Gingerbread 18; Orange 14
Author: Marina
Story: The Dragon World
Challenge: Gingerbread 18 (someone’s been sleeping in my bed), Orange 14 (is there a doctor in the house?)
Toppings/Extras: Caramel (for the last half), Cherry (present tense), Whipped Cream (first three, see notes) Fresh Peaches (Your nature is to serve others, but in order to maintain that energy, make sure you’re taken care of as well), Malt (Summer Challenge Ice Cream #135 - Worlds apart)
Word Count: 800 (8-part pocky chain)
Rating: PG
Summary: Taking care of others comes naturally to Laura, but there are some things she can’t fix.
Notes: AKA Laura’s pocky chain. I am slooooowly working on a flavor binge and writing one of Kevin’s lines gave me a lightbulb moment on how to go about this. (For reference, Laura is nine in the first one, ten in the second, and twelve in the third. The rest are during and post-story.)
It’s Laura’s job to set up their lookout post in the tower of the weathered old playset while Chase collects the necessary rations. She’s got everything just about ready when she hears a shriek of pain from below.
“What’s wrong?” she calls, over the railing.
Chase looks up at her pitifully. “I got a splinter.”
Their mother is in the kitchen, and could help, but Laura never thinks to ask. She simply climbs down, takes her brother by the hand, and removes the splinter herself. Some Neosporin and a Bandaid later, they’re back at their play as if nothing’s happened.
***
Some children are afraid of the dark. Laura isn’t. She loves the peacefulness of her room at night and can’t sleep if there’s even a hint of light anywhere.
The first time she feels even a little afraid is the time she wakes up to an unfamiliar weight at the foot of her mattress. She slowly sits up, squinting at the mass of blanket with Chase’s head peeking out the end.
His eyes open. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“S’okay. Why’re you in here?”
“I had a bad dream. Can I stay?”
Her heartbeat slows in relief. “Course.”
***
Less than an hour after she leaves for work, Mom calls home. “Laura, I forgot to plug in the crock pot. Will you do it?”
Laura spends the day obsessively checking on the stew every few minutes. She knows how to make a few things, like oatmeal and grilled cheese sandwiches, but that’s not really cooking, and she’s a little bored with it.
“Can you teach me how to cook?” she asks, that night.
Mom looks surprised, but pleased. “I’d be happy to.”
Soon, Laura knows enough to make dinner all by herself, which makes her feel very grown-up.
***
Laura’s heart stops when she sees that Carrie’s alone. “Where’s Chase?” The little girl’s eyes immediately well up with tears.
Don’t get angry with her, Aaron’s eyes warn her silently, but Laura can’t blame Carrie for what’s happened when she’s obviously miserable: she’s afraid, exhausted, probably starving, and she’s eleven, for God’s sake. She has even less control here than the rest of them do, and Laura doesn’t know how she’s still standing at all.
“I didn’t mean to leave him behind,” Carrie says. “I promise I didn’t.”
Laura extends her arms for a hug they both need. “I know.”
***
Chase’s nightmares happen more frequently once they get home. He refuses to see a doctor about them and doesn’t tell their parents at all, because there’s no way he can make them understand.
Laura doesn’t try to convince him otherwise; she’s afraid, too. Instead, she makes him hot chocolate when he can’t sleep, plays his favorite songs whenever he wants, and makes sure she’s there when he needs her. She almost doesn’t go to college because she’s scared to leave him alone.
“Just call if you need me,” she tells him, repeatedly. He says he will, but she still worries.
***
Kevin drives up on a weekday to take Laura to lunch. There are several things she should say about that, because he’s ditching school and wasting gas he can’t afford, but she doesn’t have the heart because he’s clearly upset. In a way, she’s relieved to see him-she’s been almost as worried about him as she has been about Chase.
“What happened?” she asks, while they’re waiting for their sandwiches.
His expression is closed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
She nods, unsurprised. “Okay. Just remember I’m here, if you change your mind.”
“Trust me, I know,” he says.
***
“Laura,” Lindsey says, as she enthusiastically attacks her soup, “have I ever told you that you are the best roommate ever?”
Laura could say the same. It’s nice to have Lindsey around after Geri’s polite indifference and Allie’s antisocial tendencies; nice to feel needed again. “Thanks, but it’s no trouble. I like cooking, and this keeps you from binging on junk food, so everyone wins.”
“See that?” Kevin points at her with his spoon. “What’d I tell you? She’s such a mom.”
She frowns. “Is that a bad thing?”
The twins exchange a look. “Hell no,” they say in unison.
***
“D’you remember Dad’s friend Dave?” Chase asks, during their weekly phone chat.
“The psychologist?”
“Yeah. I’m gonna see him next week. Dad made me an appointment.”
Way to go, Dad, Laura thinks, scowling at the wall. Forcing Chase into therapy won’t help anything. “I’m sorry, Chasie-"
“Don’t be,” he says quickly. “It was my idea.”
“Your idea?”
“Yeah. I want to get better.”
“Chase,” she says, in breathless disbelief, “that’s wonderful. I’m so glad.”
Doubt creeps into his voice. “Really? You think it’ll help me?”
“I know it will,” she says firmly. “Do you want me to go with you?”
Story: The Dragon World
Challenge: Gingerbread 18 (someone’s been sleeping in my bed), Orange 14 (is there a doctor in the house?)
Toppings/Extras: Caramel (for the last half), Cherry (present tense), Whipped Cream (first three, see notes) Fresh Peaches (Your nature is to serve others, but in order to maintain that energy, make sure you’re taken care of as well), Malt (Summer Challenge Ice Cream #135 - Worlds apart)
Word Count: 800 (8-part pocky chain)
Rating: PG
Summary: Taking care of others comes naturally to Laura, but there are some things she can’t fix.
Notes: AKA Laura’s pocky chain. I am slooooowly working on a flavor binge and writing one of Kevin’s lines gave me a lightbulb moment on how to go about this. (For reference, Laura is nine in the first one, ten in the second, and twelve in the third. The rest are during and post-story.)
It’s Laura’s job to set up their lookout post in the tower of the weathered old playset while Chase collects the necessary rations. She’s got everything just about ready when she hears a shriek of pain from below.
“What’s wrong?” she calls, over the railing.
Chase looks up at her pitifully. “I got a splinter.”
Their mother is in the kitchen, and could help, but Laura never thinks to ask. She simply climbs down, takes her brother by the hand, and removes the splinter herself. Some Neosporin and a Bandaid later, they’re back at their play as if nothing’s happened.
***
Some children are afraid of the dark. Laura isn’t. She loves the peacefulness of her room at night and can’t sleep if there’s even a hint of light anywhere.
The first time she feels even a little afraid is the time she wakes up to an unfamiliar weight at the foot of her mattress. She slowly sits up, squinting at the mass of blanket with Chase’s head peeking out the end.
His eyes open. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“S’okay. Why’re you in here?”
“I had a bad dream. Can I stay?”
Her heartbeat slows in relief. “Course.”
***
Less than an hour after she leaves for work, Mom calls home. “Laura, I forgot to plug in the crock pot. Will you do it?”
Laura spends the day obsessively checking on the stew every few minutes. She knows how to make a few things, like oatmeal and grilled cheese sandwiches, but that’s not really cooking, and she’s a little bored with it.
“Can you teach me how to cook?” she asks, that night.
Mom looks surprised, but pleased. “I’d be happy to.”
Soon, Laura knows enough to make dinner all by herself, which makes her feel very grown-up.
***
Laura’s heart stops when she sees that Carrie’s alone. “Where’s Chase?” The little girl’s eyes immediately well up with tears.
Don’t get angry with her, Aaron’s eyes warn her silently, but Laura can’t blame Carrie for what’s happened when she’s obviously miserable: she’s afraid, exhausted, probably starving, and she’s eleven, for God’s sake. She has even less control here than the rest of them do, and Laura doesn’t know how she’s still standing at all.
“I didn’t mean to leave him behind,” Carrie says. “I promise I didn’t.”
Laura extends her arms for a hug they both need. “I know.”
***
Chase’s nightmares happen more frequently once they get home. He refuses to see a doctor about them and doesn’t tell their parents at all, because there’s no way he can make them understand.
Laura doesn’t try to convince him otherwise; she’s afraid, too. Instead, she makes him hot chocolate when he can’t sleep, plays his favorite songs whenever he wants, and makes sure she’s there when he needs her. She almost doesn’t go to college because she’s scared to leave him alone.
“Just call if you need me,” she tells him, repeatedly. He says he will, but she still worries.
***
Kevin drives up on a weekday to take Laura to lunch. There are several things she should say about that, because he’s ditching school and wasting gas he can’t afford, but she doesn’t have the heart because he’s clearly upset. In a way, she’s relieved to see him-she’s been almost as worried about him as she has been about Chase.
“What happened?” she asks, while they’re waiting for their sandwiches.
His expression is closed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
She nods, unsurprised. “Okay. Just remember I’m here, if you change your mind.”
“Trust me, I know,” he says.
***
“Laura,” Lindsey says, as she enthusiastically attacks her soup, “have I ever told you that you are the best roommate ever?”
Laura could say the same. It’s nice to have Lindsey around after Geri’s polite indifference and Allie’s antisocial tendencies; nice to feel needed again. “Thanks, but it’s no trouble. I like cooking, and this keeps you from binging on junk food, so everyone wins.”
“See that?” Kevin points at her with his spoon. “What’d I tell you? She’s such a mom.”
She frowns. “Is that a bad thing?”
The twins exchange a look. “Hell no,” they say in unison.
***
“D’you remember Dad’s friend Dave?” Chase asks, during their weekly phone chat.
“The psychologist?”
“Yeah. I’m gonna see him next week. Dad made me an appointment.”
Way to go, Dad, Laura thinks, scowling at the wall. Forcing Chase into therapy won’t help anything. “I’m sorry, Chasie-"
“Don’t be,” he says quickly. “It was my idea.”
“Your idea?”
“Yeah. I want to get better.”
“Chase,” she says, in breathless disbelief, “that’s wonderful. I’m so glad.”
Doubt creeps into his voice. “Really? You think it’ll help me?”
“I know it will,” she says firmly. “Do you want me to go with you?”