12 year old Angelica was in her sixth grade classroom sitting at a table with her best friends: Maria Reynolds, Hercules Mulligan and her kind of crush Thomas Jefferson.
The kids were working on a project to advertise a stop to bullying. Angelica was trying to think straight but her stomach was killing her.
"Angelica you ok?" Thomas asked as he grabbed a red marker.
"Yeah I'm fine I just have a little stomach ache though." Angelica said.
"Probably because of the broccoli you had at lunch." Hercules muttered laughing.
"Shutup." Angelica snapped as she buried her face in her arms. Thomas began to rub her back.
"What's wrong with her?" Hercules asked Maria rather loudly.
Angelica lifted her head up and gave Hercules the evil eye.
"Nothing is wrong with me Hercules." Angelica said.
"You sure you're acting really mean, we know you're sassy and stand your ground but you're never like this." Hercules told Angelica.
"Well maybe I'm in a bad mood my god can I not be in a bad mood at times." Angelica snapped.
That's when Hercules smirked.
"Oh I see." He said crossing his arms.
"What?" Angelica asked plainly.
"Oh nothing." Hercules answered still smirking.
"Hercules tell me before I slap the smirk off of your face." Angelica said.
"No." Hercules said.
Angelica felt like punching Hercules in the face but all of a sudden Angelica felt weird- really weird in fact. Like she was suddenly peeing herself. Her eyes went wide and her heart started to beat fast as panic rose inside of her.
Angelica knew she had to get out of that classroom fast.
Without any explanation Angelica got out of her seat and when the teacher wasn't looking walked out the classroom and sprinted to the bathroom locking herself in a stall.
As she pulled down her pants she noticed a dark red stain in her underwear. At first Angelica was confused but then realized what just happened to her.
I just got my period. Angelica thought.
Angelica leaned back against the wall and felt like crying. It wasn't like she didn't know what periods were she did have the talk with her father.
*flashback*
"And that's what happens when you begin menstruation Angelica." Phillip schuyler told a then eleven year old Angelica.
Angelica shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Uh ok." She said picking at her fingernails.
"Now do you want me to buy you some supplies so that you could be prepared for the time comes or do you just want to wait until you actually get it?" Her father asked clearly uncomfortable as well.
"I'll wait." Angelica said softly still picking at her fingernails.
*flashback over*
Why didn't I say yes? Angelica thought to herself as she buried her face in her hands.
Angelica examined her situation again the blood was all over her underwear but had luckily not seeped onto her pants yet.
Angelica wanted to text her dad to pick her up but decided not too because she was so embarrassed.
Angelica suddenly started crying and she couldn't stop either. The tears just kept flowing and flowing until.
"Angelica- Angelica is that you?" A familiar voice asked.
Nurse Rainbow what is she doing in here?
Angelica sniffled.
"Yes?" She said.
"Aww baby why are you crying?" Nurse Rainbow asked.
"I uh- well you see um-" Angelica said trying to find the right words to say.
Angelica took a deep breath.
"I started my period, and it's my first one and I got overwhelmed and I don't know what to do." Angelica said.
Nurse Rainbow laughed lightly and leaned her head against the stall door.
"Everything is going to be fine Angelica." Nurse Rainbow said. "Do you want me to call your father."
"No please don't." Angelica said. "I want to tell him myself."
"Ok then." Nurse Rainbow said. "How about I bring you to my office and get you cleaned up."
Angelica wiped her tears a bit and smiled.
"Ok." She said.
"I'll be waiting for you outside." Nurse Rainbow said and she heard the bathroom door close.
Angelica pulled up her pants and walked out the stall checking herself in the mirror once again to make sure she hadn't leaked.
Maybe getting a period wouldn't be so bad after all.
School was let out at 2:30 like always and Thomas managed to find Angelica so that they could walk home together.
Angelica and Thomas were next door neighbors and were best friends ever since they were babies.
Angelica felt horrible. Nurse Rainbow had given her 3 pads earlier saying that should last her for the next couple of hours. But Angelica knew she was going to have to buy more later from the store.
Her stomachache which she later found out were cramps hadn't let up either and Angelica felt like she was dying.
The walk home was awkward and silent and Angelica hated awkward silence it made her feel weird.
"Angelica?"
"Yes?"
"Why did you run out of class today?" Thomas asked.
Angelica looked at him and didn't say anything.
"I can't tell you." She said.
"Why?" Thomas asked.
"Because I just can't." Angelica said.
"Angie I'm your best friend we tell each other everything what's so different about now." Thomas said.
Angelica looked down.
"Well you know how I said I had a stomachache?" Angelica asked.
"Yes." Thomas said.
"And how I kept being so short tempered with Hercules?" Angelica asked.
Thomas nodded.
"Well it was because I was getting my- well I'm on my-" Angelica was struggling to find the right words to say.
"Well I got my period." Angelica said.
"Is that what you were so scared to tell me." Thomas said.
"Well yes." Angelica said. "I thought you would overreact."
"Why would I do that? I do have an older sister and a mother I'm used to periods by now." Thomas said.
"So you're not grossed out by the fact I'm on my period." Angelica said.
"Not at all." Thomas said. "Congratulations by the way."
"Thanks I guess." Angelica said. "This is horrible though. These cramps suck, everytime I walk it feels like I'm peeing, and I have to find a way to tell my dad when I get home."
The two turned onto their street.
"Listen Angelica if you need somebody to talk to theirs always my mom and my older sister." Thomas said.
"It's fine." Angelica said. "Your mother already has enough on her hands with you." Angelica teased.
"Hey!" Thomas said.
"I'm just joking." Angelica said. "I'll see you later." Angelica said as she gave Thomas a hug and a small kiss on the cheek.
Thomas watched Angelica walk to her house.
"I'm never washing this cheek again." He said quietly as he walked to his house.
Later on that day Angelica was in her room trying to focus on her homework. Her cramps weren't really letting her focus and the sad thing is there was no type of painkillers in her house at all.
Angelica sighed. Thank god today was Thursday and that she had one more day until the weekend.
Angelica's eight year old sister Peggy came into her room.
"Don't you know how to knock?" Angelica asked annoyed.
"Don't you know how to not be so rude." Peggy asked back in the same tone.
"What do you want?" Angelica asked.
"Daddy said dinner is almost ready...he made your favorite spaghetti." Peggy said.
Angelica smiled weakly at least one good thing came out of this horrible day.
"Ok you can go now Peggy." Angelica said getting up and walking to her room door.
"You're mean." Peggy said.
"And you annoy me." Angelica said closing the door on Peggy.
Angelica rubbed her aching back and went to go lay back on her bed.
Angelica didn't each much during dinner. Her cramps hurt so bad that she had lost her appetite and she was upset because she wanted spaghetti so bad.
Angelica's stomach started growling rather loudly and she hoped nobody heard. The last thing she wanted was anybody knowing that she was hungry.
"Angelica are you ok you're barely eating?" Eliza asked.
Angelica put a hand on her stomach.
"Yes I'm fine." She answered.
Peggy gave Angelica a look.
"Sure you are." She said.
"Peggy shutup."
"Make me."
"Peggy don't make me get out of this seat." Angelica said.
"Girls stop it." Phillip said. "Angelica you're not acting like yourself are you ok?"
"Yes father I'm fine." Angelica said sarcastically.
It got silent again before Angelica broke the silent.
"When dinner is over I have to go to the store." Angelica said.
"For what?" Phillip asked.
"For something." Angelica said.
Phillip crossed his arms.
"Angelica what do you need from the store?" Phillip asked again.
"Trust me dad you don't want to know?" Angelica said. "Just please give me the money and I'll walk to the store and I'll be back before it gets dark."
Phillip looked at Peggy and Eliza to help him out but they continued eating.
"Angelica I don't want you walking to the store late at night." Phillip said.
"Dad it's 6 in the evening it's not even late at night." Angelica said.
"But still." Phillip said he was now growing annoyed with Angelica's little attitude.
"Dad! I am twelve years old I am fully capable of walking to the store and back to get me something that I need! My god I am not a little girl anymore!" Angelica yelled.
"Angelica what is it that you need from the store that is so personal you can't tell me?" Phillip asked raising his voice.
"I started my period!" Angelica yelled. "And I needed to buy pads are you happy now Sherlock Holmes?!"
Angelica got up from the table slamming her chair into it and ran upstairs to her room slamming her door.
Phillip rubbed his temples. Is this how Angelica was going to be every month?
Once Angelica reached her room all the tears came out. She wasn't ready to become a woman as everybody put it. She wished she had a mother to guide her through this time she was going through. Somebody who could tell her embarrassing period stories, make her tea while she was having her cramps have somebody to actually relate to what having a period is like.
Angelica heard somebody walk into her room.
"Angelica I'm so sorry." Angelica heard the sound of her fathers voice. "If I would've known that you started your um cycle I would've have pressured you."
"It's fine dad." Angelica said.
Phillip walked to Angelica's bed and sat on it and rubbed Angelica's back.
"I know you would rather want to talk to a woman about what's going on with you right now and I'm sorry that you can't Angelica." Phillip said. "I just didn't think this would happen so soon you're only 12 years old."
"Me neither I wish I would've known." Angelica said as she sat up. "Today was the most embarrassing day of my life."
"Aww it couldn't have been that bad." Phillip said.
"It was when I went into the bathroom and saw it I didn't know what to do I panicked and I never returned to class after I realized what had happened either." Angelica said. "I could only imagine what Hercules and Maria are thinking right now." Angelica told Phillip.
"I don't ever want to show my face at school again." Angelica added burying her face in her hands.
Phillip pulled Angelica closer to him and cuddled her in her arms just like he used to do when she was little.
"Angelica I'm sure every girl out there has an embarrassing period story." Phillip said.
"Not as embarrassing as mine." Angelica said.
"Ok probably not. But what happened to you today Angelica is a beautiful thing that happens to all women you should be happy." Phillip said.
"Dad this is gross in no type of way should I feel happy." Angelica said.
"You're saying that now but one day you'll realize how good of a thing this is." Phillip said. "Cause you'll be able to have a baby someday a beautiful one just like the one who I am holding in my arms."
Angelica lifted her face out of her hands and gave Phillip a hug.
"I love you dad." She said.
"I love you too." Phillip said.
Suddenly Angelica's stomach growled.
"I would've ate but my cramps are hurting me really bad." Angelica told Phillip.
"How about we go to the store buy you some pads and some painkillers and then you finish your spaghetti." Phillip said.
"Sounds like a plan." Angelica said as she stood up.
"My god I can't believe you're a woman." Phillip said.
"Dad." Angelica said.
The next day Angelica wore a pink hoodie and black leggings with black vans. Her bookbag had an extra pair of underwear in there just Incase of a leak, Midol for her cramps and enough pads to last her through the day.
"So how are you feeling?" Thomas asked as the two walked to school.
"My stomach still hurts a little bit but I took a painkiller this morning so it should be gone in the next half hour." Angelica told Thomas.
"That's good." Thomas said as they arrived at school.
They saw Hercules and Maria waiting for them at the front.
"Angelica we need answers now!" Maria said as soon as Thomas and Angelica reached them.
"Why did you run out of class yesterday?" Hercules asked.
"And why didn't you return?" Maria asked.
"Ok ok slow down." Angelica said.
"I just want to say Hercules I'm sorry for the way I acted mean to you yesterday that wasn't very nice of me." Angelica said.
Hercules nodded.
"No problem Angie." He said.
"Now answer our questions." Maria said.
"Well yesterday I started my period that's why I ran out. I didn't come back because I was in Nurse Rainbows office." Angelica said.
"Why didn't you text me about it?" Maria asked.
"Well I was pretty embarrassed about the whole situation myself." Angelica said. "Even though getting a period is gross I'm kind of comfortable with it now."
"Are you still going to be mean to us and stuff because if you are I'll be dissapearing during your time of the month." Hercules said.
Angelica gave Hercules the evil look.
"You wanna get punched?" Angelica asked.
Hercules looked scared.
"I'm joking I'll try to control my hormones." Angelica said.
"Angelica I have so much questions for you." Maria said and the 2 started to walk inside.
Thomas and Hercules gave each other a look and followed them.