Liza Watters gaped around the room with wide blue eyes. She wondered if the others could hear the thumping of her pounding heart. It seemed, however, that everyone else had his or her own problems to think about. Liza tried to will her heart into slowing, but it only seemed to make her disrupt her breathing pattern.
She tried to focus on the wall across from her. It was a repulsive and pasty blue colour, the corners and areas near the ceiling were cracking and the paint seemed sort of caked on in these areas, only making it more disgusting.  There were remnants of different posters were once hung on the wall, the faded outlines, small tack holes and glue, and she wondered what they could have been of and why they were taken down.
Now that her heart seemed to have subdued its thundering, she could again hear the screams and rants of the protesters outside. Their cries seemed to still be audible through the queasy music oozing out of the sad looking speakers hanging on the wall. They frightened her with their angry signs and their hateful slogans. They had tried to stop her from entering the building. They had yelled horrible things at her, and told her she would never be forgiven. Liza wondered if she was really a murderer as they had suggested.
Trying not to dwell on it too much, she allowed her eyes to fall down the wall and rested her gaze upon a small table between two of the chairs across the room. Upon it lay scattered and torn magazines. They ranged in topic from fashion to hunting, but she really wants in the mood to read. Instead, she decided to see the people sitting in the room with her.
When she looked to her left, there was a young couple, both no older than eighteen or nineteen. She was a brunette and he was carefully holding her hand and giving her reassuring glances, telling her romantic ideas of what would happen and the future. Liza couldn’t hear most of it, but she knew what she would have liked to hear, and assumed that the boy was saying just that.
To her right, she viewed an older woman; she must have been in her late thirties. She seemed to be overcome with grief and trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing. Liza wanted to tell her it was ok, but she wasn’t even sure of that herself.
Liza was about to shift her gaze when the seat directly to her right became taken. She couldn’t help staring at the occupant directly in the face. She was beautiful. She had long black hair that fell in whisps around her face. Even in the hideous green gowns that they were all wearing, she still looked stunning. She had vibrant green eyes, deliberate and sculpted eyebrows, high cheekbones, luscious lips and a carefully crafted chin.
“Hello,” a sultry voice rushed forward as the stranger’s lips parted.
“Oh… uh.. hi. I didn’t mean to stare, I’m sorry, its just… I..” Liza was so startled and scared that she didn’t seem able to form comprehensive statements.
“Is it your first time?” Asked the woman gently.
“Uh… yes.” Liza blushed, she didn’t like to admit to herself where she actually was.
“Don’t worry, hunny, it’s quick, simple, and painless. It’ll be over in minutes and you’ll be thanking yourself for it afterwards.” Perfectly straight teeth gleamed with the pronunciation.
“Haha…Thanks,” she laughed uneasily, “… I just can’t help thinking that… those protestors…. That I’m…. some sort of murderer or something…” Liza’s eyes began to well up with fresh tears.
“Oh no, dear. Don’t you mind them. They are just angry people. How old are you anyways?”
“Seventeen this March.” Liza gulped; she knew she was the youngest there.
“Oh, my lord. Well, hunny, don’t you worry your pretty little head, everything’s gonna be just fine. I had my first one when I was your age! This is my third. It’s not so bad.”
“Wow…. Three?”
“Yep, and looking back I regret nothing….” Here there seemed a twinkle of doubt in her eyes, and a slight wavering at the last part.
“Ms. Klien?” Called a nurse
“Well that’s me, good luck, kiddo!” she winked.
Liza felt terrified out of her wits. If this woman after three procedures wasn’t sure that she regretted nothing, how could Liza even start to be sure? There was no going back once it was done and what if was murder?
The clock ticked noisily. Looking up at its black face and roman numerals, she realized that she’d only been there for twenty minutes. It felt like so much longer.
She felt cold in her green gown, not to mention awkward. Though everyone else was clad in the same garment, it still was a strange feeling. She felt consumed by worry and self-consciousness. Everything seemed so loud, the whispers of the young couple, the ticking of the clock, the beating of her heart, the screams of the protestors. Her ragged breathing added to the collecting noise.
Liza’s legs trembled though she fought to keep them still. She clamped one hand down on the armrest and one finger was twirling around a strand of her dirty blonde hair. She thought back to how she had gotten herself into this situation. It was just as most others get into this situation, through careless action and weak sense of will. The poor boy didn’t even know she was here. Liza had been to frightened to tell him, to tell anyone. No one knew where she was, and she intended for no one to know.
Liza for the first time looked down at her stomach. She wondered to herself what it would be like if she left. She placed the palm of her hand against her belly and thought to herself that life was growing inside of her. She began to wonder why or how she could allow herself to destroy such a thing. What if she never had another chance at this?  She began to entertain the idea of leaving. She knew her mother would be disappointed, but she would still love her, and eventually get over it. She figured that the boy wasn’t ready for such responsibility so she wouldn’t hold it against him if he backed out. She could still finish this year of school, and then maybe if her mother wasn’t too angry, she could home school her. Then she wouldn’t have to be a drop out. Of course, it would be hard, but it would be worth it. Wouldn’t it? Liza nodded to herself. It would.
Amidst all this thinking, Liza had not been paying attention to everything around her. All the people that had been sharing the room with her before, were now gone, replaced by new scared faces. She thought to herself that she didn’t have to be one of these people. She thought, she could just go home.
“Miss Watters?” A tall nurse in scrubs called out.
Liza’s gaze broke from the people in the room and shifted to the nurse. She became overcome with terror and fear. Her knees knocked together as she struggled to stand. She tried to keep her gown closed behind her as she walked towards the nurse.  No daydreams could save her at this point. Now, it was all reality..