Spies in Disguise: Passports and Protection (#1)

BONUS CHAPTER

A/N: This bonus chapter was originally supposed to be Chapter 15.

"Ah," I sigh happily, sitting in the family room, eating a small bowl of ice cream and watching TV at the same time. Mom won't let me eat a lot of ice cream in a large bowl, because "ice cream has a lot of sugar, and sugar doesn't benefit the human body".

There's nothing to bother me right now. No Ryan rushing up to me, no parents telling me to do some chores that they made up...

"STEF!" shrieks Ryan, running up to me. "Can you help me get past the next level of my videogame?" *groans*

"Coming..." I grumble, and turn off the TV. Why did Ryan have to interrupt me during my 'Me Time'?

I dump my empty bowl of ice cream in the sink, and I head to the basement to help Ryan with his videogame. Ryan's jumping up next to me, cheering for me (that's a first), as I try to get past the level, a bored look on my face. 

"Gooooo Stef! Come on, get that power up...yes, YES!" he cheers, as I grumble and continue playing.

Once I get past the level, I immediately drop the video game controller and cheer. Not because I got past the level, but because it means I can leave now.

"YES!" I cheer.

"I know, right?" agrees Ryan. "This is awesome!"

"I'm happy because I can leave. Why are you happy?"

"Because you got past the level! Why are you happy?"

"I just told you why I was happy! Do I need to repeat myself again?!"

"Yeah."

"I'm happy because I can leave now. Goodbye!"

I turn around and dash upstairs to the family room to watch TV before Ryan can say anything else. And just as I turn on the TV and get settled in-

"STEF!" calls Mom. "I folded your clothes and put them on your bed, put the folded clothes in your drawers!"

"Coming..." I grumble, and sprint upstairs to put my clothes in my clothes drawers.

When I'm done, I dash downstairs, jump onto the couch, and turn on the TV. And just as I'm settling in-

"STEF!" says Dad. "Help me clean the living room!"

Feeling lazy and irritable, I try to get off the couch slowly, but instead, I flop over, fall, and land on the floor, landing on my face. Ouch.

"UGGGGGHHH," I grumble, flopping over so that I'm lying down with my back to the floor. "I don't wanna get up. And do I have to help?"

"Yes, because you need to stop watching TV for so long!" calls Dad.

"WHAT?!" I explode, standing up. "I took breaks just now! I helped Ryan get past the next level of his videogame, and then I went upstairs to put my clothes away!"

"You still need to stop staring at a screen for several hours at a time," reminds Dad. "Now hurry up, or I'll give you something else to do!"

Reluctantly, I drag myself over to the living room and help clean up, no matter how much I don't want to. There's not that much to clean up, to be honest, but Dad keeps reminding me that I have to dust the room, help vacuum the floor, and organize and tidy everything neatly.

Once I'm done, I head back to the family room to watch TV again...and this time, the doorbell rings.

"AHA!" I exclaim to Dad. "The only reason you wanted me to clean the living room was because we were expecting guests!"

"No, we aren't expecting anyone to come visit today, since it's Wednesday," replies Dad calmly. "Now let's go see who it is."

Ryan comes to the main hall from the basement, and Mom comes downstairs, carrying her laundry basket. She puts it in the laundry room, and comes back.

"Who's here?" Mom asks.

"Yeah, who's here to visit us?" chimes in Ryan.

Dad checks the window next to the front door, groans, and opens the front and storm doors. It's Uncle James, Aunt Julia, Jonathan, and Jenny. Great. Did I mention that they have a tendency to show up unexpectedly?

"Hey guys!" says Dad cheerily, faking a grin. Mom also smiles, but when she looks away, she grumbles. Sometimes, she wants peace and quiet, and she doesn't want anyone to show up unexpectedly. This is one of those times.

Ryan, on the other hand, flops over, hits the ground, and doesn't move. No, he hasn't fainted. He does that when something unexpected happens, in times like now.

"Heyo!" says Jenny. "We here visit!"

"Yes, yes, you're here and you're visiting," I scowl. "Ryan, get up!" I drag Ryan to his feet after he finally decides to cooperate.

Jonathan starts rambling about school, and his new shoes and clothes, and his new videogame, and so on. Jenny heads to the family room to watch some cartoon show about ponies, and Uncle James and Aunt Julia talk to my parents.

"Well, what do we do now?" Ryan asks.

"I don't know, but I'm going to the basement!" I say quickly. And with that, I run to the basement, and start watching TV.