Chapter Eleven: Last Minute Dilemma

Stan awoke early the next morning to an eerily quiet room. He looked over at the bed next to his to find it empty. Looking at the clock, he was stunned to see it was only quarter 'til five. Knowing Candace wasn't very much of a morning hamster, Stan began to worry. He flicked on his lamp and glanced at the bathroom. The door was shut. He sighed with relief and went back to sleep.

Two hours later, Stan's alarm clock bleeped at full volume. He sluggishly sat up. Letting his vision adjust to the light for a moment, he looked over where Candace should've been. Seeing that she wasn't, Stan began to walk towards the bathroom. The door was still shut. He knocked.

"Stan?" Candace asked.

"Ya lock yourself in there?" Stan joked.

"No..." Stan detected a hint of panic in her voice.

"Everything okay?"

"No." More panic.

"Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Candace hesitated. "Um..." Figuring that since Stan had already seen her nude, she really didn't have that much to be timid about with him, so she calmly stated,

"I'm on my period."

Stan coughed and fell to the ground. There are two things women should never talk about with men. One, being porn of any kind. And two, her bodily functions.

"Ugh... ugh, Candace?"

"Yeah...?"

"I think this is outta my jurisdiction." Again, it was eerily quiet. Candace's usual laughter wasn't there.

"Hey, Stan..." Candace said after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"I... I kinda need you to do me a favor..." Stan gulped.

"Y-yeah?"

"Do you think you could... well, could ugh... Do you think you could pick me up some pads and these things that start with a T?" She didn't want to make Stan uncomfortable by saying the real word.

"S-sure-Where's your wallet or purse or-"

"In my suitcase. Top compartment," Candace quickly said. Stan pulled out a ten from her purple jeweled wallet. Normally, he would pay, but he figured that would make them his in a way.

'What did I get myself into?' He walked off towards the door.

"Wait! Stan?" Stan went to the bathroom door.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know what they look like?"

"Mmhm." Stan had snooped in his sister's bathroom cabinet enough times to know what to look for.

"Thank you SO much!"

-.-.-.

Stan stood at the check-out counter, tapping his foot and whistling nervously, darting his eyes around the store as an elderly woman took her time slowly fishing money from her purse. Once she was gone, he dashed up to the counter and placed the pads and tampons on it.

"These aren't for me," he quickly informs the sales clerk, who just goes on about his business. "I swear."

"Mmhm..." the clerk said a bit skeptically and cocked an eyebrow. "That'll be nine thirty-five." Stan handed him Candace's ten.

"Keep the change!" he said as he dashed out to the hotel with the blue plastic bag of "supplies".

-.-.-.

Stan knocked on the bathroom door, which Candace opened slightly, yanking the bag into the room with her. She quickly shut the door. Moments later, she emerged.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Stan!" She ran up to him, giving her friend a hug.

"You're welcome..."

"If I had an older brother, I bet he wouldn't even do that. Hell, my daddy doesn't even do that! So, did you have any shopping mishaps today?"

"None really... Except for this old lady who took her sweet-ass time getting change out of her purse!" Candace slightly laughed. "You okay?"

"As far as cramps go..." She walked over to her suitcase and took out a bottle of Tylenol. She quickly swallowed the capsule. "I packed these just in case."

"You pack those and not the crap that really matters?! Man! No wonder you're only Max's cousin-by-marriage!" Stan joked. Candace's laughter returned.

"Well, I have to go to Sandy's room to get all the girls ready. You headin' over to Max's?" Stan nodded.

"See ya at the altar!" they both said, chuckling.

Today was the day. Not only for the beginning of Sandy and Maxwell's life together, but for Stan to test destiny. He was going to tell her…someway, somehow…that he cared for her and he hoped the feeling was mutual. Never before had he been so fixed on a girl that she plagued his every thought. Never before could he try to impress someone by just being silly and open, without having to act cool. No one's smile could make him smile quite as much and no one's laugh could turn an absolute day of Hell into a far better one immediately, once heard. All of this and, Stan realized, he hadn't flirted as much with other girls.

Yes. He was going to do it. He had no doubt in his mind that his someday had finally come after so long. His someday was here, ending the wait…