Woman Forever
>It had been a long first half of the day, but finally lunch had arrived. Reggie had been moody all through the first three periods. She had snapped at their English teacher and looked about to cry when Mr. Christopherson said her hair looked a bit different that day. She had been complaining about her stomach and being hungry all day too, craving the one thing that would fix everything..
>"Awwwww yeah! Chocolate pudding day!!" Reggie yelled as she kicked open the doors to the cafeteria and raced inside towards her goal while Todd and Esther found them a table.
>"Hey is it me or does Reggie seem a bit.. odd today?" asked Esther with a bit of worry in her voice.
>"Eh, seems like the same old Reggie to me. Why?"
>"I don't know, I just have a bit of a hunch lately.."
>Just then Reggie returned with multiple snack packs and threw them on the table "Come on guys dig in!"
>Twenty minutes and a great many pudding cups later, Reggie was almost doubled over, her stomach aching like she'd never felt before. She groaned sorrowfully.
>"I told you not to go for eighths Reggie"
>"I'll be fine, just gotta rest up a bit is all. I'll be good as new in no time."
"I hope you're right Reggie. I really do."
>But she wasn't. The day drew on and on. Relentlessly getting more and more on Reggie's nerves. She just needed to get home, to lie down for a while.
>When she finally got home she bolted right up the stairs, past her mother watching some daytime soap opera on TV.
>"How was school?!" She yelled futilely. All she got back was a rushed and shouted "fine!"
>Reggie ran to her room, threw her bag on the floor and plopped into bed. She was out cold almost instantly.
>A few hours later she woke up aching all over, her stomach in knots. "Ugh why stomach?? Why must you betray me?" Judy happened to be passing by at that moment.
>"Everything alright?"
>"I'm fine, just a stomach ache is all."
>Judy sniffed at the air "Regina when's the late time you took a shower?"
>"I dunno, the other day maybe."
>"Ugh Reggie. Why don't you go take one now, it might make you feel better. And I'll throw some of these dirty clothes in the hamper downstairs."
>"Fiiine." Reggie grabbed a towel and at the last second Captain Malibu on her way to the bathroom. Might as well have some fun while she was in there.
>She undressed and waited for the water to get to the perfect temperature. As she did so, she noticed herself in the mirror a bit. She lifted her arm and with a smile on her face:
>"Alright Curly! Looks like you got yourself a little friend. Sweet!" At least some parts of growing up were kinda cool.
>Finally the water was perfect and Reggie stepped in. Her mother was right for once. She did feel better already. The warm water flowing down her back and over her shoulders seemed to soothe every ache and pain she had that day.
>"No Captain Malibu, you can't go out there! The storm is too fierce!"
>"Captain Malibu fears no storms! There's never been a shower typhoon me and my longboard of justice couldn't face. And this certainly won't be the last!" Woooosssh! Reggie was actually starting to have a great time. When suddenly she felt something on her thigh. Warm and moving.
>"Huh?" She looked down and there she saw the red liquid flowing down with the warm water, staining her leg and the tub bright crimson. "What the?.."
>She carfully swept her finger through it and brought it to her face for closer inspection.
>"What is this? Blood? Where am I bleeding fro.."
>She quickly found the source and began to panic, to hyperventilate. "No. No. No no no no no.."
>Judy was downstairs when she heard the scream "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM! HEEEEEEEELP!"
>She dropped the laundry and raced up the stairs, bursting through the door half out of breath.
>"Reggie, Reggie what's wrong honey??"
>Reggie was sitting in the tub, the water still running with the curtain pulled back just enough to see her face and soaking ginger locks draped over her small shoulders.
>"Mom.. I-I'm bleeding.." she began.
> What?? Where? Are you alright? Did you fall? Should I call an ambulance? I'll go grab the first aid kit.."
>"No! I'm bleeding.. y-y'know.... down.. there" Reggie looked downwards, her eyes slightly misty.
>It took a few seconds, but Judy finally put it all together. "Oh! Oh... Oh Regina." she said with the worry on her face slowly becoming a proud smile. She moved closer as if to hug her blossoming daughter
>"Mom stop I'm totally naked. Please, just help me. I don't know what to do about this." Her eyes were pleading and truly watery now.
>Judy stopped short awkwardly "Oh, right right. Well I have some pads for you here under the sink. I showed you how to put them into your underwear a little while back, remember?"
>"I-I think so.."
>"Alright. You get dried off and I'll go grab you some fresh clothes, ok?" Judy almost danced out of the room "Oh my little girl is really growing up."
>She meant to say it to herself, but Reggie heard every word. She wanted to fall apart at the very notion of it. She was really grown up now..
>Her mother returned with some clothes a minute later and told Reggie to meet her in her room when she was all ready. Reggie struggle with the pad at first. It felt so weird to have it in here. Like her underwear was full of tissues. She looked in the mirror again. She thought she looked older. And that the pad was totally visible through her pants, even if it wasn't. She quietly walked to her bedroom feeling defeated.
>she found her mother sitting awkwardly, but with a smile, on her bed. "Come here honey, sit down."
>Reggie sat down next to her mother and lay her head against her arm instinctively, upset, anger, and fear strewn about her face.
>"This thing feels so weird. How long do I have to wear it for?"
>"You only wear it for a few hours or over night.."
>"Well that's a relief!" a smile actually came back to the little redhead. It'd be over soon.
>"..Then you have to change it."
>"What??" The smile was gone.
>"You have to change it every few hours while you'd still got your.. period."
>Reggie shuddered at the word. She had no idea punctuation could even get ruined like that. She had learned all this before. But her mind was dizzy and every question she asked herself seemed to have no answer. "How long does it last again?"
>"About a week honey."
>Reggie whined and leaned in harder. She was done. Ready to just fall over and be dead. Why did this have to happen to her, what did she do to deserve this. She thought the Butt Witch must have cursed her somehow, though she knew it wasn't true. She looked up at her mother. "And then it'll be over?"
>"Yes, until the next one comes"
>"THE NEXT ONE??"
>"Reggie, you better get used to it. You're gonna be getting one every month for the next forty years. It's gonna be a bit irregular at first though. You're still young. But then it'll be more predictable. You'll know when the next one's coming based on when the last one was. Plus you'll notice the cramps and the mood swings and all that stuff.."
>"This is horrible, my life is over. And there's nothing I can do? This stupid pad is annoying as heck I hate it."
>"Well there's also tampons, but we'll save that for a bit down the road, ok?"
>Reggie collapsed with a sigh and a groan into her mother's lap. Her mother gently caressed her hair. Judy felt bad for her daughter. She remembered how bad it was getting her first period. But she was also happy and a bit proud to see her little girl growing up like this.
>"Honey I know it's rough. And I'm sorry you have to go through it. But it's just a part of life. Of growing up." Another groan. "I know I know, you hate the idea of growing up, but it's happening whether you like it or not. And I know you may not always feel like it, but I can see you're growing into a beautiful, wonderful young woman. And I know it's weird to talk about all this stuff, but I'm here for you Reggie. Always.
>Reggie just lay there, letting it all stir about in her head.
>"Hey I've got an idea.." Reggie's eyes opened and she perked up to look at her mother "Why don't you come downstairs with me and we'll have some ice cream and watch one of your movies. Does that sound good?"
>"Really?? But what about dinner?"
>"Don't worry about that. Today can be special." Reggie was sitting bolt upright at this point. Judy brushed some of the hair out of her face and gave her a little kiss on the forhead. "I love you Reggie"
>Reggie leaned in and hugged her mother. "I love you too Mom."