So Many Books, So Little Time

[Tobias Blythe]

Tobias sat on the living room floor, surrounded by books. Some of them, the ones who had authors whose lastnames started with A-C, were actually on shelves. The others were in neat stacks on the floor while Tobias attempted to build a bookshelf out of the remaining books of authors whose lastnames started with C and the beginning of the book with authors whose lastnames started with D.

[George Blythe]

George wandered into the room, bleary-eyed and wearing only his rather ancient looking night-shirt. He looked at Toby and blinked. "Whatreyou doing?" He asked, his sleepy eyes widening in shock.

[Tobias Blythe]

"Organizing," Tobias said, carefully balancing a book on top of his current stack. "You need more bookshelves."

[George Blythe]

"Plagiarising Pilgrims..." George rubbed his eyes, and wandered into the kitchen, from whence he emerged with half of a pineapple and a spoon. He flopped onto a sofa, took a mouthful and watched his son for a minute. "Don't you have anything else to do?"

[Tobias Blythe]

"No." Tobias added another book to the stack, watching for any sign of wobblyness.

[George Blythe]

"People to talk to? Sports to practice? No?" George sounded as though he were really trying, though it was somewhat obscured by the large chunk of pineapple in his mouth. "You really don't have to."

[Tobias Blythe]

"There's helping Violet with math, but that's later," Tobas said, starting a new stack.

[George Blythe]

"Right." George said, his eyes upon his books, his brow furrowed. Suddenly, he stopped chewing. "Violet? A girl?" His tone was shock and excitement, and he finally switched his gaze to Toby. "You've got a date?"

[Tobias Blythe]

Tobias looked at his dad like he was crazy. "I'm helping her catch up on algebra. That's it."

[George Blythe]

George's eyebrows flew through the roof. "Algebra? Sounds like a pretty hot date to me." He grinned. "See, now you can't blame me for moving you here- you found a girl!"

[Tobias Blythe]

"I have not. I'm just helping her pass her math classes. Besides, she's crazy," Tobias added. "She thinks vegetables talk to her."

[George Blythe]

"Sure." George said, with an annoyingly knowing smile. "Sure thing. Well, why don't you head out see if you can find her? Take her for a milkshake or something?"

[Tobias Blythe]

"It's barely ten. It's too early for milkshakes.," Tobias pointed out. "And we're meeting later anyway. And that's just so I can help her with math. It's not a date." He glared at his dad, daring him to say different.

[George Blythe]

"Right. Sure." George said, evidently giving up the argument, then adding, rather more quietly, "Erm, what are you sorting the books by?"

[Tobias Blythe]

"They're alphabetical by last name. Although that, uh, had to change a bit with this stack, because then there'd be big books on top of little books and it wouldn't be balanced and it'd fall down," Tobas said, gesturing to the stack he'd been working on.

[George Blythe]

"Alphabetical..." George repeated, then furrowed his brow and looked down at the pineapple hastily. "Right."

[Tobias Blythe]

"It'll make them easier to find," Tobias explained, a touch defensive.

[George Blythe]

"Ah. Yes. Yes, I imagine that it probably would." George agreed, hastily. "Yes. Good idea. Well done. Ah- yes."

[Tobias Blythe]

"If we had wood and stuff, I could probably make shelves for them," Tobias said, giving his dad a hopeful look. "Then they wouldn't have to be in stacks."

[George Blythe]

"Oh, excellent!" George managed to sound vaguely excited, as he watched his books being disordered with a sinking heart. "A sort of, ah, holiday project. Your young lady could help."

[Tobias Blythe]

Tobias scrubbed a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm helping her with math. That's it."

[George Blythe]

"Right." George seemed to be having some difficulty speaking. "I, uh. I-" George abandoned the pineapple, and got to his feet, digging his hand into his pocket and managing to find a couple of dollars, looking rather the worse for having been there. "You want to go out and- and- and buy something?" He held out the money.

[Tobias Blythe]

"I guess I could go find wood for shelves," Tobias said, eyeing his dad. "Are you okay?"

[George Blythe]

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine. And good idea. You'll need, uh- hang on." George dug deeper into his pocket and managed to find a few more dollars. "You do that and I'll- I'll finish this off here."

[Tobias Blythe]

"Thanks! I'll be back fast," Tobias promised, shoving the money in his pocket and rushing out the door.

[George Blythe]

"Oh- oh good.." George managed to murmur, falling to his knees and looking around at the books helplessly.

((and cut))