Problem is, I really don't know what to class this story as. I'm thinking it reads like a MG, ***EDITED TO ADD*** (okay, so I might be wrong, but my MC is 11-12 yrs old) but honestly...I really don't know. I'm new to this MG/YA world. I am posting a little of what I've started below.
***ALSO EDITED TO ADD*** Before I get spanked for this, I thought that MG novels were basically like YA but with a younger MC, and in general shorter? I guess I'm wrong, but could someone tell me what the major difference is?
What do YOU think it is? Would you want to keep reading it?
Getting your period sucks.
“Well, either your period started or you crapped your pants,” Alyssa said, putting on an extra coat of lip gloss.
“I didn't crap my pants,” I insisted, stranded on the toilet. “Aren't you going to help me?”
“Here's a pad." She tossed me one from the cabinet underneath the sink. I looked at her, realizing that she fully expected me to figure this out on my own. “It's not rocket science," she added, in all of her infinite fifteen year old wisdom. With that, she walked out of the bathroom, leaving the door wide open.
I sat there, totally humiliated, until I realized that I needed a fresh pair of panties. “ALYSSA!” Suddenly I was glad the door was still open. I knew she could hear me.
“ALYSSA!!!!!” Silence. She was probably on the phone again. Or just ignoring me...which, lets face it, seemed much more likely.
I refused to put my nasty underwear back on, so I left them on the tile floor, wiped, then ran to my room as fast as I could, my pad in hand.
Ten minutes later, I was sitting uncomfortably at the kitchen table, feeling like I had a mattress shoved in my pants. Have I put it on right? I wondered. There didn't seem to be a “this end up” sign or anything. And besides, like Alyssa said...it's not rocket science.
Alyssa is my only sister, thank god. Sisters aren't exactly what movies make them out to be. I don't have a brother, so I don't know what that's like. But I'm willing to bet it's a whole lot better.
I glared at her openly then. Dad had no idea there was anything hostile between us, despite the unmistakable tension that hung in the air. Walls had better intuition than him.
He smiled. “Well, I sure am glad you have a sister." He took a sip of his coffee. “You guys can take care of all that lady business.” He paused, wondering if he should say more. The answer is always no. He never listens.
“Don't go getting pregnant now!” My body hit the table as he slapped me on the shoulder like I was one of his buddies at work. I should have known it was coming, but I guess I had assumed that he knew better. I assumed wrong.
As I rolled my eyes in response, Alyssa pushed herself back in her chair, her painted toenails propped on the kitchen table. Where we eat.
“HA! AS IF!” Her long, shiny blonde hair rippled down her back as she laughed.
What do YOU think it is? Would you want to keep reading it?
***WARNING***
Might make men uncomfortable.
*ALSO EDITED TO ADD, YES AGAIN* I have removed (almost all) annoying dialogue tags from writing below, thanks to a comment from Tracy. Tracy, I love you! But not in a weird way.
*ALSO EDITED TO ADD, YES AGAIN* I have removed (almost all) annoying dialogue tags from writing below, thanks to a comment from Tracy. Tracy, I love you! But not in a weird way.
Getting your period sucks.
“Well, either your period started or you crapped your pants,” Alyssa said, putting on an extra coat of lip gloss.
“I didn't crap my pants,” I insisted, stranded on the toilet. “Aren't you going to help me?”
“Here's a pad." She tossed me one from the cabinet underneath the sink. I looked at her, realizing that she fully expected me to figure this out on my own. “It's not rocket science," she added, in all of her infinite fifteen year old wisdom. With that, she walked out of the bathroom, leaving the door wide open.
I sat there, totally humiliated, until I realized that I needed a fresh pair of panties. “ALYSSA!” Suddenly I was glad the door was still open. I knew she could hear me.
“ALYSSA!!!!!” Silence. She was probably on the phone again. Or just ignoring me...which, lets face it, seemed much more likely.
I refused to put my nasty underwear back on, so I left them on the tile floor, wiped, then ran to my room as fast as I could, my pad in hand.
Ten minutes later, I was sitting uncomfortably at the kitchen table, feeling like I had a mattress shoved in my pants. Have I put it on right? I wondered. There didn't seem to be a “this end up” sign or anything. And besides, like Alyssa said...it's not rocket science.
Getting your period might be a wonderful experience if you have a mother. I can just imagine it now...the speech about becoming a woman, the pad explanation, the my baby's growing up tears in the eyes. Feeling validated, feeling all kinds of grown up.
Maybe, if I had a mother, I'd get some kind of special treatment today, I thought to myself. Today would be different, somehow. A cupcake worthy day...or something. But I knew that wasn't happening. Moms and cupcakes were hard to come by...especially with my dad running the show.
Alyssa is my only sister, thank god. Sisters aren't exactly what movies make them out to be. I don't have a brother, so I don't know what that's like. But I'm willing to bet it's a whole lot better.
Dad walked into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee with his large hands, permanently stained with oil. I swear, it's like he never washes them. Dad's a car mechanic, and he can't do much else. Once he tried to start up a conversation with my friend's mom about books...that was an epic fail. I knew if he found out that my period had started, he might do something crazy like talk about it. He wasn't exactly on a need-to-know basis, so I decided he didn't need to know.
“Jacie started her period,” said Alyssa, ratting me out the minute she graced us with her presence. She dropped down into her seat at the kitchen table, and I felt my face burning with anger and embarrassment. I'm pretty sure my dad spilled his coffee.
“Thanks a lot." I hated that I couldn't deny it.
I didn't look at dad, but I could feel his stare boring holes into my head.
“You did?” He asked, and I heard his coffee cup touch the table.
I shrugged. “It's no big deal." I shot daggers at Alyssa from the corners of my eyes. She smiled innocently.
“Did Alyssa....take care of it?” He asked, and I'm pretty sure he had no idea what 'taking care of it' even meant.
“Yeah, I totally did,” Alyssa said, getting up from the table and grabbing a granola bar out of the pantry. “No problem.”
I didn't look at dad, but I could feel his stare boring holes into my head.
“You did?” He asked, and I heard his coffee cup touch the table.
I shrugged. “It's no big deal." I shot daggers at Alyssa from the corners of my eyes. She smiled innocently.
“Did Alyssa....take care of it?” He asked, and I'm pretty sure he had no idea what 'taking care of it' even meant.
“Yeah, I totally did,” Alyssa said, getting up from the table and grabbing a granola bar out of the pantry. “No problem.”
I glared at her openly then. Dad had no idea there was anything hostile between us, despite the unmistakable tension that hung in the air. Walls had better intuition than him.
He smiled. “Well, I sure am glad you have a sister." He took a sip of his coffee. “You guys can take care of all that lady business.” He paused, wondering if he should say more. The answer is always no. He never listens.
“Don't go getting pregnant now!” My body hit the table as he slapped me on the shoulder like I was one of his buddies at work. I should have known it was coming, but I guess I had assumed that he knew better. I assumed wrong.
As I rolled my eyes in response, Alyssa pushed herself back in her chair, her painted toenails propped on the kitchen table. Where we eat.
“HA! AS IF!” Her long, shiny blonde hair rippled down her back as she laughed.
