Missing Pieces of My Forever-Heart by Janet Grosshandler

was all he said as he slammed the door and took off with his long strides.
     
    He didn’t call me.  
     
    The last few days of school teemed with pressure-filled final exams and then graduation practices.  Jame slumped glumly on a chair as we practiced going up on stage to receive our diplomas.
     
    Teachers kept coming up to him, slapping him on the back, shaking his hand and congratulating him on his Rice University news. I could see he pretended to be happy.
     
    He called me the night before graduation.  “Cath, sorry I haven’t been around but exams and stuff, you know. I want you to know I have been thinking about it and I’m still not sure what to do.  Are you absolutely sure you’re pregnant?”
     
    I tried to understand. I had a lot more time to know about it and think about all the possible plans we should make.  
     
    “It’s OK, Jame. I understand.  Kind of, I mean.  You haven’t come near me in days.”  I didn’t want to be too whiney but I’m sure it came out that way.
     
    “Did you tell your parents yet?”
     
    “No, I wanted to talk things out with you and make our plans before I hit them with me being pregnant.  I know I have to go to a doctor soon for tests and stuff.”
     
    “Can this wait until after graduation, Cath?  I don’t want to ruin things for my parents.  And yours too.”  Well, nice of him to think about my family for once.  Jame was disappointing me but then again, I was disappointing myself too.
     
    “Yeah, sure.  It’s not going to change things.  We can tell our parents after graduation.”
     
    Our commencement night as graduates of Our Lady of Sorrows was filled with speeches, awards (I got the Journalism award!) and tears.  Our class was really close and it’s hard to leave the familiar to go off to our separate futures.
     
    Sister Margarita gave me a big hug telling me how proud she was that I had turned things around and that now I was destined for greatness.  I felt like such a fraud as I murmured, “Yes I am, Sister, Thank you for all you did for me.  I’ll never forget you.”
     
    Lots of goodbyes were said to classmates even though we were going to see each other later at various parties at the kids’ homes.  I felt like I was in this bubble of stepping out of the past into the unknown, pregnant and all.  What would Jame and I be doing?
     
    Jame went off with his parents out to dinner and Mom cooked me a special party meal at home with aunts, uncles and cousins all congratulating me on a job well done.  I was glad when I could slip away to meet Jame at Freddie Donovan’s house.
     
    The party was loud and crazy.  Everyone was in a happy mood.  We were graduates! We had the world by the tail!  Yeah, right.
     
    Someone shoved a beer in my hand and I felt so crappy I drank it.  Sorry, baby, but it’s pretty tense out here.  I’ll only drink one, I promise. But I didn’t.  I drank more.  A lot more.
     
    Nine o’clock came and went.  Ten o’clock passed.  Where was Jame?  I was tired, depressed and sick of hanging out with the kids who were getting louder each second. And I was getting drunker and drunker.
     
    Finally, Jame strode in on his long legs and crossed the back yard until he stopped in front of me.  He grabbed the can of beer out of my hand and threw it across the grass.
     
    “What the hell are you doing, Cath?”
     
    “Waiting for you, idiot!  Where have you been?”
     
    “With my family.  What is this- tenth grade all over again when you were the drunk bitch everyone wanted to get with?”
     
    I sobered up quickly on that rude comment.  Jame had NEVER mentioned my “lost year” and my reputation.  It was a little scary that it was coming out with such venom tonight.
     
    “What’s the matter with YOU?”
     
    He never answered, just grabbed my hand and pulled me out of that party.
     
    “Where’s your car?”
     
    “Over there.”
     
    “You’re too drunk to drive.  Give me the