She's my sister

Young Dumb & Broke

"Mum can I go to the mall with Casey and Anna on Friday?" I ask, leaning across the kitchen counter.

"Set the table please Kit." Instructs mum handing me the dinner plates. "That's the day the twins fly out, I'll talk to you father maybe you girls can go on Saturday." I set the plates down one by one, then lay down the forks and knifes. She stirs what ever it is on the stove and shakes a spice into it. "Can you go tell the boys that dinner is ready." I spin on my heel and walk down the hallway towards the twins bedroom.

The twins share a bedroom, but it's big. It was originally a theatre room but when I came along mum and dad moved them into this room. I can hear their muffled voices through the bedroom wall, "why in the actual hell would a person need more than one suit?"

I smile and nudge the door open with my arm, "because you never see a girl wearing the same dress twice. How goes the packing?" I ask leaning against the wall Sammy shrugs, and watches Harry fiddle with his camera. "Anyway mum says it's time for dinner."

We had salmon for dinner, turns out what Mum was making was the sauce. I've never really been a fan of salmon, but I do enjoy chilli with chips. I finish my schoolwork then help the boys pack. I shower before going to bed, I crawl under my white sheets and drift off into a dreamless sleep.

~4ish hours later-

I might actually be dying! That's totally it my body attacking it from the inside out. I woke up to find blood running down my legs, causing it to stain my bed sheets with a big red blob. I can't actually move, I'm physically stuck to my bedsheets.

"Mum," I whisper "mum, mum MUM!" I scream, hot tears run down my face. The hallway light turns on and both mum and dad appear in the doorway, I can hear the twins shuffling around downstairs.

"Kit what is it?! It's one in the morning." I bite my lip, and look up at mum with my wet eyes. I pull back the bedsheet so that she can see the stain "help." I plead, mum turns to dad "go back to bed darling, I can handle it." Dad disappears, and Mum comes in and shuts the door.

"What's happening I don't understand?" I whimper, mum pulls back the sheets further. "Stand up darling," she instructs. I do ask she asks to see an even bigger stain, "go to the bathroom and wash down your legs, take clean underwear and fresh bottoms as well." I do as she asks, and she starts striping my bed. I go into my bathroom, and Mum follows with a package.

"Mum I still don't understand what's happening. Am I dying?"

"Heavens no Katie, this is just your first period. It's going to happen every month for a very long time, so this is what your going to do." She flys into a list of institutions, she leaves me to get cleaned. When I go back to my bedroom I find mum standing over a freshly made bed with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. "Here sit," she says handing me a cup. She sits down next to me and sighs,

"My baby girl growing up so fast." We sit in silence as drink the hot chocolate,

"What am I supposed to do at school tomorrow?" Mum sighs,

"All you can do it's try to go about your day normally. Every chance you get go to the bathroom and change, and next time this happens I will show you how to use a tampon."

"You mean I can't dance with what I have on now?" I ask,

"You can I suppose, you still have your dance underwear correct?" I nod "I have smaller versions of the pad that you can use and that will work just as well." Mum glances over at the clock and sighs "you should get back to sleep, you are going to be tired tomorrow. Mmm also it's a half day of school." Mum takes my cup and kisses my head, "love you Kit, don't grow up on me too fast."

"Love you too mum." Mum walks out of my bedroom turning off the light and closing the door on her way out. I pull my blankets back over myself. That night I wake up a lot, in constant fear of waking up to find more blood everywhere.

•••

"How was day?" Dad asks happily as I get in the car after school. I scowl and throw my bag into the car. Dad says nothing, we drive in silence. When we get home I storm out of the car and right up too my bedroom. I slam the door shut and slide down the wall.

I don't understand what's happening two minutes ago I was laughing with my friends, now I mad and I can't come up with a reason for being mad. There's a knock at my door, "go away!" I bark to whoever is on the other side.

"Katie Maria open this door right now!" Mum orders. I huff and do as she asks. She's standing there with her arms folded, looking rather annoyed. She comes into my room and shuts the door, "Okay what happened today?"

"I bled through my leotard and everyone saw, including monsiure Mroin, and because I was trying to clean up I was late for my next class and I got yelled at." I say chocking back a sob, "what's happening? I was fine two minutes ago now I'm crying."

"This my love is called PMS. It's basically when your emotions just get out of control, it will go away soon."

"Now I fell bad, I yelled at dad and monsieur Mroin. I hate this!" I complain, mum chuckles

"Well what if I made chilli and chips for dinner? Would that make it better?" She asks, I nod and make a puppy dog face. "After dinner we are taking the boys to the airport, so finish your school work now please."

Mum leaves my bedroom and shuts the dirt behind her. I change out of my uniform and it comfy close. I finish my school work, then I take a nap until Dad comes and wakes me up. We all have one last family dinner for a while - sorry let me correct myself; most of us have on final family dinner for a while.

"Mum do you think if I made Monsuire Mroin some cookies and apologized to him, do you think he would forgive me?" I ask politely wringing my hands in my lap,

"I think that is an excellent idea."