Just five minutes later…

Mr. Mark raps on the door and steps into the apartment, accompanied by Lucas and Audrey, after Ms. Knight graciously lets them in.

"Good morning, everyone!" he greets cheerfully. "Kendall, how are you feeling today?"

"Fine," Kendall replies, his tone flat and clearly uninterested in any small talk.

"Are you looking forward to our trip to San Francisco?" Mr. Mark probes, attempting to spark some enthusiasm.

"With you and your wild kids? Not even a little," Kendall retorts, his gaze glued to the pages of his hockey magazine.

"I promise it'll be a day filled with fun," Mr. Mark insists, trying to sound optimistic.

"Can you guarantee that Lucas and Audrey won't drive me to the brink of insanity? My patience with them is hanging by a thread," Kendall shoots back.

"They'll be on their best behavior, I promise," Mr. Mark reassures him.

"That's what you said last week at the record store when Lucas insulted Steven and Audrey made you buy her a record player, which I'm pretty sure she hasn't touched since," Kendall counters.

"I have used it! How could you doubt me?" Audrey interjects, indignantly.

"You probably just use it for your social media posts," Katie chimes in as she slides down the swirly slide. "It seems like something you'd do to boost your followers and likes."

"Shut up! You can't talk to me like that," Audrey snaps back.

"You're rude to me all the time! I live here, and you don't get to tell me how to speak in my own home. You should be the one to be quiet," Katie retorts fiercely.

Audrey huffs in frustration but falls silent.

Lucas lifted BuddyBot from the table, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "Can this little guy shoot lasers?"

In a flash, Carlos snatched it back, his voice rising in indignation. "What are you doing? You can't just grab BuddyBot! Do you want Logan to obliterate you? No one lays a finger on him without permission!"

With a sly grin, Lucas shot back, "But you're holding him without asking, aren't you?"

Carlos felt a surge of frustration. "Logan trusts me with BuddyBot. I don't need to ask. You, on the other hand, definitely do, and I doubt he'd say yes to you."

Just then, Logan emerged from the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. "He's got a point," he said, his tone icy. "I don't trust you one bit. Remember when you and Audrey tried to swipe Steven's Rubik's cube? There's no way I'm letting you pull that on me. And to clarify your odd question: No, BuddyBot doesn't shoot lasers. He's not a weapon. Don't even think about touching him again, or you'll wish you hadn't."

"Logan, just let Lucas have a turn with your robot. It won't hurt anything," Mr. Mark insists.

"Sir, there's a significant issue. BuddyBot isn't just any toy; he's special to me, and I won't let Lucas play with him. It's my decision to safeguard my belongings. Surely, you can see that, right?" Logan replies, his voice firm.

"I think you're being quite selfish by not allowing him to use your robot," Mr. Mark counters.

"He touched it without asking! How is that selfish?" Logan's frustration begins to show.

"Because sharing is important. Didn't your parents teach you that?" Mr. Mark presses.

"They did, and they also taught me that I have the right to refuse if I'm uncomfortable. I don't see how I'm in the wrong here, sir. I don't appreciate you questioning my upbringing. My parents are amazing, and they're not here to speak for themselves, but I will defend them. You can't make me share if I don't want to," Logan asserts.

"Mark, he's right. You can't force him. Stop pressuring him about it. Lucas touched BuddyBot without permission and should apologize," Ms. Knight interjects.

"Lucas, apologize to Logan," Mr. Mark commands.

"No way, I'm not doing that," Lucas retorts.

"Yes, you will," Ms. Knight says firmly.

With a sigh, Lucas mumbles, "Sorry for touching BuddyBot without your permission, Logan."

"Good job. Mark, don't you have something to say to Logan as well?" Ms. Knight prompts.

"I apologize for trying to make you share your robot and for judging your parents' teaching of manners," Mr. Mark admits.

"Apologies accepted from both of you, but let's not have this happen again," Logan replies.