Tim Green - Final Season

To the four brothers, forever!

Sleepovers made Ben throw up.

Theres nothing to be nervous about. With an effortless flick of his arm, Bens older brother Rich zipped a football at him. It spun so fast the laces whistled. You need to expand your horizons.

The ball stung Bens hands, and he winced on the inside as he caught it.

What horizons did you have at twelve? he said with a salty edge in his voice.

Youre dropping your elbow; you gotta keep it up. Rich flashed his smile and took a few easy steps toward Ben, holding his arm up and pointing to his elbow before he launched himself into a full sprint.

Ben turned and took off. He made it halfway across the lawn before Rich tackled him from behind.

Do you have horizons? Huh? Yeah? Rich pinned him to the grass and dug a thumb into Bens armpit.

Okay... Okay... Stopstopstop! Okay, okay, okay! Ben thrashed and howled with laughter.

Okay, what? Rich wiggled his thumb deeper.

Okay, I have horizons! I have horizons!

Rich rolled off of him and lay back in the grass. Ben caught his breath. Giant puffy clouds littered the blue summer sky. It was a perfect day. School had ended just last week, and the months of July and August lay in front of him like two giant chocolate cakes, each slice a treasure unto itself.

I told you, Ill come get you if you need me to. You text me, and Ill be there. I promise. Rich tore a handful of grass from the lawn and tossed it so it landed on Bens face. This way you dont have to get nervous and you dont... you know, have an issue.

Ben sputtered and spit and grabbed as much grass as he could before returning the favor. Youre an issue.

Rich made a grab at him, but Ben slipped out of reach and quickly got behind a clump of sharp-needled juniper bushes that he kept between them by dodging this way and that.

Okay, Im being serious now. Rich silently surrendered, picked up the football, backed up, and zipped it to Ben. Do this thing. Tell your friends before you even go that I may need you to cover for me with Dad so that I can stay out late with his G-Wagon. You know that he wont mind me using it if its to pick you up. That way, if you do want to bail, no one knows but you and me.

No questions asked? Ben narrowed his eyes and fired a perfect spiral.

No questions. Rich rubbed some dirt off the ball on the front of his UCF football T-shirt. You just text me bailing and Ill pull up in five minutes.

Five? Ben scowled.

Rich threw the ball back. Its a three-minute drive to town. Jessica and I will be right here watching a movie. Keep your elbow up higher this time.

Why do you care if I sleep over or not? Ben made sure his elbow was up as he released the ball.

Hey, thats it! Rich caught the pass, grinning. Circle of truth? Dad babies you too much.

Their dad was a former NFL defensive lineman, and now an attorney and author who had written a couple books. He was quick to smile, and he smiled a lot, but he could also become a raging thunderstorm in the blink of an eye. He never got that way with Ben, though. His four older siblings seemed to delight in pointing out how he was babied because he never saw the wrath of their father directed at him.

Bens insult was all Rich needed to hear. He turned and began to walk away. What he hadnt told Rich was that Ryan Woodley would be there, and when Ryan was at a sleepover, trouble was never far behind. If he said that now, it would look like an excuse.

Hey, get back here! We just got your elbow right!

Ben didnt slow down.

See? Just what I said! If I ever walked away from Dad, he would have lifted me up off my feet by the collar and carried me back! Rich had a temper too, and he was letting it show.

Well, youre not Dad! Ben picked up his pace because he knew that he was in danger of having a football zinged at him. Rich had been an all-state quarterback with a full scholarship to the University of Central Florida. A handful of injuries had prevented his college football career from ever taking off, and now he was home and going to law school.

The ball stayed in Richs hand, and Ben made it inside the house unscathed. He fell onto the couch and took out his phone.

Rich wasnt far behind. Dont even tell me youre calling Mom. You gotta toughen up.

Im texting Tuna, okay? Ben held up his phone so his brother could see. Tuna was Anthony Tonelli, built like a barrel with feet; kids had taken to calling him Two-Ton Tony. But Tonys personality was as big as the rest of him, and he began calling himself Tuna, which everyone thought was hilarious. To tell him Im coming over tonight.

What Ben still didnt say was that he was pretty sure that with Ryan Woodley there, the night would end in trouble.

His stomach got queasy just thinking about it.

Rich pulled up to Tunas, and Ben quickly got out of the car. Tuna had a big white house on a big green hill. In the front, thirty-foot white columns upheld a flat triangular pediment, reminding Ben of the Greek temple hed seen in a history book. The house was originally built for President Teddy Roosevelts sister.

Tunas dad was a retired investment banker and could afford the giant house that looked down on the lake. Ben made his way around back, where he found Tuna in the boathouse hauling a sunfish out of the water. Tuna removed the hook from its mouth and slipped it into a ten-gallon plastic bucket. Ben peeked in. The surface quivered as dozens of fins fanned the water.

Suspended above two boat slips like a mismatched pair of shoes was a shiny classic wooden boat beside a sleek new speedboat that looked right out of a Batman movie.

Hey, Ben. Grab a pole. Tuna nodded toward a rack of poles on the wall as he tore a worm in half and pierced its wriggling belly with a needle-sharp hook.

Nah. Ben looked away from the spurt of blood and guts. More fun for you.

Tuna chuckled and let the worm plunk into the water before jiggling his pole. He glared at the water. See that whopper down there? Smallmouth bass. Cant get him to bite.

Ben felt a little thrill at seeing the dark shadow suspended only a few inches off the bottom.

Tuna asked, Do you think we should put these sunnies in Woodys sleeping bag?

Why? Ben could envision a night of never-ending paybacks.

Tuna glanced up at Ben with a slightly annoyed look on the thick features of his face. The slime alone would be worth the price of admission, but you tack on the smell and its an epic prank of the ages. We get it on video, post it online. Dont tell me you dont see it?

No, I get it. I get it. Ben peered into the bucket wondering which lucky fish would get to suffocate to death after flopping around with a half-naked Ryan Woodley. Water gently lapped the boathouse piers, and the hint of gasoline danced in and out of Bens nose. But the drama. You know. Itll never end.

Hmm. You got a point. The end of Tunas pole suddenly whipped down, and the expert fisherman gave it a yank. Its the Whopper! I got him! I got him!

Ben saw a silver flash the size of a firemans boot before it disappeared under the floor. Tuna gripped the pole like a samurai sword and gave a heroic slash.