Taylor
Taylor bit his lip as he stopped in front of Avery's door.
He still hadn't gone in there, and he'd been debating with himself ever since he'd told Mouse about it.
With a sigh, he knocked.
Avery
Avery looked up at the door and ignored it.
She went back to reading her book.
Taylor
Taylor waited a moment, then decided to go for it. He turned the doorknob, opened the door, and stuck his head through.
"Hey," he began, noticing she was reading.
"You haven't read that one enough already?"
Avery
Avery looked up and smiled slightly.
"Hey... and no, this is only the fourth time. Besides, I like it."
She sat up and folded her arms across her chest.
Taylor
"I couldn't tell," Taylor joked, smiling back.
He stepped through and closed the door behind him.
"Maybe I should get you a new one," he raised his eyebrows.
Avery
Avery put her bookmark in the book and set it on the table.
"I like this one. You got it for me ages ago, remember?"
Taylor
"Yeah... I think I remember," Taylor frowned a little, "but it was ages ago. I might get you some for your birthday."
He paused, considering.
Avery
Avery looked surprised.
"Oh yeah, that's this month."
Taylor
"Only a few days away too," Taylor mentioned uncomfortably as he sat down.
"Tournament starts tomorrow too."
Avery
"Is it?"
Avery frowned slightly.
"Wow. I don't think I'll go."
Taylor
Taylor crinkled his brow.
"And what about your birthday?" he looked up.
"Are you going to do anything for it? With your friends?"
Avery
Avery shook her head.
"Nah, I think I'll just stay in. Celebrate with quiet reflection."
Taylor
"That's not like you," Taylor shook his head.
"How long are you planning to... be like this?"
Avery
"Be like what exactly?"
Avery furrowed her eyebrows.
Taylor
Taylor sighed, considering.
"Antisocial," he said finally, "hiding from everyone and everything."
Avery
"I'm not."
Avery narrowed her eyes slightly.
"I just want to read my book, is that some sort of crime now?"
Taylor
"If that's all you've been doing, then you've read it more than four times in the past day," Taylor raised his eyebrows.
"Let alone the last fortnight."
Avery
"I've been out of my room," Avery said defensively.
"I left last night."
Taylor
"What a shame there's no bathroom in here, huh?"
Taylor rubbed his hands together.
"And would you have left if there was?"
Avery
Avery paused, having no response to that.
"And what business is it of yours?"
Taylor
Taylor tilted his head slightly.
"Why isn't it my business?" he asked softly, not wanting to stir her up.
Avery
"Why does it matter if I stay here? It doesn't affect you."
Avery looked out the window.
Taylor
"Of course it does," Taylor frowned slightly.
"It affects us because we're all worried about you. In this case 24/7."
Avery
Avery shrugged.
"There's no need to worry, I'm ok."
Taylor
Taylor hesitated.
"Then prove it," he said suddenly.
Avery
Avery looked at him.
"How? By juggling, coz I was never good at that, you know."
Taylor
"By leaving your room," Taylor suggested.
"And I don't mean to go to the bathroom. Come down for dinner. Go out and ride your bike or something. Go back to the station if you want. Not for too long."
Avery
"I don't really feel like it. I'm kinda tired."
Avery looked away from him again.
Taylor
Taylor hesitated again. He really didn't want to push her, but this was killing him.
"And... how many times when we ask are you going to be feeling the same?" he raised an eyebrow.
Avery
"When Jess wanted to be alone no one made her come outside," Avery said, almost bitterly.
Taylor
"Yeah but..." Taylor leant forward and quietened his voice, "no one wanted to put up with her, did they?"
Then he sat back.
"I don't want to see that happen to you."
Avery
Avery shook her head.
"Taylor, when you wanted to stay in your room, I didn't bug you."
Taylor
Taylor almost laughed.
"Who woke up all the baby fuzzles by playing harmonica at the top of her lungs outside my door then? I'd love to know who. So I can pound them."
Avery
"Oh I think that was Zac."
Avery nodded.
"He's a rude, nasty man."
Taylor
"There's two things wrong with that..." Taylor began, pretending to count off on his fingers.
"One... you want me to beat up Zac so he can beat the crap out of me. Two... you're calling Zac a man."
Avery
"You're scared of Zac!"
Avery smiled slightly.
"I'm going to tell him!"
Taylor
"Forgetting the fact that he's ten times my size?" Taylor pointed out.
"The only person who can fight him is Ike. He's spastic. You of all people should know."
Avery
"Why should I know?"
Avery looked confused.
"Ike's too nice to fight him though."
Taylor
"Everyone in this family should know. Especially telepaths and empaths," Taylor raised his eyebrows.
"And just because Ike's nice... that doesn't stand in the way of sibling rivalry."
He chuckled.
Avery
Avery flinched at the mentioning of her power.
"Yes well..."
Taylor
Taylor instantly noticed the flinch, and understood why.
He bit his lip thoughtfully.
"Anyway, we were getting off topic..."
Avery
"Yeah."
Avery withdrew slightly, bringing her knees up and hugging them against her chest.
Taylor
Taylor kept his eyes on her, reading her body language.
"Hiding from something won't make it go away."
Then he chuckled.
"I of all people should know that. The past continually bites me in the ass."
Avery
"Language, Tay," Avery said automatically.
"I'm not hiding."
Taylor
"Well what would you prefer to call it?" Taylor looked up.
"Both things."
Avery
"It doesn't matter."
Avery closed her eyes for a moment.
"What do you want me to say?"
Taylor
"It's not what I want you to say, it's what I want you to do," Taylor insisted.
He looked around the room for a moment.
"I want you to be yourself again."
Avery
"I'm fine," she insisted.
"I don't want to be like Jess, and I don't want attention, I just... I just... I don't know."
Taylor
Taylor hesitated again, then went to sit next to her.
"But we want you to have attention, ok?" he insisted.
"We can't have you dealing with everyone else's problems and not your own."
Avery
Avery fell silent and just stared at her knees.
"I killed him," she said, almost inaudibly.
Taylor
Taylor closed his eyes, instantly thinking of Ronnie.
He put his arm around her, and pulled her in to him.
"Believe it or not, I think that's a good thing," he said softly.
Avery
Avery let herself be hugged and shook her head slightly.
"Maybe."
Taylor
"I'm proud of you for feeling so guilty about it too," Taylor added.
"I would have hated for you to go the other way."
Avery
Avery burst into tears and hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry."
Taylor
Taylor took a deep breath.
"For what?" he asked finally.
Avery
"For being so horrible to you."
Avery closed her eyes.
Taylor
"Well if you were I must have missed it," Taylor frowned, looking down at her.
He moved some hair out of her face.
Avery
"I don't know what I'm doing."
Avery shook her head.
Taylor
"Well I know I can't help you with what's up here," Taylor tapped her head.
"That's all up to you. But I'm willing to do what I can."
Avery
Avery nodded.
"Maybe... could you make me something to eat?"
Taylor
"Maybe if you come down and help me," Taylor raised his eyebrows.
"Or I might make something you don't like... on purpose..."
Avery
Avery nodded again.
"Ok."
Taylor
Taylor couldn't help but grin.
"Come on," he said, getting up from the bed.
He held his hand out.
Avery
Avery slowly reached out and took his hand.
"K."
She stood up from the bed.
Taylor
Taylor led Avery from the room, downstairs, and into the kitchen.
"So what do you want to eat?" he offered.
Avery
"Anything. Just... wait... can you cook now?"
Avery looked at him suspiciously.
Taylor
"I'm not completely incapable," Taylor insisted.
"Besides when..."
He hesitated, his face going grim.
"When... Mouse was pregnant. You know how Mom was. Cooking made her sick."
Avery
"When are you going to see her again?"
Avery looked innocently curious.
Taylor
"I don't know," Taylor quickly brushed over the topic.
"How does pancakes sound?"
Avery
"Yeah, sounds good."
Avery sat down at the table.
Taylor
Taylor began to bustle around in the kitchen, keeping his eye on her every now and then. Once he had everything in the bowl, he sat down to mix as the pan heatened up.
"What do you say we make it a bit more interesting?" he stopped suddenly.
Avery
"I don't like when you say that. I remember when you said that and I was about five and you let me eat dirt."
Avery shuddered.
Taylor
"Well you weren't complaining... for a while," Taylor raised his eyebrows.
He left the bowl on the table, and went over to one of the cupboards. Searching through, he pulled out some food dye.
"What do you think... blue? Green? Purple?"
Avery
"I was five! And you let me!"
Avery shook her head.
"Not blue. I refuse to eat blue food. Purple."
Taylor
Taylor chuckled and put the yellow dye back. He made his way back to the table and began mixing drops of red and blue into the mixture.
"Since when have you refused blue food?" he raised an eyebrow, screwing the tops back on the bottles and putting them back.
Avery
"Since always."
Avery wrinkled her nose up.
Taylor
"You haven't refused much that I've given you," Taylor smiled, mixing again.
He sat down and spread his legs, watching the white turn purple.
Avery
"Blue food is gross. No blue food anymore."
Avery stuck her tongue out.
Taylor
A grin crept onto Taylor's face, and he pointed the wooden spoon at her.
"Is this about that squid we found at the beach about six years ago?"
Avery
Avery put her hands over her ears.
"LALALALALALA can't hear you!"
Taylor
"Oh you big baby," Taylor scorned, flicking some of the mix at her face.
"That was years ago. It's not like we're gonna do it to you again. You know how much trouble we got in for that."
Avery
"You deserved it, you buttface."
Avery wiped the mix from her nose.
Taylor
"Avery, Avery, Avery," Taylor shook his head sadly.
"I pity your insults, I really do."
Avery
"Right, that's it, you big fat girl."
Avery pounced on her brother, knocking the pancake mix to the ground.
Taylor
"HEY!" Taylor exclaimed, trying to rescue it.
He managed to salvage about half.
"Oh you are asking for it girlie."
And he started tickling her.
Avery
Avery scooped a handful of mix in her hand and rubbed it into Taylor's hair.
"Ah! Let me go!"
Taylor
"You deserve it," Taylor insisted.
He groaned at the mix in his hair, managed to scrape some out, then smudge it into her face.
Avery
"Ahhhh Tay germs!"
Avery rubbed her face on Taylor's shirt.
Taylor
"Hey!" Taylor exclaimed, jumping back a little then tripping over the chair.
"You are so lucky this isn't a white shirt."
He picked some pancake mix off it and threw it at her.
Avery
"Hey!"
Avery scooped the mix off herself and dived at Taylor, rubbing it on his face and through his hair again.
"HA!"
Taylor
"Aww man!" Taylor complained, trying to get her off him.
"Get off!"
He shoved her forward, while falling backwards to the floor.
"Man that stuff stinks."
Avery
Avery landed with a thud on her butt and she rubbed it softly.
"Ow."
Taylor
Taylor groaned and lay down onto his back, rubbing the pruple from his face.
He turned his head and saw the mess they'd made.
"Oh great. And Mom's gonna walk in any second..."
Avery
"Was your fault."
Avery smiled and stood up, going to the sink to wash her hands and face off.
Taylor
"My fault?" Taylor looked up.
He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair, then looked at his hand once he'd pulled it out.
"How was it my fault?"
He stood up and grabbed the bowl, then took it over to the bench.
Avery
"I don't know. But I intend to tell Mom that it was."
Avery grabbed the cloth and got started on the cupboards.
Taylor
"Yeah well... if we're quick and don't let the dye get into everything she won't have to know," Taylor pointed out.
He quickly wiped down the table and the floor, then rinsed the cloth out.
"Let's try and get something out of what's left."
Avery
Avery grinned and looked in the bowl.
"I have no idea how many pancakes you think we're going to be able to make with this..."
Taylor
"We can make mini pancakes," Taylor chuckled, grabbing the wooden spoon.
He began to spoon some of the mixture into the pan, making the pancakes about half size and less.
"Ok... if we're lucky we'll get ten of those."
Avery
"If you say so, Captain Retardo."
Avery grinned.
Taylor
Taylor screwed his face up then rubbed her head, smearing the mixture in her hair.
"Get some plates and toppings ready, they're almost done already."
Avery
"Mom's not gonna be happy you put purple in my hair!" Avery retorted.
She went and got some plates out and set them on the counter.
Taylor
"If only that line still worked the other way around," Taylor said, almost wistfully.
He chuckled, flipping the pancakes over.
Avery
"Yep, mom likes me but thinks you're smelly."
Avery poured them a glass of juice each.
Taylor
"Avery," he began as he turned to her, still holding the wooden spoon.
"At the moment we both smell of pancakes. That line doesn't work."
He flattened the pancakes, then flipped them onto one of the plates before spooning in the last five.
Avery
"Taylor," Avery mimicked.
"You suck."
Taylor
"No... you suck," Taylor retorted.
"I lick."
He licked the spoon to prove his point, then threw it into the sink.
Avery
"You're as gross as Zac!"
Avery backed away from him.
Taylor
"Now that," Taylor pointed at her.
"Is the biggest insult you've come up with today. Bravo."
He applauded.
Avery
"Ass."
Avery shook her head.
Taylor
"Avery, language," Taylor mimicked, wagging his finger at her.
He flipped the pancakes.
Avery
"Shut up."
Avery took a sip of her drink.
Taylor
"You have a really potty mouth this morning, don't you," Taylor tsked.
"Very insulting all of a sudden."
Avery
"Because you're crap."
Avery stuck her tongue out.
Taylor
Taylor flattened the pancakes, then flipped them onto the plate and turned the pan off.
"I'll just keep all these for myself then, shall I?" he offered, taking both plates to the table.
Avery
"Then I'll go lock myself in my room again."
Avery nodded.
Taylor
"Then I'll just come and sit in there, and play harmonica very loudly and badly until you leave again," Taylor smiled at her, sitting down.
"And harmonica's not the only instrument I can do that with."
Avery
"I'll run away."
Avery paused.
"And never see you again."
Taylor
"You wouldn't do that," Taylor grabbed one of the pancakes and began eating it.
"You love us all too much. Especially Jess."
He raised his eyebrows.
Avery
Avery didn't comment, just ate a pancake.
Taylor
Taylor grinned, then settled to eating himself.
When they were done, he stood up and took the plate.
"We should probably both have showers."
Avery
"Good thinking."
Avery ran off to the bathroom and locked the door.
"BAGS FIRST!"
Taylor
Taylor rolled his eyes and made his way to the bathroom door.
"How many bathrooms do you think we have in this house?" he called, "I'm going to the upstairs one."
He made his way upstairs and grabbed a change of clothes.
Avery
Avery ignored him and had a shower, then looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Wow, she looked really bad.
Taylor
Taylor made his way into the upstairs bathroom and had his shower, rubbing furiously at points to get the dye off him and mostly out of his hair.
He dried himself off and got changed, before soaking his dirty clothes a bit and then taking them to the laundry.
Avery
Avery wrapped a towel around herself and went to her room, changed, and then took her clothes down to the laundry.
Her hair had a slightly purple tinge to it.
Taylor
Taylor chuckled when he saw her hair, but refrained from saying anything. His probably looked the same.
"Feel any better?" he asked.
Avery
"My hair is still purple. But yeah, I'm better."
Avery dumped her clothes where Taylor had put his.
Taylor
"Yeah... ditto," Taylor said, leaving the laundry.
He went back to check they'd cleaned up the kitchen the best they could.
Avery
Avery followed him, mindlessly humming to herself.
"So... what now?"
Taylor
"We could watch a movie or something," Taylor suggested, casting his eye over the kitchen.
Good enough. The dishes could wait.
Avery
"Um, yeah, ok."
Avery felt a little nervous about going back into the room where she'd had the fight with him.
Taylor
"Come on."
He took her hand and led her into the loungeroom, sat her down, then went over to the TV.
"Anything particular?" he offered.
Avery
Avery sat watching him quietly.
"Anything will do. Except from those videos."
She pointed.
"They're Jess's."
Taylor
"How about one of yours?"
Taylor took one out and put it in the VCR, turned everything on and grabbed the remote. Then he went over to sit next to her, sensing her unease.
Fast-forwarding through the previews, he played the movie.
Avery
Avery leant on Taylor's shoulder and watched the movie quietly, before falling asleep.