"Are you okay? Your voice sounds funny? I hope your voice is still not changing?" Adam said and then stretched out a yawn.

"My voice sounds funny because I have a blockhead for a brother who likes to swing on rope over cold water in the middle of the winter," Jason quipped, ignoring the teasing from his brother. His voice was the first to change and he never had a problem. Adam, on the other hand, went through years of squeaking as his voice changed in his early teens. Adam's voice was still not as deep as Jason's voice, but at least it did not "squeak" anymore.

"I never made you get on that rope," Adam fired back. "And I certainly did not make you jump into the water."

"Jason, I am feeling weak!" Jason said as he mimicked Adam's call for help the day before. "Shows how stupid and gullible I am!" With that, Jason sneezed.

"Bless you! No it just proves that you really do love me," Adam mocked him back.

"I would not push it anymore," Jason said as he walked away from the door. "Get going Adam! We don't have all day!"

Adam got up and found some jeans and an Ohio State Buckeye sweatshirt to wear to school. Soon he joined his brother for breakfast that consisted of the usual cereal and the two were on their way.

The school day went on without many problems. Adam went to his noon detention and spent a wonderful half-hour with Miss Meade and his tray, provided by the school cafeteria. He did not know which part was the worst. Miss Meade giving him the speech about how his brother never had detentions or the brown meat on his tray that was being passed off as meatloaf.

After school, he met up with his brother and best friend, Chuck. They had decided to get dinner together at the pier. Jason's eyes were red and he was constantly reaching into the console compartment of the Trans Am to get napkins to blow his nose on.

"Ow! Can't you get regular tissues in here!" Jason smirked from the backseat. His voice sounded nasally since his sinuses were stopped up.

"I only have what they give me through the drive thrus. I don't want to waste so I put the extra napkins in there for cases like these," Adam remarked back. "Did you take anything for it?"

Jason looked at his younger brother for a minute. The roles were reversing! He rolled his eyes at Adam's attempt to be the Kramer in charge. "Yes, Mom. I took some medicine this morning and at noon."

"I thought Kara was meeting us down here by the pier?" Adam said, changing the subject.

"She said that her mom needed her to come home and help rid out the closets. They are getting ready to donate a lot of clothes to Goodwill. Plus I really don't think she wants to catch this cold from me," Jason said, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes.

"Well thanks a lot for wanting to infect us!" Chuck quipped.

"Well, Chuck think about it. Jason gives the cold to Kara. Kara gets it and makes his life miserable. Then she expects a kiss and he gets it back. You see, we don't kiss Jason so he can just avoid us if we get it," Adam explained. Jason just had a smile on his face and shook his head at his brother's hair brained deduction.

"Nah, I don't think I would be puckering up for Jason. He is just not my type. But that one girl sure is. That girl, who won at the karaoke night, I can't remember her name... Nancy or something?" Chuck asked.

"She goes to our school. You will just have to look her up and ask her out," Adam said as he turned the car into the pier's parking lot.

"Like she would go out with me. Adam, I don't exactly have all of the girls falling over me like you do," Chuck replied, looking out the window.

"Chuck, you are a funny guy! Girls like that. You are going to just have to find the right time and place and just ask her," Adam answered.

"Easier said than done," Chuck quipped as they all got out of the car. "All of this love talk makes me nervous. I am ready to eat!"

"You are always ready to eat!" Jason said, getting out of the backseat.

"Not always, wise guy," Chuck smirked as the boys made their way to the pier's bar and grill area.

The boys sat in the usual spot and ordered the usual food--- cheeseburgers, fries and a Pepsi. Chuck always ordered his favorite onion rings.

"So how was detention with ol' Meade?" Chuck asked, playing with a straw.

"Same old stuff. Why can't you be like your brother? I don't understand how you can get into so much trouble with such respectable parents. They must be so ashamed!" Adam mocked Miss Meade's voice. His impression was almost as good as the real thing.

"She asked me today if I was sure that you were not adopted or something," Jason replied with a smile. "It must be hard to follow such greatness though. You crack under the pressure." Adam did not answer, but jabbed his brother in the arm playfully.

"You are both as different as night and day. I could see why she would wonder except for the fact that you do look somewhat alike," Chuck remarked. Both the brothers looked at him like he was insane. "Well it is true. You have the same eyes."

"Are you colorblind?" Adam quipped. He leaned over to his best friend. "I have blue eyes. His is brown."

"I am perfectly aware of that. But they are the same size or something. Also you have the same chin and your hair flips in the same way. You also have about the same build. Let's just face it. You can't deny each other," Chuck said in a "matter of fact" tone.

"Not to mention you are both wimpy, just in different ways," a familiar voice quipped from the next booth. "I mean, one is a smart wimp and the other one is the stupid wimp."

"Eric, I don't recall you being a part of this conversation," Adam said without even turning around to confirm Eric Peterson's presence.

"I can't believe that such an old friend would say that to another old friend," Eric said as he stood up and pulled up a chair. Buddy, his sidekick, stood beside him with his usual goofy grin.

"Eric, we don't want any trouble. Why don't you just go back to your booth and enjoy your dinner or whatever you are here for," Jason said, wiping his nose. His nose was still running, even after taking decongestant cough medicine.

"Well, your brother and his friend should have thought about that before they put that spider in my locker!" Eric almost yelled.

"I am sure that you somehow deserved it," Jason quipped back. Eric glared at the older Kramer, but that stare was broken by a sneeze.

"You know, I feel for you Jason. I really do. You have been stuck taking care of this idiot all of these years and now you have been stuck with a brainless idiot," Eric said looking up at Buddy. Buddy just grinned, but remained his usual silent self.

"He is not an idiot, he is my brother," Jason remarked, reaching over for another napkin. Adam was too busy trying to contain his anger.

"Eric, it is time for you to leave," Adam said, turning to face Eric.

"So are you going to make me? This IS a FREE country you know. I CAN sit ANYWHERE I want," Eric sneered. Adam was about to jump up when he felt a hand shove him back down to the cushioned bench. Eric saw that Jason was trying to contain Adam. "Lookie here Buddy, big bruder was holding down his little bitty bruder," Eric taunted. Then he leaned forward. "He wants to keep his little bitty bruder from getting his rear end kicked!"

Adam was on the verge of exploding. Chuck's face was also beet red, but he did not want to upset Jason. He knew that Jason was trying to keep the situation under control. Jason just rolled his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Eric, just get out of here," Jason said in a calm collective tone. His body ached and he just did not feel like dealing with Eric. He just wanted to eat and go home and go to bed.

"I am sorry to interrupt your dinner. But I do have a bone to pick with your brother here. You see, he made me the laughing stock of the school for the second time this school year," Eric angrily spoke.

"Second time? When was the first time?" Chuck spouted.

"I seem to remember getting a nice new Mustang and it turned out to be STOLEN!" Eric yelled as his eyes lit up with fury. "Then to beat it all, Adam cheated and beat me in a race with that piece of crap he calls a car. He made a fool of me in front of the guys and the school!"

"It was just a stupid car race Eric. You have made a fool of yourself. You should have known that the deal was too good to be true," Jason said as he rolled his eyes. "You were both stupid for even racing that night. You could have killed someone not to mention yourselves."

"I don't care if you find our way of settling things stupid. The fact is your brother owes me a rematch and I am here to make it a reality," Eric said stubbornly.

"My brother is not racing you."

"Oh, he isn't?" Eric mocked Jason. "Boy Adam, I didn't know that your father was so young!"

Adam could not believe what he was hearing. His brother was treating him like a total baby. He felt the anger that he had felt towards Eric suddenly turn towards his own brother. How dare Jason make a fool of him by acting like his parent, he thought.

"I don't have to be his father to tell you that he is not racing you," Jason calmly remarked.

"So the Kramer brothers are finally showing their yellow streaks!" Buddy said under his breath. Eric looked up at his cohort and laughed.

Nothing in the world could have prepared Adam for what he was about to hear. Figuring on hearing his brother give Eric the speech about how Adam was not going to endanger himself like that again to prove nothing to anything, Adam readied himself for protest. There was no way he was going to let Eric get one over on him. Planning to set up a rematch with his nemesis, Adam was going to remain in his quiet fury. But his brother had another agenda.

"Eric, you was not listening. I told you, my brother is not going to race you. I am."

The whole table fell silent. Eric was even speechless.

"What!" Everyone finally said at once, looking at the older Kramer.

"You heard me. If I win, this stupid vendetta that you have against my brother will come to an immediate stop," Jason said with an even tone. Adam's mouth was still too wide open to say anything.

"Fine, but what if YOU lose?" Eric finally was able to get out of his mouth.

"I don't plan to lose," Jason simply remarked as he stood up calmly and started for the door. Chuck, Adam, Eric and Buddy all watched him in total shock and silence. Adam was especially shocked. What on earth was his brother thinking! Had that cold water warped his brain? He just knew one thing. Jason was not going to race HIS beloved Trans Am against anyone, especially Eric Peterson.