Page 42 of Haunt Me

It does something to me, her admitting she trusts me. I sit up straighter, I brace myself. Ibecome. I don’t know if I become someone worthy of her trust–I doubt it. Later events will prove I have not. But right here and now, I become something more than what I was before. Something better. Someonebetter.

“I think…” she groans in pain. “This is so embarrassing. Could you please not look at me while I say it?”

“There is no way I am taking my eyes off you.”

She turns slightly pink and I am counting it as a personal triumph that I don’t grab her and kiss her until we both drown, right there and then.

“You’re not going to make this easier for me, are you?” she says.

“I’m here to help you any way you need,” I reply.

“Well, not looking at me would be helping.”

“Not happening. Talk to me, baby.”

She shoots me a murderous glance at the ‘baby’ part.

“Look, Eden, tell me, ok? It’s me. You can tell me anything.”

“Well, I think I’m either dying…”

My breath hitches.

“Or I am having my… erm… my period.”

I nearly jump to my feet, but I stop myself at the last minute.Stay calm.“Your? What? You…” I say incoherently and, if do I say so myself, intelligently.

“For the past seven days,” she adds. “There’s bleeding. Oh, this is beyond embarrassing. It… It won’t stop.”

“It…” I’m at a loss for words.

“I’m too old for it to only start now, aren’t I? Is that why it won’t stop? Is that why it hurts so much I can barely move?” The tears start again, silent, sad ones, full of despair. I can’t stand it. “I’m nearly sixteen and it’s never… It’s never happened before.”

I swallow. I am so out of my depth here. I have no idea what to do, what to say. How bad is this? Is it life-threatening? Why is it happening to her? I barely know anything about the subject matter.

“What did your mom say?” I ask her, like a moron. “Oh, sorry, you don’t have—”

“I don’t have anybody.”

“You never say that again, do you hear?” It comes out more intense than I had meant it to.

“Well, if you mean I should talk to Dad, I’d rather die than tell him that I…”

“I mean, you haveme.”

The tears just keep flowing silently down her cheeks, dripping down her chin. I catch them with my thumb, but more follow, soaking my fingers.

“Ok, that’s it.” I stand. My brain is on fire, my heart cracking open. “I’m calling my mom.” I am dialing already, ignoring Eden’s breathless “Please don’t, please…”

Mom doesn’t pick up, so I sneak Eden into my room, and step out into the hall to call Mom again. I try to get Eden to talk to Mom directly, but she is too incoherent, so I handle it myself.

After the phone call, I hate to leave Eden alone in the dorm, but Mom told me that she is going to need some supplies. So, I quickly drive to a store, and I tell the shop girl I am buying all this for my sister. She could care less.

When I come back, Eden is crying again. She is in so much pain, her breath is shallow and she is struggling to sit up. I give her the painkillers and the sanitary pads. I tell her, as Mom told me, that she should take the pain medication every six hours or the pain will be unbearable. I know it already is.

“I am not allowed to take medication,” Eden says. I close my eyes. I think I should like to murder her dad—I bet he wouldn’t allow that, either. “Nothing that is not a natural remedy.”

“Well,” I tell her, “Mom also said that hot baths would—”

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