I was lying on my bed one morning, thinking about how perfect everything was.
Usually there is at least one thing wrong in my life.
Most days it has something to do with my brother, Tate.
Yesterday, for example, he got mad when I squeezed all the toothpaste out of the tube.
I was experimenting to see if I could invent an automatic toothpaste squeezer.
Or sometimes it's our dinner menu.
I hate when Mom makes eggplant casserole, which is the most disgusting food ever invented.
Whoever invented it should go to jail!
But tonight we were having pizza.
My favorite. Plus, winter vacation was coming up soon.
So I was going to have a whole week to think up a new invention.
If the invention was really good, I might even get into the Inventor's Hall of Fame!
You'd better watch out when you think everything is perfect.
Do you know why?
Because that means something big is about to go wrong!
"Iggy, the muffins are ready!" my mom called, knocking on my door.
"And I have a surprise."
Oh boy, warm muffins and a surprise!
"What's the surprise?" I asked, coming out of my room.
My brother Tate walked into the kitchen.
"Is the surprise for me too?" he asked.
"Sit down," Mom said. "And I'll tell you both."
Tate and I each took a warm muffin and sat down at the table.
"Well," she began, "last night I got a call from Aunt Julia and Uncle John."
"That's great!" I said.
"Are we going to visit them over winter vacation?"
My aunt Julia and uncle John are super-rich.
They live in a big house with a swimming pool.
Of course, it's too cold to swim in the pool in the winter.
"But maybe we can go sledding on the hill behind their house," I thought.
"And I can work on my new invention in their huge attic!"
Tate looked excited too.
"Cool," he said.
"I can stay in the bedroom with the TV like I did last year."
"I hope I don't have to share a room with Oliver again," I said.
My little cousin is a big pain.
He never shares his stuff, and he is always complaining about something.
"Well . . . ," my mother said, "actually you will be sharing a room with Oliver, Iggy."
"Too bad!" Tate said, grinning at me.
I shrugged. "That's okay," I said.
"I guess I can stand being stuck in Oliver's room for a few days."
"You don't understand," my mom said, "we're not going to your aunt and uncle's house."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Are we all going on a trip together?"
"No," my mom said. "Oliver is coming to visit us.
He'll be sharing your bedroom, Iggy."
"What?" I practically shouted.
"Calm down, Iggy," said Mom.
"It's only for a short time."
"But why does he have to come here?" I asked.
"And why does he have to share my room?
Why can't he share with Tate?"
"No way!" said Tate.
"He can't share with me.
I'm a teenager."
"Well, I'm an inventor," I said.
"And I'm on the brink of a major invention.
It's going to win me a place in the Inventor's Hall of Fame!"
You need quiet time to think up a great invention.
I could forget about quiet time with Oliver around.
"It will be fine, Iggy," my mom said. "You'll see."
I saw something, all right.
I saw that my winter vacation was going to be horrible.
What did I tell you?
When things seem perfect, something big always goes wrong!