"Prunella, it's time for tutoring!" chimed Nicelander Violet as she hummed about the kitchen. From within the apartment, the woman heard her daughter cry out in annoyance.

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Don't call me Prunella!"

"But its your name, dear!" the woman smiled, blissfully unaware of how annoyed the young girl was.

Tutoring. TUTORING! Of all the things Nel had to be sacked with, it was this.

She was a good student, she was!

Just not in every class.

But she wanted to make her mother happy, she wanted to be happy herself and she hated seeing even a single bad mark on her report card. She hated to admit it, especially with how dedicated she was, but she needed help.

Of course, she wouldn't complain so much if it were her cousin Nolan helping her. Deanna, Lucy, even Tony, as absentminded as he was.

But this time.

*Ding-Dong!*

"Oh, here he is!"

Nel groaned, flopping over on the couch.

"Now come on, don't lay about." Said Violet, as she patted her daughter teasingly on the head "Get to the table."

"Urgh, this is going to be a NIGHTMARE."

"Hello Gene."

Nel glared back; she had been stuck with GENE.

GENE.

GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENE!

The mayor's kid, the kid with the top marks in school but was also one of the biggest putz she knew.

She could see him in the corner of his eye as he gave her mother a friendly hello.

What a nerd; always wearing that stupid sweater, stupid reading glasses and some stubble in a pathetic excuse of a mustache. Nel had known Gene since she was just a baby but in knowing him so well….

"Are you ready?"

She knew EXACTLY what was coming next.

"Naw, Gene. I felt like takin' an hour long nap before we do this!"

"Prunella!" Violet scolded "Gene is our guest! Treat him with respect and get your tail in this chair and STUDY!"

"MOM!"

"Ah-ah-AH! Don't sass MEH, young lady!" Violet said.

She may have been the smallest Nicelander, but Violet knew exactly when to turn the volume up.

And when she did, it was best EVERYONE listen.

Nel pouted as she went over to the table, Gene already laying everything out perfectly.

"What's the subject for tonight?"

"Come off it you blueberry."

Gene ignored the little jab "Now, Nel. I'm just trying to help."

"Gene, drop the act."

Gene looked over at his neighbor "What ACT, Prunella?"

"Oh come on…." Nel growled, pulling Gene closer to her once her mother's back was turned "I know EXACTLY why you brought your chubby butt here!"

"Prunella, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"What other reason would you agree for this?!" Nel said, shoving Gene back.

"To ensure that you have the best grades, of course!" Gene said rather tartly adjusting his collar "Any good neighbor would do that."

"Gene." Nel said, narrowing her eyes "You came for the food, DIDN'T you?"

Violet was still in the kitchen, dinner simmering on the stove and filling the entire apartment.

Gene took one look at Nel and with a glint in his eyes.

"Yes. Yes I did." The Nicelander chuckled evilly "A'course, it's not like I wouldn't help you if you just ASKED instead of trying to bite my head off every time I offer you assistance but hey, might as well confess now. Till you get your grades up, NELLY, I'm gonna be enjoying these little 'rewards' an' visiting ya EVERY. DAY."

"Ya wouldn't dare…"

Gene sat back, smiling arrogantly "I would. So either buck up an' get your grades in order or sit an extra seat at the table!"

Violet laid Gene a plate of her delicious cooking in front of the boy, smiling from ear to ear.

"Tell me if you want seconds!"

"Oh, I will!"

"Don't you have food at home?! HUH?!"

"Prunella, don't be rude!"

And so it went on like this. Gene would 'find' a way to come over to Nel's place to tutor her but each day, it was more like TORTURE. And what made it worse was that Violet was more than delighted to have an extra member at the dinner table.

Poor Nel. She remembered the times when she wished she had an older sibling….but after spending so much time with Gene, that wish was slowly going away. Aside from that, she already had her cousin Nolan but even he didn't act in such a manner.

"Leave me some!" Nel whined on the third night "I live here too!"

"Oh Nel, he's our GUEST!" Violet tittered "And besides, Gene is a growing boy!"

"GROWING BOY! He's taller than me already! He doesn't need any more!"

"Should I come back tomorrow for some TRIG studies?" Gene snickered, enjoying both the meal and Nel's fidgeting.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!"

"Your parents have more money than us! Eat what you have at home!"

"But your mother's cooking is SOOOOO good!" Gene cooed, angering Nel even further.

"Aw, such a sweet young man. Should I bring out the pie? Its sweet potato!"

"Please do!"

"Where do you put it all?" Nel said, shaking her head "WHERE DO YOU PUT IT ALL?!"

And after that night, the pie was gone.

"Mary, how do ya deal with him?!" growled Nel "Every day this week! EVERY DAY your bootyful boyfriend-!"

"He's not my boyfriend…" Mary said, looking up from making another pie.

"Has invaded my house and eaten everything we have! I wouldn't be so annoyed if he wasn't such a butt about it!"

Nel then struck a pose, trying her best to impersonate Gene.

"Ahn, PROO-NELL-AH! While I'm aware that I have TWO parents who have enough money to fill our fridge, I'm a-gonna come to YOUR house and shove you out of the way while I stuff my face an' PRETEND ta be helpful!"

"Well, is he though?" said Mary, placing the pie in the oven "I mean, how have your grades been going?"

Nel blushed in frustration "I gotta another B….PLUS."

Mary smirked, "I can admit that Gene's a nerd who's always going to find a way to steal some food from you but he's a person of his word isn't he? He said he would get your grades up."

"And they are…" Nel sighed.

"Then what's to worry about? Once you're back on track, he'll leave."

"No he won't." Nel said, shaking her head "NO. NO HE WILL NOT. I know Gene. YOU know Gene. You know how he is when it comes to getting his way. He'll cook up SOME story and tell mom and he'll be RIGHT back in our apartment, annoying me to no end!"

Nel twirled dramatically before throwing herself on the couch "I don't think we can take this. There won't be anything for me left to eat! I'll starve and its all thanks to your boyfriend!"

Boyfriend?

Mary washed a basket of strawberries, hiding a smile.

"Maaaary! Help me!"

"He'll get full."

"He's never full!"

"Just tell him to go away."

"He can pick me up. What is telling him to go away gonna do?"

Mary had to chuckle. She had been given Gene's game before in the past but she couldn't help but snicker at the thought.

"Pfft, Gene's just a silly boy. He can be 'taught' a thing or two!"

"Taught?" Nel asked, looking up at Mary "What do you mean 'TAUGHT'?"

The timer went off, Mary reaching for the first pie that was in the oven. She laid the pie out on the window sill and looked at the bright, blue sky.

"Listen, you want Gene to stop annoying you?"

"Yes!"

"You want him to back off a bit and let you and your mother have dinner in peace?"

Nel's eyes were even bigger than before "Yes, YES!"

A devilish little smile form on Mary's lips.

Nel knew that look but she hadn't seen it in YEARS. Not since everyone was kids and Mary used to…

But that was in the past!

"Here's what you do…."

A few days later, Gene was taking a little stroll down the apartments when he noticed that the door to Nel's apartment was open.

Funny. Neither Nel or her mother left the door open like that. Was something wrong?

And then he smelled it.

It smells of….cake?

"Nel?"

Nel suddenly popped up but she crossed her arms "Ah-ah, nope! Don't come any closer Gene!"

Gene wasn't too tall himself but he was thankfully a lot taller than Nel so it was easy for him to simply walk up and look over her.

"What do you have there?"

"GET OUT!" Nel shouted, trying to push Gene back "I don't need your blueberry goodness rubbin' up against me!"

"For heaven's sake, Nel! I just wanted to see-! Is…is that cake?"

"For your info, GENE." Nel said, finally able to get Gene off of here "It's something I'm saving for Norwood."

"NORWOOD?!" Gene said in shock as he looked down at the purple Nicelander "You have GOT to be kidding me!"

"What's the problem with that?"

Gene didn't know whether to erupt into laughter or just take the cake right then and there.

"Y-You made that for NORWOOD?!" the blue Nicelander laughed, his hands on his stomach "O-oh! I never knew you had your eyes out for red-heads N-OOOF!"

One well-placed fist to the gut solved that.

"I'm just trying to be neighborly, that's all."

"Y-You didn't have to go that far!"

Nel shook her head as she patted Gene "Look, I just need this thing to cool for a sec. LEAVE IT ALONE."

Gene pushed his glasses up a little higher on his nose, looking over to the cake and then looking back at Nel.

"You seriously want me to leave something of Norwood's alone?"

"Gene, if you so much as BREATHE on it, I swear!"

"Oh, you're getting mad me for messsin' with Norwood's stuff? Need I remind you of the time he FARTED on my pillow?!"

"Lalalala, I can't hear you! I need to get something from Mary!"

Nel turned around just in time to see Gene turn as red as a cherry at the very mention of the pink Niceclander's name.

"W-well, fine! It doesn't matter!"

Before Gene knew it, he found himself alone in Nel's apartment.

"Wait, how did THIS happen?"

And the cake was still there.

Still in the pan.

Calling for him.

Gene felt his stomach grumble as he smelled the cake but he quickly held it "Gah, shut up! You don't have to be so loud!"

Another pang of hunger hit him as he looked again. His eyes narrowed as he looked about.

This was Norwood's cake.

NORWOOD'S.

NORWOOD'S!

"He has so many food allergies…" Gene said "Maybe Nel put something in it that wouldn't agree with him?"

What a lie. Gene was fully aware that EVERYONE in the apartment knew what Norwood couldn't consume and there was no way Nel would let it slip. He just wanted cake.

A sharp knife lay beside the pan and the cake was calling out louder and LOUDER to him.

"C'mon, its just cake! Nel can make more! We all can!"

NO GENE! IT'S NORWOOD'S CAKE!

"Screw Norwood! He farted on my pillow!"

NEL WILL BE MAD!

"She'll understand!"

GENE! GEEEENE! DON'T YOU DARE!

Too late, he had to have cake.

The teenage Nicelander put knife to cake but then-!

*POW!*

"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"

Gene was sent falling to the floor, ducking in fear as the entire kitchen EXPLODED in huge and LOUD cloud of glitter and confetti. Thankfully, the knife landed some yards away from Gene but he continued to huddle on the ground after such a fright, his glasses on the floor and his body curled into a ball.

"Wh-WH-WHAT THE HECK WAS-!?"

Laughter. So much laughter.

Gene looked up, seeing both Mary and Nel standing together at the door, laughing in glee as Gene struggled to stand on his feet.

"I told you to wait!" Nel said, pointing at the boy "Ya didn't wet your pants from that did you?"

Gene was just too shocked to realize what had happened but then he snapped too.

They had gotten him.

They had TRICKED HIM and they had tricked him with FOOD.

And what was worse?

MARY had pulled the same trick on him before.

Gene let out a angered cry as he gunned towards both girls "C'MERE C'MERE C'MERE! BOTH OF YOU GET BACK HERE!"

Even as they ran through the halls, the girls continued to laugh with Gene chasing after them. Around the corner, Norwood stepped out but he wasn't prepared for what he saw next.

Mary and Nel, running as fast as they could, from Gene who was covered from head to toe in glitter. The red-head jumped out of the way just as the trio made their way towards the stairs. Everyone could hear the group's loud footsteps clamoring down the stairs and out onto the lawn. Norwood rushed over towards the nearest window, hearing Gene yell some very choice words at the girls but before the Nicelander in blue knew what was going on…

*POUNCE!*

Mary, still smiling like a fool JUMPED atop Gene, the boy screaming as Nel joined her. With both girls on him, Gene was unable to escape, flailing a bit before he landed roughly on the ground. Mary pinned Gene's arms to the ground as Nel held his feet.

"Dare steal cake from me?!"

"I swear to everyone above, when I get outta this-!"

"Oh hush, Gene!" Mary laughed, finally letting go and squishing his fat cheeks together "You should have known that was comin'! As if you haven't been tricked by that before!"

"URRG! MAAAAAAARY!" Gene flailed, sitting up but the girl in pink tackled him playfully.

"Ya have somethin' ta say, Squishy?"

"MURPH! Dun squish marh CHEEKS!"

"It's your choice Gene." Smiled Nel "This will only continue to happen if you keep sneaking food from me!"

"DARN IT, NEL! IS IT MY FAULT YOUR MOM COOKS SO WELL?!" Gene wailed, Mary pinching his sides.

"What? I don't get any credit?"

"Mary, shut up!"

The girl pinched HARDER "Wrong choice of words!"

"OW!"

From above, Norwood could only look down and sigh.

"Man, Genie gets ALL the luck with the girls."