Kayden and Zac

by Ryan Keith

Chapter 11 - Summer Fun

I breathed in the crisp air, trying to fill my lungs. The place was heaven; green as far as the eye could see and silent except for the random chirping of birds and the sounds of crickets. Mr. Kaede, Chris, Riley, and I were the only people within kilometers.

Mr. Kaede had made the three of us run different paths. My path was much longer than the others’, but I didn’t complain; I love running. Mr. Kaede explained the theory that running helps build our core, primarily the area of the abdomen. He said we use our abdomen the most when we punch. The rotation at our abdomen can equal great power, according to him. I knew nothing of the sort, but I trusted him, so I just did what I was told.

I stood slowing my breath as I stared at the empty road bordered by trees. The road stretched forever in front of me. It was like something I'd see in a professionally done photograph. A poet would probably be inspired by the scene to write some great thing, but the best I could do was simply burn the image into my memory.

Several times I caught myself thinking about Zac, mostly wishing he could see what I was seeing, or wondering what he was up to. Knowing him, he was either working, with our friends, or training with his dad.

"Think about it, dude," Chris said, with a smirk, "we have no privacy on this sausage-fest trip. We have needs that have to be taken care of. Why do you think Sensei makes us run separately every morning?"

Riley and I laughed at Chris's comment. Riley is a year younger and Chris is two years older than me. I was the black belt, but Chris wasn't far behind. Riley was more than halfway to where Chris and I were at that point. We needed a group of at least three to participate as a team. I understood why Mr. Kaede chose the three of us to represent his school. If Brad had been able to come, he would have taken Riley’s place. We'd have had two black belts, and we'd have been able to also enter the kata division. Katas are combinations of stances, blocks, punches, kicks, etc, that are better done by someone who moves more smoothly than I do. Brad would have been right for it, with his always-perfect form. I’m better at sparring, of course, and that was why I was in the competition.

"Then, come in and eat some breakfast, but don't eat too much. We rest only an hour to get our forms in order. After that, we train."

Riley had sort of overeaten on the first day and had ended up almost puking his breakfast by mid morning.

"Because you've done this to me all week at five-thirty in the morning. Some of us work at night," I reminded him, trying to block out the overhead light.

"And some of us work in the morning," he shot back. "What's your point?"
I groaned as I finally moved my arm from my eyes. "Well, I'm up."

"Trust me, Zac. If you want to beat your last year’s time, you need to work hard. There’s no easy way to the top, and you're approaching your prime. In no time, I won't be any match for you," Dad went on.

"Get your ass downstairs in five." He grinned and added, "We're running this morning. We'll see how you stack up against the speed demon. Tomorrow is Saturday and you're working early, right?"

Hearing those plans made me wish I could crawl back under my blankets and just go back to sleep. I was missing Kayden, but with so much to do, I didn't have time to dwell on that.

Dad and I started out at a slow pace. I think he was just setting himself to my speed.

It wasn't just a month. It would be close to one and a half, counting the days in late June. "Whatever, Mr. ’oh-why-hasn't-Diana-called-yet?’" I mocked him. "You never shut up about her. You freak out if she doesn't call you at night… Who’s acting like a baby?"

"I'm just worried, you know?" Dad smiled as he defended himself. "When we used to go out, we'd call each other every night."

He turned to me and grinned. "August twentieth," he said, his eyes glowing. I was afraid he wasn't paying attention to the walkway in front of him.

"Yeah… thanks a lot, you ass.” Dad tried to grab me in a headlock as we ran. "Because of you, she's turning it into an international event. Even my cousins will be coming."

"Billy and Silvia. They each have a son about your age, as I’m sure you remember."

I felt my stomach turn. I don’t have any first cousins since Dad is an only child, but he has older cousins whose children are around my age. One lives in Quebec and the other in Alberta. Aunt Silvia is married to some politician, and Uncle Bill is a big shot for an oil company in Alberta. I met my second cousins briefly when I was only ten. I realize now why they treated me so harshly. It was because of their parents' upbringing. Dad explained that his cousins Silvia and Billy only tolerate him because of Grandpa and Grandma. To them, he’s a black sheep in the Hunter family. I suppose they taught their children to look down on those who bring shame to their name. Being a motherless child must have been enough to convince them that I deserved such treatment. The short day I spent with them was one of the worst days of my life. Norm and Julian…they spent the whole day treating me like shit. I remember how they mocked me near the end of the day.

"Zachary is going to tell his grandma we were mean to him, because he’s such a cry baby, aren't you, Zachary?" I fell for that trick and kept my mouth shut.

"Zac, you think we could slow down a bit? We have a long way to go, but at the rate you're pushing you'll be out of energy in fifteen minutes."

"So, I repeat, your uncle invited us to his villa for the weekend," Dad said calmly.

"Yeah, well, I think they want to inspect Diana. Mom actually begged me to accept the offer. Sensing over the phone that she was really squirming was satisfying."

"Oh, calm down, Zac. You'll be back in time for your trip to see Kayden in Ottawa," he said, having stopped, breathing normally. I was trying to catch my breath.

"But… Dad!"
"No buts, kiddo. Diana and Lenne have already said they’re going with us." "Lenne's going?"

"It's a family thing, Zac. It'd be a bit insensitive to ask them to give shelter to your friends."

"Exactly. If the trip’s for the weekend, we're probably going to leave on Friday, right?"

"If we can't bring Scott and Shin, can’t we at least bring Jett? I’d feel sorry for him, home all by himself with his sisters. It would be the best birthday gift, Dad."

"I doubt Shin would leave Mai behind, even for a weekend. He won’t mind not going. As for Scott, you know how he is about planes."

"We're all getting together tomorrow at Scott's parents’ house, right? We can have an early celebration of Jett's birthday. Please, Dad?"

"I like the idea of celebrating Jett's birthday tomorrow. It's Canada Day, and that boy is Canadian all over. I'll talk it over with Joanna. I guess we can squeeze Jett onto a plane with us. At least that way you'll have someone watching your back around Norm and Julian, eh?"

"What? You thought I didn't know? It was brave of you, thinking you could take it like a man at that age, Zac. I was mighty proud of how you held your head up as we left that place. You were only about ten at the time. Now that you’re fifteen, I doubt they can intimidate you as much. Plus, I figure with Lenne by your side you'll have all the support you’ll need. She has a sharp tongue, that one."

"And with your best friend also by your side, I doubt anything will faze you. They had you beat last time, Zac, but you left with your dignity. How about a little payback?"

"Zac, you do what you want. All I know is that the best way to get back at someone is to show you'd never sink to their level. That's impossible for a guy like me. When I was your age, anyone who fucked with me got something else coming…" Dad trailed off. "But… that's beside the point. Those are blood relatives. You do what you want, Zac, but remember, you’d better be ready for the consequences."
I understood what he was saying, but something was clawing at the back of my head. Suddenly, I couldn't wait to spend the weekend with my cousins. I wondered if the itching sensation at the back of my mind was the same as Scott feels whenever he thinks up something clever.

"So, how are you two holding up without Maya and Kayden?" Shin grinned at Scott and me, his arm around Mai.

Mai just clicked her tongue and rubbed Shin's belly as if to tell him not to go there. She didn’t seem angry, but she probably thought it was insensitive of him. Even though they had dated for a long time, Mai still couldn't understand Shin's thought patterns. To him, there was no subject that was off limits when it came to joking with us.

His smile turned into a blank stare. I had cast a dark cloud over Shin, and that told me that he hadn’t done as well as he'd hoped. He got a B average, the sort of grades you'd expect from someone who does bare minimum. Shin had done exactly that, bare minimum.

Mai shot me a look that shouted, "Don't go there!", as if she knew what I was thinking.

I just grinned at her while Scott mumbled some crap about him being his own person, or something. Ever since Maya had left, he'd been trying to convince us that he could survive without her for a while. He literally wouldn't shut up about it. I think he was trying to convince himself, rather than us.

"Here ya go, guys," Jett broke in, holding out a plate of burgers and wieners. "Dig in!"

We all grabbed burgers, leaving him with a plate of hotdogs. He shook his head and went to load up on more burgers from Scott's dad at the grill.

"This is nice," Lenne said. "When it was just Diana and I, we never did anything special for Canada Day."

"Well, we always celebrate it here at Scott's house," I told her. "It's become sort of a tradition. We have a big dinner and then wait until night and launch the fireworks."

"You point one of those in my direction again and I'll kill you, Shin," Scott swore. "I mean it! That fucking hurt last year!"

Shin was back to his old self, laughing like an idiot, and scary enough for Scott to believe he'd do it again.

Lenne's eyes got big. "Isn't that a bit dangerous?"
"Yeah, it is," I said, turning to Shin. "Don't do that again, man. Scott could have really gotten hurt."

"It was by accident." He grinned and added, "I won't do it again."
"You're not even supposed to hold them," Mai said, slapping Shin's wrist. "There are warnings on them. People have lost their arms when they’ve blown up wrong."

"You boys do that again and there will be no fireworks next year!" Mrs. Kendal said out of nowhere.

We all turned to her. "Ah, we won't, Mrs. Kendal, I swear!" Shin said with a shit-plastered grin.

Mrs. Kendal's serious expression eased up at Shin's facial expression. "Good. Days like these are memorable. I'd rather not associate them with trips to the hospital."

We knew he was right. Scott's mom is known for figuring things out. Being married to Scott's father and raising a boy like Scott have left little chance for people to bullshit around her.

"They look cute," Mai said, indicating my dad and Diana. Dad had his arms wrapped around her and she was leaning on him.

It was funny that I was thinking the exact same thing as Lenne. I thought back to something she had said a bit earlier.

"Hey, Lenne," I said, "you don't call Diana ’Mom’ anymore. What's up with that?"
She looked at me for a moment and then looked towards our parents. "I don't see her as my mom as much. The more I think about it, the more it seems like I was trying to replace my mom with her. The thing is, she's not much like my mom. Not that I remember, anyways. I guess I saw the truth when she met back up with your dad. She treats me more like a little sister, now… I like that better than when she acted like a mom."

I didn't say anything. I didn't know how to respond to Lenne's feelings. She was right, of course; Diana isn’t her mom. She’s actually mine.

"For sure! We talk all the time now about random stuff. It's much better than when she just tried to be my mom. We haven’t said anything about it, but I think she knows that, too. We're actually closer."

"That's great," I heard myself say. Truthfully, that was how I felt. Lenne took a small bite of her burger and then looked up at me.

"I though you said they’re demons," Scott said, returning with ketchup at the corner of his mouth.

Scott wiped his mouth with the back of his hand but didn't manage to wipe it all off.

"Yeah, but with Jett and Lenne by my side, I'm going to have a blast," I replied to Scott's statement. "I might actually have fun on that trip. Last time, Grandma made me hang with my cousins because I wasn't talking to anyone. This time I’ll be able to do stuff without those assholes."

"I hear ya," Jett said, arriving with more burgers. "They may be a year older that us, but if they think they can mess with you, then they have another think coming."

"I wish Kayden could have stayed until Canada Day," I said, deciding to change the subject.

"He really needs to practice, Zac." Shin smirked. "He needs to focus his mind. I tried teaching him, but he's a poor disciple. I hope his sensei can do a better job."
I busted out laughing at Shin's remarks. During the week prior to Kayden's leaving, Shin kept popping up randomly and smacking him in the back. He claimed he was trying to keep Kayden alert, but he was probably just getting a kick out of randomly smacking him around.

"Honestly, Shin, you know you're bullshit," Scott said, grinning. Scott had joined in with Shin in 'training' Kayden. I would have put a stop to it instantly if it really had bothered Kade, but I knew he cherished the fact that Shin and Scott treated him as they did.

I turned just in time to catch the football he threw at me. I had to drop my paper plate and half-eaten burger.

"Man, we're fucking eating, you dumb idiot!" Scott shook his head at our jock friend.

Scott turned towards the ladies and lowered his head. "Sorry, Mom… Sorry, Mrs. Emerson…"

Scott's dad was dying laughing, over at the grill. "It's just words, Katie. And it's just boy talk. Don't get your panties all bunched up."

If looks could kill, Mr. Kendal would have died fifty times from the way his wife was looking at him.

I tossed the ball back to Jett. "We'll play in a bit, when we're done eating, bud. Now get me another burger! You made me drop mine!"

"God, that boy has way too much energy," Scott said, rolling his eyes. “We really need to get him a girlfriend. That’ll take away some of that enthusiasm.”

Mai’s foot on his toes and Lenne’s fist in his stomach made some weird sounds come out of Scott.

I slept over at Jett’s house the next few nights. Dad had to go in earlier to work for a few days, so Jett volunteered to be my training buddy. We had stayed up late the first night, and I was surprised to be shaken awake by my best friend.

“Zac, wake up, man,” Jett said groggily. “We should do some biking this morning before the sun is all the way up.”

“It’s already eight, dude. If we wait any longer, we’re going to die in the heat.”

“Come on, Zac.” Jett yawned loudly. “You told me to make sure to wake you up, no matter what.”

“Little Zachary is all up and about,” he said, grinning sexily. His hair was really flat, and he looked sleepy, but no one could have denied the fact that he looked adorable just as he was. Any girl would definitely be happy with cuddleable Jett.

“Who are you calling little?” I asked, as I scratched my head and then stretched my arms out.

Realizing that I didn’t have any covers and my erection was totally visible didn’t bother me much. We change with lots of guys in the locker rooms, and many are at least half hard half the time, anyways.

“Whatever, man, nothing you haven’t seen before,” I said, bending forward to hide it a bit. Just because I didn’t mind didn’t mean I was intentionally exposing it.

“Looks like you have the same problem, buddy.” I smiled, looking at his crotch. Like always, Jett’s equipment sure was impressive. A bit scary, even.

He just laughed. “It’s the morning. We’re young and we have needs. Too bad your boy isn’t here to take care of yours,” he teased.

“Hey, at least I get some,” I shot back. “Unlike you, I don’t really get cases of blueballs. Well, except maybe now that Kayden’s in Ottawa. So, unless you wanna take care of my problem for me, you oughta stuff it.” I grinned.

“I told you already, man. All the way.” I felt a bit proud of it, too. I could see how some guys enjoy telling other guys they have sex with their girlfriends. In a way I felt…older, maybe.

“Yeah, I guess straight guys can be, too. I read that guys give better head than girls.”

“Well, I mean, I read up on that, too. Said that guys know what feels good, so they’re better at it,” Jett explained.

“Anyway,” Jett said, still at full mast, “it looks like he’s not going away until I give him a hand. Give me five minutes in the washroom.”

“Hell, I’d do it right here if you weren’t around. We both have the same problem, don’t see why we can’t take care of it right here,” he said, scratching his face as he looked away.

It had been a long time since we’d done anything like that. I had known the porn sites and never hesitated to show Jett when we were kids. But only in private did I check out the gay sites. We even jacked off to movies together a few times. That sort of stopped when Jett started getting girlfriends.

“Hey, I’m just a boy with a boner, dude. You know how that is. We hear or think about sex, and boom. I’ve never really seen gay porn before.” Jett seemed embarrassed. “Hey, I’d never do this with Scott or Shin. I don’t know… It seems all right if it’s with you.”
I knew what he meant. The idea that Jett might be bi didn’t bother me. Surprised me, for sure, but I was not at all bothered by it. We’d already seen each other do the deed a few times in our earlier years. The only thing that’s changed is that I have Kayden and Jett knows I’m gay.

“Well, you need to be the one who’s okay with it. You’re with Kayden. I’m wondering if he’d be okay with it.”

“I don’t know, actually. I mean, I can’t go over to Kayden’s house everyday or have him over at mine, so some days I rely on good ol’ righty.” I grinned, lifting my right arm.

“Whatever, dude. So, how’re we gonna do this? Like you said, we both have the need. Let’s just take care of it and then go train.”

He walked over to his dresser, which was beside his door. He easily slid it over so it blocked the door. He had used the same trick when we were younger. He always said he could convince him sisters and mom that we were rearranging his room.

I suddenly felt excited. I knew Kayden and I had never talked about anything like that, but somehow I knew he’d be okay with it. Somewhere in my head, I imagined him saying, “Damn, I missed that?” or something close to that. In truth, it was about the same as me watching porn at home. Only difference was that I’d be in the same room with my best friend, and he’d be doing the same thing.

"What the hell, Lenne!" I laughed. "It's just seats. How many pictures have you taken already?"

"It's my first time on a plane, Mr. I'm-too-cool-to-have-fun. Let me have my moment."

While Lenne took her picture, I apologized to the couple behind us. Their smile told me that there was no need for an apology.

By the time we got to our seats, Dad and Diana were already seated and sipping on drinks.

I smiled at her and she winked back. We both had admitted that we loved the fact that my dad and her aunt were really happy.

"You think they'd ID us if we ordered drinks?" Jett asked as he sat back in his seat.

I was between Lenne and Jett, with Lenne in the window seat. She had demanded it.

"Honestly, you two," the princess said, as she fixed her hair, using the window's reflection. "There's more to life than drinking."

"This is coming from the girl who got drunk and threw a hissy fit because she couldn't find a man," Jett whispered to me.

I held my laughter in, remembering the event following the last dance of the school year. We had all gone back to my place for an after party.

The flight was as uneventful as most. After the first hour, Lenne got bored and fell asleep. Jett and I played cards while we ignored the movie that was running. They were showing episode two of Star Wars, which we'd seen at least three times. One of the things that Scott and Shin enjoy together is watching Star Wars. I swear, the two know the lines by heart.

We were pretty quiet as we gathered our bags and headed out of the terminal. It wasn't as nice as Pearson Airport, but it was all right.

The foundation of my dread was waiting as we walked through the automatic doors. Two boys, one much larger than the other. I couldn't believe that Julian was so big. He must have been at least 250 pounds. He had definitely been eating way too many Big Macs. There was no way that guy was going to find a girl unless she loved food as much as he did. My main tormentor was Norm, your typical suburban boy reeking with wealth.

"You brought your friends!" Grams beamed. She took one look at Lenne and pulled me aside. "Is that Jett's girlfriend? I must say, I approve!"

Grandma turned to Diana, then back to Lenne. For a moment, Dad turned his attention to Grandma and Diana. Diana looked a bit overwhelmed by all of the greetings.

It seemed like Grandma wanted to say something, but she just gave a thin smile and turned to my Uncle Bill. "This is the bride-to-be, and this is Zac's cousin, Lenne. The other boy is Jett, Zac's best friend."

The three gave my uncle and two cousins warm greetings. My uncle returned their greeting, but my cousins just smirked.

"Today is Jett's sixteenth birthday," Dad announced. "Zac thought it would be great to bring him along."

"I didn't know you were bringing this many people, Kevin," Uncle Bill said, looking at all of us. "We can manage, but it'll be a tight fit."

"It's quite all right, Bill," Dad said. "I rented a car for the five of us. Diana and I thought the kids would want to check out the malls or other places. They might need us to drive them around."

"We have drivers, Kevin. You won’t need a rented car." It sounded as if Uncle Bill was looking down at the fact that Dad had rented a car, but I was glad that he had.

"Please, Bill, it's not an issue. It's more sensible for us to rent a car. We don't want to impose on you."

I think Gramps felt tension building, because he suddenly intervened. "Well, I think we're all set. Do you know the way, son?"
"Yes I do, sir," Dad replied.

"Yo," Jett whispered, "so Big Mac and Suburban Boy are your bullies? I pictured them a lot worse." It was funny how our similar senses of humor influenced the way we saw those guys. I couldn’t have agreed more with his choice of names.

"Norm has potential, but his attitude is crap. He didn't even greet me properly," Lenne complained.

"Well, were you expecting them to bend to their knees and kiss your hand?" Jett joked.

"No! But at least they should look at me when I introduce myself," Lenne said with her head raised. "Whatever happened to chivalry?"

"Let's just stay away from Norm and Julian. I really don't want to start anything. If we stick together, then they won't bother us."

"Are you serious?" Jett put his arm around my neck. "I say we branch out. We're here to have fun, not to walk around keeping an eye on one another’s backs. We're going to enjoy ourselves, but we'll deal with any problems that arise. Got it?"

The house was as big as I remembered. As we entered, we were greeted by Grandma and Grandpa again, but this time with the rest of the family. I saw my dad's other cousin, Aunt Silvia, with her husband, Terry. Uncle Billy was with his wife, Martina. Both the ladies welcomed us while the men greeted my father again.

"Now, how are we going to do this?" Uncle Billy's wife mused, as she looked us over. "We only have three guest rooms."

"Silvia and Terry have one. Julian is sharing Norm's room, and of course you two will be sharing a room," Uncle Bill said, indicating my grandparents.

Martina walked behind Lenne and placed her hands on her shoulders, "This one will need a room of her own. Diana is your aunt, yes?"

“Diana and the young one can share a room. Kevin, you don't mind a couch, do you?"

"We'd offer you the pool house," Uncle Bill said, "but my parents are staying there."

"The two boys can sleep in Norm's room as well. You don't mind, hon?" Martina asked her son.

Norm and Julian sat on the stairs with smirks on their faces. "Whatever. We only have one inflatable mattress, don't we?" Norm said.

I felt an arm wrap around my neck. "It's cool. Me and Zac share beds all the time. Him and me are tight like that," Jett said, in a gangster-like way.

Aunt Martina's eyes widened in horror. I remembered Dad saying that she speaks the English language very formally, and realized why she was shocked.

By then, Aunt Silvia and her husband had walked off to the living room, leaving us with my grandparents.

Norm and Julian stood up and walked up the stairs without waiting for Jett or me.

Norm's room was more than double the size of mine. The air mattress was already set up at the corner of the room. It looked like there was a border between where Jett and I would be sleeping and the rest of the room.

"While you're staying here, Zac, please don't touch any of my things," Norm requested with an edge to his voice.

"That’s cool, Norm. I just ask that you do the same. Please don't be snooping through our bags."

I didn't give Norm any thought as I turned to Jett. "Let go outside. It's a beautiful day."

"Coolio." Jett smiled and knelt down to open his bag. "Let's go play some football."

"What's with you and football all of a sudden?" I asked, laughing. "I thought you were purebred Canadian. What’s happened to hockey?"

"Do you see ice anywhere?" Jett stood up, spinning the ball. "And, there’s something about contact sports that gets my blood pumping. You boys want in?" he asked, turning to Norm and Julian.

I could tell Norm was wondering if it was a trap. He realized Jett's size, and he didn’t have to be a genius to figure out what might happen if he got hit by him. I guess we hadn’t mentioned it was touch football.

"I don't think he wants to dirty his nice clothes," I told Jett. "And I doubt Julian could keep up." I turned towards the door and said, "Let's go, buddy."

He was right. I wasn't like them. I felt sick to my stomach that I’d actually considered plotting against them.

"Okay, who are the teams?" Diana walked towards Jett, Dad and me. Lenne trailed after her, with her long hair tied back. Both Lenne and Diana were dressed causally as if expecting to get dirty.

"Well, I wouldn't play if it wasn't. This bulldozer here would drive me into the ground." Dad smacked Jett's back.

I noticed the ladies talking with Grandma, who was looking embarrassed. They were probably criticizing Diana and Lenne for playing with us. They probably didn't think it was lady-like. Screw em'. I actually respected Diana for not pretending to be some perfect bride for my dad.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, you little shit," Dad said, crossing his arms. "Fine, we'll play like that. Terry, you played football in college, didn't you?"

"Linebacker all the way, Kevin. I wasn't as heavy as I am now, but I still know how to play."

"I've played with the boys before. I'm not as fragile as you are." Lenne stuck her tongue out.

Diana laughed and Dad grabbed her by the waist, "Don't underestimate this one, Lenne. She did track back in high school. This girl can run."

Midway through our game, Norm and Julian showed up, and I can honestly say I enjoyed the scowl on Norm's face.

Remembering Jett's words, I decided not to hold onto my grudge. Jett is right. He's always right. It's the reason he's my best friend.

A hand clasped down on my shoulder and I turned to see Dad smiling at me. He didn't have to say anything; the firm squeeze on my shoulder spoke volumes.

Our game ended at around eleven. The time difference between Ontario and Alberta isn’t that big, but by the end of the game there were five really empty stomachs. Grams was quick to notice, of course, and was asking the cook to prepare some lunch.

He was the dirtiest of us. He had been dodging my dad, Gramps and Uncle Terry, left, right and centre. He was sweating all over, but one thing about Jett is that he doesn't really have that bad of a body odor. Sweat is sweat, but his is never as bad as some I've smelt in the locker rooms.

"There are shower stalls by the pool house," Uncle Bill answered him. "You can all grab showers before we eat lunch."

"Let's go, boys," Dad said, standing up from the grass. "Let's not asphyxiate these folks any longer."

We took off towards the showers, laughing and joking. Lenne and Diana were told to shower in the main house. I think my aunts almost had heart attacks when they said they would use the stalls, too. I didn’t see the big deal. It wasn’t like we were going to peak over, or anything.

As we approached the showers, I noticed a girl walking towards us, holding a basket of what looked like towels. She appeared to be a teenager, and I wondered if any other cousins were visiting. Jett and I lagged behind the others.

"Yes, we are," I answered. "Zac Hunter. I'd shake your hand, but as you can see I'm a bit dirty."

Her English was so formal and perfect that I figured she must have been related to Uncle Bill's wife.

I looked at him, wondering what kind of question that was. He was rummaging through the basket before the girl could say anything. "Sweet. Zac, there are two towels," he said, tossing one to me. "Okay if we use this basket to dump our dirty clothes?" The way he smiled at the girl, I was pretty sure she was going weak in the knees.

I rolled my eyes and waited for Jett to finish flirting with a cousin I had never known about. I thought it was quirky and bold of him to remove his shirt in front of her and drop it into the basket, but what he did next was so fast and so unexpected that I didn't react until the girl screamed.

She bolted towards the house, her face glowing red as Jett stood frozen, stark naked, with a confused look on his face.

I laughed hard. "Buddy, since she speaks English so properly, she has to be related to one of my aunts. Good job, Emerson, you just corrupted an innocent girl."

"You really are a dumb jock." I smacked his backside. "Come on, let's shower, you can apologize to her later."

We joined my dad, Gramps and Terry at the shower stalls, which had walls low enough that you could see the face of the person beside you. Lenne and Diana had chosen stalls at the end of the line, as far from the men as possible.

"Our star player here thought the girl we saw was a cleaning lady," I told them with grin. "He didn't think twice before stripping naked in front of her."

"Well, I’m trying to remember who she is. I think she's Norm's girlfriend. She must have been bringing towels to Norm and my son. They took off for the pool soon after we saw them."

Lunch with the Hunter family was nice. No one said anything about my incident with that girl, Clara. I caught her looking over at me and felt totally embarrassed. I always sleep naked at home, and my sisters have seen me naked. I didn’t think it was a big deal, but Zac was making me feel like I had done something really stupid.

Lenne hummed beside me. I turned to her and noticed she was watching me closely. "This is so unlike you. You usually eat as fast as Zac. What's up?"
"Nothing," I said, and started trying to stuff my face.

"What are your plans for the afternoon, Zac?" his grandma asked him as I poked at my food.

I really wanted to check out a huge mall that my sisters had been fussing over like crazy. I turned to Zac with a hopeful look.

He looked over at Lenne and me before answering. "Don't really know, Grams. What's around here?"

"Young lady," Uncle Bill's wife said sharply, "it's very rude to interrupt your elders."

Lenne gave me a cross look that seemed to say, "What the hell?"
"It's quite all right, Martina," the elder Mrs. Hunter responded. "I love the wonderful spirit of youngsters when they show enthusiasm like that. Lenne?"

I snickered at the way Lenne seemed to be trying to sound formal, and she stomped on my foot.

"Call me Grandma Vicky, okay, dear?" Zac's grams patted her mouth with a napkin. "What about you boys? Would you also want to browse the mall?"

"Sure," I said. "I've heard a lot about that mall from my sisters. I want to see what the hype is all about."

"Well then, Norm" Martina said, folding her hands, "I want you to accompany them to the mall. They don't know their way around."

"Come on, Norm," Clara joined in, "lets go with your cousin. There's a new blouse that I want to get."

"Well, that seems to be settled. I'll have a driver take all of you," Mr. Bill Hunter told us.

"Zac said there was something between you and that girl. He told me to ask you about it."

Zac's dad insisted on driving us, but Mr. Bill Hunter won that one, so we were assigned a limo and driver.

The moment we stepped out of the limo at the mall, several kids around our age approached us. I didn't think much of it, but judging by their size and numbers, I was confident I could take them all.

"Nothing much." The skinny boy nodded his head and asked, "Who’re these peeps?"

Without another word, Julian and Norm took off with their friends. Clara followed them but turned back to us and said, "Lenne has my number. Call me when you guys have had enough, okay? I gotta stay with Norm. You know how it is. Sorry, guys."

"Well, guess what. When Diana marries Dad, they’ll become your cousins, too," Zac shot back.

"Why is it that the more money people have, the more stuck up they become?" Lenne said.

"Come on," Zac said, smiling at us. "We came here to explore, so let's lighten up and have some fun. We're tourists."

Before Zac and I could argue, she had already walked in. I just groaned and leaned against the railing that was nearby.

"They have these things for us guys to sag against while we wait for the princesses," I explained.

"With the way Lenne shops," Zac said, "you'd never think she grew up in near poverty."

"Come on, man." I leaned over the railing to watch the people below. "She's had a tough childhood. This might be making up for some of the times she was denied fun things. As much as I hate all the waiting around for her, I love seeing her smile like that."

I laughed. "You know it’s not like that. And I know you feel the same way I do, which is why we're waiting for our princess."

"Yeah, and besides, she's my cousin, so that's automatically out of bounds for you."

"Hey, I was teasing. Jeez, you're the one who asked her out like fifty times, not me."

"I was just joking, half the time," I explained. "Hey, I gotta find a washroom." "Hurry back."

"Whatever, man." He crossed his arms. "What's the deal with you bringing your friends to my house?"

I began to laugh. "Oh, wait… you're serious!" I smiled. "Norm, honestly, I don't know what I ever did to offend you, man, but I think we're old enough now not to play war with each other. I was a bit rude back at your house, though, so… sorry."

The look he gave me was pretty funny. I could tell he was wondering if I was playing with him. It suddenly hit me what Dad had tried to say. "You remind me of a guy I know at school. So, I’ll tell you what he and I did."

"We agreed to put everything behind us and simply be civil around each other. That way, others don't have to suffer from our drama. I want my friends to have a great time here, so I'm doing this for them. How about it?"

"It's not anything you did, idiot. It's who you are," he sneered. "Know this. You're a bastard child. You and your dad are the black sheep to the Hunter name. What's even more of an embarrassment is that your dad is stupid enough to want to marry the bitch he’s now knocked up again. My mom told me everything. Your mother is what we like to call a gold digger."

The crack that was clearly audible within at least a ten-metre radius was my fist making contact with Norm’s face.

"There are limits, you son of a bitch!" I swore through clenched teeth. "You just crossed the line!"
Norm got up and jumped at me. Within moments, I felt his fists making contact with my chest, jaw and stomach. I didn’t hold back, though, and every punch I threw was directly to his face.

It only lasted maybe a few seconds, because some adults pulled us apart. "Let me go, you fucks! I'll kill him!" Norm shouted.

I turned and noticed that the guy who was holding me back was probably close to my age.

I was breathing pretty damn hard, but I must have convinced him, because he released me. Two adults were trying their best to hold Norm down. I was hoping Jett would show up, or at least Lenne. From where I’d ended up, I couldn't even see into the shop Lenne was in.

I took a bra that was hanging and felt the material. It was all like a dream. I'd never have thought a few years ago that I'd ever be where I am at this point in my life. Sure, I’d always dreamed of how typical girls would live, and now that I was living it, I couldn't help but feel a bit greedy.

Since meeting Zac's grandma, I know that Aunt Diana and Mr. Hunter are meant to be. I’ve been fortunate enough to have my aunt, but what about the other kids in my position? How many of them are living in foster homes that don’t show them love? How many of them are suffering under stupid restrictions? And there I was, feeling bras…

I guess the little talk Zac's Grandma had had with me just after lunch was still bothering me.

"Lenne," Zac's Grandma called out as she approached me. "Dear, walk with me, please?"

"I know that you're Zac’s cousin," the strong old lady said, and smiled at me as we started walking together.

She stopped suddenly and when I turned to her I nearly freaked as her hands took hold of my face.

"I really would love it if you would call me Grandma Vicky. I've always wanted a granddaughter. From what I gather, you don't have grandparents. Don't look so surprised, dear. I may be old, but I'm observant, and that’s one of my greatest strengths."

I didn't doubt her. She sounded pretty confident in herself. I could see where Zac and his dad got their spirit.

"When Diana marries Kevin, you will join the Hunter family, but you shall keep your surname. I just want you to know that you'll be looked after. I really like you."

"If you need a reason, Lenne," the lady said, seeing right through me, "you have spirit. Your aunt did, too, at your age. That's probably why I saw her as such a threat…" She looked away quickly.

"Given my history with your aunt, I don't think she will trust me. I want you to think on something, Lenne. If you wish, I can be your godmother. That would carry no legal implications; it would simply mean that I would care for you as if you were my own daughter. And I swear to you I wouldn’t use you against your aunt, or anything of the sort. I doubt I'd be able to throw one over you, anyways. Kevin tells me you have quite the tongue and I think I witnessed it a bit during lunch."

"But why me?" I asked. I felt some embarrassment about my little lunch outburst.

"Like I said, I see something in you. Just like Zac, you say what's on your mind without worrying about what others think. Don’t you see how those other women in there act? They’d say anything to please me. Keep this on the low, but our name is very influential. They are only nice to me because what I leave behind could go to one of them. That’s the way it is when you’re a Hunter. You can put two and two together and know why those women heed every word I say. They’ve been criticizing your aunt since the moment she came, trying to cast doubts towards her. Little do they know that I really like what I see so far about you."

"This may be too much to take in right now, which is why I want you to think hard on this. There's more to life than looking pretty and going to parties. I want to see if you're strong enough to take on the responsibilities of a woman who is a member of this family. Let me tell you, it isn't easy. Think hard on this, Lenne."

That conversation had given me a lot to take in. I didn’t know what she really wanted me to do. If she wanted me to inherit her wealth, I'd be set for life. From what Zac has told me about her, she’s a woman of power and money. What about Zac? Maybe he'll get his grandfather's stuff. But still, it's not fair. Why do I get an easy break? I don't want this…I can't…

"Oh, thanks," I replied automatically. For a moment it felt like Mai was with me, handing me a bra. I took it and put it aside.

I noticed we were attracting some attention. "Get out of here, you idiot! This is a lingerie shop."

I took another look at Julian. He looked pretty down. I guess I had been a little harsh on him, but his sudden appearance had been a surprise.

I knew I was in deep shit when I saw how pissed off my dad looked. He and Uncle Bill had been with security for an hour. I didn’t know what they had decided, but I knew I was in no position to ask about it.

I was in a separate room from Norm, and I could see Jett and Lenne outside the door, waiting to see me.

I nodded and stood up. As I exited the room, both Lenne and Jett slid in behind me, not making a single sound.

I saw Norm walk out of a similar room, followed by Uncle Bill. I didn't see Clara or Julian anywhere.

"Zac, I know you're not the type to start fights, but I'm really disappointed in you. I thought you were smarter than that."

Dad hardly lectured me. He didn’t even raise his voice. I still felt like shit, though. I almost wished he was yelling at me instead of sounding so disappointed.

"And I'll accept them," I cut in. "I was wrong in doing what I did, Dad, but I don't regret it."

"Mr. Hunter, Zac would never do something like that unprovoked," Jett said in my defense.

Lenne also decided to throw in her opinion. "It's true, Kevin. Zac's usually the cool-headed one among us."

"Jeez, he must have really pissed you off, huh?" The hard look on my dad's face faded.

"Security caught everything on tape. They said you kicked Norm's ass. I wish I could’ve seen that. He looks like he got the worst of the fight," Dad informed us.

"I chewed you out like I was supposed to," Dad said, "but if you don't regret your actions, then it's safe to say the fight was justified. Just limit the fighting with relatives."

Nothing really happened when we reached the residence. Grandma saw me and nearly freaked out. Uncle Bill's wife just gave me glares, and Norm stormed off to his room.

"It might be a good idea if we move that air mattress to the main floor, guys," Uncle Terry suggested, obviously trying to control a huge smile.

I actually liked Uncle Terry. He didn't act like Uncle Bill, Aunt Silvia, or Aunt Martina. He was just normal.

"Nah. Norm is kind of mad at me. He ditched me at the mall before he went looking for Zac," Julian explained.

It was funny seeing Lenne speaking so naturally with Julian. I wondered if something had happened between them. I’d never really had a problem with Julian; he just followed whatever Norm said.

"Cool. We'll still have a blast. No worries," Jett said, wrapping an arm around me.

"Kevin, get the first aid! Young man, you're not going anywhere until you get that lip checked!" Grams commanded.

Things finally calmed down after dinner. Two separate tables had been set up. Aunt Martina said that was because they couldn't fit everyone at one table inside. We could have easily eaten outside like we had at lunch, but I had a feeling the problem between Norm and me had something to do with the dinner arrangements.

I was fine with it, and I enjoyed myself in the company of Julian. He was actually pretty funny.

Julian laughed with Jett and me, leaving Lenne to pretend like she wasn’t paying attention.

"And where were you the whole time I was having a bit of a problem, Mr. Best Friend?" I asked Jett.

"You mean at the mall? Well, a stud like me was obviously stopped along the way to the washroom. I had to help several ladies in distress and then save a cat from a burning building."

I took the hint. Jett and the other guys have sort of a secret language with me. Something had happened that Jett didn't want either Lenne or Julian, or both, to know about. Thus, the 'save a cat from a burning building' line.

"Whatever, stud," Lenne said, rolling her eyes. "Tell me again, why are you single?"

"Ha ha," Jett laughed sarcastically. "Anyway, I'm done eating. Yo, Zac, wanna toss the football around?"

"And? What's the big secret?" I asked, when we were outside and far enough away from everyone.

"She wanted me to do her, man. God, it was awkward. I shot her down, though. She thought I was playing around with her and stuff."

"Well, you did strip in front of her. Damn, man, what was she supposed to think?" I laughed.

"Well, now we see what kind of girl would be attracted to Norm, don't we?" I said bitterly.

"That nice girl just might be carrying more than you want," I said. "Remember what the teacher said about STDs."

"Why, hello, Lenne," I greeted the young lady as she sat down beside me. I closed the book I was reading. "How was the mall?"

"I can't be you." She looked away and continued. "I'm really happy you think I'm different from those women, but the truth is, I'm probably not different from them. I love clothes, and there are things I want to do. I can't be someone's protégé. I want to do things using my own strengths. I appreciate your offer, Grandma Vicky, but I have dreams of my own."

I smiled at her. "I understand, dear. You’ve made your point, and I will respect it. But I meant what I said when I told you I like your spirit. I still want to be your godmother, no strings attached. Would that be all right?"

"Dear, if you're going to sneak up on me, you'd best be more silent," I told him.

"She's everything I expected her to be. She's a very strong girl," I explained. "Very ambitious and honest. She seems to think she’d have to give up her dreams to inherit mine. Very pure, indeed."

"She made that assumption herself. I never said anything of the sort," I informed him.

"And, I think she will be my heir. She just won't know about it for now. I'm hardly at the age where I need to stop doing what I'm doing. But when the time comes, I'd like to know that my legacy will be put to good use. She doesn't give herself enough credit. Did you know she was a foster child for a few years? Diana tells me she wants to be a doctor, like her father."

"Who said I made peace? I think I will be the stereotype of a mother-in-law that I always wanted to be."

Busy as hell. *Hanging BRB sign* (I'll make up for this with the next chapter)

Ry^!

p.s. Thanks to Aaron for his editing and thanks to that gang of his at The Mail Crew for hosting my stories. They do great work, so be sure to check out their site. They’ve got awesome stories by very talented authors. Thanks, also, to prestigious story sites AwesomeDude and DeweyWriter for hosting my stories.