Page 20 of This Thing Between Us

I pushed open the door to the next stall, hopping on the toilet seat so I could look over and check on Whit myself. Sitting on top of the toilet with her body doubled over her legs, Whitney groaned again. Fortunately, her pants were pulled up.

“Whitney, please talk to me, you’re freaking me out.”

She gasped, her head flying up to see me looking in on her. Her eyes bulged.

“What are you doing?!”

I furrowed my brow. “Just tell me what’s going on and I can fix it.” I opened my hands at a loss for what was happening. We told each other everything, it’s what best friends do. Whitney’s secrecy made no sense.

Her red-rimmed eyes held mine, tears threatening to break loose. My voice almost cracked. I was starting to think this was more serious than I had imagined.

“Please, just tell me what to do.”

Whit’s brain worked overtime as she thought about what she was going to do. I could practically see the hamster wheel inside her head. She closed her eyes and nodded once. I waited for a few seconds for her to start talking.

“I started my period.” She pinched her eyes shut in embarrassment.

I opened my mouth, but no response came out.

Gross. I remembered learning about that in health class. It sounded terrifying. And messy.

But I didn’t want her to know that.

“Period. Right. Yep, that’s what you have. Girls,” I quickly corrected myself, “I mean women, get their periods. Happens every day. It’s not the end of the world.” I didn’t know the details, I didn’t pay that close of attention in sex ed, but I knew girls needed tampons and pads, those sorts of things.

“We can go to the drug store and pick you up whatever you need. I’ll go with you,” I promised.

Whitney dared a small smile. Then tears started streaming down her face.

“It’s so embarrassing,” she whispered to me.

I shook my head. “No, like I said, this happens to all girls, you don’t need to be embarrassed.”

It was her turn to shake her head. “No, you don’t understand.” Her eyes implored me to connect the dots. As close as Whit and I were, I couldn’t actually read her mind.

“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?” Whit said through her teeth.

“Honestly, Whit, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

She stood up, facing away from me. I looked her over and found what Whitney had feared. Quickly, she turned back around.

“I bled through my jeans, and I don’t have anything to cover myself up with. Not even my gym clothes because I stupidly forgot them at home this morning.”

I stepped off the toilet ledge and started to unbutton my shirt. I had nothing on underneath, but that didn’t matter. Once I peeled it off, I threw it over the stall.

“Here, wrap this around your waist.”

Whitney sobbed. “Are you sure? I don’t want to mess up your shirt.”

I shook my head, which of course, she couldn’t see.

“Don’t worry about the shirt, it’ll be fine.”

I heard the rustling of the cotton as Whitney wrapped the shirt around herself.

Then the lock turned, and we met each other face to face.

A laugh tore from Whitney. Her hand started to come up towards my bare chest, but then she lowered them.

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