Overlooked(1)(194)
“Yes. But it hurts, real bad. I don’t know what to do.”
“Cramps?”
“She’s scared,” he says, his eyes pleading.
“Did you give her a hot water bottle?”
“No,” he says, confused. “I don’t have a hot water bottle.”
“How do you have a girl that age and not have a hot water bottle? You need to be prepared,” I snap.
Knox’s face falls, “I’ll go buy one.”
“I’ll bring mine first. I’m coming right over to calm her down. I’ll give you a shopping list of things to buy. You have tampons and stuff, right?” I say.
“Some. How many do you need each month?”
“It depends,” I say. I feel bad now. He’s in way over his head and I should’ve been more helpful instead of snapping about the water bottle.
Running upstairs, I grab the hot water bottle from the bathroom before running back downstairs again and handing it to him. I follow Knox across the lawn and into his house. Piper is in her pajamas, lying on the couch.
“Hey, Piper,” I say, walking over and perching myself on the edge of the couch.
“Avery,” she says, a weak smile on her face.
“Your dad told me what’s going on. I brought you a hot water bottle, your dad’s filling it up now. It’ll help a lot with your cramps.”
“It hurts so bad,” she says.
“Down low?” I ask, pointing on my own body.
“Yes, right here.”
“That’s normal, sweetie, don’t worry at all. The hot water bottle will help, plus you can take some Tylenol. And you don’t have to move from this couch all day. But don’t worry, it’s only temporary.”
I turn my head to the side, and realize Knox is standing there listening to us. He looks both helpless and mortified.
“Thanks, Avery,” Piper says as I take the bottle from Knox and pass it to her.
“It’s your dad who got it,” I say. “I’m just going to get something from the kitchen.”
Knox follows me into the kitchen and I grab a pen and pad of paper from the table to write out the list of what she’ll need.
“Thank you,” he says.
“No problem. You’re obviously in over your head.” He winces, and I add, “Like any man would be. I’m going to write out a shopping list. You go get it. I’ll stay here and keep Piper company.”
“Can she go to school today?” he asks.
“As much as I really want her to, that would be cruel to the poor girl.”
“I’ll phone the school, then go get the shit on your list.”
He acts like he doesn’t even remember what we were supposed to be doing this morning.
Knox quickly makes me a coffee and leaves for the store. I sit back down with Piper and she asks me a million questions about periods. I answer in my best YouTuber voice.
Knox
I’m standing in the female aisle of the drug store, trying to decipher Avery’s list. How are there so many different types of things? Things I know nothing about, and don’t fucking want to know anything about.
I chuck five of everything on her list in the cart. The more I buy now, the less often I have to come to this aisle. It’s the mystery aisle as far as I’m concerned. I don’t belong here. Next time I’m going to shop online.
On the way home, I pull my prized possession, my ’62 Thunderbird that I restored myself, into the best diner in town. I order a stack of pancakes and two stacks of waffles along with a mountain of bacon to go.
I wonder what else Piper would want. It’s hard to keep up with her likes these days. Or Avery. I should get her some fruit salad or something. Fuck it.
When I get home, I enter the house through the back door, straight into the kitchen.
Dropping all the drug store bags on the floor, I set the two bags of food on the counter. Piper wants waffles, bacon and lots of syrup. I load up her plate and take it to her in the living room.
Avery appears by my side, and says, “Something smells good.”
“Waffles and pancakes. Want some?”
“Hell, yeah. But I smell bacon, is there some for me?”
I point to the bag with the bacon in it. “Help yourself.”
While I lay out a plate for Piper, Avery rips open the bacon bag. Her nose turns up at the contents. What was she expecting?
“Is this all?”
“All what?”
“All the bacon you got?” she asks, snarling.
“There’s tons there.”
“It’s for three people.”
Avery picks up a crispy piece and takes a bite. I watch motionless as she eats the whole damn thing in the most erotic way a piece of bacon has ever been eaten. When she finishes, she slowly sucks the grease off her fingertips, her lips pucker around each finger. I cannot drag my eyes off her and I think she knows it.