My nerves started uigizaji up during the week that followed. Though Doctor Jamieson had told me that most first time mothers went over the due date, I still analyzed every feeling. I had experienced some Braxton Hicks contractions over the past mwezi au so, but Doctor Jamieson had assured me that I would know when the real thing started.

May eleventh came – and went – and still no baby.

"The doctor did say to expect this." Charlie pointed out that Friday, three days after my due date.

"I know." I grumbled, rubbing my back. "I was just hoping that I had passed on my punctuality."

"You weren't born until two weeks after the estimated due date." Renée told me, and I groaned.

"Thanks, mom, that really helps."

xxxxx

Angela eyed me suspiciously when she picked me up for school the following Monday.

"Still nothing?" She asked, unnecessarily, and I just glared at her.

The teachers gave me nervous looks all day, like they were afraid my water would break in the middle of their class. But, of course, it didn't.

Since I was technically supposed to already be on maternity leave from Newton's I headed straight nyumbani after school. Renée was there, of course. She was staying on the kitanda instead of at a hotel this time around, wanting to be close by.

"Did wewe have a good siku at school?" She wondered as I slumped down inayofuata to her on the couch.

"No." I grumbled. "Everyone kept looking at me like they thought I'd pop right in front of them." I glared at her when she laughed.

"I'm sorry, honey, I know you're uncomfortable. It'll be over soon." She alisema in an encouraging voice, patting me on the shoulder.

"Tell her that!"

"Now wewe listen to me, Lily Renée Swan." Renée said, leaning over my stomach. "It's time to come out now. I know wewe like it in there, but I promise it will be really nice when wewe come out to us too, OK?"

"Thanks, mom, that ought to do the trick." I couldn't help but laugh at the serious look on her face.

There was a knock on the door, and Renée went to open.

"Hi, Angela, come on in. She's in the living room." I heard Renée say, and a moment later, Angela came into the room.

"Hey Bella, could we go upstairs? I wanted to talk to wewe about the prom."

The look on her face made me wonder what was going on.

"Sure." I alisema suspiciously, but let her help me up from the kitanda and followed her upstairs.

"I've been thinking…" Angela started, but hesitated, biting her lip.

"What is it?" I pressed. "Just spit it out."

"I was just thinking that maybe wewe could go with us on Saturday." She almost stumbled over the words in her haste to get them out

"To the prom?" I asked, bewildered. "You can't be serious!"

"I mean, don't wewe want to onyesha those jerks at school that wewe don't care what they think?" She continued, ignoring my words completely.

"Well, of course I do, but come on." I threw my arms out in exasperation. "Me dancing is normally a safety hazard, and now…" I didn't finish the sentence; there really was no need to.

"You don't have to dance." She quickly assured me.

"Plus, are wewe forgetting that I'm already a week overdue?" I needlessly pointed out. "And, besides, nobody would want to go with me."

"Well, wewe don't really need a date." Angela said, ignoring my first point. "But I'm sure Mike will take wewe if wewe want to go."

"Mike's going with Jessica." I reminded her.

"No he's not."

This was news to me.

"What? Why?" How had I missed this?

"They broke up after school today." Angela revealed.

"They did? How come?" I thought they were doing fine. Mike hadn't mentioned that something was wrong when I had spoken to him during Math.

"I guess he just got fed up with all the mean things she's always saying about you." Angela shrugged.

"What did she say this time?" I didn't really care; I had gotten used to the just-a-little-too-loud maoni that Jessica always made whenever I passed her in the hallway.

"She called wewe a slut." An apologetic look appeared on Angela's face.

"I've been called worse." I pointed out. Angela just shrugged again and avoided meeting my eyes. "What else did she say?"

"Nothing." But the answer came too quickly.

"Angela."

"Fine. But I did not want to tell wewe this." She sighed, hesitating for a moment. "She alisema that wewe got pregnant on purpose, that wewe wanted to trap him, but that he didn't care and that he left anyway."

I contemplated this for a moment.

"That was a new one." I heard that my voice sounded a little shaky, and, apparently, Angela noticed that too, because she squeezed my hand in a comforting way.

"You OK?" She gave me a tentative look, and I managed to give her a small smile.

"I'm not going to say that it didn't hurt, but it's just Jessica. She has no idea what she's talking about."

"That's right, don't care about what she thinks."

"I don't."

I didn't. The part that hurt was that she had managed to pinpoint one of the maswali that I had asked myself zaidi than once over the past seven months; if he had know, would it have mattered?

"So will wewe come with us? Please. To put Jessica in her place." Angela said, pulling my attention back to the topic at hand. Prom.

"Are wewe sure Mike would be OK with it?" I asked disbelievingly. Staying my friend was one thing; going to the senior prom with the school pariah was a whole other.

"Of course. I talked to him before I came over here."

"I don't have a dress." There was no way I was going to my senior prom wearing maternity pants and a t-shirt.

"I'll get wewe one." Angela was starting to look hopeful. "So?"

"I guess it is kind of my fault that Mike doesn't have a date."

"Yay!"

"If my water doesn't break before Saturday and if wewe find a dress that doesn't make me look like a beached whale." I stipulated my conditions.

"We're going to have so much fun!"

xxxxx

My water didn't break kwa prom night – and Angela found an amazing, black dress that actually made me feel pretty for the first time in months.

So, at six thirty in the evening, I found myself posing for prom pictures in our living room with Mike, Angela and Ben. As Renée swooshed around the room, taking pictures from all possible angles, I couldn't help but remember last year's prom. I closed my eyes briefly as the memories washed over me, biting my lip against the pain they caused.

"Are wewe OK?" Angela mumbled in my ear.

"Yeah." I opened my eyes and wiped a lonely tear from my cheek. "Just brings back memories, wewe know."

She didn't say anything, just squeezed my hand.

"OK, I think I'm done." Renée put the camera down. "I just hope I didn't get your shoes in any of the photos, Bella." She scowled at my feet.

I had refused wearing anything but my black Converse sneakers to the dance, despite Angela and Renée's complaints. I could barely walk as it was; there was absolutely no need to add the risk of high heels to the equation.

Eventually, we made it out of the house and into Mike's car.

"You're sure you're not doing this out of guilt?" He asked as he started the engine. "It wasn't your fault that Jess and I broke up, and I don't want wewe to do something wewe really don't want to do."

"I know, and I'm not." I gave him a teasing look. "You're sure you're not doing this out of pity?"

"Of course not." He huffed. "You'll be the prettiest girl there."

I highly doubted that.

We ended up having a really good time, to my very big surprise. Everyone stared as we walked into the gym, of course, but I only glared back at them. The four of us mostly occupied one of the tables close to the exit, but Mike talked me into dancing a couple of times. We didn't songesha much, just swayed to the muziki in place, really.

I caught Jessica looking at us, fury evident in her eyes, and I smiled at her sweetly. I noticed that she was there with Adam Bronson, a junior, and suspected that it was a last-minute solution; she would never onyesha up at prom alone.

Austin and his date, a girl from junior year, joined our meza, jedwali after about an hour. I was surprised to notice that the girl, whose name was Hannah, didn't stare impolitely, and even talked directly to me. It was nice for a change.

I called it an early night, though. At eleven, I was completely exhausted; my back hurt, I could barely feel my feet, and I could tell that a head ache was coming on. But it had been worth it; I'd had a lot of fun.

Mike drove me home, despite my telling him that I would call Charlie to pick me up.

"Did wewe at least have a good time?" He asked when we stopped outside my house.

"I really did." I alisema sincerely. "Thank you."

"Thank you. I had a really good time too." He gave me a kiss on the cheek, and I got out of the car.

xxxxx

The inayofuata morning, Renée was all excited about hearing everything about the prom. I obliged, giving her a detailed description of the entire night.

"Aren't wewe happy wewe decided to go?" She asked when I had finished.

"I am, actually." I swallowed the last of my cereal and got up to wash out the bowl. "I ended up having a lot of fun."

"I'm glad. Every girl should enjoy her senior prom."

I listened only with one ear as I dried the bowl. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced my back, and I froze.

"What's wrong?" Renée was instantly at my side.

I close my eyes and bit my lip against the pain, which had extended to my stomach.

"I'm not sure, but I think I might be in labor."