Running Out of Time

Chapter Five

When I woke up, that dull ache in my lower abdomen persisted, and I slowly maneuvered out of bed, pulling on a pair of shorts and putting my hair up in a hasty ponytail before I rushed to the local bathroom. I checked on my pad and cursed underneath my breath. It was nearly soaked through. I bit my lip and thought for a while before grabbing a wad of toilet paper and lining my underwear with it. That would have to do.

I went back to my room and checked my schedule. I didn't have anything until this afternoon, so I lazily made my way downstairs into the cafeteria. Since I had woken up a little later than usual, the cafeteria was not as full as it usually was, and I spotted Lia lounging at a table, reading a book. She seemed to be waiting for someone, as she looked up every few seconds and scanned the cafeteria. When she spotted me coming in, she waved. I blinked. She was waiting for me?

"Uh, hey." I said hesitantly as I approached the table. The wad of toilet paper was really feeling awkward.

"Hi." She motioned for me to sit down and nudged a bowl of lukewarm oatmeal to me. "I got this for you."

I stared at her incredulously, then decided to take the kindness that was offered. Who knew when I'd get it again?

"Thanks." I said before digging in. It was getting cold, but it still tasted good.

"Do you have cramps?" She asked.

I swallowed. "Uh, yeah, I think."

She glanced around surreptitiously and then slid a small bottle to me. I looked at her. She was in an alarmingly good mood this morning.

"What's this?" I took it, reading the label. Advil.

"Advil. It's a painkiller, it's a lifesaver when you have horrible cramps." She told me.

I was still for a moment. "Thanks." I repeated, sounding like a broken record.

"And pads." She glanced around once more before giving me a small purse.

"Thanks." I said, unsure of what else to say.

She snorted. "You don't need to thank me so much."

I looked at her. "Okay. I won't, then."

She smiled gently, but it wasn't genuine, and I suddenly felt a pang of jealousy. Who else did she give those genuine smiles to?

"Well, I'm going to go. I've got classes soon, and I'm running late. I'll see you this evening for rehearsal?" She said brusquely, standing.

I felt whiplash at the sudden mask she put on. "Oh, yeah. I'll see you later."

She smiled politely. "Bye."

With that, she swept out of the cafeteria, leaving me alone with only a few other students.

***

My period was easy enough to get a handle on. Although I stressed that everyone could see the way I waddled in an effort to adjust to the feeling of the pad, no one made any comments. When it came time for our duet rehearsal, Lia mentioned nothing about the previous night, and instead worked with a cold, aloof efficiency. I knew that she was shutting me out again, and I was helpless to do anything. I merely followed along, meekly adding suggestions as Lia did most of the work.

After rehearsal, Lia gave me one of those cursed polite smiles, and then slipped away before I could say anything else.

That night, when I went to bed, I wondered if Lia was sitting at the same window, staring out at the night sky, the moonlight washing over her features and making her seem almost ethereal. For a while, I itched to check, but I kept to myself. She clearly wasn't interested in me, and I wouldn't push her.