**April Fools Gone Awry**
Prompt: Ash and Serena play an April fools prank on their daughter Lara and it ended up going a little far. Lara was ticked off with her parents and never talked to them for what seemed like hours. Serena and Ash felt terrible about what happened and decided to talk to Lara about it and said they were sorry. Later on, they played a much better April Fool’s joke on her, and it just made her laugh instead.
The warm sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting playful shadows in the living room where Ash and Serena plotted their big April Fool’s prank on their ten-year-old daughter, Lara. They had spent the past few days brainstorming ideas, wanting to create a laugh that would become a cherished memory for their family. After much deliberation, they settled on a plan that involved a fake pet snake, surely a surefire way to get a good scare out of Lara.
“I can already see her face when she sees it!” Ash chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
Serena giggled, “And if we wrap it up in a box, she’ll never see it coming! We’ll film her reaction; it’ll be amazing!”
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, they executed their plan meticulously. Ash purchased a realistic-looking rubber snake, while Serena crafted a beautifully wrapped box with a cute little bow on top. By the time Lara returned home from school, everything was set.
“Lara! We have a surprise for you!” Ash announced, trying to contain his excitement.
Lara, her backpack slung over one shoulder and a hint of confusion crossing her brow, shuffled into the living room. “A surprise? What is it?”
“Open and see!” Serena encouraged, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm.
With a mix of anticipation and suspicion, Lara tore off the wrapping. Her eyes widened as she uncovered the box. “What is it?” she asked, glancing back at her parents, who nodded encouragingly.
Confidently, Lara lifted the lid, but instead of a cute puppy or a shiny toy, a rubber snake jumped out, bouncing against her chest. The shriek that escaped Lara’s lips was one of pure horror. She stumbled back, eyes bulging, hands flailing as she tried to swat the snake away.
“Oh my God! Mom! Dad!” she cried, pure terror lacing her voice. “What is this?!”
Ash and Serena erupted in laughter, but the laughter quickly faded when they saw Lara’s expression shift from terror to anger.
“That’s not funny!” she shouted, her cheeks flushing with humiliation. “You scared the life out of me!”
“Come on, Lara, it was just a joke!” Ash said, attempting to hold back his laughter.
“A really mean joke! You guys are the worst!” With tears brimming in her eyes, Lara stormed out of the room, leaving her parents in stunned silence.
Immediately, guilt washed over Ash and Serena. What had they done? Their initial excitement had turned into dread as they realized they had taken their prank too far.
“Did we go too far?” Ash asked, running a hand through his hair, the laughter drained from his voice.
“Definitely,” Serena replied, her face pale. “We should’ve known better. We need to apologize.”
For the next several hours, Lara shut herself in her room, refusing to speak to them. Ash and Serena tried to give her space, but anxiety twisted in their stomachs as they thought about their daughter’s hurt feelings.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ash knocked on her door softly. “Hey, Lara? Can we talk?”
No response.
“Please?” Serena added, sinking down against the door with a heavy sigh. “We’re really sorry. We didn’t mean to scare you.”
After a moment, the door creaked open, just enough for Lara’s face to peek out. She looked angry but not entirely unaffected by their apology.
“I’m really mad at you both,” she said, crossing her arms defiantly.
“We understand, honey,” Ash replied, his heart aching. “It was a terrible prank. We thought it would be funny, but it clearly wasn’t. We promise we’ll never do something like that again. Can you forgive us?”
Lara hesitated, chewing on the inside of her cheek. Deep down, she could see that her parents genuinely felt remorseful. Finally, she nodded, albeit begrudgingly. “Fine, I forgive you,” she muttered, her expression softening slightly.
Relief washed over Ash and Serena. They embraced her tightly, attempting to melt away the lingering tension. After a few moments, the three of them sat down together in the living room.
“We want to make it up to you,” Serena announced, determination glinting in her eyes. “How about we do a fun prank together? Something that would make you laugh?”
Lara raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself. “Like what?”
Ash and Serena exchanged glances, a mutual understanding forming between them. They could create a joke that was light-hearted and non-threatening, something that wouldn't result in tears.
“Let’s create a fake dessert!” Ash suggested, grinning. “How about we make a bowl of mashed potatoes that looks like vanilla ice cream? We can add some chocolate sauce on top and get your friends involved!”
Lara’s face turned curious, a glimmer of excitement breaking through her earlier annoyance. “That could be funny! But it can’t be mean,” she warned.
“Exactly!” Serena smiled, realizing they were slowly regaining Lara’s trust.
In the kitchen, the trio began their new prank, the atmosphere brightening as they laughed and stirred together. When the mashed potatoes were perfectly fashioned into mounds, they drizzled fake chocolate syrup on top and strategically placed a cherry on one. Lara couldn’t contain her laughter at how realistic it looked.
The next day, they invited some of Lara's friends over for dessert. When the time came, Lara presented her “ice cream” bowl to them. As their friends took the first bites, the confusion and surprise were priceless. Watching their reactions, Lara laughed harder than anyone else, feeling a sense of triumph in sharing a joke with her parents that turned her earlier anger into joy.
And as the laughs continued to echo through the kitchen, Ash and Serena felt a renewed sense of closeness, grateful for a lesson learned: pranks can bring joy, but they must always come from a place filled with love instead of fear.
