Today was quickly turning into one of the worst days of my life. To top everything off, I just got my period. Getting my period isn't what makes this day suck, it's that I have no tampons. I usually have some in my bag, but yesterday, a random girl asked me if I had any so I gave her my last one. It didn't matter who the girl was, or how you felt about her. If she needed a tampon, you gave her a tampon.
I was about to text Callie when I remembered that she had calculus with Jack, so her phone was in the basket at the front of the room. Madison's phone is off, but she isn't at school since the event at lunch.
Making a quick run to the convenience store down the street, I buy the only box they have in stock- a giant pack of fifty- and make it back to school and out of the bathroom before the bell rang.
I hate being late, but since starting here, it happened everyday. Abandoning going to my locker, I shove the tampons into my bag and head to class- the one I share with Nate, Matt and Chris. Oh, and Katy and Chloe.
I get there before the bell and sit down beside Nate. Chris sat behind us, an empty chair beside him where Matt should be.
"I miss him" I said, looking at the empty chair.
"Class is going to be less enjoyable without being able to laugh at him" Nate agreed.
"I'll text him to come get ice cream with us after school today"
Nate shook his head. "The kids at home with a concussion"
"A mild concussion" I corrected him. "He won't pass up an opportunity for free ice cream"
"Especially if Nate's paying" Chris added
Chris was being weird today. Contributing to normal conversation? He could barely look at me last week. He even smirked at me today, multiple times!
Nate mumbled something about us being lucky he didn't back out of promises when Katy walked by, glaring at me. She winked at Chris, but didn't cause anymore trouble. Near the end of the class, the teacher called me up to collect my homework from last week.
I put my bag on my desk and went to collect my paper. On my way back, one of Katy's friend shoots her leg out into my path. I dodge her leg, and look back at her with a smile. Take that.
But my victory is short lived- as soon as I look at her, I walk into the desk. My open bag went flying on to the floor and I steadied myself so I didn't fall over the desk.
The whole class was looking at me, with shocked faces and some tried not to laugh. I heard a gasp and laughing. Soon, most of the class looked embarrassed for me.
I'm confused. What's embarrassing about falling? I do it all the time. Nate laughed quietly and even Chris' eyes light up in amusement.
"God, Sabrina, do you need anymore tampons?" Katy yelled
Oh.
My open bag was on the floor and a few feet away from it, in front of everyone, was the open tampon box that spilled out forty nine tampons.
This was the worst day ever.
~
Twenty four hours later and my bad luck was continuing. I'm late to school because of traffic and the parking lot was full.
"Yes! You're all mine!" I say to the open spot in a prime location near the front door, but as I'm about to pull in, a blur of bright red speeds past me, cutting me off. Slamming the breaks, my belt locked, stopping me from flying out the windshield.
"What the fuck?"
A red convertible Porsche just parked in my spot. The owner got out and my questions were answered. Katy threw her hair over her shoulder and wiggled her finger at me. She closed the drivers door, walked up the steps and into the school.
Really? Is this her following through with her promise of torment for not staying away from Chris?
Please. She's going to have to try harder than that.
~
Turns out, she did try harder and maybe a little too hard.
After parking five minutes away from the front door, I met Callie at her locker and told her what happened with Katy as we headed to my locker.
Callie scoffed. "She loves that car, she treats it better than most people. Ever since her dad bought it, she drives like she owns the town"
There's a huge crowd of students in the hall where my locker is, staring at something.
"What's going on?" Callie asked as we push our way through. She gasps. Tampons- hung down, covering the front of my locker. There are so many of them that the metal of my locker isn't visible. Some are still in their packet, but a lot a red with-
"Is that blood?" Callie asked, looking a bit sick.
"That's disgusting. It better be paint"
On the wall above my locker is a sign that says 'Sabrina Gold's Tampon Drive' with an arrow pointing down.
"Who would- Katy?" Callie suspected
"That would be my first guess"
As if hearing her name summons her, Katy appeared in the crowd, with her friends behind her. People moved back to give us more room.
Katy smirked at me. "What do you think of our kindness, Sabrina?"
I'm shocked. She didn't even bother denying that she did this. She just got here, so she must have made her friends come early and do it. She's proud of it.
"Your kindness?"
"After yesterday, we realised how many tampons you needed. So we decided to help you out" she turned back to the crowd. "Students! Let's show that there's no limit to our kindness! If you have a tampon, step forward and contribute for Sabrina Gold. It doesn't need to be new!"
I might throw up. Before anyone reacted, a loud voice boomed through the crowd. "If anyone thinks about doing that, I'll beat you so hard"
The crowd parted and Chris stepped forward, looking angry. His angry eyes meet my traumatised ones, and his darkened even more. Matt and Nate step from the crowd, both looking shocked as they look at what's going on.
Chris turned back to the crowd. "Get to class!"
Everyone scattered and soon, me, Chris, Callie, Matt, Nate, Katy and her friends were the only ones left in the hallway.
Katy pouted. "Chris! Way to ruin the fun"
"You have a problem, Katy" Matt stepped beside me and threw his arm over my shoulder, showing me his support.
"I did warn you" she said, looking at her nails like she didn't just embarrass me in front of the whole school. "I guess the warning extends to you too, Callie"
Matt stepped in front of Callie, as if he could protect her from Katy's gaze.
"I can't believe you did all this just to make a point!"
"I take a stand for what I believe in. Plus, I promised I'd make your life a living hell, and I'm good at doing that. I never back down from my word"
"I'm even better at keeping mine" Chris said, standing in front of Matt and I. "Go near Sabrina or Callie again, and you'll have me to deal with. And you won't enjoy it, I promise you"
Something in his tone registered with Katy because she widened her eyes. His ruthless reputation filled in the unsaid threats, and Katy's girls started leaving. Katy glared at me once more, before walking away.
Matt brought his hand to my cheek, turning my head to look into his eyes.
"Are you okay?"
From the corner of my eye, I saw Chris give us a look. He turned around and ripped down the sign above my locker.
"I'm okay. Thanks" I wiggled out of his hold and turned to Callie. "I'm sorry if I dragged you into this"
"I'm not afraid of her" she said. "You didn't even do anything. She's crazy"
"Crazier than a girl on her period with a coffee withdrawal who ran out of tampons and got locked out of her favourite cafe?" Matt joked and we glared at him. "Too soon?"
I shook my head at him. "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be on bed rest?"
"After what you told me happened yesterday? I wasn't missing out on the fun" he explained. "Best decision ever"
During this talk with Matt, Chris walked to the trash and threw the sign into it, then dragged the trash can over to my locker.
"Do you think it's real blood?" Callie asked
Matt stick his hand out, swiping his finger on a red tampon. "It's paint"
"What if it was blood?" Callie asked, looking sick.
"But it wasn't"
"But what if it was?"
"But it wasn't"
The concussion really messed with Matt's head. Maybe he shouldn't be at school right now.
"Do you really think Katy and her minions would touch a dirty tampon?"
Or maybe Matt's a lot smarter than we give him credit for.