"…then you put the macaroni on the jar!" Merton pasted the last piece into place on the baby-food jar. "And now, we ask Mom for some paint so it's all shiny."
Vince looked at the jar Vince had decorated. It wasn't anything like the jar that was in Merton's hand. The macaroni was falling off of the side and Vince suspected that Vince had put too much glue on it. Merton didn't seem to notice though. He was too excited, inspecting his jar for imperfections.
"I'll be right back," He said, setting the jar gently on the table where they were working. "Make sure that Becky doesn't touch my jar." Merton hopped out of his chair and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Vince alone.
But not for long.
"Merton!" Becky's shrill voice filled the small kitchen. "Merton! Where's my Barbie?"
Becky walked into the kitchen, her brown hair pulled out of her face with three pink barrettes. She was wearing a pale pink dress and had on her mother's pink slippers. Seeing Vince at the table, she frowned.
"You again?" Becky pouted, "Where's Merton?"
"Merton is getting paint." Vince glared at Becky, "Vince was told to stay here. Go away Becky, Vince doesn't like you."
"You're a stupid poopy-head!" Becky shouted at him.
Becky was mad at Vince because Vince was the reason Merton wouldn't play with
her. Vince didn't like Becky because she was mean to Merton and made him do
stuff for her.
"You're a brat!" Vince stuck Vince's tongue out at her.
"I hate you!" Becky stormed over to the table and sat in Merton's chair. "You get to do everything with him and I don't ever get to do anything!"
"Merton wants to play with Vince because Vince treats Merton nice." Vince picked up Merton's jar and brought it beside Vince's jar. "You treat Merton bad."
"He's my brother!" Becky said, "I'm allowed to treat him that way. You're just a freak that Mommy can't see."
"The Mom does not see Vince because The Mom does not believe in Vince."
"Fine then," Becky jumped off of Merton's chair. "I don't believe in you. And you talk funny."
"Fine." Vince said and unbecame.
Becky stared in surprise as Vince disappeared. "Vince? Vince?" She waved her arms around, trying to feel where he was. Vince, now invisible to Becky, nimbly stepped out of her way each time she came near Vince. Her face became redder and redder as she became angrier.
"Fine!" She rushed over to the table. Vince realized what Becky was about to do to late. She seized Merton's glass jar in her hands and held it in the air. "If you don't appear I'll smash it!"
Vince became. Becky gasped in delight as Vince sparkled into existence.
"Set down the jar." Vince said.
"No," Becky gripped it tighter, "You'll disappear if I do."
"Vince will disappear if you don't." Vince took a step closer, "And maybe Vince will stay disappeared forever."
Suddenly Becky smiled and Vince realized that that was exactly what she wanted. "Well then, if you promise…" And she threw the jar, just as Merton walked into the kitchen with The Mom following him. Vince reached out to grab the jar but he was too slow.
It smashed into a thousand sharp pieces against the wall. Macaroni and glue flew everywhere. Merton looked at Becky, turned to his jar, looked up at Vince, and burst into tears.
"Merton!" Vince shouted as Merton ran up the stairs. The Mom was in Vince's way, blocking the kitchen's only exit.
"Becky!" The Mom sounded surprised, "What did you do that for?"
Becky pointed towards Vince and said, "He made me do it Mommy. Vince told me to!"
"Stop that right now!" The Mom was angry now, "Go to your room right now! Your father and I will have a talk about this when he gets home!"
"But…"
"Now!"
Becky burst into tears as well and went running by The Mom. The Mom sighed and began to clean up the kitchen. As soon as she moved, Vince slipped by The Mom and ran upstairs.
~~
Merton was lying on his bed, his face pressed into his pillow, muffling his cries. Vince approached the bed, uncertain of what Vince should do. Vince wanted to pick up Merton and tell him that everything would be ok…but Vince didn't think that Merton would want to be held.
Gently, Vince placed Vince's hand on Merton's back and rubbed.
"Vince is sorry," Vince said, "Vince should have done something more to stop Becky. Vince will go away if Merton wants Vince to."
Merton turned his head to face Vince.
"No!" Merton sobbed, "Don't leave! Promise me you won't leave!" Merton sat up and flung his arms around Vince.
"Vince promises not to leave." Vince wrapped his arms around Merton, "Vince will always be with Merton. Forever and ever."
They sat there for a while, Merton's tears slowly drying. Finally, Merton looked up at Vince and asked, "What do you think Mom will do when Dad gets home?"
"Vince doesn't know," Vince said slowly, "But Vince will be there no matter what."
"No." Merton shook his head, "You shouldn't come. Just in case."
"Vince doesn't think that that's a good idea."
"Please." Merton was serious now.
"Fine." Vince agreed unhappily, "Vince will stay put."
"Thank you." Merton cuddled back into Vince's chest but Vince no longer felt that good feeling inside Vince's chest.
~~
Vince waited upstairs. Vince couldn't hear a thing that Merton's parents were saying to him this time and Vince didn't like it. Not one bit.
It was getting harder and harder to just wait upstairs. Finally, Vince stood up and walked out of Merton's room.
Quietly he crept down the stairs, keeping an eye out for Becky and Merton. As he reached the bottom, he was finally able to hear Merton's father.
And what he heard made Vince sick.
"What kind of stories have you been telling your sister?" The Dad said, "Now she thinks that you're 'imaginary friend' is real as well! And she's using it to justify whatever she does wrong! Just like you did!"
"But Dad…" Merton tried to speak but The Dad interrupted him.
"No buts!" The Dad sounded angry now, "I know that you're not stupid but you sure seem that way most of the time! You blame everything you do on your 'friend' and you don't take any responsibility for anything! You're worthless Merton, absolutely worthless."
Tears started to fall down Merton's cheeks. "I…"
"Stop crying!" The Dad shouted, "I raised you to be stronger than that! You make me ashamed to be your father! Now stop those tears and go to your room! And I better not hear you talking you your 'friend' ever again! Do you understand?"
"Yes…" Merton's voice was low and tight. Vince quickly went back upstairs before Merton could come out and catch him.
Vince waited for what seemed to be an eternity before Merton entered the room.
"Little buddy?" Vince walked towards Merton, "What happened?"
Merton looked at Vince, tears in his eyes. "I just want to make him proud…" Merton whispered, his voice cracking, "I just want him to love me."
Vince picked Merton up and rocked him in Vince's arms. Merton wrapped his arms around Vince's neck and started sobbing quietly. Vince gently patted him on the back with Vince's other hand. "Shhhhh," Vince said, "It's ok. Vince loves you. Vince will always love you. No matter what."
~~
It was two hours since Merton fell asleep in Vince's arms. Three since Merton had come back from The Dad's lecture. There was only one thing on Vince's mind. And that was payback.
Vince waited outside of The Dad and The Mom's bedroom. Knowing what Vince needed to do, Vince moved quickly and as fast as Vince could.
Vince would revenge Merton.
Because Vince loved Merton.
~~
The sound of knocking on the door work Mr. Dingle. He stretched and got out of bed, pulling on his bathrobe. Ted Dingle thought about putting on his slippers for a moment but decided against it.
Ted
opened the door to his bedroom and walked out into the hallway. The sound of
knocking came again from downstairs.
"I'm coming!" He called, his voice still filled with sleep. He stepped onto the first step of the stair and almost fell down. It was coated with something wet and slippery but he couldn't see what it was. Ted leached out and grabbed the banister, stopping his fall. He was almost upright when he heard a voice come from behind him.
"No you don't." It said. "You don't escape this easily." Two large hands shoved against his back, sending Ted down the staircase, screaming.
~~
Vince watched at The Dad tumbled down the stairs. There was the sound of breaking bones and the scent of fresh blood. Vince, stepping over the puddle of dish soap, skipped down the stairs.
The Dad was lying in a bloody heap at the bottom of the stairs. It looked like The Dad's legs were broken and that he was bleeding from the mouth. But The Dad was still alive. Vince placed Vince's foot on top of The Dad's head and thought about killing The Dad. Vince changed his mind at the last moment and removed it instead.
"Honey?" The Mom's voice cried out, a mixture of surprise and fear. "Are you ok?"
Vince ran back up the stairs and looked at the dish soap. Pointing Vince's finger at the puddle, Vince created a plasma bolt and shot it. The bolt hit the puddle and turned it into smoke but didn't damage the carpet. Then, Vince slipped back into Merton's room, just before The Mom exited her room.
As The Mom discovered The Dad, Vince crept to Merton's bed and lay down beside Merton. Gently, Vince wrapped his arm around the sleeping Merton.
"Everything will be ok now," Vince whispered, even as The Mom began to scream, "Just you and me, little buddy."
