Rumour of the week

Based on a true story- Mine

Isn’t it bad enough to be a teenager? We have puberty, bulling, boys who never give you a second glance, rumours. Why do I have to be epileptic too? It hasn’t been long since I was diagnosed, it’s because I had a stupid stroke before I was even born. I hate it all, but now because of my epilepsy I’ve had to go on a medication called Epilim to ensure I don’t have anymore seizures, all of which happen at night.

I’ve kept all this to myself, partly because when my mum’s not forcing me to share a bed with her, she’s got a baby monitor for me. I get it, I do, but I’m fourteen. Things just keep getting worse, case and point: the rumour that’s spreading like wildfire at school.

The thing is, I was dangerously skinny only a month or so ago, before I went on my meds. The medication has increased my appetite and my weight. So, I’ve gone from skinny teen who barely looked like she’s hit puberty to a round ass, flabby tummy and large boobs. Because of my rapid transformation, I, Grace Reynolds am assumed pregnant. Yeah… No.

“I wonder who the dad would be.” I caved in when the rumour hit my ears and told my best friend Caitlin about everything that’s been going on. After the initial “why didn’t you tell me” stuff was over, Caitlin went to not taking it seriously, to be fair; I’m not good at taking things seriously either. But now, when everyone’s looking at me, judging me and wondering how on earth did a girl like me get a guy to be interested enough to sleep with her, I can’t help but take it seriously.

“We know who you’d want it to be.” Caitlin teased me, bumping her shoulder with mine as we headed to Geography. I rolled my eyes. The last thing I want to do is think about my crush, Haseeb. The love triangle with him and Charlotte is bad enough with this rumour adding to the mix. God only knows what those two are thinking. No. I don’t want to know.

“Oh look, isn’t it the mum to be.” I closed my eyes, hearing Ruth, a known bully mock me. “Back off, Ruth. Grace isn’t knocked up."

“Oh, sure. She just goes from an A cup to D cup in an instant.” Ruth scoffed, eying my chest. I raised an eyebrow, why is she so focused on my chest size? Maybe she’s… eh, I don’t care. It’s no one’s business. Of course, my defensive best friend took a different approach from Ruth’s observation. "Why are you so interested, Ruth? Are you jealous or do you wish you you could be playing with those things?" I shook my head and walked away from the two before it escalated too far. I just want to wallow.

Tears came quite easily as I hid in a corner. With the rumour I’ve heard so many harsh and awful words come my way, about my looks before and after the weight gain, none are good. I’ve heard the question of who the dad is, pondering if I was just a slag who opens her legs to anyone who asked. No one wants me, Haseeb prefers Charlotte and why wouldn’t he?

I’m a girl who because of the stroke has a weak left side with limited mobility so is registered as disabled. I’m a mess with daddy problems now he’s got a new girlfriend, so I’m in therapy every two weeks. I have to keep that information from my mum because she doesn’t agree that I need it, or in therapy in general.

Now, I’m epileptic and I have to have medicine every morning and night to stop myself having a seizure. It's my worst fear to have a seizure now. Before I have them, my left arm goes completely numb, it locks into my chest and I have only a moment to shout for help before I go unconscious, if my arm feels remotely funny now, I end up biting it in a panic in hopes it's not a seizure coming.

My last seizure came to mind, how when I was coming round, I could hear my mum sobbing on the pone with 999. It killed me to hear her in such pain. It’s why, despite hating it, I don’t argue about sleeping with her or having a baby monitor. She’s just worried about me.

“Grace, you better not be falling into that pit of yours.” Caitlin and I have known each other since we were seven. She knows everything about me, even if it does take me a while to talk about what ever it is sometimes. Caitlin knows when I’m in a state where I can fall into a pit where I think of anything and everything that’s bothering me. I call it a volcano effect. I don’t tell anyone what’s bothering me, I just let it build and build up until I can’t keep quiet anymore and have a meltdown. I try and have my meltdowns in therapy rather than anyone else, everyone who cares about me worries about me enough as it is.

“Come on. We’ve skipped class, thank you for that; I had forgotten to do our homework. “I chuckled and nodded my head just to hear my phone buzz in my pocket. With a sigh, I looked at it.

Has: Your sister got in a fight with someone saying you’re pregnant. Sorry I believed it. Xx

I counted to ten in my head. I am not focusing on Haseeb right now and how he believed the awful rumour. No, I’m going to focus on my big sister and the best sister who only gets in fights with those who pick on me. I love her for it, but I also hate her for it. I don’t know what I’ll do without her when she leaves for college next year.

“That little rat. I am going to…”

“Cait, don’t. I cannot deal with him right now. I just need to go and see Millie and see if she’s okay.”

Millie was twiddling her thumbs by the main office when I found her, her fist bloodied but no other mark on her. I bit my lip from laughing. I wish I could be as tough as Millie. I’ve always looked up to her, Millie gave me a proud smile as she sat straight and tightened the red hair we share in her ponytail. “No one messes with my sister.”

“Thanks, Millie. You know you don’t have to do that for me.”

Millie shrugged and stood to wrap me in her arms. I felt myself settle. When our parents divorced, our dad was useless when it came to girl things, Millie took on the mum role whilst we were there, ever since the day my dad was that clueless when I had my first “time of the month” he thought I was poorly with diarrhoea and had me sit on a towel. Luckily it wasn’t long before Millie got home and told our dad what a fool he was.

“I’ll do anything for you, Grace. You know that.”

I held on tight. I do know that. “And I’ll do anything for you too.”

“Ah, both Reynolds sisters, perfect. Millie, you just wait here. Grace, come on in we were going to get you at your next class. Your mum’s on the way for you, Millie.”

I’m not worried for Millie; mum will be on her side. If anything, she’s going scare the head teacher, Mr Lowell with her anger that they’ve let it come to this.

I sighed as I moved to take a seat. Mr Lowell called my head of year, Mrs Blunt down to join the talk, just great. “So, Grace. We’ve heard a lot of speculation about this sudden change you’ve had. So, we’ve got to ask because we are concerned, are you pregnant?”

“Unless I am the virgin Mary, no. No, I am not pregnant.”

“Are you sure?”

Is it bad that I want to smack Mr Lowell in the face, and by the glare he’s getting from Mrs Blunt, I think she wants to do the same. I can’t believe he’s questioning my answer. How dare he make opinions because of my body.

“Yes. I’m sure.” I told him through gritted teeth.

“My body changes are because of the medication I’ve had to go on for my epilepsy.”

Mr Lowell noticeably grimaced. All the teachers have had to be made aware of my condition for obvious reasons. So, the fact Mr Lowell didn’t even consider that could be the case is utterly ridiculous and disgraceful. “You may go now, Grace.”

“Thanks, and good luck with my mum.”

I smiled at seeing Mr Lowell gulp at the mention of my mum. He’s not the only one she’s scared. Sandra Reynolds is a mother lion and will stop at nothing to look after her cubs.

The day didn’t get better despite my mum terrifying my head teacher into probably an early retirement. The rest of the week was just as bad. No one believed the confirmation of there being lack of a baby. I had a week of being terrorised and teachers doing nothing, my sister couldn't either with being suspended. I just had to suck it up and deal with the bullying. It was just an horrendous week, one I never want to live through again.

On Friday though, On Friday I heard words that just made everything better:

“Did you hear Ruth cheated on Fred with Chloe?” I smiled. I love Caitlin. I just hope she’s not responsible for this rumour, despite it freeing me of the spotlight of rumour of the week, I'd rather her not to cause drama for my benefit; she, my sister and even my mum have all done enough of that already.