Xenia reached Romily's home and found that only her bestie was at home. Well, Romilly's the one she wanted to see anyway.

"Xixi, you want a hug or a kiss?" Romilly asked as her friend put her school bag on the dining table.

"Hug," Xenia replied with a dull face. 

"Honey, you look so gloomy. What did he penalise you with?" 

Xenia broke the hug and replied. "2 weeks of cleaning the toilets. To shorten it, I have to solve a complicated math question on my own and then explain the answers to him via zoom."

"That's not too hard, is it? The hard part should be the question."

"That's not it. The painful part is that the time to deliver the answer via zoom exactly clashes with my competition."

"The MCL?"

"Yeah! You know I worked so hard for this chance to lead my squad to victory and now this..." Xenia said with ire.

"It's okay dear. Calm down. It's not compulsory for you to do it right? You just need to clean the toilet for 2 weeks."

"Bah! I'm not doing that. 3 days just like Weston. That's what I can go for."

"Alright. The math question is strong. I'm not going to help you on this one."

"Why?"

"Use your brain. Besides, he has warned me that I can't help you or he'll fail me."

"But we are besties?" Xenia said in agitation.

"Not on this one, babe. They say 'What you sow, you reap.' You've sown trouble so you must reap the consequences and take responsibility for your actions."

"Damn!" she swore. That evil teacher wanted her to be really busy. She was supposed to meet Weston online but that appointment was shattered already. How can a teacher be so evil?

"Calm down honey. You need to go back home and relax. After that, you can start solving your math question. It doesn't stop you from meeting Weston as you promised."

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow." Xenia took her bag and left her bestie's home gloomily. RomilLy sighed. 

"Girl, I can't wait for your shifting date. You'll be humbled." she chuckled before resuming her homework.

******

Xenia on reaching home, went straight to her room without saying a word to her parents who were discussing before she came in.

“Xenia, are you alright?” her mother asked and stood up immediately upon sensing her daughter’s bad mood.

“Don’t pretend to care. Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you two be going on honeymoon now?” she snapped.

“Honeymoon? What honeymoon?” Xenia’s dad rose up too.

His wife turned to look at him but couldn’t say a word.

“What’s going on here?”

“Mr Anderson, your wife told my maths teacher that you guys are suddenly going on a honeymoon and that I should be kept busy. He gave me a very complicated Math question. Fine, I’ll do it and deliver it on Monday. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? But he said I must deliver it tomorrow via zoom and it must be 6 pm. What rubbish! Don’t you know it clashes with the competition? Mom, I knew you didn’t like me but I didn’t know you could be this cruel to your own daughter.” Xenia said with tears flooding her eyes. She then turned around and marched upstairs in anger.

Xenia’s dad looked at his wife with a questioning look.

“Honey, I only asked the math teacher to give the questions that’ll keep her busy. I don’t know about the Saturday zoom stuff. Please believe me; I’m your mate, I can’t lie to you.”

“You know that competition means so much to her.”

“I…”

“Go upstairs and solve this issue.”

“Fine.” Xenia’s mom replied with a wink and climbed upstairs. Reaching Xenia’s room, she found that the door was locked. She began to knock.

“Xenia? Xenia? Please open up. Mommy wants to talk to you. Xenia!”

“Go away! I don’t want to see you. Go away!” Xenia’s yell was heard from inside the room.

“My baby girl…”

“Stop it. Don’t call me that. You hate me. I’ve gotten that into my head. “

“Xenia, I don’t hate you. You are my beloved daughter.”

The door opened and Xenia came out carrying a travelling bag.

“Xenia, where are you going?”

“Romily’s. If I’m doing that zoom session with the maths teacher, it won’t be in this house.” Xenia thundered as she walked towards the stairs hurriedly.

“Xenia, Xenia!” her mom called and tried to get a hold of her daughter’s bag but the latter wouldn’t let her. Soon they’d climbed downstairs; one angry and one worried.

“What’s going on now?” Xenia’s father asked.

She looked at him.

“None of your business.”

“Xenia stop right there. You don’t use that tone on your parent.” He rebuked with a loud voice.

“What tone should I use then? Dad, how can I be happy? How can I be calm? This woman… she ruined my life for me. I hate her!”

“Xenia!” her dad slapped her once. 

It wasn’t a painful one but she felt it and looked at her dad in shock. “Dad… You slapped me?”

Her dad looked at his hand in surprise too and then looked at her with remorse.

“My daughter, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. But you really crossed the line.”

Xenia nodded while sniffing.

“I understand. I crossed the line. Since I’ve already done so, I might as well continue crossing it. I’m leaving and no, don’t worry, I have enough money to rent a top-notch hotel for even a year! Don’t you stop me!” she barked.

“Xenia, you’ll not leave without my permission.” her dad held her hand.

“Dad, you’re also siding with your wife.”

“She’s your mother, Xenia and no, I’m not siding with anybody. Now you will turn around and we’ll head back to your room.”

“If I set this house on fire, can I leave?”

“I’ll tie you here and we’ll die together.”

“Well, then I might as well do so.” Xenia dropped the bag and made to run to the kitchen.

“Xenia!” he hit her again. “What has come over you, Xenia?”

“I should be asking you that.” Xenia barked.

Before she knew it, her dad suddenly carried her off the ground and put her over his left shoulder. He started heading upstairs.

“If I hear a word from you, I won’t mind that you’re a girl. Silence Xenia.” he cautioned and she didn’t say a word in protest. He climbed the stairs while his wife carried the bag and followed them slowly.

Reaching her room, Mr Anderson put his daughter on the bed and then took a chair to sit opposite her.

“Xenia, my child,”

She didn’t reply but just looked away with her arms folded.

“My little princess,” her dad called again. “I’m sorry for hitting you but you deserved the slaps. If that’s the way to get you back to your senses, I’ll do it, honey.”

“You love the feeling of slapping a female child now, huh? Here!” she brought her face closer. “I’m not gonna resist. Slap me as you want.”

“Xenia, don’t talk to your dad that way.” her mom reprimanded.

“How’s that your business? I’m his flesh and blood; are you?” Xenia taunted and Mrs Anderson felt like beating this girl up.

“You’re also my flesh and blood. Xenia, I gave birth to you.”

“I’ve heard that a million times already.”

“So what’s causing this thing is the fact that you can’t play your game?” her dad asked.

“She caused it all. Why don’t you discipline your wife but penalise me instead?”

“Xenia!” her dad raised his hand but didn’t bring it down to hit her.

“Come on. Hit me! What are you afraid of? I’m not some earthenware jar. I won’t die from even a thousand more hits, dad. I’ve got thick skin.”

Her Dad sighed and rose.

“Come with me downstairs.”

“I won’t do that.”

“You’ll get a free ride then.”

“No, don’t carry me. I have legs. I’ll walk.” Xenia rose and walked out of the room.

…

The trio were now downstairs in the living room; all were standing.

“Xenia, since I’m incapable of calming your head, let the stairs do the job.” He said with hands in pockets.

“Eh?” Xenia did not get what her dad meant.

“Start running up and down the stairs with all seriousness 100 times.”

“Dad!”

“I’m Mr Anderson, Gamma of Vole Octres pack and it’s also my duty to punish stubborn brats; you included. Now start running and no, you’re not allowed to rest or I’ll add an extra 50. Make sure you count properly. A trip up and down the stairs is counted as 1. You can start now.” 

After saying this, Xenia’s dad sat on the couch and crossed his legs. He took the Tv remote and changed the Tv channel.

“Argh!” Xenia pulled her hair in frustration.

“Start now.” her dad barked and she obeyed. She started running up the stairs in anger. Coming back down, she saw her mom seated with her dad eating popcorn while watching Tv.

“So you guys teamed up against me? You’re really good thespians. You’re in this together!” Xenia barked after she discovered what was going on.

“For your information, I brought the idea of making you busy.” her dad revealed.

“Also, you longer than 3 seconds. Plus 50.” her dad said without glancing at her.

“Argh!” she pulled her hair in frustration again.

“Plus 10.” her dad added before eating the popcorn fed by his wife.

Xenia gritted her teeth and continued running upstairs.

“She really needed to be taught a lesson. She blackmailed someone and denigrated a teacher and loves going late to school plus her explosive temper. That’s not how a girl should be. She’d better learn.” her mom said to her dad through mind link.

“Yeah, starting tomorrow, she must also have cooking lessons. Gaming is fun yes but not the most essential thing in life. She needs to learn that. I was once a game addict but if I remained that way, I wouldn’t be what I am today.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Mrs Anderson nodded in agreement and then gave her husband a kiss on his cheek.

Xenia found their lovey-dovey moment an eyesore. Here she was perspiring like a pig about to be butchered while they… they were enjoying!

The sextuplets soon returned from school and greeted their parents.

“So how was school today.” their mom questioned.

“Pretty much the same. Those irksome girls hunting me here and there.” Dylan, the 4th of the sextuplets replied.

“For me, Brian and Quinn, we got invited to play in the upcoming interschool competition,” said Liam, the 2nd of the sextuplets.

“Is it my ears playing tricks? What sounds am I hearing on the stairs?” Dylan suddenly asked while facing the stairs that led upstairs.

“It’s your sister. She’s running up and down the stairs.” said their dad.

"Running? Why is she running?" Quinn asked.

"She wants to lose some weight." Mrs Anderson replied to her children. "Now will you boys get upstairs and take a shower? Then come back down to help me with dinner."

"Mom, you're gonna make that elaborate dish again?" Frederick the 1st of the sextuplets couldn't help asking.