Matrix Reloaded V.2

Matrix Reloaded
Fan Fiction/American Dream
Niki Stahlberg

It’s blue. Not periwinkle, not robin’s egg, it’s a deep, rich blue. Izzie Stevens sits on the toilet, her hand-me-down ragged denim jeans around her ankles, staring at her future all wrapped in one pregnancy test. How could this happen? I thought we used protection. Didn’t we? All these questions came pouring into her head, as she stares in disbelief. She wraps the stick up in toilet paper and throws it into the dirty toilet bowl. She exits the stall of the K-Mart public restroom, washes her hands with just water and wipes the wetness away on her jeans. She stares at herself in the spotted mirror. What do I do? Brad is going to flip out when he hears. Oh God, he’s going to leave me. Tears form around her gray eyes and she wipes them away with her holey sleeve.
Izzie walks out into the rainy Northern Washington weather. She folds her arms across her stomach and starts for home, if you could call it that anyway. She only lives with her mother in the Eastbright Trailer Park. Her father had walked out on her and her mother when she was only 4 years old. Her mom had had other boyfriends throughout the years, but none that were ever a stable male role model. It didn’t bother her though; she lived with what she had because that was all she knew. Now at age 16, she is faced with the toughest decision in her life. A baby. A human being. Am I really going to end up like all those other girls? Am I going to be like my mom, trying to scrounge up enough money to support my child until at least the next paycheck? I can’t… I just can’t…
Izzie walks the 3 miles from the K-Mart to her trailer park and stops at her friend Savvy’s house. Who else could she talk to? There’s no way she was ready to tell her boyfriend, Brad. She knew the first thing he would do is yell and cuss (even though it takes two to tango). She walks up the front steps and enters Savvy’s trailer. Savvy is sitting in the living room with a one year old baby boy bouncing on her lap.
“Hey Iz, what’s going on?” Savvy says putting her son in his crib and walking towards her.
“Ah, um…Well there’s actually something I really need to talk to you about.” Izzie starts biting her nails, starting at her pinky with the chipped purple nail polish on it.
Savvy’s confused look turns to worry. “Sure, no problem…” she says sitting back down on the torn up couch.
“You know how I told you about that awesome career field trip I went on, where we went to the hospital and got to witness a real surgery and everything?” Izzie says, trying to sound positive.
“Yeah, sure. You said you were maybe even thinking about becoming a doctor or something like that.”
“Yeah, that’s what I would really like to do. But, what do I do if there’s something that could stop me from doing that?”
“Like what? Iz, what’s going on?” Savvy says moving closer to her friend.
“I’m pregnant.”
“Oh God, Iz. Have you told Brad? What are you going to do?”
“No, and I don’t know. I just found out! Sav, my mom will flip, Brad is going to do God knows what, and I just don’t know what to do. I just…” Izzie breaks down and starts sobbing. Savvy reaches over and puts her arms around her fragile friend.
“You need to tell him.”
“I know, I know. I’m scared. I don’t know what he’s going to do.” Izzie stands up and walks to the window. She stares at the kids playing across the lane, riding their bikes.
“Do you want me to come with you? I can come with. You don’t have to be alone.”
“No, I think I need to do this alone. I’m scared, but I have to face it. I have to go, call you later?”
“You better. Be careful, Iz. I’ll be right here”
Izzie exits the double-wide trailer and walks four lanes over to hers. Her mother is sitting in the dining
room with a cup of coffee in her hands.
“Hey baby. How was your day?”
“It was alright, how was work?” Izzie says walking to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water.
“Eh same ole, same ole. Nothing really changes at places like diners. Old men grabbing things on your body you wish they wouldn’t, but hey, it’s at least a good tip.” Her mother says, not making eye contact.
Izzie rolls her eyes and walks into her bedroom. She flops on her bed, reaches for the phone and dials Brad’s number. It rings twice, and then he answers.
“Hey sexy, what’s going on?” he asks in an obnoxious tone.
“Nothing, can you come over?” Izzie asks trying not so sound too anxious.
“Whoa, way to be discreet about your feeling babe, I’ll be right over!”
“Ugh…okay. Just hurry.” Izzie slams the phone down and buries her face in the pillow.
About 15 minutes later Brad arrives and enters Izzie’s room. He lays next to her and begins to kiss her neck.
“Hey, I have something to talk to you about.” Izzie says sitting up and pushing Brad away.
“What is it? I’m supposed to meet Greg and Rick in about ten, so let’s make this quick.”
“You can’t freak out, okay? This is going to be really hard to say and I just…”
“Dude, are you pregnant?” Brad asks half-joking, half-serious.
“Yeah, I am.” She says, avoiding eye contact.
“Nah, you’re joking. You have to be joking.” he says slowly getting up from the bed.
“Brad, I told you not to freak out. Can we talk about this? I’m really scared. I don’t know what to do.”
“Not freak out? How could I not freak out?! You’re knocked up! How did you let that happen? Aren’t you on the pill or something?”
“How did I let it happen? What do you mean ‘how did I let it happen’? And yes, I am. But you know that stuff is only 99% whatever, I must have missed a pill. Can we talk about this or are you going to be immature, like always?”
“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m not having a baby. There’s no God damn way I can take care of a baby. I gotta get out of here.” Brad gets up and starts for the door.
“Are you kidding me?!” Izzie gets up to follow him but collapses in tears in the hallway. I’m all alone. I can’t do this alone.
7 months later, when Izzie should be in History class, she is laying in the hospital bed at Carlson Memorial Hospital.
“Isobel Stevens?” a woman with a clipboard and an ugly mustard jacket enter the room.
“Are you from the adoption agency?” Izzie asks, still exhausted from what had just happened the day before.
“Yes, my name is Natalie Caulter, I’m here to go over the last of the paperwork. Are you feeling up to it now, or should I come back later?”
“Might as well get it over with, what do I need to do?”
“Well as you know, you have 24 hours to think over everything before you make your final decision. That 24 hours ends at 6:14PM, have you made a final decision?”
“Yeah, I have. I’m going with the original plan, closed adoption, no regrets.”
“Alright then, here’s the last of the paper work. Just sign and date, and everything will be good to go. Have you seen your daughter yet?”
“No. I chose not to. Trying to make it easier, you know?” Izzie sits up and signs what she needs to, then hands the clipboard back to the woman.
“Alright then. Everything is set. You did the right thing, Ms. Stevens. Good luck.” Nancy exits the room and Izzie is left in the cold room. She reaches over to her nightstand and picks up some books. America’s Best Med Schools and How to Write a College Admissions Essay are among them. She opens the book and begins to read, smiling with each page she turns.