Cadence (princesscadence) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-03-17 14:53:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, kitty pryde (shadowcat), kurt wagner (nightcrawler), princess cadance |
Who: Kitty Pryde and Princess Cadence
When: After these texts
Where: Planned Parenthood
What: Getting Birth Control
Rating/Warnings: Talk of Women’s Reproductive Health
Status: Complete when posted!
Kitty had opted to take the truck to get Cadence. It would offer some sort of protection for the inevitable protesters. Though maybe they’d be lucky, she was trying to time it for a time of day where there might not be any. She didn’t think her friend needed that sort of stress.
There were protesters out front. Cadence shrunk down in her seat a little as they crossed the picket line into the parking lot. At least the protesters weren’t allowed in there. Cadence pulled her sunglasses down on her face and turned up her collar a bit.
“It’s okay. They’re just idiots,” Kitty said, squeezing her arm. “Most of the things they do here are cancer screenings, birth control and checkups.” She didn’t know when the last time Cadence had had two out of three of those, and they were here for the middle thing. “I’m here.”
Cadence gave a little nod, then took a few deep breaths, and climbed out of the car. She was a little worried that those protesters might recognize her from her other activities. She didn’t think anyone in her church would be out there, but she did a lot of volunteer work with other denominations. she crossed around to Kitty’s side of the car and stuck to her friend like glue as they made their way inside.
Kitty put her arm around Cadence and was relieved when they got inside without incident. She guided Cadence up to the counter, both hands on her shoulders comfortingly. "My friend is interested in some birth control, and probably needs a checkup but I’ll let her answer that part.”
Cadence nodded, then gave her information to the woman behind the counter. She was given a clipboard with some paperwork to fill out, and moved to sit down to do it. There were other people in the waiting room, some young women with young children, a couple of young couples that looked scared or bored.
The television on was showing some PBS cartoon station. Cadence filled out the paperwork in silence. “...do you take the pill?” She asked Kitty, quietly.
Kitty took a seat, crossing her legs as she pulled her phone out. “I was on it before I was with Xi’an. I kept it up because, well, you never know, right? And I didn’t want to screw up my hormones or something, since it helps regulate..things.”
“Does it make you feel sick?” Cadence asked, flipping the page and filling out the next. Health questions. She didn’t know much about her mother’s medical history, but she was able to fill in the rest. She was a very healthy girl.
“At first it did, but then I got used to it. I had really bad cramps when I was younger and it really helped with those.” Kitty shrugged a shoulder. “Then when I started having sex, it was really, really nice to not have to worry about..you know.”
Cadence nodded. “Yeah. I really need... um... that.” She went very pink indeed. “It’s been a bit of a disaster,” she said finishing up the paperwork. She climbed up to drop it off with the woman behind the window, and then came back to where Kitty was sitting. She realized that Kurt may have told Kitty everything, and that made her feel a little more embarrassed.
What Kurt hadn’t told her, Kitty had guessed. It had been kind of fun to watch him squirm. “See? This isn’t so bad. It’s mildly embarrassing but you have to you know, suck it up and let it flow over you. Are you thinking of the pill or the shot? I should get the shot...”
“The shot?” Cadence asked. Maybe she should have done her research. She didn’t know what the shot was. “...I thought... well, I’ll just take the pill every day.” She said, shifting in her seat.
“There’s a shot that lasts like..three months?” Kitty said. “You can ask the nurse for sure. But you don’t have to worry about remembering to take it. And it’s not so long that when you want to have kids you have to wait too long.”
“Oh, I don’t think I’ll want to have kids in three months.” Cadence said, shaking her head. She’d only just had sex for the first time a few weeks ago. She wasn’t ready to start having kids. No way, no how. She’d have to be married first. And as much as she loved Kurt, she couldn’t imagine marrying him now.
“Exactly. So you can just come back, and get another one, and be done with it for another three months. Easy!” Kitty patted her knee. “It’s..easier with me, I guess. I don’t...well okay I still have interest in guys, but when and if I move on again, it’ll probably be a woman, unless it’s a really amazing guy.” She’d discovered there were aspects to waking up next to a woman she really liked.
Cadence nodded. She shifted in her chair. “I don’t... I never thought I’d be in this position. I never thought I’d be... needing birth control... before I got married.” She said, and was about to say something else, but a door opened and a woman in a white coat with a clip board called out Cadence’s name.
Cadence stood, ran her hands over her skirt, and moved to follow.
“You’ll be okay.” Kitty promised, squeezing Cadence’s arm before letting go. “God wants you to be happy, and to enjoy life. I think he’ll understand that you want children when you can give them what they need, and not before.”
Cadence gave a nod, then reached for Kitty’s hand. “You’re coming with me, right? Or are you waiting out here?”
“If you want me, I’ll be there.” She took Cadence’s hand and stood.
Cadence nodded, then led the other girl into the back room for her appointment. It was a basic physical. Cadence had a pap at her latest physical, which was just a few months ago. Everything came back normal. Her blood pressure was good, temperature good, weight and height normal, so the doctor on staff wrote her out a prescription for a once-a-day oral birth control pill.
That was really easy, Kitty thought. She put her arm around Cadence and squeezed. “There you go. Just gotta wait a week, or until you’re comfortable, whichever comes last.”
“There I go.” Cadence repeated, giving a little sigh and leaning in against Kitty’s arm around her shoulders. “Now I know I won’t be... scared.” She said. “At least, not scared of pregnancy, anyway.” She climbed off of the examination table to lead the way out. They could stop at the desk on the way out, give a donation, pick up some pills, and be on their way.
Of course, in the brown, paper bag with the pills was a huge handful of condoms. As was Planned Parenthood’s way.
Kitty peeked into the bag and giggled. "They like you to be prepared. I wonder if they have a quota to meet."
“Probably,” Cadence was bright red. “Maybe it’s for... um... before the pills kick in?” Not that she was going to be having sex again any time soon. She was still too scared. Though, Kurt was very persuasive.
“It could be.” Kitty nodded her head. She smiled ruefully. “Technically, you’re safest using both, but I never did. I hate those damn things.”
“We tried, and it broke, so...” Cadence said, blushing deeply. “I don’t really like them, either.”
Kitty winced. “God that must have been horrible!” She could safely say she’d never had that particular experience. She probably would have laughed, hysterically and then broken into tears.
“It... well.” Cadence cleared her throat. “It really turned me off of sex.” She admitted, quietly. “That and the first time we were stupid and forgot protection, I just...” A sigh. “I’m not good at any of this. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Kurt forgot protection?” Kitty would have done a spittake if she’d had a drink. “I can give you advice? I really, really like sex.”
Cadence blushed deeply, but nodded.
Kitty snerked. “Okay. We you can’t let that fear get in the way of enjoying yourself, you know? Sex is this..wonderful thing that’s even better with an emotional connection. Like, for just a little while, you’re one person instead of two.”
Cadence nodded again. Everything that Kitty said seemed true. It was the same as she’d read about, the same as she had experienced. In her meager experiences, anyway. She took a deep breath and let it go. “I’m going to feel a lot less worried when I’m sure we’re protected.” She said, softly. “It’s hard for me not to worry.”
“It’s easier for some people than others. I’m a bit in between.” She really missed the intimacy. Not even the sex, just the close contact and the feel of skin against skin. When curled up in her love’s arms, it was like nothing in the world could get to her.
“Hopefully I’ll get over it soon.” Cadence said, thoughtfully. She really liked the last night that she’d spent at Kurt’s place. She wanted more like it. She really did love him, and she wanted to be with him. She was just... torn and confused and scared.
“Don’t rush the pace too much,” Kitty warned. “There’s something to be said for that tension that you can cut with a knife. It’s a lot of fun.”
“So... wait...” Cadence said, frowning. “I should... wait?”
“Do you want to?”
“I...” Cadence trailed off, turning to lead them out of the building. She wanted to get home, to get started on her homework, to take one of her pills. “...I don’t know.”
“Well that’s better than no, but not as good as yes.” Kitty scratched the back of her head. “What scares you so much about it? Besides the obvious.”
“The obvious. And other things. I thought for twenty-one years of my life that sex before marriage was a sin. It’s not like a light switch, not something I can just turn off. I feel guilty, I feel like I’m betraying God, or betraying my beliefs. I’m working on it, but it’s not gonna happen overnight.”
She nodded. “I’ve never felt it was like that. I think I came to that realization early, when I’d watch people I respected hook up, and no lightning from on high came to strike them down.”
“Yeah, I’ve always hung around with the Christian kids.” Cadence said with a sheepish shrug. “Even now I live in a Christian Sorority. Not too many of my Sisters are hooking up with anyone. No lightning, either.” She added, smiling. “But still. I’m changing my world views a lot lately, and it’s making me... hesitant.”
“It’s part of getting older.” Kitty wasn’t exactly that much older than Cadence, but sometimes she felt like it. “Evolving your worldviews. With my experiences, and what I dream of, it’s hard for me to be anything but inclusive, for example. So my world views get molded by those experiences.”
Cadence was very sheltered for a girl her age. Incredibly sheltered, actually. Part of it was her firm grip on her religion, part of it was growing up with ten older brothers, all who were very protective of her. She had less worldly experience than a lot of girls her age. She simply nodded, walking with Kitty back toward the truck. She kept her face hidden from the protesters.
Kitty calmly put her arm around Cadence as they walked, and helped her into the car while flipping the protestors the bird. She didn’t taunt them any further (were she with anyone but Cadence she probably would have), but got into the truck and started it. “Lets get ice cream.”
“Okay.” Cadence said, giving her savior a smile. She climbed into the car and buckled up, ready to get the heck out of here and go eat something full of chocolate and caramel.