Seconds passed, minutes passed, hours, and then days passed as well. Grace finally realized that Nathaniel would indeed never bother her again.
She thought she would be relieved when she stopped receiving attention from him, but she wasn't really happy about it. Finally, it was the day of the annual school sports competition, and Grace would have to participate in the three-legged race with her partner Nathaniel. They had spent hours running with their legs tied together, as they practiced their coordination and perfected their timing. Everything was going according to plan, the weather was perfect, and the crowd cheered as they made their way to the starting line.
As the race began, Grace could feel a wave of nausea crawl up her throat. She tried to ignore it, and instead focused on the rhythm of their steps and the finish line ahead. Nathaniel was doing his best to keep up with her pace, but he could sense that something was off with Grace, their coordination was not as good as before. He noticed the strain on her face and how she winced with every jolt of their bound legs.
Despite the discomfort, Grace pushed herself to keep going, gritting her teeth and doing her best to hide her discomfort. But Nathaniel could see through her brave face, and he started to worry. He didn't want to embarrass her by calling attention to her condition, but he knew he had to help somehow.
As they approached the halfway mark, Nathaniel decided to slow their pace a little bit, hoping to make things easier on Grace. He had wanted to give her some encouraging words, but he was worried she wouldn't like that, he could see that her breath was laboured and her complexion was pale. He felt helpless and frustrated, knowing that there was nothing he could do to make her feel better.
Despite the setback, they continued, their legs moving in unison as they fought to keep up with the other teams. With every passing second, Grace's discomfort grew worse, but she refused to give up. She was determined to finish the race, no matter how hard it was.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they crossed the finish line, coming in second. The crowd erupted into cheers, and Nathaniel felt a wave of relief wash over him. As they untied their legs, Nathaniel turned to Grace and asked, "Are you okay? You didn't look so good back there."
Grace looked up at Nathaniel, and for the first time, let her guard down. "I'm not feeling too well," she admitted, "but I was just fine earlier."
Grace smiled weakly back at him, grateful for his sympathy. She knew that she wouldn't have been able to finish the race without Nathaniel's help and support. They walked off the field with Grace leaning on his arm for support.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asked again when she saw her wince, his gentle eyes going over Grace with great concern. She nodded, grateful for Nathaniel's kindness. "Yeah, I think so." she replied, her voice still a little shaky.
Nathaniel nodded, "Here, let me get you some water." he said, leading her towards the refreshment stand.
Grace reluctantly took the water from Nathaniel, still feeling a little embarrassed about her condition. She knew that she shouldn't be ashamed, but she couldn't help but feel like she was bothering him.
"Thank you." She said softly, taking a small sip of water.
As she turned to leave, Nathaniel noticed something out of the corner of his eye. "Wait, Grace." he said, reaching out to stop her. "You have a stain on your shorts."
Grace's face turned bright red with embarrassment as she looked down at her lilac shorts and saw the small, dark stain that was beginning to show spread out. She had been so focused on finishing the race that she hadn't even noticed.
"Oh no." She said, feeling mortified. "I didn't even realize."
Nathaniel could see how embarrassed Grace was about the stain on her shorts. He could see that she was trying to cover it up with her hands, and he knew that she needed some help to feel more comfortable. "Hey, I have an idea." he said, taking off his sweater. "Here, you can use this to cover up the stain."
Grace looked at Nathaniel in surprise. "NO!" she exclaimed suddenly, as she pushed his hands away gently. "It will get dirty."
When he heard this, he quickly tried to put her at ease. "Don't worry about it." He said with a smile. "It's not a big deal. Take it, it will make it less obvious."
Grace looked down at the sweater in Nathaniel's hands, feeling a mix of gratitude and embarrassment. She didn't want to take his clothes, but she knew that she needed to cover up the stain.
"Thank you." She said softly, taking the sweater from Nathaniel.
She wrapped it around her waist, tying the sleeves together in a knot. It was a little big on her, but it did the job of covering up the stain. Nathaniel smiled at her, happy to see that she was feeling more comfortable. "See? It's not so bad." He said.
Grace smiled back at him, grateful for his kindness. "Thank you."
"Is there anything you want me to do for you?" He asked eagerly, She lowered her head, her eyes shifting nervously from side to side. "Can you please help me find Rose and get her to come here and help me out?" Grace asked, her voice shaking with fear and discomfort. Nathaniel nodded with determination, and without wasting much time he went in search of Rose.
Grace couldn't believe it. Of all the days for her period to start, it had to be on the day of the big sports competition. She had been looking forward to this day for weeks, and now her entire world had come crashing down around her. She waited for what felt like hours, her cramps had worsened, she could feel her inner thighs getting lubricated, and there was still no sign of Nathaniel or Rose.
Grace felt a wave of panic wash over her as she realized that she was alone, with no one to turn to for help. What if he doesn't come back? Just as she was about to lose hope, she spotted Nathaniel running back towards her. "I'm sorry, Grace, I couldn't find Rose anywhere." Nathaniel said, his breath coming out in puffs of air, and his voice apologetic. "But don't worry, we'll figure something out. Do you have any pads or tampons with you?"
Grace shook her head, feeling her face heat up with embarrassment. She had never felt so exposed and vulnerable before. The mere thought of walking around with a blood stain on her shorts was too much for her to bear and now she had to rely on Nathaniel when just a few days back she couldn't stand the sight of him. And yet, he looked so ready to help her at that moment.
"I don't have anything with me." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nathaniel nodded; his expression serious. "Okay, don't worry. I'll figure something out. Just go to the restroom and wait for me there, okay?" Grace nodded, feeling both grateful and ashamed for Nathaniel's help. She knew that it was a lot to ask of him, but she didn't know what else to do. She hurried off to the restroom, hoping that no one else would notice the stain on her shorts.
Nathaniel rushed into the nurse's office, where Mrs Gray was seated at her desk, scribbling something down on her notepad. "Good day, ma'am." He said, his breath coming out laboured.
"How may I help you? Did anyone get hurt during the sports event?" Her voice came out dry and uninterested, as she continued what she was doing without looking up at Nathaniel once.
"Not quite so, I need a Sanitary pad or a tampon, do you happen to have any?" Her ears perched up when she heard this. She then looked at him from beneath her reading glasses and raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Why do you need a sanitary pad, boy?" she asked curiously. Nathaniel felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment as he explained the situation to her. He told her how Grace was feeling unwell and had started her period, and how she had no pads or tampons with her. Mrs Gray looked at him with a mix of surprise and admiration. She had seen many boys in her time as a school nurse, and very few of them had shown such maturity and empathy.
"Wow, Nathaniel, I am impressed. You are a kind and thoughtful young man. I wish more boys in this school were like you." Mrs Gray said with a smile, as she gave him what he needed. Nathaniel thanked her and hurried out of the nurse's office. Clutching the pad in his hand, he made his way to the restroom where he had left Grace. He called out her name as he approached the door, then handed her the sanitary pad when she timidly came out, causing her to let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Is that everything? Do you need any other thing?" Grace paused to think about it. After all, since they had come this far, why not let him?
"Actually, there is one more thing."