It was hot. The sand burned under his feet, and he squealed. "Mom! It's hot!"

"Of course it's hot, you dumb ass. White sand's gonna be hot." 15 year old Lincoln pulled off his shirt and threw it at Michael before running for the water.

"Lincoln, be nice to your brother!" his mother called, but Lincoln was already in the water, disappearing into the waves. "Michael, come here. You need some sunscreen, or you're going to burn up."

Obediently, Michael walked over to his mother, dropping Lincoln's shirt carelessly in the sand. She glopped a handful of sunscreen on his back.

"Cold!" he howled, dancing away.

"Well, nothing satisfies you, huh Michael?" his mother teased. "You're like Goldilocks!"

"I am not!" he said, pouting. "Goldilocks is a girl!" At seven years old, this was a very important distinction.

"Not unlike you, huh Mikey?" Suddenly, Lincoln was there, grabbing him around the waist and carrying him, kicking and screaming, towards the ocean.

"Put me down!" Michael yelled, but he was laughing.

"Put you down?" Lincoln asked. "I don't know. Should I put him down, Mom?" he called back to their mother, who was shaking her head from her place on the shore.

"Lincoln Burrows, stop harassing your brother," she scolded good-naturedly.

"Put me down, Linc!" Michael said. "Come on, man!" He hit at his brother's back with his small fists, but Lincoln didn't seem to notice. "Put me down!"

Lincoln kept running until he was waist-deep in water. "Okay," he said, and suddenly, he threw his brother as far and high as he could, into the ocean.

Michael landed with a loud splash, water rushing all around him. He stood up, sputtering wildly. "Lincoln! I'm gonna get you!" He grabbed a handful of sand from the bottom of the ocean and lobbed it at his older brother, missing by several feet.

"Go ahead and try," Lincoln called, splashing water at him.

"Wait a second, Michael. Come here, and let me put some sunscreen on you," Mom called from the shore. "I am not going to listen to you crying about your sunburn because you decided you could play on the beach, in Florida, without sunscreen. Come here."

Lincoln made a grab for him as he jogged in, and he shrieked. "Mom!" dodging his older brother's grip.

"Lincoln! I'm going to send you after the aloe vera if he gets burned, do you hear me?" His mother tried to sound stern, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Take all the fun out of it," Lincoln mumbled, but he was still grinning.

Michael watched his brother from the shore as his mom rubbed sunscreen onto him. Suddenly, he wasn't paying attention to Michael, or to Mom, anymore. His eyes were on some girls laying on towels a little ways down the beach. Michael smiled to himself.

"All right honey. Go play," his mom said, patting him on the back. He grinned at her over his shoulder and ran back to the water, grabbing two handfuls of wet sand.

He snuck over to Lincoln, who was so busy watching the girls he didn't even notice his approach. Michael got within three feet, making sure he wouldn't miss.

SPLAT! He threw the first handful. It hit Lincoln square in the back of the head, squishing into his hair and oozing down his back.

Lincoln whirled around, looking pissed. "What the fu—"

SPLAT! Michael threw the second handful.

He only had a second to enjoy his brother's startled face, dripping wet sand, and then he had to run, because Lincoln was chasing him, and his eyes were flashing.

"Michael, you little shit! Get your ass back here right now so I can kick it for you!"

"Lincoln, don't you dare!" His mother's voice, mingling with Lincoln's.

"Gotcha!" Michael kept running, giggling wildly.

Ahh...family vacations.