Before the Fixes

  Here’s a clock. Over there—a calendar. On the table—a bouquet of fake forget-me-nots. And right next to it—a ripped backpack. Scattered around—a pen and its cap, destined never to part ways, because they’re basically besties forever!

  And way over there stood Yuki, clearly not amused, her hands on her hips and one little foot tapping furiously as she glared at the chaos her goofball brother had unleashed. He was gleefully smashing things around the living room and calling that whole disaster a -fun game.

  When he started twisting the chandelier like it was a Rubik’s Cube he planned to break, Yuki grabbed his arms and shoved him aside. He barely noticed her interference—his eyes were still roaming, hunting for weak spots in the poor object’s design.

  —Where are the candles?—the troublemaker asked.

  —Same place as everything else. A sad little pile of wax,—grumbled Yuki. Her brother slapped his forehead.

  —Then we gotta put them back in the holder! Dad might notice!

  —You think that’s the only thing he’ll notice?!

  —Oops… guess I got carried away,—the rascal muttered. He sprinted off to fetch the robot vacuum, hoping it would clean up the mess for him (or rather, give him another excuse to slack off). Yuki sighed and started straightening things herself, stacking fallen objects back in place while silently calculating just how upset Dad would be when he saw the mess.

  Probably not too much. Their dad was the type who always seemed to be -floating somewhere, like… in the clouds, or maybe in a block of cheese. Either way, he never had the time or energy to worry about small disasters at home. A lucky break for Lil C.

  But Yuki noticed everything. She hated that her twin could never sit still—as if some imaginary frog kept biting him on the nose. Why else would he always be so hyper?

  —You look like a mischievous puppy that somebody forgot to feed,—she scolded. —Go wash your hands at least.

  —And then you’ll feed me?—Her forever-hungry brother gave her a sly look, his skinny frame practically see-through from lack of calories.

  -How does he even do that? He could chew on Dad’s leather shoes and not blink. If we made him ten more pairs, he’d eat those too—like appetizers. Meanwhile I gain a whole pound just by… breathing.

  Together, they managed to get the living room into something resembling order—enough that you could, in theory, invite guests. Not that they ever did. Their dad was always holed up in his study, leaving only to eat or crash in the bedroom.

  And the kids? They had totally different friends.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  Lil C. hung out with Maris, a calm, overly rational boy who could bore you with math problems for hours. He always carried his husky puppy in his arms, teaching him geography facts about continents and rivers. Whether the pup actually remembered anything was debatable, but he always thanked his teacher with a lick on the nose.

  Yuki’s best friend was Mari, who was basically a gossip machine. She’d sneak around whispering that their teacher, Mr. Clovis, had his grandmother’s ghost living in the attic.

  Everybody knew Mr. Clovis’s grandma was alive and well. In fact, when she overheard the rumor, she bravely marched up to the attic herself to hunt for her own ghost. After that, people respected her way more than Mr. Clovis.

  Anyway, since their friends couldn’t stand each other, the twins never invited them over. Most of the time, they just hung out at home, glued to the game console—which was also a constant source of arguments.

  Yuki loved logic puzzles, while Lil C. was obsessed with adventure games and brave heroes who always rode horses and swung swords with the same over-the-top flair.

  —But you always know how it’s going to end! They rescue the hostages, beat the villains, win every time! Where’s the fun in that?—Yuki asked while pouring milk into her second bowl of raisin cereal.

  Her brother, already scarfing down another round, waved his spoon like it was a sword.

  —They’re not just heroes—they’re me! I see myself in them. And I never get tired of being the awesome ranger!

  —Yeah, but all you do is break stuff, not create anything,—she shot back, secretly praying he wouldn’t beg for a third bowl.

  —That’s only here, in this boring place. There’s no chupacabra I can ride, and Maris’s dog doesn’t count. So I entertain myself however I can.

  —Ugh…—Yuki stabbed her cereal a couple times, then leaned forward.

  —Okay, since you’re craving excitement, tell me honestly—have you ever sneaked into Dad’s study?

  Her face sharpened into something like a curious little fox. A dyed blue streak slipped across her eye, making her look even more mysterious. She’d always wanted to go in there herself—but where would she find the courage? Their father, Dr. Chaffy (the kids’ proud nickname for him), had laid down exactly one rule:

  -Never enter my study. Unless both of you are in a perfect mood. Only then.

  And somehow, one of them was always cranky—usually Yuki—or Lil C. wasn’t in the mood. They could never sync up.

  And so it always happened—either Yuki was mad (most of the time), or Lil C. was in a mood, and they could never quite sync up.

  —I’ve never been in there,—her brother admitted honestly. —I’ve peeked through the keyhole a hundred times, but all I ever saw was his desk. Not exactly thrilling. Lately I’ve been thinking about just ripping out the keyhole and, you know, -expanding the view. Then I’d see a lot more.

  —Don’t you dare! That’s one thing Dr. Chaffy would definitely notice! So… what’s your mood like today?—Yuki pressed.

  —Awesome!—Lil C. saluted her with a jar of jam (where did he even get that?). —No school, it’s the weekend. What else do you even need in life?

  —Learning isn’t so bad…—she mumbled, but decided not to push it. Instead, she thought, What about me? Do I even want to smile, laugh? No, I don’t feel that spark inside.

  —Brother, tell me something funny.

  —You look like a bowling pin,—Lil C. fired back instantly, and Yuki’s lips curled into a smile.

  —You mean, like, a cool shape?—she asked hopefully.

  —Nope. I mean useless.

  That was it—she charged at him, and for five whole minutes the house echoed with chaos. Lil C. hopped from couch to couch, dodging her furious chase. But there’s no escaping Yuki’s righteous wrath, not when she’s determined to make you color four brand-new activity books.

  Usually Lil C. would shout, -Can’t catch me! but this time, seeing her super-speed, he was the one yelling:

  —You’ll catch me! You’ll catch me! Please, nooo!

  With every escape route blocked, he bolted toward his one safe haven—the forbidden study. Sprinting down the hall, he shoved the door open and rushed inside. Yuki was right on his heels.