give the new girl fake directions? You must be really clever. Oh, wait, I’m sorry. Massie probably gave you the idea. I forgot you don’t come up with anything on your own, do you?” Claire mumbled under her breath. She stomped up the stairs and straight down the hall, back to where she started.
The infirmary smelled like rubbing alcohol despite the vase of fresh pink roses on the reception desk.
“Hello, dear, how can I help you?” the nurse asked. Her voice was soothing and buttery.
“I need to see the nurse.” Claire’s eyes welled up with tears when she heard herself say those words. The morning’s events had really taken a toll on her.
“I’m the nurse. My name’s Adele.” She lifted her index finger to the name embroidered on her lab coat.
Adele had shoulder-length auburn hair and soft green eyes. She looked kind and comforting, the way movie moms do in warm fuzzy flashback scenes.
“Have a seat and tell me what hurts.”
“I’m fine. Honestly. I don’t even know why I’m here.” Claire tried to force a smile. “Vincent told me to come, but he wouldn’t say why.”
“Claire, would you mind standing up for me?” She spoke with confidence, like a detective who was seconds away from cracking a case.
Claire stood up carefully.
“Yup, just as I thought, you got your period,” Adele said.
“No, I didn’t!” Claire insisted.
“Look at the back of your jeans.” Adele opened her desk, pulled out a large hand mirror, and passed it to Claire.
“No way!”
“It’s perfectly natural, nothing at all to be embarrassed about. I’ll get you some pamphlets about menstruation and a pair of new jeans from the lost and found,” Adele said. “Be right back.”
Claire knew this was impossible. She didn’t even have boobs yet. There was no way she’d gotten her period. She rubbed her index finger along the red stain on her pants and realized that it was paint. She rewound her brain and paused on Alicia bumping into her during art.
Wow,
she thought,
what Massie wants, Massie gets
. And then the whole scene played back in front of her, and she was so embarrassed she couldn’t even think straight.
Adele burst through the door pushing a wardrobe rack full of designer clothes.
“This is our lost and found. Don’t worry, everything has been dry-cleaned,” she said. “Go through and pick out something you like.”
“Seriously?” Claire asked.
“Yeah, why not? The girls at this school
hardly
go looking for last year’s clothes.”
“Really?” Claire’s blue eyes widened. “I would have to save for years to afford just one of the things on the rack.”
“Take as much as you want.” Adele smiled. “Getting your period is something to celebrate.”
Claire could feel Adele watching her while she sifted through the Seven jeans, silk print blouses, rhinestone-speckled T-shirts, denim skirts, satin camisoles, cashmere sweaters, suede blazers, and leather pants.
“Are you new here, Claire?” Adele asked.
“It’s that obvious, huh?”
“A little,” Adele said. “But in a good way.”
Claire wasn’t sure exactly what she meant by that but was grateful for the compliment. She was more than ready for a little kindness.
Claire thanked the nurse with a hug and promised to come back for a visit.
When Claire walked out of the nurse’s office, she looked like she belonged at OCD. She was wearing a camel-colored cashmere tank top, dark denim flair jeans, and a pair of pointy Steve Madden boots. She felt bad for tossing her favorite white Gap jeans, but they were ruined anyway.
She walked straight to the café, with her toes squished and her head held high.
O CTAVIAN C OUNTRY DAY S CHOOL T HE C AFÉ
12:26 P.M . September 2nd
Massie waited for her friends to be seated and organized before she told them her good news. She sat patiently while (1) Dylan pulled the thick foil off her Zone lunch and sniffed the pale grilled chicken breast; (2) Alicia bit off the corners of several
The infirmary smelled like rubbing alcohol despite the vase of fresh pink roses on the reception desk.
“Hello, dear, how can I help you?” the nurse asked. Her voice was soothing and buttery.
“I need to see the nurse.” Claire’s eyes welled up with tears when she heard herself say those words. The morning’s events had really taken a toll on her.
“I’m the nurse. My name’s Adele.” She lifted her index finger to the name embroidered on her lab coat.
Adele had shoulder-length auburn hair and soft green eyes. She looked kind and comforting, the way movie moms do in warm fuzzy flashback scenes.
“Have a seat and tell me what hurts.”
“I’m fine. Honestly. I don’t even know why I’m here.” Claire tried to force a smile. “Vincent told me to come, but he wouldn’t say why.”
“Claire, would you mind standing up for me?” She spoke with confidence, like a detective who was seconds away from cracking a case.
Claire stood up carefully.
“Yup, just as I thought, you got your period,” Adele said.
“No, I didn’t!” Claire insisted.
“Look at the back of your jeans.” Adele opened her desk, pulled out a large hand mirror, and passed it to Claire.
“No way!”
“It’s perfectly natural, nothing at all to be embarrassed about. I’ll get you some pamphlets about menstruation and a pair of new jeans from the lost and found,” Adele said. “Be right back.”
Claire knew this was impossible. She didn’t even have boobs yet. There was no way she’d gotten her period. She rubbed her index finger along the red stain on her pants and realized that it was paint. She rewound her brain and paused on Alicia bumping into her during art.
Wow,
she thought,
what Massie wants, Massie gets
. And then the whole scene played back in front of her, and she was so embarrassed she couldn’t even think straight.
Adele burst through the door pushing a wardrobe rack full of designer clothes.
“This is our lost and found. Don’t worry, everything has been dry-cleaned,” she said. “Go through and pick out something you like.”
“Seriously?” Claire asked.
“Yeah, why not? The girls at this school
hardly
go looking for last year’s clothes.”
“Really?” Claire’s blue eyes widened. “I would have to save for years to afford just one of the things on the rack.”
“Take as much as you want.” Adele smiled. “Getting your period is something to celebrate.”
Claire could feel Adele watching her while she sifted through the Seven jeans, silk print blouses, rhinestone-speckled T-shirts, denim skirts, satin camisoles, cashmere sweaters, suede blazers, and leather pants.
“Are you new here, Claire?” Adele asked.
“It’s that obvious, huh?”
“A little,” Adele said. “But in a good way.”
Claire wasn’t sure exactly what she meant by that but was grateful for the compliment. She was more than ready for a little kindness.
Claire thanked the nurse with a hug and promised to come back for a visit.
When Claire walked out of the nurse’s office, she looked like she belonged at OCD. She was wearing a camel-colored cashmere tank top, dark denim flair jeans, and a pair of pointy Steve Madden boots. She felt bad for tossing her favorite white Gap jeans, but they were ruined anyway.
She walked straight to the café, with her toes squished and her head held high.
O CTAVIAN C OUNTRY DAY S CHOOL T HE C AFÉ
12:26 P.M . September 2nd
Massie waited for her friends to be seated and organized before she told them her good news. She sat patiently while (1) Dylan pulled the thick foil off her Zone lunch and sniffed the pale grilled chicken breast; (2) Alicia bit off the corners of several
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