Hank stood proudly in front of the sleek, newly waxed car, arms crossed like he'd just saved the world—again. The shine on the car was practically blinding under the garage lights. He grinned. "Barb is gonna love it."

Phoebe stepped in, stretching her arms. "Hey, Dad, did you—" She froze mid-step, eyes going wide as she spotted the car. "Oh. No. No, no, no, no, no." She pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're the last person I wanted to see this."

Hank frowned. "Wait, what? I live here."

Melanie leaned lazily against the workbench, arms crossed, watching the exchange like a spectator at a tennis match. "Oh, this is about to be good."

Phoebe gasped dramatically, eyes lighting up. "You got me a new car?! I love it!" She rushed over and ran her hand across the hood, letting out an exaggerated "Ooooh." She sniffed the air. "And it's freshly waxed. This is the best day of my life."

Hank quickly stepped in between her and the driver's side door. "Okay, hold your horses, speedster. The car is for your mom."

Phoebe's jaw dropped. "Wait. What?"

Melanie smirked, casually inspecting her nails. "Oof. That's rough, dude."

Phoebe turned back to Hank, confused. "Then why did you freak out when I walked in?"

Hank hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "Because... I'm surprising her for our anniversary. And, well... you know."

Phoebe blinked. "Uh, no, I don't know."

Hank sighed. "You're not great at keeping secrets."

Phoebe gasped, pressing a hand to her chest in fake offense. "What? Me? Not great at keeping secrets?"

Melanie tilted her head. "Yeah, no, he's got a point."

Hank crossed his arms. "Remember last week when I asked you to keep quiet about the steakhouse dinner?"

Hank reminded her earlier that day. "Phoebe, keep this quiet."

Phoebe blurted out, having everyone stare at her in disbelief. "Dad's taking you to a steakhouse for your anniversary!"

Phoebe cleared her throat awkwardly. "Okay, that was one time."

Hank raised a brow. "Oh really?"

Five years ago in Metroburg, it was Barb's birthday and everyone had their gifts prepared. Barb smiled she asked. "What did your dad get me for my birthday?"

Younger Phoebe exclaimed. "Definitely not a watch!"

Phoebe groaned. "Okay, two times."

Melanie snorted. "You're a lost cause, dude."

Hank stepped closer, putting his hands on Phoebe's shoulders. "I'm begging you, Phoebe. This is the big one. Please don't spoil the surprise."

Phoebe sighed dramatically. "Fine. I promise."

Hank smiled, relieved. "Good." He turned back to the car, patting the hood. "Now, I also wrote your mother a poem—"

Phoebe gasped. "A poem?! Ooooh, I can't wait to tell her—" She slapped a hand over her mouth. "Wait! No! I mean—I won't tell her! No telly! No words! I'm a vault! A steel trap!"

Hank groaned. "Why do I feel like I just made a huge mistake?"

Melanie smirked. "Because you totally did."

Phoebe waved him off. "Oh, relax. Mom's gonna love it." Then she pointed at Melanie. "And you—you agree with him way too much."

Melanie shrugged. "Hey, for once, Hank's right. If this secret makes it through the night, it'll be a miracle."

Hank and Melanie shared a knowing look as Phoebe stood between them, arms crossed, trying to look trustworthy.

Hank sighed. "I need to get a lock for my mouth."

The living room was buzzing with energy, mostly because Billy and Nora were rolling around on the floor laughing at a cartoon that made absolutely no sense.

Max slouched on the couch, arms crossed. "This cartoon doesn't even make any sense."

Nora, mid-laugh, glanced at him. "Does anyone over two even find this funny?"

Billy wiped a tear from his eye. "I do! It's hilarious!"

Phoebe sighed, rubbing her temples. "Mom, I'm so sorry I ruined your surprise dinner. But I can assure you that there are no more surprises in store tonight. Just the dinner. Nothing else. Zip, zilch, nada."

Barb gave her a suspicious look but smiled. "Okay, well, let's go now."

Just as she and Hank grabbed their coats, the TV beeped loudly.

"Alert, alert, Blobbin calling."

The screen switched to show their overly enthusiastic cousin, lounging on a ridiculous pile of cash.

"Hey, Thundermans! How are my favorite cousins?"

Hank's face lit up. "Kids, this is your cousin Blobbin, the All-American Blob's old sidekick before he passed away."

Max rolled his eyes. "Oh, right. The lucky sucker who got everything."

Hank let out an awkward laugh. "Oh, kids, I don't know where they hear these things."

Nora smirked. "From you, Dad. You say it all the time."

Blobbin chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, you guys. You're too much. But really, I've just been busy, you know, swimming in cash and—" He reached over and tossed a stack of bills into a roaring fireplace. "—keeping warm."

Max's eyes widened. "Cousin Blobbin, are you seriously just sitting on a pile of cash?"

Blobbin shrugged. "Uh, yeah. What else am I supposed to do with all this money Uncle Blob left me?" He let out a dramatic sigh. "Hold on, I gotta stoke the fire a bit." He grabbed another handful of money and casually tossed it in. "Mmm, toasty."

Max leaned in. "Hi, I'm Max, and you owe me a lifetime of Christmas and birthday gifts."

Nora piped up. "Double it. We're twins."

Blobbin laughed. "Oh, you guys. You're hilarious."

Barb, sensing the conversation getting off track, quickly interjected. "Blobbin, we'd love to catch up, but we have dinner reservations."

Blobbin clapped his hands together. "That's why I'm calling! Happy anniversary!"

Barb's face softened. "Aw, you remembered. How sweet of you."

Blobbin grinned. "We're family. We look after each other. And remember, if you ever need anything, I mean anything, give me a call. And you know what I'll say?"

Together, Hank and Blobbin declared, "This sounds like a job for a blob!"

Max rolled his eyes harder. "Wow, little guy really knows his superheroes."

Hank chuckled. "Well, thanks for calling, Blobbin."

Blobbin smiled warmly. "You got it. I love you, Hank."

Hank's smile faltered. "Okay, thanks again—"

Blobbin's face fell. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You can't leave a guy hanging with an 'I love you.' You gotta say it back."

Hank laughed nervously. "You're a funny man. Hate to go, but we've got those reservations. See ya!" He quickly turned off the TV.

Phoebe practically pushed them toward the door. "Okay, drive carefully! We only have one car. Definitely not two."

Barb gave her a weird look before shaking her head and heading out. "Alright, we'll be back by 10!"

The moment the door shut, Max spun on Phoebe. "Okay. You have a serious problem."

Nora smirked. "Phoebe knows something."

Billy rubbed his hands together. "And we will find out what it is."

Melanie, who had been sitting quietly on the armrest of the couch, raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you guys have fun with that. I'll just be over here... minding my own business."

Max squinted at her. "You know what it is, don't you?"

Melanie gave him a knowing smirk but stayed silent, casually inspecting her nails.

Phoebe pointed at her. "See? This is how you keep a secret."

Nora folded her arms. "Well, she won't talk, but you will."

Max grinned. "And I know exactly how to make her talk."

Phoebe gulped. This was not going to be fun.

Melanie sat on the armrest of the couch, arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold with mild amusement.

Nora twirled her unicorn plushie, holding it just out of Billy's reach. "Tell us what you know, or the unicorn gets it!"

Billy gasped dramatically. "But that's your unicorn!"

Nora smirked. "Exactly. And I'm willing to make sacrifices."

Phoebe crossed her arms. "I'll never talk."

Max, leaning against the kitchen counter, pulled out his phone. "Alright, Phoebe, you've left us no choice." He tapped a few buttons. "This is your math homework... with all the answers wrong. Don't think I won't hit send to Mom."

Phoebe scoffed. "Gosh, Max, I'm really worried... for Pho-bee Tinderman." She raised an eyebrow. "You spelled my name wrong."

Max frowned and glanced at his screen. "Then you'll flunk spelling too." He smirked. "In three... two... one—"

Before he could hit send, Billy blurted out, "Dad bought Mom a new car!"

The room went silent for a second.

Nora's eyes widened. "New car?"

Billy grinned. "Sweet!"

Melanie, who had been sitting quietly the entire time, simply shrugged. "Well. That escalated quickly."

Max groaned and put his phone away. "Ugh. That's so boring. I thought it was gonna be something juicy, like a top-secret mission or at least a hidden stash of cookies."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because that's the kind of thing I'd hide from you."

Melanie smirked. "Oh, I know something worth keeping quiet about, but unlike Billy, I can actually keep a secret."

Max perked up. "Wait, wait, wait—you know something?"

Melanie just gave him a knowing look. "Maybe."

Nora stomped her foot. "Okay, new plan! We get the secret out of Melanie!"

Billy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Time for phase two!"

Melanie held up her hands. "Yeah, nope. Not happening. I like watching you guys struggle too much." She leaned back against the couch with a smug grin, clearly enjoying herself.

Max crossed his arms. "Fine. Keep your dumb secret." He turned to Phoebe. "But for the record, I still think this whole 'new car' thing was a total letdown."

Phoebe smirked. "Well, if you're so disappointed, you could always tell Mom you messed with my homework. I'm sure she'd love to have a chat with you about that."

Max's expression dropped. "You know what? I think I'm good."

Melanie chuckled under her breath. "Smart choice, Tinderman."

Melanie groaned as the group rushed toward the garage, her frustration finally bubbling over.

"Unbelievable," she muttered, lagging behind. "I knew this was gonna turn into a mess the second Phoebe opened her mouth."

"Come on, Mel!" Nora called over her shoulder, dragging Billy along by the wrist. "We gotta see the car before Mom and Dad catch us!"

Max smirked, jogging beside Phoebe. "Yeah, Phoebe, since you already blurted out the secret, we might as well get a reward for all this chaos."

"It wasn't my fault Billy cracked under pressure!" Phoebe shot back.

"I crack easily!" Billy said with zero shame, nearly tripping over his own feet as they skidded to a stop in front of the garage door.

"Well, I don't!" Melanie huffed. "I was keeping my mouth shut like a pro, and then boom, betrayal!" She pointed accusingly at Phoebe. "You folded faster than a cheap lawn chair."

Phoebe groaned. "Oh, please. Like you weren't just as curious!"

Melanie threw up her hands. "Curious? Sure! But I wasn't about to ruin the whole thing just to satisfy some instant gratification! Now we're all about to get caught and—why am I even arguing?! This is your mess!"

"Less arguing, more sneaking!" Max interrupted, shoving a hand against the garage door opener. With a loud whirrr, the door started lifting.

The group collectively gasped as the sleek, shiny new car came into view. It was pristine—glossy black with tinted windows and chrome accents that reflected their awestruck faces.

"Whoa..." Billy whispered in amazement. "It looks like something a spy would drive."

"Or a really cool villain," Max added, eyes gleaming with mischief. "I call shotgun!"

"We are not getting in!" Phoebe scolded, stepping between him and the driver's side door.

"Oh, now you care about rules?" Melanie crossed her arms. "Where was this energy when you were spilling secrets?"

"Mel, let it go," Max said, rolling his eyes. "You act like she committed a crime."

"In my book, she did!" Melanie shot back, throwing her hands in the air. "There's an unspoken code about keeping cool secrets a secret, and she broke it! You know what happens when you break the code?"

Billy's eyes widened. "What?!"

Melanie pointed dramatically toward the house. "Consequences."

Right on cue, they heard a voice from inside:

"Who opened the garage?!"

The group froze.

"Oh, great," Max groaned. "Mom and Dad are definitely gonna kill us."

"Not if we make a run for it!" Nora squeaked.

"And then we'll look guilty," Phoebe snapped. "We have to act casual."

"Oh, sure," Melanie deadpanned. "Because casual totally describes five kids standing in a half-open garage, gawking at a car we definitely weren't supposed to see yet."

"Uh, guys..." Billy whispered, eyes darting toward the house. "Too late."

Their parents were headed straight for them.

Max sighed. "Alright. New plan—everybody look innocent!"

Melanie groaned. "Fantastic. Because that's something this group is totally capable of."

☆

Phoebe sighed, rubbing her temples as she looked at her siblings sprawled across the seats, stuffing their faces with chili dogs. "Okay, guys, it's been long enough. Everybody out."

Max leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head. "Cool it, Pheebs. We're just soaking up the new car smell."

Billy and Nora both inhaled deeply.

"Oh yeah, that's new," Billy said dreamily.

Phoebe groaned. "Seriously, I promised Dad I wouldn't tell anyone about this car."

Max smirked. "And how's that going for you?"

Phoebe threw her hands up. "Dad was right. I have a serious problem."

Billy grinned, completely oblivious to the stress radiating from his sister. "Billy's getting a skateboard for his birthday!"

"Yay!" Nora cheered, then took another bite of her chili dog.

Melanie, who had been standing outside the car, arms crossed, finally lost her patience. "Guys, listen to Phoebe. Get out."

Phoebe exhaled in relief. "Thank you."

But Max ignored them both. "Or... we help me turn this bad boy into a rocket car."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "This is NOT gonna be a rocket car!"

Nora perked up. "Max, pass the mustard."

Phoebe whipped around. "Wait—why are you eating chili dogs in the new car?"

Max shrugged. "Because I didn't want a cheeseburger."

Phoebe grabbed her head like she was about to explode. "Get out of there before you spill anything!"

Nora pointed at Billy. "I think she's talking to you."

Billy held up his hands innocently. "What do you want from me? I'm eight!"

Melanie shook her head in frustration. "I'm older. Get out."

Billy frowned but complied, hopping out of the car. Phoebe let out a relieved breath—until she saw Max dabbing at the seat with a napkin.

Her stomach dropped. "What are you doing?"

Max gave her a casual wave. "Just cleaning up the cheese."

Phoebe's eyes darted between him and the now-suspiciously wiped-down seat. "There wasn't any cheese on those chili dogs."

Max hesitated. "No, but there was on the nachos I spilled." He patted the seat. "All good."

Phoebe groaned. "Max, we have to be careful! This is a really nice car!"

Max raised an eyebrow. "Phoebe?"

She ignored him, still ranting. "I mean, personally, I wouldn't buy it. I'd get a pink convertible. You know, one of those with eyelashes on the headlights—"

"Phoebe!"

She huffed. "What?"

Melanie and Max both pointed behind her. She turned and froze.

The car was rolling.

"Oh no! We have to stop it!" Phoebe shrieked.

Max and Melanie both lunged forward. [THUMP!]

The car came to an abrupt stop. Everyone held their breath.

Max peeked over the hood. "Huh... That was close."

Billy beamed. "It must be our lucky day!"

[CRASH!]

Phoebe and Max screamed.

Billy and Nora burst into laughter. "It's funny because we didn't do it!"

Phoebe whipped around, eyes wild. "How did that even happen?!"

Max immediately jumped into action. "We were sitting here, minding our own business, when out of nowhere, Dad's arch-nemesis Gutter Ball came flying in—"

Nora interrupted, arms crossed. "Max did it. He hit the gear thingy, and the car started to roll."

Max sighed dramatically. "Why have a story if we're not gonna stick to it?"

Melanie let out an exasperated groan. "It doesn't matter! Dad's gonna flip!"

Max nodded. "She's right. Billy, initiate Defcon Orange."

Billy saluted. "On it!"

Phoebe squinted. "I'm sorry... what's Defcon Orange?"

Billy grinned. "We hide out in Argentina until the heat dies down."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "No one's running away! We have to fix this before Dad finds out I blew his secret!"

Max smirked. "You are probably gonna end up telling him anyway. You have a problem."

Phoebe glared. "Max, focus! We need help."

Melanie exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You guys are disasters."

Nora perked up. "Hold on, we do know someone with the kind of money that can fix this quickly."

Billy grinned. "And who'll drop everything to help the family."

Melanie groaned. "Please don't say—"

"This sounds like a job for a BLOOOB!"

Blobbin dramatically flipped his cape as he appeared in the driveway, his booming voice echoing through the night.

Melanie smacked her forehead. "Oh, so now it's cute when Billy does it."

Blobbin stood proudly, hands on his hips, beaming as if he had just descended from the heavens. "Fear not, young Thunderlings! I, Blobbin, shall fix your dilemma with my vast fortune and undeniable charm!"

Melanie, however, had had enough. She pinched the bridge of her nose, inhaled sharply, and without a word, turned on her heel and walked away.

Phoebe noticed immediately. "Melanie?"

Melanie threw a hand up without turning around. "Nope. I need a minute."

Max smirked. "Aw, come on, Mel. This is all part of the adventure!"

She shot him a sharp look over her shoulder. "No, Max. This is all part of the nonsense that I keep telling you to stop doing. And yet, here we are. Again."

Max shrugged. "That's fair."

Nora giggled. "I think she's mad."

Phoebe sighed, watching Melanie walk toward the side of the house, arms crossed tight over her chest.

Billy whispered loudly, "Should we follow her?"

Phoebe shook her head. "No. Just... let her breathe. For once."

Melanie leaned against the side of the house, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. She loved them—she really did—but why did they never listen? It was like talking to a brick wall. A brick wall that threw chili dogs around and thought Argentina was a reasonable escape plan.

Her fingers curled into her hoodie as she exhaled slowly. She wasn't even mad anymore, just tired. No matter how much she tried to be the voice of reason, the Thundermans operated on pure chaos. And she, unfortunately, was always right in the middle of it.

"Hey."

She cracked one eye open and found Phoebe standing nearby, watching her carefully.

"What?" Melanie