Chapter Four

I wake up and groan feeling pain in my abdomen and back and wetness in my pajama pants. My monthly visitor has arrived earlier than I anticipated...I want to curl up cry. It's only Thursday and these cramps are just the beginning. I don't like taking pain killers, they make me drowsy and I don't want to become dependent on them. I roll out of bed, placing both feet on the ground before standing up. I groan again, my lower back is killing me as I slowly make it to the bathroom, for a steamy hot shower.

30mins later I get out feeling less like I'm dying but still in pain. I'm wearing a dress today, just the thought of anything pressed against my abdomen, makes me cringe. I call an uber and drink warm water while waiting, the only days I can't stomach the thought of breakfast is on the first day of my period. I leave the apartment and the uber takes me to the firm's building.

I see David kissing the same girl as last time, only this time they are pulling away and pecking each other, barf...I think I just threw up in my mouth. I walk past them to the elevator, David says to hold it for him, and I reply "not today satan", as I press the button to close the doors.

I walk out the elevator and I see Alka at her cubical and I wave. We begin the day with a meeting with the department head then a coffee break. "You look rough, are you ok?", I turn to Alka and bare my teeth and she just laughs at me. I think she's beginning to enjoy my weird tendencies, I respond, "I woke up in pain and in a pool of my own blood", "that time of the month?", I nod and she gives me a pitiful look, she digs in her purse and hands me a slab of chocolate. I wipe away a fake tear, "you really do care!", as I accept the chocolate and make coffee.

We go back to the conference room and where we have our weekly meeting with Dineo. I can truely say she really loves her job and has become our mother hen. The meeting last about an hour and she adjourns the meeting. As I get up, I hear Alka gasp and she pulls my sleeve, telling me to sit down. I sit back down, thinking she wants to talk. Once the room has cleared she says "There's blood on your dress and on the chair", I feel like I'm going to start crying... pmsing is no joke. She see's this and tells me it's fine and that she'll go get Dineo.

So, I sit in the conference room waiting for her to get back. My period has never been that heavy, and this hasn't happened to me was in since I was in grade six when my period started while at school. I groan as I rub my lower abdomen, my cramps haven't gotten better. I see Alka come back with Dineo, "you wanted to speak to me", Alka closes the door as I begin to explain my situation.

"Ms D, I started my period this morning and I seem to have bled through my dress and the chair I'm sitting on, since I have no change of clothes, I wanted to ask if I could go home for the day?". " Of course love, do you usually have a heavy flow?", "Not that I know of but I guess I'll go to the doctor and see", " Do that love, don't worry I'll clear it with HR take today and tomorrow off, go to the doctor and find out, take care of yourself ok?!", "I will and thank you".

She leaves and Alka goes to the bathroom to get toilet paper, I wear her coat which is long enough to hide the stain and we clean the chair. We go to the bathroom where I change my pad, after washing my hands I give her a hug. " Thank you, I don't even wanna think about what would have happened if you weren't sitting next to me..."

" No problem dear, all part of the friendship package, just take care of yourself ok?", hugging me back, "come over this weekend, we can have a sleepover, binge watch series or anime and eat lots of junk food."

"I'M IN!, but I can only come tomorrow after work", "perfect, I'll see you tomorrow, bye", "bye".

I walk into the elevator grateful this horrible day is almost over. I exit the elevator and I see David, Fred and the girl David was kissing this morning, "... all you want to do is talk about is your boring job and your stupid games, we never even had sex because you said you weren't ready and I have needs that David was ready to attend to" ... and I spoke too soon. I can't beleive this is happening, didn't they hear the elevator ding she's still talking as I walk out trying to figure out a way to leave the building without getting their attention.

"Did you really have to cheat on me with him, you know how he is and how he treats me why would you do that?", "How I treat you? I treat you like the bastard you are, no one wants or needs you Fredrick. Just walk away before I have to put you in your place", David responds.

The girl has her back to him when David steps closer to her, he then grabs her by her neck forcing her to look at him and then he kisses her. Fred looks disgusted and hurt as she turns to deepen their kiss, now I love drama as much as the next person, but this is brutal.

She finally pulls away from David and seemingly undeterred she continues talking "listen Fred you're a nice guy so I'll be honest. This whole thing was a stupid dare your brother came up with when I told him you asked me out. I was supposed to take your virginity and that would be it. I never wanted a relationship with you, you're not my type and I have been looking for a nice way to break up with you for a while now..."

I tune her out, I mean how old are we 8, a dare, I turn to look at Fred and I don't think he's seen me yet. He looks dejected, and I can tell he is trying not cry. I really do not want to be a spectator to this but I can't walk out without drawing their attention. While I'm contemplating my predicament, I hear her say, " we were never going to work out, I mean for someone who is so smart I would have thought you would have figured it out months ago. We have nothing in common, I only came around when your brother was home and you're boring, I don't feel anything for you, not when I look at you or when you touch me, nothing.."

I can see he has his fists clenched and he is staring at David. David is standing with his hand around this girl's waist and looking smug. I think I'm about the witness an assault, so I begin to speak "Excuse me!", they all turn around shocked to see me. " Yeah, hi this is a lobby and this is not the best place to be having these discussions, David, Dineo was looking for you, so unless you want get fired..." He leaves the girl without looking back and runs to the elevator.

And then there were three. I see Fredrick stepping closer to her speaking softely, I'm not sure what he said but she backed away from him. He grabs her wrist and I hear him plead, " we can work this out, I'll do anything just... don't leave me for him..please". She pulls her wrist out of his hand and walks away, as she walks she says, "Delete my number and don't contact me again", as she walks out I hear the elevator ding and David walks out while looking at his watch, " Babe, how about lunch?"

As he finishes his question, Fredrick punches him straight on the mouth, David stumbles back. "I HATE YOU! YOU RUIN EVERYTHING", Fred screams at David. When did he even get there, I didn't even see him move.

David starts laughing, "You really thought a total babe like her would just randomly come up and hit on you after she turned you down two years ago, I mean CLEARLY you are as dumb as you look. You only have yourself to blame, I mean she tried to get you into bed so many times and you denied her, you said NO to THAT I mean LOOK AT HER, what's wrong with you, you can't get it up..."

Fred lunges to punch David again but David side steps, clearly ready this time, turns him around and puts him in a headlock, "now listen, baby brother, you got the first punch in only because I wasn't ready but not this time. Listen carefully, I slept with her while she was dating you, every night she slept over she came to my bed and I gave it to her, she even gave me head in the bathroom at your birthday, so make no mistake she was NEVER yours!"

While he's been talking he has been holding Fred in a headlock, Fred is turning a deep red and I have been beating David's back and legs in, kicking and punching to no avail.

" and don't think that you could ever take me in a fair fight". I see Fred turn purple, flailing trying to get out of the headlock, "DAVID, let him go, he's about to pass out!", I scream at him trying to pry his arms off Fred, he finally let's go of the headlock and Fred slumps down, breathing deeply. "Next time you take a swing at me, I'll beat the shit out of you!", with that David fixes his suit and walks out.

I see Fred crawl to the wall, he sits up against it with his head in hands and I hear him release a gut wrenching sob. As I bear witnessed to his humiliation and shame, I feel this heaviness in my chest, no matter how much I try to look away, I could still see the defeat in his eyes, I can hear the pain in his voice. I can't leave him like this, I don't want to get involved in drama, have enough of my own.

I take one last look at him and huff, my parents raised too nice a person. I walk up to him, "Fredrick get up", I pull him by his arm and he just looks up at me. "This is not the time or place for this, now get up!", he seems surprised but he gets up, he has tears running down his face, his eyes are red and puffy and his face is redder than a tomato.

I get a tissue from my bag and begin to wipe his face, "Listen we are going up to your office, you are gonna tell your supervisor you're not feeling well and need to take a sick day, now come on". I pull him by the hand towards the elevators and he lets me, as we wait for the elevator, I give him tissue to blow and wipe his nose. We get onto the elevator as he tries to compose himself, he presses the button for the floor and we go up.

We get off the elevator, and he shows me his office, he leaves to speak to his supervisor and I wait for him. He looks my age yet he already has an office, nice. It's plain, not much decorating just a black and white scheme. I walk around the office and on his desk I see a picture of him and his now ex girlfriend, I take the picture and I throw it in his trash. He walks in and tells me its done, he packs his briefcase and we leave. This time we take the elevator to the garage, "you have a car?" I ask, "yeah", I'm impressed as we walk up to a white Peugot 2008 with a black top... I'm starting to see a pattern.

He opens the door for me and I get in, he comes around the other side and gets in. "So where are we going?", he remains silent, he looks at me expectantly, "well, you can drop me off at home if you don't mind". I see his face drop, I'm not sure what he thought was going to happen I barely know him.

"Sure." He starts the car and reverses out of the parking, thats when I remember something "Do you and David, live together?" I ask softly, he doesn't answer as he drives out of the parking area onto the main street. "Do you have a friend that you can stay with for a while...".

Once again I am met with silence, as we stop at a robot, I log my address into the gps, so he can follow the directions to my place. "Anyone?" he stays quiet but I finally get a reaction, tears, tears he doesn't bother to wipe, or hide, running down his face.

Now I feel bad, argh sometimes I really dislike having a conscience, I look at him as we drive in silence, he slowly comes to a stop at my building. We sit in the car for a few minutes in silence and then I dig out some tissue from my bag, I hand it over to him and put my hand on his shoulder, comfortingly? Then I sigh I am probably gonna regret this but the again what's new.

"Come stay over at my place, Alka and I are having a sleepover weekend in anycase, you can join us", Silence "ok, I'll take your silence as implied consent so I'll see you back here shortly" I don't know why but all of a sudden I miss his shy gentle demeanour, I tell him to give me his phone and he does, as I put my number in his phone and I tell him to go get enough clothes for a long weekend. I get out of the car and look back at him, his shoulders are slouching forward like he is exhausted, but his jaw is ticking so I don't know how to fully read his body language.

"Hey" he looks up at me, " You'll get through this, I got you", I tell him and then close his door and proceed to I walk up to my apartment, I can't believe I just invited a practical stranger to stay over...argh me and my bleeding heart.