Author's note: the challenge this time was an episode title: "Mind Games"
Charlie Eppes sat in the solarium, an open book on his lap, and a pencil in his hand. He looked up when the front door slammed. "I'm up here!" he called.
"Charlie?" Alan answered. "Where are you?"
"In the solarium."
Alan set his briefcase on the dining room table and headed up the stairs. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, really. Just playing a few mind games."
"Mind games? Like trying to mess up somebody's head?"
"No, mind games like puzzles."
"I thought those were brainteasers."
"They can be. But I prefer to call them mind games."
"You know, Son, you can't just invent your own meanings for words."
"I'm not. Just Google it."
"Oh, great. So we're now basing our use of the English language on the opinions of anonymous random internet users? Charlie, one plays mind games to mess with someone's head. You play with their mind. What you're doing is called 'brainteasers.'" Alan crossed the room so he could see the book on his son's lap. "What are you talking about, Charlie? Those aren't brainteasers. Or mind games. That's a fluid dynamics text."
Charlie closed the book and smiled. "Father, I never said this," he indicated the book "was a mind game. I was talking about this," he waved his hands, "our conversation. This whole thing. This is a mind game. Don't you agree?"
"Smart aleck," Alan said, turning and storming down the stairs. "Just for that, you can make your own supper. I'm going out."