Page 103 of Saints & Sinners

But I already knew that I was screwed. I wasbeyondscrewed.

Chapter Fifty

I stared at Marnie, who was pacing the dorm room with the same kind of rage people reserved whenever they couldn’t find their phones. Except this wasn’t about a phone. This was about a tampon.

“I swear, if this thing doesn’t go in, I’m dropping out,” Marnie huffed, glaring at the tampon in her hand like it had personally insulted her.

I bit back a laugh. “Dropping out over a tampon? That’s a bit dramatic, even for you.”

She shot me a look. “It’s the night of the ball, and I’m on my period, Grace! Why must I have such bad luck.” She fell back onto my bed, her arms fanned out at the side as she stared at the ceiling.

“You could just use pads like a normal person.”

Marnie gasped, lifting herself onto her elbows to look at me. “Pads? What am I, a peasant?”

That did it. I snorted, collapsing beside her in a fit of laughter.

“This isn’t funny!”

“It’s alittlefunny.”

“No, it’s not! If I don’t figure this out, I will be waddling aroundin my dress like a toddler in a diaper.”

I sat up, shaking my head. “Okay, okay. Let’s just get you to the bathroom first.”

I dragged Marnie off the bed, though as soon as the door to the bathroom closed, she began full-on panicking, not knowing how to physically insert said object. After ten minutes of trying to convince her it wasn’t the end of the world, I texted for backup without her knowledge. Not even five minutes later, Veronica stormed into the bathroom. “Okay, which one of you is bleeding out?”

Marnie’s eyes widened from where she was sitting, legs spread apart on the toilet. “You called Veronica!?”

I gave her a sheepish shrug. “Lily and Dana weren’t going to help; they barely speak to us as it is.” Not like Veronica was any different, but I wasn’t about to text Hunter, Brandon and especially Silas over a girl matter.

Marnie groaned. “Kill me.”

Veronica crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway. Her shaggy haircut was in an updo, with strands falling effortlessly around her face. She looked halfway done with makeup for the ball already. “Are you struggling with the angle or the fear of losing it in the void?”

Marnie’s mouth dropped open. “I—I—excuse me?”

Veronica sighed. “Scoot over. Let me give you a physics lesson.”

“Physics?”

“Yes, now close your legs for a minute. I don’t want to see that the whole time.”

The next few minutes were a chaotic mix of teaching, instructing, complaining and a lot of swearing.

“Relax your muscles!” Veronica snapped.

“I am relaxed!”

“You’re clenching too much.”

I was dying.

I didn’t know how much longer it took until finally there was a long pause followed by Marnie slowly sitting up, eyes wide.

“Oh, my fudge... it’s in.”

Veronica clapped. “Only took you about fifty years.”

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