Julien Gregg's Hopper

 Copyright © 2025 by Julien Gregg 
All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author by email.

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

 

PART ONE
BRECK 

Chapter 1

I have had many names and have lived many generations. I'm not immortal in the sense that I have a body that has been around since I was born. No, I left my body when I was eighty in the village that we lived in at the time. It is now known as Scotland. I am a Hopper. That means that I can hop into the bodies of my family line. I can only hop into the bodies of my own family line. It won't work with people who do not share my bloodline.

I had amassed a considerable fortune over several lifetimes. It was more than forty billion in assets and accounts. It passed to each member of the family that I hopped into. Certain conditions were always met. A brain injury, complete or partial amnesia, and a phone call to Scotland with a code phrase. Usually, there was total amnesia, because I didn't know the young men of the family at all. Usually, the head injury was extensive, and I had a lot of healing to do before I opened my eyes. Sometimes I got lucky and it wasn't all that bad. This time, I'd been following the current generation of the family very closely. There were only three of an age that I could hop into. Breck, Adam, and Chase. They were all seventeen, about to turn eighteen. They each had a group of friends and were ready to fall. I called the fall the injury that caused their spirit to vacate and mine to hop in.

Adam was the first to turn eighteen and fall out of the age for me to hop into. It could still be done, but I didn't want to start at eighteen. Chase never fell. I followed him for a while, but he was more cautious and looked out for himself. Breck was my guy. I'd hung around him for four years. I knew his friends, likes, dislikes, and guilty pleasures. He was a popular boy in the family, the youngest of his generation, and spoiled by his parents. His oldest brother, Bobby, was estranged from the family for not just being gay but also impersonating a female at times. His father couldn't deal with that. The middle son, Brady, was one of Breck's best friends. He lived in the city, had an apartment he could barely afford, and worked for the family business. He was close to his parents and thought Breck was one of the best people he knew.

His father, Caster, and his mother, Anne, were all right people. I disagreed with shutting a son out for any reason, but that wasn't up to me. I wasn't sure that I shared their political opinions either. It seemed that as Breck I'd cast some waves. I'd been gay, straight, bisexual, and everything between. Breck hadn't had a girlfriend, and it wasn't for lack of opportunity. He just didn't seem interested. At first, I thought he was gay. Then I learned he didn't like superficial girls who were only interested in him because he was a Patterson. That name meant money in their city. It meant prestige. Breck wasn't interested in any of those girls.

He liked dogs but didn't have one. He was a fan of baseball but didn't play. He was a fiercely loyal friend and brother. He was also an excellent judge of character. He loved his family, even Bobby, though he rarely saw him. Usually, he saw Bobby when Anne snuck him into the house. Yes, as Breck, I would make waves in the family. He was close with Adam and Chase, cousins and family. He had a fierce loyalty to family. His two best friends, Tommy and Daryl, were constantly with him. They were with him on the night of the fall as well. They were at a pool party thrown by a girl that Tommy wanted to hook up with. Breck rolled his eyes at this, as did Daryl. They called Daryl "DJ" because his middle name was James. He and DJ hung out, watching Tommy strike out.

The house was one of the hundred-thousand-dollar houses in the upper-class neighborhood. Breck's home wasn't far from this one. Unlike his brown-brick mansion, this one had white clapboard siding, and four snow white columns held up the front roof over the porch. The backyard was nearly taken up by the in-ground pool and pool house. There was music piping through speakers just outside the pool house. Tables with lounge chairs were set up around the pool's deck. Lights had been strung in the trees planted in the desert ground around the yard.

One boy who had been a good friend for a long time was now a bitter rival of Breck, Tommy, and DJ. He was looking for a way to humiliate Breck. His chance came when Breck went to get drinks for him and DJ. He tripped Breck, who did much more than fall from it. He smacked his head on one of the metal tables and toppled into the pool. Aaron, the boy who had tripped him, high-tailed it out of there. DJ and Tommy dove into the pool to get Breck out of the water. DJ performed CPR while the party host, Melissa Spellman, called 911. Breck was rushed to the hospital, and I followed along, knowing that he wouldn't survive this. This was my chance.

The hospital was owned by the family, and it was a six-story red brick building with an addition that was all limestone. This addition was the Emergency Department. This is where Breck was taken to. He was fussed over by many doctors. They knew who he was. He had a CT scan, and they found the brain bleed. They rushed him to surgery. He died before they got there. But then the machines went berserk. That was as I slipped into the body and anchored myself. I set about fixing the brain bleed on the elevator. They took me to surgery, and the surgeon fixed the rest of the brain bleed, but he told colleagues later that the damaged section of the brain was healing as he watched. He said it was the craziest thing he'd ever seen.

They moved me to a private room and called in the family. Caster, Anne, and Brady were there in minutes. Anne was a basket case while Caster held her. Brady cried silently as he held his brother's hand. The doctor came in and told them that he had undergone surgery where a brain bleed was repaired, but he said nothing of the self-healing tissue of the brain. He still didn't believe he'd actually seen it. He told them that Breck suffered from a brain injury and there was no telling what shape I'd be in when he regained consciousness. I knew what shape I'd be in. I'd be fine. There would be holes in my memory, but I would be fine.

"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" Anne moaned into Caster's shoulder.

"He's a strong boy, Anne," he said. "He'll wake up."

"Will he have his mind?" she asked. "What about his memory?"

"Well, we'll deal with that when we know what's going on," he said.

It was well known to the family that male members who got hurt usually lost their memory. This happened to at least one in every generation. It skipped a few here and there, depending on how long I lived while I was in a body. Sometimes I lived ten or fifteen years. Sometimes it was sixty or seventy years. It just depended on what happened around me. In this body, I'd live another seventy years. Breck was the healthiest body I'd ever hopped into. I liked the muscle mass that wasn't over the top, but toned like a swimmer. I liked the tight ass and the above-average endowment. I liked the shapely legs and the shapely arms. Yes, I was happy with Breck. But I had work to do to fix the damage in the brain. I was still working on that, which was why I was still in a coma. While in a coma, I could fix everything. Once I opened my eyes, my connection to the body's tissues would be lost.

There was a commotion in the room around me. It took me a few minutes to figure out that brother Bobby had shown up. Caster left the room, which pissed off Anne. Bobby asked about my condition, and Brady told him that I was in a coma. Bobby was crying. He talked to his mother about his father, and I heard the heated words he used while talking about his father. Bobby seemed to never forgive Caster for throwing him out of the family. Here, here. I wouldn't have forgiven him either. I zoned out again and returned to fixing damaged tissue.

I'd been many men in the family. My last life had been that of Caster's father, Reginald Patterson. I'd married my high school sweetheart, Elizabeth. She was alive but in a care facility. They visited her on Sundays after church. Before Reginald, I'd been Patrick. That was a generation before Reginald. Before Patrick, I'd been Seamus. Seamus was one of my favorites. He was a bisexual man who had many lovers. It was one of those lovers who had killed him. Shot him right through the heart. Before that, I'd been Hiram. Hiram had made a lot of money for the trust that would be mine when I woke up and called the number. He had worked in business and founded the company Caster was now in charge of. Hiram was his great, great, great-grandfather. The company had been headed by a Patterson man since it was founded. It was very successful. The company made stoves and refrigerators. In the days of Hiram, they were ice boxes.

I heard others in the room. I figured out quickly that this was Tommy and DJ. Their parents had come to pay their respects. DJ was thanked over and over for the CPR. He was praised for saving my life. Adam and Chase arrived next. They were scared for me. It was touching how they worried over me, but I still had work to do. I was nearly finished with the brain and would work on the skull. It was cracked, and of course, there was the section they had cut out to perform the surgery. I had to repair that as well. It was a lot of work. I slept for a bit and then got back to work. I was at it for the rest of the night.

Anne got even more upset when morning came and there was no change in my condition. Caster was now upset as well. He allowed Bobby to be in the room, though he said nothing to him. Brady just held my hand and cried. I was working away at my skull, repairing damage done by the table that Breck had hit after being tripped, as well as the section that the surgeon had removed to get to the brain bleed. I had the damage from the table pretty much fixed.

Tommy and DJ returned later that morning with the story that Aaron Glenn had tripped me and caused this. When Caster asked about Aaron, he was told he'd been admitted to psych. He said that something was after him. I knew what that something was. It was the spirits of the Patterson family. When I didn't have a body, I was among them. When Aaron tripped Breck, and he had landed in the pool, the spirits had set after Aaron to make him pay. Apparently, they were doing a good job. Being in the psych ward wouldn't save him. He'd be dead soon.

The day moved on as I continued my work. Anne continued getting increasingly agitated because I wasn't waking up. Caster tried to console her but admitted to Brady that he was also scared of what it meant. I wanted to reassure them, but my work would be over if I opened my eyes. I would be stuck with the injuries that I had. No, better to fix myself than to reassure my parents and brother. I had to think of them like that. That's what they were. I was their son now. Funny how I went from being Caster's father to his son. Oh well.

They left the hospital to shower, change clothes, and eat real food. Then they came back. I was still working. It was delicate work. I almost had the skull healed, but there were other problems that I wanted to fix and wrongs to right. Breck had a genetic disorder that caused a buildup in the heart. I wanted to end that. It would kill me one day if I didn't. I had to stay safe in my coma. The doctor checked my vitals, and the machines were doing their thing. He told my parents that this coma baffled him. He said it had been a successful surgery. He didn't understand why I was in a coma.

They decided to run more tests. Let them run their tests. I wasn't coming out of this coma until I was damned well ready to. I finished the skull and moved on to the heart. I found the source of the genetic disorder and corrected the problem. Then I started to remove the buildup in the heart. It was tedious work and took a while. The tests they'd run revealed nothing that would keep me in a coma. They were baffled. I stayed put. The day turned to night, and with it came Tommy and DJ. They brought news that Aaron had died in his room right upstairs from us. They said they had no idea how, but he was scared to death, literally. I liked that. It was funny.

Day three dawned bright, and I was still working. I got the buildup taken care of. Then I was looking through the body to find other things. There was nothing, so I just perfected a few things. I perfected the prostate. I didn't need it to be enlarged later in life. I perfected the bladder and made it stronger. I perfected the muscles that took care of a few things and made them stronger. I looked through the colon, looking for cells that didn't belong. I found none. My search through the body was fruitless. It was time to wake up. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. Caster and Anne weren't in the room. Brady was asleep in the chair.

"Brady," I said softly.

His head snapped up, and he looked around. He finally looked at me. Then he smiled. He got up and came over to the bed. He took my hand and held it as he looked at me. We said nothing for a long moment. We just looked at each other. He looked so relieved. Then he told me that Mother and Daddy weren't there. They said that they had gone home to shower and change. He said that he was staying with me for the night.

"I'm awake," I said. "I don't feel bad. I just want to go home."

"Well, the doctor will be here in the morning," he said. "He'll decide when you can go home."

"Right," I said. "The doctor."

"How's your memory?" he asked.

"Pretty good," I said. "There are things I don't remember. I think back over the past four years, and it's all a blank."

"Well, at least you didn't lose your entire memory," he said. "That would have sucked."

"Yes, it would have," I said. "Can you get me something to eat?"

"Sure," he said. "Be right back."

He was gone for a bit. A nurse came in to take my vitals and noticed I was awake. She was an older woman with curly dark hair in a ponytail. Her maroon scrubs were covered in stickers that she had collected that night. She smiled at me. I smiled back.

"My brother went to get me food," I said.

"Ah," she said. "Several people will be happy that you're awake."

"Yes," I said. I looked around at all of the balloons and teddy bears. There were flowers and all kinds of stuff in the room. "It looks like I'm popular."

"That stuff just keeps coming for you," she said. "A group of girls was in the hall last night, but we didn't let them see you. Only family is welcome in the ICU."

"Is that where I am?" I asked.

"You had a nasty head injury," she said. "Then you didn't wake up. So, yes, you're in the ICU."

"Well, I'm awake," I said. "As far as I can tell, I have no deficits. I think I should go home."

"That's a decision for the doctor," she said. "Let me take your vitals, and I'll alert the staff that you're awake."

"Sure thing," I said, holding out my arm.

Brady came back as the nurse was leaving. He pulled the tray table over to the bed while I used the controls to sit up. Then he placed a tray on the table. It had two burgers and fries. He'd gotten me a Dr. Pepper for a drink, which was Breck's favorite. I opened the can and took a drink. It was good. Then I dressed my burgers and started to eat. He just sat and watched me.

"Didn't you get anything for yourself?" I asked.

"I already ate," he said. "The food here isn't the greatest, but the burgers are all right." 

He was right. The burgers were just all right. They weren't stellar. Still, I was hungry. I ate both of them and all of my fries. I downed the soda and then sat back. He watched me the whole time. It was like he thought I'd have trouble. Well, I was completely fine and healthy now. He didn't need to worry. However, none of them knew that. They thought that I was recovering from brain surgery. I wasn't. I'd already recovered.

"What?" I asked as he looked at me in silence.

"How's your head?" he asked.

"My head is fine," I said. "It doesn't hurt. I'm fine, Brady. Really."

"Breck, you just had brain surgery," he said.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, but I'm fine," I said. "I have no pain. I'm not sore, and I want to go home."

"Wow," he said, sitting back. "I know that we heal fast, but this is amazing."

"I don't know what to tell you," I said. That was true. I didn't know what to tell him that wouldn't have him running for the doctor to have me committed for losing my mind.

"Well, I'm glad you're not hurting," he said. "You had a nasty fall."

"I didn't fall, I was tripped," I said. "Aaron tripped me."

"He's dead," he said.

"How?" I asked, pretending to be shocked.

"They say he was scared to death," he said. "It happened here in the Psych Ward."

"That's crazy," I said, though I knew exactly what had happened to him.

"Yeah," he said. "I think he deserved it. He nearly killed you."

"Well, I'm fine," I said. The truth was that he had killed Breck. Brady didn't need the details, though.

We talked all night long. When the sun started to come up, he yawned. I told him to go home and get some sleep. He resisted, but he finally agreed. He was gone more than an hour when Mother and Daddy came in. They were thrilled to see me awake. They were amazed when I told them I had no pain, stiffness, or soreness. I was fine. They watched as my breakfast tray was brought in. Then they watched me eat the bland food. I drank the juice, then sat back and pushed the tray table away.

The doctor came in. He was an older man with salt and pepper hair, dark eyes, and a round belly. He did a neurological exam, checked my stitches, and then he told me that I was doing much better than expected. I told him I felt fine. Then he asked about my memory. I noticed my parents started to really pay attention then. I told him that I remembered lots of things. I told him that after four years, there was nothing. It was a void. He nodded.

"You'll likely get your memory back," he said. "You had a very nasty brain injury. It needs time to reorient itself. That can take time."

"Well, I feel just fine," I said. "No pain, and no soreness. It doesn't itch or anything. I'm fine."

"Yes," he said. "Your tests show that you're nearly healed. That's remarkable."

"I don't know anything about that," I said. "I just heal fast." It was a lie, but I dared him or anyone else to call me about it.

"Well, I'll be moving you to a private room on the third floor," he said. "We'll keep you one more night, and then you can go home. I just want to watch you for a night."

"Fine," I said. "Thank you."

He left the room while I fumed. I wanted out of the hospital. There was nothing wrong with me now. There was no reason to keep me here. Mother and Daddy came in and asked what the doctor said. I told them that I was being moved to the third floor. I had to stay one more night for observation. They nodded as if this was expected. I seethed. It wasn't their fault, though. I put a smile on my face and asked about Daddy's job.

"I've taken a few days off to be here with you," he said. "You had us worried when you wouldn't wake up."

"I'm sorry for that," I said, smiling at him.

"Well, you couldn't help it," he said. "You're awake now, and you look so good."

"Thank you," I said. "I feel good."

"Well, I'll see about getting you out of here today instead of tomorrow," he said, leaving the room. I crossed my fingers.

"Your father doesn't like hospitals," Mother said. "Reminds him of when his father died."

"Wasn't his father shot by a business rival?" I asked. I knew that he was.

"Yes," she said. "But he died in this hospital."

I remembered. "He doesn't talk about Grandpa," I said.

"It's hard for him," she said. "He loved your grandfather very much."

"I wish I'd met him," I said.

"You weren't even born when your grandfather died," she said. "I wasn't married to your father yet."

"Yeah," I said, looking at the sheet that was stretched over me.

"Good news," my father said as he returned to the room. "We'll leave you to get dressed. The doctor will be in with your discharge papers very soon. You're going home."

"Thank you, Daddy," I said. They walked out of the room, and I called Scotland. I gave the code phrase, told the man on the phone the address, and when my birthday was. Then I hung up and got dressed. I was tying my shoes when Mother and Daddy returned to the room.

"All dressed and ready?" Mother asked.

"All ready," I said, smiling at her as I sat back up.

The doctor came in with release forms. He didn't look happy, but I was. I wanted to go home and start this new life. My father signed on the line. Then the doctor gave them a copy, and I was free. We walked out of the room and down the hall. Technically, I was supposed to be wheeled down, but I refused. I could walk. Daddy went to get the car while Mother and I waited at the hospital's front entrance. She rubbed my arm and smiled.

"I'm so happy you're all right," she said. "I was so worried."

"I'm fine, Mother," I said. "You don't have to worry anymore."

"Robert was in to see you," she said.

"How did Daddy take that?" I asked.

"At first, he left the hospital while Robert was here," she said. "Then he stayed in the room with him. It was progress, but not much."

"I don't understand why Daddy can't accept Robert for who he is," I said.

"It isn't that he's gay," she said. "He couldn't care less about that part of it. It's that he's a female impersonator."

"That's still not a reason to shut out your own son," I said before I could stop myself.

"You usually agree with everything your father says," she said. "It's odd to hear you contradict him."

"Well, he's wrong this time," I said. "I may not have said anything when it happened, but I'm saying it now. Robert is my brother. I miss him."

"Well, so do I," she said. "He'll be over to see you while your father is at work."

When we got home, I went straight up to my room. I didn't like all of the blue, but I'd deal with it. I took a shower and used the body wash that was in my shower. I didn't like the scent. I made a mental note to get some more. There was a new cell phone box on my desk. Mine had been ruined when it got wet. I sat down and plugged the new phone in. Then I went through my address book, putting numbers in the phone's contact list. I got that done and fired up the computer. I searched through all of the files on the hard drive. I found things that I didn't like. I just deleted those. They were pictures of girls in bikinis and less. I wasn't going to be straight in this life. I didn't want to be. Then I found something that made me pause. There were pictures of a guy on the computer. He wasn't one of my friends, and he wasn't related to me. He was naked in each picture. He showed every aspect of his body, including his ass hole.

I left those pictures where they were. The folder was marked, "Justin." The guy was at least as tall as my six feet, with dusty brown hair and blue eyes. He was physically fit, and he looked great. I didn't know if he was a nude model or what. I had no idea who Justin was. I moved on. I found pictures of a Mustang. The car was nice. I knew that Breck wanted a Mustang. I might get one. I liked them, too. Then I found files on his friends. They were detailed. What was he doing with all of this information? He had a lot of information about them. Credit card numbers, social security numbers, driver's license numbers, address, phone, and other information about their parents and siblings. What had Breck been up to?

What shocked me was that DJ was gay. He'd been sucking Tommy's dick, but Tommy had not been reciprocating. I wondered how long that had been going on. DJ was a good-looking boy. He had light brown hair and green eyes, was six feet tall, and had a physically fit body from working out with his brother, Tanner. He was a good friend, and Breck had really liked him. So, why did he have all of this information? It made no sense. I encrypted it all and left it alone.

Mother called me down to dinner after that. She'd made a pot roast. It had been cooking all day while she was at the hospital. She'd made potatoes and carrots with it. She even had the noodles that Breck loved so much. There were dinner rolls and glasses of iced tea. I ate well that night. I loved pot roast. I found out that I loved the noodles, too. So far, so good. I was being Breck so well so far. There would be changes, but I had to make none right then. 

Of course, the man from the attorney's office would be here the morning of my birthday, which was exactly four days away. He would make me a wealthy man again. I was looking forward to that. I wondered what Mother and Daddy would think of that. I knew I had to talk with them about it once it was done, but what would they say? What would they do? He would go over everything in the estate, and I'd have to go to the bank and sign things. I'd have to do a signature card. I found Breck's signature and started to practice. I was very good at this, so I wasn't worried. Handwriting experts wouldn't even be able to tell the difference in the signature.

I had mastered it by the time I was too tired to do it. I turned everything off and went to bed. I never had trouble falling asleep, and that night was no different. I was asleep shortly after I lay my head down. I didn't dream that night. I was thankful for that. That was one thing that I didn't miss about being human. Dreaming could be fun, or it could be frightening. It could be heartwarming, lay your emotions bare, and strum them like a guitar.

When I opened my eyes the next morning, the clock read five AM. I got up, showered again with the body wash I didn't care for, and then dressed. I went down to breakfast with Mother and Daddy. It wasn't usual for Breck to be up this early, but I had a card or two to play if they asked questions. Instead of asking questions, they were thrilled that I was up and having breakfast with them. Mother had made scrambled eggs, sausage, toast, and coffee. I had all but the coffee. I had never acquired a taste for it in all of my lives. I drank orange juice.

"I'm so happy that you're awake this morning to have breakfast with us, Breck," said Daddy. "What are your plans for today?"

"I thought I'd get a hold of Tommy and DJ," I said. "Maybe hang out with them today."

"That sounds good," he said. "They were at the hospital a lot."

"They're my best friends," I said.

"And better friends you couldn't have," he said. "When I think of all they did to save your life, I want to adopt them both."

"Well, I'm sure their parents would have something to say about that if you tried," I laughed. "But I'll relay the message if you want."

"Oh, you don't have to tell them that," he said, waving me off. "They don't need to know anything like that. They already know how grateful I am. I've offered Tommy a job this summer at the company. DJ already has a job at the company, but I will promote him."

"That's nice," I said, spreading jam on my toast.

"Are you going to work at the company this summer?" he asked.

"Sure," I said. "I'll have the same job as last summer, yes?"

"Of course," he said. "You're already as high as the interns can go. You're actually a bit higher than they can go, but then, someday, the company will be you and your brother's."

"Just me and Brady?" I asked. "Or is Robert included in that?"

"You know how I feel about Robert very well," he said.

"Yes, but is it fair to leave him out of the inheritance?" I asked.

"Breck, you're young," he said. "You don't understand what it means to raise a child only to have him pretend to be another sex."

"He isn't pretending to be another sex, Daddy," I said. "He's impersonating a woman. He calls it an art."

"I don't care what he calls it," he said. "It's not natural."

"Okay," I sighed. "We're going to have to agree to disagree about this, I guess."

"You used to agree with everything I said," he said.

"Well, times change," I said. "Robert is my brother, and I love him."

"Well, I love him, too," he said. "He's my son, after all. Yet, I can't sit by and accept everything that he's doing."

"A parent's love should be unconditional," I said.

"As you said," he replied. "We'll have to agree to disagree. Now, can we end this conversation? Or is it your intention to anger me?"

"Of course not," I said. "I just found it necessary to defend my brother."

"Noted," he said. "I have to get to work."

He didn't have to leave this early. I'd made him angry and uncomfortable. It wasn't my intention, but the split between me and Daddy was forming. I just had to decide how much of a split I wanted. I wouldn't blindly follow him as Breck had before I took over. I was going to make my beliefs and opinions very well known. Mother was glaring at him. I didn't realize that this was a source of trouble between them. I didn't want to play on that. That would be childish.

"You upset him," she said when he was gone.

"I realize that," I said. "It wasn't my intention. Just know that I will defend Robert any time he says something about what he does and how he's not fit for the inheritance. Does he think Brady and I won't give Robert his fair share when the time comes?"

"I'm not sure what he knows or doesn't know about that," she said. "I'm very proud of you and Brady for not shutting Robert out."

"He's our brother," I said. "You don't shut siblings out when they haven't really done anything wrong."

We said no more about it that morning. She took the dishes to the kitchen and released me. I went upstairs to outline what I would do when the money came in. Would I still work at the company? I had a vision for a new company that made medical supplies and equipment. It wouldn't rival the company that I'd already started, the one that Daddy was at the head of now. It would just be another company. I could put my friends and cousins in key places. Of course, all of this would have to wait until after college for all of us.

I searched the web for a cabin in a lakefront setting. I found one in California, which wasn't far from where we were at the moment. I book marked it and planned to buy it as a summer getaway for myself, Brady, and my cousins and friends. I also planned to have children at some point. Of course, I'd have to find an egg donor and a surrogate, but I was prepared for that. After all, I'd have money to pay the surrogate's bills and give her a bit to live on. Money opened a lot of doors.

I waited until around eleven before I phoned Tommy. He was thrilled to hear from me and happy to know that I was home and bored. He told me he'd call DJ, and they would meet me at Gino's. Gino's was an Italian restaurant that we had always hung out in since we were old enough to drive. I did not have a car but Tommy had one, and he drove me and DJ around all of the time. Of course, I'd have a car of my own before I went off to college. I still hadn't decided where I wanted to go for college. I'd make that decision based on what programs they all had to offer.

Gino's was a dive restaurant. It had red brick walls, a dark tiled floor, and a wood beamed ceiling. The tables were all covered with rust colored cloths, the menus were plastic, and the silver wear was plastic and disposable. They did a good business, because their food was really good. People phoned in orders and picked up to go boxes all of the time. While we were there that day they packaged twelve to go orders.

I ordered Chicken Alfredo with garlic bread which shocked Tommy and DJ. They informed me that I hated Chicken Alfredo. I told them that I had decided to give it another try. They had ordered lasagna. When our food came, I ate the Chicken Alfredo and sopped up the sauce with my garlic bread. They watched me to whole time. I let them watch. Being Breck didn't mean I had to bow down to his every like and dislike. Changes were happening, and it might as well start with the food.

"You liked it?" DJ asked.

"Sure," I said. "It tasted good. Why?"

"You used to have a fit when either of us ordered it," he said.

"Well, I'm sorry for that," I said. "Order and eat what you want. Who am I to tell you what you can and can't eat?"

"Are you felling okay?" Tommy asked.

"I'm fine," I said. "I think the brain injury changed some things around in my mind though."

"I'm saying," DJ said. "Is your favorite color still blue?"

"No," I said. "I like green."

"Wow," said Tommy. "What about that pine body wash you're so fond of?"

"I plan to buy a different scent today," I said.

"This is so wild," Tommy said. "Do you still like girls?"

"Not really," I said.

"So, you're gay now?" DJ asked.

"I suppose I am," I said.

"Oh, God," Tommy said. "Now there are two of you."

"Yes, but I won't suck your dick," I said, smiling at him. He dropped his fork.

"What?" he gasped.

"I know all about DJ sucking your dick," I said. "I don't know what he gets out of it, because as I've learned, you don't reciprocate."

"How did you find this out?" Tommy demanded.

"You guys aren't as stealthy as you think," I said. "I've seen you a time or two."

"Well, shit," said DJ. "Why didn't you say anything about it before?"

"What was there to say about it?" I asked. "It was between you and Tommy. It didn't require my input."

"But you brought it up today," DJ said.

"Because, Tommy said there were two of us," I said. "I didn't want him to get any ideas."

DJ busted out laughing. He looked at Tommy's stunned expression and laughed harder. I laughed as well. It seemed we were going to be all right. I had hoped we would. It wouldn't have been good to alienate the best friends. After that they asked a lot of questions. I answered for myself, not Breck. They learned a whole knew me at Gino's that day. When we left, Tommy didn't know what to say. DJ just kept looking at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention.

"So, you're like completely different," he said.

"Not completely," I said. "There are still things that are the same. I still like baseball, dogs, and Mustangs."

"Okay," he said. "That's all the same. But your favorite color is green, you don't like pine scent, and you love Chicken Alfredo. You're suddenly gay, too."

"Oh it isn't sudden," I said. "I was gay the whole time. Why do you think I never had a girl? It wasn't for lack of opportunity."

"He's right about that," Tommy said. "The girls threw themselves at him last year. He just never picked one."

"Are you a virgin?" DJ asked.

"Actually, as far as I know I am," I said. "I can't remember anything before four years ago."

"So, you do have memory loss," Tommy said. "Brady was worried about that."

"Well, as memory loss goes it isn't bad," I said. "I just don't remember anything further than four years ago. Maybe I don't need to."

"Well, we've been friends since we started grammar school," DJ said. "You don't remember any of that?"

"Nope," I said. "Sorry."

"Damn," Tommy said. "So, you're like a whole new person."

"Not really," I said. "There are some new things, but I'm still the same old Breck. I don't blindly follow along with my father now, though."

"What do you mean?" DJ asked.

"Well, I pissed him off this morning," I said. "I told him that a parent's love should be unconditional. He didn't like hearing that, because we were discussing Robert."

"Well, damn," Tommy said. "Your dad is going to have to get used to the new you."

"So are you and DJ," I said as we got into DJ's Blazer.

"So, you want to go to the department store and buy new body wash?" DJ asked.

"Yeah," I said. "We can do that."

We went to the department store, and I bought much more than body wash. In fact, I bought two of the body wash bottles. I also got new shaving cream and aftershave. I got a green bed-in-bag set. Then I got myself some t-shirts. It was hot in Arizona. I got shorts in a multitude of colors but not blue. Then we left, and they took me home. I was putting the new bed stuff on the bed when Mother came into the room. She watched me in silence for a few minutes.

"Why are you changing your bed?" she asked.

"It was all blue," I said simply.

"Well, your favorite color is blue," she said. "You threw a fit until we changed this room to blue."

"I'm sorry for that," I said. "Lately, I don't like blue so much. It's fine, though. I don't need the room changed. The bed and curtains are enough. What's up?"

"Your cousins called," she said. "I don't know why they didn't call you. They're coming to an impromptu barbecue this afternoon. Brady is coming as well. Shall I invite Tommy and DJ?"

"Sure," I said. "I'll take care of that. Thank you for suggesting it."

"What did you eat for lunch?" she asked.

"Did Tommy or DJ call you or something?" I asked.

"No, why would they?" she asked.

"Because they were blown away when I ordered chicken alfredo and garlic bread," I said. "They were more blown away when I ate it and sopped up the sauce with my bread."

"You hate chicken alfredo," she said.

"Not anymore," I said. "It was really good. In fact, I'd like to have it again soon."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said. "You're not the same, are you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, first you have the first disagreement with your father in your life," she said. "Then I come up here and find that you've put all green bedding on your bed and changed your curtains. I see in the bag on the desk that you got new body wash and stuff. What's going on?"

"Well, I don't like blue so much," I said. "I hate the scent of the body wash that I had, and the shaving stuff was almost gone."

"You don't like blue, pine scent, and you eat chicken alfredo," she said. "And you disagree with your father. That brain injury changed a lot about you. I think we'll talk to the doctor about your changed personality."

"If you think we must," I said. "But, Mother, I'm fine."

"You're like a completely different person," she said. "I don't know my own son."

"Come on, Mom," I said. "So my likes and dislikes have changed. That's not uncommon in a head injury."

"Really?" she asked. "And how do you know?"

"Because I looked it up on my computer," I said. "I was worried about it myself, but I looked it up and there are millions of cases of people waking up from head injuries completely different than they were when the got the injury. I'm not completely different. Much is the same. I love you and Daddy, but I will not stand for his dismissal of my brother, and yes, I hate pine scent now. It burns my nose. I like chicken alfredo a lot, and I know I hated it before. I don't know why this is happening, but I know it's common."

"If you say so," she said. "We're still going to talk to the doctor."

"Fine," I said. "We'll talk to the doctor."

"You don't think we should?" she asked.

"If it will give you peace of mind then yes, I do think we should," I said. "But he'll tell you what I've already told you."

"You're sure about this?" she asked.

"Yes," I said. "There are plenty of documented cases."

"Well, I'm going to the store to get the stuff for the barbecue," she said suddenly. "You do still like steak, right?"

"Yes, med rare," I said.

"Well, that hasn't changed," she said with a smile.

I put the body wash and shaving stuff in the bathroom. I threw the pine scented body wash away. Then I sat at my computer and pulled out my phone. I called Tommy and told him he was invited to an impromptu barbecue today at my house, DJ, too. He said he'd call DJ. I hung up. Then I called Adam. He was thrilled to hear from me. We talked about the new me. It seemed Mother had talked to both him and Chase about the new me. I told him that much was the same, there was just some new stuff. He laughed. I told him there were plenty of documented cases of people who had head injuries suddenly liking new things and different scents. He said he believed me.

I got off the phone and went downstairs. Three more days until my birthday, and I couldn't wait. I sat in the living room. My phone rang. It was Bobby. I told him about the barbecue, but he said he wasn't coming because Daddy would be there. I told him about the argument we got into this morning about him. He told me not to alienate our father over him. I told him I would stick up for him every chance I got. He told me loved me. I told him I loved him, too. We got off the phone. Mother came in with groceries, and I went out to her hatchback to bring the rest in. She smiled at this.

"I've talked to Bobby, Adam, and Tommy," I said. 'Bobby says he's not coming because Daddy won't like it. Adam said that he and Chase would be here. Tommy said that he and DJ will be here."

"Well, I got enough food for everyone," she said. "Call Brady and invite him."

"He's at work," I said. "I'll call him when he's getting off work."

"Okay," she said. "I've decided not to talk to the doctor. I'm choosing to believe you about the documented cases."

"I can show you if you like," I said.

"That would be a good idea," she said.

We went into the living room and I fired up the family computer. I put my information in the search bar on Google. Then they popped up. Mother read the screen when I clicked on the link from one of the leading clinics for head injuries. She clucked her tongue. Then she was satisfied. She hugged me and told me that she'd been worried about me. I told her that much was still the same. I just didn't like certain things that I apparently liked before and a few things that I didn't like before I now liked. She said she'd deal with the changes.

"Did you decide finally what you want to do for your birthday?" she asked.

"I want a private dinner at home with family," I said. "Brady, Adam, Chase, Tommy, and DJ can come."

"Sounds doable," she said. "I'll put it together. You want the same cake as every year?"

"Sure," I said. "But no blue icing."

"Okay," she laughed.

When Daddy got home from work, I called Brady. I told him about the barbecue and told him he was expected to be here. He said he hadn't known what he was going to do for dinner and would be here. I got off the phone when Daddy came into the living room. He told me that Mother had told him about my day. He asked what was different. I listed the things I suddenly didn't like. I told him I didn't like pine scent, blue, and I didn't like certain things that never seemed to bother me before. He knew what I was talking about. I told him that I liked chicken alfredo, green, and fresh scent. I told him I'd bought a complete bed in bag with curtains. I changed the bedding and the curtains in my room. I bought new body wash, and a bunch of t-shirts and shorts in a multitude of colors. He said that was fine. He also said that Mother had told him I showed her on the computer that this was completely normal. He said he'd go with it. Then he hugged me and told me he was just so damned happy that I was with them still.