Broken Goods

“I'm sorry, it was me!” Dolly snivelled.

Ian scratched his head. “What’re you talking about?”

“Oh, this is what happened…”

* * *

Dolly spotted a cockroach lurking inside the kitchen. The bug fled into Ian’s bedroom. When Dolly gave chase, she tripped over a cable and crashed onto her brother’s guitar.

Smash!

The cockroach crawled under the bed, but this no longer concerned Dolly. With trembling hands, she unzipped the guitar bag and goggled at the broken instrument. "Uh-oh, not good."

The doorbell rang.

“Open the door!” Ian banged his fist against the door frame.

“Just a second!” Dolly kicked the guitar under the bed. She scurried into her room and dove for the tennis racket that lay on the carpet. Grabbing the racket's handle, she dashed back into her brother’s room. A smirk crept over her face as she shoved the racket into the bag.

"The perfect diversion - I'm a genius." Dolly zipped the bag and proceeded to open the door for her sibling.

"Took your sweet time." Ian stepped past Dolly and approached his bedroom.

“Hey, what's the hurry?" Dolly trailed her brother. "Are you looking for something?"

"Yeah, my guitar. I've got band practice."

Dolly gulped. “Oh, fantastic.”

Ian entered his room and swept his bag off the floor. “My guitar seems to have lost weight?”

"I don't know." Dolly diverted her gaze. "Maybe it went on a diet?"

"Dude, that was lame." Ian unzipped the bag, and…

* * *

“And that’s what happened." Tears brimmed Dolly's eyelids.

Ian stood towering over Dolly. As he lifted his hand, she expected a spanking.

Instead, Ian patted her on the head. "Hey, at least we’re even now."

Dolly winced. "What do you mean?"

Ian pulled the racket out. Only then did Dolly notice the hole on the net.

Ian shrugged. "Yesterday, I kind of broke your equipment."

"Y-you destroyed my favourite racket?"

"Hey, like I said, at least we're eve - "

"Your mum is even!" Dolly stormed out of her brother's room.

"You do know we have the same mother, right?" Ian sighed. "Crazy chick."