Part II..

       Tom first came to visit when I was in 8th grade. I was a little freaked out at first. I knew what it was, but didn't really know what to do. So I did what any other 8th grader would do, && asked a friend. She had just started hers not too long before I got mine, so I knew shed know what to do. Sure enough, she knew exactly what to do && handed me a maxi pad. I guess I was excited about Tom's visit, but I didn't really know what to think. It just means I'm growing up was all I knew. I was starting the transformation from child to women; just like a butterfly transforms from a pupa to a beautiful creature with wings. I was excited about it but also scared..really scared. I eventually got used to Tom moving in every month. 
      In the beginning it wasn't bad at all. I never had a headache, no cramps, no nothin. I thought oh this isn't as bad as they all make it out to be. I could get used to this no problem.  Tom would just stop by for a few days a month && say hello how are you && hang out. I started to like having him around. He started to show personality. Yuup, I said it, personality. Why not right? Its a part of you, why not get to know it! After all, you do have to look after him every month right? He's going to be around for a long time. He's going to see you through all your hard times, all the good memories, your first kiss, your first child, everything. He's going to be there through it all. Good times && bad. 
       At first, Tom was just a code word we all used to talk about it without other people, especially the boys, knowing what we were talking about. As time went on, it became apart of all of our lives. Tom this, Tom that. 
       The first few years living with Tom wasn't bad. It was a piece of cake compared to other people. In High School though, things started to change. Tom started to change. His whole personality did a 180. I was like "Whoa, what the heck Tom"? Whats happening, I thought. Tom started punching && kicking me. Not hard, at least not at first. Midol would give Tom a swift kick in the butt && he'd knock it off. After a while, it started to get worse. The punches && kicks were harder && harder. He also started giving me horrible brain massages. Midol wasn't helping anymore. Tom was getting more && more aggressive as the months went on. So I started personifying Tom even more. He became an angry rocker with red curly hair. He was like a druggie out of control. He looked a lot like Dave Mustaine from Megadeth. 

     He started getting angrier && angrier. He was looking for a fight it seemed. I thought, Ill give you a fight, if thats what you want Tom. It takes two to tango && were in this together. The stronger he got the more painful the punches were. The more painful the punches were, the stronger my defense got. I started taking Advil, Aleve, Tylenol, Tylenol 3, Vicodin, Tramadol, Norcos...to no avail. He always seemed to win && it sucked. Im a competitive person, but winning doesn't matter to me. But this was different. This isn't supposed to happen. This isn't how it works. Im supposed to be able to take something && the punches stop. But no, Tom wouldn't let up. The harder I tried, the harder he fought back. I tell ya what, he does put up a good fight. It became a war. A monthly battle to see who could outsmart who. Every month his visit was exciting. There was always a new experiment to be tried, a new idea to be put to the test, a new challenge to defeat. It was actually kinda fun, in an odd sort of way. I started coming up with different strategies. Some worked, some didn't, others I tweaked till they worked. 
      Just as I was starting to figure out how to control Tom, he threw me a curveball. Seemed like he did that every time I figured out something that worked. It started getting annoying. Really annoying. Eventually Tom started getting the better of me. Literally. I started dreading Tom's visits. He was so mean. I couldn't wait for him to leave when he did visit. I just wanted it to be over && him to be gone. He was starting to control his visits, && I felt like I was loosing control. I started to get sick when he would show up. Yuup, sick. I had migraines, I would throw up, I would get dizzy, I passed out a few times. My entire body would ache. I felt horrible && looked the part too.
       I always managed to get through another episode. I never lot it stop me from doing what I needed to do or from having fun. Tom may be having one of his famous fits, but that didn't stop me. I still hiked kids around the mountain side exploring animal tracks && threw up in the bushes. I would run to the bathroom in the middle of lecture && skills during EMT class so I could throw up. Several times my instructor said I "looked like death". I sure felt like it.