Chapter 29. Babysitting Wilbur.

Saturday Franny and Lewis left Wilbur with Tallulah and Laszlo so they could go and have a nice lunch alone for the first time in a couple of months.

The 12 and 13 year old were very happy to baby sit their second cousin, and if they needed help Fritz and Petunia were always just next door.

"Now, he's not alowed to go outside," Franny told Tallulah as she was about to leave the house.

"Why not?" Wilbur cried.

"Because, young man, you were very bad at school monday. Plus, I don't need you outside while I'm gone." Franny said sternly.

Wilbur folded his arms and sunk into the couch. "Dad!"

"No," Lewis said firmly, shaking his head.

"We'll be home around eight or so." Franny continued. "I hope he won't be much trouble!"

"Don't worry, Franny," Tallulah said. "I'm sure he'll be good."

Lewis broke into a small laugh, but stopped when Franny glared at him.

The two parents kissed Wilbur then left the house.

As soon as the door shut, Laszlo said:

"Hey Wilbur! How 'bout I paint you orange?"

Wilbur shook his head. "I love orange, but maybe later."

Laszlo shrugged, then sat onto the couch next to Wilbur.

"Are you going to sit there all day and mope?" Tallulah asked the little boy.

Wilbur shrugged. "Maybe."

"Thats no fun." Tallulah muttered, putting her hands on her hips. "Why don't we go and make a block city? You can make one like my hat!" She pointed to the towering hat on her head.

Wilbur looked up at her. "Nah. Thats not fun anymore."

"Then whats fun for a boy?"

"Going outside!" Wilbur suggested.

"No," Tallulah said sternly. "Your mom already said you couldn't go outside and you know that."

"Kill-joy." Laszlo said.

"You don't help!" Tallulah said. "Your baby-sitting to, Las. You need to help, suggest something fun!"

"Can I paint you green?" Laszlo asked Wilbur, who shook his head.

"No."

"Hey! I know!" Laszlo said suddenly, he whispered something into Wilburs ear.

The little black haired boys eyes lit up, and they both took off down the hallway to Wilburs room.

"You two be careful!" Tallulah cried.

She sat down and sighed. "This shouldn't be to hard!"

Not even five minutes later a huge crash came from down the hallway.

Tallulah jumped up and skated down the hallway to Wilburs room. She threw open the door and looked around.

Empty.

"Wilbur? Laszlo?" She called.

Another crash rang out, but this time she knew where it came from.

"The lab!"

She took for the lab, she opened the doors and skipped up the stairs, and gasped.

Laszlo floated just a little bit above the floor, a paint gun in hand. Wilbur stood next to him, a gun in hand, laughing uncontrolbly.

Most of the inventions were covered in paint, not so much it'd ruin them but enough to make it hard to clean. Laszlo cocked the paint gun and sent a spray of paint at an invention called 'The Bird'.

"LASZLO! WILBUR!" Tallulah screamed.

Both boys jumped and gave Tallulah startled expressions.

Tallulah began to march over to them, and Wilbur went to make a run for it.

"Ow!"

She grabbed him by the ear and pulled him over to her.

"Laszlo!" She said to her brother. "Why the heck would you do this?"

She gave him a hard slap on the arm, causing him to reel in pain.

"OW!" He cried. "Geez sis, get over yourself! I was just trying to keep Wilbur entertained!"

"Entertained?" Tallulah exclaimed. "You call this entertained?" She looked around the room.

"Tallulah? Please let go of my ear, your hurting me!" Wilbur cried.

She let go of his ear and got a strong hold on his arm.

"Come with me, both of you." Tallulah said.

Laszlo and Wilbur exchanged frightened looks, but followed Tallulah as she lead them into Wilburs room.

"What are you going to do?" Laszlo asked, taking off his glasses and wiping the paint off.

"I know what I'm going to do about you," Tallulah said, pointing at Laszlo. "But no idea about Wilbur!"

"It's not my fault." Wilbur said. "It was Laszlo's idea."

"This was not what I thought my first baby-sitting job would be like," Tallulah muttered.

"Wilbur, you stay in your room until I come back. Laszlo, get. out." She hissed.

Frightened, Laszlo stumbled out backwards and walked into a wall.

Tallulah shut Wilburs door and marched down the hallway, passing Laszlo.

"Lighten up, sis," Laszlo said, walking after her. "Me and Wilbur were just trying to have some fun!"

She spun around and faced him, fire in her eyes. "Is that your idea of fun? How am I going to explain that to Cornelius, huh? He's going to be furious!"

"Its washable!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Tallulah screamed. "You don't understand, you idiot!"

"Mom said no name calling!" Laszlo yelled.

"Mom also said not to beat the crap out of my brother, and do you know how very hard it is to obey her right now?" Tallulah retorted.

Laszlo shrunk back and watched as Tallulah walked past him and into the bathroom. He followed her and watched as she ran the hot water into the tub, and began to fill up small buckets.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Well, the lab is a complete mess, and you're going to clean it." Tallulah said, handing him a bucket of water and a sponge. "Right now."

"What?" Laszlo coughed, taking the sponge and bucket. "Whose helping me?"

"No one." Tallulah replied.

"What about Wilbur?"

"He's five years old!" Tallulah said. "You expect him to clean a whole laboratory, when it wasen't even his fault?"

"Oh, so he's not in trouble now, I am?" Laszlo spat.

"No, he's in trouble. Believe me, but he's going to get a bath before his parents get home and kill him. Now scoot, get in there and start cleaning!"

Laszlo glared at his sister and slumped into the lab.

Franny and Lewis entered the house to see Tallulah reading Wilbur a small storybook.

Fritz and Petunia had not come home yet, which Tallulah thought, was good for Laszlo.

"How sweet," Franny said. "Was Wilbur good tonight?"

"Reletivly." Tallulah smiled. "He was pretty good after his bath, but before I shouldn't mention. Or blame him."

"He took a bath?" Franny asked, shocked.

"More like I made him." Tallulah corrected herself.

"Now, what did he do before the bath?" Lewis asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Well, its more of what Laszlo did."

"Oh gosh." Lewis rubbed his temples. "What did he do?"

"It concerns paint."

"Where?" Lewis asked.

"Um..." Tallulah looked her cousin in the eyes. "its kind of the most untouchable place in the house..the lab?"

"What?" Lewis asked.

Franny picked up Wilbur, who was drowsing just a tiny bit, and said:

"He painted the lab? And Wilbur was involved."

Tallulah nodded. "It was more Laszlo, but yeah. Wilbur was involved."

Franny looked at Wilbur sternly.

"I was just having fun, mama." Wilbur said in a small voice.

"I don't care, young man," Franny said, wagging a finger in his face. "You know your not alowed in dads lab, ever."

Wilbur hung his head, and gave a small sigh.

Lewis started for the lab, and suddenly Tallulah screamed: "What are you going to do?"

"Going to check up on Laszlo." Lewis said, angry.

"Oh, don't hurt him!" Tallulah said, following him along with Franny.

"I'm not making promises." Lewis muttered.

He opened the doors to the lab and began to walk the stairs, when he reached the top he stopped short. In the middle of the lab sat Laszlo, twiddling with the sponge. Paint still drenched the machines, but not as much as they had before.

Laszlo looked up when the doors opened, and he suddenly stood up. "Hey, Cornelius.." He chuckled nerveously.

Lewis walked slowly into the lab and towered over Laszlo. "Why?" He asked simply.

Laszlo gave a small laugh, then began to walk towards the stairs. "Well, I see now...I'm in big trouble, going to my room now, how does no friends for a week sound? No anything for a week! Heh."

He suddenly broke into a run and went for the door, when he suddenly ran into Fritz and Petunia.

"What happened?" Fritz asked, looking around.

Picking himself off the floor, Laszlo muttered: "Nothing, already grounded, did nothing."

Petunia grabbed Laszlo by the ear and started yelling at him, and began leading him out of the lab.

"So.." Tallulah said once they had left. "About my pay?"