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"Hey, mom and dad are going to be late getting home," Sara said as Milo walked into the kitchen, as she was dumping a bag of frozen chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and sticking it in the oven, "So we're on our own for dinner."
"Oh, thanks," Milo said, having NOT received the relevant message (due to his phone being flushed down a toilet), "I was going to order pizza for the sleepover anyway," Milo told her.
"Sleepover?"
"With Zack and Melissa," Milo clarified.
"I wouldn't have guessed," Sara said, "But I remember that now. If these buffalo chicken wings survive you can have some,"
Milo taking the hint, backed up to the other side of the room.
"Well, Zack and Melissa will be here soon,"
"Any plans?"
"Sleepover." Milo said dryly.
"I meant for the sleepover." Sara said, equally as dryly back.
"Not really. I mean. Plans. I just wanted to invite them over to hang out. You know, after last time."
(The last incident ended with all all three in the hospital and two giant holes in the Underwood's backyard).
"Well, I was going to replay the new Dr. Zone video game... but if you want the TV I'll do something else." Sara offered.
"That should be fine, we can do something else," Milo said.
"Alright," Sara said.
Milo grabbed a soda from the fridge and headed back upstairs.
While Sara waited for her chicken nuggets she set up her game. The game system was a cheap one they'd found online (which while it increased the chances it's break... it was bound to break anyway. The game she kept safe in her room where Milo and Dad didn't go unless necessary (it was less a rule and more a courtesy they granted to her). At one point she vaguely the swing of a door and the sound of footsteps on stairs.
The doorbell rang. Sara didn't pay it any mind, sure that Milo was going to grab it. Diogee, who had been napping besides Sara on the couch however did, jumping up to bark at the door.
A minute passed and Milo didn't appear to welcome their guests and the doorbell rang again.
There was a knock for good measure.
Sara got up paused her game to let the guests in (and Diogee out).
"Hey guys, come on in."
"Milo here?" Melissa asked.
"He should be around here somewhere," Sara said shrugging, "I'm going to see if he got locked in the basement again. Make yourselves at home,"
"Don't need to tell me twice," Melissa said walking straight to the fridge.
"Leave a Cokesi for me!" Sara said.
"I see two right now," Melissa said, grabbing one and shutting the fridge (carefully).
"Well there better be one left for me!" Sara called back approaching the basement door, Diogee on her heels.
While Zack had quickly found his footing as Milo's friend, and had been over here plenty of times at this point, he wasn't as familiar with the Murphy household as Melissa who'd been over nearly twice a week for over 7 years. He, more politely took a seat at the counter.
"Do you want something to drink," Melissa asked.
"Oh, um... what is there,"
"Cokesi... and Citrush,"
"I thought there was only one Cokesi left?"
"She'll get over it," Melissa said, "Or you can have this one," Melissa said holding her own drink.
"I'll take a Citrush," Zack said.
"Suit yourself," Melissa said, setting his desired drink on the counter.
The door to the basement was, to nobodies surprise, stuck. Sara yanked at it a bit harder. It was easier to open at the top of the stairs, rather than on the stairs anyway.
"Milo!" Sara called downstairs, "Are you down here,"
"Hey Sara, can you give me a hand," Milo's voice muffled. Diogee dashed by Sara and down the stairs.
Sara came down the stairs to notice Milo, somehow tangled in Christmas lights. Or rather she noticed a pile of fake snow with some stray Christmas lights poking out.
"What are you even doing in the basement?" Sara asked, ripping the layers of fake snow off her brother, and beginning to help him untangle Christmas lights.
Their basement was exactly what one thought when they thought basement. There wasn't much down there except some storage boxes.
"Circuit breaker."
"Your friends are here," Sara said, contemplating just cutting a particularly difficult knot.
"Really! That's great!" Milo said, heading to rush upstairs before he was fully untangled and nearly tripped, but Sara caught him by his backpack and pulled him up.
"Heh, thanks," Milo said, and untangled the last of the Christmas lights.
Sara stared at the mess on the ground, and pushed it into the corner. Fixing that was tomorrow's problem. Sure it was a disaster waiting to happen, but if she stopped to clean up every mess the moment it was made she'd never do anything. Those Christmas lights probably wouldn't even work anyway.
"So what happened?" Zack asked when Milo emerged from the basement.
"Circuit breaker tripped in my room. Got tangled in Christmas lights on my way back up."
"Cool," Melissa said, "So what did you want to do?"
Sara came up after Milo and went to the fridge.
"Melissa where's the..."
"Top of the door,"
"Thanks," Sara said, and went to the couch, and started up her game back up.
"I was thinking of ordering some pizza... you know because we're more likely to get food," Milo said, "I checked with Veronica to make sure she was working before I set the date"
"Then what's in the oven?" Zack asked.
"Sara's chicken wings,"
"Feel free to have some if they survive," Sara said, "I probably won't eat them all,"
"Then why did you make the whole bag?" Milo asked.
"Or I won't let you have any," Sara said, "That's fine too! I'll take them for lunch Monday,"
"I'd be a shame if something happened to them before then?"
"Are you threatening my lunch?"
"I'm just saying Murphy's Law!" Milo said smiling mischievously, "I can't control it."
"Speaking of food where are you parents?" Zack asked.
"I don't know..." Milo started.
"Wait... how are those at all related?" Melissa interrupted.
"I just.. you know. When I think of food, I think of my parents who you know. Make the food. So where are Mr. and Mrs. Murphy?"
"I don't know," Milo repeated, "Hey Sara, where are mom and dad?"
"I don't know exactly, they just said they'd be late... something about a bridge and brakes going out. I think they were looking at cars or something."
"So what are you doing Sara?" Melissa asked.
"Dr. Zone. Clocktower Calamity. New game."
"Having fun?" Melissa continued.
"Not sure yet, either I'm going to be very angry, or very excited by the end of this... there are certainly some... interesting things happening with the lore here."
"Really, what's going on?" Milo asked, coming closer to see the tv screen. Sara's game controller started sparking in her hands, causing her to drop it on the ground, and causing the controls to move erratically, and Time Ape to fall off the level, bringing a game over.
"So now that that's done, can we have the tv?" Melissa asked.
"You could have just asked." Sara said.
"I didn't do that on purpose," Milo said, knowing full well that both of them knew that.
"....Rest in peace Timeape.... I thought you said you were going to do something else?" Sara asked.
"Why do you want the TV?" Milo asked Melissa.
"I found a box set of this cheesy sci-fi fantasy comedy adventure mystery romcom that I thought we could make fun of." Melissa said, producing the aforementioned box out of her bag
Zack took a look at the front cover, "Looks fine to me,"
"Sorry, about your game," Milo apologized to Sara.
"So can we have the TV?" Melissa asked.
"Alright, mind if I join you?" Sara asked, scooting over on the couch.
"Not at all," Milo said, plopping down beside her.
"You know it's not Dr. Zone," Zack said.
"you know I do watch things that aren't Dr. Zone, right." Sara told him.
"Really?" Zack asked.
"Just because Dr. Zone is my favorite franchise of all time doesn't mean it's my entire life. I mean I have to have something to compare it to, right?" Sara said.
"I... guess that makes sense," Zack agreed.
"Does anyone smell smoke?" Melissa asked.
"My chicken wings!" Sara said, flying off the couch and towards the kitchen.
"I should probably call Veronica for that pizza," Milo said, "Or I would if I had a phone,"
"I can call," Zack said.
"And I'll stick the movie in," Melissa said, beginning to finagle the Murphy's pieced together TV set.
"Good news! The chicken wings survived!" Sara said.
"Is there bad news?" Melissa said.
"Quiet I'm making the phone call!" Zack yelled.
"Just that I think the oven broke again, so can't use that."
Diogee started barking like mad and ran into the kitchen.
"WE'LL TAKE TWO PIZZA'S!"
"Just go into the other room," Melissa told him.
"What other room?" Zack asked.
"Just head upstairs!" Milo told him.
"Milo can you grab a spare fire-extinguisher for the kitchen, the raccoon just stole one,"
"Again? What does it even do with them?"
"Thanks for coming over you guys," Milo said, while Etgar confessed his undying love for Sgreak.
"Thanks for having us," Melissa said.
"Yeah man, it's been fun."
"Yeah, thanks for coming over." Sara said, "It's always nice when you guys come over. Milo's lucky to have friends like you."
"Sara," Milo whined, "I don't need you to tell them that."
"Well they should get to hear it." Sara said.
Diogee barked.
"See Diogee agrees!" Sara said, "And he's the best so you can't argue,"
"I suppose not," Milo said, "Melissa, Zack, Thank you!"
"Well, we're pretty lucky to have a friend like Milo," Zack said.
"Obviously," Melissa said, "I don't know who I'd be without him."
"Aww you guys," Milo said, "I don't know who I'd be without you two either... oh and that includes you too of course Diogee."
Diogee barked happily while Milo scratched his ears.
"Oh and you too Sara."
"Same to you little brother,"