Back at home, the Johnson house was doing what it did best, falling apart for absolutely no reason.
Jamie sat at the dining table, staring at her math homework like it had personally betrayed her. She tapped her pencil, sighed, and reread the same question for the tenth time.
“Why does math exist?” she muttered.
From the hallway came Lilly’s dramatic wail.
“My teddy bear is missing!”
“It’s probably under your bed!” Mom called from the kitchen.
“I already checked under my bed!” Lilly cried. “And under Jamie’s bed! And under Max’s bed! And under the couch!”
Jamie didn’t look up. “Did you check under your imagination?”
Lilly gasped. “That’s mean.”
In the living room, Sophie and Noah were arguing at full volume for reasons no one could identify.
“You touched my controller!” Noah shouted.
“I didn’t even look at it!” Sophie yelled back.
“That’s worse!”
Nearby, Uncle Jake had made a terrible life decision.
He had found Ethan’s roller skates.
“These look sturdy,” Jake said confidently, strapping them on.
Ethan squinted. “They’re not.”
Too late.
Uncle Jake stood up, took one step and immediately shot forward, arms windmilling wildly before crashing into a pile of pillows.
“I’m fine!” he yelled from the floor. “Mostly!”
In the kitchen, Mom, Aunt Bella, and Aunt Olivia were attempting to cook dinner together. This was risky.
“Who added the salt?” Aunt Bella asked.
“I thought you did,” Aunt Olivia replied.
Mom stared into the pot. “Why is it smoking?”
No one answered.
Jamie slammed her notebook shut. That was it. She stuffed her math book back into her bag and pushed her chair away.
“I can’t do this,” she said firmly.
She paused. Thought for a moment.
“And this is Max’s fault,” she added loudly.
Mom blinked. “Max isn’t even here.”
“I know,” Jamie said. “But it feels right.”
Just then, Uncle Sam walked into the room with a thoughtful expression—the kind that usually meant trouble.
“Listen,” he said slowly. “Dad and Max are probably going to take forever at the grocery store.”
“That’s true,” Mom said.
“So,” Uncle Sam continued, “instead of waiting… why don’t we all go too?”
The house went quiet.
“That’s a great idea!” Aunt Bella said.
“We need snacks anyway,” Sophie added.
“Can I bring my scooter?” Noah asked.
Lilly clapped. “Teddy might be there!”
Everyone nodded enthusiastically.
Everyone except Jamie.
“No,” Jamie said immediately. “Absolutely not.”
Mom smiled sweetly. “Jamie…”
“I refuse,” Jamie insisted. “I’m staying right here.”
Two minutes later, Jamie was being dragged toward the door, shoes half on, bag still open.
“This is against my will!” she protested.
Uncle Sam patted her shoulder. “Family bonding.”
Jamie sighed dramatically. “This is how stories end badly.”
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