This chapter is a little long but trust me you'll love it ❤️

MIA

"I'm sorry, she's sick?" Jackson's voice held a trace of sadness as my mom lied to him, claiming that I had fallen ill. I couldn't let him know that I was on my period. That would just be too weird.

"Yes, dear," Mom replied, playing along.

"Can I at least see her?" Jackson attempted to enter the house, but I hid upstairs, watching him from above as he prepared to climb the stairs.

No way!

"No!" Mom and Maddy both yelled at him, startling him.

"We mean..." Maddy started, clutching her school bag tightly. "She doesn't like it when people see her when she's sick." She lied, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I understand," he nodded, his gaze fixed on the stairs. I shifted uncomfortably, worried that he might have caught a glimpse of me.

"Okay then, let's go," Maddy cheered, tugging Jackson's hand away from the house. They left together, the sound of the door closing bringing both Mom and me a sense of relief.

"Thanks, Mom," I said, holding my stomach as I slowly descended the stairs. When my period started, it felt like a bunch of nails were piercing my insides, driving me crazy.

"Not a problem, dear. I'm just concerned about how you'll manage all alone," she frowned. I suddenly remembered that Miles wouldn't be around since he had an interview for an internship at a tech company, and Mom was taking Max to the dentist because his teeth had been bothering him. It was going to be a long journey ahead.

"No worries, I'll be..." My words got stuck in my throat as another wave of pain gripped my stomach. "Fine," I gritted my teeth, trying to push through the discomfort.

Fucking Periods.

"Oh, honey," she attempted to hug me, but I stopped her.

"Mum, not now. It might make things worse," I managed to force a smile as I walked slowly to the living room, longing for the comfort of my warm blanket. I carefully lay down on the couch, covering myself with the cozy blanket.

"Honey, don't worry, let me make you some hot soup. It'll help reduce the pain," she said with concern. I heard her footsteps heading to the kitchen, so I decided to shut my eyes and lie down on the sofa. Somehow, putting pressure on my stomach seemed to ease the pain a bit.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I already knew it was Ariel and Sydney since I had called them and told them about what I was going through.

"I'm coming!" I whined internally as the pain intensified with each step I took towards the door. Finally, I opened it.

"Mia!" they exclaimed in unison. They were already dressed for school, while I looked sickly in my pajamas. Well, it was no surprise since this pain could really change a person's appearance. My dark under-eye circles were prominent, my hair was a mess, and I looked paler than usual. That's how bad it was.

"Damn, Mia, you look..." Sydney elbowed Ariel's shoulder, cutting off her comment. "Lovely. I wanted to say lovely."

I rolled my eyes. "Just come in." I stepped aside to let them in, then took slow steps back to the sofa. They shut the door behind them and followed me.

"Mia, who was..." Mom trailed off, realizing the presence of the girls. "Oh, Sydney, Ariel, aren't you supposed to be in school?" she asked as she brought me a cup of hot water to drink.

"Thanks, Mom," I said, taking the cup from her and waiting for it to cool down a bit before taking a sip.

"We're about to, Mrs. Smith. We just decided to see Mia since we know how it affects her," Sydney explained.

"Exactly," Ariel nodded.

"Aww, that's so sweet. But you girls should start heading to school," Mom calmly said.

They both nodded and were about to leave when I called them. "Oh, guys!" They turned to face me.

"If you see Jackson, just make up an excuse for me," I requested.

"Of course," Sydney nodded.

"Obviously, wouldn't want your future..." Ariel smirked, about to finish her sentence, but I immediately threw a pillow at her, making everyone laugh.

"I'm joking," Ariel chuckled, throwing the pillow back at me.

"That's enough fun, ladies," Mom chuckled as she carried Max in her arms. He was busy playing with her purse. "Now, Mia, I'll be heading out with them. Are you sure you can take care of yourself?"

I nodded, getting up. "Yes, Mom, I'm good. If anything happens, I'll call you asap." She smiled upon hearing that and gave me a kiss on the head before leaving with Sydney and Ariel.

"Bye, Mia!" Max waved at me with his tiny, cute hands.

"Bye," I smiled, waving back until they were out of sight. I settled back into the sofa, wondering how I was going to survive the day.

Today was going to be a long day.

.

.

.

.

"This sucks," I muttered, switching off the TV and throwing the remote onto the other sofa. After spending a few hours in the living room, clutching my blanket tightly, the universe couldn't even grant me my favorite show. Instead, I was stuck with boring shows like The Good Doctor. I couldn't even understand a word they were saying.

Suddenly, a craving for something sweet hit me. Luckily, my period didn't affect my sweet tooth. Unfortunately, there was nothing sweet in the house, and I just felt like hugging someone. I felt so lonely in that moment.

*Ding!*

The doorbell suddenly rang, causing me to groan in frustration. I slowly got up, feeling the pain reduce a little as I made my way to the door.

Carefully, I opened the door, preparing to say that we didn't want to buy anything, thinking it was those people who usually ask for weird things. But I froze when I saw who it was. "Jackson?"

Was I imagining him? No, it couldn't be the period playing tricks on me. I don't imagine people...

"Hey," his deep voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I stared at him, blinking my eyes multiple times, which made him chuckle. I realized it wasn't an illusion.

He's really here.

"Hey," I tried to smile back, but the pain suddenly surged. "Fucking period," I cursed, feeling so embarrassed right now. Why did the universe hate me so much?

"Mia, be careful," he said, his hands gently touching my shoulders. It wasn't anything extraordinary, but looking into his warm, concerned eyes made it special to me.

"Let's go inside, okay?" he suggested, and I nodded. He slowly supported me and carried a package in his other hand, which I only noticed now.

He gently placed me on the sofa and went to close the door before coming back. "Why are you here? You're supposed to be in school," I had to ask, even though I was happy to see him. I glanced down and noticed he wasn't wearing his school uniform, which meant he hadn't gone to school.

"Yeah, I know I'm supposed to be in school, but..." He walked towards me and then knelt down, so our eyes were at the same level. "It would be boring without you there."

A smile crept onto my face, but I tried to contain it. "Continue. How did your mom even let you stay back?"

"Well," he scratched his head, "she doesn't exactly know that I'm here."

"What?!"

"I snuck into the house to change and to get..." He paused, opening the package and retrieving a small package that resembled one Mom uses for her health remedies. "It helps with... you know, the red lady," he muttered under his breath, looking flustered but I heard him loud and clear.

"Red what?!" Laughter filled the room as I couldn't contain myself anymore. But suddenly, a sharp pain shot through me, forcing me to stop abruptly.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have made you laugh," he said, looking a bit nervous. "But that's just what I call it when my Mom goes through it. She says it's the most proper way for a guy to refer to it." It seemed like he was used to seeing his mom experience the same thing.

Curiosity sparked within me, and I raised an eyebrow, asking, "How did you know, though?"

He hesitated for a moment, glancing around the house. "Well..." he trailed off. "I kinda, maybe... don't freak out, asked Maddy."

I was about to react, but he stopped me, pleading, "Don't be angry with her. I was just worried. I thought..." He paused, licking his lips before continuing, "I thought it was because of the meat we ate yesterday that made you sick, and I felt guilty. So I asked her about it. She doesn't know I'm here, though." His eyes were fixed on me, waiting for my response.

I let out a deep breath, relaxing onto the sofa. "Okay."

He cautiously sat down beside me, his face filled with concern. "Okay? Are you sure? I mean, you won't be upset with her?"

I shook my head. "Nope, I won't. And actually..." I glanced around, remembering the silence before he arrived, then looked back at him, smiling. "I could use the company."

I hadn't planned on saying it, but I was glad I did. His face lit up instantly, erasing the dullness I had felt just a few hours ago.

"So you're glad I ditched school," he said, moving closer and resting his head on the sofa.

"Definitely. I wanted to go crazy," I laughed, trying to calm myself, hoping my laughter wouldn't trigger the pain.

"Well then, I'm glad. Let me make some herbal tea," he said. Seeing my reaction to the word 'herbal,' he reassured me, "Trust me, it's just honey and ginger. You'll mostly taste the honey." He playfully pinched my cheeks before getting up and heading to the kitchen.

"Oh, and look inside the other package," he called out before disappearing into the kitchen.

I slowly got up, excitement bubbling within me, and picked up the package. As I opened it, I couldn't help but almost scream with joy. "Strawberry Cheesecake, my favorite," I whispered, my heart filled with gratitude for this sweet surprise.

"Hope it's still your favorite. I don't know if your sweet tooth has changed over the years," he said, returning with a cup in hand and handing it to me.

"No way, I love it till death," I declared, making him chuckle. "Well, good. Now drink up," he encouraged, his eyes filled with anticipation as I stared at the liquid.

Inhaling its sweet aroma, I hoped it tasted as good as he had described. I closed my eyes and took a sip, savoring the warmth as I swallowed. "It's delicious. Thank you," I said, my cheeks brushing with a slight blush at how happy he seemed and how happy he made me feel.

"Not a problem. So, is there anything else you want? Juice? I could make you something to eat," he offered.

"I'm hungry," I finally admitted.

"Good. I'll see what I can cook up. Hopefully, your mom won't mind," he remarked.

"I can't tell her you were here. She would tell yours, remember?" I reminded him.

"Right, we can't get caught," he agreed.

"Exactly," I nodded as he walked towards the kitchen. Suddenly, something crossed my mind. "Jackson?" I called out, biting my lip nervously. I hoped I didn't sound too childish with my request. "Could you... please help me get the teddy bear you gave me? It's in my room."

He paused, considering my request before responding, "Sadly, I can't."

I frowned, wondering why. "Why not?"

"Let's see," he folded his arms, contemplating his answer as I waited anxiously.

"If I bring the bear here, then what's my use?" he said, pretending to look sad, which left me confused.

"I'm confused," I nervously laughed, my heart starting to race for some reason.

"You want to cuddle with it, right?" He raised an eyebrow, and I nodded in response. "Then why not cuddle with me?" he simply stated, as if it wasn't a big deal. But to me, it felt like the biggest deal.

"I'm...confused," I stammered, my mind racing, trying to process his words.

"Let's cuddle after I finish preparing the meal, Mia," he finally clarified, pointing out what I had hoped he didn't mean.

I should have said no, I really should have. I had just had a serious talk with myself yesterday, telling myself not to fall for him. But here he was, doing all the things that any girl with a brain would fall even harder for.

"So, yes?" he asked again, noticing my silence. His eyes looked desperate, as if my answer could change something, like it could change our relationship.

As a rational girl who had just challenged herself to stop these feelings, to cut off all the silly moments with him, I should have firmly said no. But instead, the girl hormones within me took control and said:

"Yes."

.....