No one in the Thompson family could have predicted that a single word—CUTIS—would turn a quiet Saturday morning into a chaotic mess with a shocking twist no one saw coming.
It started as one of those lazy spring mornings. The birds chirped, the sun beamed through the kitchen window, and the smell of pancakes filled the house. Twelve-year-old Max was at the counter, tapping away on his phone with a mischievous grin. His little sister Lily sat nearby, sipping orange juice and occasionally glancing at Max with suspicion.
“What are you up to?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Max smirked. “Just something fun. You’ll see.”
At the center of it all was a TikTok trend Max had stumbled upon the night before. It was called the “CUTIS trick.” Apparently, if you said the word “cutis”—which Max had quickly learned meant “skin” in Latin—into someone’s ear while they were distracted, it was supposed to mess with their brain and make them momentarily forget what they were doing. Some said it was a prank. Others claimed it actually worked like magic.
Max loved the idea. Especially because his dad, a stern man with an obsession for order, hated anything that disrupted routine. “Structure builds character,” Dad always said, usually while rearranging the dishwasher or timing Max’s screen time.
And that’s where the fun came in.
After breakfast, Dad retreated to the garage to work on the shelves he’d been building all week. That was Max’s moment.
“I’m going to do the CUTIS trick on Dad,” he whispered to Lily.
“You’re going to get in trouble.”
“Not if I film it right. It’ll go viral.”
Phone in hand, Max sneaked into the garage. His dad was focused, measuring a plank of wood with serious precision.
Max tiptoed closer, held his phone at the right angle, and whispered, “CUTIS.”
Nothing happened.
Dad didn’t flinch.
Max leaned in a little closer and said it again: “CUUUU-TIS.”
That did it.
Dad suddenly jerked, knocked over a can of wood stain, and bumped into the workbench. A screwdriver clattered to the floor. He spun around, red-faced.
“What did you just say?” he barked.
Max burst out laughing, backing away with the camera still rolling. “It’s just a trend, Dad! Chill, it’s called the CUTIS trick!”
Dad was not amused. “You could’ve hurt yourself—or me! And what does that even mean, ‘cutis’? Are you speaking in code now?”
“It means skin! It’s from Latin! It’s just a joke!”
“A joke? Is ruining my project a joke now?”
Lily, hearing the yelling, peeked in through the door. “You okay?”
Dad turned his glare toward her. “Did you know about this?”
“Nope,” she said, backing away. “Max did it.”
Reluctantly, Max handed it over. Dad stormed off with it, muttering something about “kids these days” and “the death of common sense.” The garage door slammed.
Lily stared at Max. “Told you. You messed up.”
Max shrugged, but the weight of the moment was sinking in. He didn’t just lose a chance at TikTok fame—he lost his phone. And worse, he made Dad really mad.
The day dragged on. Dad was silent during lunch. He barely spoke at dinner. Mom kept trying to lighten the mood, but Dad just shook his head, clearly still stewing.
Then came the twist no one expected.
That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Max heard footsteps in the hallway. Curious, he tiptoed out of his room. The glow of a screen flickered from the living room.
He peeked around the corner—and froze.
There was Dad. Sitting on the couch. Watching TikTok.
Not just watching—laughing.
Max blinked. Was this real?
Dad scrolled through videos, occasionally chuckling. And then, like fate itself had a sense of humor, a CUTIS trick video popped up. Dad watched it, shook his head… and laughed harder.
Max stepped into the room. “You’re watching TikTok?”
Dad jumped. “What are you doing up?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
