The Change of the Seasons: The Long Sweat

Chapter 10
Brothers and Bikes, Sisters and Malls

Chapter Description: Jonathan starts getting used to his new role as the older brother while Samantha finds herself being berated by her younger sister.

[size=2]The last few weeks had been an eye opening experience for Jonathan. The limitations that he was accustomed to as a 10 year old boy simply did not exist for him now. Jonathan had no bedtime he was relegated to, he was allowed to watch anything he wanted on TV, play any game he wanted, go anywhere on the internet. The adult world he had access to felt overwhelming to him, but he had a lot free time on his hands. The day after he and his brother switched rooms, their mom assigned them a series of chores to accomplish while she was away at work. James had jobs like trash duty while he was in charge with the upkeep of the house. It meant that he and James had a lot of free time on most days. Jonathan mostly wasted the days away on his brother’s former computer. It was actually useful in many ways as he was able to teach himself how to shave without having to ask James how to do it. This started a daily regiment where Jonathan would spend time self-teaching himself various things about being a grown up. The greater world beyond Old Lake Valley felt all the more relevant to him now. Most days, he found himself watching videos online that discussed current wars and politics throughout the world. He really didn’t get half the context of what they talked about but at least he thought it was interesting.

James for his part spent almost every other day playing with Jonathan’s former friends. A couple days after his brother had cried his eyes out at Pig Out he went over to a sleep over that Mrs. Rainer had invited him to. When Jonathan and his mom went to pick James up the next day he couldn’t get over Connor’s wide smiling face as James fist bumped him and Cody at the door. The three boys looked ridiculous doing that while wearing their pajamas in broad daylight. James wouldn’t stop talking about the damn sleepover while their mom drove them back home. After that day, James seemingly spent every other day playing with Connor and Cody. On the days he was home, he mostly stayed in his room. Jonathan would usually hear his brother trying to secretly play with the toys stored under his bed and one time Jonathan had even caught his brother watching a Let’s Play video on the family tablet. This amused Jonathan immensely as the grown up James once held a great hatred to those kinds of videos. He wondered how cynically that James would react if he saw the carefree little boy he was today.

The two of them mostly subsisted off of microwaveable meals and simple sandwiches while their mother was away at work. James used to make lunch for him in years past but his brother’s competency in cooking had diminished alongside his height. Last week he had caught James making a mess of the kitchen as he was clumsily trying to cook himself scrambled eggs and bacon. The resulting drama led to Jonathan being taught by his mom how to cook various simple meals for James. Thus far little James had not been pleased with the grilled cheese sandwiches Jonathan made for him. Today at least Jonathan was making pancakes for the family and he was getting pretty good at it too. He slid the last pancake onto a large plate and joined James and his mother for a family breakfast.

“Thanks honey,” his mom said as she grabbed a couple pancakes off the large stack.

“Thanks Jon.” James meekly offered.

“It’s no big deal. I’m starting to understand why people like cooking.” he replied to both of them.

While his mother was busy spreading butter over the pancakes, James had gotten three pancakes for himself and was topping it in maple syrup. Jonathan helped himself to the last of the pancakes and set about buttering and layering it with syrup. When he finally took a bite he was surprised by how good it tasted. I guess food really does taste better when it’s made by your own hand, he thought.

Breakfast was going normally until his mother suddenly spoke up, “How about you guys go on a bike ride today?” she asked though Jonathan knew it was more of a command.

“Why?” his brother replied.

“Well, Jonathan has been cooped up here for weeks on end now and you could certainly use the exercise big boy.”

“Wait, what bike would I use?” Jonathan pipped in, “I certainly can’t use my bike and James doesn’t have one.”

“Well of course James would use your old bike Jonathan,” his mom said, “You can use my bike.”

“It’s a woman’s bike!” he shouted, “It has girly colors!”

His mom was unsurprisingly offended at that, “It’s a cruiser and its white with a bit of pink on it. You can barely tell.”

He took another bite of his pancakes, “Ok so like, we are we supposed to go? Do I just ride with James around the park and babysit him for an hour?”

“Hey!” James stammered with his squeaky voice, “I didn’t turn into a little kid here! I can ride a bike by myself!”

“I’m sure you can James”, their mom said while directly facing him, “The goal I was trying to accomplish here was to get you boys to hang out with each other for once. You know, like brothers.”

James seemed to drop his argument right there and then, but Jonathan certainly wasn’t done yet, “Oh so I just get to waste my afternoon with my jerkass brother and hear him gush about how much he loves stealing my friends from me?”

“I didn’t ask for this” James said to him, “All of my friends think I’ve abandoned them Jonny! At least most of your friends know about you.”

“If you get my old friends, than deserve your old friends Jimmy” he emphasized.

“Enough!” their mom yelled, “James has been able to befriend your old friends so easily because they’re kids. It’s as simple as that.”

“You wouldn’t even like my old friends anyway Jon,’ his brother needlessly added in, “The friends I had in college are completely different from those I grew up with in New Springs. You don’t always stay friends with people forever. People change.”

“And so have we.” their mom concluded. “Jonathan I know you’re angry and you have a right to be. You must be dealing with so much right now but we’re your family here. Take your frustration out on my bike, not your little brother.”

He went back to his pancakes and ignored the conversation between his mom and his brother. When it was over, Jonathan and James went to their garage to get on their bikes. James seemed pleased with Jonathan’s old bike, and it took Jonathan a minute to realize why. James had bought him the dark green cruiser two years ago as Christmas gift. He hopped on his mom’s bike while his brother finished strapping the safety helmet on his head.

“Here Jonathan,” his mom said as she handed him five $20 bills, “Go and have fun boys, like you guys used to.”

“Why aren’t you wearing a helmet Jon?” James asked him as the garage door opened.

“Easy answer,” he replied, “helmets are for little chubby nerd boys like you!” he slapped his hand on James’ helmet and raced towards the street.

At the end street he turned back and saw that he had definitely ticked his brother off as James was now trying to pedal as fast he his short legs could let him. James hadn’t used a bike in quite a while and it clearly showed in the young boy’s riding skills. Jonathan himself wasn’t used to the height difference but he thought he was doing a good job of hiding that from his brother. The two continued riding out of the neighborhood and soon diverted onto a dirt road that ran alongside one of the namesakes of the town. The water of the creek was crystal clear and the sun reflected brightly off it. He also saw that James was now closing in behind him. Jonathan made a playful swerve on his bike to try and get his brother to slow down but he caught up to him anyway.

“You’re a real… jerkface…and a butthead…” he said in between breaths.

“I had to get you going somehow.” he said as he adjusted his speed to match James’, “So how does it feel to be riding the little boy bike that you originally got for me?”

“How does it feel to be riding the gay mom bike?” James countered.

He got me there, Jonathan admitted.

His brother used the opportunity to pull ahead of him, “Come catch me you dumb jock!”

Jonathan smirked at the challenge and pedaled after him. When they finally stopped some hours later both brothers were covered in sweat. Their journey had taken them to a Small Fry’s and both agreed that they were hungry enough to stop. As Jonathan ordered theirs meals with James right behind him, he couldn’t help but remember that this had been the same exact Small Fry’s that James had brought him to not more than a month ago. As an adult he couldn’t help but compare his experience with that of his brother’s when he used to be an adult. Thinking back he recognized that James had looked like he was uncomfortable the entire time while he was ordering whereas he had no problem at all. He figured at first that maybe grown up James just had too much to drink the night before. Yet, Jonathan had seen his brother avoid eye contact with some girls on their way back to the car so maybe James was still just very shy. The way his brother walked right behind him to their table seemed to suggest that at least, though James seemed much more secure now. Was it because he was the one in charge now? Jonathan grinned at that notion. His nerdy big brother was now just a chubby little boy that needed his guidance and protection.

The role reversal satisfied Jonathan, completely and utterly. James had always been a good brother to him but he was a mediocre big brother. Now that James was a kid again, Jonathan wanted to get James to admit freely and willingly that without a doubt Jonathan was the superior older brother, that he loved being a little boy again, and that he was content being the subordinate brother.

As they were getting on their bikes again Jonathan looked over at his cute little brother and decided to rub and mess up his hair.

“Hey what was that for!” James shouted.

“I’m just really happy that mom made us hang out today little bro.” he said.

“Yeah, I guess so,” James admitted with a small hint of a smile, “I was willing to hang out with you at home Jon, I just thought you were still angry at me.”

That gave Jonathan an idea, “Hey why don’t we go to the mall and buy a game we can play together?” he asked.

“Cool!” his little brother said as he adjusted his helmet over his bright blonde hair, “Can I pick what game we’ll get?”

“Sure, big guy.”

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Samantha Longview felt on the verge of a shopping induced coma when she finally entered the food court of New Spring’s Shopping Center. She and her little sister Sarah had been going from store to store nonstop since the mall opened at 10’o clock. It was now a quarter past 2 and the two teenage girls were exhausted and tired on top of the hunger that rumbled in their bellies. The Longview sisters were not typically fans of shopping, but Samantha needed new outfits for college this fall and Sarah had insisted that she was vastly better in evaluating her choices in clothing than their mother. Despite being a laid-back tomboy, she had a very difficult time picking out clothes. She had a desire to reinvent herself without becoming some girly girl. Sarah, the beloved gothic weirdo that she considered her best friend tried her best to keep her grounded in that regard. The shoppers constantly gawking at the unlikely duo also did a good job of not keeping them at one store for too long. When all the clothes were paid for, the sisters agreed to grab a bite to eat at the court yard before returning home for the day.

After buying their meals and eventually finding a small circle table where they could eat it, the starving teenagers were digging into their late lunch when they heard an all too familiarly voice.

“Sammy?!!! Sarah?!!! Oh my goodness you girls have grown so much!!!!!” shouted a woman quickly approaching them with an angry young teenage girl in tow.

“Mrs. Baxter!” Samantha and Sarah yelled in unison.

Mrs. Elizabeth Baxter was a 5th grade teacher at Edwardson Elementary School, a very popular one at that. In her early 40’s, Mrs. Baxter had a tall and lushly curvy body that was enhanced by her long brown hair that was light and vibrant. Both Longview sisters had been in her 5th grade class as kids and both held the woman in a special place in their hearts. She had a way of engaging her students that always made them feel like they were personal friends rather than pupils under her instruction. The fact that Samantha and Sarah still kept in touch with her was evidence of this.

As the sisters hugged their former teacher, Mrs. Baxter’s daughter used the opportunity to bail on her mother, “Mom, I’m heading over to Teeny Curves.” she said with an obvious disdain in her voice.

“Alright honey, I’ll join you there in a few minutes,” Mrs. Baxter said before turning to her former students once again, “How are you girls doing?”

“We’re good Mrs. Baxter. I’m joining Sammy as she buys clothes for college.” her sister said.

“Oh that’s wonderful Sammy. You’re really going to enjoy college.”

“I don’t know Mrs. Baxter. I’m nervous sure but I’ve just been feeling odd recently. Like something is wrong about me going to college. I’m not sure what’s going on.” she said.

Mrs. Baxter took a seat next to Sarah and faced her prized student, “It’s just nerves Samantha. Look, I personally believe that all women are born out of the follies of girlhood. You’re sexy and intelligent dear and all you need to do is embrace that. Go to college and experiment! Have fun! Have sex! The world is your oyster in those four years and when you graduate, I assure you that you’ll feel every bit the woman you look like right now.”

She knew her former teacher was right and yet her words didn’t seem to help. The fact that this was her 5th grade teacher of all people coaching her on this certainly didn’t help her feel more comfortable. “Thank you Mrs. Baxter,” she lied, “How is everything going for you?”

Mrs. Baxter sighed, “Dealing with my rebellious daughter and her destructive periods of late. It’s hard raising the human being you gave birth to go from saying I’m her best friend to saying she hates me in less than year. I’m not used to it when I taught you girls after all.”

“Age is source of all conflict between humans.” her sister Sarah said randomly like some wise sage.

“I suppose that’s probably right Sarah-bear. I know you used to be really cute and cuddly not too long ago,” Mrs. Baxter said while standing up. “I better go find my daughter, enjoy your youth girls!”

And with that the Longview sisters were left alone to finish their late lunch. As she nibbled here and there on her food she felt increasingly puzzled by her sister’s actions.

“What was that bullshit you were spewing about age and conflict to Mrs. Baxter sis?” she finally asked.

“Just what it seems like Samantha, I believe that a person’s physical age is always in conflict with their true self.” Sarah replied.

“Yeah maybe on some spiritual level an old person can be young at heart or whatever but that doesn’t change the fact that a baby is a baby until it naturally grows up.” she said.

“I don’t believe that anymore.” Sarah stated and pointed at a young overprotective mother in her mid-twenties who was pushing a baby girl in a stroller, “Maybe that mother should be the one in the stroller, sucking away all her worries on a pacifier instead of her daughter. Maybe her daughter will be a better mother than she ever will be. Isn’t that every mother’s hope? Shouldn’t she reap the rewards of that and be raised by her own daughter then?”

“What the fuck Sarah.”

“And look over there to the elderly man with his grandchildren,” Sarah continued on, “He’ll be dead in a handful of years, but maybe he was always meant to be their dad. Can you imagine what that would mean? How it would change every aspect of their family structure? Of their day to day existence?

“Sarah…”

“And what about you?” Sarah now pointed at her, “Look at the clothes you bought today. Do you really believe you would want to wear any of those at college? You only picked them because you wanted an excuse to come back here and put off worrying about college until then. You’re delaying the inevitable.”

“Oh shut up Sarah!” she yelled, “You’re acting like a goddamn crazy bitch right now.”

“I am!” Sarah shouted, “I am a bitch and I know it, but I damn well know my best friend has been stressed as all hell about growing up since her freshman year in high school.”

“Alright I’m terrified of leaving home and going to college. You got me there. What of it? It’s not like its abnormal or anything. Why are you so fucking insistent with this?” Samantha had never wanted to hit her sister as hard as she did right now. Every one of Sarah’s snide little remarks was a stab in her heart.

Her fuming anger was enough to get Sarah to start backpedaling on her comments, “All I meant to ask you Samantha was that if you didn’t have to go to college this fall would you be happy about that?”

Samantha took a breath, “Maybe. This is such a bloated question Sarah. I wouldn’t be happy with myself if I just dropped out of college or whatever. I wouldn’t do that to mom and dad after all they’ve done for me. Maybe if I could travel back in time and start high school all over again with everything I know now. I could have actually dated James without making a mockery of myself.”

Sarah was quiet but she looked like she wanted to say so much more to her but she finally seemed to be able to let it go, “That was…unbecoming of me Samantha. Please forgive me. I’ve had a great many things on my mind lately. At the heart of it though, is that I desperately don’t want my older sister to leave me alone with our whack-job parents.”

“I’ve forgive you later Sarah, when I’m in a better mood.” she said and got up to leave the mall whether or sister was coming or not. As she strolled towards the main entrance, Samantha Longview saw the impossible and her shitty day became an absolute killjoy.

Entering the mall right before her was the past and future. The boy she had crushed over since she was in preschool was right next to a man that shouldn’t exist for another decade. Her sister’s monologue came back into her thoughts and she began to get uneasy.

“Sammy!” her sister said as she suddenly grabbed hold of her from behind, “What happened to……No way! No fucking way! James! Jonny! Is that you?!!!”

As they approached them Samantha could only see more clearly that the child somehow had to be James Medlock. Not sure what she should do, Samantha decided to simply hug both of them. “What the hell happened to you guys?” she asked.

The little boy seemed all too shy to respond to her, though the man did, “On the first day of summer, the water here in the valley.....it changed us somehow. I was suddenly James’ age and he was my age.”

She turned to James, “Is that why you ditched me at the beach?”

The boy slowly shook his head yes, “I’m sorry but I thought our mom already told your family about this.”

Samantha turned to Sarah and saw her studying the Jonathan with amazement, “Did you know about this Sarah?”

Sarah shrugged her shoulders, “They didn’t tell me that’s for sure. Not telling us about this seems really like them though if you ask me.”

The two brothers each described their experience of transforming in age to them. Samantha felt a real mix of emotions during it all. She had been right there next to James when he was regressing into a child. Does that mean what I think it means? she worried.

She couldn’t help but notice that Jonny kept staring at her during the entire conversation. The man he was now was so much different from the little boy she would play with in years past. His face was very attractive; he looked like some model to her. His brown hair was well kept and his facial hair was well maintained. He was amazingly sexy to her now and that didn’t seem right to her at all.

Just as they were about to part ways with them, Jonny dropped the question, “Samantha, are working late this Friday?”

Samantha went numb, “What did you just ask me?”

Rather than backing down Jonny seemingly doubled down on his question, “I was just thinking that we could go get dinner and a movie together.”

“So you’re asking me on a date?” she asked incredulously.

“That’s how you’re supposed do it right? I just think you’re really hot and I haven’t been doing much this summer so far.” he said.

Samantha wasn’t sure how to respond. It didn’t seem right to accept his offer but he was definitely hot himself, she couldn’t deny that. She was about to gently turn him down when she saw her sister in the corner of her eye. Samantha hadn’t dated anyone else in high school after the messy breakup with James. Sarah was so adamant just minutes ago that Samantha didn’t want to grow up. Maybe dating Jonny would finally prove to her sister that she was wrong.

“Alright,” she said, “I’m actually off work on Friday so yeah. Let’s call it a date.”

Jonny smiled, ‘That’s awesome! I can’t wait!”

She couldn’t help but notice little James’ shocked and disgusted face at all of this. She felt bad for the guy. If only I had the chance to talk to him alone again…

If Sarah had been shocked as well she had already rebounded, “Your mom still works late on Friday right? I could look after James during your date.”

James moaned, “I’m old enough to be by myself.”

Jonny ushered his brother forward towards whatever their destination was, “Come on big guy let’s go. I’ll talk with my mom about it, I’m sure she’ll love it if you came over.”

“Alright we’ll get in touch with you soon, see you on Friday!” Samantha said.

Samantha and her sister walked out to her car. Maybe this date was just wanted she needed in her last carefree summer of youth. I guess today wasn’t such a waste of my time after all, she thought.

The Long Sweat will continue in Chapter 11: Only a Babysitter, Theoretically. [/size]