It was one of those grey, drizzly afternoons as I walked home from school, the kind where the sky seemed to share my apprehension. Louise and I had been whispering about the inevitable all day—the looming spectre of my first period. Louise had hers last year and spoke about it like it was some kind of badge of honor. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but dread the unknown, feeling more like it was a curse than a rite of passage.
"Don’t worry, Mairin," Louise said as we stopped at the corner where we usually parted ways. "It’s not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. You’ll be fine."
I nodded, trying to muster a brave smile. The boys, of course, had overheard us and were snickering and whispering behind our backs. I ignored them, clutching my backpack a little tighter and hoping my face didn’t look as red as it felt.
When I got home, Mom was in the kitchen, humming to herself as she chopped vegetables for dinner. The familiar scent of her cooking—onions, garlic, and something tomatoey—filled the air and made me feel a bit more grounded.
“Mom,” I began hesitantly, leaning against the kitchen counter. “What...what’s it going to be like? My first period, I mean.”
Mom looked up, her eyes softening with understanding. She wiped her hands on a towel and came over to give me a hug. “Sweetie, it’s all part of growing up. It might be a bit uncomfortable at first, but it’s just your body’s way of saying you’re becoming a woman.”
I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and lingering anxiety. “Can I help with dinner?”
“Of course,” she said, handing me a carrot and a peeler. We worked side by side, the rhythm of chopping and peeling a soothing distraction from my worries.
That night, as I crawled into bed, I found a piece of paper on my pillow. The handwriting was crude, almost childlike, and it read, “We’re coming.” I blinked at it, confused and a little unnerved. Who could have left this? I decided to leave the note on my bedside table, trying to convince myself it was just a weird joke, and soon drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up to the weekend sun streaming through my curtains. I stretched, yawning, and then froze as I felt a strange dampness. Heart pounding, I dashed to the bathroom and saw it—blood. Panic set in, my mind racing a mile a minute. Was this it? Was this my first period?
I let out a scream, not sure what else to do. From somewhere in the house, I heard a deep voice call out, “Hey, kid, you’re experiencing a period. Chill out.”
I spun around, eyes wide, and saw them—the Magnavores from my favourite show, Big Bad Beetleborgs—Typhus, Noxic, and Jara, standing right there in my bathroom. My mouth dropped open. “What...how...why are you here?”
Noxic, the robotic one, tilted his head and grinned. “We’re here to help you through this. We’re like, your period guardians.”
“Period guardians?” I echoed, bewildered. “This has to be a dream.”
“Nope, not a dream,” Typhus said, scratching his head. “You’ve got the blood down your pants, the mood swings, and yeah, you’re gonna smell funny for a bit.”
“Gee, thanks,” I muttered, feeling my face heat up with embarrassment.
Jara, the only female among them, rummaged through her suitcase and tossed a packet of period pads and a pair of black knickers at me. “Here, these will help. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.”
I stared at the pads and knickers, then back at the Magnavores. “This is so weird,” I said, but despite everything, I felt a strange comfort in their presence. I managed a smile and said, “Thank you.”
After changing and freshening up, I led my bizarre new friends downstairs. “Mom,” I called out, trying to keep my voice steady, “I want you to meet my...um...representations of my period.”
To my amazement, Mom wasn’t the least bit phased by their monstrous appearances. “Well, that’s quite something,” she said with a smile. “Why don’t you all sit down and have some breakfast?”
We gathered around the table, and I couldn’t help but laugh as the Magnavores dug into the bacon, eggs, and pancakes with gusto, making a mess in the process. I watched them, feeling a strange kinship with their chaos.
“So, what makes you guys as messy as my period?” I asked Typhus, wiping syrup off my arm.
He shrugged, shoving another piece of pancake into his mouth. “We’re just naturally like this. Back where we came from, our place is pretty messy too. I guess we just bring the mess with us.”
I shook my head, chuckling. “Well, welcome to my world, I guess.”
After breakfast, I showed them up to my bedroom. As expected, they were less than impressed with my girly decor. Posters of boy bands, stuffed animals, and pastel-coloured everything made them grimace.
“This won’t do,” Noxic said, shaking his head. “We need to make this place more...you.”
They set to work, and soon my room was transformed. Rock ‘n’ roll posters covered the walls, a drinks machine stood in one corner, Typhus’s electric guitars were proudly displayed on a rack, and Jara even had a vanity table set up.
I looked around, feeling a warmth spread through me. “It’s a nice touch,” I said softly, pulling them into a hug. “Thanks, guys.”
As we stood there, the four of us, in the midst of my newly decorated room, I felt something shift inside me. This was my new normal, a weird, wonderful family to help me through this confusing time. And somehow, it didn’t feel quite as scary anymore.
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