Julien Gregg's Hopper

 PART TWO
MAX 

Chapter 5 

Then disaster struck for me. One of the girls from high school found me in Pleasantville and shot me through the heart. I died. I hovered around the family and had to take a while for me to find one that would fall. Brady had kids, Adam had kids, and Chase had kids. Justin lived in the cabin and told all of the Hoppers that I was dead again. He said we'd find each other again in the future. The future didn't come fast enough for me. It took two generations before I found which would fall. I hovered around him for ten years this time. His name was Max, and he had three brothers and a sister. Max, was the youngest of them all. I liked that.

He didn't fall until he was seventeen and about to be eighteen. He fell down the stairs in his own home. He hit his head so hard that his brain swelled. They put bur holes in his skull to let relieve the pressure. He died and I slipped in. They didn't know what happened, but the machines went crazy. I worked on relieving the swelling in my brain. That took a bit. Then I worked on healing the bur holes. That took a little time. Max was fit and looked like a baseball player. Of course, he played and had a scholarship to Saguaro University. I stayed in a coma for two weeks, fixing problems in his body. Then I woke up. Marcus, my new brother was sitting in the room with me when I woke up. He was excited. Max wasn't the star of the family, but he would be. He was a bit mean to people, but that would change. He was a senior in high school, and had no friends. I didn't like it, but I would fix it.

"You're awake," said Marcus. "Mom and Dad just left a little while ago. Do you have your memory?"

"Ten years of it, I do," I said. "Any further back and it's gone."

"Damn," he said. "Max, why don't you have friends?"

"Because I was mean to people," I said. "I had those that I hung out with that were popular like me. But they weren't friends of any sort. They were just people that I hung out with at school."

"Why were you mean to people?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said. "I can't for the life of me think of why I would be mean to anyone."

"Well, you're the only one who can change that," he said. "Dad was so upset with you for so long because you refused to go into the family business."

"Metrics?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "That or Patterson Medical Equipment."

"I don't want anything to do with either of those," I said. "I want to go my own way. It might be expensive, but I'll find a way."

"You're smart, Max," he said. "You can do well in college and let doors open for you."

"I'm going to pledge Alpha Beta Omega," I said.

"You're a legacy there," he said. "Dad was Aboo. All three of your brothers were Aboo, and your sister is Obiz."

"Yeah," I sighed. "I have so much to make up for."

"You'll do it," he said. "If anyone can, you will."

"Can you get me something to eat?" I asked.

"Sure," he said.

It was broad daylight. He left the room and I used the phone in my room to call the lawyer's office and give the code phrase. I told them the address where I lived and when my birthday was. Unfortunately it was in the sring and it was just past the New Year. Justin was in a body. I knew which one, too. I planned to find him. Max wasn't gay, but he was now. I wanted to find Justin, who's name was now Brent Tanzy. I just had to find him. He was the same age as me, and he lived in Harris.

"Here you go," said Marcus as he came back with a tray of burgers and fries. He'd gotten me a Dr. Pepper to drink. I almost laughed out loud about it. This was the same meal that Brady had brought me when I was Breck. Now I was Max.

"Thank you," I said. "Why didn't you get something for yourself?"

"Because I don't like hospital food," he said simply.

I dressed the burgers and began to eat. I ate all of my fries and drank the Dr. Pepper. He watched me the whole time. It was so eerily like last time that I almost sighed. Instead I just looked at him. I wondered when Mom and Dad would get there. Their names were Phillip and Barbara Patterson. Phillip was my biological grandson as Breck. As Max he was my father. I would acclimate quickly. I was going to make major changes to Max's life. That was all there was to it.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Nothing in particular," I said. "Just things."

"Well, I called Mom and Dad and told them you were awake," he said. "They're on their way. Matt and Mike might be here soon. Melissa is still at school."

That's right all of the kids had names that started with the letter "M". I would overlook that little fact. I wasn't well liked by Matt and Mike. I hoped to change that soon. They came in with Mom and Dad. They looked so much like Max that it was uncanny. Mom asked me how I was feeling. I told her I felt just fine. I told her that Marcus had got me something to eat, and I ate it. Now I was just restless. She said I had a major head injury. I told her that my head didn't hurt or itch. She said that was remarkable.

"What happened?" Dad asked. "How did you fall?"

"I don't know," I said. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and I missed a step I think."

"You had your nose in your phone," he said, and he sounded irritated. "It's broken in three pieces."

"I'll get another one somehow," I said.

"I'll buy you a damned phone," he said. "I was angry with you. I'm sorry for that. I didn't want you to die. You nearly did."

"I'm sorry for whatever I did that made you angry with me, Dad," I said. "I'll be better. I promise."

"We'll see," he said.

"I still say you shouldn't be mad at him for wanting to strike off on his own instead of entering a company that his brother is the CEO of," said Mom. Mom had always taken my side. It was a problem between her and Dad.

"Am I in the ICU?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. "They'll probably move you to a private room soon, though. You're awake and seem to be fine."

"I am fine," I assured him. "I want to work on being a better person. I'll start with Matt and Mike. I want to apologize to both of you for being such a shit. I'll do better. I promise."

"Max, we were so worried about you," Mike said. "For me, all of that is the past. We'll work on building a relationship with how you act in the future."

"It's the same for me," said Matt. "You scared me, bro."

"I'm sorry," I said with a smile. "I'll get out of here eventually, and then you'll see. I'll be a completely different person."

"Well just get better," he said. "You were in a coma for so long."

"I had a bad head injury," I said.

"How's your memory?" he asked.

"Ten years," I said. "Anything before that is gone."

"You might inherit the fortune," said Mike. "That would be something."

"Well, let's not think about that right now," I said. "I have a lot of ground to cover. I've got to be a better brother and person."

"Well, you can work on that," said Matt. "We'll be around."

"Thank you," I said.

Then I went to sleep. I was tired of telling them I'd be better. I needed to show them. I'd start with being a homosexual. I had to get Justin back. I had to remember that he was Brent now. I knew him. I hadn't been mean to him, but I hadn't had anything to do with him, either. That would change once I got back to school. I was fine. I could get out of the hospital now. Later, the doctor came to assess me. He checked the wounds in my head and was astounded that they were healed. He said that I had healed remarkably well. He said he'd read about a member of my family, probably my great grandfather who had healed as fast as me. He said it was in his grandfather's journal. He didn't think he'd be around to see anything like it.

He released me. I went home and walked into my green room and smiled. Max was so much like me that it was uncanny. He liked green, and fresh scented body wash. He had a state of the art computer. It was twenty-seventy-one now. I'd been without a body for a long time. I set about changing things in his computer. I got rid of all of the pictures of girls, and used social media to find Brent Tanzy. He had a presence online. I sent him a friend request. He sent me a message and asked me why I wanted to friend him. I sent a message and asked, "Does the name Breck Patterson mean anything to you?"

"Breck?" he asked.

"It's me," I said. "I slipped in after he fell. I know that Max was a shit, but I'll change that. I'm starting with you."

"I've been waiting for you," he said. He accepted my friend request. Then, "Can I come to see you? Are you out of the hospital?"

"I'm home," I said.

"I know where that is," he said. "I'll be there in a little bit."

"I'll see you soon," I said.

I went downstairs and told my parents that a friend was coming over. They were delighted by this news. My father didn't think I had any friends. I would show them. I'd make friends in the time I had left in school. Brent showed up, and I introduced him to my parents. He went up to my room with me. He looked around at all of the green and said I'd already been changing things. I told him that Max had the same likes and dislikes that I did. I'd hovered around him for ten years, because he was the only one in the family old enough and young enough to fall.

"That's great," he said. "You can be more Max than you were Breck. You changed a lot when you were Breck."

"I have a lot to change as Max, too," I said.

"Yeah, Max was a mean boy," he said.

"I'll change all of that," I said.

"We have three months left of school," he said. "You're on the baseball team with me. We'll start with the team. I'll help you."

"Thank you," I said. Then I kissed him. He held me tight.

"I've missed you so much," he said. "I was devastated when she shot you. I knew you'd die. I had to live a life without you."

"I'm so sorry," I said. "At least there's no girlfriend to break up with."

"Yeah, you were mean to everyone but your little posy," he said.

"Well, I'm going to stop hanging with them," I said. "I'm going to hang with you."

"My friends might balk at that, but I'll smooth it out. I have you back," he said.

He stayed for dinner. My dad said that he hadn't known that we were friends. Brent told him that he and I had been friends for most of our lives. He just didn't approve of my attitude most of the time, but he said he was going to help me change my image. We had three months to do it in. He said we'd work on it together. Dad seemed to like that. He told Brent that he was welcome in the house any time he wanted to come over. That made me happy.

After Brent left, Dad took me to get a new phone. He talked about getting the best phone. He said if I was really going to change, then he was prepared to give me the benefit of the doubt. I liked that. I told him that I loved him and Mom. I loved Marcus, Matt, and Mike. I even loved Melissa. He said that was great, and that he loved me, too. He said he was sad that we hadn't had the relationship that he'd had with the others. I told him that was all about to change.

We went to the phone store, and he got me the state of the art Android phone. I put my contacts in it from the list in my pocket. There were only family and Brent. Then we left the store and headed home. He asked me when Brent was coming over again. I told him he'd probably be over tomorrow. He liked Brent. He asked me how friendly we were. I told him right then and there that I thought I was gay. He said that he hadn't guessed that about me, because I was always talking about girls. I told him that I thought I was supposed to talk about girls. I had tried not to be gay, but it just wouldn't go away. He told me that my great grandfather was gay and that there was nothing wrong with being gay. He asked if Brent was my boyfriend. I told him that I didn't know what Brent was at this point. He told me I could do a lot worse.

When we got home, we told my mother. She cried. She said that it didn't matter, but she was crying because I was really changing in front of her eyes. I hugged her, which surprised her. I hadn't been a hugger. That would change. When it was time to go to bed I kissed her cheek and hugged Dad. Then I went to my room and changed into sleep shorts and a t-shirt. I went to bed and right to sleep. The next morning I was up at five. I showered and dressed for the day. I planned to go to school today. I went down to breakfast, and they were astounded that I was up on time to go to school. I told them I was turning over a new leaf. They said they were starting to really see improvement. I ate waffled and bacon, and I drank juice. Then Dad left for work, and Mom did the dishes. She about shit when I helped her clear the table.

Then I went upstairs and found my books. I was happy that Max didn't use a locker. He had a backpack that he carried around with him with all of his books. He only went to school for three hours a day. Then he went back for baseball practice. I was on the stop for the bus which was different. I usually rode to school with Jason Mansard. He was another mean boy. I didn't want anything to do with my old crew. They'd get the memo.

I got to school and sat with Brent in the quad. He told me that tomorrow he'd pick me up for school. I told him that would be cool. He laughed. His friends gave me strange looks, but I smiled at all of them. He introduced me to everyone, but I forgot their names almost as soon as he told me what they were. We went to first hour and I surprised the teacher by having my homework done. She said that she had been prepared to give me a pass because of the injury. I told her that I had time to do all of the assignments in the outline. She thanked me when I turned them all in.

In second hour, I had all of the homework done, and the teacher was thrilled. I sat in the back of the room usually. I chose a seat in the front and participated in the discussion. It was a psychology class, and I was very good with psychology. The other students gave me odd looks, but I stayed in my seat and did the assignment on the board. When the class was over, some of the boys that I hung out with asked me if I was feeling all right. I told them I wanted nothing to do with them anymore. I walked away from them and went to third hour.

None of them were in this class with me, so I didn't have to worry about them. I handed in all of the homework, and the teacher told me that he was happy that I had done it, but he was willing to let me slide. I told him that there would be none of that. He laughed. I was a completely different person at school that day. I'd unloaded my crew and started to hang with Brent and his friends. He had to stay in school for the rest of the day, but I went home on the city bus. Mom asked me what I was doing there so early. I told her I only had three hours of school. She said she knew that, but I usually hung out at the school until baseball practice. I told her there was no practice tonight, so I came home.

She was happy to have me in the house. I went upstairs and did my homework. Then I played a computer game until she called me down for lunch. I told her while we ate that I told the boys that I usually hung out with that I didn't want anything to do with them anymore. She asked me why I'd done that. I told her that they were mean to everyone, and I wasn't going to be that way anymore. She liked that. We ate roast beef sandwiches with chips and soft drinks.

Then I just hung out in the living room. She was shocked by this, because I was usually in my room. I told her that I wanted to spend time with her today. She loved that. We sat and watched daytime television. I had no idea who any of the characters were, but Mom kept up a steady conversation. She asked which three classes I had. I told her Government, Calculus, and Psychology 101. She said that was something. She said that when she was in school only the best students got to take Psych and Sociology. I told her I'd had Sociology the previous semester. She said that was amazing. She said I always got stellar grades, she just didn't know that I was so advanced. I told her it was part of the reason that I got the Golden Boy Scholarship for Saguaro University. I had the truck, but it sat in the garage. I wasn't allowed to drive it, because Dad didn't think I was responsible.

"You can drive to school from now on," she said. "I'll speak to your father."

"Brent is picking me up tomorrow," I said. "When he gets out of school today and comes over I'll tell him that I'll be in my truck. I have a permit for the school parking lot."

"Good," she said. "But if you're going to come home after your last class until baseball practice you can drive. Your father will understand."

We sat and talked until Dad came home. Brent arrived shortly after Dad. He let him in. Mother told him that she had decided that I could drive the truck to and from school and baseball. He said he was going to say something about that. I smiled. I hugged him and kissed Mom's cheek. She smiled at me. Brent and I went upstairs. I hugged him as soon as we were in my room. My room was bigger than the one I'd had at home as Breck. I loved this room. There was an alcove where the bed was. The rest of the room looked like a living room with a love seat, and a recliner. The television was big, and there were game consoles in front of it. Another alcove was where my desk was. My printer and computer sat on the long desk. I loved it. It was a great set up.

Brent was a good looking boy in his own way. He had light brown hair and green eyes. I liked that. I still had dark hair and green eyes. I looked like a Patterson. He looked like a Tanzy, and there was a bit of Justin in his looks, but he had his father's looks mostly. I asked him if he was still following the female line. He said he was, but there were only boys in his family now. I told him that I was glad he was a boy. I told him that I'd told my parents that I'm gay. He liked that. We became boyfriends again right then and there. We kissed and hugged. We had dinner with my parents, and they were thrilled when we told them we were a couple. They said that he could spend the night on weekends only. I was shocked at this, but thanked them. They said they weren't going to tell us not to have sex, because we'd do it anyway. They remembered what it was like to be teenagers. In fact, Mother had been pregnant with Matt and Mike when they got married.

"So, my friends are all asking why I'm hanging out with you," he said when we were back in my room after dinner.

"What did you tell them?" I asked.

"I told them that we were getting to know each other, and you and I might be a couple soon," he said. "They were astounded. They said they'd give you a chance, but they think you'll suddenly be mean to them. You were never mean to any of them before, but they'd seen you in action with your old friends."

"I told those old friends that I wanted nothing to do with them," I said. "I told them they didn't bother to come and see me when I was in the hospital, so they weren't real friends to begin with."

"That's true," he said. "They don't like anyone. Fortunately, they're not going to Saguaro. We both have scholarships. You are the Golden Boy for baseball there."

"Yeah," I said. "They bought me a Ford F150 Crew Cab and gave me ten thousand dollars to sweeten the deal."

"Where's the money?" he asked.

"It's in a trust that I can't touch until college," I said, smiling. "By that time I'll have the fortune."

"Right," he laughed. "We're going to be just like we were before. I don't want to teach this time, though."

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

"I want to be a social worker," he said. "That way I can help kids."

"Sounds good," I said. "I think I might want to be a psychologist."

"Why not a psychiatrist?" he asked.

"Well, I could," I said. "Saguaro has a medical school."

"Think big, Max," he said with a smile. "You be a psychiatrist, and I'll be a social worker with lots of child psychology classes under my belt. I might even get a Master's Degree while you're in medical school."

When he left, I told my mother and father my plan. I told them I wanted to be a psychiatrist. They were shocked. I told them that Brent was going to be a social worker, but he'd get a Master's Degree while I'm in medical school. My father asked me where I was going to get the money for medical school. I told him I'd have to get loans. He didn't like that. He said they'd see what they could do. He said that when I didn't want to go into the family business, he hadn't thought that I wanted to be a doctor. I told him that I hadn't told them about it, because he was so mad at me for not wanting to go into the family business.

"I'm sorry, Max," he said. "If you'd told me what your plan was, I'd have been thrilled."

"Thank you," I said. "I accept your apology. I'm sorry for the things I said. I was a bad person for a long time. I'm working to change that."

"We see that," said Mom. "You're doing so well so far. Just keep it up. Your brothers will be here tomorrow to see you."

"Good," I said. "I need to fix my relationship with the three of them."

I kissed her cheek and hugged Dad. Then I went up to bed. I slept the good, dreamless sleep. I was up at five and showered and dressed for the day. I was even dressing different. I was less rigid with my clothing. I didn't need the designer clothes that Max had demanded all of the time. I wore a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt that had a dolphin on it. I didn't know where it had come from, but I wore it. Mom was happy to see that I was up so early again. I told her that I would be up this early all of the time on school days. I told her there was baseball practice tonight. She nodded. I told her I would come home between the end of school and baseball practice or I would work out in the gym at school. She said whatever I decided.

I had bacon and eggs with toast that morning. Then I hugged Dad before he went to work. I kissed Mom on the cheek and went out to the truck. I had my backpack and I was ready for the day. I drove to school and parked next to Brent. We went into the quad together. His friends said good morning to me. I smiled and said good morning to all of them. Then we went to first hour and I turned in my assignment. Then I participated in the discussion and read the chapter and did the questions at the end. The teacher told me that they had already had the test on the constitution, and I could take it today after my last class. I could take it in the library. I thanked him.

Then I went to Calculus and handed in my equations. I copied down the ones on the board and started to work on them. I got them all done and handed them in before the class was over. Then I went to psychology and turned in my notes on the case study. We were assigned another. This was about dissociate identity disorder. It was Sybil's case study. I enjoyed it immensely. I told the teacher that I wanted to be a psychiatrist. He said that was great. He told me that I had the highest grade in the class, and that if I continued to apply myself I could go far. I thanked him and then went to the library to take the test on the US Constitution. I did really well on that. I'd studied it so many times. When I was done, I went home.

"How were your classes today?" Mom asked when I got home.

"I took the test on the US Constitution," I said. "That's why I got home later than yesterday."

"Okay," she said.

"My psychology teacher told me that I have the highest grade in the class, and if I continued to apply myself I could go far," I said.

"That's great," she said. "It will help you get to where you want to be. I'm so proud of you for wanting to be a psychiatrist. We'll help you along the way. We don't want you bogged down with student loans."

"Thank you," I said.

She made tenderloin sandwiches for lunch, and she had potato wedges for us. I drank a soft drink with it. She had plenty of Dr. Pepper. She even drank one. We talked back and forth about the scholarship that she was so proud that I had gotten. I told her that I had to play baseball for the four years I'd be at Saguaro for my bachelor's degree. She said they'd come to see me play from time to time. I told her that would be wonderful.

A little later I left for baseball practice. Some of my old friends were on the team with me. I was cordial, but not friendly. I worked on batting. Max was a home run hitter, so I pulled out all of the stops. The coach told me that I was better than ever. He said that the head injury hadn't changed a thing. He'd been worried about that. I told him that I was ready to go. He laughed at that and told me to go to the outfield and work on throwing. I did even better there. He smiled and said I would make Saguaro really happy. I liked that. After practice I showered and changed. Brent came home with me. When we got there Marcus, Matt, and Mike were there. We sat in the living room and chatted with them. I told them about being the top student in psychology class, and how well I did at baseball practice. They thought that was great. I told them that I wanted to be a psychiatrist. They thought that was amazing. They took my sexuality in stride. They were even happy to know that Brent was my boyfriend.

They all stayed for dinner and Mom went all out. She made a meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. She had cooked carrots in a honey glaze that were wonderful. I changed it up and had iced tea with the meal. My brothers looked at me funny, but I told them that all of the soft drinks weren't good for me. They laughed at that, but that was the end of it. Brent had iced tea as well. When the meal was over, Marcus left first. Matt and Mike went up to my room with me and Brent. They played video games with us. Then they left. Brent was spending the night because it was Friday. We changed into shorts and t-shirts and went downstairs to hang out with my parents.

"What are you guys up to?" Dad asked when we came downstairs.

"We're hanging out with you and Mom for a while," I said. He smiled at this.

We went into the living room. Brent and I had another glass of iced tea. We watched an evening show, and then the ten o'clock news. Then we went up to my room and showered. Then we went to bed. We made love, and it was difficult for Brent at first because he'd never had sex in this body. We made it, though. He said he loved it. That hadn't changed. We fell al seep in each other's arms. The next morning we got up and showered again. Then we dressed for the day. We had a game that night, so we stayed at home all day long. We had breakfast with Mom and Dad. Then we went to the back yard and threw a baseball back and forth. We left to hang out with the team, and we had a practice without the coach. We did really well. Then it was game time. Mom and Dad, Marcus, Matt, and Mike were in the stands. We played the prep school in Pleasantville. They were the Sharks. We were the Devils.

We beat them seven to two, and Coach was thrilled. We went to have burgers at the Burger Barn. The team was loud, but Brent and I were pretty much silent. I drove us back to my house afterward. He was spending the night again. Marcus, Matt, and Mike were there when we got there. They talked about the game and how well I played. Marcus went on and on about the four home runs I'd hit. I told him that I was earning my scholarship already. He laughed at that.

"You're like a completely different person," he said. "Mom has been telling us about how you get up at five every morning and have breakfast with them. You hug Dad before he goes to work, and you kiss Mom's cheek before you go to school and then before you go to bed. You're completely different. Before you wanted nothing to do with them most of the time."

"I'm turning over a new leaf," I said with a smile. "I'm trying to be a better son and brother."

"Well, you're doing it," he said. "You're a joy to be around now."

"Thank you," I said. "I really like hanging out with you guys now."

"We like hanging out with you, too," he said. "And we like Brent."

"That's good, because he's going to be around," I said.

They left after that. Brent and I watched the Saturday Night Movie on television with Mom and Dad. We had iced tea while we watched, and Mom popped popcorn. We each had a bowl of that. The movie was all right. It was nothing that I'd seen before, but I would have liked to have seen it without commercial interruption. Brent liked it. Mom and Dad liked it, and we'd had a good time. I kissed Mom's cheek and hugged Dad. Then we went upstairs. We lay on the bed and just held each other.

"It's so good to have you in my arms again after all of this time," he said. "I couldn't decide if I wanted to hop into anyone for a long time. Then I finally did, hoping you would be someone soon. I didn't expect you to be Max."

"Well, he was the only one old enough and young enough for me to hop into," I said. "I won't hop into a child."

"I've been Brent since I was fourteen," he said. "I don't have a fortune to collect."

"I know," I said. "Don't worry though, I'll share like last time."

"Oh, I know you will," he said. "I was just explaining why I chose a fourteen year old when you only choose seventeen year olds."

"I don't have the patience to be under the thumb for so long," I said. "I like seventeen as a starting point. I'm a little early this time, but it worked out."

"Are you going to have children this time?" he asked.

"Of course," I said. "The family has to move forward."

"Well, I think I might like one this time," he said. "I've never had a child before. I just let the family take care of itself without me procreating."

"All right," I said. "We'll find a woman who wants to have children for us."

"Good," he said. "You are good at finding them."

"I usually find them in college," I said.

"Yeah," he said. "I want more than two children this time, too."

"We'll get what we can," I said. "Maybe we'll have three or four this time."

"There won't be a cabin," he said.

"No this time we'll get a house," I said. "I loved the cabin, but that was Breck and Justin's life. This time we'll do it right."

"Okay," he said. "I'll love you no matter where we live."

"We're probably going to live in Osage or Phoenix," I said.

"Can it be Osage?" he asked. "We know that city a lot better thane we know Phoenix, and I don't want to learn a new city."

"Osage it is then," I laughed.

"Your eighteenth birthday is in two weeks," he said. "Mine isn't until summer."

"This time I'm older than you," I laughed. "Last time you were a year older than me."

"Yeah," he said. "We flip flopped."

"Something like that," I said. "Do you want to get ready for bed?"

"Sure," he said.

We showered and dressed in shorts without underwear. Then we climbed into bed and made love. It was a bit easier for him this time, and we fell asleep in each other's arms again. We were up at five to have breakfast with Mom and Dad. We ate pancakes and sausage. We were going to the nine o'clock service at the United Christian Church. This time my parents weren't catholic. We got ready to go, and I drove my truck to the church with Brent in the passenger seat. We sat though the sermon and had an all right time as church goes. Afterward we had lunch in the basement of the church. Several of the church ladies commented on how good looking Brent and I were. We smiled at this and told them that we were both seniors in high school and had scholarships to Saguaro University in Osage. They were amazed by this.

Brent had to go home after church. He said his mother wanted him home for the day. I told him I'd see him in school tomorrow. Then I hung out with my parents after I changed out of my suit and dress shoes. I put on shorts and a t-shirt and hung out in the living room. They asked about Brent, and I told them that his mother wanted him home today. They said they understood. They told me I could go over there from time to time if I wanted to. I told them I might.

Marcus, Matt, and Mike came to Sunday dinner that day. Mom made a roast beef with potatoes and carrots. She even made homemade noodles to have with it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I drank a soft drink with dinner this time. Then we watched a baseball game on television in the living room with Dad while Mom cleaned up the dishes. I'd helped to clear the table, shocking Marcus, Matt, and Mike. I told them I did it every day now. They smiled at this.

While we watched baseball, I had another soft drink. Mom made cookies and we each got three of those. They were chocolate chip. I loved them. We watched the game for two hours before it was over. Our team won, and we were happy. Marcus left first. He had a girlfriend to get home to. Matt and Mike didn't have girlfriends. The twins were single. I hung out with them in my room. We played video games and talked about Brent and the girls that they liked. Matt and Mike were the oldest. Marcus came next and then Melissa. Then I came along. It was odd to hang out with my oldest brothers instead of Marcus. He was closer to my age than they were, but they were happy to hang with a seventeen year old.

"What do you want for your birthday?" Matt asked.

"Whatever you decide to get," I said. "I'm not going to be picky this year. As long as it comes from your heart, I'll love it."

"That's new," said Mike. "Usually you have a list."

"Well, I'm not like that anymore," I said. "Whatever you decide to get is fine."

"I like the new you, Max," Mike said. "You're more relaxed, and you don't have hurtful things to say all of the time."

"I'm so sorry for my attitude before," I said. "I'm trying to be a better person. All of that was just exhausting all of the time. I didn't have anything to be so angry about. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Matt said. "You're showing us that you're a different person. We'd only ever been in your room with you once or twice over the years. We've been in your room more since the head injury than ever before. We like hanging out with the new you."

"Good, because I love hanging out with you two," I said. "I just wish that Marcus would spend some time with us more."

"Yeah," Mike said. "He's up Cheryl's ass. I hope they break up. I don't like her much."

"I don't either, if I'm honest," I said. "But I'll be nice to her because she's Marcus's girlfriend."

"Wow," said Matt. "You hate her."

"Well, hate is a strong word," I said. "I don't like how she bosses Marcus around."

"Well, he's been telling her about that a lot," said Mike. "They fight constantly. That's why I think they'll break up soon."

"Well, I'll be honest and say that he can do better than her," I said.

"Of course he can do better," said Matt. "We hate her."

"Okay," I said.

"How are you and Brent doing?" Mike asked. "We like him a lot."

"He's a great guy," I said. "I like him very much. I might even love him soon."

"We hope so," Matt said. "We want him in the family."

"We'll see," I said with a smile.

"Little brother's in love," Mike laughed.

"Sure, make fun of me," I said. "Why don't you guys have girlfriends?"

"Because girls think it's too cool that there's two of us," Matt said. "The want to date both of us at the same time. We're not into that."

"I understand," I said.

"So, Mom tells us that you want to be a psychiatrist and go to medical school," Mike said. "What brought that on?"

"I've always wanted to do that," I said. "I just never told anyone. Now I don't see why I wanted to be so secretive."

"Well, I think it's a great idea," Matt said. "You have a head for it. We never did. We graduated from college by the skin of our teeth."

"You're smarter than you give yourself credit for," I said. "You're smart enough to see that stupid lust can't be love."

"Well, listen to that," said Mike. "He thinks we're smart."

"Shut up," said Matt. "Seriously, Max, I hope you go as far as you want."

"Thank you, Matt," I said, smiling. "I hope that you and Mike find love that isn't stupid."

"From your lips," said Mike, putting a hand over his heart. I laughed.

They both worked for Patterson Medical Equipment. Matt was the CEO and Mike was the CFO. Dad was the man at Metrics. Marcus worked for Metrics as the CFO. His girlfriend was a secretary for one of the big wigs at the company. Like the twins, I hoped that Marcus broke up with her soon. They left and I went down to sit with Mom and Dad for a while. They asked how my time went with my brothers. I told them we had a good time together. Dad smiled at this. He'd always wanted his sons to get along.

"They're hoping that Marcus and Cheryl break up soon," I said.

"Well, in truth, so are we," Mom said. "She's not a good match for your brother."

"No, she isn't," I said. "I hope he realizes that soon."

"You care for your brothers," Mom said with a smile.

"I do," I said. "I love them. I want them to be happy."

"I'd like for Matt and Mike to settle down with wives," Mom said.

"They said that girls are too happy that there are two of them and want to date them both at the same time," I said. "They're not into that."

"Of course not," said Mom. "That's awful."

"They'll find the right girls eventually," Dad said. "Don't worry so much about them."

"Well, I'm their mother," she said. "I'll worry about them for a long time."

"What do you want for your birthday this year?" Dad asked me.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told Matt and Mike," I said. "Whatever you decide to get me will be fine. I don't need much."

"What would you like?" Mom asked.

"Just surprise me," I said. "I'll love whatever you get me because it comes from your heart."

"Well, that's nice," Mom said, smiling. "What kind of party do you want this year?"

"Can I have just a quiet dinner at home?" I asked. "I'll ask for Chicken Alfredo and garlic bread for dinner. I'll invite Brent, but Marcus, Matt, and Mike are all that I want. If Melissa is home, then I would love to see her there, too."

"That sounds sensible," she said. "I'll call Melissa and ask her to come home for the dinner."

"Thank you, Mom," I said. I got up and kissed her cheek.

"Last year you had demands," Dad said.

"This year I'm done with all of that," I said. "Really, whatever you decide to buy me will be great."

"Okay," he said, smiling. "I really like the new you."

"Thank you," I said, smiling back at him. "There really isn't any reason to be nasty all of the time. I have figured that out."

"You're really trying," Dad said. "I can see that."

"Thank you, Dad," I said. "I just realized that you're all my family, and I love you. There's no reason to make your life difficult. I'm happy. So why can't everyone else be happy?"

"That's a good way to think," Mom said. "I'm happy with the new you, too. You really are changing. It's almost like you're a different person."

"Well, I'm the same person just with a few adjustments," I said.

"Well, keep it up," Dad said with a smile.

I got up and kissed Mom's cheek and hugged Dad. Then I went up to bed. The next morning I had breakfast with them and then hugged Dad before he went to work. I got ready for school. I kissed Mom's cheek and told her there was no baseball practice tonight. I told her I'd be home as soon as I was done with my third class. She told me she'd be waiting for me. I left for school and hung out with Brent and his friends in the quad. Some of my old "friends" came to talk to me. They asked me what I was doing. I told them that there was no reason to be mean to everyone. I was growing up. They said that it was about time. I told them that if they were going to be nasty to people then I didn't want to be around them. They told me I was the nasty one, they just went along with it. I told them that was over. They said they were happy about that.

I went to class and did my assignment. Then I went to the second class and did equations that were on the board. The teacher told me I was the best in class. I smiled at him and told him that I loved math, but I wanted to be a psychiatrist. He nodded at this and told me that at Saguaro I could become anything I wanted. I smiled at this. Then I went to psychology. I handed in my notes on Sybil. The teacher handed me a file. He said that this was a real case that was ongoing. He wanted my thoughts. He did that with two other people, too. He said that this was our assignment. The others had to do questions that he had written on the white board. I sat down and started to sift through the notes on the case. It was clear from the notes that the psychiatrist thought this patient was a paranoid schizophrenic. I read the notes and the evaluation. The hospital didn't agree with him. I asked the teacher for medical scans of his head and face. He smiled and handed me another file. These were X-rays. I didn't know exactly how to read them, but I gave it a shot. When I got home, I spread it all out on the dining room table.

"What's all this?" Mom asked.

"It's a file and scans of a real patient, and the case is ongoing," I said. "The doctor thinks he's a paranoid schizophrenic. The hospital doesn't agree. I have the X-rays and medical analysis. I'm supposed to read through it all and look at the scans and give my thoughts."

"That sounds daunting," she said.

"I have the training so far to do just that," I said. "Look here," I said, pointing to an X-ray. "Do you see that shadow?"

"Yes," she said.

"His sinus cavity is open," I said. "His middle ear isn't right either. He's hearing his own breathing and pulse in his ears, and his nasal cavity is infected all of the time. With the infection running through his body, he could display a multitude of symptoms. I agree with the hospital. I think he needs surgery."

I wrote that in my notes. I sited the X-rays and the analysis from the hospital doctor. He needed surgery to fix his nasal cavity and his middle ear. Then it was my opinion that the symptoms would go away. They were doping him with drugs for schizophrenia, and he didn't need them. I packed it all up and put the files back together with my notes added. Then I put it in my room. I had lunch with Mom. We had ham sandwiches with chips and I had iced tea. She said she was making a ham for dinner. This was just the teaser. I laughed at that.

I did my equations after lunch. Then I put all of my homework in my backpack and played a game on my console in my room for a while. When Dad came home, I came back downstairs and hugged him. I told him that I'd had a great day and asked about his. He told me that there was a problem at work. They had sent the wrong parts for the new fridge units. I told him to call the supplier and tell them that he would stop payment until they made it right. He thanked me for the advice and told me that's what he'd already did. I laughed.

We sat down to dinner. It was as good as it was for lunch. This time it wasn't sandwiches. It was large pieces of ham with mashed potatoes, and gravy. There was corn, too. Mom had outdone herself. I told her so. I told here it was all so good. She smiled at this. Dad asked about school today, and I told him about the case I'd given my thoughts on. I told him that they were treating this patient for the wrong thing. They were giving him drugs he didn't need. He needed surgery to fix his nasal cavity and his middle ear. Dad said it sounded tricky. I told him that I was nowhere near ready for a diagnosis. I just gave my thoughts.

"Melissa says she'll be here for your birthday dinner," Mom said. "She's intrigued about the new you."

"Well, I hope she's pleasantly surprised," I said with a smile.

After dinner, Brent came over. He asked my parents how they were doing. They told him they were great and asked about his mom and dad. He said that they were busy having a discussion with his older brother about his grades at college. They clucked their tongues and said they were happy that they never had to have those discussions. I told them that Matt and Mike said they'd graduated from college by the skin of their teeth.

"They exaggerate," said Mom. "They got good grades. Melissa is doing rather well, too. This is her first year, but she's off to a great start."

"That's good," I said. "I want my siblings to be successful."

"They will be," she said.

Brent and I went up to my room. He asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told him the same thing I'd told everyone else. I told him to surprise me and buy me whatever he wanted me to have. He smiled at this and kissed me. We hung out until he had to go home. The two weeks were spent this way. He would spend the night on Friday and Saturday nights. Or I would stay with him. His mom and dad were thrilled that he had a boyfriend, but they made me sleep in his brother's room when I stayed there. Brent would sneak in and we'd quietly make love. We stayed at my house more than his.

Then my birthday was here. I went to school that day and did all of my assignments. I didn't have baseball practice. I went home, and I changed out of my school clothes. I put on my favorite green shorts and a white t-shirt with the Devils emblem on it. I went down and had lunch with Mom. She said that everyone would be there at five. Dad was coming home early. I said that I was pleased. She told me that she was so happy for me.

"Happy Birthday," she said. "A lawyer was here this morning. I've just called him to come back and talk to you."

"Okay," I said as I ate my sandwich. "When will he be here?"

"He said he'd come straight away," she said. "I wonder what it's about."

"I don't know," I lied. "We'll find out when he gets here."