November, 1986
"So how is your sophomore year starting out?" Michael asked his older brother, who was home for Thanksgiving. The family had just finished watching Boyfights: The Trip to Disneyland after dinner, which Michael had skipped in protest.
"Great," Gob said, leaning back against the couch. "I've been getting really into this magic thing. I'm trying to get Alliance-approved."
"Alliance-approved?" Michael repeated.
"The Magician's Alliance," Gob said, clearly offended. "I told you about it last week on the phone."
"Oh, right, the Magician's Alliance," Michael said quickly. "Of course I remember. What does it mean to be Alliance-approved?"
"Well," Gob said eagerly. "The point of the Magician's Alliance is to make sure that no one reveals a magician's secrets. It's kind of an essential part of being a magician, I mean, if people went around spilling our secrets, where would we be?"
Lindsay smirked from over on the other couch, where she was lying reading a fashion magazine. Michael frowned. She wasn't supposed to read those, as her therapist thought it might contribute to her body image issues. But she had been doing a lot better lately and she seemed to be in a bad mood at the moment, so he decided not to mention it.
"What?" Gob said.
"Nothing," Lindsay said nonchalantly, not looking up from her magazine.
"Well, we'll see who's laughing when my career catches FIRE!" Gob shouted with a flourish of his hands. Liquid squirted out of his sleeves onto Lindsay's sweater.
"What the hell?!" she said angrily, sitting up.
"Oh, that was supposed to be a fireball," he said. "But still, where did the lighter fluid come from?"
"Damn it, Gob, now I have to go change because of your shit magic trick," she groaned, getting up and stalking out of the room.
"She's right," Gob said dejectedly. "I'm a complete failure."
"No you're not," Michael said. "I'm sure with a little practice that will be really cool. You probably shouldn't do it inside, though…"
"You really think it will be good?" Gob said, tearing up a little.
"Yeah, it's a really great trick."
"Illusion. And thank you. You're a good brother, Mikey," he said, hugging him a little too tightly.
"Okay, Gob," Michael laughed nervously, trying to pull away, but Gob wouldn't let him.
"Pie is ready!" Rosa called from the kitchen.
"Oh, listen to that, we'd better go," he said quickly, finally managing to extricate himself from Gob's hug. He quickly went to the kitchen. He'd been a little uncomfortable around his older brother ever since he'd found a picture of himself under Gob's pillow two days earlier when his mother asked him to make his bed to prepare for his arrival.
The family filtered into the kitchen. Lindsay came downstairs wearing a new shirt and a sour expression on her face. She stood next to Michael as they waited for Buster to cut himself a slice of pumpkin pie.
"Careful with that knife, Buster, you're going to cut off your hand!" Lucille said shrilly, taking the knife from him and cutting the slice herself.
"So nice to have the whole family together, isn't it?" Michael said to Lindsay under his breath. She laughed. He smiled to himself. They'd been getting along much better since she started cooperating with her treatment. Her recovery hadn't been completely even, but she had gained back most of the weight and was only going to therapy twice a week now.
Once Lucille finished serving Buster, Lindsay went and cut a slice of pie for herself and put it on her plate. Lucille smirked.
"Well, it looks like we've got the old Lindsay back," she said. "Make sure to leave some for the rest of us, dear."
Lindsay froze.
"Mom!" Michael said angrily. Lindsay set her plate down on the counter and stormed out of the room.
"Well, there's no need to be dramatic!" Lucille called after her. Michael glared at her and followed Lindsay out of the kitchen. He heard a door slam as he climbed up the stairs. He went to her room and knocked.
"Lindsay, it's me," he said, but she didn't answer. He waited for a moment, then decided he should probably leave her alone and went back downstairs.
