The three people in the house ate in silence. No one spoke because they couldn't think of anything civil to say and all previous attempts of conversation between Stephanie and her uncle had been cut off by Robbie. He'd either interrupted them or taken over their conversations completely and suggested that silence was the best topic to talk about.

Stephanie ate her dinner a little faster than usual. She wanted to finish it quickly so she could be excused from the table faster and retreat to her room. She'd be safe there. There was little chance that Robbie would venture into her room so she could write in her diary and listen to her music in peace. She'd also be able to practice some dance steps she'd learnt recently.

When everyone had finished eating their main meal the Mayor got up from the table and went to fetch dessert. Stephanie accidentally caught Robbie's eye and he pulled a face at her. Not willing to back down from a challenge she pulled a face back. For the next two minutes she and Robbie pulled a multitude of faces at each other.

Robbie had to admit that the little pink girl could give as good as she got. It seemed to him that he'd misjudged her. Perhaps she was only a good little girl when Sportacus was around but when he wasn't she could be rotten. This little notion planted itself in his head and he began to formulate another plan which could make Sportacus leave forever.

"Stephanie! Stop pulling faces at Robbie," The Mayor scorned when he saw what had been going on behind his back.

Caught out Stephanie stopped and looked up at her uncle, "Sorry uncle. Can I be excused?"

"You can be excused when you've eaten your dessert."

Stephanie pulled another face but this time it wasn't directed at Robbie, it was directed at the bowl of strawberry ice cream which had just been put in front of her. After staring at it for some minutes wishing it would go away she ate it. She had no choice, no matter how hard she stared at it, it wouldn't disappear. After she'd wolfed down the nearly melted ice cream her request to be excused was granted.

After twenty minutes of writing in her diary about the horrible man Robbie Rotten was she decided to play some music to take her mind off of who was in the house with them. It would help her relax and would later give her a chance to practice the dance steps she'd been waiting to practice. Hopping off of her bed she went over to her 'boom box' and turned it on. After pressing play to start the CD she had in there she went back to sit on her bed.

Robbie stormed into the room and pressed the stop button on Stephanie's boom box. "Too loud."

"Turn it back on,"

"No."

"Now."

When Robbie didn't respond Stephanie jumped up and pressed play on the boom box. Robbie pressed stop again and she pressed play. Several relays of play/stop warfare occurred before the boom box started to make some very unhealthy sounding noises. Both of them stopped pressing the buttons and watched as a small wisp of smoke trailed up into the air.

The boom box was no more.

Completely fed up with Robbie being in her room, in her house and her life Stephanie pushed him out of the room and slammed the door. After inspecting her boom box she was sure Pixel could fix it for her, if he couldn't Robbie was in big trouble. Still annoyed about what had happened she stomped over to her bed and scribbled out what she'd written about Robbie being a 'big softie'. She didn't know what had possessed her to write it.

After three hours of watching Robbie sulk and listening to him moaning and complaining the Mayor had had enough. It amazed him how Sportacus had put up with him for so long. Another day of undiluted Robbie Rotten would be unbearable, there was nothing for him to do but sit it out. In his head he kept repeating that it was only twenty four hours, only another twenty fours. The one respite he got from this number was that for a substantial proportion of those hours Robbie would be asleep. Moving on this thought he decided it was time to attempt to reclaim some of the peace in his house.

"Mr Rotten?" The Mayor asked expectantly.

"What?"

"I don't know if you're tired yet but I think it would be a good idea to show you to your room."

Grumbling something under his breath Robbie stood up and folded his arms. An impatient frown wrinkled his forehead and he glared at the Mayor trying to get him to move. This display of typically rotten behaviour did the trick and he followed the Mayor out of the living room into the hallway.

Following the Mayor down the hallway he was shown the guest bedroom. Walking into the room he looked around. The walls were a fairly plain colour and this wasn't a room that was used often. Going over to the bed he sat on it before lying down on it.

Pulling a face he got up, "Too lumpy,"

Not content to sleep on a lumpy bed Robbie walked past the Mayor, back out into the hallway and into the next room. It was the Mayor's. Going over to the bed he tried that one too.

Again he pulled a face and got up, "Too bumpy,"

Pushing past the Mayor who had just come into the room Robbie walked further down the hallway to the next room, it was Stephanie's. Opening the door he ignored the girl sitting at her dressing table writing in her diary and tried out her bed.

"Lovely." He sighed and fell straight to sleep.

Stephanie stared with wide open eyes and mouth. This could not be happening, Robbie Rotten asleep in her bed. She couldn't believe it. For a start it was more than a little embarrassing and she'd never live it down. Annoyed with Robbie she picked up her nightclothes and stomped over to her bedroom door and out into the corridor. To get back at Robbie she slammed the door as hard as she could.

Stephanie slamming the door didn't wake Robbie. He stirred slightly but that was only to put his thumb securely in his mouth.