Help
Atlas:
What’s wrong? Where are you?
Laurel:
Relax I’m hiding in the bathroom in the art hallway
Atlas:
Is someone bothering you?
Laurel:
Yeah Aunt Flo
I need a tampon and some new jeans
Cami’s sick today and I can’t get ahold of my mom
Atlas:
Fuck. That’s my fault. I left her phone in the kitchen so she could sleep. Tell me what you need, and I’ll handle it.
Laurel:
You’re not going to freak out about touching period products?
Atlas:
I’m a grown ass man, Laurel. I can handle a tampon. Just send me a list, and I’ll take care of it.
I couldn’t rememberthe last time I’d left work in the middle of the day. Hell, I didn’t think I ever had. But I hadn’t hesitated when I’d received Laurel’s text. Partially because I wanted to get what she’d asked for as quickly as possible. And partially because it gave me an excuse to check on Sutton.
For all the good it had done.
My room had still been dark when I’d cracked open the door, only the soft cadence of her deep breaths interrupting the silence. I hadn’t wanted to risk waking her, so I left. But that hadn’t stopped me from worrying.
It was midafternoon, which meant Sutton had been sleeping for more than seven hours. That was a hell of a lot longer than a nap. Was that common with migraine sufferers? I had no fucking idea, and I hated that I didn’t know.
Now, I stood outside the bathroom in the art hallway after handing off the supplies to Laurel, waiting to make sure she had everything she needed.
After a few minutes, she strolled out, her backpack filled to bursting thanks to the clothes she’d changed out of.
“You good, kid?” I asked.
“Avoided a scene fromCarrie, so yeah.”
I held out my hand. “Give me that bag. I’ll stash it in my office until after school.”
She tugged it out of her backpack and handed it over with a raised brow. “You know I bled all over those jeans, right?”
“You know I coach football, right?” I tucked the bag beneath my arm. “Not the first time I’ve dealt with blood.”
“All right. Well, thanks for being my period protector.” She turned to leave, but I cleared my throat before she could walk away.
“Your mom was still sleeping when I picked up your stuff. Is that normal?”
