Dinner time in our house is not all that easy.

It doesn't help that my little brother is the most annoying little… I'm trying to be nice to him. Can't insult him.

Ever since we defeated the Screenslaver (well, Mom did. Dash and I just kinda, pulled her out of her trance) life has pretty much returned to normal. Yes, Mr Deavor did let us keep the house he loaned to us a few months or so ago, so there's that. But otherwise, the weekly schedule for meals is still the same stuff. Meatloaf night on Monday. That's probably the worst. Meatloaf is alright. I'll eat it, okay? But Dash. Dash likes to take the gravy spoon, load it up with a dozen peas, and fling it at me when no-one is looking. I usually end up covered in gravy and peas. Unless, I can put up a forcefield around him, cause them to rebound and then laugh as Dash gets smacked in the face with his own weaponry.

Spaghetti night on Tuesday is usually my favourite. Sometimes Mom cuts up meatballs and we have spaghetti and meatballs. The best part is, Dash really stabs at his spaghetti when he's hungry. And Tuesday night is right after track practice, so he's always hungry.

Believe me, it's hysterical watching the fork bounce off of a forcefield and clatter onto the floor, followed by the enraged look. I must admit, I laugh really hard when that happens.

Wednesday is usually when Dash gets back at me. Leftover night moved to Friday, and now we have tacos. Dash is usually fast enough to grab the bottle of chilli sauce and dump the whole lot on mine before I even sit down, which is the most irritating thing.

Thursdays we have takeaway food. Dash usually gets mad because Mom orders all vegetables. All the time. From my position across the table, I see all the rage build up in his mind. It would be cruel of me to do anything to him when he's in that position. Then I remember the taco and think 'to hell with it' and piss him off the best I can.

Friday is leftover night. It is one of only two nights Mom and Dad let us have soft drinks with dinner, so that is good.

On Saturday, Mom always cooks up a nice roast beef with potatoes, Yorkshire puddings (No, Dash, they aren't named after the Yorkie dogs) and roast carrots. It's always one of the best nights of the week.

On Sunday, it's usually 'Who can be bothered cooking?' night and we're free to choose what we want. Tony and I most often go out to get some takeaway, because Dash usually takes the best stuff before I even think about dinner. We're talking two in the afternoon, here.

Anyway, tonight was Thursday. We had pizza for the first time in ages, which was a nice break from Chinese food.

I grabbed a slice of the meatlovers before Dash had a chance and placed it on my plate before reaching in for a slice of ham and cheese. All pretty standard stuff, right?

Nope. Dash needed to start something. Of course he did. He's Dash.

"Why does she get two slices?" Dash asked Dad.

"Ask your mother." Dad said without looking away from the new show on the TV. It was the newest episode of Jonny Quest, which Dad and I watch religiously, usually afterwards. Winston gave us a video recorder as a part of the deal with the house. Who would've thought?

"It's because you always grab more than your fair share, young man. Vi's just getting in early." Mom said as I continued to stare at my pizza.

I knew where this was going.

"Well, she'd know a thing or two about not getting a fair share." Dash said.

Called it.

"Not this again." I said as I looked up with disbelief in my eyes.

"Yeah!"

"Dash, it's fine. Violet had no control over it." Mom said, desperately trying to draw Dash back from where he was charging into.

"Yeah, well, she got two powers and I only got one! How's that fair?!" Dash said, finally getting Dad to look away from the TV and towards the table.

"Your father and I only have one, too, Dash." Mom said.

Great. Way to single me out.

"Then why'd she get two if you guys only have one?" Dash asked.

"Jack-Jack has 17! Why does it matter to you so much?" I asked, incredulously.

"This isn't about Jack-Jack. You can turn invisible, and make force-fields. It's not fair!"

I threw my head back and groaned. Just stop.

"Your pizza is getting cold, Dash. Just eat. Violet can't control how many powers she got and neither could we. You got super speed, isn't that something?" Mom asked, exhaustion evident in her eyes.

"Fine, then." Dash said.

He's gotten super moody after I 'had a bigger role in the battle on the boat'. Actual quote. Verbatim.

Surveillance is difficult to do if all you can do is run fast and you have the subtlety of a rampaging rhino. He didn't seem to get that.

I started eating my pizza at last and chewed my way through it. The tense atmosphere that had descended after the argument lingered until Mom interrupted it.

"So, Vi, when's Tony coming over?"

"About seven, he said." I replied.

"Ooh! I'll get the Tonyloaf out!" Dash said and jumped up.

"That's it!" I yelled and dived across the table and collected him as we both went sliding across the polished stone floor.

He started punching me and I started punching back, turning invisible as I did to give him a harder target to hit.

We continued to tussle for some time. I trapped him in a forcefield, he ran around me in circles punching me with every chance he had, I trapped him in another forcefield, and all over again it repeated.

Mom finally interrupted us.

"BOTH OF YOU! STOP!"

We froze where we were and looked at her.

"You two are going to stop fighting and eat your dinner!" She said sternly.

The two of us trudged back to our seats and sat down. Dash raced through what was left of his pizza and disappeared up to his room.

I finished my first slice and turned to Mom.

"Why did I get two powers when everyone else only has one?"

"I don't know, Vi." Mom said.

"Could be the first baby that two supers have has a higher percentage of their collective 'super' genes, and so get more powers?" Dad suggested.

"How do you explain Jack-Jack?" I asked.

"I hadn't considered that." Dad replied.

I finished my dinner and put the plate in the sink, excusing myself and heading up to my room where I sat down on my bed to think.

Maybe one of my powers is actually an extension of the other one? That doesn't make sense. Invisibility and force-fields don't have much to do with each other.

I don't really know. One thing is for sure, though. Dinner at our house is always an interesting experience.