"Li Mei!" Dee cried out from the bathroom. "Li Mei!"

The woman came hurrying up the stairs from the kitchen where she had been helping with dinner. "What is it? What has happened, Xiaohu?!"

"It started." The girl looked sad and as if she'd done something wrong. "I don't feel so good."

Li Mei opened the door further and stepped in to the bathroom. Carefully she closed the door before squatting in front of the girl. Cool fingers touched Dee's warm, yet pale face. The girl's hands were clammy and shook slightly.

"Let's get you to bed."

"But I have to go to practice!" Dee began to protest.

"Not right now you don't. You're all prepared right now?" When the girl nodded, Li Mei pushed her out the door. "Then to bed with you. Get under the covers and I will bring you something to get rid of the cramps you no doubt have."

"Yes, Ma'am," Dee said, shuffling to her room, arms wrapped around her abdomen. She felt as if someone had stuck a fork in her belly and was twisting her insides onto it like spaghetti. The last time she had felt this sick was when she had lived at the orphanage and one of the kids had mixed soap powder into her mashed potatoes. She had never taken her eyes off her tray after that. After pulling on her pajamas, she leaned back into her pillows, squeezing her eyes closed. She hadn't expected this at all.

"Here we go," Li Mei said, entering, followed by one of the new scullery maids. "Sit up and drink this."

Dee sat up and sipped the warm liquid Li Mei offered to her. She choked on the strong liquid, which turned out to be warmed plum wine. The maid set a tray with a teapot and some plain steamed buns near her bed. After making certain Dee drank the small cup of wine, Li Mei placed a hot water bottle on her stomach.

"This will help as well. There is some raspberry tea and something to eat to keep your stomach from getting jumpy. Do you want anything else?"

"No, thank you." The wine was already beginning to affect her, making her limbs and belly feel warm and her head, light.

"Very well. Call me if you need anything else," Li Mei said, ushering the maid out and closing the door.

Hugging the hot water bottle to her belly, Dee rolled onto her side, nestling down in her bed. Li Mei had explained everything to her a few years ago when Dee had been studying basic human anatomy. Still, the shock of pain that she was feeling now was nothing she had expected. Sure, she knew there was the possibility of some cramping, but this was ridiculous. When she had been standing, she felt dizzy and ready to fall over. The wine was helping though, relaxing her muscles and easing the pain.

"Xiaohu? Xiaohu, is everything ok?" Manchu asked from the other side of her door.

"No," she said, suddenly feeling awkward. "Go away!"

"You're not coming to practice?"

"No! Go away!" What was she supposed to tell him? He would laugh and make a joke of this; she just knew he would.

There was a moment of silence and then she heard the whisper of voices outside her door. Another moment and Manchu spoke again.

"Ok. Sorry you're not feeling well, Xiaohu," he said.

His footsteps padded away from her door, which opened a second later. Dee looked up to see Li Mei standing there, frowning at her.

"That was no way to treat your friend, Xiaohu. He's just concerned about you, that's all."

"I don't want him knowing. He'll laugh at me for my weakness."

Li Mei settled herself on the bed next to Dee, shaking her head. "Do you think he would laugh at you? He knows the facts of life just as you do. Do you not think he hasn't noticed the changes in you, already, as everyone else has?"

A deep blush colored Dee's pale face. What did she mean everyone knew about her change? It had just happened not an hour ago.

"You are becoming a woman. Right now your body is rushing to make the transition from little girl to young lady. This is all a part of it. Do you think I don't know it has been you taking the bandages from my medicine cabinet to make yourself appear flat?" A look of concern crossed Li Mei's face as she noticed the way Dee seemed to be shutting off. When she had been learning about the human body, she had no trouble talking about this. But now...Now Li Mei felt she was going to have to struggle to get the girl to listen. "What is the matter, child?"

"I don't want to change," she said tonelessly.

"But you must! Everyone must change at some point. You have just been a caterpillar up until now. This is your time to go through a metamorphosis and become a beautiful butterfly! You should never be ashamed of your body. In time you will come to love and accept it. Looking at you now, I know you have much potential. Any man would be lucky to win you."

Dee turned herself over, facing away from Li Mei.

Sighing, the woman tried comforting words. "I know it isn't easy. It wasn't easy for me. But once you make it through the first step of your change, you will like how you're turning out. I can't promise that everything will go smoothly, because it won't. No change ever does. However, I will promise to be there when you need someone to talk to, or just someone to give you a hug. We all will be. Don't sell Manchu short, ai. He is a unique boy and he truly cares about you."

When Dee still remained silent, Li Mei moved to get up. The resigned sigh from the girl made her stop and wait a moment more.

"It's just that at the orphanage the kids were always so mean to each other. When one of the older girls would start, everyone teased her."

"Including you?"

Dee shook her head. "They all hated me. If I said anything, their attentions would all turn to me. But I watched them all. They would surround the girl and tease her, making jokes and saying disgusting things. Even the new kids would join in." She shrugged as if indifferent to it all. "I just don't want that to happen to me."

A relieved smile came to Li Mei's face as she stroked the girl's red hair. "Manchu has too much honor to ever want to hurt you, Xiaohu. You should know that by now. Even with what happened in China, he would never knowingly do something to offend you. Well, maybe as a joke. But with something like this, I do not think you need to worry about him teasing you. You both have the honor to respect that this is a difficult age. He too will be changing soon. You will not be alone in this for long."

Giving Dee a pat on the shoulder, Li Mei got up and headed for the door.

"Do you want any dinner?"

"Just some broth, please. I don't think I could handle a meal tonight."

"I'll have some sent up then. Try to get some sleep. It'll do you good."
Next / Growth Spurts Main / Triad Main /