"Zac, I hate CatDog. You know that." Katie teased. It was the next day, Sunday, and the two were watching cartoons via the cartoon network on the couch at his house.

"I don't like them either." Mackie told her.

"Hey!" Zac said.

"They're not that funny." She said.

"Whatever." Zac said.

"I like Garfield." Mackie volunteered.

"Yeah, and I like Scooby Doo." Katie said.

"Why do we have to watch this? Freakazoid is on the other channel." Mackie said to his big brother.

"Yeah, I saw Groof Troop on too." Katie added.

Zac sighed and playfully shoved the remote at his little bother. "Take it! Just take it already!" He said with a laugh.

Katie yawned. She had been there since around eleven that morning, and it was already four thirty. She frowned as she felt her stomach act up. It had been bothering her all afternoon. It felt like she had eaten something that didn't agree with her, and all the coke she had been drinking all afternoon wasn't helping.

She untangled herself from Zac and stood up. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be back, so no taking my spot." She said.

"Kay." The two brothers said, not taking their eyes from the screen. Katie rolled her eyes and walked out of the room across the hall to the bathroom.

She pulled down her sweats and almost fainted at what she saw. "AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!" She shrieked. She could only stare at the blood that had soaked a small blob on her underwear. She took a few deep breaths, then burried her face in her hands.

She heard Zac come over to the door. "Katie? What happened? Are you alright?" He knocked loudly on the door.

Katie took a deep breath. "I'm fine." She said, just wanting him to go away.

No wonder her stomach had been acting weird. She was having cramps. She hadn't gotten her period yet, this was her first time. Morgan hadn't gotten her period until she was almost seventeen. How unlucky.

"Are you sure? What happened? Open the door." Zac said.

"No, no, I'm fine." She insisted. Him opening the door was the last thing she wanted to have happen.

"What happend? Why did you scream?" Zac asked, knocking again. "Katie, open the door." He said.

"Zac, no, I'm fine!" She said. "I'll be out in a minute, just leave me alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, just go away." She said, starting to cry. This was the most embarassing thing to have happen. At her boyfriend's house, for goodness sake. She tried to clean up her underwear the best she could, then, deciding it was hopeless, she put a few pieces of toliet paper in her underwear.

She tried the best to hide the fact that she had been crying. This was so unexpected, and she didn't even know what to do. Her mother never got to that. She flushed the toliet and washed her hands, checking to see if it had leaked through. It hadn't yet, and she took a few deep breaths before coming out.

Zac was still standing by the door, a look of concern on his face. "What's wrong?" He quickly said, noticing her red eyes.

"Nothing." She said. She really did not want to talk about it.

"What happened Katie?" Mackie asked.

"Nothing, I'm fine sweetie." She said.

"Katie-"

"Zac! I said I was okay!" She snapped. She immediately felt sorry that she had yelled at him- a look of hurt crossed his face.

"Okay." He said quietly. He followed her back over to the couch and sat down. Katie sat down a few feet from him, he noticed. He looked over at her. She was sitting on the couch with her feet on the floor, looking like she was afraid to move. Her eyes still looked red, and she was biting her lower lip with nervousness.

A few minutes later, Katie looked at the clock, seeing that it was nearly five.

"I need to go." She said.

"Okay." Zac said. "I'll walk you home." He said quickly. He thought that maybe if he walked her home, he would get the story out of her. What in the world would cause her to go into the bathroom and scream?

"Okay." Katie said. "Mackie, Jessie and Avie are upstairs, okay?" Zac asked his little brother.

"Okay. I'm just gonna watch TV." He said.

"I'll be right back." Zac said, grabbing his coat. He handed Katie hers, and they put them on in the doorway. Once outside, they walked along the sidwalk, last night's light snow crunching beneath their feet. They walked in silence for a few minutes when Zac knew that he would absolutely die if he didnt' find out what had happened.

"Katie-"

"Zac, i'm okay." She said quickly.

"But-"

"I really dont' want to talk about it. I just want to go home." SHe said quietly.

Zac knew not to push her when she was like this. He walked her up to her front door and then they stopped.

"I wish you would tell me." He said. "Zac..."

"I really don't understand."

"You wouldn't." SHe said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just-nevermind." She said.

"Okay." He said. They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment.

"Zac, I'm sorry." She said.

"It's okay." He mumbled.

She gave him a pleading look, and he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before walkign off of her front porch. Katie watched him for a moment, then went inside.

She threw off her coat and scrambled into the kitchen.

"Well hello there." Judy said, putting out a cigarette.

"Judy, I thought you quit that." Katie said.

"I can't just quit cold turkey."

"You could try." Katie said.

"Anyway, what's up?" Judy asked her, dumping a box of speghetti into some boiling water. That was all Judy knew how to make. Needless to say, that had it a lot.

"Where's Morgan?"

"Not here."

"What?!?" Katie was panicked.

"She's out...with Taylor I guess...anniversary or some shit." Judy said, lighting another cigarette.

"Oh no!" Katie exclaimed.

"What's your problem?"

"Exactly! I have a problem, and I need Morgan."

"Gee, anything I can help you with?" Judy asked, blowing out the grey smoke.

"Well...."

"Spit it out." She said blutly.

"You are a girl, so..."

"Is this girl stuff?"

"Yeah." Katie said, her cheeks starting to turn pink.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I...got my period." Katie said quickly.

"Sucks to be you. So...?" Judy asked.

"I've never had one before." Katie said meekly.

Judy put out her cigarette and gave Katie a surprised look. "Christ, I learn something new every damn day." She said.

"What?" Katie asked.

"I had no idea. So you need stuff, or what?" Judy asked.

"Well...I dont know." Katie said truthfully.

"Oh that's right." Judy said. She motioned for Katie to follow her upstairs, and Katie did so. Judy walked down the hallway and to the bathroom, where she went in and opened the closet. She pulled out a box and handed Katie a pink package.

"Welcome to Womanhood. Don't let the door hit you on the way in." She said with a laugh.

"Uh, okay."

"Baisically, you just unwrap the sucker, stick it in yer underwear, and fold the stick tabs over. Fits like a dream, which I'm sure you'll discover." Judy said sarcasically.

"Thanks Judy."

"No problem. Um, there are such things as tampons, but I'll let Morgan take care of that." Judy said, walking to the door.

"Okay."

"Come see me when you're done." Judy said.

"Alright." Katie closed the door, and when she was finished, walked (or waddled, rather) down to the kitchen. She felt like she was wearing a diaper. Only worse. It was the most uncomfortable thing she had ever experienced. How in the world was she going to stand this? It felt huge in her pants, and she walked by a mirror to see if it stuck out or was visible.

She waddled into the kitchen, and Judy smiled at her.

"Fits like a dream, eh? Aren't they great." She said, straining the pasta.

"Uh, yeah." Katie said.

"Well, here's a little something to help." Judy said, handing her two little pills.



"What are these?" "Midol." Judy said, handing her a glass of water. "Works like a charm." SHe said as Katie swallowed.

"Thanks." Katie said. Her stomach was still cramping a little, and her back hurt too. "Should my back hurt?" She asked.

"Yup. That's normal." Judy said.

"Okay." Katie said. Judy handed her a bag of Hershey kisses.

"What are these for?" Katie asked.

"Cravings." Judy said.

Katie shrugged, and went up to her room. What a day. She flopped on her bed and opened the candy, eager for an excuse to chow down on chocolate, especially before dinner. Suddenly it didn't seem like such a big deal, or at least a big of a deal as she thought it was going to be when she first's discovered it in the Hanson's bathroom. Suddenly it hit her.

Zac. He must be more confused that anything right now, she thought. She had been a total bitch to him, and she hadn't even given him an explanation. She remembered the hurt look on his face when she told him to take her home. She picked up the phone.

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