16. A wave of embarrassment went through me.
“My first period was when I was 14. I was over my best friend Corinne’s house who just recently got her period. I was having really bad cramps and I told Corinne. I felt something wet in my downstairs area. We were sitting in bean bag chairs in her room watching movies. I told Corinne I had to go to the bathroom. Then I realized I did get my period. It was summer break so I was wearing jean shorts. I noticed it was a bit dark on my bottom and I thought oh crap I better have not leaked on the chair. So I put toilet paper in my underwear and the first thing I saw was complete shock on Corinne’s face. I walked in and yup I leaked in the chair. It was a little spot, but even though she was my best friend a wave of embarrassment went through me. I apologized and she gave me a pad. I went to the bathroom and put on the pad. Corinne’s mom came up to see what happened. She called my mom. My mom picked me up. She stopped at a store and she walked out with pads, tampons, and a new bean bag chair.
17. My face turned so red but I didn’t want to cry in front of everyone.
“I was in eighth grade and we all had to present these projects to the class. When I got up and presented to the class, the class looked at me weird. I didn’t think any of it, until I saw my teacher bring her hand to her mouth from shock. I then felt something wet behind me and automatically thought, Did I wet myself? But no, it was my period. My teacher told me to go to the bathroom and as I left the room, I kept hearing the boys say, ‘That’s disgusting’. My face turned so red but I didn’t want to cry in front of everyone. My teacher then brought me extra school pants and asked if I was okay, and I obviously said no and asked to go home. It was pretty embarrassing, but thankfully no one at school ever brought it up again.”
18. Am I peeing my pants? Am I sweaty?
“I was 13. I remember sitting in my last class of the day thinking, Am I peeing my pants? Am I sweaty? When I went to the bathroom and realized what it was, I actually gasped out loud because after school I was supposed to be going with MY CRUSH to my school’s basketball game. I wasn’t about to cancel on my crush, so I wadded up toilet paper around my undies like a pad, tied my flannel around my waist, and went to the game. I was definitely grossed out, but mostly just annoyed that I would have to deal with this while I was supposed to be calm, cool and collected with my crush.”