Lila Mae the Wildflower

The Wool Fest

They wanted to watch High School Musical.

Lila Mae had outright refused. Not only did she hate movies, she hated cheesy movies. Jasy looked bummed. For like a second before they bounced back and asked if she wanted to go to the Wool Fest. A festival dedicated to shearing sheep and all the uses for wool. 

"Fine."

It was cold. And crowded. And muddy. And there were a thousand smells swirling through the air. Cinnamon and sugar and cooking oil from the elephant ear and the FFA funnel cake booth. Wet sheep smell and manure from the demonstration barn. Sizzling meats. Hot pizza. The muddy creek rushing past them down the hill. 

They stopped at stand that offered dreamcatchers and knives in beaded leather pouches. Jasy knew the person there. 

The dreamcatchers were beautiful. Some were tiny, as small as her palm. Some were larger. And even larger. Some were the size of a basketball hoop.

"Lila Mae?" Jasy looked at her expectantly, "Ready to go to the sheep shearing demonstration?"

She grinned, feeling almost guilty like she had gotten caught doing something wrong. She smiled at the person and took Jasy hand.

It felt natural now. To walk side by side. Holding hands. 

She was still wondering what it would be like to kiss them.

They watched the demo. It seemed almost cruel. The sheep was wild eyed and nervous. But the person doing it was so quick, the sheep hardly got a chance to panic. 

She started to get a weird feeling. Like a weird physical feeling.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she said nervously to Jasy. Their smile faltered. Just a little bit. They bounced out of their seat and walked with her to the green port-a-potties. 

She closed the heavy plastic door behind her. The space was cramped. And it did not smell good.

"Oh, ew." Lila Mae wrinkled her nose and lined the shiny black seat with thin toilet paper. 

Lila Mae was right about having a weird feeling. 

The biggest glob of uterine lining sat on the wad of toilet paper. 

She had no pads.

No tampons.

No menstrual cup.

No period panties.

And no experience either. She'd never had her period before. She used to keep extra pads in her bag. But because they were never used, they fell apart in her bag. 

Her bag.

Which was outside.

With Jasy.

She didn't want to get it dirty in here. 

How was she going to get a pad out of her purse and back in here? If there even was a pad left in there. Maybe there was one in the secret little pocket on the side?

Maybe. 

She had to check.