Chapter 4

Where we left off our heroes, Daddy was in the middle of deciding how to punish his son for daring to suggest his sister get punished for repeatedly poking him in the balls through his skin-tight leotard

“What? Punish me” Arnold asked incredulously “but, but, but, I didn’t even do anything. I just ... I just”

“Hey” said George. “I would have just given you another chance to be better next time. But it was you who said that unless you punish someone they’ll never stop. Your own logic demands I punish you.”

“Very sound logic,” said Lexi.

“Thank you sweetie,” George replied with a smile.

“So she doesn’t get punished for continuously poking me in the balls, but I get punished for asking her to be punished?”

Lexi was grinning from ear to ear.

“That’s a gross oversimplification” said George “Now I think your punishment should be that you have to do 50 jumping jacks in that cute leotard right now”

Lexi smiled at her father.

“Right now? But I ... I just ran 2 and a half miles, and this outfit is killing me and ... and...”

“Come on” said George. “Better start now or I’ll make it 60”

Scrambling Arnold started doing his jumping jacks. Lexi started laughing again

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6” Arnold started counting

“Wo wo wo, your counting half jacks there” said George. “A full jumping jack means ending up at the starting position, you’re still at 3 now”

Lexi chuckled as Arnold sighed

“4,... 5,... 6,...”

“Hold up” said George “I’m going to get a smoothie by that shop over there, you want one Lexi?”

“Sure” she said “I’ll take strawberry banana”

“I’ll take mango” said Arnold

“People who are being punished don’t get smoothies,” his father replied.

“Please I just jogged 2 and a half miles in the heat” he complained “can’t I at least get a water?”

“Fine” said George as he went off to buy the smoothies.

“When he came back Arnold was panting from having finished his jumping jacks.

“All done?” asked George.

“Yes,” said Arnold.

“That’s a lie,” lied Lexi. “He stopped as soon as your back was turned. Then started again as you started walking back. He only did like 20 total?”

“About 20?” asked George “So you still got to do 30 more”

“30 more? But she’s lying” pleaded Arnold.

George knew Lexi was probably lying. But life was so much more fun when he pretended to believe her. “Actually 50 more, 20 jack penalty for lying about how much you did”

“But ... I...” Lexi smiled as she looked at her unfortunate brother with a smile.

She looked so happy and content with her cool smoothie. My pain and suffering is just a big joke to her, thought Arnold in frustration.

Does she know how attractive she looks when she smiles like that? Another part of Arnold’s brain thought...

“Better start bro, your water’s getting warm” Lexi said and Arnold reluctantly started jumpinh

Lexi and her father enjoyed their smoothies while watching Arnold sweat bullets. Lexi even took a swig of the water George had bought for Arnold.

The second set took longer as he kept having to stop and catch his breath, By the time he was done, his water wasn’t even cold anymore

“Can I please have my water now?” he asked.

“Ooo, sorry Bro” said Lexi. “I kind of drunk some of your water. It has my germs on it now, so I don’t think you can drink it”

“It’s fine, your healthy,” said George. “just give Arnold his water.” so relcutantly Lexi gave the water back to Arnold.

A part of George was sad he couldn’t watch Lexi steal Arnold’s water and not give it back. It would have been fun to watch. Unfortunitly he couldn’t have Arnold fainting from dehydration.

Finally the trio made it to the hotel where they met up with Mindy.

“Hey guys” said Mindy, who was chilling in the hotel lobby after the bellhop took up the luggage “Arnold what are you wearing, you look positivly adorable” she asked with a chuckle.

“This was all they had in the gift shop by the showers” he responded awkwardly

“I’m changing out of it as soon as I get upstairs”

“Excuse me? Changing out of it?” asked his mom, a bit sternly.

“Yes...?” replied Arnold hesitantly.

“Into some of your clothes from your luggage?” asked his mom.

“Yes...” he tried again “why? Is there a problem with my luggage?” he asked.

“Should there be?” his mom asked.

“I have no idea what your talking about” Arnold replied.

“Don’t play dumb with me” said Mindy. “I was with the luggage until now. I saw mud leaking out from your sister’s suitcase. A suitcase, which you were the last person to be with”

“Arnold put mud on my suitcase?” Lexi asked annoyed

“Now wait” said Arnold “That was just a prank, like when you poured water on my pants”

“You dared me to do that”

“Ok, well I didn’t dare you to change my facebook status” Arnold countered angrily

“You kind of did by leaving your phone unlocked” Lexi causally responded.

“Well you left your luggage unlocked”

“Enough, both of you!” shouted Mindy.

“Listen” she continued “a little prank here and there is ok. I’m not some super strict parent, but really Arnold, what was the end game of this prank? You expected Lexi to just go two whole weeks without any clothes? How is that even funny? And the ones who would have to smell her are us”

“So, my prank wasn’t funny enough, so I’m going to be punished?” asked Arnold.

“Well someone is going to have to take Lexi’s clothes to the dry cleaner and hand wash whatever they can’t clean and buy replacements for whatever can’t be hand washed. I don’t think it’s unfair to say that person should be you.”

Arnold huffed

“What?” asked Mindy “am I being unreasonable?”

“No” he admitted “It’s just...”

“Just what?” asked his mother.

“I don’t know, I just, I just snapped ok. I was frustrated when she poured that water on me and ... I’m sorry.”

“Being frustrated is perfectly understandable,” replied Mindy.

“But you need to learn to think before you act. And I think that until Lexi’s clothes are clean and Lexi is able to change, that you shouldn’t be allowed to change either.”

...

It took Arnold a moment to process what his mom just said.

“Wait so I have to keep wearing this leotard?”

“Yup” said his mom

“but ... but it doesn’t even fit me. It was just so I could get to the hotel without dripping water everywhere. I ... I can’t keep wearing this. I just ... can’t. It’s really really uncomfortable”

“This is not up for debate” replied his mother. “Until all of Lexi’s clothing is clean, you are not changing out of that.”

Lexi grinned. She loved how this vacation was shapping up.

“Hey Lexi! Hey Arnold!” a voice called from the hotel bar.

“Amber, Hey!” Lexi responded brightly, recognizing her as the girl they met before at the gas station.

Lexi started walking over to the bar.