Here is a funny story that I want to tell you. It's about the time that Colt gave Barley a bike. This was a few days after his birthday. I guess it was supposed to be a birthday gift or something?

"Do you know where Barley is?" he asked Mom. Mom was trying to read a book. Probably Centaur Romance Novel or something like that.

Anyways, Mom laughed and said that was a funny question.

"Nobody's ever asked me that before!"

"Just. Answer. The. Question," Colt said.

"Alright, alright!" Mom said. "He went to go live out of his van after we got into a fight a couple of days ago."

"But the van is still in the driveway," Colt said.

"I know, I know…" Mom sighed.

"I seriously wonder about that boy sometimes," said Colt.

"Whatever," Mom said. "It's not my problem."

She then left the house, saying that she was going to have "Brunch with The Manticore" or something.

A few hours later, Barley stumbled into the house, covered in scrapes.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

"I crashed into a police car…" Barley said.

I attempted to stifle a laugh, but he heard me all the same.

"It's not funny! That really hurt!" he said. "I'm never riding a bike again!"

Hmmm… Barley usually wasn't one to give up so easily.

In retrospect, maybe that story wasn't so funny. I think that's where all the trouble began, actually…

But that was a few weeks ago. Maybe he had changed his mind.

I walked into the kitchen and found him on the floor, being licked by Blazey.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Nothing," Barley said.

"Oh…wanna do something?" I asked.

"Like what?" Barley asked, suspicious.

"We could… uh… have a bike race?" I suggested.

"Nope! I'm all out of energy today!" he said.

"You literally work up an hour ago!" Mom said.

"What a lovely day, I said. I'm gonna wrestle my mom. What could possibly go wrong?" Barley mumbled.

"Apparently a lot went wrong!" I laughed.

"Not funny…" Mom said. "Anyways, I think you should go outside, Barley. Get some sunshine. You're looking pale."

"Uh… help me up?" Barley asked.

"No," Mom said. "You can get up on your own."

It was by no means a fair race. Barley couldn't keep up at all.

In fact, he had fainted and fallen off his bike.

"Yay! I won!" I said, and then went inside to have a cookie.

The cookies were from another attempt at "family bonding", because it had rained on the day we were meant to have a picnic.

Unfortunately, all of the cookies were gone.

"Oh, no! Who ate all of the cookies?" Mom said. "I just baked them yesterday!"

Then, she started crying!

What a weird thing to cry about.

"We could just bake some more?" I suggested.

"I have a better idea!" Mom said. "I'm gonna leave a special surprise for the individual who ate all of my cookies! So selfish and greedy! Not even leaving any for Ian!"

"Well, actually, I…" I said.

"I am going to bake dragon treats, and leave them in the cookie jar," Mom said.

"Uh… okay…" I said.

Just then, Barley was dragged in by Colt.

"Uh… what happened?" Mom asked.

"I found him like this," Colt said.

Barley just moaned unintelligibly.

"Oh, he fainted and fell off his bike earlier!" I said.

"WHAT?!" Mom said.