Before opening my box I text Alex and Avery back, Me too, so did ___. I take a pair of kitchen scissors as my family watches horror. At that moment, my brother enters. My father whispers to him. I assume he told him what's going on. I lift the flaps and stare into the box. It's started with a note.

Ah, the Rose Family. You see, Ruby isn't the only one I have dirt on. You have your own piles, look through them. Good luck.

I hand my mother her pile and my brother grabs him himself. I hand my father the remaining pile and watch their faces as they flip through them. My brother's face turns red and he bites his lips, nervous. My father's foot taps profusely. My mother's hand rests on her mouth and her eyes move from side to side, worrying.

My mother looks up, "This is bad."

"It is," my brother agrees.

"Liz, swap with me," my father says.

"Okay..."

They switch piles, I'm scared for them. I can't imagine what's in them. If they could make my parents that worried, I can't imagine how they'll react. My mother abruptly throws down the papers and falls to the floor sobbing. I glance from her to my father who is crying. I've never seen my father cry, nor I have I ever seen him be emotional in the least bit. He flips through the papers once more.

"How could you?" My mother says.

"How could you?" My father repeats.

I glance at my brother, who's photos are most likely less disturbing. He sets the on the counter and paces.

"What's going on?" My brother asks.

Neither of our parents answer. Cody takes the paper from my father's hands as I collect my mothers. I gasp as I discover my father hugging another woman. That's not the problem. It was obviously taken in high school or college. What worried me was the size of the girl's belly. She's pregnant. My father has his arms around her belly. I look up at him, "Is it yours?" He nods, tears running down his face. I regret shuffling the papers, because I see photos of them creating and having the baby. I also see an adoption document. I hand my brother the papers and switches with me. I'm horrified to discover the top photo of my mother on a stripper pole. I flip through to find more, I find that it wasn't a long time ago either. I recognize a scar on her thigh, she got it two years ago after she dropped a knife and it scraped her. I see a photo of her in a special St. Patrick's Day costume. It was this St. Patrick's Day. I can tell because her hair is short. While she had short hair for most of her life, the past three years it's been long until she cut it in March. It's April. "This year?" I question. She nods, tears running down to match my fathers.

"I think we should have some time alone. Ruby, Cody can you two go somewhere? Maybe Avery's or the cafe?" She asks. I nod and walk towards the door. I take my car and call Alex.

"Can I come over?" I ask.
"Yes, I was about to ask you to," he says.
"See you soon."
"Bye."
"Bye."

I pull up to his dorm, tears falling. I run up the one flight of stairs and bang on the door. He opens it to find me crying.

"What's wrong?" He asks.
"What isn't?" I ask.
"Can I hug you?" He asks.
"Please." Is my answer.

He squeezes me. After a moment he leads me to the couch where I spill everything.

"I'm sorry," I finish with.

"For what?" He asks.

"I'm treating you like my therapist. Not potential boyfriend."

"That's what boyfriends do."

His roommate busts in, "Woah, woah, I thought you met like last night."

"We did."

He nods and turns his attention back to his papers.

"Alright, boyfriend." I say.

"Most unconventional first date ever..." He says, chucking.

"Yeah, being interrogated by the police stations while my school was bombed."

"And most unconventional way to meet ever..."

"Definitely. No disputing that one."

His roommate butts in once again, "How did you meet?"

"Uh, basically our friends were pressuring us to have fun and one night stands. Neither of us wanted to do that, so we sat in a hotel room and chatted." Alex explains.

"Oh yeah, right, continue on now..." Zane says.

   I yawn, it's late. I look over at the clock, it's 9:30. I didn't sleep at all last night or the night before. I rub my eyes and laugh.

"What?" Alex says, smirking.

"I haven't slept in two days... ugh."

"Okay, that explains the eye bags. I hadn't planned to ask but..."

"I should go..."

"I thought you got kicked out?"

"I did. I shouldn't be here, I barely know you. I think I'll go to Avery's..."

"Well, I hope to get to know you. We still on for coffee tomorrow morning?"

"We are."

With that, I walk out of his dorm room and walk down the stairs. I call Avery and explain to her the situation. She tells me about how she was interrogated and one other problem she has. I finally get to her house and she lets me in.

"I'm freaking out..." She says.

"I am too, you have to take a test..." I say.

She holds up a package, I watch her open in before disappearing into the bathroom. She walks out, already crying.

"Fifteen minutes..." she says

"Two lines, means bad," She says after a moment.

"And one line means good," I say.

The timer goes off she walks briskly to the bathroom. Her face says it all, I look anyway. Two lines. Two lines means bad.

"I'm pregnant." She says.

"I know..." I mutter.

"I don't even know who the father is..."

"I'm sorry..."