1| Moving

"Hey dad! Where'ya goin'?" Nick asked his neatly dressed father who was about to leave the house.

"Um... I need to go get something in t-the..... um..... in the..."

"Oh dad please where are you going?" pleaded Nick.

"Okay! Fine! I'm going to get a surprise for all of you ready." His dad gave up.

"What surprise?! Pls dad tell me!" Nick pleaded.

"When I'm back, you'll know, but for now, go wake your sleepy head mom."

"Okay dad but that's going to take me forever! You know, to wake my mom is one thing that you may never accomplish," Nick complained.

"Sorry, but I've gotta go, see you later!" his dad— Mr. Phillips— said with a wave and disappeared into thin air.

"Wait... Ugh! It's no use. Now back to my forever business. H

mph!"Nick sighed as he went up the stairs grumbling.

When he reached his mom's room door, he tried opening it expecting it to be locked, but to his surprise it was not locked. He then quietly walked into the room so he could scare his mom to wake up. But after he had walked a foot into the room..."Rroaarr!!!"

"Arrrrgggghhhh!" Nick screamed with fright.

After he regained his composure, he looked back expecting to see an evil monster with spiky horns behind him, but to his utter surprise, he just saw his six-year-old little sister, Chloe staring at him with glistening eyes.

"Did you like it?", she asked in the midst of a very annoying giggle that Nick hated more than literally everything on earth.

"Wait, let me check if you have a fever," Nick said, gesturing his left hand to Chloe's forehead.

"Do you have a headache or something?" He asked Chloe.

"Nick, what'ya doin' huh?" Chloe asked surprised.

"Wait... How do you think I would like what you did!!!" Nick said in a wild manner that made the house crumble... Well, crumble in a figurative manner.

So getting back to the topic, Chloe shook with fear.

"Never mind, I'm five years older than you... So don't ever try those stupid jokes of yours with me! Now would you excuse me, I've got some work to do here!" Nick said in frustration and anger.

Clhoe quietly left the room.

"Hey nut head! You kinda did it too harsh," Mr. Goodie Goodie scolded in Nick's head.

"Hey just shut up! How do you expect him to behave with the stupidity of his sis? " Mr. Wise man shot back.

"You should have just killed her at the spot!!!" Mr. Baddie Baddie argued.

They kept on arguing and arguing—

"Shit! Shut up brain! Damn it!" Nick cursed in anger.

"Now back to my forever business," Nick said frustrated.

Nick went to his room to get his trumpet. When he came back he set the bell of the trumpet against his mother's ear then blew a loud... 'Sol! '.

To his surprise, his mom just gave an annoyed sigh, turned over, then continued her sleep. "Damn," Nick cursed under his breath.

"Hmm... I guess I have an idea. What does mom hate? Lies, foul smells, cockroaches, stealing, mice— wait! Cockroaches would do!!! Hahahaha!" Nick laughed triumphantly with an evil grin.

***

"Mo-om! There's a cockro-"

"Ah! Where is it?!" Nick's mother questioned, springing off the bed in fright.

"Uhhhh... Mom... s-sorry to say this but b-but.......... I was just kidding," Nick stammered with a smirk.

"Wait... What?!" she shouted.

"I did it to wake you up,"

"Why?!"

"'Cos dad said I should-",

"Why?!"

"'Cos he's planning a surprise for all of us!"

"Surprise?! What surprise?" Nick's mom questioned.

"He said when he's back, he'll tell us"

"Anyway, I think we should go get lunch ready—" His mom paused for a moment to check the time, "—before your dad gets back."

She reached for the door about to leave and when she turned back expecting Nick to be right behind her, she found him still sitting on the bed with a mischievous smile.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"'Cos you knew you woke up late that's why you wanna go prepare lunch, " Nick said laughing.

"Yeah! Yeah! Whatever..."

***

"Honey? Children? I'm home!" Mr Phillip called with a smile on his face.

"Yeah dad! Welcome, what's the surprise?" Chloe inquired.

"Chloe, won't you let dad drop his stuff first? Just give him a break, but that doesn't mean I don't want to know the surprise," Nick said laughing.

"Honey you're back? You just came at the right time 'cos lunch just got ready. I should go get some food for us all so when we're eating... you'll tell us the grand surprise! " Nick's mom said rolling her eyes.

"Ok hon, but first, let me go have a shower."

***

"Ok, so dad, what's the surprise?" Nick asked his father as they just settled down for lunch.

"Ok..."

"Dad pls tell us!" Chloe burst out.

"Ok fine, we... are... moving!" Nick's dad announced.

"Woo hoo! " The family shouted in unison.

Nick suddenly jumped off his chair almost toppling down the food from the dining table.

Then he sang and danced thus:

"Bye bye ye countryside,

I've been waiting for this

day,

I've gotta say,

Bye bye ye countryside

Now I will have my

personal room,

Oh yeah boom!"

"Ha ha, yeah, you're going to have your own room," Nick's dad confirmed, "And we are moving tomorrow."