I remember the first time my period graced me with its presence, like an uninvited, undisciplined guest.

I was curled up on William's lap, dozing off after he woke me from a nightmare in the middle of the night. He brought me a cup of herbal tea, climbed in with me in the bed after asking for my permission, and kept stroking my matted hair.

My eyes fluttered shut at the soothing motions of his warm hands, and the calming timbre of his voice as he picked up a book and started reading for me.

It was only when Will woke up and tried to leave without disturbing me that I finally stirred to a sticky sensation down below.

My eyes flew open.

Wide, alarmed, and burning, they connected with his - avoidant, uncomfortable.

The sight that met me after lifting the covers prompted a whirlwind of feelings to storm my insides.

"I'll call Cathie," he cleared his throat, stumbling out of the room only to return a while later with crimson cheeks, a warm beverage, and a new pair of sweatpants.

My blush only worsened.

"She went out to work." He laughed, shifting on his feet and pointing to a bag in his other hand after setting the cup on the bedside table. "You know how to use them, right?"

I sighed. "Yeah." 

Cathie had sat me down one too many times, teaching me all about menstruation, how, when, and why.

What neither of us expected, however, was for it to burst out of nowhere and ruin my sheets, my leggings, and Will's gray sweats.

He exhaled. "Are you okay, Zee?" I nodded. "Does it hurt anywhere?" I shrugged. "I'll let you change then. Call for me if you, uh, need me." I offered a smile to ease his discomfort.

After I changed, he came back in with renewed determination, helped me remove the stained sheets, put them in the washing machine, and gave me a heating pad for the cramps.

His embarrassment must have faded away as soon as the shock settled in.

We were snacking on some ice cream and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies - made by me, thanks to many hours spent in the kitchen with Cathie. They weren't as tender but tasted good enough for us to wolf them down in one sitting. 

Then, after a short nap, we went out on a walk.

It was refreshing and I was having so much fun until my legs started feeling heavier by the moment. In the end, William had to carry me on his back all the way home.

"I'm sorry about..." My voice was muffled by the fabric on his jacket.

"What did we say about apologizing for things that aren't your fault?" 

"Sorry..." I grimaced. He chuckled.

When Catherine came home from work, she couldn't stop laughing at her husband after fussing over me. "How are you feeling? Do you need painkillers? Did you eat well? Are you bloated? There are apps that help you track your periods. Let's download one, yeah?"

By the end of her endless babbles, I was not only dizzy but also in dire need of another nap.

Wrapping me up in a cocoon of blankets and pillows, Cathie secured the heating pad against my lower back and let me snooze while they prepared dinner.

A grin threatened to split my face in half as snippets of that day flitted through my mind. 

"Stop smiling to yourself like a crazy serial killer," Danielle teased, loudly munching on my infamous cookies.

I rolled my eyes, readjusting the heating pad on my abdomen.

Her smirk only widened. "Is it true he wrapped his jacket around your waist?"

My face burned up and I squeaked out a quick yes.

"Oh, shit." She burst out laughing, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Shut up, okay? It's embarrassing!" I whined, burying my head in my pillows when she only laughed harder.

"No, no," she wheezed out before slowly sobering up. "It's actually very sweet of him. He's such a gentleman."

I bit back a dreamy sigh. 

"I think he likes you."

My neck almost broke from the speed of turning her way. 

"Honestly, I'm sure he does." She tossed a couple of cookies in her mouth.

"Stop talking while chewing, half the snacks are on the floor," I huffed.

"I'll sweep it later." She grinned cheekily, showcasing all the food stuck in her teeth.

"You're incorrigible." The giggles couldn't help but tumble out.

"And you love using big words, smartass."

"Every group of friends needs a smartass and a dumbass."

She choked out a laugh. "I love the way you think but we're hardly a group. Unless..." she paused for some dramatic effect, "you're considering your multiple personalities as part of our "group"...which is unique, I'll give you that, but very sad."

I facepalmed myself so hard my forehead throbbed.

"I love you too."

Ignoring her grin, I proceeded to recount the events that took place earlier that day. 

Stressing about the upcoming exams affected my menstruation cycle. It was delayed and that only worsened by anxiety, being unsure when to expect it.

Today, however, was the promised day. 

For some reason, I think it did this on purpose. I was out, sitting under the tree flipping through my book, on my own because Dani had to go to the dentist to tweak her braces and relieve the pain.

When the bell rang, I stood up, dusted off my jeans, and started putting everything inside the bag when a sudden sensation of warmth and stickiness halted my actions.

My back was swiftly turned against the trunk, my gaze sweeping around for any potential witnesses.

"Oh," I gasped, frantically resuming stuffing the rest of my things. "Shit, shit, shit."

Suddenly, arms were circling my waist and tying a hoodie around me. "No one saw a thing, come on," Ian whispered, picking up my bag and ushering me in alongside him.

We stopped by his locker first so he could grab his black joggers, offered them to me, then waited outside the bathroom until I finished changing.

My mind was going crazy the whole time I was in there. My breathing came out labored, my legs were heavy and my arms stiff.

Ian, bless his kind soul, shoved a bottle of water in my hands as soon as I got out before dashing away. "See ya later!"

Daniella was more than impressed. In fact, she was rooting for him even more now.

"King material, for sure." She mumbled next to me, fighting sleep away.

I didn't want to set the bar so low, but every time my eyes landed on Ian he made me set it so high only he could rest at the top and reign over everyone else below him.