Teenagers

My 16 year old son is a bit of a math geek.  He is exceptional at figuring out math problems and never requires any studying.   This is the same kids who forgets to feed his cat.  Every day.  For 11 years.

So, a math test was coming up the day after Halloween, and he had agreed to stay back Halloween night and "study" in between knocks at the door from trick-or-treaters.  My husband and I took the 3 and 6 year-old goblins out in the neighborhood.  The houses are not close together and it was pretty cold and windy, so we circled back to get the van so we could move on to another part of the subdivision.

I walked up to the house and in the front door, and caught my son off guard.  He jumped up like I've only ever seen a terrified cat do, and shove something under his math book.

Panic set in.

"Um..." I said.  "What are you doing?"  I cannot begin to describe the awful things I thought a teen-aged boy might be hiding from his mother.  I'd had no brothers, but had heard the stories.  Boys really are pretty gross.

"Nothing."  The standard response for any question a teenager is asked.  Well, that or 'I don't know.'

I asked again.  "What are you doing?   What do you have?"

"Nothing."  He really is a genius.

"Tell me it's not porn."  I was making more of a statement than anything, thinking that's the worst it could be.

He blinked and stared.  I was sure he was shitting bricks at this point.

"No."

We stood there look at each other until I slowly walked over to the book and lifted it to reveal...

A sudoku puzzle.

"Jesus," I said as I turn to my husband.  He's hiding sudoku from me.

I kinda wish it HAD been porn.