"How was school today, boys?" Dave asked at dinner that night.
"Great! Me and Eleanor are made a new type of pastry for the competition! And guess what? We won second place!" Theodore chirped happily, he loved anything to do with food.
"I had a perfectly decent day as well," Simon responded in his usual geeky attitude. "Alvin didn't blow anything up this time, so our science project went pretty good. We got an A."
Dave was impressed. "That's good news. What about you, Alvin? What did you do today?"
Alvin raised his head from his plate and stated at him blankly. "What?"
"What did you do at school? Anything interesting happen?"
Alvin went back to picking at his food. "Ryan tripped and got his face full of mashed potatoes." There was no enthusiasm in his voice.
Dave quirked an eyebrow in concern. "Are you feeling alright, Alvin?"
"I'm tired." he said simply.
"I'd say it's much more than that." Simon said. He pointed behind Alvin. "What happened to your tail?"
"My tail?" Alvin repeated fuzzily.
"Yes, Alvin, your tail!" Simon yelled, exasperated. "Why's it all bruised and inflamed like that?"
"Inflamed..." Alvin said, his gaze on his younger brother, but his hazel eyes were out of focus.
"Let me see that." Dave demanded, picking Alvin up to her chest. "What happened to it?!" he panicked, it must have been bad. Theodore curiously also went to have a look.
"I bumped into a kid and he overreacted." Much to everyone's surprised, Alvin looked horrified after he said it.
"Alvin, are you telling the truth?" Dave asked commandingly when he kept on twitching while he was examining the slightly twisted tail.
"Yes." Alvin jerked away. "Can I go to bed now?"
"You haven't even finished your dinner!" Theodore squeaked. "I thought you liked corn on the cob."
"Sleepy," Alvin said monotonously and jumped off the table. He was very unsteady, and Dave even considered going after him, but it was too late, he was limping up the banister wobbily.
"Simon, keep an eye on Alvin." Dave said as he cleared away Alvin's plate. It was barely touched. He frowned.
Simon nodded, staring after his brother.
Wendy: Oh, poor Alvin! I feel him, I do!