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 Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:08 pm
"You're a chicken; you won't do it."
"I am not a chicken."
"Then do it. I'm getting mine done."
"But..."
"Chicken."
"Fine."
--
As Thobias bid his uncle and cousin goodbye, he fingered the sore lobe of his ear and his newest prize: a small golden hoop that he'd been pressured into getting by his slightly younger but far more worldly cousin. Was that sad? Sometimes he thought so.
Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he let himself into the house with his key and walked over the fridge, rooting for something to feed the bottomless pit called his stomach. "Ma, I'm home!"
"Did you have a good time?" Sam called from the dining room where she was typing away on her laptop and not even glancing up to acknowledge his presence.
"Yeah. Uncle Ion says hi. Why do we even call him that? He's not really our uncle."
She blinked and then pulled off her glasses and put on what Xearus referred to her as her scientific look. "By blood, no. But they have been friends with us since we were in college and we all consider each other family."
"But Dad has a brother and two sisters. Those are our real aunts and uncles."
"Yes, though you rarely see them. But I have none. Therefore, Ion and Cat are your uncle and aunt by adopted blood which makes Harper and Haley your cousins. See?"
"Whatever." He went back to the kitchen and tossed a bag of chips up in the air then caught them.
"I hope you're eating a healthy snack, Thobias Calder. Chips are neither filling nor particularly good for your digestive track. Apple, carrots, something with some essential nutrients in it, please."
He mumbled something under his breath, something that sounded suspiciously like 'if we aren't supposed to eat them, why buy them?' but he'd never say such a thing loud enough for his mother, or his father, to hear him. "Yes, Mom." Tossing the bag back on the shelf, he plucked an apple from the bowl on the counter and held it up over his head as he walked away.
"Good choice. Apples are particularly good for you. You know what they say..."
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away," he said with a fake smile and headed for the room he shared with his sister. "But not when you live with her twenty-four seven...."
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:26 pm
The door sounded again as well as the dogs barking as they came running in the house, followed by a skipping girl and her father closely behind. "I still don't understand that because the dogs went to the vet, we had to stop for ice cream." The older kids got the more manipulative they were, he was sure of this. They even had ice cream at home and yet...here he was with a cardboard tray of treats for the rest of the family while his daughter had a cone in hand and the dogs had ice cream on their breaths.
"Because no one likes getting shots. They don't like it and I don't like seeing them get them. Ice cream makes everyone happy." And since it wouldn't be fair if only she got ice cream, everyone did. Good twenty-five dollars spent. "Mama, we're home!" As if the woman didn't know from the noise of dogs who were eager to get to their bowls.
"And somehow...with icecream." Setting the tray down on the table where Sam was and moving to feed the dogs. "Toby, come get your ice cream before it melts everywhere."
Happily with one earphone in and one out, she plopped at the table next to her mother, licking at her ice cream and watching the woman type away. "The doggies are back form the doctor and they were very good. I think they should get extra treats tonight. What's for dinner?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:00 pm
Looks like everyone in the Calder family was returning home at the same time. She'd been prepared for such things to occur since she'd been the one left at home alone today. Amused at her husband's words, she reached into the tray and plucked her own cone out, giving her daughter a smile and brushing her hair out of her face. "Wind must be kicking up. You need to brush your hair, Lici." She closed her laptop and then frowned, "I think your father is making penne with chicken and tomatoes. I'm not cooking." She walked to the edge of the stairs and conveyed the message to her son through a slightly raised tone then swept into the kitchen. "No kiss or anything? Do you at least have a bill for me, Casanova?"
He had his music on his speaker since it hurt to put headphones on right now. Hearing his mother hollering, he lowered the volume long enough to yell back that he hadn't heard her before he figured it was best to appear before her as if he were summoned. Tromping downstairs, he grinned at his twin. "When you'd get here?" And then his gray eyes lit up and he dove for the tray. "Ice cream! Awesome."
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:09 pm
"Yummy." Whether she'd be hungry for dinner now or not, was the question. But her attention turned to her twin with a grin before it was back to her ice cream. "A few minutes ago. The doggies had to get shots so I had daddy stop and get everyone ice cream." Proudly beaming at him in her 'aren't I the best' feeling she was all but glowing with at the moment. But a tilt of her head at her brother and a point. "When did you get that?!" It was excitment in her voice, rather than alarm. "I want mine done too!" Of course if her brother had his ear pierced, that meant she could pierce hers too. "Mama! Toby has his ear done! Can I get mine too!?"
He blinked at his wife's gentle reminder before giving her a lopsided guilty grin, and he leaned over to peck her lips with his own. "Sorry, I'm still in a stupor of how I just got conned into buying expensive shop ice cream. Let alone let the dogs eat it too. Cost the same amount it always does, plus ice cream fees." Moving around her however he was indeed pulling out ingredients for dinner. However at his daughter's sudden excitement and questioning he just stopped and blinked. "Who got what now? Come over here."
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:19 pm
"Shhhhh!" He frantically shushed his twin but it was too late. He knew he should have played it safe and worn a beanie, and when his parent's questioned his newest hat obsession, he'd just shrug and pretend to like them. He couldn't take the hoop out for a while so they'd merely chalk it up to a phase and probably never realize. But he'd forgotten about his sister's big mouth. Shooting her a frown, he moved to the doorway of the kitchen and leaned against the jamb, hiding his right lobe from view. "Nothing."
"Because your daughter is just like her mother." Giving him a pat to his cheek before moving over to the schedule board and making required notations for the dog's next appointments and also sliding the bill into the proper holding slot so it could be paid. "Has what done to his ear?" Frowning as she turned and then quirked an eyebrow at her son.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:32 pm
"Oh you mean a manipulator of my person. I got you on that." Shaking his head as he waited for his son who didn't seem too inclined to make things easy tonight. " He settled the boy with a flat look. Thobias knew that come here meant come here. Not come near and loiter. Thusly he mentioned the boy closer. "As in come here into the kitchen, Thobias."
She blinked and then frowned. "Don't you shush me." Getting up and following after him and then past into the kitchen, looking to her mother. Lici tilted her head before pointing at her ears. "He has an ear pierced. That means I can get both of mine done now right? Please?"
"Say what?" Not waiting for his some to some over, he plopped a hand on top of the boy's head, gently twisting it one way and then the other and giving a noise at the new discovery. "Who said you can put that here?" Though he did sideglance his daughter. "And no."
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:49 pm
He shuffled some in the doorway but knew what his father wanted. He was just reluctant to give it. "I told you. It's nothing." Crossing his arms and frowning as his father took it upon himself to investigate. Shoving his father's hands away, he stepped back. "Uncle Ion. Harper got one too." Why did his sister have to do that? Couldn't he have kept something to himself just this once?
"Not until you're thirteen, Lici. We've talked about that before. When you're thirteen, you can have pierced ears and watch PG-13 movies without Daddy and I's permission first. Not before." Wiping her hands on the dishtowel, she too came over to investigate and gently clicked her tongue against her teeth. "That's going to get infected. Come with me and we'll put some rubbing alcohol on it, just in case." Leading her son into the bathroom and taking care of it. Her children's overall well being was top priority to Sam.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:00 pm
"Doesn't look like nothing, does it?" Shaking his head with a sigh however at the explanation of the loop of metal now lodged in his son's ear. "Ion is letting people put holes in my children and filling them with metal." Resting the heel of his hand on his forehead he rubbed for a moment and reminded himself of a few thing under his breath an in Italian as his wife led their son off for health. That was going to burn. "Time for the rhetorical question that you won't answer honestly because no one does because it's a stupid question but pertinent in this case. If Harper jumped off a bridge, would you do that too?"
Frown and pout. "But he's not thirteen..." That wasn't fair now was it? She was of course following after the other three, never wanting to be out of the action. In fact she had paused her music. "Haley has her ears pierced." And she wore all kinds of pretty earrings too and she wasn't thirteen either. Apparently she didn't care for her brother's plight so much as she was using it and all other supporting facts to make her own case.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:09 pm
"It's just a stupid piece of metal. It's not a big deal." He frowned. "If it would prove that I wasn't chickenshit, maybe I would."
"Thobias Calder, watch your mouth." Dipping the cotton ball in the alcohol and then rubbing it gently on the reddened lobe. She squeezed her son's shoulder in sympathy as he inhaled and then hissed a breath through his fangs.
"Mama! That hurts!"
"I know, but it has to be done. If it does get infected, it's going to be even worse." Addressing her daughter next, she continued to swab her son's ear, despite his attempts to pull away. "Haley has had her ears pierced since she was eighteen months old because her mother wanted it that way. Your mother, however, does not. And Thobias did this behind our backs without our permission. I wouldn't advise you to do the same."
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:22 pm
"Language. Otherwise we'll find out between you and I who is that." Oh so the kid was going to be a smart a** hm? Fine, he'd play that game with him. Despite the boy's pain there was a lesson here. "Fine, if it's just a stupid piece of metal then your mother can take it out and it'll heal up and then no more worries about it." Promptly turning away and walking down the hallway, motioning for his pouting daughter to head that way as well. See what happened then.
Still pouting indeed, unlike her brother whom had become quite unruly lately, she would rather pout and show her displeasure through silence than argue about something. Toby ruined it for her. Stupid brother. "My fangs still hurt." And now she'd move on to being selfish and complaining. Her fangs were lose and they had been bothering her and she wanted some positive attention right now.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:36 pm
He knew exactly who would win that fight and it wasn't him. Sighing, he crossed his arms and sulked until that declaration had him springing up, jerking his sore ear in the process. "No-ow!"
"Thobias...sit down and calm down." Pushing her son back onto the toilet seat where she could easily control him. "Did you want it, Toby?"
He studied his hands and then shook his head. "No but...some of the guys from school saw it and thought it was really cool. Thought I was really cool. Besides, Mama, if you take it out then Harper will have license to mock me."
She finished swabbing his ear and threw the cottonballs away, turning back to face her son but he was already off down the hall.
"You can't take it out! I need it."
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:48 pm
While is daughter was now at the table doing her homework and still pouting, he was starting dinner and looked up from his vegetable cutting at the sound of one pre-teen boy running through the halls and clomping upstairs to his room. He couldn't help but smirk and shake his head before turning his attention to his wife, who of course appeared in his view a few moments later. "And the verdict is?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:57 pm
Sam moved over to the freezer and pulled out an icypop, handing it to her daughter. "That will help your fangs." Leaning against the counter, she stirred the pasta and sighed. "Without discussing this at all? Well, it's already done. Ion is at fault, too, for letting him do it without our permission. I can't believe the piercing place allowed that to happen..." Shaking her head and snagging a carrot piece from the pile he was chopping. "He went through the pain...and he stood up to Harper."
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:05 pm
"Yes but he can still take it out. Being cool is hardly a reason." Yes he had heard hsi son yelling. "Stood up to Harper? Sam in the world of male dynamics, that is not standing up to another boy. That is folding into another man's herd. You give him a bluff, he calls it on you and does what you say, and now you have him in your herd and under your thumb. Or to put it in womanly terms...always the bridesmaid, never the bride." Shaking his head to that. "Kids can get anything these days long as someone of adult age is signing a paper for liability." Raising an eyebrow at her. "So you're letting him keep it anyway?"
Closing her notebook she took the icypop from her mother with a nod and then got herself up and started off up the stairs and to their shared room, plopping on her brother's bed. "I have an icypop." His fangs were hurting as well after all, and so was his ear. Thusly she leaned the cold stick against his ear. "Are you mad at me?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:13 pm
"It took guts to go through that, Xearus. You know how much Thobias hates needles." She just didn't understand man world apparently. "I didn't say that. I think we should talk about whether we force him to take it out or give him the option. Maybe if we don't make a big deal out of this, he'll tire of it and pull it out himself." Shaking her head. "I remember what it was like to be the science geek, Xe. Let him taste a little popularity and see if it's the pool he really wants to swim in. At least that way he won't resent us for something that he wouldn't want anyway."
"So? It's just medicine." He wasn't working on his homework but was tossing a rubber baseball up and catching it mindlessly. His head was half on and half off his pillow so his sore ear wasn't rubbing against anything. He sighed, "No. I knew you'd tell the first chance you got. I just didn't think you'd make it all about you."
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