Excerpt from my novel "Back and Forth"

“Don’t do it!” they all shouted as Gavin pulled his car into the small parking lot. There were several cars in the lot and only two spaces left. Gavin whipped his white 1995 Toyota Camry into the one of the vacant spaces on the end. He had been holding Faith’s hand during the whole ride over.

“Well, I guess this is it Gavin. Are we sure this is what we want to do?” Faith looked into Gavin’s eyes hoping that something in them would give her a signal that this was not the right thing for them to do.

“Faith, we’ve already talked about this for two and half weeks straight. There is no other way. We don’t have a choice. We are just too young to handle such a huge responsibility like this. I mean, we are pretty much kids ourselves. Let’s just do this and get it over with.”

Faith stared at her boyfriend. She loved him so much and he had to be right. Right? What other options did they have? She knew it was wrong, but it was the only right she and Gavin knew at the time. They both had discussed it over the last couple of weeks after she found out.


“Gavin, it’s Faith. Um, we need to talk. Can you meet me in your lobby in about 15 minutes?”

“Faith, you know I am getting ready to leave campus so that I can catch my flight. Girl, you know I love your butt, so don’t be trying to make this little mini-Christmas vacation a big deal. I’ll be back in two weeks and like I said last night, umph last night,” Gavin thought about his Christmas gift from Faith and briefly paused to reflect before finishing his statement.“I will call you everyday.”

“Gavin Tremaine Roberts would you just listen!” Faith nearly screamed into the phone. We have to talk before you go I know what you said last night, but I have to tell you something before you leave and this cannot wait. It’s really important okay baby.” She quieted her voice as she felt herself about to cry. “I’ll be right over okay.”

Faith snapped the purple top back on the pregnancy test and slipped it into her jacket pocket. She tried to zip it in, but the pocket wasn’t shaped right for the stick. “I’ll just hold it in my hand so I can be sure it won’t slip out while running. Should I even be running?” She talked to herself, as the positive results of the test came rushing back to her remembrance? She slipped on her shoes and rushed out the door. Even after nearly screaming at Gavin, her best friend and roommate Chrissy was still sound asleep, so she didn’t even worry about locking the door.

As she made her way across the campus to the men’s freshman dormitory, she wondered what his reaction was going to be. She said a quick prayer and asked God to make everything be okay.

Gavin was standing on the curb like he was waiting on a bus. “Faith, girl you are really tripping. You gone make me late, over here waiting on you like this. What it do baby? Hit me with the info quick or I’m gone miss my flight.”

Faith thought about it and realized she didn’t have time for any antics. So she just blurted it out. “Gavin, I’m… I’m pregnant.” As tears began to roll down her cheeks, Gavin dropped his bag in shock. He instantly grabbed Faith and pulled her close as he stared into the morning sky. Today was supposed to have been a great day. He was going to see his family in the next couple of hours and celebrate Christmas. He silently mouthed, “I’ll be damned.”

Gavin’s best friend Remi pulled his red Chevy blazer up to the curb where the two were standing. “Man look, yall ought to have enough of each other, all that sex yall been having lately. If we gone make this flight, we have to go now.” Remi chuckled, but quickly noticed that neither of his friends were laughing with him. Faith pulled away and looked at Remi with tearful eyes.

“What? What’s wrong man?” Gavin’s eyes were slightly watered too. “Man, would somebody please say something.”

“Remi, give me a minute with Faith, then we can go.” Remi was about to object, but the seriousness in Gavin’s face told him not to. He knew that Gavin would tell him what was going on during the ride to the airport.

“Faith sweetie, we will get through this together okay. I am so sorry I did this to you. I knew I should have used a condom. I am really sorry. I am even sorrier that I have to leave you, but I have to catch this flight if I want to get home for Christmas. I will call you as soon as I get home okay so that we can talk. I love you sweetie.”

And just like that, he and Remi were off. Faith stood there in the cold with her hands still clenching the pregnancy test. She watched as Remi’s SUV disappeared.


Gavin and Faith got out of the car. The protestors were still shouting don’t do it.

End of Excerpt
"Back and Forth" Copyright © 2007 by Fon James