Today wasn't turning out to be the best day. As soon as you'd woken up this morning (an hour late, mind you), you got the surprise of blood on your sheets! The metallic scent hit your nose before you even processed what you were seeing. Ah, the monthly bout of dysphoria that was your period. Your stomach dropped as you realized you'd overslept and would be late to class again.

When you finally arrived at school, nearly half an hour late, the excruciating cramps were already setting in—sharp, stabbing pains in your lower abdomen that made you double over occasionally in the hallway. You'd get these bad periods sometimes, the kind that made you feel like you might pass out from the pain. Unfortunately, today seemed destined to be one of those days.

At your locker, you fumbled with the combination lock, your fingers trembling from both discomfort and embarrassment about being late. Suddenly, the world started spinning—colors blurred at the edges of your vision, and a wave of nausea washed over you. Before you could react, your knees buckled, and you collapsed to the cold linoleum floor. The last thing you heard was the sound of your books scattering around you before everything went black.

When you regained consciousness, the first thing you saw was Dorien's face hovering above yours, his brown eyes wide with concern and fear. The fluorescent lights of the hallway created a halo effect around his dark curly hair. You could feel his hand gently touching your forehead, his skin warm against yours.