OOM: Backdated to 1996

[obligatoryass]

Logan's been sulky all day. It's not an uncommon thing for him to be, but there's been a sharp increase in the level of sulkiness since just after lunch. He's also been lying on his stomach a lot since then, but he's playing video games, so again, it's not such a remarkable set of circumstances.

He doesn't look away from his game when Trina enters the room. He does note that she's making more noise than sitting on the couch might actually require. But still, he doesn't comment.

Lynn follows Trina, and Logan does look up when she starts to speak. Mario's paused on the screen, in the middle of ramming King Koopa with his little car, and it's one of those moments where the funny graphics that show the jarring impact are flashing all over the screen.

"So, Trina, you've got everything you need, honey?" Lynn asks. "I just want to make sure, after last time, that you are ready for this kind of responsibility."

Logan tunes her out again and goes back to his crash.

Comments

[obligatoryass]

"No, that button," Logan says, demonstrating, "It makes the car jump. And the stick makes it turn. If you want to throw stuff, you push the A button. See?"

[dead_hooker_2]

"Sort of," Trina says.

She gets marginally better, but only marginally.

She starts to laugh. "I think I'm pretty lucky I didn't have to take my driving lesson with one of these things."

[obligatoryass]

"Yeah, no kidding," he says. "You would never have gotten your license this way. And that would totally suck, because who else would take me to McDonald's after tae kwon do?"

[dead_hooker_2]

Since they both know the answer to the question is "no one," there doesn't seem to be any point in answering it.

"You are such a brat," she says, instead, and nudges him a little.

[obligatoryass]

Logan's normal response would be a return nudge and a retort of "I'm not the brat! You're the brat!"

In this case, the nudge hurt too much, and he winces. He tries to hide it, but he isn't quick enough.

[dead_hooker_2]

"Logan? You okay?"

[obligatoryass]

He squirms away from her, but not as quickly as he normally would. "I'm fine," he said, imbuing the word with ultimate scorn.

[dead_hooker_2]

"Did you fall?"

It's as good a euphamism as anything, she supposes.

[obligatoryass]

He glares at her. "Something fell on me, OK?"

If that something is a belt, repeated times, guided by a human hand, it's true enough.

[dead_hooker_2]

"Can I see?"

[obligatoryass]

Logan shrugs, but doesn't move.

[dead_hooker_2]

Not as bad as some, worse than others, Trina decides. Probably nothing broken.

"You think an ice pack and Tylenol would help?" she asks.

If it takes more than that, she really is going to have to drive him to the hospital, and their parents won't be happy about it.

[obligatoryass]

And there's no blood, so really, it's not too bad. Just painful.

He nods, and his face is a studied attempt to appear unconcerned.

[dead_hooker_2]

"Right," she says, getting up and starting for the kitchen. "You want anything else?"

[obligatoryass]

"Cookies," he says firmly as he follows her to the kitchen. "There are Oreos.. And milk, too."

Pause.

"Please."

[dead_hooker_2]

"Sure," says Trina, wrapping an ice pack in a dish towel, before handing it to him.

"You really need to try to be more careful, Logan," she adds, setting the entire package of Oreos on the counter.

[obligatoryass]

Logan carefully pulls apart the cookie and licks the frosting off one half. Then he dunks the cookie parts in the milk and stuffs them both in his mouth. "I know," he says around the cookie. "Thanks, though."

[dead_hooker_2]

"That is disgusting," Trina says around her own Oreo, before sticking her tongue out at him.

Which is also, to be fair, pretty disgusting.

[obligatoryass]

Logan has managed to swallow his cookie before she does it, which is good because it makes him laugh, and no one should be sprayed with bits of Oreo cookie.

Especially no one who is taking care of her little brother so well.

[dead_hooker_2]

She makes another face at him, then picks up the Oreos.

"Come on, you can beat me a couple more times at the thing with the cars.

"And, Logan, if you need more Tylenol or anything later, come find me, okay?"

She won't make the big deal out of it that their parents would.

[obligatoryass]

Logan brightens. "OK," he says. "And I can show you some other cool things, too."

Her last comment, he ignores. He knows. He just doesn't want to ask.

[dead_hooker_2]

Trina nods. "All right.

"But I get to be the princess."

[obligatoryass]

Logan wrinkles his nose. "Fine. I don't wanna be Peach anyway. She's too girly."

He leads the way back into the den, where he lays on his stomach again and settles the icepack onto his aching back, and resumes the video game.

He guesses Melrose Place can wait.