Carrie | Page 9

n oth in g o f t h e m atu re w om an 's m onth ly c y cle . I t i s n early a s i n cre d ib le t o b elie v e
th at t h e g ir l's m oth er w ould p erm it h er d au ghte r t o r e ac h t h e a g e o f n early s e v en te en w ith out c o nsu lt in g a g y naeco lo gis t c o ncern in g
t h e d au g hte r's f a il u re t o m en str u ate .
Y et t h e f a cts a re i n co ntr o vertib le . W hen C arrie W hit e r e aliz ed s h e w as b le ed in g f r o m t h e v ag in al o p en in g, s h e h ad n o i d ea o f w hat
w as t a k in g p la ce. S he w as i n no cen t o f t h e e n ti r e c o ncep t o f m en str u atio n .
O ne o f h er s u rv iv in g c la ssm ate s, R uth G ro gan , t e ll s o f e n te rin g t h e g ir ls ' l o ck er r o om a t E w en H ig h S ch ool t h e y ear b efo re t h e e v en ts
w e a re c o ncern ed w ith a n d s e ein g C arrie u sin g a t a m pon t o b lo t h er l i p sti c k w it h . A t t h at t i m e M is s G ro g an s a id : 'W hat t h e h ell a re
y ou u p t o ?' M is s W hite r e p lie d : 'I s n 't t h is r ig ht? ' M is s G ro gan t h en r e p lie d : 'S ure . S ure i t i s .' R uth G ro g an l e t a n um ber o f h er g ir l
f r ie n ds i n o n t h is ( s h e l a te r t o ld t h is i n te rv ie w er s h e t h ou ght i t w as 's o rta c u te ') , a n d i f a n yo ne t r ie d i n t h e f u tu re t o i n fo rm C arr ie o f t h e
tr u e p urp ose o f w hat s h e w as u sin g t o m ak e u p w ith , s h e a p pare n tl y d is m is se d t h e e x pla n atio n a s a n a tt e m pt t o p u ll h er l e g . T his w as a
fa cet o f h er l i f e t h at s h e h ad b eco m e e x ceed in gly w ary o f...
W hen t h e g ir ls w ere g o ne t o t h eir P erio d T w o c la sse s a n d t h e b ell h ad b een s ile n ced ( s