Sugar and Spice: Everything Changes
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One.

Chapter Twenty-One: An Unexpected Development

"You've been busy this summer," Francine commented a few days later. "We've hardly seen you and soon you'll be on your way to Boston."

"I'm sorry." Christa apologized. "It's just this summer has been so busy."

"That's ok," Francine told her, "You're young, you should have fun. It just hit me that summer will be over soon and you'll be gone and how much we'll miss you, even the fleeting glimpses we've had this summer. But it's good that you're busy, you seem to have made some good friends."

"I have." Christa agreed with a smile, though she was waiting for her grandmother to suggest that she stay in Connecticut. She was a little surprised that the subject hadn't come up yet, though both Straub and Francine had made it clear that she would always be welcome.

"Shira mentioned that Logan is having a little get-together this weekend at the Vineyard to celebrate going off to Yale," Francine said instead, "I'm surprised I haven't heard you mention it."

Christa shrugged. "I didn't think my parents would let me go because Logan's parents won't be there."

"You are in our care for another few weeks," Francine said carefully, "And I think your grandfather and I are capable of deciding what situations are and aren't appropriate, don't you agree?"

Christa looked at her grandmother, sure that she had to have heard her wrong. Francine was usually very proper and the fact that she seemed to be suggesting that Christa go off to an unsupervised weekend party that her parents would not approve of was very out-of-character.

"You're a smart girl, Christine," Francine continued, "And we trust you not to repeat your parents' mistakes. I like Logan and the others and I know you'll be in good company. So if you like to go, you have my permission."

"What about my father?" Christa asked, knowing that Christopher would not be okay with it and really, wasn't his opinion the one that mattered? Of course, as Francine had mentioned, she was technically still in the Hayden's care until school started again and she officially moved back in with Christopher.

"You're father put you in our care," Francine reminded her, as if reading her mind, "He obviously trusts us to use our judgment and he doesn't need to know the ins and outs of what that entails, does he?"

It would be very easy to pull off, Christa had to admit. She talked to Christopher on her cell phone and he rarely talked to his parents, so he would have no way of knowing exactly where she was. But at the same time, he was her father and it seemed really wrong to go out of State and not let him know. But at the same time, it was very tempting.

0

"My grandmother told me I could go to Martha's Vineyard with you guys." Christa told Logan and Colin that night. She hoped it wasn't too late, after all they would be leaving the next day. This was actually supposed to be the last time she saw them before Yale.

Colin grinned. "That's awesome. What brought this on? I thought you'd decided not to even ask."

The boys had been disappointed but at the same time had respected her decision not to make things worse with her dad. She knew that they didn't really understand the relationship she had with her parents, because it was so different than theirs, but they respected it.

"She brought it up," Christa admitted, "I guess you mom mentioned the party to her, Logan, and today she approached me and suggested that I go and just not tell my father."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Your grandmother actually suggested that?"

"Weird, I know, huh?" Christa commented. "My grandparents have been a lot more relaxed lately, but this is definitely out of character."

Actually, as soon as Christopher started stepping up his parent game, Straub and Francine had seemed to get more lenient with the rules. Maybe because she was going back to living with Christopher and they could be fun grandparents instead of parental figures?

"I'm glad you changed your mind." Logan told her. "It wouldn't have been the same without you."

Christa wasn't sure she'd actually decided to go until the moment she had mentioned it to the boys. She'd been debating it all afternoon and she still didn't feel completely right about it, but she also didn't want to miss the party and she resented her father's new rules and thought he was being ridiculous.

She wasn't going to do anything stupid. Just because there were no chaperones didn't mean that she was suddenly going to decide to have sex, after all, it wouldn't be the first time she'd gone away with her friends. Though, Christa admitted, her parents didn't know about the overnight parties she'd gone to. That was a big selling point—the fact that she'd gone to other parties that her parents hadn't known about, and this time she actually did have permission. So, she would go and she would have fun and she would do her best not to feel guilty.

"He's right," Colin said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "Having you there, will just make the party even better."

"I'm glad you think that much of me." Christa teased, but his enthusiasm, along with the grin on Logan's face, made her feel better about her decision. Colin and Logan were her two best friends and she wanted to celebrate with them. There wasn't any harm in that, was there?