Leyna Johnson sat at the back of the classroom, her oversized hoodie swallowing her frame. She kept her head down, pretending to take notes, though her mind was miles away. The classroom buzzed with laughter and whispers, but it all felt like a distant echo to her. She tugged at her sleeves, pulling the fabric over her hands as if it could shield her from the world’s gaze.

Her belly wasn’t showing much yet, but she could feel it—small, subtle changes that reminded her of the life growing inside her. Life she wasn’t ready for.

Three weeks ago, when she told Trevor, she had imagined a hundred different reactions. Maybe he’d cry, maybe he’d be shocked, but a small part of her had hoped he’d stay. Instead, he’d looked at her like she was a stranger and said the words she couldn’t stop replaying:

"I can’t do this. I’m not ready to be a dad."

And then he was gone. No calls, no texts, no explanations. Just… gone.

Leyna hadn’t told anyone else. She couldn’t bear the thought of the judgment—the whispers, the stares, the way people might look at her differently. At school, she buried herself under layers of oversized clothes and avoided her friends. They’d noticed her absence from their usual lunch table, but she always made excuses: a big assignment, not feeling well, needing to catch up on homework.

The truth was, she didn’t know how to tell them. She didn’t know how to tell anyone.

Leyna spent most of her days in the library now, tucked away in the corner by the windows. It was quiet there, safe. Mrs. Harper, the librarian, always smiled at her when she came in, but never pried.

One afternoon, as Leyna stared out the library window, she felt the tears she had been holding back all day start to slip. She pressed her sleeve to her face, wiping them away quickly, but the weight in her chest wouldn’t leave.

What am I going to do?