Boo Boos

(Chronological index: Raymond in High School)

Annie was carefully posed when Raymond returned from school. She had folded a handkerchief over a Lego chair he'd made her, turning it into a throne. Her legs were crossed and her arms rested on the armrests, naturally enough.

He was staring at her even as he slung his book bag towards the desk. She didn't flinch at the crash, just smiled indulgently as if amused by his antics.

"You look… Like you're in charge," he said.

"We feel like being entertained, vassal," she said, nose firmly in the air. "Delight us with tales of your adventures amongst the learned." She took care to pronounce the 'ed,' too.

"The learned," he echoed, rubbing his chin. "Not me, I was at a public venue for babysitting." Then he shrugged and sat down. "Well, Suzanne moved away."

"Who is this Suzanne person? We do not recall her."

"She's the girl that owns Grendel? The sylph who always expresses designs upon your virtue?"

"Ah. Thou couldst have identified her as The Bitch."

"I will try to-" He thought for a second. "I will endeavor to so attribute her in the future." Annie winced and shook her head. "Um… So describe her?" She nodded.

"Anyway, she's moving away."

"To the middle of nowhere, one would hope?"

"Brunswick," he said with a shrug. She waved negligently, the Floridian urbanite consigning most of Georgia to 'nowhere.'

She continued to be amused at his stories, anecdotes and observations of life at his school. He continued to treat her as if the normal flow of authority had reversed polarity.

He did interrupt at one point. "Are you comfortable? I'd hate to think of you sitting on the dots of the Lego bricks for this long?"

"Concern yourself not with mine posterior, witling, nor with the number of dimples it currently contains!" Her tone changed, then, to a more conspiratorial one. "I put a matchbook down before I covered it."

"Is that safe?"

"What? Are you saying my ass is so fat that I could spark matches by sitting on them?"

"God, no!"

"Then remember thyself in the future, sirrah! Or I shall have thee in the stocks!"

"Sorry, sorry, geez!" But his apology faded as a new look sparked in his eyes.

"And please," she said, rolling her own eyes, "don't design Lego stocks in your head while staring at me."

"Sorry," he repeated, looking out over her head. She sighed the sigh of the much put-upon. She'd learned that from The Mom.

Soon enough, they were called down to dinner. Before he could offer his hand, she said, "We deign to allow thee to carry us downward to sup."

"Well, that's good," he said. "Because you sure ain't carrying me."

"Aha. It is to laugh. Ha. And ha-ha! And ha again."

"Shut up and stand up," he said with a smile. She rose, twisting on her feet to point her back at him. He cupped her gently and lifted her.

She snorted as he lifted the carefully-arranged sheeting to see the matchbook. The matches themselves had been carefully removed.

She laughed inwardly to note he didn't look to see that they'd been cut, so he didn't wonder what the hell she'd cut them with. Her secret blade stash was still a secret.

Down at the table, he placed her at her little table beside his plate, then went to help serve the meal. Annie limped over to the paper towel dispenser to tear a corner off of the end.

She limped back to her place and sat down.

Dad was sorting through the mail he'd just brought in and completely missed the presentation. The sylph looked around for some other excuse to limp around.

Mom brought in the Roast and set it down at the head of the table. Raymond brought in the three side dishes. Annie saw the parents share a look at their son's response to the challenge of three serving bowls versus taking two trips.

Sure. They noticed HIM. She refrained from sounding another put-upon sigh. They wouldn't understand.

Instead, she waited until Master had dished the veggies onto his plate and stood to choose her portion. She rose carefully, favoring her left ankle.

Before she took a single step, Mom gasped. "Annie, what's wrong with your foot?"

Okay. MEN were insensitive louts, she thought, amending her estimation of the Fosters.

"It's nothing," she said, careful to NOT put a little catch in her voice. The grunt as she tried to step forward was far more in character.

Gentle fingers scooped her up before she took another step. She winced as she was rolled from one hand to the other, and that was unfeigned.

Mom lifted her up to see her leg and gasped again upon seeing the bruise. "What happened?"

"Nothing!" she insisted.

"What happened?" Raymond asked.

"Why don't you know?" Dad accused.

"Know about what?" Raymond defended.

"That's the whole POINT!" Dad said, raising his voice. "She's YOUR responsibility! Like when you were a baby, WE had to take care of you when you couldn't."

"She's NOT a baby," the teen growled.

"No, it's worse for her," Dad said. "The world's changed so drastically for her. Babies have to learn how the world works. She has to UN-learn, then learn again."

"Which she's been doing for five freaking years!" Raymond snapped.

That's about the point the argument shifted from anything concerning Annie to Raymond expressing attitude towards his father.

But that was Annie's objective assessment of the confrontation. Inside it, Raymond was sure it was still about his responsibility for his sylph.

Already on the defensive about a wound he knew nothing about, Raymond refused to back down. Annie knew she could count on him to take the whole issue very personally.

She didn't smile as Mom started to push gently against the tiny foot. "What happened?" she asked again, ignoring her husband and son.

"The cage door swung down my leg as I was crawling out," Annie explained.

"I thought they took the door off."

"No, ma'am, they just made it so it doesn't lock anymore. It's mostly symbolic. Raymond shuts the door to remind me to stay put. Or opens it to invite me to come out."

"Well," she sniffed. "Where was Ray when this happened?"

"Laying on his bed." Technically, he was asleep on his bed. Annie had snuck out to her secret candy stash exactly because he wouldn't pay any attention to her movements.

"And he didn't look to see what happened?" Mom asked incredulously.

NOW Annie allowed a little bit of a catch in her voice. "Noooooooo."

"You little shit!" Mom snapped.

Raymond and Dad's heads whipped around. Dad's explanation of the incumbent responsibilities involved in the expectations of allowance died in mid-sentence.

Raymond's heart sank at his mother's expression. He still wasn't sure what had happened or why it was his fault, but it was beyond any hope of appeal.

"Why didn't you take better care of Annie?!"

"I thought I was," he said.

"It's my fault," Annie said. Everyone turned to stare at her. "I kept asking for him to take me to the Muppet Movie, he probably tuned me out."

---------

Two hours later, Raymond was buying a ticket to the Muppet Movie. He saved the receipt so his allowance would be properly docked.

Annie sat demurely in his pocket, not clamoring for popcorn or chocolates or licorice. He bought popcorn, with extra butter as she liked it, anyway. Then he stood by the poster for the Muppet Movie for a couple of moments.

"What is it, Raymond?" she finally asked.

"I just… You know. Maybe ONCE, we could figure out how to get you in to see a movie without getting me grounded?"

"I suppose we could," she said. "Hypothetically."

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