On a Sunday morning, Mr. Mark makes his entrance at the apartment bright and early, his knocking rousing the inhabitants from their slumber, much to their discontent.
In the shared quarters of Logan and Kendall…
Kendall, desperate for peace, attempts to muffle the incessant knocking by burying his head beneath his pillow, growing increasingly exasperated by the disturbance.
He groans loudly, irritation evident in his voice. "Who on earth could be at the door…" He glances at his phone, eyes widening in disbelief. "At 7:30 in the morning?!"
Meanwhile, Logan remains unfazed, engrossed in an audiobook, blissfully unaware of his friend's plight. However, sensing a disturbance in his peripheral vision, he pauses his narrative and removes his headphones. "What was that? I didn't catch your words. I was lost in my audiobook."
"I can't believe someone would dare disturb us at this ungodly hour," Kendall grumbles, clearly annoyed by the untimely interruption.
Logan, unfazed, explains, "That's why I've resorted to drowning out the noise with my audiobook through my headphones."
As the voices of Ms. Knight and Mr. Mark fill the room, Kendall's irritation grows. "Why on earth is Mr. Mark here after what happened at the bowling alley last night? I can hardly stand to be in the same room as him," he complains.
Despite his lingering anger, Logan sees the necessity of their unexpected visitor. "I know we're not exactly on great terms with him right now, but we should at least hear him out," he suggests, coaxing Kendall out of bed with a gentle nudge.
Reluctantly, Kendall follows Logan out of the room, still grumbling under his breath about the unwelcome intrusion.
In the cozy living room…
"Apologies for barging in so early, but I needed to come over right away to express my regrets about last night at the bowling alley," Mr. Mark states earnestly.
"Did you finally see that Lucas and his friends were the real troublemakers and take action?" Kendall asks, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"Not quite, Kendall. Lucas is still shaken by what happened. He had a series of nightmares last night about that dog attacking him again," Mr. Mark replies.
"Nightmares about Tyson? The gentle, well-mannered dog you know?" James interjects, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Indeed. He claims Tyson has a split personality—sweet one moment, aggressive the next," Mr. Mark explains.
"That's completely false. Lucas is the one with the split personality. Audrey too. They behave nicely only when you're around, but turn mean when you're not. You never believe us and always side with them, painting us as the villains. It's just not fair. They're ignoring the golden rule: treat others how you wish to be treated. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all," Carlos argues passionately.
"We can't fathom why you always choose to believe your children's fabrications. It really hurts," Logan adds, his voice filled with frustration.
"I genuinely apologize for that. I really do," Mr. Mark responds, his tone sincere.
"If you were truly remorseful, you would discipline your children immediately when they misbehave. Instead, you target us, and it's becoming incredibly frustrating," Kendall retorts, his irritation evident.
"I understand that, and I want to make amends with all of you," Mr. Mark declares.
"And how do you plan to do that?" Kendall asks, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms in disbelief.
"By taking you all on an exciting field trip," Mr. Mark replies enthusiastically.
"A field trip?" Katie chimes in from the swirling slide. "But you ain't a teacher."
Logan lets out a sigh, facepalming. "Come on, Katie. Remember our talk about using proper grammar?"
Katie rolls her eyes and groans. "Alright, fine. Mr. Mark, you're not a teacher."
"I may not be a schoolteacher, but I believe I have some valuable life lessons to impart to you youngsters," Mr. Mark declares.
"Are we required to agree with you on that front?" Kendall challenges.
"Not at all, but..." Mr. Mark begins.
"Goodbye. Thanks for the pointless wake-up call," Kendall scoffs, retreating to the couch to indulge in some TV watching.
With a sigh, Mr. Mark laments, "It seems my concepts aren't resonating with any of you. I'll take my leave."
"Finally. Please allow us the peace to savor this lovely Sunday," Kendall retorts, clearly annoyed by Mr. Mark's lingering presence.
"I long to connect with you young ones," Mr. Mark expresses.
"We've extended numerous opportunities to you," Kendall responds. "And managed to mess up every single one."
"What if I whisk you away to a place uncharted for you?" Mr. Mark proposes.
"And where might that be?" Carlos inquires, intrigued.
"A haven dedicated to something you all cherish: music," Mr. Mark reveals.
"And how exactly will a trip to a music shop make us warm up to you?" Katie questions, apprehensive.
"It may not immediately, but it's a step towards building trust," Mr. Mark explains.
"We will accompany you, but only under one stipulation. You will be bringing Lucas and Audrey, correct?" Kendall inquires.
"Absolutely. What's the reason?" Mr. Mark responds.
"That's precisely where the stipulation lies. You must solemnly vow to monitor their conduct. Should they act out, do not simply overlook it; enforce discipline. I am serious. If they cause any distress, the responsibility falls squarely on you as their father," Kendall insists.
"I assure you, they are wonderful children," Mr. Mark defends.
"We maintain that they are not," Kendall replies with a weary sigh. "You will never see through their facade. Please, just leave."
"Very well. I will speak with them. I will ensure they behave appropriately," Mr. Mark concedes. "By the way, I've invited your friends from last night—the two brothers. I had a conversation with their father, and he agreed they could join us, provided he accompanies them. The boys were keen on that."
He exits the room.
"I can hardly believe that Andy and Steven would want to be anywhere near Mr. Mark after his blatant disregard for their feelings last night. Lucas was on the verge of striking Andy, and Mr. Mark placed the blame on him. There's no way this outing at the music shop will be anything but chaotic," Logan remarks, shaking his head in anticipation of a tumultuous day.
