Still in High School and Afraid

“I don’t know what to do.”

“You will know; you will know. It’s early, stay calm.”

“How will I know? This is so frightening. We are the class of ’63, with 4 months to graduation. I’m scared to death.”

“It will be okay, you know it will.”

“Easy for you to say, Deb. Your parents aren’t watching your every move. Mine are. They expect a lot from me.”

“Are you insulting my parents?”

“NO! I didn’t mean it to sound that way. Your parents don’t micromanage you. I have to be on the Honor Roll and take chemistry and algebra. You are taking home economics, which I suck at and you excel in. I hope you will make my clothes for me when we get our own apartments. Will you?”

“Of course, I will. But your mom would teach you…”

“Ugh. She is so good at all artsy things and doesn’t have the patience. I don’t want to sew, and I hate cleaning. I’d rather make good money and pay someone to clean my house. Then I would be contributing to someone’s well-being by paying more than the going rate.”

“Ginny – you know, Rhonda’s older sister? She just started a cleaning business. I hear she has 10 customers and will need to hire others.”

“Well, obviously, it will be a couple of years before I can hire someone, but I always liked Rhonda and Ginny.”

“Are you okay? You look…”

“Like I’m going to vomit? I can’t eat, I’m so nervous.”

“Let’s go to the nurse.”

“I don’t know.”

“Why?”

“She will report me for going to see her. They’ll call my mom… I mark my calendar; 25 days always.”

“For feeling sick? C'mon. Just a thought - Lucy says the clinic is great. Let's to there.”

“Lucy Gillbreath? The Valedictorian?”

“Yes. She was a candy striper.” **

“And? You’re being evasive.””

“I promised to keep her secret.”

“I didn’t know you were close to her.”

“Not close, I just know her from Home Ec. She is an expert at putting zippers and sleeves into dresses. She was so patient with all of us; we had a small club twice a month to help the rest of us. She showed how important it was to match plaids at the seams and how to sew collars properly so they lay flat. She is a good person. Come on.”

“Hello, girls. What brings you here?”

“My friend needs a consult, she isn't feeling well.”

“I see. Grab the forms from the baskets labeled 1 and 2 and bring them back up when done.”

“I’m afraid, Deb.”

“Fill out the forms. I’m right here. I will stay with you, don’t worry.”

“Here, you take them up to her. She makes me nervous.”

“Are these yours or your friend’s?”

“My friend’s.”

“She’s shy, huh? Okay, a nurse will call you in a bit.”

“Marsha?”

“I’m here.”

“All right, we will see you now. Your friend is welcome to come.”

“Marsha, she’s nice. Oh, Honey, don’t cry!”

“All right, Dear, this way - we'll go into this private room. Everything will be fine. Don’t worry. Sit up on the table, please, and let’s talk. That’s right, Sweetie. You are feeling sick? I'll need to do a full examination.

“How?”

“I’m so glad you brought your friend; it’s smart to have support. We use a tool, and there is slight discomfort, but I will be very, very gentle.”

“I don’t know.”

“Marsha…

“I don’t want someone ‘examining’ me, Deb!”

“Girls, how about I step out and let you discuss this? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Deb, it’s icky, and I know it will hurt!”

“Don’t you want to be certain? Grow up. Doctors examine people all the time! You said you didn't feel well. We need to find out what's wrong!

“But…I don't like people touching me. Quit staring at me. All right, all right. I’ll let her do an exam.”

“Marsha, have you decided?”

“Yes, go ahead, but I really don’t want to.”

“Okay, remove your jeans and panties, then hop up onto the exam table.”

~~

“Open the letter, Marsha. Let’s just get it over with.”

“You open it. I can’t stand to.”

“I get it. Just calm down. Here, take some deep breaths with me. That’s it, one, breathe slow and deep, two, three, four, five. Be calm, Deb. Try not to let your emotions control you. Okay, here we are. It is… positive. You are going to have a baby. Oh, sonofabitch, I’m so sorry. Why can’t you and Larry get married? I will help you with the wedding and reception, and I know Lucy would make your dress.”

“No. I don’t want to get married, and I don’t think I want a baby either. What the hell am I going to do? I can’t tell my parents.”

“There are options… abortion, adoption, maybe a relative who would raise the kid…?”

“THAT would mean telling my family!”

“Well, if you aren’t telling them or Larry, then you have only one option, right?”

“Oh, fuck! I don’t know what to do!”

“Talk to the doctor?”

“I guess?”

“Hi, girls, it’s good to see you both again. Marsha, how are you feeling?You’re definitely pregnant. Based on what you told me, the baby will be due on October 20. Have you decided what you want to do? I’d be happy to talk to your parents.”

“NO! I don’t want them to know. I don’t want my boyfriend to know, and I’m not marrying him.”

“Do you want to have the baby? Is there a relative you could visit until the baby is born? There are adoption agencies we can connect you with.”

“That means I would have to be pregnant and give birth. I don’t want people to know or see me getting bigger and bigger. I don’t know what to do. I’m still in high school!”

Copyright © 1/13/2026 by Andrea O. Corwin

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** From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Hospital volunteers, also known as candy stripers in the United States, work without regular pay in a variety of health care settings, usually under the direct supervision of nurses. The term candy striper is derived from the red-and-white striped pinafores that female volunteers traditionally wore, which are culturally reminiscent of candy canes. The term and its associated uniform are less frequently used in current clinical settings . Candy Stripers originated as a high-school civics class project in East Orange, New Jersey, in 1944. The uniforms were sewn by the girls in the class from material provided by the teacher – a red-and-white-striped fabric known as "candy stripe". The students chose East Orange General Hospital as the home for their class project.