Cutis had always been a bit of a troublemaker, but today, he had an uneasy feeling. Something strange was going on in the house. His parents were whispering in the kitchen, looking serious. His sister kept giving him odd glances, and even the family dog, Max, seemed to be avoiding him.
Something was up.
He replayed his recent actions in his head. Had he done something bad? Well, sure, he had accidentally spilled juice on Dad’s laptop two days ago, but Dad had forgiven him… right? And yes, he may have tried to microwave a fork last week (big mistake), but Mom had laughed about it later (after she finished yelling).
But surely, they wouldn’t… no, they couldn’t be thinking of… kicking him out?!
The Clues Start Adding Up
Cutis decided to investigate. He crept closer to the kitchen, trying to eavesdrop on his parents’ conversation.
“He’s grown so much,” his mom said.
“I know,” his dad sighed. “It’s time for a change.”
Change?! What kind of change?! Cutis felt his stomach drop.
His mom continued, “We’ve given him space, but we can’t ignore the fact that he’s getting too big. It’s just not working anymore.”
Too big? Not working?!
His dad sighed. “I guess we have no choice. We have to let him go.”
Let him go?!
Cutis clapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from screaming. This was it! His worst nightmare was coming true! They were going to kick him out!
The Panic Sets In
He ran upstairs, his heart pounding. He needed a plan. Where would he go? Should he pack his bags now? Should he hide? Maybe if he proved how useful he was, they’d change their minds!
Cutis started frantically cleaning his room (a rare sight). He folded his clothes, made his bed, and even tried organizing his bookshelf. Then he rushed downstairs and started washing the dishes, spilling more soap than necessary.
His sister, Lisa, walked in and raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“Being helpful,” Cutis said quickly. “Very, very helpful.”
Lisa snorted. “That’s weird.”
“I can be helpful!” he insisted. “Super helpful! The most helpful person ever! No one would want to get rid of me, right?”
Lisa blinked. “Wait… are you okay?”
“No,” Cutis whispered dramatically. “I think I’m getting kicked out.”
Lisa burst into laughter. “What?! Who told you that?”
“I heard Mom and Dad talking! They said I’m too big, and that things aren’t working, and they have to ‘let me go’!”
Lisa wiped away tears from laughing. “Oh my gosh, Cutis. You are the biggest drama queen ever. You have NO idea what’s actually happening, do you?”
Cutis frowned. “What do you mean?”
Lisa grinned. “Come with me.
The Truth is Revealed
Lisa dragged Cutis back to the kitchen, where their parents were now sitting at the table. They looked up in surprise.
“Mom, Dad,” Lisa said, still smirking. “Cutis thinks you’re kicking him out.”
Their parents exchanged a confused look before bursting into laughter.
“What?!” Dad chuckled. “Cutis, why would we do that?”
“I heard you!” Cutis said, crossing his arms. “You said I was too big! And that it wasn’t working! And that you had to let me go!”
Mom wiped away a tear from laughing. “Oh, honey. We weren’t talking about you.”
Cutis blinked. “Then… who were you talking about?”
“The dog,” Dad said, still grinning. “Max.”
Cutis gasped. “WHAT?!”
Mom nodded. “He’s outgrown his little dog bed, and we were saying that we needed to get him a new one because it just isn’t working anymore. We weren’t kicking anyone out!”
Cutis stared at them. Then he burst out laughing. “You mean… all this time… I was panicking over nothing?!”
Lisa shook her head. “Yup. And it was HILARIOUS.”
Cutis groaned, but he couldn’t stop laughing. “Well, at least I know you guys wouldn’t actually kick me out.”
Dad chuckled. “Of course not. But if you ever try to microwave a fork again, we might reconsider.”
Everyone laughed, and Cutis breathed a sigh of relief. Home was exactly where he belonged.
