Everyone washed up and eventually got to the dining room where 505 was serving some Mexican specialties on the long formal dining room table.
Melanie's family sat on one side, except for Dita who insisted on sitting next to Dementia, Black Hat, and Flug on the other side. Melanie sat between her mother and Lunet.
Everyone was silent as they ate their food. Melanie would have been happy for that solemn silence to continue, but, of course, Iliana had to break it.
"So, Dr. Flug, has my sister misbehaved in the last 24 hours?" Iliana asked between bites of tacos as she gave Melanie a pointed look.
Melanie could only respond with an eye roll to show her annoyance. Iliana had some nerve.
"Melanie has been quite disrespectful," Flug said. "But that isn't what concerns me. Melanie has shown some very helpful tendencies. She helped 505 with dishes for a little while this afternoon without being asked. That is an indicator of serious compassion. Can you explain this?"
"I can," Faucheuse began. "Melanie was just following the example set by her older sister. Lunet spent a good deal of time with Melanie when she was a child and helped us out with her even though we never asked her to. So once Dita was born, Melanie stepped up to help her like her older sister helped her. We never asked them to do it, but we never tried to stop them either. I suppose that is our fault."
"Well, I guess in that sense, it's not too much of a problem," Flug said. "Villains do help other villains from time to time."
"Yes, but they usually expect something in return," Black Hat added.
"Like what?" Melanie asked in annoyance. "Dita was a baby. She couldn't give me anything."
"You should have asked your parents for something in return," Black Hat replied.
"There was never anything I really wanted from them, unlike now…" Melanie muttered out loud thinking about her freedom.
Black Hat chuckled aloud and said, "Well, you know how to earn that. Focus on your studies."
Melanie angrily swallowed her food and said, "So, do I have to download and study a syllabus before tomorrow morning?"
"Oh, no," Flug said taking a page from his notebook, folding it into a paper airplane, and launching it in Melanie's direction. "Catch."
Melanie caught the paper plane in her hands, unfolded it, and began reading it.
"So, Melanie, what will you be learning?" Iliana asked obnoxiously.
"There's one unit on learning the different types of villainy. There's another unit on correcting my 'problematic good behavior.' There's one on how to form an evil plan, and…" Melanie read out loud before pausing to double-check the last unit to make sure she was reading it correctly. "And Dementia tips?"
"Dementia!" Flug yelled as Dementia and Dita cracked up in the background.
Melanie quickly glanced over the rest of the syllabus while the pair continued laughing.
"So, Melanie, what do you think of it?" Flug asked.
"To be honest, I hate it," Melanie replied.
"Then, you'll be sure to learn it the first time," Iliana said obnoxiously prompting Melanie to roll her eyes.
"Haha! Your plan sucks!" Dementia yelled at Flug.
Flug only replied with a glare.
"To be fair, I was bound to hate any plan that comes from you three," Melanie retorted.
"Melanie, why must you be so rude?" Faucheuse asked with a pointed look.
"I'm just being honest, Mom," Melanie replied reaching for another taco. "I don't want to be here."
"Well, the plan sounds adequate to me," Black Hat said. "We will move forward with it."
"Oh, thank you, Jefecito…" Flug began to gush.
"Don't let it get to your head," Black Hat commanded. "You still have to successfully re-educate her."
"Yes, Jefecito," Flug sheepishly replied.
"Kiss ass," Melanie muttered under her breath.
"Melanie, do not be rude to your teacher!" Santa Muerte yelled from down the table. "You will do what Dr. Flug says or there will be consequences. Do you understand me?"
"Whatever," Melanie said with an eye roll as she went back to her food.
"Speaking of which, I've been meaning to ask," Flug began. "Does your daughter have any other medical conditions than the ones we've already talked about?"
"Well, Melanie does have trouble sleeping sometimes…" Faucheuse replied before getting interrupted by her daughter.
"Maman!" Melanie protested.
"Really?" Flug asked with heightened interest. "Tell me more."
"It's no big deal!" Melanie protested. "I just prefer to stay up late. You can play videogames and accomplish more things at night."
"Is that why you sleep until 2 in the afternoon in the summer?" Dita asked sarcastically.
"That only happened once," Melanie protested leaning over to stare angrily at Dita.
"Sure," Dita replied with an obnoxious tone before going back to blowing bubbles in her soda.
"That won't do for a young lady going to school," Black Hat said giving Flug a wicked look. "Don't you agree, Doctor Flug?"
Flug adjusted with goggles maliciously and said, "Yes. I think I know just what to do to help with your daughter's sleeping problem."
"How?" Senor Sante Muerte asked.
"I don't have a sleeping problem, guys," Melanie protested in annoyance.
"Well," Flug began completely ignoring Melanie's protest. "I can alter her medication to help her sleep at a more suitable schedule."
"That's a good idea," Iliana said nodding in approval. "She will need to sleep for school after all."
"Even during the summer?" Lunet finally said in a rare moment of protest. "Melanie's responsible enough to be in charge of her own sleeping schedule. She has no problems during the school year. She'll adjust to sleeping for this, too. Besides, sleeping meds can be very dangerous."
"Yeah," Melanie agreed. "Dr. Flug is a mad scientist. He'll probably kill me!"
"It's evil genius," Flug retorted.
"Well, we can't have you sneaking around at night," Black Hat said with a wicked smirk. "Can we?"
"Like you'd be able to stop me anyway," Melanie grumbled under her breath.
"Lunet has a point, Doctor," Faucheuse said. "Sleeping meds can be dangerous. Can we trust you to handle this without causing any lasting harm to our daughter?"
"No need to worry, Madame," Flug reassured her. "I will only give your daughter as much as she needs to have a good night's sleep."
"Meaning I'll be dead in about 24 hours!" Melanie protested. "I've played enough videogames, watched enough movies, and read enough books to know that YOU CAN'T TRUST A MAD SCIENTIST!"
"I said…" Flug began in annoyance.
"I don't care what you think you are!" Melanie interrupted. "You're just as crazy as the rest of them! There's no way I'm letting you drug me!"
"You don't need to worry about anything," Dementia said ignoring Melanie's outburst. "Flug helps me with sleeping all the time, and I've been fine."
"That settles it then," Senor Sante Muerte said. "Since Black Hat deems it necessary, Melanie will be receiving medication to sleep."
"What?!" Melanie asked sitting back in her chair. "He's gonna turn me into a zombie. I can't believe you're letting him do this."
"Your misbehaving has proven that you can't be trusted right now, so you had this coming," Iliana said snobbishly.
"At least, I'm doing something good with my life!" Melanie spat back angrily.
"What is that supposed to mean?!" Iliana retorted.
"Melanie, Iliana, stop it!" Faucheuse chided. "Don't fight right now! Melanie's lessons begin tomorrow. Please, let's enjoy our meal and the time we have left together…"
"She deserves it…" Iliana tried to complain.
"Enough!" Faucheuse retorted. "You will not insult your sister anymore!"
Iliana sat down in a huff. Melanie was on the verge of tears.
She scooted her chair back and said, "I'm not hungry anymore."
"Then, please just sit with us," Faucheuse pleaded. "We won't get to spend as much time together when your lessons begin."
Melanie sadly nodded, pushed her plate away, and rested her head on the table.
Black Hat rolled his eyes, turned to Flug, and mumbled, "So much melodrama."
For the rest of the meal, Melanie remained silent except for the occasional comment to herself or to Lunet as her mother rubbed her back and the rest of the family chatted amongst themselves.