"You too." Mike smirked as he looked Tina up and down. "Glad to see you're still a representative of Perky Asian Goths everywhere." Man, he was glad he was able to slip back into their banter.
"So where's my pasalubong?" Mike was just teasing her. He really wasn't expecting a "homecoming gift". It would have been unfair to his Filipino side if he didn't ask it.
He remembered explaining the concept to Tina after he came back from his first family trip to the Philippines. His mom gave him a bag filled with mangoes to present to the Changs. Mike felt like such a dork hefting the fruit to Tina's house.
She flashed him a grin before turning around to retrieve a wrapped package from her duffle and handing it over.
"Given the airplane restrictions, I couldn't get you food or something cooler." Waiting for him to unwrap the stuffed panda wearing a Somebody in NY ♥s You t-shirt, she really wished she could've gotten him nunchucks or something less lame. "And I threw a hat and a few magnets in there for your parents. I know how obsessed Mama Chang gets with decorating her fridge with magnets."
"But I...didn't know if Tommy was still in Lima and I forgot to get him something..."
Which was a half lie. She knew how inferior Mike felt sometimes in comparison to his brother, so she figured Tommy had had enough attention. "So, are we going to stand here all night or we going to get food? I'm starving."
Tina tried to make an argument that she was self-sufficient, but he was already slinging her bag over his shoulder. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought; for some reason she had trouble remembering what good places Lima had to eat.
"...Is there anything other than Breadsticks and that ice cream parlor?" she asked, as she pulled the train station's doors open and ambled out towards the parking lot.
"Oh..remind me later that I have something for Quinn, too."
Tina laughed at his dramatic pause as he reversed out of his parking spot.
"I'm sure the most action you guys see are chasing the teenagers who go cow-tipping in the summer."
She sobered a little as he mentioned the blackout, watching as they left the parking lot and headed out onto the main road.
"Yeah..I saw a lot of crazy stories on the news. From people passing out on the toilet to getting married to strangers. My boss refused to get out of bed when he saw his flash. Guess we're the lucky ones?"
She tried to will the uneasiness to not worm its way back into her system as she thought of her flash again.
"Yeah... not that I saw myself winning the lottery or anything awesome like that. I was just at the station." Mike hoped Tina didn't press for further details.
Tina noted way his expression tensed a little, even though he tried to hide it with another grin and decided not to push him for details. Although it would be nice to talk to someone close to her about them. Everyone seemed so tense and the only person she really discussed flashes with was this random elderly lady at the airport who told her hers was of her attending her cat's funeral.
"Yeah," she murmured distractedly, staring out the window. "Mine wasn't anything special. I was just back at my parent's house like I am most years around winter holidays."
She figured since he didn't want to be pressed, he wouldn't ask her to elaborate. She watched the stoplight turn green and he signaled to turn into the parking lot where the diner still stood.
"Finnlicious? He's just working. Two jobs. Helping Burt out at the garage. And the second job is pure evil. He went to the dark side of course. Volunteer fireman." Mike gave a shudder. "I don't know where I went wrong."
Mike wasn't looking at the menu since he knew what he was already ordering. Cowboy burger and a cherry Coke.
"Despite the poor choice in career, Finn is really great with Abby."
"I think you watch too much Reno 911, Iggs," Tina laughed. At first, the thought of Finn and fire kind of spelled disaster, but she always figured Finn would be the golden boy type who rescues cats from trees and puppies and children from buildings ablaze.
"But that's great he's still around Burt. I might have to pay them a visit soon. I owe him pastries."
One time back in junior year, Tina had gotten a flat tire at night, and Burt and Kurt had picked her up and repaired it, refusing to take her money. She had spent the rest of high school and whenever she was home her first year of college sneaking Burt homemade pastries under Kurt's nose in gratitude. Kurt had always been such a calorie counter.
"And I've yet to meet this infamous 8 year old that a little birdie in the form of Mama Chang told me handcuffed you to a railing of stairs? ..With your own handcuffs? I haven't seen her since she was in diapers, but I like her already," she smirked, watching as the waitress approached to take their orders.
"But Reno 911 is a cult classic!" There was a friendly rivalry between cops and firemen and both forces met on the battlefield to see who was the better public service. But of course that team of nurses and EMTs would always beat the Lima PD and Lima FD at softball.
"Haha. Yeah, Abby is a great kid. And hey, that was one time. She has this look that would bend iron. Or maybe I'm just weak."
"Yeah, this coming from the guy who thought Superbad should win an Academy Award," she teased, before telling the waitress her order for a bacon burger and fries. "And I'm pretty sure you're just weak," she beamed, taking a sip of her water.
"But with the way you talk about her..I believe you," she smiled. The utter look of admiration that crossed his face and lit up his already bright grin said it all. "I don't think she'd remember me though; I babysat her for her first three years of her life and now she's already 8. Wow, I feel old."
Tina almost snorted out her water. "Oh, Paddy Mac's. I haven't been there since the summer I turned 21. We definitely should go there before I leave."
She smiled at the memory. Well, half a memory. She remembered dancing with Mike but she couldn't exactly remember what happened after her 7th shot of Bacardi superior.
"So Brit's okay, right? I kind of worried about her after the blackout..being Brittany and all."
"I still want to know where you got that pineapple from CoChang." Mike remembered that summer night as well. And made a note of it. Maybe he'd get everyone to celebrate Tina's birthday at the bar. "And it's almost that birthday time of the year again. Do you want a Fudgie the Whale cake? Those things are too cute to eat. Or a moon bounce." Mike was half serious. He did want to play on one of those things like when he was a kid. Maybe he could talk Abby into get one for her party.
The waitress had come back with their meals.
"Oh yeah. Brittany was kinda confused about what happened. She thought she was dead and in the after life for awhile but that got cleared up."
"Me too," Tina murmured vehemently, thanking the waitress before tilting her head and looking up at the ceiling in thought as if the answer would be there. "That was a really good pineapple, by the way. I kind of miss it now."
She reached for her burger and took an appreciative bite. "As cute as that cake would be, something tells me you'd enjoy those way more than me, Michael Iggs. Remember the last time you had a bouncy house?" she asked, her gaze pointed and voice full of mock conviction. A drunk Mike in a bouncy house, while hilarious, was probably the worst idea ever.
"Maybe we should get a pineapple cake in loving memory," she suggested, reaching over and taking a sip of his coke. "And I'm glad Brittany's okay," she said, being sincere but still resisting the urge to laugh.
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"So where's my pasalubong?" Mike was just teasing her. He really wasn't expecting a "homecoming gift". It would have been unfair to his Filipino side if he didn't ask it.
He remembered explaining the concept to Tina after he came back from his first family trip to the Philippines. His mom gave him a bag filled with mangoes to present to the Changs. Mike felt like such a dork hefting the fruit to Tina's house.
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She flashed him a grin before turning around to retrieve a wrapped package from her duffle and handing it over.
"Given the airplane restrictions, I couldn't get you food or something cooler." Waiting for him to unwrap the stuffed panda wearing a Somebody in NY ♥s You t-shirt, she really wished she could've gotten him nunchucks or something less lame. "And I threw a hat and a few magnets in there for your parents. I know how obsessed Mama Chang gets with decorating her fridge with magnets."
"But I...didn't know if Tommy was still in Lima and I forgot to get him something..."
Which was a half lie. She knew how inferior Mike felt sometimes in comparison to his brother, so she figured Tommy had had enough attention. "So, are we going to stand here all night or we going to get food? I'm starving."
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"Let me take your duffle, so you can properly think of a place to get our grub on."
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"...Is there anything other than Breadsticks and that ice cream parlor?" she asked, as she pulled the train station's doors open and ambled out towards the parking lot.
"Oh..remind me later that I have something for Quinn, too."
Reply
"I'm sure the most action you guys see are chasing the teenagers who go cow-tipping in the summer."
She sobered a little as he mentioned the blackout, watching as they left the parking lot and headed out onto the main road.
"Yeah..I saw a lot of crazy stories on the news. From people passing out on the toilet to getting married to strangers. My boss refused to get out of bed when he saw his flash. Guess we're the lucky ones?"
She tried to will the uneasiness to not worm its way back into her system as she thought of her flash again.
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"Yeah," she murmured distractedly, staring out the window. "Mine wasn't anything special. I was just back at my parent's house like I am most years around winter holidays."
She figured since he didn't want to be pressed, he wouldn't ask her to elaborate. She watched the stoplight turn green and he signaled to turn into the parking lot where the diner still stood.
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He found a parking space. Shutting off the engine, Mike turned towards Tina, and then nodded at the diner. "Can you believe this place is still open?
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Mike wasn't looking at the menu since he knew what he was already ordering. Cowboy burger and a cherry Coke.
"Despite the poor choice in career, Finn is really great with Abby."
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"But that's great he's still around Burt. I might have to pay them a visit soon. I owe him pastries."
One time back in junior year, Tina had gotten a flat tire at night, and Burt and Kurt had picked her up and repaired it, refusing to take her money. She had spent the rest of high school and whenever she was home her first year of college sneaking Burt homemade pastries under Kurt's nose in gratitude. Kurt had always been such a calorie counter.
"And I've yet to meet this infamous 8 year old that a little birdie in the form of Mama Chang told me handcuffed you to a railing of stairs? ..With your own handcuffs? I haven't seen her since she was in diapers, but I like her already," she smirked, watching as the waitress approached to take their orders.
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"Haha. Yeah, Abby is a great kid. And hey, that was one time. She has this look that would bend iron. Or maybe I'm just weak."
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"But with the way you talk about her..I believe you," she smiled. The utter look of admiration that crossed his face and lit up his already bright grin said it all. "I don't think she'd remember me though; I babysat her for her first three years of her life and now she's already 8. Wow, I feel old."
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"It was at Paddy Mac's. They have jukebox there. And put on Good Girls Go Bad. Got my shimmy on." Mike smiled at the memory.
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She smiled at the memory. Well, half a memory. She remembered dancing with Mike but she couldn't exactly remember what happened after her 7th shot of Bacardi superior.
"So Brit's okay, right? I kind of worried about her after the blackout..being Brittany and all."
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The waitress had come back with their meals.
"Oh yeah. Brittany was kinda confused about what happened. She thought she was dead and in the after life for awhile but that got cleared up."
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She reached for her burger and took an appreciative bite. "As cute as that cake would be, something tells me you'd enjoy those way more than me, Michael Iggs. Remember the last time you had a bouncy house?" she asked, her gaze pointed and voice full of mock conviction. A drunk Mike in a bouncy house, while hilarious, was probably the worst idea ever.
"Maybe we should get a pineapple cake in loving memory," she suggested, reaching over and taking a sip of his coke. "And I'm glad Brittany's okay," she said, being sincere but still resisting the urge to laugh.
Reply
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