So You're Saying I'm a Pregnant Man?

I find a slip of paper on the back of a flyer I'm holding during the first day of club recruitment. It says that the president of the dance club, Donna Shaw, will announce in front of more than 100 people that I'm pregnant. She's got everything ready—ultrasound reports, hospital records, and even eyewitnesses. Henry Baker, her boyfriend and president of the Student Activities Board, will step in to save the day in front of everyone. Consequently, the whole school will condemn me, and I will be expelled. I stare at the paper, wondering what kind of lame prank this is. I turn the paper over. The smile on my face fades when I see that the handwriting is identical to my own. I slip the paper into my pocket. At 3:00 pm, I make my way past the dance club's booth. The second I stop, Donna points at my stomach, her eyes red. "We don't accept people with no morals… I saw it. Your belly is already showing." Everyone looks at me, and someone gasps. I look down at my completely flat stomach, then back at her. I smile. My voice isn't loud, but everyone can hear me. "I'm pregnant? Are you sure about that? "I'm a guy. Tell me. How exactly did the baby get inside me?" Chapter 1 I looked down at my completely flat stomach. Several girls surrounded Donna Shaw, who was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath. She covered her face, sobbing, "I saw her throw up in the restroom several times… I thought she just had a stomach problem…" Her roommate, Ivy Dunham, immediately jumped in. "Donna, you're too kind! Someone like her should be exposed!" The crowd became even more worked up. "How disgusting. She's just a freshman, and she's already pregnant?" "No wonder she was always alone. She must have had something to hide." "Expel her! She should be expelled!" Donna lifted her head. Her eyes were red, and her voice shook. "I didn't mean to reveal her secret… I'm just… We can't accept people like her into our club. I'm scared she'll be a bad influence on the other students…" Every word Donna spoke, and every expression she made, struck the right emotional chord with the onlookers. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up. A young man wearing a Student Activities Board uniform stood before me, an ID badge hanging from his chest. He was Henry Baker, a junior and the president of the Student Activities Board. He was also Donna's boyfriend. His expression was stern. "I'm the president of the Student Activities Board. This is a serious matter that reflects badly on the school. Please come with me to the office." I didn't move. Instead, I said, "I have a question." Henry frowned. "What question?" I glanced at Donna. What I said next wasn't loud, but everyone could hear me. "You said I'm pregnant. How did you know? Are you a doctor, or do you have X-ray vision?" Donna's sobbing stopped for a split second. Then she wailed even harder, collapsing against Ivy. "You! Why won't you just admit it? I saw you throwing up in the restroom…" Ivy snapped, "That's enough! Donna tried to help you out of kindness, and this is how you repay her?" The crowd started getting worked up again. "Exactly. Donna was only trying to help her, and she acted like this." "How ungrateful of her." Abby Gellar, our counselor, pushed her way through the crowd. "Everyone, come with me to the office." I nodded and followed her. My fingers brushed against my phone screen inside my pocket. The recording was still running. A girl. They thought I was a girl. Donna had assumed I was a girl, so she'd made up this pregnancy accusation. She'd chosen something a girl would inevitably be condemned for. But she didn't know that I wasn't a girl. She'd played the wrong card. Before I pushed open the office door, I touched the note in my pocket. The handwriting was identical to mine, and I couldn't help wondering who had written it. It didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that, in a little while, everyone would find out that I was male. And how exactly was a man supposed to get pregnant? Chapter 2 The office was located on the first floor of the academic building. It wasn't large, but six people—Donna, Henry, Ms. Gellar, a note-taker, Timothy Kane, and me—were packed inside. Mr. Kane, the deputy head of security, had been called in to observe. Donna sat in a chair, her shoulders still shaking and her eyes red. Yet her makeup was barely smudged. It would be impossible for mascara to remain intact on someone who had truly cried for 20 minutes. Henry stood beside her, one hand resting on her shoulder. His expression was as somber as if he were attending a memorial service. Ms. Gellar massaged her temples and started the conversation. "Who's going first?" Henry spoke immediately. "Ms. Gellar, Donna accused Drew of being pregnant at the recruitment fair. She has both eyewitnesses and evidence. The truth is clear." Ms. Gellar looked at Donna. "What evidence do you have?" Donna lowered her head, her voice trembling. "I-I saw her vomiting in the women's restroom… I even took a photo…" She took out her phone, pulled up a photo, and handed it over. The photo was dark, showing a side profile with a mullet and purple highlights. It did look like me. Ms. Gellar took a look and turned it toward me. "Drew, is this you?" I glanced at the photo and shook my head. "Ms. Gellar, there are at least 100 people on campus with mullets and dyed hair. How can she say it's me based on a blurry side profile?" Donna lifted her head, tears rolling down her cheeks again. "It was you… I couldn't have mistaken you…" "Oh, really? You said the same thing the last time you mistook someone else for me in the cafeteria." Donna froze. Henry furrowed his brows. "What do you mean by that?" "Nothing. I just find this ridiculous. You're accusing me of being pregnant just because of a blurry side profile. So if I took a photo of someone from behind at the school gate, would it look like every person in the school is the same individual?" Ms. Gellar fell silent. Donna bit her lip, her fingers tightening around her knees. "Drew, I know this must be hard for you. But you have to admit it so we can help you!" I almost laughed, but I kept my expression calm. I wanted to see what this lunatic was playing at. "Go ahead. I'm listening." There was a brief silence. Donna took a deep breath and locked eyes with Ms. Gellar. Her voice was quiet, but she enunciated every word. "Ms. Gellar, I have more evidence. The most direct evidence." Everyone looked at her. Donna swiped on her phone screen, then hit play. A recording of a girl's voice—soft and slightly high-pitched, breaking between sobs—filled the office. "I don't know what to do. I don't dare to tell my family… I'm really scared… I don't want to have the baby, but I'm too scared to get an abortion… Please don't tell anyone." The voice was full of fear and helplessness, and anyone who heard it would think it was mine. Interesting. I was curious to see what else they had up their sleeves. Chapter 3 My voice had always been soft and slightly high-pitched. It had been that way since I was a kid. I had delicate features, and my voice wasn't deep or raspy. If anything, it sounded somewhat androgynous, even a little feminine. But only the tone sounded similar. The way I spoke was different, and so was my word choice. My parents had been divorced for years. All I had from them was a massive amount of money in my bank account. Other than that, they barely involved themselves in my life. If something happened, why would I ever tell them? Besides, let me put it as bluntly as possible one more time—I was a man. Donna pressed pause and lifted her head. "I recorded this while Drew was on the phone in the restroom." Henry said, "Ms. Gellar, this is solid proof. We have eyewitnesses, evidence, and a recording. Is the school really going to let a student with no morals get away with this?" Ms. Gellar took the phone and listened to the recording a few more times as her expression grew grim. The note-taker scribbled rapidly on a sheet of paper, while Mr. Kane cleared his throat, giving me a disdainful once-over. Finally, Ms. Gellar put down the phone and looked at me. "Drew, are you really pregnant?" The office was so quiet that even the hum of the air conditioner could be heard. Everyone's eyes were on me. Donna was still crying, but the corners of her lips lifted slightly. She thought she had won. Henry's hand rested on her shoulder. He gave Donna a gentle pat, as if to say, "Good job". Ms. Gellar noticed my silence, and she asked again, "Drew, was that you in the recording?" I looked at her and spoke slowly. "Ms. Gellar, I'm not going to argue with you about it right now. The voice does sound like mine. But I have one request. Take this recording to a professional and have it analyzed. A voiceprint analysis will tell us whether I was the speaker. If it wasn't me…" I turned to look at Donna. She started trembling. "Then you'll have to explain why you fabricated a recording to set me up." Donna's face paled. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but no words came out. A heavy silence hung over the office for a full five seconds. Then Donna shot to her feet, knocking her chair over backward. "I didn't fake it! It was her… That was definitely her!" Her voice grew shrill. Henry reached out to pull her back, but she shook him off. Ms. Gellar stood up. "Donna, calm down…" "I'm calm! It was her! That was Drew! I have her ultrasound report too!" She pointed a finger right at my face, tears streaming down her cheeks. I stared at her without saying anything, my fingers brushing against the note in my pocket. The things written on it were coming true, but it didn't matter. I already knew what my next move would be. Chapter 4 Ms. Gellar said, "Voiceprint analysis? The school has to report the disciplinary cases next week. I can't wait that long." "Ms. Gellar—" She cut me off. "Enough. We have the recording, the photo, and the witnesses. What are you still arguing about?" Henry added, "Ms. Gellar, she called Donna a bitch at the recruitment fair. She even accused me of abusing my position. Tons of people heard her." I had never said any of that, but I knew it wouldn't matter now. Ms. Gellar looked at me with pure contempt. "Drew, I thought you were quiet and well-behaved. I never expected you to be this kind of person. "You got pregnant and refused to admit it, and now you're trying to shift the blame onto someone else. Is this how your parents raised you?" Every word felt like a slap. Ms. Gellar opened a drawer and pulled out a wooden ruler. It had brass edges and looked pretty heavy. "Drew, hold out your hand." I stared at the ruler. I couldn’t believe a formal school would allow such arbitrary, unfair corporal punishment. "Ms. Gellar…" "Hold out your hand." Henry stepped forward and pressed down on my shoulders. Donna said, "Ms. Gellar, maybe we should just let it go… Maybe she just wasn't thinking straight." The ruler came down. Once. Twice. Ms. Gellar didn't stop until the 20th strike. My palm was red and swollen. Ms. Gellar put the ruler away and caught her breath. "Drew, I'm giving you two choices. First, admit what you did and apologize to Donna. Second, I report this to the administration and recommend expulsion." Donna walked over and tugged Ms. Gellar's sleeve. Her voice was soft, but everyone could hear her. "I'll take her to the hospital. The baby's innocent… It's better if she deals with it sooner." Mr. Kane wiped away a tear. "Donna, you're too kind." Ms. Gellar added, "It would be great if she were my daughter. As for you, Drew, if your parents found out you got pregnant at this age, they'd be furious." Henry patted Donna's shoulder and looked at me. "Drew, look at how great she is. Don't you feel ashamed?" I looked at Donna. Donna just needed a target—a girl who would be condemned by the whole school simply for getting pregnant. But she'd picked the wrong person. I rose to my feet and pressed my palm against the desk, wincing from the pain. "Ms. Gellar, are you finished?" Ms. Gellar frowned. "What do you mean?" "If you're done, then it's my turn to talk. If you want me to admit that I'm pregnant, at least tell me who the father is." Donna's smile faded. "'Fine, I'll go to the hospital, but just so we're clear…" I looked at Ms. Gellar. "The doctors will know the truth as soon as they examine me. So whatever happens after that, don't say I didn't warn you." Chapter 5 The hospital corridor was blindingly white. Donna walked with her arm linked through Ms. Gellar's. Her eyes were red, as if she had suffered a terrible grievance. Henry walked ahead, greeting the staff at the nurses' station. "That girl's behavior is pretty questionable. Can you check whether she's pregnant?" He deliberately enunciated the word "she". The nurse, Ms. Green, looked me over. "Another one of those girls. So young and already getting into trouble." Henry leaned closer and lowered his voice, though it remained loud enough for everyone to hear. "She might not cooperate. You can be a little firm with her. You need to teach her a lesson, or she'll never learn." Ms. Green nodded and grabbed my arm. Her grip was strong, her nails digging into my skin. "Come with me." Donna mumbled, "It's hard on her too. Please don't…" Ms. Gellar sighed. "You're so kind. She doesn't deserve your pity." The door to the ultrasound room closed, and Ms. Green shoved me toward the bed. "Lie down and lift your shirt." I didn't move. "I told you to lie down. Are you deaf?" She reached out to push me as she continued her insults. "You're so young and already up to no good. Getting pregnant at your age? Have you no shame? How did your parents raise you? You're a disgrace!" I slowly straightened up and looked her in the eye. "Can you answer one question for me first?" "What are you going on about?" "You've been a nurse for years, so you should know that medical exams for men and women are different, right?" Ms. Green paused. "What do you mean?" Instead of replying, I slowly pulled my hood down. My long hair fell loose. Then came my Adam's apple, followed by my face, completely bare of any makeup. Ms. Green stared at me, her eyes growing wide. Her mouth opened and closed. You…" "My name is Drew Lynch, and I'm a guy. Want to see my ID?" Ms. Green's face went bright red. Embarrassment and anger washed over her as she realized the absurdity of what she had just been roped into. She turned, yanked open the door, and shouted into the hallway. "Isn't he a guy? What the hell are you all freaking out about?" Absolute silence fell over the corridor. It was as if someone had hit the pause button. Donna's sobs caught in her throat. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. Ms. Gellar's mouth also hung agape. The expression on her face shifted rapidly from anger to confusion, and finally to pure shock. Meanwhile, Henry's face was completely drained of color. Ms. Green leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed. "You brought me a guy and asked me to check if he was pregnant? Are you all out of your minds?" Passersby stopped in their tracks, fixing their stunned attention on Donna and Ms. Gellar. Donna had gone completely pale.