edited

|Adara De Clare|

I have no idea what to think about that day in the woods. It was definitely something. Whenever I think about it so many things run through my head. Like: why did he act like that? What happened to change him? People don't change though, right? Or am I wrong and he has changed?

I mean, he told me his name. I still can't wrap my head around that. He told me his name. This is literally about to make my brain burst. I don't know what to think of it.

Ni-

No! Don't say his name. Remember, he said that if I call his name he could hear it. Wow, that's magnificent. So if I call his name he could just appear like he's summoned? Nice.

A few days have passed since we went to the woods. Via and I's art project was due Monday and thankfully we got it done and sent in, in just the nick of time.

Our teacher was super upset though, since only two groups out of the entire class sent it in. She gave us another project due next monday because of it. Thankfully, though, this one is slightly attainable. We're to make an art that symbolizes an emotion without making the emotion obvious.

To make sacrifices, Via and I had to split up and go with other partners for the sake of our grade. Neither of us can draw well so that's a sure zero. Our other classmates who coincidentally didn't have partners can draw however so that's a win win. Even though I don't like being separate from Via, it's the best thing for the both of us to do, for our grades.

If we don't want our grades in Art to fall lower than an A, we better make some sacrifices.

Other than Art, my school life is relatively great. I have all As in all the subjects I'm taking right now. My social life is how it's always been: boring. I literally only have Via as my friend at school. I have people that I study with occasionally in the library.

Speaking of the library, I got an email from the librarian, Mrs. Harriett, she wants me to visit her to talk about a possible job offer. I'm so grateful for her but also why did she have to love me like a daughter? I don't want a job really. I know that I'm sixteen and I'm at the age where I'm supposed to work now but it gives me anxiety.

She said that I'd like it a lot. I really hope I do, the idea of making my own money sounds nice and all but my anxiety keeps saying no.

It's Wednesday and just like that, I'm begging for this week to be over already. I don't know why it just won't end but it needs to. I'm tired. My feet hurt, my legs cramp, my back aches, my stomach pains. Everywhere hurts. All thanks to that thing people call 'period'. It sucks. Tremendously. I hate it. I'm in pain.

Via is lucky, she doesn't get symptoms, her period is rather irregular however. I guess that evens it out. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, screw this whole thing!

I double over, clutching my stomach. I hold on to one of the lockers and I grip it, tight

"Are you okay?" A girl asks, running over to me.

I nod my head, "Yeah, I'm fine, it's just my period." I tell her, through gritted teeth.

"Oh, I have some pain killers if you want." She rummages through her bag and gives me two pills, which I graciously take.

"Thank you so much." She purses her lips at me in a smile, then she goes back to her friends. I take out my water bottle then I put in the pills, swallowing it as I drink the water.

Ah, I really hope this works because my entire body feels like it's about to throw itself off a mountain and down a cliff right into the ocean. I hate my body. I don't know why it constantly tries to kill me.

I'm sorry that you got paired with me, body, but we can try to work it out and at least try to be friendly. I'm nice to you so please be nice to me.

Please, I'm literally begging you.

I build up energy in my body so that I can go to my next class: Biology.

I have it right before Art. I wish I could say that I can't wait to go to Art but that would be a lie. Art is my hell right now. I cannot draw, no matter how hard I try, I can't.

Besides, Via isn't my partner. Sasha is. She is very talented in Art to say the least but she kind of intimidates me. She's an extrovert. That's literally all I can say. Extroverts terrify me. She talks a lot. I have no idea how she can talk and do art at the same time. That girl is multi-talented. She petrifies me.

Before, I go into Biology, I try to straighten my posture but my stomach prevents me from doing so. A cramp shoots through my body going up my spine and down again. I bite my lip hard to stop myself from saying a curse word.

I knock on the door and my teacher, Miss Grayfield, opens the door. She's a small woman with long blonde hair going all the way down to her butt. She always has a smile on her face. Now, however, she doesn't. If there's one thing she hates, its tardiness.

Everyone loves her so they all come to class early but I'm not.

"Adara, darling, why are you late?" She asks me and I can tell she's trying to be as kind as possible right now.

"I'm sorry miss but I had really bad cramps and it took me forever to even get down the stairs." I explain to her and she looks down at my hand that's wrapped around my belly. I clutch it harder as another cramp comes on.

My hand finds her shoulder and I hold it as I double over even further. "Oww!" I shout out.

She holds me up. "I'm so sorry, honey. In my opinion, I don't think that you should be here right now. You should go home and get comfortable." She tells me and I nod.

"I should but my parents are at work." I explain.

"Well, is there anyone else you could call?"

The Prince.

All I have to do is say his name.

"Yeah, there is." I tell her.

"Okay, go into the bathroom and call them. If they're going to pick you up, tell me." She tells me and I nod.

I drag myself into the bathroom. Here goes nothing. I technically don't need to use my phone since he said I could just call his name. Here it goes.

Nikolai?

I look around, hoping that no one is here in the restroom with me.

'Yes?'

My eyebrows shoot up. Wow, he actually answered.

Could you pick me up?

'School ends now?'

No. I'm not feeling well, could you come for me?

'Okay, I'll be there in six minutes.'

I nod, then I realize that he can't see me.

Okay.

That was weird.

I've never actually used his name before. I've literally never said it out loud before either. It terrifies me a little. I haven't known his name for my entire life and now I do so it's weird and new. I don't know if I should use it a lot or not.

Would he be mad if I kept calling him by his name instead of 'your highness'? I mean, he is the Vampire Prince and I should address him by his title. I am a commoner and he's royalty. I should address him as such.

But if he didn't want me to know his name and call him by it, why did he tell me in the first place? To show trust? I don't know.

I leave the restroom and I go back to Miss Grayfield. I knock on the door, and I clutch my stomach as I feel another cramp coming on.

The pills that girl gave me is doing wonders for my aching legs and back but of course it does nothing for my stomach. I hoped it would though. Against all odds, I hoped it would.

"Did you get them?" She asks me, coming outside and closing the door behind her.

"Yeah, he said he was going to pick me up in a few minutes."

When I mentioned the gender of the person picking me up, her ears perk up. She opens her mouth then she closes it back.

"I know this isn't any of my business but is the person picking you up, the Prince?" She asks me, burning with curiosity.

I hold my head down, smiling a little. "Yeah, it is, and it's okay." I tell her then I bid her goodbye.

"I really hope that you feel better, Adara!" She shouts after I walk away then I turn back, smiling at her and waving.

I go to the front office, telling them that someone is here to pick me up. The secretary looks at me under her short lashes and tired face.

"You know that you have to have a nurse's letter to say you're going home right? Or that your parents are here to pick you up? You can't just say you're going home." She tells me.

I throw my head back in frustration. Does she not see me in pain right now? I'm literally holding onto the chair trying to deal with this pain. I've let out incoherent grumbles in the three minutes that I've been here and she's saying that I need a letter.

She frustrates me.

Nikolai?

'I'm here, where are you?'

Could you come in to the front office and get me out? She won't let me leave on my own.

'Okay.'

One minute later, the Prince opens the door and walks in. He looks around for a few seconds then he sees me and walks toward me. He goes to the secretary and she sits up straight, bowing her head at him.

"Your highness." She greets him and he nods.

"Dismiss her, she's obviously in pain which I'm sure you can see. Stop being disgusting." He spits out.

The secretary's brows shoot up so high. She's very surprised by what he said. The Prince looks at her with no care on his face. He stares at her, blinking every so often. She, however, is flustered and she goes on her computer, typing away.

"She's dismissed, she can go now." The secretary said, messing up her words.

The Prince nods at her then he turns to me, with his hands in his pockets. That's all he really has to do. I was in here for three minutes, trying to tell her I need to go home because of my really bad period and she saw it but said nothing, saying I needed a letter from the nurse or my someone to show up and sign me out.

Yet, all he has to do is come in and tell her to dismiss me and she does it without a second thought? Being royalty gives you serious privileges. I mean, obviously, you're royalty.

We walk out of the school and we go into the car. The second as I sit down, I feel pain shoot through my back and my pelvis. I grab onto the Prince's shoulder and I grip it with serious strength. He jerks and he looks at me.

I shut my eyes really tight. My nails dig into his shoulder but I can't let go. I can't let go unless the pain goes away. When will it? I have no idea. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! My head lurches forward and it bangs on the car's handle.

"Ahh!" I scream then the screams turn into cries. Finally, the pain ends and I can breathe again. I lean back into the seat, exhaling. I breathe hard and the tears continue rolling down my cheeks.

Ow.

The pain killers are wearing off and my legs are hurting again. Oww! This hurts and it sucks. I hate this. I hate it, I hate it.

For God's sake it's the year 3021, don't you think humans should've come up with some form of product that would make periods painless without completely taking it away like birth control?

"Do you want us to stop by the store to get some food, snacks and a heating pad?" The Prince asks me.

I look at him confused and surprised, "Yeah, could we please?" I beg him, as I feel another cramp coming on.

I begin crying in pain. "No, no, no, no. Please, not again." I cry as another cramp, stronger than the one before hits me and I shut my eyes tightly, crying in immense pain.

The Prince speeds up and as life would have it, we hit a bump in the road.

"HOLY—!" I scream in pain.

"Do you want me to pull over?" He asks me, his voice panicked.

I nod frantically. "Yes!" I shout.

He pulls over on the side of the road and in a split second he's taken off his seatbelt and the next thing I know is that I'm in the backseat.

I curl up in a ball, gripping my stomach tightly. More tears roll down my face and I cry. My cries echo throughout the car and the Prince kneels at my side.

"A store is really close to here. Do you want me to go and get the stuff?" He asks me and I hesitate then I nod.

Him staying here with me won't make the pain go away. If he goes to the store and gets the stuff then the pain could go away. At least it'll only last today and tomorrow. Ugh! Tomorrow, I can't deal with that. I'll die.

I literally cannot believe I have to deal with this for every single month. Why did this have to happen? Huh, would women die without our periods? I'm pretty sure we'd find out eventually if we were pregnant or not. We do not need to bleed for literally seven or so days.

It sucks.

"You sure?" He asks.

"Go!" I tell him and he disappears.

In two minutes, he comes back and he has all the supplies in a bag. I glare at him with as much energy as possible. "You didn't steal them did you?" I ask him and he smiles at me, lopsided.

"No, I didn't. I paid, but," He elongates the 'but', "I paid without calculating the cost after tax." He tells me and my mouth falls open.

I laugh, "You're rude." I yawn.

I try to stretch but the seat was too small and my stoamch began contracting so I went right back into fetal form.

He takes out the heating pad and he blinks before realizing he doesn't know how to apply it. I hold out my hand for him to give it to me. He gives it to me.

I lift up my shirt just a little then I look at him and he gets my signal to turn around. I place the heating pad on my lower abdomen, half way into my underwear. I pull my shirt back down then I tell him that he can turn back around.

He turns around and I sit up, feeling a bit better. "You hungry?" He asks, holding up the bag with the rest of food and snacks in there.

I shake my head, "I'm sleepy." I yawn, then I lie back down on the seat and I close my eyes. Drifting off into sleep, the Prince closes the door and he gets into the car and drives off for my home.

I have no idea when we got home because not long after we drove off, I fell asleep.

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