“Aw crap, it’s rainin’ again…okay guys. We gotta run for it.”

“Oh maaaan…I don’t even see the truck.”

“Over there…by that red car. You ready?”

The boys nodded and they all took off running, Nick suddenly very grateful for a remote entry to his truck.

“They’re unlocked, hop in! Quick!”

No fights happened this time as to who would sit in front. Somehow the need to get away from the downpour made them cooperate without even realizing.

“Damn, those are some big assed raindrops!” Ben ran his hand through his wet hair in a motion Nick had seen before, but not on Ben. It looked just like him. Freaked him out.

Shaking his head, he turned on the stereo to drown out his thoughts. “Uh, yeah…maybe we’d better just sit here for a few minutes ‘til it slows down. I can’t even see out there.”

“Is it gonna rain like this all night? I hate thunder at night.”

“I don’t think so, Jack. We can check when we get home, but I thought we were done with this stuff. You’ll be okay.”

Sliding back in his seat and buckling in, Jack looked nervous. Scared. Wet.

“I don’t know why you get so afraid, Jack…it’s just thunder and lightening. Won’t hurt you.”

“I know, but… the lightening can strike our house and…and…and…just shut up.” Jack kicked Ben’s seat and dug in his bag for his new swim trunks. He didn’t have the heart to tell Nick that, outside of underwear, this was the first new item of clothing he’d ever had. He always got Ben’s leftovers and hand-me-downs. Always.

“Sissy.”

“Hey now. Everybody’s afraid of something.”

“Oh yeah, what are you afraid of?”

“Hmmm…flying, and uh…failure.”

“Flying? You!?”

“Yeah, no kidding, huh? I mean, I do it, but I don’t like it. Scares the crap outta me.”

“I’d love to fly…sounds so cool.”

“People who like it seem to think so. I think they need their head’s examined.”

“What are you afraid of, Ben? There’s gotta be something.” Jack held his trunks up like the prized possession they were. Just like Ben’s, only his were blue and Ben’s were green. And they were his. All his.

“Me? I’m afraid I’ll live in this pit forever. Stuck here for the rest of my life.”

“You know…you can do something about that, Ben.”

“Yeah? What, hotshot?”

“Work. Work at school, work at home, be responsible. Find a talent. Get out there and do something.”

“I’m not good at much of anything though.”

“You kick at basketball, Ben!” Jack had quit being prideful of his trunks and was now just being a dork. He had ‘em on his head like a hat, drawstring pulled sweetly under his chin.

Shocked at Jack’s supportive words to his brother, Nick looked back in the rear view mirror and could only crack up. “And Jack, you’d be a great fashion designer…you have,” changing his voice to a more feminine flair, “such the knack!”

As Nick started the truck, finally comfortable with the visibility, Ben looked back at his brother. “No wonder Mom never buys you new clothes. You need directions on how to wear ‘em, dweeb!”

“Nick?”

“Mmm…” Who the hell? What time was it? Nick let the boys stay up extra late while they watched a sick number of movies, ate a sick amount of chips and junk and hopefully…wouldn’t get sick. He agreed that another 6 am wake up call to go fishing was for the birds, so a nice long sleep was waiting. Who was so rudely interrupting it?

“You awake?”

“Not really.” He rolled over to see a skinny silhouette standing in his doorway. Please no…he can’t be sick. “Jack?”

“Yeah…I’m, um…I’m…” As though perfectly choreographed, a bolt of lightening lit up Nick’s window, quickly followed by a house-jarring clap of thunder.

“Scared?”

“Yeah…” He pulled his arms around himself, shivering in his fear. Not home, thunderstorms and…fear that Nick would tease him.

Groaning at the intrusion, Nick sat up and rubbed his eyes and head, trying to come to some sort of coherency. “Okay, uh…so what do you do at home when there’s a thunderstorm?”

“Sit up in bed and shake like a leaf. Or, uh…I lay down in the hall by mom’s room.”

“That doesn’t sound very comforting.”

“Mom yells at me if I wake her up.”

Nice. “What do you want to do now, Bud? I can’t make the storm stop.” Looking at his clock, Nick stifled another groan. 3:30. Only time he was up at that hour was when he was drunk or with a woman. Funny…this suddenly didn’t seem so bad.

“I know, uh…can I? Can you?” Jack flopped his arms to his sides in embarrassment and started to head back to his room, flinching when another bolt of lightening lit up the hallway.

“Wait…you, uh…wanna climb in? Aaron used to do that all the time.”

“Really? Uh…yeah, if…I mean…are you sure?”

“Yeah, come on. No sense being scared by yourself.”

Jack giggled and tentatively walked in the room. He was still a bit uncomfortable in these surroundings. Such nice furniture, pretty carpeting, nicely painted and wallpapered walls. He’d never been in such a formal place.

“Here…you lay on this side and face away from the window.”

“Okay. And uh…I mean, we’ve never hugged before or anything…”

“Yep, I got ya’…get settled. I’ll be right back…might as well hit the john while I’m up.”

Jack snuggled into Nick’s bed, relieved Nick hadn’t teased him. He also wondered what Ben would say in the morning. Probably make some mean joke…something to make Jack feel stupid. He was so good at that.

“Okay, you all comfy now?”

“Yeah, guess so.”

Nick climbed in behind Jack and gently spooned him, just like he used to do with Aaron when he was Jack’s age. Nick would secretly hope for an occasional storm when he was home. It meant more time with his brother and they could giggle away the hours of the night until sleep finally won over the fear.

“Is this what you wanted?”

“Yeah…thanks.”

“Go to sleep now. You’re okay.”

Just as they were both knocking on Mr. Sandman’s door, another knock interrupted their slumber.

“Nick? Jack?”

“Ben?”

“Yeah…”

“I take it you want in too….”

“Is there room?”

Softly kicking Jack as he giggled into his pillow, Nick reached back and opened the sheets to Ben. “Yep…we could fit Lizzy in here too if we needed to. Get in.”

Without a word, Ben hopped in behind Nick, turning his back to him and facing the window. When another bolt of lightening flashed, he quickly turned over and did his best at spooning Nick. “Chicken shits…both of you.”

“Cluck.”

“Cluck.”

“Okay, guys. I’m gonna need your help. I got the list of stuff from your mom. Never heard of half of this crap.”

“And we have?”

“Well…yeah, I’m hoping.” Nick grabbed a cart, took a deep breath and headed into the grocery store. “Here goes nothing. You may not let your mom cook again after we’re done here.”

“Eh, she’ll make it good. She’s a good cook.” Jack was still young enough to have faith in his mom no matter what.

Ben wasn’t so lucky. “Yeah, when she gets off her ass and does it. Like…never!”

“Ben…enough. Okay, spices first then we’ll get the meat.”

“What’s she gonna cook?”

“Something Mexican. Said she’d make a mix or something so she’d have it for another time. Uh, chili powder.”

“Here…it’s alphabetical.”

“Must be for the dorks doing the shopping. Okay, garlic powder.”

“Down here…let’s get a big one.”

“Sounds good…she wants big things of salt and pepper, too…Ben, you grab those, and uh…cayenne pepper. Damn, this stuff’s gonna be hot.”

“Yum…I like it hot.”

“You’d like it if she made shoe leather.”

“If she made hot shoe leather, yeah…probably. Here’s the cayenne. What’s next?”

“Let’s see…cummin’? Coomin? Shit, how do you say this one?”

Ben snorted at Nick’s lack of knowledge…or bad pronunciation anyway. “Cummin’!?”

“Ben…God, shut up.”

“What?”

“Never mind, your brother has a one track mind.”

Ignoring the situation, Jack pulled the list down and looked at it. “Lemme see…cumin.”

“How the hell do you know that!?” Ben tossed the salt and pepper in the cart and started pulling it toward the meat department.

“Mrs. Sanchez’s class…we made tacos this year. Cumin. It’s yummy.” Jack found the last spice and tossed it into the cart.

“Who’s Mrs. Sanchez? I thought you had Mrs. White.”

“Mrs. Sanchez is the nerd teacher.”

“What?”

“Shut up, Ben…gifted. She’s the G&T teacher.”

“G&T?” Suddenly Nick was feeling rather stupid. He didn’t like it in the presence of an 8 and 13 yr. old. At all.

“Gifted and talented. I see her twice a week with other kids who…well…”

“Are nerds, like Liz.”

Nick jokingly thwapped Ben upside the head for his mouth and sent him to get a package of ground beef. “Okay, Mr. Smarty…she wants some Italian mix for another night…you have any ideas?”

“Italian Seasoning…it’s got everything.”

“How do you know this stuff?”

“Mrs. Sanchez liked to cook in class. We made spaghetti too.”

“You’re just a jack of all trades, huh?” Jack just shook his head at his accidental pun and they went off to find Ben who was digging through the ground beef selections.

“Is it that hard, man? Just pick one.”

“I dunno…Mom always searches through ‘em. I don’t know what for though.”

“Me either.” Grabbing a large package, Nick tossed it in the cart. “Here…3 lbs. Oughta do her up good. Is that it, Jack?”

He looked at the list and started walking away from them. “Nope. She wants a chicken cut up too.”

“Chicken and beef?”

“For another night, Ben.”

“Man, what bit her in the ass? She hasn’t cooked two nights in a week in…forever.”

“She doesn’t want to be stuck here the rest of her life either…just like you.”