Her Miracle

CHAPTER 6

It’s now Thursday. Almost at the end of the week. Class just ended and we were now walking to the cafeteria for lunch. Kai left the room before we even called him out. He didn’t say where he was going. Maybe it was for his football varsity application.

The hallways were now empty since they all rushed to the cafeteria. But there are times where it’s still lunch and they still retrieved things in their lockers. For some girls, it was their wardrobe. They had extra clothes if they felt changing or if what was too warm or cold, they had spares inside their lockers. Izzy was one of them. She giddily walked beside me as we walked.

I creased my brows to see what she was busy doing. She was on her phone, texting some guy.

“You now have a crush other than Ryder?” I blurted out as I halted on my tracks.

“I think so...I don’t know if I like him already. I’m still making sure.” She grinned like it was Christmas day as if she got her gift she’s been waiting for.

“You’re going to scare the entire Willoughby with how creepy you’re smiling right now.”

“Aw, nonsense!” She took my hand and pulled me as we entered the cafeteria.

The buzzing of the students was pure miscellany. It was deafening sometimes. Students multi-tasked whether they ate lunch, talking with their friends at their tables, or lining up. The noisiest tables in the room are always the ones where my brothers are. The Lacrosse team. Aiden wasn’t there but Zachary was hooting on whatever they were talking about.

We made our way to the smorgasbord where food was displayed. I didn’t know what to get. Izzy turned to me, “Why is Kai acting so weird?”

“Weird? What do you mean by that? We both know he’s busy applying for the football varsity.”

“He’s just off…”

“Maybe he’s just tired?” I analyzed her sentiments. “Do you like Kai?”

“The heck? Where is this coming from? Hell, no!” She squealed.

“You sound too defensive…”

“I’m not. Why’d you say that?”

“We’ve been best friends for how long. Between us three, you both had the closest bond. I even thought you both would profess your feelings to each other in the future.” I laughed at her.

Her face clearly formed in disgust. “Ew! Seriously? No. Not a chance. I’m liking someone. He’s better than Kai. Kai is just-”

Not giving her the chance to explain, I cut her off. “He’s not that bad…”

“Date him then,” She snapped at me, leaving me dumbfounded.

“Not interested.” I caught up with her. A name popped in my head. Titus. Well, I won’t deny, he’s really attractive. He’s a stranger but he was kind. He’s new in town. I hope he doesn’t get tainted by all the rumors.

“You’re always not interested.” She answered dryly, “Remember that guy in grade school? He sent you flowers yet you waved him off. He almost did everything just to have you.”

“Izzy, wake up! We were in grade school. That’s not a time to date, oh my god. Even if that happened now, I still would have not accepted it. I crave for a mental connection and not just physical attraction. These puppy loves you encounter with someone? Those don’t last.”

I believe that mental connection is a wholesome kind of thing. A different kind of intimacy that you just don’t share with anyone. Izzy is hilarious sometimes. Too in a hurry. She’ll take all the chances she can get. It wasn’t wrong but I just didn’t want to make rash decisions. I still had a goal to leave town. And maybe by then, I’ll find the one.

“You’re so picky.”

“I’m not choosy, picky, or whatsoever. It’s just that I wouldn’t want to settle for less of what I deserve.” I shrugged.

“I heard that there’s a party this Saturday. Want to come with?”

“Uhhh, you know that isn’t my crowd, Izzy. Just come with your crush or whosoever dude you’re seeing. Take it as a date.”

“Right!” She giggled in excitement.

The girl right in front of us was the one served. So we were next. I only wanted orange juice and a sandwich. I was ready to tell Mrs. Johnson what I wanted for lunch when a voice startled all of us. We turned around to watch and listen to where the voice came from.

He looked familiar. It was a guy from our batch named Josh. I had classes with him last year. What was his problem? He’s causing a scene. Nobody ever wants to be a highlight. We all waited for him to talk about what his problem was.

Josh stood up on one of the tables. He yelled, “Guys! Someone’s in Japan and maybe forgot to bring tampons with her!”

That isn’t me. I usually have dysmenorrhea before it starts. Voices in the cafeterias were muffled, still in confusion, and turned around looking for who was in their period. People started to stand up from their seats in search of who Josh was referring to. They roamed around, wondering who it was. Confusion and disgust plastered on the rest of the students’ faces.

Josh added, “She’s at the counter right now! Guess who the blind item is!”

Principal Austin barged inside the cafeteria with his face narrowed down at Josh, “Mr. Ateara, get down now! Straight to my office!”

Josh laughed and didn’t seem to get affected by Principal Austin’s angered face. He was going to speak up when another voice yelled.

“Ooooh...it’s Andy! She’s in her Japan! Go grab some tampons!”

Principal Austin added, his jaw already clenched in anger, pointing at the person who yelled my name, Kenneth, who was friends with Kai, “Also you, Mr. Torres! In my office..Now!”

He still didn’t get down. Kenneth was amused and proud of what he did in calling me out. He had a huge grin on his face.

Murmurs started to rise inside the cafeteria. All eyes were set unto me. The eyes I met were my brother’s, Zach. He just glared at me as I sinned. And I have been forsaken by the entire population. It was the look they gave me after the accident. Maybe it was just me and how they really wanted to get rid of me. I was really that bad.

Women on their period and not knowing it isn’t supposed to be a big deal. This is supposed to be normal. I don’t understand why this is such a big deal. I mean, why did they have to call out the entire room’s attention just to announce I was on my period. The girls stared at me like they didn’t have it too.

I bit my lips in hopes it wasn’t true. Holy Sh*t. I looked back at my ass, blood stained my khaki pants. But it was. Everything inside of me felt in rage. And yeah, I’m disappointed at myself for being a loser, a sucker, a failure at everything. I couldn’t even make my mom talk to me without her screaming her guts out to me. Zach, who had a good reputation in high school, just watched and let this go by like I wasn’t his sister. And yet they think it was immature of me to just leave.

I didn’t waste any time and ran as fast as I could out of the cafeteria, leaving Izzy behind and ran straight into the nearest girl’s comfort room. Tears brimmed my eyes as I ran. Another day, Another s**t. No matter how I tried to stay away from issues, I always keep getting dragged back.

Finally, the comfort room. I shuffled the things inside my bag if I had tampons in case of an emergency. I found one in one of its pockets. If I had a tampon, I had no pants to wear and my panties were ruined too. It’s now hard to take off the stain and too ruined.

“F*ck my life!” I whispered to myself.

I’m supposed to have bad cramps before my period starts. Ugh. Darn it! I have no choice. People already saw. I’m another talk of the town. I mean, I always am. People can’t get enough of me. I’m a piece of meat they love attacking for no reason.

I cleaned myself up, disposing of my pants, and my underwear in the garbage bin. Luckily, everyone is too busy talking about my period so I’m using the entire bathroom with 5 cubicles all to myself. The color annoys me. It’s pink.

Schools should teach that pink doesn’t necessarily is the staple of girls. High School is too stereotypical. Dramas are shallow, together with the rest of the students’ heads.

A knock caught me off guard. I screamed, “Who is it?”

“Clothes!”

It was Izzy. Yeah, right. She had her wardrobe inside her locker. I hope her clothes fit me. She was a few sizes smaller than me. I opened the door, peeking a little and she held out her rolled pants, I think. I immediately closed the door to check and fit what she had for me.

I raised it up to examine it. It was a skirt. Together with unused underwear. I frowned more. I called out, “What if it doesn’t fit me?”

If Izzy’s body size was petite. I’m slim but not as small as her. She had that hour-glass figure. I didn’t. I was never gifted with that. This skirt had fewer chances of fitting me. But the voices inside my head do hope that it fits because I want to get this over with.

“We’ll figure things out! Get changed!”

I groaned silently. Skirts weren't my thing. And most especially appealing in this town. It’s too cold here for you to survive a skirt. I fit it anyway. It hugged me well. It settled above my knees. I tried to pull it down a little bit more but it really just ended there.

I opened the door. Izzy eyeing me up and down with my outfit. “You look good in a skirt. It makes your butt stand out.”

“Thanks… for the skirt and… ” I inhaled deeply, “I’m already gaining too much attention. I don’t want people eyeing my ass now. So, please. This will be the first and last time I’ll be wearing a skirt.”

“Come on, let’s grab our stuff in our locker and get to class.”

We walked our way to the hallway towards our lockers. My mouth hung open to see a figure retreating. The jet black hair and familiar body. Titus. He just walked out of the building. So he was really new. Maybe he enrolled.

The bell echoed, which meant lunch was over, dissolving my epiphany. But my heart beat faster, sending happy hormones around me as nothing bad happened a few minutes ago in the cafeteria.

He was here.