Page 8 of Chase

As soon as I reach the pharmacist, I breathe a sigh of relief and slip in without anyone noticing. Thankfully, it’s empty inside and Mum’s friend, Brenda, is behind the till. Brenda’s cool, even if her daughter is one of Tilly’s twirpy girlfriends, and at least I can talk to another mum about it.

I shuffle over to the desk where she spies me and smiles warmly. I must look a little pale because she immediately furrows her brow with concern.

“You ok, Izzy? You’re looking nervous,” she says, leaning onto the desk so we can speak more privately. I bet she wouldn’t have forced me to come out by myself; I bet she instantly knows when her daughter needs her.

“Er, yeah, well, I…” I feel the humiliating heat of a blush all the while I try to force the words out.

“For goodness’ sake, child, spit it out,” she says with a warm giggle.

“I got my first period this morning and I’m currently wearing a wad of tissue in my knickers,” I blurt out with my eyes closed tightly, almost hoping she didn’t hear me.

“Oh, Izzy,” she says with sympathy in her voice. “Where’s your mum? Didn’t she come with you?”

“I guess not,” I murmur sadly, feeling ashamed of the fact. “Tilly wouldn’t let me have any of her pads and Mum says she only wears tampons. I don’t fancy shoving something up my foo.”

“Oh, Izzy, that’s not fair,” she says as she rounds the desk to pull me into her rather ample bosom. It’s awkward but comforting at the same time. “Come with me, I’ll show you what you might want to start with. Then you can go and use the toilet out back.”

“Thanks, Brenda,” I say with a sigh of relief, “I owe you one.”

“Don’t be silly, love,” she says and leads me over to the sanitary products.

_____

Izzy

I leave the shop feeling much more secure than I did on the way over here. Thankfully, there wasn’t a lot of mess, and the pads were easy enough to fit. It was embarrassing to have to have someone else’s mum sort out your first period, but at least it was someone as nice as Brenda. I thank her once again, then walk out, closing the door behind me so I can begin my short walk to Nonna’s house.

“Did you get some, Isobel?” Tilly shouts out from across the street, which is now bustling with her friends and other kids from school, including Theo, who is hanging out with Maddison Andrews, the girl all the boys want to date. I knew he would be popular with his Hispanic roots, confident attitude, and American accent. “Feel better now you’re wearing an actual sanitary towel?” Tilly laughs as she shouts at the top of her lungs for everyone to hear.

My heart freefalls to my feet as I stand frozen still, praying that the ground will open up and swallow me whole. My cheeks burn with humiliation at the same time as the sting of tears collects at the bottom of my eyes. Everyone is now staring at me, either laughing or looking on with pity, including Theo.

I remain rigid for what feels like hours before my limbs agree to sync in with my brain and get the hell out of here. Once moving, I run as fast as my legs will carry me, my breath labored and tears running down my face.

“Izzy!” I hear Theo shouting after me. “You’re such a bitch, Tilly!”

I run and run, not looking back, not even for Theo. It’s not until I reach Nonna’s house that I stop and throw my fists upon the door, silently begging for her to answer. Eventually, when I’mabout ready to collapse on the floor, she opens it up and gasps over the state of me. As soon as she pulls me inside, I feel as though I’ve only just managed to escape the monsters from some gory horror film. I cling onto her, sobbing against her small, frail chest, all the while she strokes my head and offers soothing sounds to try and calm me.

“Izzy, dear, what’s wrong?” she asks, her voice full of concern. I can’t answer her with words, for I’m far too upset to form any purposeful shapes with my mouth. In fact, before I can answer with any kind of gesturing, Theo bursts through the front door, breathing rapidly from having run all the way here. “Theo, whatever has happened?”

“Izzy, don’t even worry about it!” he gasps in between his short, shallow breaths. “No one even likes Tilly anyway. Plus, it doesn’t even matter.”

“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” Nonna snaps, sounding close to angry, which I’ve rarely heard on her before.

“Tilly just humiliated Izzy in front of most of the kids at school. She told everyone Izzy had her…well…er…” He trails off, and I wince over what he’s been trying so hard to say. I think I’m going to die of embarrassment all over again.

“I got my period, ok?” I turn around to face them both, most likely looking red, snotty, and blotchy. “Mother couldn’t be bothered to take me to the pharmacist and Tilly refused to let me have any of her stuff, so I had to go by myself. I even had to ask Brenda’s mum to help me, which she did, but then, when I left, Tilly basically announced it to the entire village!”

I cross my arms and stomp into the living room where I slump onto the couch and bury my face in my hands.

“Oh, Izzy,” Nonna says as she sits beside me, “you should have come to me; I would have helped you. I may be old, but I have been there you know.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been unwell, and I didn’t want to drag you out into the village,” I try to explain, still refusing to look at either of them. “I hate them, Nonna, I hate all of them. Can’t I come and live with you?”

“I’d say yes in a heartbeat, darling, but I don’t think your parents would allow it. And, unfortunately, I’m much too frail to give you what you need on a full-time basis, love,” she says as she pulls my hands gently away from my face. “I’m sure they love you, even if they have a rather funny way of showing it.”

“Do you want me to go and make her tread in dog poo or something?” Theo pipes up, forcing me to giggle a little. He smiles when he hears me laughing, and even though his offer is tempting, I shake my head and sigh. It would only come back to bite me somehow.

“Theo, sweetheart, maybe you could give us some girl time?” Nonna suggests. “These things are a little delicate and a boy being here might make Izzy feel even more uncomfortable.”

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