Wednesday, January 22
(7-ish)
"Hey Mom! I'm home!" Wally announced, picking up a lollipop from the plate near the door. He knew he was home later than he was supposed to be, and he was going to get chewed out for it. But his mom seemed to go softer on him when he had a piece of candy in his mouth. And having a sucker in his mouth would help put Wally in a better mood.
"And where 'ave you been? The street lights 'ave been on for fifteen minutes now," his mother scolded from the living room.
"You know the rules boyo, you can't be out-"
Wally slugged into the living room, dramatizing his slow steps "After the street lights I know I know." Wally shrugged, not meeting his parents' eyes. "I just got caught up with some friends, that's all. Just a little blue." Wally shrugged and popped the blue raspberry lollipop into his mouth.
Wally's mom frowned. "Now Wallaby… I just wanna make sure that you're not doin' anything…"
Wally just rolled his eyes. He knew what she was hinting at, and he knew she had a right to worry when he was with Lucas. "C'mon mom. I was jus' with Abby and Hank."
As he had predicted, his parents lightened up immediately. "Oh those two! I 'aven't seen them in a while," Wally's mother squealed.
Wally shrugged, but his father continued. "Those are some spiffy kids. An' that little sheila Kuki's turned out to be a fine girl ay me bucko?" Wally's dad sent him a wink, but Wally just grimaced at his dad –not in offense to Kuki, but to the fact that his dad was giving him girl advice like that. His dad just laughed. "Ey, whatever happened to that other one… there was one more… I swear there was. I remember you used to run around with him when you two were ankle-biters. What was 'is name…"
Wally's playful demeanor dropped and he put his hands in his pockets. "Nigel, Pop…"
"Nigel! Yeeah that one! You two were good mates you, him, 'n that Hank boy. Both of 'em were smart kids. I remember back in secondary when he would come 'ere and help you with your English and math-"
Wally's mom, noticing Wally's darkening mood, interrupted her husband. Her sympathetic eyes staying on her son. "Now c'mon hun, let the boy shoot through. He has a little ankle biter redecorating 'is room right now."
An exasperated smile crossed Wally's face and he laid back against the couch. "Guess I gotta deal with that little bugger then…" Wally sighed, pushing himself off the couch to walk up the stairs.
"Don't break anything dear," his mother called up casually. Wally only smirked, and promised nothing.
Once atop the carpeted steps, Wally could see 3 worn cardboard boxes outside his bedroom door. He was too late. Wally dramatically dragged his hand across his face. The little tike had probably taken out most of his stuff from on top of his dresser and desk by now, maybe even his bed covers. The tardy teenager proceeded to his room to find Joey starting to take down one of his favorite posters.
"Ey ey ey ey!" Wally called out, rushing to grab his younger brother which was made easier by the lack of rubble in his room. Joey turned and went wide-eyed when he saw Wally. When Wally ran over to grab him, Joey dodged him, running towards the stripped queen-sized bed where a small nerf gun lay waiting–as well as a pile of Sonic bedsheets waiting to cover the bed.
Wally, knowing the rules of this game, did his best to intercept Joey, trying to block him with his body. Joey used his smaller size and Wally's lack of effort to side step him and duck underneath Wally's initial grab at him. Unfortunately for Joey though, Wally was more than ready for that and immediately lunged backwards to wrap his arms around his brother's waist. Joey tried to twist away as Wally pulled him towards him, and succeeded at first. But Wally was quick and ready for the boy's valiant attempt to escape. Taking two quick steps forward, Wally securely wrapped both arms around his little brother's waist and pulled him into a strangling hug before lifting the small boy off the ground.
"Let… me… go…" demanded a clearly displeased Joey, pushing with all his might against Wally's chest.
Wally smirked smugly. "Not a chance, mate." Wally tucked a squirming Joey tightly under his arms. He was getting heavy, bigger. Just a few months ago Wally was still able to cradle him like an indignant baby. But now adays he could still just tuck him under his arm and carry him back without problems. Well, he still hit him and kneed him a bit, but it wasn't any harder than the boys in the gym or in the parking lots would.
"Put me down!" Joey ordered, trying to use his feet to hook into Wally's door frame.
"Not a chance," Wally grunted, jerking to the side to free him from the door frame. But that didn't put a damper on Joey's fight. It actually made him fight harder as impending defeat approached. Wally just snickered down at him as they entered Joey's room. Joey fought back like a caged dog once they crossed the threshold, elbowing Wally painfully in the ribs. "Ey, watch it yuh little monster."
Joey became more panicked once they approached his bed and –finally, Wally thought –pushed against Wally's arm to loosen his hold. Wally hadn't expected his little brother to stop using brute force, so he accidently dropped his baby brother. He was frightened at first, thinking his little brother would fall on his face. Luckily for the elder child, Joey caught himself on his hands on the carpeted floor instead. Joey quickly turned around and tried to run away, but the moment he stood up Wally had him by the waist. The small blond braced himself for impact just before Wally threw him onto the bare mattress.
"There," Wally announced, breathing heavily. "Game over."
Joey lifted his torso up with his hands, just to flop back on his back with a frustrated "Ugh."
Wally chuckled and kneeled down at the foot of Joey's stripped bed and crossed his arms over the wood. "So, I see you got a lot done today."
Joey straightened up and sat with his legs crossed, a serious scowl on his face. "Well you're the one who took forever," he accused sternly. "I was waiting in your stinky closet for 50 bajillion hours!"
"It's only seven kiddo," Wally corrected with a warm smirk.
Joey stuck out his tongue, and continued. "And I thought you died. And you said that if you died I get your room, so I started moving in."
Wally rolled his eyes.
Once when he got in a bad bike accident and he got banged up enough he had to go to the hospital. Joey had come to his room crying and screaming, thinking his big brother was going to die. The tike was only 4 then, and Wally had to calm him down since he wouldn't listen to his parents. First, Wally had to explain to him that he wasn't going to die, and prove it by smacking him upside the head. Then, he told Joey that if he died, he'd get his room anyway. For whatever reason, that cheered Joey up in a second. But Wally didn't mind, and they've made a running joke of it since.
So now every time Wally stays out too late and skips their little brawls, Joey shows his displeasure by moving into Wally's room. Although once Joey moved Wally out completely and they both left their stuff in the hall for a week so their mom limit them to 3 boxes.
"Ok yuh little bugger, you and I both know that I was still kickin'."
Joey crossed his arms and pouted. "I didn't. You didn't come home again."
Wally dropped his head into his arms and chuckled to himself. The amused teen looked back up at his little brother. "Well sorry mate, but I'm still alive. Looks like you're gonna have to put up with your puny little-" Wally's train of thought was interrupted by a small strip of color on Joey's knee. "Ay, what happened there?" Wally asked, concerned.
Joey looked down at his knee and covered it up quickly, glowering at the floor. "Nuthin…"
Wally stood up and walked over to Joey, shaking his head. "Nah, nah, nah, nah. What happened to your knee, mate? Lemme see." Wally kneeled to the side of Joey's bed.
Joey grudgingly obliged and swung his legs over the side of his bed. "It's nothing," he argued.
"Oh yeah?" Wally nonchalantly flicked the blue rainbow monkey band-aid.
Joey cried out angrily and quickly pulled his knee to his chest. "That hurt!"
"I know it did yuh little cheat. What happened?" Joey didn't meet Wally's eyes, an angry blush forming on his cheek. "Joey?" Wally pressed impatiently. Clearly this wasn't just a trip or a fall off the monkey bars.
"I made a little blue…" Joey grumbled.
"Yeeah? What kinda blue?"
Joey pressed his cheek against his knee, but didn't say anything. Wally waited this time. He had an idea of what happened, and Beatles boys weren't fond of admitting their failures. Wally least of all. "I can't tell you."
Wally leaned back in shock. That's not one he's ever heard. Don't wanna was one thing, can't was a new one. "Yeeah? Why not?"
Joey still didn't look at him. "It's supposed to be a secret from the teenagers…"
Wally nodded slowly. That's right. The little guy was talking about joining those Kids Next Door bunch. "This about the Kids Next Door, Joe?" Joey didn't respond. Wally shrugged and lay back on his hands. "Alright, fair enough. I don' gotta beat any of 'em up though do I?" Wally asked lightheartedly.
Joey laughed –finally –and looked at his brother like the idea was the silliest thing in the world. "No! It was just practice- oops!" Joey immediately covered his mouth in both hands.
Wally smiled victoriously, not that he had meant to weasel it out of the kid. But it'd keep Joey from freaking out. "Training with the big tikes now are we?"
Joey looked absolutely horrified and slid his hands down his chin. "Please don't tell? I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, not even my brother! They'll kick me out of they find out!"
Wally sighed and went back to kneeling. Maybe this wasn't the time for games. "C'mon mate, you know I won't tell. But since the cat's outta the bag, how about tellin' me how that happened?"
Joey scowled down at his knee and finally dropped it. "We were practicing tackling. One of the kids moved out of the way and I scratched my knee. Mom said it wasn't too bad but it really hurt when anything touched it so I asked mom to put a band-aid on it."
Wally nodded thoughtfully and looked up at his brother. "Looks like you tore up your jeans too. Mom give yuh an earbeating for that?" Joey shrugged, guess it wasn't too bad "Mind if I take a look?" Joey grimaced. Wally gave him an exasperated look. "C'mon yuh nancy. It won't hurt."
"…fine." Wally peeled off the band-aid fairly quickly. "Ooouuuch! You said it wouldn't hurt!"
Wally just gave rolled his eyes and looked at the scrape. Looks like their mom had cleaned it up, and it wasn't too deep. Probably didn't bleed very much. It probably burned at first though. Wally's gotten quite a few scrapes in the same area, and he assumed there was a nerve or something there since it hurt too much to be normal. Although band-aid wasn't letting it breathe so it hadn't scabbed over yet. "You cry yuh little brat?"
"No! Of course not! The kids woulda laughed at me if I did! I can't have the trainers laughing at me!"
Wally scoffed and shook his head. He reminded him too much of him sometimes. "You look alright yuh little sheila," Wally decided, patting Joey's leg. "Mom letting you keep your jeans?"
"Yeah. I told her it made me look like a tough guy," Joey answered with his best smirk. Wally chuckled and ruffled his hair. Joey pouted under his messy bangs. "Mom did the same thing!" Joey yelled indignantly as he fixed his hair. "Why doesn't anyone think I can be a tough guy!"
Wally rolled his eyes as he stood up, deciding to dodge the question. "Eehh quit your whining and start your homework yuh little bugger."
"Wait!" Joey called out before Wally walked out of the room. Wally turned around, hands in his sweater pockets. "…You need to get me another band-aid."
"Why?"
"It hurts!"
Wally snickered. "I thought you were a tough guy huh? What happen to that idea? Yuh little show pony." Wally shook his head and started walking out of his little brother's room again.
"But Wally-y-y-yy" Joey begged, bouncing on his bed desperately.
Wally groaned and turned back to his little brother. "Fine. But take it off tomorrow so it'll scab and look cool. Plus it'll stop hurting so much when things touch it." Wally started walking out of the room again.
Joey grimaced. "But it looks gross…"
Wally groaned and walked back to Joey's door. This kid still had a lot to learn. "Show your scars mate. The girls love 'em and it shows you're a tough guy… you are a tough guy aren't you?"
The little bugger puffed his chest up like Superman. "'Course I am!"
"There you go. Be right back."
"Hey Wally?" Joey called again.
Wally trudged back to the door, exaggerating his annoyance that he wouldn't let him leave. "Whaat?" he groaned.
He paused for a minute and looked down at his swinging feet. "Do… you think the scabb'll impress the other kids? So the trainers will like me?"
Wally smirked warmly. "C'mon mate. You'll be great. With or without the band-aid…" Wally sized up his puny little brother, his eyes still a little watery from Wally flicking his band-aid before. "Then again, maybe you do need some help. Here, skippin' out on the band-aid'll teach you somethin'." Wally quickly pulled away from the doorframe, heading towards the bathroom.
"What?! Waaaaallyyyyyyy!" Joey whined loudly.
"Wallabyyy! What are you doin' to little Joey?" their father yelled from downstairs.
"I'm getting him a lousy band-aid!"
"He's lying!"
"Am not!" Wally shouted over his shoulder indignantly.
"Shush you two our show's starting!" their mom shouted, obviously not concerned about their little fight. She knew better than to get in-between their little spats.
"Mooom tell Wally to get me a band-aid!"
Wally stomped back to Joey's room and held up a package of band-aids. "Here yuh little mug! Now rack off!" Wally threw the box at Joey carelessly.
"Ow! Moooom Wally threw the box at me!" Joey shouted downstairs.
"Noooo I didn't," Wally called out nonchalantly, picking up a couple of the boxes off the floor with a smirk on his face.