"Do you really think this will work?" Amanda shook her head as she
reread the instructions Francine had jotted on a piece of scrap
paper.
"I don't know, but it's worth a try." Francine grabbed two paper
cups from the cabinet.
"What are you doing with two cups?"
"So you can do it, too, of course." Francine strode toward the
stairs.
"What!" Amanda stopped dead in her tracks. "Why should I do it?
I'm not the one who's trying to determine the sex of her baby. I'm
not pregnant!"
"I know, but we need something to compare it to."
"Oh my gosh." Shaking her head, she took the cup and followed
Francine upstairs. "I can't believe you talked me into helping you
do this."
Minutes later, she met Francine on the back patio, full cup in
hand. "Now what?"
"Okay, my friend Kim said to just pour the urine over the Drano
crystals and watch for it to foam up. If the foam is green, it's a
boy; if it's any other color, it's a girl."
"And how accurate is this supposed to be?"
"It worked for Kim, and everyone that she knows, who's done the
test, it's been accurate." Francine knelt beside one bowl of Drano.
Amanda poured her urine over the other bowl of Drano and watched as
it started to foam. Jumping back, she pinched her nose. "Oh my
gosh! Did she tell you it was going to stink this bad?"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that part." Francine smiled at her
sheepishly. "Sorry."
"I know you've been forgetful since you've been pregnant, but I
think that was kind of important." Clasping her nose, she stepped
forward and took another look. "That stinks. I'm glad we decided
to do it outside; I'd never get that smell out of my house."
Francine peaked over her shoulder. "Oh, my! Yours is a different
color. Maybe it's working!"
"Mine is army green; yours is more of a blue."
"Aquamarine, to be exact." Francine stepped back to her bowl,
staying upwind from the stench.
"Whatever. It's kind of a bluish green." Amanda picked up her bowl
in one hand, keeping her nose pinched with the other, and tossed it
in the yard.
"Aquamarine." Francine squatted closer, apparently mesmerized by
the color of the foam.
"Francine, we have no way to know that it's working. They might be
different colors because you're pregnant and I'm not. Just toss
yours out and let's go inside. It's getting cool out here, and I'm
tired of that smell."
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Amanda sat on the pack porch, with her hot tea, enjoying the morning
and glad that the smell from two nights ago had dissipated.
"Amanda. Do you have any idea what killed the grass out here?" Her
mother pointed at two brown spots in the grass, just beyond the
gazebo.
"Absolutely no idea, Mother." Remembering her and Francine's
experiment, Amanda looked at the two dead spots in the grass and
used every ounce of spy know-how to keep a smirk off her face.
"I thought we'd be able to keep a decent-looking lawn, once the
Ferguson's moved, taking that pesky dog with them."
"Don't worry about it, Mother. You go on back in; I'll take care of
it. I'll spread some grass seed, and it will be good as new in no
time." She knelt for a closer look. Small bits of Drano could be
seen in the middle of both spots.
Making sure her mother was back in the house, she shook her
head. "Or maybe I'll have Francine help me dig this out and lay
some sod."
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
"See, Amanda, I told you it was going to work." Francine stood at
the foot of Amanda's hospital bed.
"What are you talking about? What was going to work?" Amanda knew
that she was being snippy with Francine, but she couldn't help it.
She'd been through a lot in the last 18 hours.
"The Drano test. Mine was blue, and I had a baby girl."
Amanda looked at the perfect little baby in her arms. "Little did I
know that mine was green because I was pregnant with a boy."
The end
More Author Notes: This is based on a true story of a friend of mine
who made me take the test with her as a 'control'. Thanks also to
whoever started the pregnancy test posts on here that reminded me of
this mostly finished story and encouraged me to finish it.
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I have any rights to Scarecrow and
Mrs. King or any of its characters. This story is for entertainment
purposes only.
Mrs. King or any of its characters. This story is for entertainment
purposes only.