After her bathroom break, Melanie trudged downstairs wearily, unshowered, and in the same soccer uniform, she wore when playing outside the day before.
Dementia was already there waiting.
"Took ya long enough," Dementia said.
Melanie only responded with an eye roll as she sat down and let 505 serve her brunch of a breakfast sandwich, water, and orange juice.
"Thanks, 505," Melanie said as Flug placed her medication on the table next to her.
Melanie shrugged and swallowed her medicine obediently as Flug said, "Black Hat has informed me that your parents will be arriving at 5 pm on the dot.
Melanie sighed and said, "And I was hoping they'd get here sooner."
Dementia giggled and said sarcastically, "Maybe they're too busy looking after their good children."
Melanie smirked and replied, "Don't you mean their bad children?"
"Yes," Dementia replied before taking a bite of her sandwich. "Good at being bad."
"Yeah, because I'm sure my 20-something older sisters need lots of supervision," Melanie retorted before also taking a bite of her food.
"You do have an 8-year-old sister," Flug added.
"You're ruining the joke," Melanie said with her mouth full.
"Ooh," Dementia squealed after swallowing her bite. "Is Dita coming with her parents?"
"Yes," Flug said grabbing a quick sip of his orange juice. "If I'm not mistaken, the parents are bringing the three other sisters."
"Ahaha! ¡Sí!" Dementia cried out as she got up from her chair and began jumping around the room in excitement.
"Anyway, that's why there's a delay," Flug said unfazed by Dementia's antics at this point. "Your parents have to pick up Iliana."
Melanie's face fell. Lunet, she looked forward to seeing, but the other two...
"Just great," Melanie said to herself before going back to eating her food.
"What?" Dementia asked. "You don't like your sisters?!"
"I get along with Lunet," Melanie said tersely.
"Tisk, tisk," Flug muttered judgmentally.
"What?" Melanie asked defensively.
"What's wrong with your other sisters?" Dementia asked.
"That's none of your business," Melanie replied.
"Hmph! Whatever!" Dementia retorted. "At least, I get to play with Dita."
Melanie sighed as she finished up eating the last of her food and took her plates to the sink.
505 picked up the dishes and began rinsing them so he could get them into the dishwasher. Melanie noticed all the dishes 505 still had to rinse off and felt eager to help.
"Hey, 505?" Melanie whispered. "Do you need help cleaning up in here?"
505 nodded and Melanie hopped in to rinse the dishes and hand them to 505 to get his work done more quickly.
Unfortunately, Dementia noticed.
"Flug! Melanie's doing something good!" Dementia cried.
Flug looked over to the kitchen to figure out what Melanie was doing and then asked, "Melanie, what do you think you're doing?"
"What?!" Melanie retorted in annoyance.
"Just…stop," Flug said. "That is 505's job, not yours."
"But he wanted help," Melanie complained. "Besides, it's not like I have anything else to do."
"Sure, you do," Flug retorted. "You haven't showered or changed your clothes in the last 24 hours. Go get yourself cleaned up before your family shows up in a few hours…Now."
Melanie rolled her eyes, dropped the dishes in the sink, walked out of the kitchen, and said, "Fine. I'll go shower. Sheesh! See ya later, 505!"
505 gave Melanie a sad wave. She waved back and walked out of the room.
"We'll come to get you when your family arrives!" Flug yelled into the hallway.
"Got it!" Melanie yelled back.
"And you better not do anything good in your room while you're in there!" Dementia warned.
Melanie simply scoffed and made her way to her room.