Licorice, 27
Author: sunsetsinthewes
Challenge: Licorice, 27. That's what little boys are made of
Extras: Whipped cream
Word Count: 1508
Rating: PG
Story: Polyfaceted; the title of this story is Ruination.
Summary: During a fight eleven-year-old Johnny takes things a little too far and tells a five-year-old David the truth behind their strange family situation.
Notes: This takes place in early 1988. Anything in italics is in Italian. Anything in bold is for emphasis. Is it just me, or do little kids seem to emphasize a lot? Huge thanks to subluxate for all the Johnny-Speak translations and edits.
***
The more David thinks about it, the madder he gets. He's practically six and that's practically grown up. It's not fair that he never gets to do anything fun. It's not fair that his brothers get all the cool toys. And it's not fair that everyone treats him like a little baby that'll break stuff unless he's being watched. After three full days of watching Johnny get to play the Nintendo and watching Johnny take extra lives even though Mama told him to take turns, David has had enough.
He waits until his parents are upstairs talking. Teresa's busy working with the speech therapist, and Torey left hours ago with some blonde girl that smelled like there were flowers shoved up David's nose. With Johnny nowhere to be seen, he's got a clear shot. Plugging in all the wires is harder than it looks when Torey does it, but David's smart and quick to learn. For good luck, he spends extra time blowing on the cartridge until his cheeks are sore from being puffed out so much. It's super easy to start the game and within minutes he's sucked into Mario's world.
"What the-- what the fuck are ya doing?" Johnny storms into the room (looking a lot like the chimps they saw at the zoo last month, if you ask David) and rips the controller away. "Ya coulda broke it!"
"I didn't!" David protests loudly. "I hooked it up right and everything! Come on, Johnny, I want a turn! Give it!"
Johnny's still taller than his younger brother, even though David's been growing faster than anyone else. Dangling the controller just out of reach, he shoots back, "You're not supposed to play unless someone's watchin' ya. Ma said so. You're still a baby and ya could break it!"
David lunges, nearly managing to grab his prize. His anger rising, he stomps his foot and screams, "I'm not a baby! Give it back!"
"No!" Johnny yells. "You're not supposed to touch my stuff unless ya ask, dickweed. And I'm tellin' Ma that ya were playin' without askin'."
David pauses. He could probably find a way to make it look like Johnny was just telling another stupid lie, if he thought hard enough. But there's a good chance it won't work, and then David'll be in trouble for playing the game and for lying and he probably wouldn't get dessert for a whole week. It just isn't fair. "I'm supposed to get turns too and you never let me! I wanna play!"
With one final burst of strength, David barrels into Johnny, grabbing his tummy like they're playing football. Johnny doesn't seem to expect him to be so fast and tough, and they both crash into the ground. With one loud, ear-splitting crack of plastic, the controller goes flying across the room. They both stop, staring at the new hole and all the wires.
Johnny is the first to move, diving toward the console to check it over. "Ya broke it, ya little shit! Ya broke my Nintendo!"
"Ours!" David insists as he begins to panic. If Mama finds out they broke the Nintendo, they're gonna be dead. "And you helped!"
"Did not!" Johnny snaps. "I'm gonna kill ya! I can't believe-- Ma! I knew ya were too little!"
Without thinking, David shoves his brother out of the way and grabs at the console. "Shut up! Shut your stupid, ugly mouth!"
"You're such a baby, ya know that? Ya ruin everythin'!"
The hardwood floors make for a nice shattering when David hurls the Nintendo to the floor, face red as he shrieks, "You ruin everything! I wish you never existed!" He grabs a handful of broken plastic and throws it at Johnny's head. "Now try to hog turns on that!"
The look on Johnny's face would be really funny any other time. His eyes are as wide as they can go and his jaw is dropped open so wide that his chin is almost touching his chest. As the quiet in the room grows, he begins to turn red, a flush spreading from his cheeks to the tips of his ears.
"I hate ya, David," Johnny snarls, voice low. "And ya do ruin everythin'. You ruined Ma from having more kids. You bein' born ruined everythin' and you're the whole stupid reason why Pop fucks so many women. Because Pop wants a big family and ya ruined Ma from giving it to him. Even as a baby you ruined things for everyone. I'm not the only one who hates ya."
David's suddenly cold, colder than he ever remembers being, cold on the inside. His chest is tight, like he's wearing a shirt that's too small, and it feels like he swallowed a baseball and it got stuck in his throat. In a small, quiet voice, he manages, "Take it back. That's not true."
Johnny smiles, but it's not a friendly smile. He leans in, whispering, "It is true. Why do ya think Ma never had any more kids of her own? Because you being born made it so she could never have another baby. Everyone would be happier if ya were never alive." He quickly darts away, crouching down to gather the largest pieces of the destroyed Nintendo. "And when Ma finds out that ya broke my expensive birthday gift, she'll probably just get rid a ya altogether."
Before he can help himself, tears start to fall. David bites at his lower lip as hard as he can while the lump in his throat grows even bigger. It can't be true, right? Johnny likes telling him stupid lies just to see what David will believe, he always has. But then, why didn't Mama ever have more babies? She likes babies and likes having lots of people stay in the house. Did he really ruin everything for the whole family? Whenever Pop's gone for the whole night and Mama looks sad, is that really all his fault?
The look on Johnny's face makes it obvious that he already regrets ever saying anything. As David races out of the room, cries growing louder and louder with each step, he's closely followed by the eleven-year-old boy. "Wait, don't-- wait, come back! David!"
David bursts into his parents room just as his Pop finishes zipping up his Mama's dress. Flinging himself at Mama's legs, he wails, "Don't give me away! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin everything!"
"Bambino," Mama replies, frowning. "David, what on earth is wrong?"
Johnny skids into the room just as she gathers David onto her lap. "Don' listen to him! He's lyin'! And he smashed my Nintendo!"
With a deep sigh, Pop claps a hand onto Johnny's shoulder and says, "I think you should stay right here."
"J-Johnny s-s-said," David finally coughs out, his words practically nonsense thanks to his sobs. "J-J-Johnny said Mama can't have babies anymore because I ruined her and now she's n-never gonna have any more kids and-and I'm why Pop's gotta have babies with other mommies instead of my mama!"
Pop's expression reminds David of a rain cloud that's about to burst. He doesn't seem to notice Johnny's wincing or attempts to shrug off his hand. "He said what."
David peers at Pop and shivers, frightened of the man even though he's in the warmth of Mama's arms. "Johnny said I'm why Mama can't have babies. He said everyone hates me! I didn't mean to, I promise. Please, Mama, don't hate me."
"Shh," she whispers, nuzzling his hair. "Shh, bambino, I could never hate you. Not in an eternity." Pulling away, her voice hardens. "I take no pleasure in saying this to you, I want to make that clear."
"Mmhm?" he gasps, wiggling in Pop's grip.
"You had absolutely no right to-- this goes far beyond simple teasing. I-I'm disgusted-- revolted-- to think you could even stoop to such a low. Purposely striking for the emotional jugular of a five-year-old? I know that you have done heinous things before, Giovanni, but this is one of the--" Mama closes her eyes, sighing. "I'd rather not be around you right now. We'll discuss this later."
Pop lets go of Johnny with a twist of his arm, slowly exhaling. "Outside, Johnny. No-- I don't want to hear a word. Get outside before I really lose my temper." Pushing the boy ahead of him, Pop disappears into the hallway and down the stairs.
"Mama?" David asks quietly. He's pleased that Johnny's getting in trouble, but it doesn't make up for how rotten he feels. "Was Johnny lying?"
Mama swallows, tightening her hold around him. "Not entirely, caro. Bringing you into this world was a very difficult thing and it's true that I won't be able to have another baby. But that is the fault of no one. That day, God decided to bless me with yet another boy so wonderful that I don't need to have any more children. You're my baby, David, and that's the way it's meant to be. I wouldn't change anything, even if I could."
"Really?" David leans against his mother, wiping his nose along her dress. "Mama?"
"Yes?"
"Johnny helped break the Nintendo. Wasn't just me."
Mama murmurs something Latin toward the ceiling, shifting David closer.
***
Challenge: Licorice, 27. That's what little boys are made of
Extras: Whipped cream
Word Count: 1508
Rating: PG
Story: Polyfaceted; the title of this story is Ruination.
Summary: During a fight eleven-year-old Johnny takes things a little too far and tells a five-year-old David the truth behind their strange family situation.
Notes: This takes place in early 1988. Anything in italics is in Italian. Anything in bold is for emphasis. Is it just me, or do little kids seem to emphasize a lot? Huge thanks to subluxate for all the Johnny-Speak translations and edits.
***
The more David thinks about it, the madder he gets. He's practically six and that's practically grown up. It's not fair that he never gets to do anything fun. It's not fair that his brothers get all the cool toys. And it's not fair that everyone treats him like a little baby that'll break stuff unless he's being watched. After three full days of watching Johnny get to play the Nintendo and watching Johnny take extra lives even though Mama told him to take turns, David has had enough.
He waits until his parents are upstairs talking. Teresa's busy working with the speech therapist, and Torey left hours ago with some blonde girl that smelled like there were flowers shoved up David's nose. With Johnny nowhere to be seen, he's got a clear shot. Plugging in all the wires is harder than it looks when Torey does it, but David's smart and quick to learn. For good luck, he spends extra time blowing on the cartridge until his cheeks are sore from being puffed out so much. It's super easy to start the game and within minutes he's sucked into Mario's world.
"What the-- what the fuck are ya doing?" Johnny storms into the room (looking a lot like the chimps they saw at the zoo last month, if you ask David) and rips the controller away. "Ya coulda broke it!"
"I didn't!" David protests loudly. "I hooked it up right and everything! Come on, Johnny, I want a turn! Give it!"
Johnny's still taller than his younger brother, even though David's been growing faster than anyone else. Dangling the controller just out of reach, he shoots back, "You're not supposed to play unless someone's watchin' ya. Ma said so. You're still a baby and ya could break it!"
David lunges, nearly managing to grab his prize. His anger rising, he stomps his foot and screams, "I'm not a baby! Give it back!"
"No!" Johnny yells. "You're not supposed to touch my stuff unless ya ask, dickweed. And I'm tellin' Ma that ya were playin' without askin'."
David pauses. He could probably find a way to make it look like Johnny was just telling another stupid lie, if he thought hard enough. But there's a good chance it won't work, and then David'll be in trouble for playing the game and for lying and he probably wouldn't get dessert for a whole week. It just isn't fair. "I'm supposed to get turns too and you never let me! I wanna play!"
With one final burst of strength, David barrels into Johnny, grabbing his tummy like they're playing football. Johnny doesn't seem to expect him to be so fast and tough, and they both crash into the ground. With one loud, ear-splitting crack of plastic, the controller goes flying across the room. They both stop, staring at the new hole and all the wires.
Johnny is the first to move, diving toward the console to check it over. "Ya broke it, ya little shit! Ya broke my Nintendo!"
"Ours!" David insists as he begins to panic. If Mama finds out they broke the Nintendo, they're gonna be dead. "And you helped!"
"Did not!" Johnny snaps. "I'm gonna kill ya! I can't believe-- Ma! I knew ya were too little!"
Without thinking, David shoves his brother out of the way and grabs at the console. "Shut up! Shut your stupid, ugly mouth!"
"You're such a baby, ya know that? Ya ruin everythin'!"
The hardwood floors make for a nice shattering when David hurls the Nintendo to the floor, face red as he shrieks, "You ruin everything! I wish you never existed!" He grabs a handful of broken plastic and throws it at Johnny's head. "Now try to hog turns on that!"
The look on Johnny's face would be really funny any other time. His eyes are as wide as they can go and his jaw is dropped open so wide that his chin is almost touching his chest. As the quiet in the room grows, he begins to turn red, a flush spreading from his cheeks to the tips of his ears.
"I hate ya, David," Johnny snarls, voice low. "And ya do ruin everythin'. You ruined Ma from having more kids. You bein' born ruined everythin' and you're the whole stupid reason why Pop fucks so many women. Because Pop wants a big family and ya ruined Ma from giving it to him. Even as a baby you ruined things for everyone. I'm not the only one who hates ya."
David's suddenly cold, colder than he ever remembers being, cold on the inside. His chest is tight, like he's wearing a shirt that's too small, and it feels like he swallowed a baseball and it got stuck in his throat. In a small, quiet voice, he manages, "Take it back. That's not true."
Johnny smiles, but it's not a friendly smile. He leans in, whispering, "It is true. Why do ya think Ma never had any more kids of her own? Because you being born made it so she could never have another baby. Everyone would be happier if ya were never alive." He quickly darts away, crouching down to gather the largest pieces of the destroyed Nintendo. "And when Ma finds out that ya broke my expensive birthday gift, she'll probably just get rid a ya altogether."
Before he can help himself, tears start to fall. David bites at his lower lip as hard as he can while the lump in his throat grows even bigger. It can't be true, right? Johnny likes telling him stupid lies just to see what David will believe, he always has. But then, why didn't Mama ever have more babies? She likes babies and likes having lots of people stay in the house. Did he really ruin everything for the whole family? Whenever Pop's gone for the whole night and Mama looks sad, is that really all his fault?
The look on Johnny's face makes it obvious that he already regrets ever saying anything. As David races out of the room, cries growing louder and louder with each step, he's closely followed by the eleven-year-old boy. "Wait, don't-- wait, come back! David!"
David bursts into his parents room just as his Pop finishes zipping up his Mama's dress. Flinging himself at Mama's legs, he wails, "Don't give me away! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin everything!"
"Bambino," Mama replies, frowning. "David, what on earth is wrong?"
Johnny skids into the room just as she gathers David onto her lap. "Don' listen to him! He's lyin'! And he smashed my Nintendo!"
With a deep sigh, Pop claps a hand onto Johnny's shoulder and says, "I think you should stay right here."
"J-Johnny s-s-said," David finally coughs out, his words practically nonsense thanks to his sobs. "J-J-Johnny said Mama can't have babies anymore because I ruined her and now she's n-never gonna have any more kids and-and I'm why Pop's gotta have babies with other mommies instead of my mama!"
Pop's expression reminds David of a rain cloud that's about to burst. He doesn't seem to notice Johnny's wincing or attempts to shrug off his hand. "He said what."
David peers at Pop and shivers, frightened of the man even though he's in the warmth of Mama's arms. "Johnny said I'm why Mama can't have babies. He said everyone hates me! I didn't mean to, I promise. Please, Mama, don't hate me."
"Shh," she whispers, nuzzling his hair. "Shh, bambino, I could never hate you. Not in an eternity." Pulling away, her voice hardens. "I take no pleasure in saying this to you, I want to make that clear."
"Mmhm?" he gasps, wiggling in Pop's grip.
"You had absolutely no right to-- this goes far beyond simple teasing. I-I'm disgusted-- revolted-- to think you could even stoop to such a low. Purposely striking for the emotional jugular of a five-year-old? I know that you have done heinous things before, Giovanni, but this is one of the--" Mama closes her eyes, sighing. "I'd rather not be around you right now. We'll discuss this later."
Pop lets go of Johnny with a twist of his arm, slowly exhaling. "Outside, Johnny. No-- I don't want to hear a word. Get outside before I really lose my temper." Pushing the boy ahead of him, Pop disappears into the hallway and down the stairs.
"Mama?" David asks quietly. He's pleased that Johnny's getting in trouble, but it doesn't make up for how rotten he feels. "Was Johnny lying?"
Mama swallows, tightening her hold around him. "Not entirely, caro. Bringing you into this world was a very difficult thing and it's true that I won't be able to have another baby. But that is the fault of no one. That day, God decided to bless me with yet another boy so wonderful that I don't need to have any more children. You're my baby, David, and that's the way it's meant to be. I wouldn't change anything, even if I could."
"Really?" David leans against his mother, wiping his nose along her dress. "Mama?"
"Yes?"
"Johnny helped break the Nintendo. Wasn't just me."
Mama murmurs something Latin toward the ceiling, shifting David closer.
***