Messed Up Youthful Innocence

{Chrissy's Point of view}

I was attempting to put away the groceries when I heard footsteps on the stairs. Andy and I turned towards the staircase to see Katie. She shot Andy and I a disgusted look before heading to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of chocolate soymilk. We had decided when the kids were little that it was their own choice to be a vegetarian or vegan. Neither of them were, but both were used to and voluntarily ate whatever Andy did. Katie looked over at us, her eyes momentarily lingering at my waist, where Andy’s arms were wrapped tightly.

“Just a reminder, Wil is going to be over in half an hour” she mumbled.

“The project right?” I asked.

“Yeah.” She sighed before disappearing up the stairs.

I attempted to go back to putting away the groceries, with Andy’s ‘help’. The thing about
having two kids only a few years apart is they either get along great, or horribly, often both extremes in a matter of minutes.

“DREW GET YOUR OWN!” Katie’s voice echoed down the stairs.

“I thought they were supposed to get along better as they got older.” Andy sighed.

“Whoever told us that lied.” I responded.

I waited for Drew’s retort to Katie. It never came. Andy soon interrupted the silence by pressing his lips to mine. Just as my lips parted I heard the refrigerator door open. Andy and I pulled apart looking towards it and seeing Drew opening his own bottle of soymilk.

“Sorry to interrupt, but do you know what’s the deal with Katie recently?” he asked once he realized we were staring at him.

“If I understood women, I would have a lot less problems.” Andy said knowingly.

“Right, problems, that’s why your tongue was just down mom’s throat.” Drew said shuddering.

“Go upstairs Drew.” Andy snapped back glaring his ‘you better damn well listen to me I’m
your father’ look.

I sighed rolling my eyes. Drew looked ready to argue, but made the right decision in leaving, he valued his car keys way to much to mouth back too much.

As soon as Drew left Andy turned back to me, wrapping his arms around me.

“Do you know what’s wrong with Katie.” he asked concerned.

There were two issues. One would be solved easily, the other one I didn’t know.

“She hasn’t told me anything, but I have my suspicions.”

“You said she has a doctors appointment, in like two weeks right? It’s nothing serious right?”

To lie or not to lie. Lie.

“No, just a check up.”

No your daughter isn’t going on birth control, I would never do that.

“Okay good. She’s been acting … odd and I don’t know what to do.”

“You can’t be her knight in shining armor forever. She has to grow up, and I think she’s
looking other places.” I said carefully. I hoped it was just that.

“What about Drew?”

“I don’t know, he’s a teenage boy ,that’s your specialty, not mine. I never was one.”I raised an eyebrow at him.

“At sixteen. I was… you were fifteen… I was… umm…” he suddenly smiled coyly.” Doing
this”

He pressed his hips and lips against mine, pushing me against the kitchen counter.

“That could explain a lot.” I said smiling once we broke apart.

“But who?” he asked

“Surely not Jessica.” I laughed.

“The whore? No… I was thinking about Katie though.” he said still looking concerned.

“She’ll be okay. If it’s something big she’ll tell us. Otherwise, she can handle it, she’s a big girl now.”

“She’s barely fifteen.”

“Don’t worry about either of them, they’re just teenagers, it’s not a big deal, the Wentzes
have it worse anyways, both of them being the same age, and Petey’s a handful by himself.”

“Like father like son, at least Pete remember the girl’s names.”

“Most of them hopefully, a few did get by though.”

The doorbell rang and we both headed to the front door. By the time we got there Katie had already answered the door revealing a skinny Wil Devine.

“Hi Mr. and Mrs. Hurley” he said.

“Hi”

“Okay I have everything up in my room, we can work up there.” Katie said flashing as of late
rare smile.

“Okay.” Wil said quietly.

“Come on” Katie said flirty as Wil headed up the staircase behind her.

Andy’s neck snapped towards the staircase as he glared at Katie and Wil’s backs.

“Calm down.”

“That was a very flirty little smile-nod-come-hither look she gave him.” Andy said suspiciously.

“Andy, it’s a legitimate project. And that is not a come hither look, That was a let’s get away from my overprotective dad look.”

“I’m not overprotective” he said indignantly

“Right.” I mumbled pulling an innocent come-hither look.

“You’re not innocent don’t give me that look”

“See, this is a come hither look, what Katie did was not.”