"Alright, Mona. I'm here with 40 test sticks. Start bringing out the vajayjay water." Jules said as she pushed open my bathroom door. Ramona grabbed the bag from her and ran into the bathroom as she explained her suspicions.

"I haven't seen my period. I've been sleeping a lot and I've been throwing up. Morning sickness too." she said through the bathroom door. "For the past three months."

A hour and 37 sticks later, Ramona lay on the floor as tears streamed down her eyes.

"Don't give up yet, Mona. There are still more sticks. One of 'em might say negative."

"What difference does it make? It'll still be 39 to 1. I'll just have to tell aunt." Ramona said, standing up. Jules was close on her heels as she tried to persuade her to try the remaining sticks. Ramona walked into the kitchen and met her aunt cooking.

"Aunt, I need to tell you something–" she began but a smell hit her nose and bile rose in her throat. She ran back up the stairs as Aunt Farah stared at her retreating figure with apprehension.

Ramona out the contents of her stomach and asked herself,

"Do I abort it— or let it out?"