Embarrassing Tales: The Fiction Edition

I can tell I've been around TFC for a long time because when this week's topic came up, Embarrassing Tales, I thought to myself, "Hmm...haven't they already heard all of mine?" And I can't do a retread, so, and since it's also...Pub Date for THE EDUCATION OF BET!...I figured I'd throw some fictional embarrassament out there. The book is set in Victorian England about a 16-year-old girl, the eponymous Bet, who decides to impersonate a boy in order to get a proper education. Bet is very good at putting her scheme together. She figures out what to do about her appearance, what to do about the way she walks and the way she talks. But one thing Bet doesn't count on is...getting her period! That's right. There's poor Bet. Picture the scene. Bet's at school, impersonating a boy, living with a boy roommate, when she wakes one morning to realize there's just that one little thing she forgot about. And of course - did I mention? - Bet's in Victorian England! She can't just pop down to the handy Tampax dispenser, because that hasn't been invented yet. What will she do???

Now I'm not saying getting one's period should be embarrassing - hello, boys! After all, it's something that 51% of the world's population is subject to. (There are still more females in the world than males, right?) But if a person were to be embarrassed by it, I can't imagine any more embarrassing circumstances in which to get one's period than when one is supposed to be a boy!

Well, that's what I've got today: not my embarrassment, but rather my poor character's. Now it's your turn:

QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT'S AN EMBARRASSING TALE THAT HAS BEFALLEN YOU OR, IF YOU'RE A WRITER, ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS?

Oh, and as a side note: Just so you know, The Education of Bet is not just about periods. It's also about fishing, cricket, fencing, friendship, romance, bravery, and going after your heart's desire, no matter what the obstacles.

Be well. Don't forget to write.

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