02 - I'll Never Eat Peas Again

[imjustpicky]

[A - Action, Mayfield Elementary]

[The new kid with the bowl haircut seems a lot less nervous than before. Today he's proceeding through his school day with a smile on his face. He'll answer questions in class, he'll sit with you at lunch, he'll even play with you on the playground, but...]

Yeah! I'll be on your team! You guys are so awful, of course you need my help!

[B - Action, Around Town, afternoon]

[That same new kid has the same improved(?) attitude to him. He smiles, he "pleasantly" addresses anyone who talks to him, and he seems content to wander from here to there, bouncing a rubber ball.]

[C - Action, 7132 Brooks Lane, all day]

[So what's this funny-looking green pod doing, leaned up against the side of the house?]

Comments

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

No. I wasn't.

I'm not better than anything. I never was, and never will be.

But you are. And can be. And that's why I never said anything to you about where I was. Where I was going.

[Wow. That laughter hurt. He knew no matter what the response was, it was going to be painful but that was...that was more than he expected.]

oh no, Pokey T_T

[imjustpicky]

[He's still working the last of the laughter out of his system. Isn't an absent big brother's emotional torment funny?]

Aw, c'mon. You're better than dad. You're better than mom.

[...And stopped clocks are right twice a day. What does it matter, after the rest of what he said? He gives his ball another toss upwards. And then he tosses it at Pokey, lightly.]

We're both here now, stupid! Play catch with me!

:3

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[And he catches the ball. And just looks down at it for a moment before, slowly, shaking his head.]

No. I'm not. Towards you maybe yes but....not in the end. I probably would've been the worst of all.

[And he just stares at the ball a moment more, before nodding.]

Sure. Let's play catch.

Here.

[And he'll throw the ball hard and far and wide, hoping to force the pod!Picky to chase it. So he can leave. So he can find the actual Picky.]

Catch.

[imjustpicky]

But you'd still be my big brother!

[And a pod-Picky is still Picky, on some level. His whole self turns to see where the ball just went, and then he bolts on after it, full-force.]

Hey! No fair!

[But the protests are already growing faint, as he rushes further and further away....]

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

I know.

I'm sorry I wasn't a better one.

[And he'll be scampering off now. Anywhere. So he can start looking for the pod the actual Picky might be in. He doesn't know what could actually be happening to Picky in that fricking thing, and he NEEDS to find out. To help him.

He can do that much, at least.]