The note in my locker.
My car.
It was like being stuck on the equivalent of a mental mix master at rush hour. I couldn’t get past the good or the bad. When the cramps got worse, I asked the teacher to get out early and I diverted to the nearest bathroom.
The last thing I needed was… yep.
Dammit.
I checked my backpack, at least I always kept emergency supplies in a zipped inner pocket. I was early, then again, I hadn’t really been paying attention to the calendar. But I shouldn’t be starting until Sunday.
Hurrying, I wanted to deal with this and get back out of here before Jake realized I slipped out of class without an escort. A, I appreciated what they were doing, it was sweet and B, the last time I talked about my period withanyof them was right around the time it started.
That had gone epically not well.
Just never having that conversation again.
Period.
I almost snorted at the bad mental pun, when the door to the hall opened and I winced. I didn’t want to be discovered, it was bad enough the damn thing started at school. At least I was inside the stall at the end, harder to notice.
“I can’t believe they suspended her. Just like that.”
Internally, I slammed my head against a wall.
Sharon.
“She’s the nicest person ever, but no, hurt the pampered princess’ feelings, and boom, you’re yesterday’s news.”
“Well, to be fair,” Maria sighed. “Laura kind of admitted she did it in a fit of pique. After the car thing…”
Car thing.
Wait.
Laura?
“She left her a candygram on her stupid essay prompt. As far as I’m concerned, she wasn’t wrong. Coop and Laura were back together, and boom, he dumps her for the four-way slut princess.”
“Sharon,” Maria chastised her.
“What? You don’t like the word, doesn’t mean I can’t use it. Besides, I didn’t think you liked her anymore either.”
Even understanding where the vitriol came from didn’t make it any less painful.
“I don’t hate her,” Maria said, and I had to blink back tears at the weariness in her voice. “She’s not the one who screwed up.”
“So what, you’re sayingIdid?” Sharon demanded.
“No,” the other girl sighed. “I mean—the Instagram thing was cruel.”
“Fuck her,” Sharon said. “They are. If she thought she could just walk off with Bubba…”
“Sharon, damn girl, listen to yourself. Bubba went after her, not the other way around.”
“Not the way I see it.” There was a slam of a door, then flush of a toilet. Great, I was listening to this argument while they were peeing. I didn’t move though, staying still and silent was my best defense at the moment.
“First,” Maria said, another stall slamming. “She’s notnew. She’s always been there.”