The Pregnancy Pact

Sara decided to become pregnant because she feared losing her boyfriend Jesse Moretti. When Karissa, Iris, and Rose encouraged her to join their pregnancy pact, Sara believed that having a child would keep Jesse interested and secure their relationship. This decision was driven by her desire to maintain the romantic connection rather than any conscious planning for motherhood.

Earlier in the film, the pregnant teens explicitly recruit Sara, presenting pregnancy as a way to strengthen relationships.

Jesse withdrew from the relationship when he learned Sara was pregnant because he was not ready for parenthood. His father pushed him toward college and a baseball career, and Jesse chose to prioritize those ambitions over the unexpected responsibility. He even told Sara that his father would pay for an abortion, but Sara urged him to choose family instead, though he ultimately refused.

Jesse's reaction was foreshadowed when he seemed unsettled upon learning about the pregnancies among his peers.

The pregnancy pact was an informal agreement among several Gloucester High students, Karissa, Iris, and Rose, to intentionally get pregnant at the same time. These girls encouraged their classmate Sara Dougan to join them, framing pregnancy as a way to build solidarity and keep their relationships. The pact became the catalyst for Sidney Bloom's investigation and sparked a community-wide debate about teenage sexuality and responsibility.

The timeline notes that the pregnant teens revealed the pact to Sidney during interviews, indicating it was a coordinated effort.

Sidney revealed her own teenage pregnancy to console Sara during a difficult period. Having experienced pregnancy at sixteen with a school faculty member, Sidney understood the emotional complexity Sara faced. By sharing that she had given her baby up for adoption, Sidney offered Sara perspective on the long-term consequences of teenage pregnancy and the different paths available to young mothers.

This revelation directly followed Sidney consoling Sara after the family confrontation about the pregnancy.

Lorraine resigned from the school council after a confrontation during the daycare funding meeting. While Lorraine had advocated for a fundraiser to support a daycare center for the expecting teen mothers, Sidney used the meeting to publicly advocate for birth control instead. The disagreement over whether to focus on childcare support versus birth control education became heated, leading Lorraine to leave the council in frustration.

Earlier, Nurse Kim Daly had mentioned that she had pushed for free birth control but was refused by the administration.

Rose's baby required NICU care because Rose smoked during her pregnancy. This habit led to labor complications, resulting in the newborn needing intensive medical attention. The situation highlighted the health risks associated with poor prenatal choices and added to the film's depiction of the challenges faced by young mothers.

The timeline notes that ongoing habits during pregnancy, such as smoking, complicated labor.

Principal Bachman resigned from his position at Gloucester High by the film's end. The school underwent significant changes following the media attention on the teen pregnancy situation, and multiple staff members departed as the community struggled to address the broader issues around student health and education.

The resignation was part of the broader institutional changes that unfolded as the pregnancy pact became public.

Sara did not end up with Jesse. In the epilogue, Sara is seen raising her daughter with her parents' support while Jesse appears with a new partner. Sara experiences regret about the path she chose at a young age, though she has found stability through her family's backing. Jesse maintains no involvement with their child.

Earlier scenes showed Jesse consistently refusing to commit to Sara or their unborn child.

The media focused on Gloucester High because ten to eighteen teen pregnancies occurred within an eight-week period, a startling statistical spike that represented an unusual pattern. The added angle of the girls' plans to raise their babies together made the story even more compelling to news outlets, sparking national attention and debate about teenage responsibility, sex education, and community support systems.

Sidney Bloom's investigation was sparked precisely by this unusual concentration of pregnancies.

After Karissa's mother confronted her at the party about the struggles of single motherhood, Karissa faced a difficult moment of reflection. The film doesn't explicitly detail Karissa's final outcome, but the confrontation represented a pivotal emotional turning point for her character, adding to the broader narrative about the consequences of teenage pregnancy decisions.

The confrontation occurred at a party where Karissa's mother shared her own difficult experience as a single parent.