A Period Piece

Logan finished his evening by reading the paper while Harvest moaned and groaned softly on the couch. “You okay honey?” he said. “Yes Dad,” she said grudgingly. After a time she kissed him on the cheek and toddled off to bed. Toddled, he thought. He still talked about her like she was a baby even though they just met and she clearly wasn’t! Some big accepter of change I am. I never even got to see her in feet pajamas and I see her in feet pajamas every where she goes!

As she turned away he saw a stain in her pajamas. Oh Christ, is that what I think it is? What if this is new to her and she doesn’t know how to tell me? Should I say something or not? Maybe I’ll ask Wheeler for advice. She’ll know what to do.

Harvest woke up the next morning to find a stain on her sheets as well. crap, she thought. Why couldn’t this have happened when my mother was alive? I guess nature isn’t convenient that way. OMG, how do I tell Dad? Do I need to tell him? Is this something I can handle on my own? He’ll get suspicious when I repeatedly ask for money each month for “school supplies”. I need a woman to talk to. Holly? No, just met her. Detective Wheeler? Maybe. She has a way with teenage girls.

The next day at school.

“Renatta,” said Harvest.

“Yeah?”

“Something horrible happened.”

“They canceled that show with Vincent D’onofrio?”

“Worse! I got my period.”

“So?”

“So it never happened before. How do I tell my dad?”

“Gee that’s tough. Isn’t there a woman you could talk to?”

“Who, Det. Wheeler? I don’t even know how to approach her. And I don’t know how long I can tell Dad I need money for school supplies.”

“Come to my house. I’ll set you up.”

Logan and Wheeler at bar.

“So what’s the reason for this sit down Logan? Something tells me you want more than a drink.”

Logan takes a sip from his beer. “There is Wheeler but I don’t know how to say it.” She arches a brow. Another sip. “My daughter. She got her period and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if it’s her first time or not. Should I say something or just lay a box of Tampax on her bed?

“Logan you have to have a conversation with her. If for no other reason than that she knows you are there for her, and it’s okay.”

“She knows that!”

“I mean that you are not embarrassed. You will take care of her, supply her with what she needs.”

“But I am embarrassed. I don’t want a boy, but it would be so much easier.”

“You would worry about him smashing up a car or whatever stupid thing he got into this week.”

“I know. We see blood every day, far worse than this. But this feels different, intimate.”

“It is. It signifies your daughter really is no longer a little girl.”

“Don’t say that!”

“But it’s true-“

“I know! Just don’t say it!”

“Well. Not all at once,” she says, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Now finish your beer and let’s go buy some feminine hygiene products.”

“I’m going to need a few more beers.”

Logan and Wheeler in the drugstore.

Wheeler: “Teenage Softies! I didn’t know they still had these.”

Logan: “Fine. Let’s go.”

Wheeler: “No wait. Let’s get her a box that contains pads and tampons.”

Logan: “Why?”

Wheeler: “Women like choice,” she says with a smirk. She hands them to Logan. “Now go pay for them.”

Logan: “Oh Wheeler!” he groans.

Wheeler: “Logan!” she says firmly. You are going to have to learn to do this sometime.”

Logan: “Ohhhh…..

Wheeler: “Go on.”

Logan: “Okay, but if I get one smart remark it’s back to Staten Island for me.”

Wheeler: “You’ll be fine. Men do this for their wives and girlfriends all the time. Besides, you’ve had more than enough beer.”

Logan approaches the register at the same time a young Asian female cashier does. He plunks down his money as well as a clump of pens and chocolate bars as if to disguise his purchase. “This all for you?” she laughs. “Yes. It. IS.” Logan growls.

Logan stumbles into his apartment. By now he’d gone from an edgy drunk to a goofy one. “Honey,” he says, approaching a couch ridden Harvest. “There is something I think we should talk about,” he nearly hiccups. “I agree Daddy,” she says. “You first.”

“Well, it’s just that, hiccup, you’re growing up now, hiccup, and maturing into a young woman. I want you to know you can come to me with anything. Anything at all.”

“I know that. Have you been drinking?”

“No. I mean yes. But I know what I’m talking about…” Logan moves closer. As he does he trips over the automan, spilling the tampon box on the floor. “Oh damn...”

“I guess you know what I’m trying to say?”

“I do. And I love you for it. Your Chevy Chase fall onto the floor makes it so much easier for both of us.” He gives her a playful slap on the shoulder.

“I was trying to find a way to tell you too.”

“Would you like a pen?”

“No.”

“Chocolate?”

“Yes please!”

After a moment the two finish their candy bars. “You know….as far as fathers go, you’re no Ozzy Osbourne, but you’re not bad….

“Ditto,” he grins.

Woo hoo! Chocolate!!!

Seriously... Maher, this is another great one!!! Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to the next one, as always

Thank you Sara. Did you have a favorite part? This is my favorite out of the five I have written so far. If I do say so myself.

Ohhh...sweet! I have two favorite parts.

Some big accepter of change I am. I never even got to see her in feet pajamas and I see her in feet pajamas every where she goes!

And

"Renatta," said Harvest.

"Yeah?"

"Something horrible happened."

"They canceled that show with Vincent D'onofrio?"

"Worse! I got my period."


The first one had me going "Awww..." and the second had me cracking up!

Oh yes, out of those you posted, I think this one is my favorite too.
One of the reasons I never got into writing fanfiction is that I'm tempted to be more descriptive, but it bores me to death because I'd write almost dialogues-only stories.
I really like your writing. You don't describe much, it's mostly dialogue. And still, I can visualize the scene perfectly. This is key to me. A good writer will let me "see" what he/she writes. So far the authors I read are very good. Happy you joined

Thank you GTS. What a lovely thing to say! I feel like I know them so well there is no need to describe. You should follow your muse.

OK - my turn as I play catch up after a crazy week or two! First, the title didn't give me a clue as to what this story was going to be about. I figured it was a period of time not the other, ya know? I'm slow sometimes...

But I have to agree with the other ladies, I love this one. The humor as Logan tries to come to grips with his newfound daughter growing into womanhood and having to assume the duty of buying Harvest what she needs. It's embarrassing enough to be a woman buying them let alone a single dad doing it for the first time. I loved his conversation with Wheeler (and the fact he needs a few more beers)...

As a fellow fanfic writer, I have to agree with Sara that I like that there's no need for long descriptions (I rarely go there myself). Based on our knowledge of the characters and your ability to capture their 'voice' perfectly, there's no need for them. I can simply 'see' each scene unfolding as I read and I'm thoroughly enjoying your stories. Thanks again, Maher, for sharing them with us.

I thought I had already commented on this! Has anyone seen my brain laying around? You would think I would have missed it sooner.

I loved this! I especially liked Logan buying feminine products. My older sister was always too embarrassed to buy her own when she was a teenager, so our dad would buy them for her. I just have this vision of Mike Logan, Detective with Major Case Squad, standing at the check out with a bunch of tampons.

OK, gotta go catch up on the rest of these!

You must have had a sweet and confident father! Thank you for reading..