The Truth About Kadenburg by T. E. Ridener Page A

a woman to talk to.
    “Presley,” Lorcan interrupted gently. “Is
it something that maybe my mom can help you with?”
    Oh God, did he know ? Had the stain
gotten worse? She didn’t dare try to confirm that as she stared at him like a
deer caught in headlights. She was so terrified that she couldn’t even move.
    Lorcan smiled again as he shook his head.
“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about. Guys go
through changes, too.”
    So he did know. How embarrassing!
Presley’s face turned three shades of red as she lowered her head in shame.
    “Why don’t you come with me to my house?”
Lorcan asked. “I’m sure my mom can help you with whatever you need. Would
that be okay?”
    Presley’s eyes closed tightly for a moment
as she swallowed down her pride and accepted the fact she needed a woman’s
guidance. This was strike three against her mother for leaving her and putting
her in a situation like this, but she finally nodded as she lifted her eyes to
his again. “Thank you.”
    Lorcan had never told anybody
about that incident as far as Presley knew. Only he and his mother were aware
that she’d started her period while at school, and to this day she had no idea
how Lorcan knew in the first place. The stain hadn’t been as bad as she’d made
out to be in her mind.
    Mrs. Bamey had helped her clean up and gave her the
necessities she needed before sitting her down for a discussion about something
she described as “The Estrus Cycle”. Presley still thought it was a weird way
to refer to a woman’s period, and it was definitely a different version of the
talk Uncle Arnold had with her.
    Maybe that was why Presley had gotten a crush on him.
Lorcan had helped her during a confusing time and he didn’t embarrass her about
it. Plus, how could she not have developed a crush on him after he missed the
bus to make sure she was okay? He was her own personal Superman in a way.
    Of course, Presley had been too shy to pursue that
crush and it eventually faded with time. Lorcan was an extremely popular guy
and he was in high school already. Why would a high schooler want to date a
middle schooler anyway? It wasn’t how it worked.
    He would’ve liked me, she thought to herself as
she toyed with the hem of the oversized shirt she was now wearing. I was an
idiot.
    But the fact remained that
after what had happened with Tim, she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to date
again. She’d been so confident he was the one for her. The ‘one’ wouldn’t
break up with you over something like that, she gently reminded herself. The
‘one’ would stick by you no matter what.
    She suddenly became restless as
she stood from the bench and glanced towards the third story of the hospital.
She knew that she was born on the third floor. Uncle Arnold told her countless
times of how he took the stairs because the elevator was too slow. He’d been
so excited about her birth and he couldn’t wait a second longer. The thought
of his excitement still made her smile from time to time.
    He loved her when her mother didn’t, and that was
sometimes a hard pill to swallow. How did a person’s mother not love them? It
was a question that had many answers, but Presley wasn’t sure which answer fit
best for her. She couldn’t even think of the possibility of having a child she
wouldn’t want.
    I wanted it, she thought as she took a step towards
the hospital before immediately freezing. The hairs on the back of her neck stood
upon tingling skin as a chill ran down her spine. A pulse of panic surged
through her chest as she turned her head to gaze over her shoulder. It was an
incredibly strong sense of someone’s eyes being on her, and she didn’t like
it. She wasn’t alone.
    “Who’s there?” She called out as she gripped the loose
fabric resting against her side. She suddenly felt vulnerable. Only an idiot
would run away without grabbing her clothes first, but how was she supposed to
do that when Mrs.