Chase - TROUBLE MAKER

You had studied in an all-girls school until the 8th grade. The following year, your parents decided to move to take care of your sick maternal grandfather. You were enrolled in a coed school and, for the first time in your life, you were surrounded by and talking to boys. You were a strange and scared girl on the brink of adolescence who simultaneously liked and hated boys.

After a few months at the new school, during a class, you needed to go to the bathroom. Once there, you realized you had your period and there was a big blood stain on your underwear. Thanks to your cream-colored skirt, the stain had spread to it as well. You stood there unable to move. Maybe this wouldn't be a big deal for a 14-year-old girl now, but this happened in 2001, and you panicked. At your previous school, you just needed to go to the office and ask for a pad since everyone was a girl. But now, you couldn't do that.

You stayed in the bathroom for a good five minutes thinking about what to do. You looked outside hoping to find a girl to ask for a pad or maybe even for an extra pair of pants or skirt from the school office, or perhaps to ask the office staff to call your mom. You stood there for more than 10 minutes, knowing the teacher would be upset about a student missing so much class. The bathroom was in a small alleyway with the girls' bathroom on one side and the boys' on the other.

A few anxious minutes passed and you heard the recess bell. There was some noise, but no one came near the bathroom. How come no one needed to use the bathroom, you thought. Aren't you guys drinking water? Your anxiety was rising. Then a classmate walked into the alley humming. It was Chase. He was a bit of a troublemaker, which made him a popular crush among the girls at school. You, on the other hand, would have preferred it to be someone else. He let out a loud fart along the way, thinking no one was watching. He saw you and stopped. You hid behind the door.

"What happened?" he asked. "Can you call a girl?" you mumbled after he asked you for the third time. "Everyone's in the science lab. I can't go in because I didn't do my homework. Did you do yours?" he asked. "No," you replied. "But I can handle getting scolded, but right now I need you to call a girl."

"What is it? Can't you tell me?"

"Please go and call a girl." Doomed to stay away from boys, especially boys like Chase, this was way out of bounds. "Oh, I get it. You need that," he said. "What?" you asked desperately, half of you horrified that he might know, the other half hopeful he could help. "You know, that," he said, rolling his eyes as if it was an obvious hint. "Yes," you answered, thinking he was referring to what you thought he was referring to.

"Okay, I have one," he said. You looked at him confused. Your mom didn't tell you that only women menstruated, or was that just what you assumed? It had only been a few months since you started your period. He pulled out a safety pin and handed it to you. What am I supposed to do with this, you asked, now looking at him confused. "Pin it in that area," he said. "Can we do that?" you asked, not knowing how to react. "Your skirt tall, right?" The mystery was solved and your racing heart finally rested. "No," you replied, you call this a safety pin. This boy knew nothing. "I don't know how to say this without embarrassing you. I don't need a safety pin. Please call a girl. I can't stay here any longer."

This time his eyes widened. "Oh, I get it now. That's more embarrassing. I'll call someone." He turned and paused, looking back at you. "But I can't go into the lab."

"What should I do?" you almost went into panic mode. "Wait, don't worry, I have an idea." He ran to the office, assuring you he would be back soon. He asked for a bandage from the office staff. She handed him the first aid kit and went back to writing something in the log. He quietly took out a pad and, along with the bandage, returned the kit. He ran back towards you in less than two minutes. "Here," he said, handing you the pad with trembling hands.

"Why are you shaking?" you asked, completely serious. He looked into your eyes and said, "I've never held one of these before."

"Oh," you only managed to thank him, and he smiled. You were about to go back into the bathroom when he stopped you. "Wait, take this," he said, handing you his sweater. "This is for that," he said, leaving his intention vague. "Thank you," you said. You went and did what you needed to do. You came out and saw him standing near the alley.

"I promise I won't tell anyone about this," he said. "Thank you," you said and started walking. He walked you back to the classroom. You couldn't stop thinking about how Chase was unexpectedly kind and helpful.