CHAPTER TWO

Bad Breakfast

“Hey, squirt,” Gavin said, messing up my hair. My parents always make us eat breakfast together since they aren’t always home for dinner. You know, because they “work” nights as superheroes.

“Don’t call me squirt,” I growled. I was having a bad morning. Probably because Gavin had hidden all my clean underwear again. He loves pranks.

“Boys, play nice,” Dad said. Dad tossed several pieces of bread into the air and toasted them with fire from his hand. He set the toast down on the table. “What else could I cook for breakfast? Hmmm…Anyone want waffles?”

“Honey, please don’t make a mess,” Mom said, floating into the kitchen. “Last time you made waffles, I spent all day cleaning batter off the ceiling.” My mom used to be a pilot for the air force, but she could fly faster than any of their jets on her own. Why couldn’t that have been my power?

I was reaching for a piece of toast when I was lifted into the air. With one hand, Felicia held my chair (with me in it!) over her head while she took a piece of toast. “Out of my way, squirt,” Felicia said.

“Don’t call me squirt,” I growled.

“Put your brother down, young lady,” Mom said.

“Fine,” Felicia said. When Mom wasn’t looking, Felicia stuck her tongue out at me.

I put a piece of toast on my plate and reached for the butter and jelly. That’s when Gavin copied himself. Gavin #1 took the butter, and Gavin #2 took the jelly. Both of them smiled and said, “Thanks, squirt.”

“Sqit!” my baby brother, Ben, tried to say. He swung his spoon, sending applesauce flying into my face. “Sqit!”

“Don’t call me squirt!” I shouted at everyone.

“Peter Patrick Powers!” Dad said. “There is no shouting at the breakfast table.”

“But—” I started.

“No buts, young man,” my mom added. “Apologize to everyone this instant.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled. I crossed my arms and tried to swallow my anger.

Felicia and Gavin gave each other a low five under the table. My grandpa Dale wheeled into the kitchen. He scowled at my brother and sister. “You two are up to no good as usual, I see. Mischief is the road to evil. Keep acting the way you do, and you’ll end up being the bad guys!”

“Come on, Dale,” my father said to his father-in-law.

“They will!” Grandpa said. I silently agreed.

My brother and sister shrugged and left the room. But not before Gavin #2 grabbed the toast off my plate and ran after the others.

“You know,” Grandpa said to me, “if you want your brother and sister to be nicer to you, you need to earn their respect.”

“How do I do that?” I asked.

“That’s easy.” He smiled. “Defeat a supervillain.”