Crisis: Code Red
“Andy?”
“Huh?” He glanced away from his computer. Holly stood in the doorway, shifting uncomfortably.
“Did Mom get back yet?”
Andrew nodded. “Dad just went to pick her up at the airport.”
“Oh, okay.” She left, closing the door.
Moments later, her blonde head peeked back into his room, this time without knocking. “What’s Aunt Lois’ cell phone number?”
“It’s on the refrigerator.”
She closed the door quietly again and Andrew knew something funny was going on. She was just acting strange. Sighing, he saved the document he was working on and followed after her.
He was stopped momentarily by his dad calling - Chloe’s plane was delayed from the snowstorm and it would probably be a while before they got home. Sounded like Andrew would be going for takeout in a little while, not that he was going to complain.
When he got the kitchen, he saw Holly dejectedly hanging up the telephone.
“What’s going on?” Andrew asked confusedly. She had been fine that morning and now she was quieter than a mouse and her face was pale. It was like she had been possessed or had the personality sucked out of her.
“I don’t want to talk about it with you,” Holly answered, voice strained.
“Well, I’m the best you got right now.”
“I just want Mom, okay?” Her eyes were watering
“Mom’s not going to be back until later. I just got off the phone with dad and he said the flight was delayed in Chicago,” Andrew explained. He saw her frown and knew that he would have to deal with whatever was going on himself. Leaning his elbows on the island counter, he looked over at his sister. “I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
“I…” She began, picking at an apple. “I….thinkIgotmyperiod.”
“Come again?” He asked, hoping he had heard her wrong.
“I think I got my period!”
“So? Just…take care of it…”
“I’ve never had it before!” Holly cried exasperatedly, cheeks flaming in embarrassment. It was awkward enough to have gotten the rotten curse, but to have to discuss it with her older brother?
“Seriously?”
“Andy!” She stomped in annoyance.
“Alright, alright,” he said, holding his hands up in defense. “Um…you tried calling Aunt Lois?”
“She’s not home.”
“Aunt Sarah?”
“She’s in New York this weekend for her mother’s memorial service.”
Andrew scratched the back of his head. This night was just getting better and better. Cursing under his breath, he looked back at his sister.
“Come on, kid,” he said, before sprinting up the stairs. He headed straight for their parents’ bathroom, knowing Chloe kept her bathroom products under the sink. He started digging underneath and pulled out a box of tampons, thrusting it into Holly’s hands.
“I don’t know…” She said in trepidation.
“You can read directions, can’t you?”
“Yes, but…I’ve never used these before, I don’t know how to…” Holly closed her eyes. “I want Mom.”
Andrew sighed, head falling against the cupboard with a dull thud. What could he do? There was no one he could call.
…Wait, a minute.
He had gotten his license last week. Sure, the Mustang still needed some work, but it would get him to and from town without a problem - even in this storm.
“I’ll be right back,” Andrew instructed Holly. “I’m going to run to the store.”
The General Store was still open when he pulled into town. He brushed snow off of his shoulders and headed for the back pharmacy. Relief crossed over his features as he saw his chemistry partner working behind the counter. She was equipped for this type of thing. She had…womanly bits and such. Granted, he wasn’t her favorite person on the planet, but with a little pleading, he may be able to pull something off…
“Danny, I need a favor,” he said, approaching the counter.
Danielle looked at him suspiciously. “What?”
“Look, my…”
“I’m not letting you copy my lab report.”
“What? No,” Andrew denied, brow furrowing in indignation. Besides, he had the highest average in the class. He didn’t need her lab report. “I need your help.”
The store was empty from the storm and there was nothing much else for her to do. “What?” She sighed.
“My sister…” He cleared his throat, glancing around. She bit her lip, trying to hide the amusement at the usually confident Winchester’s apparent discomfort.
“Spit it out, Andrew.”
“My sister got her period and my parents aren’t home.”
“So?”
“It’s a first time type of deal,” he admitted.
“And?”
“I have no idea what to tell her.”
Danielle sighed, walking out from behind the counter. She walked straight for the aisle that he usually avoided.
“How old is she?” She asked, looking at the different packaging.
“Twelve.”
Danielle took a package of sanitary napkins off the shelf and handed them to Andrew. “Give her these. Directions are pretty self-explanatory, so she shouldn’t have too much trouble.”
“Thanks,” he said, as she rang them up for him at the back register.
“It’s really sweet of you. Doing this for her.” She placed the package in a paper bag, sparing Andrew the total embarrassment of having to walk out with them.
“What am I supposed to do? Let her bleed all over the place?”
“My brothers would have ran screaming.”
That had been his first thought.
“It’d take a lot more than that to get me fleeing for the hills.”
Danielle smiled and looked towards the clock. “My shift is over in about ten minutes,” she said. “I can come over if you need some…tactical support.”
“She’d kill me if she knew I told someone,” Andrew laughed, taking the bag. “But thanks anyway.”
“You’re scared of your sister?”
He shrugged. “She’s lethal when she wants to be.”
“You’re not as much of a pain in the ass as I thought you were.”
“Yeah, I’m a regular prince charming,” he replied, backing toward the door with a grin on his face.
Danielle rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far,” she stated pointedly.
He stopped for a pizza on the way home and some ice cream, even though it was below freezing out. He found Holly in her room, just staring off into space. Andrew tossed the brown bag onto her bed before closing the door and heading for the kitchen.
A little while later, he had a nice set-up in front of the television with his pizza as some old movie was playing. Holly shuffled downstairs in her pajamas and entered the room.
“You good?” He asked.
“Think so,” she answered, sitting on the couch beside him and grabbing a slice of pizza. “Dad called when you were gone and said they’d be home later. The snow is bad in Metropolis.”
Andrew nodded. “I figured. It’s wasn’t a picnic out on the road tonight.”
“Thanks, Andy.”
“No problem.”
She was quiet for a few moments before speaking. “If you tell anyone about this - especially Connor - I’ll tell mom who really got that virus on the League computer.”
Andrew rolled his eyes, chewing his pizza. “I should probably tell you that since you’re a….” He said, clearing his throat to gloss over the idea. “Well, dad’s probably going to send you to a convent.”
Holly punched his shoulder, glaring at him.
Andrew laughed as he looked back at the television.
Well, crisis averted. Hey, and maybe now he could score a date with Danielle…
“Huh?” He glanced away from his computer. Holly stood in the doorway, shifting uncomfortably.
“Did Mom get back yet?”
Andrew nodded. “Dad just went to pick her up at the airport.”
“Oh, okay.” She left, closing the door.
Moments later, her blonde head peeked back into his room, this time without knocking. “What’s Aunt Lois’ cell phone number?”
“It’s on the refrigerator.”
She closed the door quietly again and Andrew knew something funny was going on. She was just acting strange. Sighing, he saved the document he was working on and followed after her.
He was stopped momentarily by his dad calling - Chloe’s plane was delayed from the snowstorm and it would probably be a while before they got home. Sounded like Andrew would be going for takeout in a little while, not that he was going to complain.
When he got the kitchen, he saw Holly dejectedly hanging up the telephone.
“What’s going on?” Andrew asked confusedly. She had been fine that morning and now she was quieter than a mouse and her face was pale. It was like she had been possessed or had the personality sucked out of her.
“I don’t want to talk about it with you,” Holly answered, voice strained.
“Well, I’m the best you got right now.”
“I just want Mom, okay?” Her eyes were watering
“Mom’s not going to be back until later. I just got off the phone with dad and he said the flight was delayed in Chicago,” Andrew explained. He saw her frown and knew that he would have to deal with whatever was going on himself. Leaning his elbows on the island counter, he looked over at his sister. “I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
“I…” She began, picking at an apple. “I….thinkIgotmyperiod.”
“Come again?” He asked, hoping he had heard her wrong.
“I think I got my period!”
“So? Just…take care of it…”
“I’ve never had it before!” Holly cried exasperatedly, cheeks flaming in embarrassment. It was awkward enough to have gotten the rotten curse, but to have to discuss it with her older brother?
“Seriously?”
“Andy!” She stomped in annoyance.
“Alright, alright,” he said, holding his hands up in defense. “Um…you tried calling Aunt Lois?”
“She’s not home.”
“Aunt Sarah?”
“She’s in New York this weekend for her mother’s memorial service.”
Andrew scratched the back of his head. This night was just getting better and better. Cursing under his breath, he looked back at his sister.
“Come on, kid,” he said, before sprinting up the stairs. He headed straight for their parents’ bathroom, knowing Chloe kept her bathroom products under the sink. He started digging underneath and pulled out a box of tampons, thrusting it into Holly’s hands.
“I don’t know…” She said in trepidation.
“You can read directions, can’t you?”
“Yes, but…I’ve never used these before, I don’t know how to…” Holly closed her eyes. “I want Mom.”
Andrew sighed, head falling against the cupboard with a dull thud. What could he do? There was no one he could call.
…Wait, a minute.
He had gotten his license last week. Sure, the Mustang still needed some work, but it would get him to and from town without a problem - even in this storm.
“I’ll be right back,” Andrew instructed Holly. “I’m going to run to the store.”
The General Store was still open when he pulled into town. He brushed snow off of his shoulders and headed for the back pharmacy. Relief crossed over his features as he saw his chemistry partner working behind the counter. She was equipped for this type of thing. She had…womanly bits and such. Granted, he wasn’t her favorite person on the planet, but with a little pleading, he may be able to pull something off…
“Danny, I need a favor,” he said, approaching the counter.
Danielle looked at him suspiciously. “What?”
“Look, my…”
“I’m not letting you copy my lab report.”
“What? No,” Andrew denied, brow furrowing in indignation. Besides, he had the highest average in the class. He didn’t need her lab report. “I need your help.”
The store was empty from the storm and there was nothing much else for her to do. “What?” She sighed.
“My sister…” He cleared his throat, glancing around. She bit her lip, trying to hide the amusement at the usually confident Winchester’s apparent discomfort.
“Spit it out, Andrew.”
“My sister got her period and my parents aren’t home.”
“So?”
“It’s a first time type of deal,” he admitted.
“And?”
“I have no idea what to tell her.”
Danielle sighed, walking out from behind the counter. She walked straight for the aisle that he usually avoided.
“How old is she?” She asked, looking at the different packaging.
“Twelve.”
Danielle took a package of sanitary napkins off the shelf and handed them to Andrew. “Give her these. Directions are pretty self-explanatory, so she shouldn’t have too much trouble.”
“Thanks,” he said, as she rang them up for him at the back register.
“It’s really sweet of you. Doing this for her.” She placed the package in a paper bag, sparing Andrew the total embarrassment of having to walk out with them.
“What am I supposed to do? Let her bleed all over the place?”
“My brothers would have ran screaming.”
That had been his first thought.
“It’d take a lot more than that to get me fleeing for the hills.”
Danielle smiled and looked towards the clock. “My shift is over in about ten minutes,” she said. “I can come over if you need some…tactical support.”
“She’d kill me if she knew I told someone,” Andrew laughed, taking the bag. “But thanks anyway.”
“You’re scared of your sister?”
He shrugged. “She’s lethal when she wants to be.”
“You’re not as much of a pain in the ass as I thought you were.”
“Yeah, I’m a regular prince charming,” he replied, backing toward the door with a grin on his face.
Danielle rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far,” she stated pointedly.
He stopped for a pizza on the way home and some ice cream, even though it was below freezing out. He found Holly in her room, just staring off into space. Andrew tossed the brown bag onto her bed before closing the door and heading for the kitchen.
A little while later, he had a nice set-up in front of the television with his pizza as some old movie was playing. Holly shuffled downstairs in her pajamas and entered the room.
“You good?” He asked.
“Think so,” she answered, sitting on the couch beside him and grabbing a slice of pizza. “Dad called when you were gone and said they’d be home later. The snow is bad in Metropolis.”
Andrew nodded. “I figured. It’s wasn’t a picnic out on the road tonight.”
“Thanks, Andy.”
“No problem.”
She was quiet for a few moments before speaking. “If you tell anyone about this - especially Connor - I’ll tell mom who really got that virus on the League computer.”
Andrew rolled his eyes, chewing his pizza. “I should probably tell you that since you’re a….” He said, clearing his throat to gloss over the idea. “Well, dad’s probably going to send you to a convent.”
Holly punched his shoulder, glaring at him.
Andrew laughed as he looked back at the television.
Well, crisis averted. Hey, and maybe now he could score a date with Danielle…