Chapter 9
Bella had gone by the boys' room to find Brady reading. "Want to go to the basement and play on the Wii Fit?" she asked.
"Can't," Brady shook his head. "Daddy grounded me for the rest of the week. No games or TV and I can only use the computer for my homework."
"Well, it isn't like he's here, Brady," Bella replied.
"No, but Mama is and she'll tell him, and then he will really be mad."
Bella shrugged. "Okay. Whatever." She then managed a smile. "I'm glad you're okay, though."
Brett came up behind her and pointed. "Ha, ha! Dummy's grounded!"
Brady gave him a blank look, using one of Brian's favorite comebacks. "And?"
"You can't do anything," Brett prodded.
"Yes I can," Brady countered. "I can read, go to school, do homework. No big deal."
"You are goofy," Brett said. "Almost as boring as Dad."
"Brett, give it up already," Bella rolled her eyes. "You're such a butt."
"And Daddy isn't boring," Brady added. "He's cooler than you."
"What kind of 'cool' guy grounds kids all the time?" Brett asked.
"It's what parents do, silly," Bella told him. "Now will you leave Brady alone? He's been through enough today."
"Not my fault dummy flunked a test and ran off like a loser," Brett quipped.
"Mama!" Bella cried. "Brett's teasing Brady again!"
"Brett David Kendrick, get your bottom down here right now, young man," Briana called back.
Brett glared at his twin. "Tattletale."
"Serves you right," Bella answered before plopping on the bed beside Brady. "So what are you reading?"
"The Art of War," Brady responded.
"The what?" Bella looked confused.
Brady showed her the book. "Don't you remember this? Daddy read this in one of his promos on TV a long time ago before he met Mama and we were born. I'd show you but I'm not allowed to watch TV since I'm grounded. Maybe Mama can show you if you ask, though."
"Oh yeah!" Bella said brightly. "Let me remember a second what he said……. Oh! There's a fine line between genius and insanity. But if you know how to walk that line, no one can stand in your way.' Don't know what he meant, but that's what Daddy said while he read that book on TV."
"Part of his character on there," Brady explained. "Hey, you're allowed on the computer, maybe you can find it on there."
"Right!" Bella jumped off the bed. "I'm going to go look it up!"
"He's wearing the white jacket you slept under when you were a baby," Brady said as he went back to his book.
"And you slept in the red one," she giggled, leaving the room, "so we're even."
