Snow is falling gently onto the ground outside, creating a blank canvas on the street that will soon be ruined. It has been falling constantly for an hour and has finally now begun to lay. Inside, the heating is on full blast, textbooks are sprawled across the kitchen table and laughter fills the room.

Erin is sat in high chair at the table as Cory and I try and do some school work. She has other ideas though so instead of sitting there and falling asleep like we hoped, she plays with some pens, laughing every time we take them away from her. I'm not sure how she managed to reach them in the first place.

"Come here," I say to her, lifting her out of the seat. "Lets see if you will go to sleep now," I sit her down on my lap, hoping that she will doze off.

Instead Erin gets the opposite idea and pushes up on her legs, trying to stand up. I support her by holding her just under her arms as she begins to bounce on my leg.

"Not this again," I moan to myself.

Bouncing has become one of her favourite things to do. Every time someone holds her, she begins to bounce on their legs. It doesn't matter if you try and stop her because she will only push up on her legs again. It's her own way of saying that you're not done.

"She needs one of those things that you can hang in a doorway so she can bounce all day if she wants to," Cory says to me, taking a break from his work.

"You mean a doorway bouncer? That would be great except we don't have- no Erin!" I stop and yell halfway through my sentence as lumpy, orange sick finds its way onto the top of my essay.

Cory gets up from his seat and takes the baby out of my hands in one swift motion. The majority of the sick is all over the table, mainly on my work and textbook. Only a few drops have landed on my trousers.

"I'll take her upstairs to get changed. Try not to worry. I'm sure Miss Lyles will give you an extension," he says before walking upstairs, leaving me to clean up the mess.

"Or you could just give me your work," I mumble when he is out of earshot.

I start by putting my essay in the bin, along with the textbook. Who would want to use that with baby sick covering it? After that all I really have to do is mop down the table and then disinfect it. Before I have time to finish though, there is a knock at the door.

"One minute," I shout from the kitchen as I furiously scrub the last little bit of sick away.

I finally get to the door and open it to see Laura standing there. Her black hair is soaked against her face. Her cheeks are bright red from the cold and for the briefest moment, one of her eyelashes hosts a snowflake on it before it melts away.

"Are you okay?" I ask her as she rushes inside to get away from the cold.

"Is your mum home?" Laura asks me while she takes her coat off and hangs it on the banister like she has done hundreds of times before now.

"No she's at work. Then she's going on a date afterwards. Why?"

"I need to talk to you in private," it's at this point when I realise how dishevelled Laura looks.

Her eyes are red and slightly swollen with signs of tears still within then. Her clothe are soaked through from the snow but are even wetter than what I would expect. She doesn't live that far away from my house.

"Talk to me when you have some warm clothes on," I take her hand and lead her up the staircase before she has time to protest.

As I enter my room, I see Cory on the bed with Erin as he changes her clothes.

"She threw up again Kris, just as I got a new top on her- oh hi Laura," Cory greets Laura who just smiles meekly at him in return.

"It's all the bouncing, it needs to stop. Right these should fit you," I throw Laura a pair of jogging bottoms and an old jumper.

"Is she alright?" Cory asks once Laura has gone to the bathroom to get changed.

I sit down next to him on the bed, leaning my head into the crook of his shoulder. "Honestly I have no idea," I tell him.

A few minutes later, Laura returns in my clothes, looking slightly more comfortable. She takes a seat on the edge of the bed, close enough so she can touch Erin's head.

"Do you want to go back downstairs?" I ask her.

"We can stay here, its fine. I just didn't want your mum to overhear if she was in," Laura continues to stroke the top of Erin's head, helping her to finally get to sleep.

"What's wrong?" Cory asks her.

"I'm scared," she mumbles at us at a volume which is barely audible and then suddenly she bursts into tears.

"Why? What's happened?" I get up from where I am sat and sit beside my best friend, placing a hand on the small of her back.

Through some heavy sobs, I manage to hear the words "I think I'm pregnant," leave Laura's mouth.

No one says anything for a few minutes as shock rings around the room. Erin is the only one not bothered by the words that were just utter as she lies on the bed, sleeping peacefully. Laura on the other hand is in hysterics, crying uncontrollably while Cory's eyes have become wide as saucers.

"Have you done a test yet?" I break the silence and ask.

All Laura does is shake her head in response. "You might not be pregnant then. I could go out and get you a test if you like?"

"I have... one in my... bag," she tells me between sobs.

"Why haven't you taken it yet?" I ask her while rubbing her back.

"I didn't want to be alone. I... I can't tell Adam... at least not yet. He's already got so much on his mind. I don't want to add this to the rest of his problems," she cries at us.

"It's fine honey. You can take it here. Trust me, we're not going to judge you," I say to her, letting her know we will be by her side.

Once she has regained control of herself, Laura takes her bag and makes her way back towards the bathroom.

"What if it is positive?" Cory asks quietly while Laura is gone.

"Probably that our school needs better sex education,"

"Seriously Kris?"

"I honestly don't know Cory. I really don't know what she will do," I say to him.

A few minutes go by and neither of us says anything while we wait for Laura to return. Cory moves over and sits himself next to me, running his hands through my hair. I pick Erin up from where she is laid and let her sleep in my arms.

After what feels like a small eternity, I hear the bathroom door unlock and the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Laura enters the bedroom with a beaming smile on her face and a pregnancy test in her hands.

"Negative," she screeches waving the stick in the air.

A part of me feels disappointed that she isn't pregnant. At least if she was I would have had someone who understands everything that I am going through. Another part of me is jealous. Why is it that she gets the scare and get the child?

"Oh. Congratulations I guess?" I lift one arm up to give her a hug. "What made you think you were pregnant in the first place?" I ask.

"Late period. Thanks for being there for me. I don't know what I would have done if I was. Could you imagine having a child at this-" she stops speaking, realising what she was about to say. "I need to go. I should probably speak to Adam about it. Thank you again guys,"

"Before you go, as a thank you present can I have your essay for English lit please?" I try my luck with her.

"What? Of course not. Anyway, I'll see you later," she laughs at me before leaving.

Only a matter of moments later, I hear the front door slam shut leaving Cory, Erin and I the only ones left in the house.

A few days later I am sat in the assembly hall in school, sandwiched between Cory and Maddie. The last lesson of the day was cancelled so the school could hold an assembly for all of the sixth form students- a briefing they called it.

Looking around the room I see that most people are glued to their phones, scrolling through it on one of the brief chances they have to do so in school. Even Maddie next to me is sat texting her girlfriend.

"Hey look at this picture that Leigh just sent me. It's so cute," she shoves the phone in my face, forcing me to look at a picture of her and Leigh from the weekend.

"That's great Mads. I'm guessing things are going well between the two of you?" I ask, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah, it's great other than the fact I can't tell my parents about her," Maddie says to me so I raise an eyebrow in response.

All she does is mouth 'later' at me as the headmaster walks into the hall.

"Good afternoon Year Twelve and Thirteen. It's so good to see you all looking refreshed after your recent mock exams. I'm sure you're already preparing for your real exams this summer," his voice booms around the room.

"Honestly I haven't even thought about them yet," Laura mumbles under her breath, just loud enough for us to hear.

"Before then though, we have plenty of opportunities and event for you students to get involved with. We are looking for more helpers for the end of Year Thirteen Ball where you would..." I stop listening after that, realising that the assembly is going to be a waste of time.

Instead I make mental of list of supplies that Erin needs. Once I finish that list I start a new but this time it is filled with items that I want. There is not a nappy in sight.

"... Now the last thing I want to talk about is the annual fashion show," I decide to start listening again once I have finished my lists, hoping that we are near the end.

"What annual fashion show?" I hear Maddie ask.

"I can see on you faces that some of you are confused. This will be the first fashion show that school will play host to but it will become an annual event. We are looking for students to volunteer with this project, whether that be backstage – helping with the costumes, or modelling for the show. The school is looking for a variety of people to volunteer and all proceeds that are raised will be going to charity. If you are interested then please speak to Miss Lyles about.

Well I think that is all for today. You may be dismissed and don't forget to work hard," the headmaster tells us.

As quickly as they can, everyone gets up from their seats and heads straight to the exit. People are chattering amongst themselves, some about the fashion show, others about something completely different.

"Well that was a waste of time," Cory mutters as we leave the assembly hall.

"They tell us we need to work hard at school but then cancel our lessons to tell us about events that will take time away from studying? It just doesn't make sense," Adam agrees with him.

"I don't know. I think the fashion could be fun to do. Don't you guys?" Laura asks us while she moves her bag onto her shoulder.

"I don't really have the time for extra curriculum activities. With exams and a baby, my time I full," I tell her, feeling sorry that I'm not sharing the same excitement as her.

I hear Cory mutter a 'same' while Adam tells her, "a lot of my time is taken up with my job and I'm often left to look after Taylor. I don't think I would be able to commit to it either."

"Alright, well what about you Maddie?" Laura turns her attention to Maddie who looks like a deer caught in headlights.

"Err I don't know. I'll think about it," she says to try and please Laura.

"Whatever, I'm going to talk to Miss Lyles about it anyway," Laura storms off in the direction of the teachers classroom, leaving us behind.

"Do you think she's mad at us?" Adam asks as we watch her walk away.

"I have no idea," Maddie replies in a nonchalance tone.

"Anyway I better go and pick Erin up from the child-minder's," Cory says, being the first one to leave.

After that we all part ways for the day, hoping that we haven't pissed Laura off.