The Jet (A Sandlot Story) Benny Rodriguez

Chapter 11

"Shit." You mumbled under your breath, springing up from the white crisp sheets of your bed and racing into the bathroom as fast as you could.

You were hoping this wasn't what you thought it was, but unfortunately you were not so lucky.

Today of all days. It finally came. By it I mean your period. You could not describe how weird this was. It hadn't come for years, and you figured you were just a late bloomer, but then you thought it just might not ever come. How foolish of you to think something would work out for you that way.

You got yourself cleaned up and prayed that you wouldn't have to change your sheets. As luck would have it, that was the only thing that did not have to be cleaned.

Your mom probably heard you making a ruckus earlier, as she came into the room, sleep still heavy in her foggy eyes, and curlers still wrapped with her hair.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" she softly spoke, making you jolt up and turn around to her presence.

"I uh, got my period." You shyly confessed to her.

She didn't say anything, she just walked over to where you were standing, and pulled you into a sweet hug.

"If you need anything just let me know okay? You know what to do for yourself right?" she gently asked, scooping your face in the palm of her hand like she used to do when you were a kid.

"I will, and yeah I think so. I might stay home today though, I don't wanna take any chances." You figured if you went out on the day of your first period, things might get weird.

"That's just fine dear, I'll be home from work a little after lunch, maybe I can invite Mikey over and we can watch some movies?" She suggested. She didn't honestly know anything about how screwed up Mikey was, and to be fair, you didn't give her a sense you didn't like him. As far as it has gone, you've been pretending to get along for her sake.

"I mean, if you want to, you and Mikey can watch movies, but I think I might be better off in my room." You replied. You thought you'd done a good job of concealing your fear of having to be in the same room as Mikey.

Your mother just gave you a nod, smiling to you and patting your shoulder before getting up to go get ready in her room.

It was fairly early in the morning, and you didn't usually get up anytime before eight o clock during the summer. That was unless you and Benny were watching the sunrise.

Speak of the Devil, you heard three taps at the window just like you always did when he came by.

You went over and slid the window open, helping him up into your room.

He was about to invite you to his place for breakfast that morning, knowing how much you like his mom's cooking, but he saw the sad-ish look on your face.

"Hey, what's wrong? Not happy to see me or something?" he asked playfully, trying to get a rise out of you, and it did. You gave him a wide smile. You were always happy to see him.

"It's not that, I just.... I um.... I can't come out today." You scratched up and down the side of your arm, a nervous habit you'd developed over the summer.

"Why not? Did something happen? Did Mikey do something again?" he got angrier with the words of his last sentence.

"No, no, nothing like that. It's just that I uh....."

"You what? Are you okay?" he grabbed both of your hands in his, just as a sign that whatever it was you could tell him.

"I'm fine, I just think I should take a day off is all." You lied, but he could tell. He could always tell. You don't even know why you bothered lying.