Ch5: Background music at it’s finest.

"Alex, get out! Mom!"

Hearing her oldest yell, Claire closed her eyes while taking a deep breath.

When she opened them again, she saw that Alex was quickly passing by, so, doing what a mother should do, she said to her, "Alex, leave your sister alone."

Alex stopped, and with a tired face said "I was just getting my book. Gosh~" and then showed the book to her.

"I know, sweetie. But you need to respect their privac—" She stopped speaking, and saw the book in Alex's hand, which was still with the plastic wrap.

Thinking about when did she give her money for the new book made her mom's senses tingle, so, she asked her, "Sweetie, when did you buy that book?"

Alex who had already peeled the wrapping off and was reading responded, "I didn't."

Hearing her, she blinked, and after a second she try again, "Who give you the book?"

She saw her daughter rolling her eyes, and with an exasperated tone responded, "Sheesh. Can you let me read it? Theodore give me the money, okay?"

Hearing the 'new' name of her son and that the little bastard was somehow having money that she didn't know anything about make her snap.

"Stop calling him like that! His name is Luke—LUCAS! And where is he getting money for books!?"

Alex blinked and knew that she screw up.

Thinking about what she could do before her mom could keep yelling, and trying to make her forget about how she basically throw her twin to the angry beast, she said the one thing that would make her stop.

"Hayley and Dylan are on her bed, watching a movie"

Claire blinked and then scowled. She knew what her daughter was doing, but before she could point out the plot of her daughter, Alex keep going.

"So, you know, if Haley got pregnant, would you ever pretend she has mono for a few months, and then, like, tell everyone the baby's yours?"

Seeing that her mom didn't respond, she keep going, "This senior at school was "out sick" for four months, but Jenna Eleven swears she saw her breast-feeding at a coin-op car wash."

Alex sends a look at her mom. Again, nothing.

"First of all, it would be really cool to see Haley that fat. And how awesome would it be to have a fake little brother who's really my nephew."

Claire took a deep breath, "Haley is not getting pregnant."

Alex shrugged, "Just saying 'if'."

"I know. And I know you like to make trouble for your sister, but it's not gonna work this time. Do you know why? 'Cause your sister's a good girl."

Hearing her mom, Alex sends a look at her. Making her keep defending Hayley.

"I know. I was just like her when I was-" Claire froze while images of her younger days keep appearing in flashes.

A second later a *Cling* sound was heard while Claire dropped everything on her hand and went running towards Hayley's room.

Seeing her mom run. Alex put on a crafty smile while thinking, 'No one gets between me and my book money.'

——

Theodore was looking at the backyard. Where the execution was taking place.

This was something of a surprise, especially since everyone in the house knew that Luke was Phil's best buddy, but the calendar was an absolute force and missing an appointment would grant you the worst of punishment…toilet cleaning for a week. And seeing the importance of the situation he even put on a black suit.

Seeing that Luke finally arrives at his demise he was impressed, or at least as impressed as he could be while his little brother was walking like a penguin thanks to the layers of clothes he had on.

He even had a pair of skiing goggles and a pink bicycle helmet.

Meanwhile, Phil, who looked at his youngest asked, "Buddy, what are you wearing?"

"Nothing." Said the penguin, trying to dodge a bullet of pain.

"Uh-uh. No jacket." Said Phil. And then looking at his head he follows, "Or helmet"

Luke sighed in defeat and took his jacket and helmet off.

Phil looked at his head again and said, "No hats…" Seeing Luke taking his four piled hats he then looked at his pants who were about to fall and asked again, "How many pairs of underwear do you have on?"

Luke looked at his pant with a shrug and said "One."

Phil looked at his youngest with serious eyes. Making Luke sigh and while sulking respond, "Six."

Phil sighed, and with a last look, he pointed his gun at Luke. Seeing that he needed to make the point clear to Luke as to why he was being shot, he said with a stern voice.

"I want you to know, I'm not enjoying this. But this is an important lesson that you're learning. So, soak it. Keep it."

The tension in the air was almost palpable. And Luke was with a sad face looking at his father who he had thought would not betray him like this.

At that moment a violin started to play making a funerary song sound in the air and making the atmosphere worst than it was.

Phil closed his eyes, he didn't know that this would affect him so much to the point to start hearing background music. But he needed to what the evil calendar said.

Phil cleared his throat, trying to give his son more time before the inevitable. But the sad violin song keeps going sadder and sadder. In the end, with an annoyed look, he asked Luke, "Where is the music coming from? Is this my punishment!?"

Luke pointed at the house, making Phil look behind him and froze with his open wide in surprise.

Theodore saw his father looking at him and said, "Come on, I don't have all day, and I'm getting sweaty with the suit on".

Phil blinked two times and then asked with surprise, "Since when do you play the violin? And where did you get one!?"

Theodore shrugged and respond, "I learn it last year trying to impress this senior goth chick from school" Of course, he didn't say that he had catastrophically failed, and in the end, he had to steal all the shoes for the 'weird' kids so that they didn't have the idea of making fun of him.

Phil shook his head while muttering, "Who is he.."

Taking another breath he pointed his gun at Luke again.

Seeing that his father was about to shoot, he increased the volume of the song, making everything tenser and sadder than it was.

Phil cleared his throat, trying to ignore the song, and got closer to Luke.

"You're too close." Said Luke, wanting not to be hurt.

Phil chuckle and responded, "It's gonna hurt. It's supposed to hurt."

Luke looked at his father with a betrayed look and seeing him smile asked, "And why are you smiling?"

Phil blinked in surprise. "I'm- What?" Seeing the look of his youngest waiting for the shoot and the song that keeps on going makes him stop, "Oh, forget it. I can't do this. The point is you're scared. I think you've learned your lesson."

Theodore stopped playing, "You need to shoot him, father! Is in the calendar!" He said imperiously to Phil.

Luke, who was already getting tired and all sticky from all the t-shirts he had on yelled at Theodore, "Just change the song so he can shoot me already!"

Theodore shrugged, the least he could do was give him a last wish.

This time started to play mission impossible.

Hearing the song Phil put on a weird 'super-spy' pose and with a chuckle said to Luke, "Don't worry I said that I wasn't going to shoo—"

*Shoot noises*

Luke whimper with pain and while grabbing his hand yell at Phil, "You hit my bone!"

"It was an accident!" Said Phil panicky while Theodore who saw Luke being all dramatic started to play a sad song again.

"I thought you were my friend!"

Hearing Luke, Phil put on a hurtful face and said, "I am your friend."

At that moment Hayley and Dylan appear beside Theodore who after seeing Hayley all angry and about to complain started to play the imperial march.

"Dad! Dad, Dad. You have got to talk to Mom. She is, like, completely freaking out and embarrassing me!"

Phil sighed and try to placate his daughter, while Luke was still looking at him in betrayal.

"Honey, your mom isn't always as cool about things as-"

*Shoot noises*

"Ow!" Dylan yell in pain while falling to the ground.

The gun shoot, hitting Dylan on the neck.

Looking at the fallen Dylan, Theodore sighed and changed the song again into a sadder one.

Seeing that the gun had shot by itself Phil looked at it and throw it to the ground while exclaiming "What is with this thing!?"

*shoot noises*

"Ow!" Phil yell in pain while grabbing his leg and falling to the ground.

This time Theodore got angry and yelled at everyone in the backyard, "I CAN'T WORK LIKE THIS!" And stomped inside the house.