Her Hope Has Tattoos

Chapter 13: Week

Kennedy Winters *Edited 1/11/15*

        A soft noise pierced the content bed room. I wearily open my eyes and glance to the side table where Jackson's phone vibrates on the wooden surface. I push myself up and lean on my elbows. Jackson's doesn't look affected as he continues to snore with his mouth wide open. I move the bottom of my palms over my eyes and try to rid the dryness.

        My hand clasps around the cold metal and I peer at the alarm for school. White writing says 6:01. Way too early to wake up. I ponder on the thought of getting out of bed and decide to not fall back asleep and get ready. I mean I would like school if I didn't have to get up so early.

        "Jackson," I whisper, lightly tapping his shoulder.

        "What kitten?" His eyebrows furrow and he pushes his face farther into the pillow.

        "Time for school. Did you just call me a kitten?" I ask, bewildered.

        He smiles into the pillow and opens his big brown eyes.

        "You can have the bathroom first. I'll take you home after I'm done getting ready into get new clothes." I nod and push the sheets back, seeing the dark and deserted beach out the window.

        The moon creates a dim light in the whole room, just enough to see a red splotch on the white sheets. I blink a few times and bend over to examine it. I hold my hair around my shoulder from falling in my eyes.

        Is that blood?

        Shoot. The situation slowly registers as I realize my period arrived some what earlier than I expected. Crap! Shoot! Sh*t! F*ck! Every word in the English dictionary plays in my head, the color draining from my face. What am I going to tell Jackson? He's going to think I'm a freak for bleeding on his bed. No Kennedy! His bed is not a flipping pad!

        "Are ya going to go or what?" He groans and rolls over, "what?" He looks at me but I ignore his gaze.

        "What is that?" He asks and props his head up, staring at the ugly stain.

        "I'm sorry Jackson, I didn't know." Heat rushes to my face as Jackson's wild eyebrows furrow in confusion.

        "Kennedy, it's okay," he softly says and grabs my arm, preventing me from escaping this situation. My eyes are locked on the stain in panic.

        "No it's not!" I quietly rush out and pry my arm out of his hold.

        "Kennedy, it's really fine. I'll just tell my mom I had a nosebleed." He grabs my hand by my side and pulls me down to sit on the bed.

        "Okay."

        "Kennedy Kitty Cat," he sings out in a hushed tone. I slowly smile and look at him like a crazy dude. Jackson leans up and pecks my cheek. His lips linger on my cheek till he pulls away.

        "There are some pads in the bottom right drawer of the cabinet." He pushes my lower back off the bed and drops back into the set of pillows.

        I walk to the door and unlock it. I scurry across the quite hall into the bathroom and lock the door. I lean down and grab a pad in a purple wrapper and put it on.

        "Jackson! I gotta go bathroom. Hurry up!" My eyes freeze on my reflection through the mirror. Can my day get any worse? Okay, let's not test that...

        "Jackson c'mon. I'm not leaving till you get out!" She bangs on the wooden door, probably waking the whole neighborhood up.

        "Chey, I'm right here," Jackson calls out from the other side of the door.