Gingerbread/Guava/FOTD smoothie
Authors: Marina and Casey
Story: Shifts universe (post-Shifts) [Indexes: Marina's/ Casey's]
Challenge: Gingerbread 23 (as plain as the nose on your face) [Marina]; Guava 1 (what did I ever do to you?) [Casey]; FOTD (vellicate) [both]
Toppings/Extras: Caramel, Sprinkles, Fresh Peaches (You might find that someone close to you needs a hand today, Leo. They could be too proud to ask for help. Don’t let that stop you…your efforts will be appreciated and you’ll feel good about making a difference), Smoothie
Word Count: 1,068
Rating: PG
Summary: Josh uses an underhanded, but surefire method to get Mariah to tell him a secret.
Notes: The twins are twelve in this piece.
Joshua Harper’s twin often liked to remind him that she was the empath in the family, not him. He never pretended otherwise, but he knew her well enough to be able to assess her mood rather easily, particularly if she felt worried or upset. In those situations, her tells were so obnoxious and distracting that he could not tune them out if he tried.
One November evening, he and Mariah finished their written assignments and sprawled out on his bed to read a chapter of Where the Red Fern Grows. Josh had not even finished the first page when the pen-clicking began. He glanced over at Mariah, who studiously ignored him and pretended to focus on her book. Frowning, he turned back to his, but the pen continued to click, and he reread the same sentence twenty times before the words really registered in his brain.
Finally, he had had enough. “Okay, something’s bothering you, and I want to know what it is,” he said.
Mariah did not look up. “Nothing’s bothering me.”
“Yes, it is. You’re clicking your pen like you always do when you’re upset, and it’s really annoying. So tell me.”
“No,” she said, throwing him a brief glare. The clicking stopped.
“Yes.”
“Look, there’s nothing wrong.”
“But there’s still something up.”
She went back to her book. “It’s no big deal.”
“Fine, then tell me what it is,” Josh said calmly.
“No.”
“Tell me.”
The pen began to click again, furiously. “Joshie, leave it alone.”
“No. Tell me.”
Mariah ignored him, eyes fixing firmly on the page. “Fine,” he said. He waited a beat, then dove toward the head of the bed, where her feet were. Trapping her legs under him, he seized her right foot and began drawing his fingers lightly up and down the sole.
She squirmed, dropping the book and giggling. “Josh!”
He held her down firmly. “Tell me and I’ll stop.”
“Not fair, Josh!” she cried, wiggling her left leg in an attempt to get free.
“Not fair of you to keep secrets, either.”
Her laughter drowned out her indignation. “Not my secret!”
“You can tell me,” he said cajolingly.
“Stop that!”
“Not until you tell me what it is!”
After an unsuccessful attempt to kick him, she collapsed a little. “It’s Lynne, okay?”
Josh frowned at that and stopped tickling her, though he did not move off her legs. “What’s wrong with Lynne?”
He could picture her eye-roll as clearly as if he had been looking at it. “Nothing. Jeez.”
“Except it’s clearly not nothing, because it’s bothering you-OW!” Her left heel hit him squarely in the nose, and he rolled off her and sat up, clutching it with both hands. Mariah also scrambled to a sitting position, looking quite pleased with herself. He glared at her. “That hurt. You have to tell me now.”
“You asked for it,” she said, with a shrug. His eyes narrowed further, and she grinned, reaching to pat him on the head. “I’m just not sure about it yet, okay?”
Josh pushed her hand away “What is ‘it’?”
At this, Mariah settled down a little. “I don’t like sayin’ when I don’t know for sure,” she said soberly.
“Come on, ‘riah, you know I can keep a secret.”
She hesitated. “I…I think Lynne’s pregnant. But no telling!”
He rolled his eyes. “Of course I’m not gonna-wait, what?”
“See, this is why I don’t tell you things,” she grumbled.
“You tell me everything, stupid.”
“Okay, fine, this is why I try not to tell you things.”
He crossed his arms, feeling offended that Mariah knew something about their sister that he did not. “So, what, did she tell you?”
She snorted. “Don’t be all hurt. Doesn’t suit you, Joshie. As far as I know, she doesn’t know yet.”
“Then how do you know?” he asked.
“I’m an empath, moron,” she said, looking insulted by the question. “I can sense stuff from all human life, and what I’m gettin’ from Lynne is kinda doubled.”
Josh nodded, understanding. “Like with Finn.”
“Right, only weirder, cause I sorta know what I’m doing now, you know?”
“Yeah. So are you gonna tell her?”
Mariah shrugged. “Dunno. What d’you think?”
He thought about it, considering what a baby would mean for Lynne and for them. “She’s going to find out sooner or later.”
“Yeah,” she said doubtfully, “but I feel like me telling her is gonna make her flip shit.”
Josh was used to the swearing by then, so he ignored it, focusing instead on the truth of her statement. “Point. Drew’s going to freak out, too.”
“I’m definitely not telling him!” Mariah exclaimed. “Plus, he and Lynne aren’t even gettin’ married yet.”
“Maybe they will now.”
“Hope so. They’re just being stupid anyway.”
“They really are.”
She bit her lip, thinking about it a little longer, and then shrugged. “I’m not gonna tell for now.”
“Okay,” Josh said easily, deciding to get back to the point. “D’you feel better now that you’ve told me, anyway?”
“Don’t know,” she said, frowning. “Maybe.”
He nudged her in the arm. “It’ll be okay. Yeah, they’re going to freak out about it, but they’ll be good parents. Lynne’s the best babysitter we ever had, remember? And Drew always did good with Ellen and Finn.”
That made her grin. “But we didn’t really like Drew as a babysitter.”
“That’s cause we liked Lynne so much we didn’t want anyone else. Except when Grayson was there to play lions with.”
“True. Rand wasn’t much fun either and he’s gonna get married one of these days too.”
He beamed in triumph. “See? It’ll be fine.”
She brightened a little, but then her nose wrinkled again in displeasure. “Just not gonna be much fun while they get all angsty about it when they find out.”
Josh knew that the ordeal would be almost as hard for Mariah as it would be for Lynne and Drew, and privately resolved to be hypersensitive to her mood until they all got through it. Aloud, he replied casually. “They’ve gotta stop being stupid about it sometime.”
“Hopefully it won’t take them too long.” She sighed. “We should get back to our homework.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “Just stop fidgeting, you’re driving me crazy.”
“Yes, sir.” She nudged him with her foot, and he nudged her right back. The smile it put on her face made the ensuing foot-fight almost worth it.
Story: Shifts universe (post-Shifts) [Indexes: Marina's/ Casey's]
Challenge: Gingerbread 23 (as plain as the nose on your face) [Marina]; Guava 1 (what did I ever do to you?) [Casey]; FOTD (vellicate) [both]
Toppings/Extras: Caramel, Sprinkles, Fresh Peaches (You might find that someone close to you needs a hand today, Leo. They could be too proud to ask for help. Don’t let that stop you…your efforts will be appreciated and you’ll feel good about making a difference), Smoothie
Word Count: 1,068
Rating: PG
Summary: Josh uses an underhanded, but surefire method to get Mariah to tell him a secret.
Notes: The twins are twelve in this piece.
Joshua Harper’s twin often liked to remind him that she was the empath in the family, not him. He never pretended otherwise, but he knew her well enough to be able to assess her mood rather easily, particularly if she felt worried or upset. In those situations, her tells were so obnoxious and distracting that he could not tune them out if he tried.
One November evening, he and Mariah finished their written assignments and sprawled out on his bed to read a chapter of Where the Red Fern Grows. Josh had not even finished the first page when the pen-clicking began. He glanced over at Mariah, who studiously ignored him and pretended to focus on her book. Frowning, he turned back to his, but the pen continued to click, and he reread the same sentence twenty times before the words really registered in his brain.
Finally, he had had enough. “Okay, something’s bothering you, and I want to know what it is,” he said.
Mariah did not look up. “Nothing’s bothering me.”
“Yes, it is. You’re clicking your pen like you always do when you’re upset, and it’s really annoying. So tell me.”
“No,” she said, throwing him a brief glare. The clicking stopped.
“Yes.”
“Look, there’s nothing wrong.”
“But there’s still something up.”
She went back to her book. “It’s no big deal.”
“Fine, then tell me what it is,” Josh said calmly.
“No.”
“Tell me.”
The pen began to click again, furiously. “Joshie, leave it alone.”
“No. Tell me.”
Mariah ignored him, eyes fixing firmly on the page. “Fine,” he said. He waited a beat, then dove toward the head of the bed, where her feet were. Trapping her legs under him, he seized her right foot and began drawing his fingers lightly up and down the sole.
She squirmed, dropping the book and giggling. “Josh!”
He held her down firmly. “Tell me and I’ll stop.”
“Not fair, Josh!” she cried, wiggling her left leg in an attempt to get free.
“Not fair of you to keep secrets, either.”
Her laughter drowned out her indignation. “Not my secret!”
“You can tell me,” he said cajolingly.
“Stop that!”
“Not until you tell me what it is!”
After an unsuccessful attempt to kick him, she collapsed a little. “It’s Lynne, okay?”
Josh frowned at that and stopped tickling her, though he did not move off her legs. “What’s wrong with Lynne?”
He could picture her eye-roll as clearly as if he had been looking at it. “Nothing. Jeez.”
“Except it’s clearly not nothing, because it’s bothering you-OW!” Her left heel hit him squarely in the nose, and he rolled off her and sat up, clutching it with both hands. Mariah also scrambled to a sitting position, looking quite pleased with herself. He glared at her. “That hurt. You have to tell me now.”
“You asked for it,” she said, with a shrug. His eyes narrowed further, and she grinned, reaching to pat him on the head. “I’m just not sure about it yet, okay?”
Josh pushed her hand away “What is ‘it’?”
At this, Mariah settled down a little. “I don’t like sayin’ when I don’t know for sure,” she said soberly.
“Come on, ‘riah, you know I can keep a secret.”
She hesitated. “I…I think Lynne’s pregnant. But no telling!”
He rolled his eyes. “Of course I’m not gonna-wait, what?”
“See, this is why I don’t tell you things,” she grumbled.
“You tell me everything, stupid.”
“Okay, fine, this is why I try not to tell you things.”
He crossed his arms, feeling offended that Mariah knew something about their sister that he did not. “So, what, did she tell you?”
She snorted. “Don’t be all hurt. Doesn’t suit you, Joshie. As far as I know, she doesn’t know yet.”
“Then how do you know?” he asked.
“I’m an empath, moron,” she said, looking insulted by the question. “I can sense stuff from all human life, and what I’m gettin’ from Lynne is kinda doubled.”
Josh nodded, understanding. “Like with Finn.”
“Right, only weirder, cause I sorta know what I’m doing now, you know?”
“Yeah. So are you gonna tell her?”
Mariah shrugged. “Dunno. What d’you think?”
He thought about it, considering what a baby would mean for Lynne and for them. “She’s going to find out sooner or later.”
“Yeah,” she said doubtfully, “but I feel like me telling her is gonna make her flip shit.”
Josh was used to the swearing by then, so he ignored it, focusing instead on the truth of her statement. “Point. Drew’s going to freak out, too.”
“I’m definitely not telling him!” Mariah exclaimed. “Plus, he and Lynne aren’t even gettin’ married yet.”
“Maybe they will now.”
“Hope so. They’re just being stupid anyway.”
“They really are.”
She bit her lip, thinking about it a little longer, and then shrugged. “I’m not gonna tell for now.”
“Okay,” Josh said easily, deciding to get back to the point. “D’you feel better now that you’ve told me, anyway?”
“Don’t know,” she said, frowning. “Maybe.”
He nudged her in the arm. “It’ll be okay. Yeah, they’re going to freak out about it, but they’ll be good parents. Lynne’s the best babysitter we ever had, remember? And Drew always did good with Ellen and Finn.”
That made her grin. “But we didn’t really like Drew as a babysitter.”
“That’s cause we liked Lynne so much we didn’t want anyone else. Except when Grayson was there to play lions with.”
“True. Rand wasn’t much fun either and he’s gonna get married one of these days too.”
He beamed in triumph. “See? It’ll be fine.”
She brightened a little, but then her nose wrinkled again in displeasure. “Just not gonna be much fun while they get all angsty about it when they find out.”
Josh knew that the ordeal would be almost as hard for Mariah as it would be for Lynne and Drew, and privately resolved to be hypersensitive to her mood until they all got through it. Aloud, he replied casually. “They’ve gotta stop being stupid about it sometime.”
“Hopefully it won’t take them too long.” She sighed. “We should get back to our homework.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “Just stop fidgeting, you’re driving me crazy.”
“Yes, sir.” She nudged him with her foot, and he nudged her right back. The smile it put on her face made the ensuing foot-fight almost worth it.