Chapter 2

Miku arrived at school soaked to the skin and trembling. She followed her usual path to her first class in art, praying that today would be better than yesterday, even though it wasn't off to a great start. Although, that didn't mean to say she'd regretted helping a person in need.

The bell rang and she took her seat on a square table that she shared with the people who were as close to friends as she had; Gumi and Rin. Miku liked the pair a lot and found them rather pleasant, but she felt like they were only polite to her out of pity. They were the only ones who spoke nicely to her at school, along with Rin's twin Len and his friend Kaito who were in another class.

"Geez! Miku-chan! You're drenched!" Gumi exclaimed.

"Did'ya forget how to open your umbrella, huh?" Rin teased her and Miku chuckled despite herself,

"Of course not Rin-chan, someone else just needed it more than me..."

Rin and Gumi hummed in acceptance, they knew Miku was a girl of few words. She didn't speak up, only said what was necessary and was content with just listening in on her friends chattering.

Art class wasn't boring per se; it's just that Miku preferred the other form of arts, such as music and dance. Resting her head on her palm and the elbow on the table, she listened to her teacher as he described something about using layers of paint to create texture. Mr. Ayate wasn't the nicest of teachers and he definitely didn't make things easier to learn.

Shivering in her seat, Miku rubbed her bare arms in a futile attempt to rid herself of her goosebumps. She was about to continue with her painting project when her mind alerted her of a rising issue. She gulped and her heart felt like it sank to her stomach in fear.

An uncomfortable and recognizable feeling hit her abdomen and she groaned quietly to herself, careful not to alert the class or her friends to her developing problem. She panicked in silence, realizing that the distinctive pain could only mean she had started her period 2 days early.

Her eyes flickered between the clock and the teacher; it read that there was over 30 minutes of class left. She had to get to the bathroom to sort herself out, and quick. This dull ache was escalating rather rapidly and she absolutely did not want the entire class to know about this.

Mr. Ayate observed a shaky hand slowly reaching upwards, signalling the need for his attention,

He released a breathy groan, "What is it Hatsune-san?" his strict voice indicating his annoyance for the disruption.

"M-May I be excused for a moment?" she politely replied, a little taken aback at his unnecessary tone.

He narrowed his bushy grey eyebrows, "What on earth for?".

'How many things could I possibly need to leave class for?' Miku internally sighed.

"I need to use the restroom...please..." she fidgeted in her seat, eager to leave.

"No. You may not. There's not long left. Deal with it until then!" he bluntly snapped back.

"Please, sir...I-"

"QUIET!" he yelled and Miku shrunk back into her seat like a tortoise hiding in its shell. She could hear the quiet snickering of the class, all laughing at the scolding she'd received after an innocent request.

'What am I gonna do now!?'

Miku closed her eyes and breathed deeply in and out, trying with all her might not to visibly panic in front of everyone. 'Maybe...it'll be ok...' she tried reassuring herself, 'Maybe, just maybe...I'll make it to the end and it'll all be fine...'

...And then the poor tealette felt the distinctive warm trickling from between her legs and she looked down in horror to see that her blue school skirt was now stained with blood. Her mouth suddenly dried up and her chest felt tight. She gasped and felt a warm sting prick her eyes as her vision quickly blurred with tears.

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Gumi and Rin searched around school for their friend without any luck. Usually when Miku was in distress she would always be in the music room, playing the piano and singing her worries away. But this time, it was worse than before. This time, a little music couldn't help the poor girl.

They eventually decided to search the school roof when they heard heavy sobs coming from a nearby bathroom. Gumi cautiously pushed the door open to see that Miku, with all her failing efforts, was viciously trying to rub red paint stains out of her school uniform, with some wet paper towels. All she managed to do was smear the paint and make it look worse.

"Miku-chan...it's not that bad..." Rin spoke softly as she approached the teal-haired girl, eyes flickering between the red stain on her skirt and the red stain on her shirt.

"W-wasn't th-that bad!?" she asked rhetorically with a slight tone of anger wavering in her sobbing voice, "they all s-saw wh-what I did" she wailed, and heavy tears streamed down her red puffy cheeks.

Miku turned back to the mirror and hopelessly continued to clean herself up.

"It happens to all girls at some point Miku-chan" Gumi tried her very best to cheer her friend up but she was having none of it.

"No they don't Gumi! I'm dirty and disgusting and-"

"Don't say that!" Rin interrupted, her voice louder that she'd intended and it echoed through the long bathroom. Though, it did suddenly bring Miku's teary rant to a halt. She continued,

"Periods are normal Miku, it's happened to me before too. I didn't realize I was on my period on the bus and stained the seat. I mean, sure it was real embarrassing but there was nothing I could do and I got over it".

"But did anyone shout at you for it? Did anyone mock you? Laugh at you? Sneer, turn their nose up and ridicule you!?", she angrily pointed to her own filthy shirt with a wobbly index, "did they do this to you!?".

The tealette, in her emotional distress, was inconsolable and her friends fell silent.

"Thought not..." she muttered.

Continued in Ch. 3