The moment I stood up from my school chair and noticed a patch of blood on it – my face went as red as the blood! I could tell it had soaked through my skirt. I sat back down, unsure of what to do next.

Your first period never comes when you expect it. For me, it was in the middle of Mrs Moonie’s math class.

I passed a note to my best friend Amie who was two seats next to me. Amie waited with me until class was over, and she told Mrs Moonie what was happening. They were able to get me to the bathroom where I could clean myself up. Mrs Moonie even found me a skirt to wear.

I called mum to tell her the news. I was nervous – even though we had spoken about it before. She was so excited, and even said “congratulations”! She was with my older sister and she was also thrilled. Their reaction made me a bit less nervous, and I could feel they would support me with what I needed to manage my period.

After school, Amie arranged for a few girls to come over. As we ate some cake that mum brought back, a few of the girls started telling me their period stories.

Sara’s story was one I’d been nervous about. Her period started in swim class. But her teacher noticed and then helped to distract the other students and got her out of the situation fuss-free.

Just a few weeks ago, Hanna was horrified when a pad fell out of her sports bag in front of her crush Tim. But Tim picked up the pad, gave it back to her and just smiled. They then walked to their next class together and chatted about something else – no big deal.

After an afternoon of swapping period stories, I felt much more confident to embrace this new chapter in my life. I won’t avoid school, swimming or socialising because of any fears around my period. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about! Even if I do get stuck in a messy situation – my friends, teachers and parents can always help.