It was a peaceful, perfect morning—at least for Jake. He was snuggled up in bed, face buried into his pillow, controller still in his hand from playing games late into the night. The digital clock on his dresser read 5:59 AM in bold red numbers.

BANG!

His bedroom door flew open, slamming against the wall as Gaby stomped in like a drill sergeant on a mission. She was already dressed in sleek black athletic leggings, a cropped zip-up hoodie, and her hair was tied up into a messy—but somehow still perfect—high ponytail. Earbuds in. Water bottle in hand. Mission: drag her lazy little brother out of bed.

“RISE AND SHINE, GAMER!” she yelled, yanking the covers off him in one swift motion.

Jake groaned like a dying creature, covering his face. “Whyyy are you yelling? It’s like… the middle of the night…”

“It’s 6 AM,” she said, opening the blinds dramatically so the soft morning light flooded the room. “And you, little hermit, are coming on a jog with me before you turn into a mushroom.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Jake mumbled. “I literally just fell asleep five minutes ago.”

“Nope. You’ve been sleeping, gaming, and hiding in this room like it’s a cave. You need fresh air and cardio. I refuse to let you turn into a sweaty blanket goblin.”

She grabbed one of his hoodies off the floor and chucked it at him. “Let’s move, Jakey. You’ve got two minutes or I’m pulling you out of that bed by your ankles.”

Jake sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. “This is harassment.”

“This is love,” Gaby smirked, already doing warm-up lunges in the doorway. “Now get dressed. We’re jogging to the park, and yes—Mochi’s coming too.”

Jake blinked at her. “Can’t Mochi go instead of me?”

Gaby laughed. “Nice try. But Mochi doesn’t need cardio. You do.”

Groaning like it was the end of the world, Jake finally rolled out of bed, hoodie half on, socks mismatched. “I better get pancakes after this.”

“No promises,” Gaby said, tossing him a granola bar as she headed down the hall. “But I will let you complain the entire way there.”

Jake followed, still groggy, muttering under his breath. “Worst sister ever.”

Behind him, Gaby grinned. “Love you too, lazy.”