Coincidental Cause for Accidents

Everyone laughed as Syn - I mean, Brian - finished his joke. I had called Ryan, my best friend, and he'd brought his daughter, Kyla. And he'd brought his friend Connor. We hated each other, but we 'tried' to get along for Ryan.

"Can you ever find someone other than a guy to hang out with," Josh whispered.

"Girls have way to much drama attached. You'll figure that out when Meggie gets older," I whispered back. That shut him up.

"So, how exactly did you guys meet?" Michelle, Brian's girlfriend asked.

"We met by talking," Jimmy said in a 'duh' tone.

"Nah, he was hitting on me," I smirked.

"What? Jimmy I thought you loved me!" Leanna placed the back of her hand in front of her face and fell dramatically into Matts lap. "Will you be my new boyfriend, Shadz?"

"You move on quick," he laughed.

"What he meant was 'hell no'," Valary, Matt's girlfriend, glared pointedly at him.

"If you hurt my sister -" Michelle didn't get to finish. Why? 'Cuz we finished for her.

"-She will personally castrate you."

"Daddy, what does castrate mean?" Meggie asked Josh. I grinned at the pleading look on his face. I faced Meggie.

"Meggie, if you have to ask then you aren't ready to know."

She pouted and made a big fuss. And what did that do? Nothing. Until Kyla joined in.

"Kyla, didn't Daddy teach you better?" Ryan asked. She stuck her lip out in response and ran to sit on his lap.

"Please, Daddy? Please tell us." She was wheedling. I can't remember how many times I had used that same tact on my dad. I still use it. Even on Josh. Dads' have absolutely no clue when it's happening.

Ryan sighed and looked at Josh. "They'll find out sooner or later. Preferably later, but I don't want Kyla to have a lot of questions when she's older and more easily ..... embarrassed."

All the while, Josh had a pained look on his face. He nodded tightly and motioned for Meggie to sit with Kyla. We all had smirks on our faces as we watched bother fathers prepare to talk to their daughters. About the male anatomy.

Quite funny if you think about it.

"Okay Kyla, ask your question." Ryan said.

"What does castrate mean?"

"Well, you remember how I told you that boys' have special magic wands and they use it for lot s of things?"

"Like screwing around," Lacey mumbled, earning a snigger from the rest of us. Ryan and osh shot her dirty looks before continuing.

"Well, castrate means that a special doctors takes scissors and cuts that wand off."

"Does it hurt, Daddy?" Meggie looked at Josh.

He winced and said, "Oh, yeah it most definitely hurts."

Us girls giggled at the guys pained expressions and wincing. Meggie raised her hand.

"Yeah, Megs?" Josh said, face distorted in unease. I knew he dreaded having to answer her questions. Especially when they were related to sex, no matter how loosely.

"What does scr-screwing around mean?" her baby blues were wide with innocence.

"Uh, well .... you remember my girlfriend? Mycah?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember when you asked what we were ding in bed and I told you we were wrestling?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, is that what you're supposed to do in bed?" Gena asked. "I thought -" Zacky kissed her to shut her up. He gave Josh a thumbs up, showing that he was preventing more questions.

Josh cleared his throat. "Screwing around is another phrase for wrestling." Josh's face became strained as he explained it to her. It was then triumphant as he looked at me and realised he'd explained something and not had to explain anything else with it. I just smiled and shook my head.

We watched as Meggie's forehead scrunched as she thought hard about what her dad said. Then her mouth formed a perfect 'o' and she looked at Kyla who was still confused. Megs leaned over to whisper in her ear. Kyla suddenly got the picture. Josh and Ryan exchanged more pained glances.

"Welcome to fatherhood, boys," Zacky said.

"So, when do we get to eat?" Connor grumbled. His icy-blue eyes peered through his black fring at me.

"Connor, you pig. Do you ever stop eating?" I snapped.

"Yeah, but we haven't started so how can I stop," he smirked.

"You inconsiderate jack ass," Josh said.

"What? I'm stating a fact, dude."

"I didn't have to invite you here, Connor. You know I could've left you at my house," Ryan scolded.

"And i didn't hafta let you in," I added.

"'Hafta'? Who the hell says 'hafta' anymore?"

Something inside me snapped. I felt Zacky stiffen beside me. I lunged across his lap to take a swing at Connor and he caught my waist. Connor leaned back in his seat, enjoying the show as he watched Zacky hold my waist, Brian hold my arms, and Matt hold my legs.

"You sonofabitch! What's your fucking problem you asshole? Are you worried that if you hang out with someone who has a vagina that you'll be emasculated and lost your fucking dick? Oh, you fucking prick! You don't care about anyone or anything unless it benefits you in some fucking way! Why the hell are you a fucking jacking asshole from a sonofawhore? Ugh!" I screamed and kicked and punched as hard as I could to get free. I wanted to hurt Connor but took absolutely no pleasure in the fact that his yes were wide.

"I think he likes you."

Everyone stopped, including me. We all stared at the speaker. Johnny.

"It would make sense," Ryan said. "Even when he says he can't stand to be near her, he's always here at her house."

My mouth and eyes were wide in shock and horror. Connor? Like me? Psht, there was no way in high hell that was possible. We've hated each other since the first time we met. A tour of our college. At first I was mesmerised by his accent, but then it became apparent how much of a dick wad he was.

"What do those words mean, Daddy?" Meggie asked, break a silence of disbelief.

At that point, Josh and Ryan went to man the grill. The rest of the guys struck up a conversation with Meggie and Kyla. They tried to explain the words that had come out of my mouth. The girls all joined in to help.

I st in silence, staring at the floor. Not conscious of anything aside from Connor. He was staring at me.