When the single, lonely control line appeared on all of them, Mia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She was broke, but she wasn't pregnant, and she had enough money left over for a very celebratory burrito.
She remembered a tip from her roommate, a nursing student who lived by the "science over branding" motto. Mia turned on her heel and headed toward the local .
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Back at her apartment, Mia lined them up like a science experiment. She’d spent less than $15 total for five tests. As she waited for the lines to appear, she realized that whether the plastic was ergonomic or the box was shiny didn't matter. The chemistry—the detection of HCG—was the same whether it cost twenty dollars or twenty cents.
Inside, the vibe was different—less sterile, more chaotic. She navigated past the seasonal tinsel and the wall of off-brand chips until she found the health section. There, tucked between the bandages and the aspirin, were the "New Choice" tests. They were $1.25. When the single, lonely control line appeared on
They weren't fancy. There was no digital interface or ergonomic handle. It was a simple strip in a foil pouch. Mia grabbed three, feeling a strange sense of victory.
Still feeling a bit skeptical, she made one last stop at . In the pharmacy section, she found the "Equate" brand—the store's generic version. A bundle of three was less than $10. She also noticed the "ReliOn" brand, which offered a simple stick for under a dollar. Mia turned on her heel and headed toward the local
"Eighteen dollars to pee on a stick?" she whispered to herself. As a grad student living on caffeine and prayer, that was three days' worth of groceries.