Exciting Times
During this period of Michelle's life, she faced both exciting and daunting challenges. When she found out she was pregnant, she was in her final year of high school.
Fortunately, everyone around her supported her, although her parents took some time to adjust. There was no way Michelle could have predicted the biggest challenge of her life was about to unfold.
A Good Student
As a student at North Dallas High School, Michelle Denson received straight As. Overachieving was in her nature and both of her parents were extremely proud of her.
Besides achieving good academic grades, she was also the head cheerleader for the school's football team. Michelle met her boyfriend on that exact sports field.
A Kind Person
According to her peers, Michelle was a pretty girl. The girl was athletically built and had long blond hair. As a result of her popularity, she was envied by every girl at school.
In spite of this, Michelle was not a mean girl. As far as she could, she tried to help everyone with sincerity and kindness. Initially, she had no idea that she would need all the assistance her fellow students could provide.
Doing Her Best
She was also a role model for her younger sister and brother, and her parents were very proud of her accomplishments.
It can be hard for Michelle to balance being the head cheerleader and keeping up her grades. Furthermore, she helped her parents out at home a lot while they were both working. With the news that she would receive, everything would quickly take a turn for the worse.
Young Love
Despite her hectic schedule, Michelle was still able to make time for Richard, her boyfriend of four months.
Their friend circle was mutual, as he had just started college. The two of them enjoyed hanging out at the mall and eating at a local diner on the weekends. Richard was the one for Michelle, and she confessed her love for him to her friends.
Love Is In The Air
Every now and then, Richard would surprise Michelle with a sweet gift or gesture. There was something romantic about him that she loved. His grand gestures sometimes made her a little embarrassed since he always brought gifts to the school.
Due to the constant spoiling she received from her boyfriend, her friends became jealous of her. All they could think about was how they wished their boyfriends would do the same for them.
What Was Wrong?
As Michelle struggled out of bed that summer morning, she clutched her stomach. A feeling of nausea made her run to the bathroom. Throwing up, she tried to imagine what she had eaten that could have made her feel so sick.
It took her a few minutes to sit down. Could she make it to school today? It was essential that she attend cheerleading practice today.
Not Getting Better
The girl sat in class in agony. A strange pain was still present along with nausea. It crossed her mind to visit the school nurse, but she opted not to.
In the pit of her stomach, she felt a nagging pain during cheerleading practice. In spite of her resolve to visit the school nurse after practice, she was not successful in getting the results she had hoped for.
Concern
As Michelle sat on the nurse's bed, she didn't feel nervous, all she wanted was some medication to make her feel better.
As the nurse examined her, she asked an odd question, “When was your last period?” She knew it was coming, but she had been quite late. The nurse told Michelle she had to take a pregnancy test. Michelle had no idea why she was being asked to do that.
Feeling Shy
The pharmacy was the first place she went. It was difficult for her to decide what to purchase from the many tests available. In addition to having a shot of nerves, she was sweating profusely.
After picking up two tests off the shelf and paying at the counter, she walked out of the store. The lady gave her a strange look, making her blush immediately. It was vital that she get home and do these tests.
Taking The Test
She ran up the stairs and closed her bedroom door. If the test was positive, her whole life would be turned upside down.
She waited for five minutes on her bed thinking about what was going to happen to her future. Then her phone beeped. It was time to check the results. Michelle’s heart was racing widely.
Not The Results She Was Hoping For
She looked at the tests in disbelief. Both of them were positive. How was she going to navigate her last year of school, being a cheerleader and being pregnant?
She wanted to be a mother for sure, but not now. Michelle lay on her bed, crying all the tears that could manage to fall from her eyes. She was beyond devastated. She felt like her life was over.
The Honest Truth
She needed to tell her mom. They had a good, honest relationship and Michelle knew she could tell her anything. Most importantly, she needed to tell Richard, he was the father after all.
Michelle called her mom up to her bedroom. She couldn’t believe that this was happening to her. As they sat on her bed, Michelle burst out crying again, she didn’t know what to say.
Support
Her mom was beyond shocked. She trusted Michelle with Richard but she knew eventually something would happen once they were alone. It was what teenagers did.
But without passing judgment, she held her daughter and told her everything was going to be fine. She would have all the support in the world and the baby would grow up in a stable environment.
Telling Everybody Else
Michelle was so relieved that her mother was such an understanding and helpful person. But there was still her father and she didn’t know how he was going to react to the news.
Her mom assured her that he would be upset at first but he’d get over it eventually. Michelle still had to tell all her friends and Richard. She wasn’t sure what they would think of her. After all, she was supposed to be a role model.
Planning Ahead
She felt like a failure and didn’t want the whole school to look down on her. Her mom suggested they all go to the school together to speak to the teacher.
They needed to know how her pregnancy was going to affect the rest of her schooling year and they needed to plan around it. She would also need to stop cheerleading at some point.
Baby Daddy
Telling Richard was the hard part. He had just started college and she wasn’t sure how it was going to affect them.
He was shocked, to say the least, but vowed to stand by her. He cared about her deeply. His only concern was his strict conservative parents. Michelle hadn’t met them yet and they had no idea how they were going to break the news to them.
The School Office
Michelle was very nervous waiting for the teacher in the office. She had never had reason to be in there before as she was seen as a “good girl”. She never imagined sitting in there with a pregnant belly.
The teacher was surprised at how supportive Michelle’s parents were. She didn’t expect the level of maturity from Michelle and she was impressed.
Making Arrangements
They came to an arrangement and all that was left for Michelle to do was to tell her friends her unexpected news.
They knew she and Richard were in love but she had not told them that she took things to the next level with him. And now she was expecting his baby. They would be shocked.
Spreading The News
Michelle braced herself. She requested they meet up after school at their favorite lunch spot at the mall.
When she eventually told them, their mouths hung open in surprise and shock. They couldn’t believe that the good girl lead cheerleader was pregnant. But they were supportive and excited about the new arrival to their circle. They couldn’t wait to play dress up with the baby.
The Growing Secret
As the months went by, Michelle could no longer hide her growing stomach. It seems everyone in the school now knew that she was pregnant.
There were times when she felt some embarrassment and other times when she just showed off her stomach with pride, she didn’t care anymore, it was part of her and it wasn’t going anywhere.
Year End
The school year was also coming to an end soon and she would have to deal with a prom and graduation outfit.
Luckily, her aunt Janey was a seamstress and she had been working on her outfits for a month already. She probably has to add more fabric since she put on a little bit of weight.
Lots To Do
Everyone was planning their outfits and there were posters everywhere in the school announcing the prom and graduation dates.
They were a day apart but less than a month away. Michelle felt like she was running out of time for everything and being pregnant just made it twice as difficult because she was always tired.
A Special Dress
Prom night was coming up and of course, Richard was her date for the night. He seemed excited as he got a special tux for the evening.
Michelle couldn’t wait to show him her dress that was specially made to accommodate her growing belly. She was so sure they were going to be king and queen at the prom.
Prom Night
When the night finally arrived, Michelle and Richard had a blast at the prom. They weren’t declared king and queen but they had a great time with friends.
Now it was just the graduation to get over with. Her school year was coming to an end and she had a baby on the way, her life was going to change in a big way. But not in the way Michelle had thought.
A Disturbing Phone Call
On the day of the graduation, Mrs. Denson received a very disturbing phone call from the principal. They were informed that Michelle was not allowed to attend her graduation.
Michelle and her family were outraged. On what grounds was this decided? Michelle was one of the best students in the school and she studied hard to earn the right to stand on that stage. The Densons were not going to give up without a fight.
Raising Hell
They marched to the school intent on raising the roof if their daughter did not attend her graduation that night.
Mr. Green was standing firm and he didn’t want Michelle to attend based on the “state she was in”. Mrs. Denson took much offense to that statement and vowed to go to the school board to raise her complaints. Michelle was being discriminated against and it was not fair.
A Screaming Match
Michelle called Richard in the meantime, she was in tears, telling him that the principal was banning her from her own graduation. Richard assured her he would sort it out.
Mr. Green tried to reason with them but they ended up in a screaming match. Michelle couldn’t handle the yelling and left the office to get some fresh air. Just as she was about to get in the car, Richard showed up, he was running to the office.
Excuse Me?
Michelle ran after him, calling his name but he didn’t look her way. When everyone was in the office, Mr. Green stopped and turned to Richard. “Son, what are you doing here?”
“Dad, please let my girlfriend Michelle attend her graduation, she’s carrying my baby.” Mr. Green looked at his son in confusion. This was the girlfriend he was bragging about and who he and Mrs. Green had never met.
Graduation
Mr. Green apologized and everyone calmed themselves. Michelle couldn’t believe that Richard didn’t tell her that his father was the principal of her school. But she understood why he kept it quiet. They had just started dating.
Michelle was allowed to graduate and received top honors. She gave birth to a baby boy and her parents and Richard were all there. She lives with her parents while Richard comes by every day to help take care of baby Caleb.