Gordon spent his first summer on Tracy Island after completing the third grade. It was a difficult year, one that nearly destroyed his whole family, but they are stronger than ever, and Gordon knows that together they can get through anything.
His packing is complete, and he is ready to leave, even though they are not going to be leaving until tomorrow morning. He is sitting on the floor on his and Virgil's bedroom, giggling at his eldest brother attempting to tempt a spider into a glass so it can be safely removed from the house. Preferably before Virgil comes in and freaks. It is a known fact among the household. Virgil Hates spiders.
"Scotty, it's getting away!" Gordon tells him unhelpfully, as the spider climbs up the wall.
"Not helping Squid!" Scott replies, climbing up on Virgils bed, making a leap for the spider, he misses and falls.
There is a loud crack as the bed frame breaks.
"FUCK!" Scott shouts, jumping down from the bed.
The noise attracts Grandma from downstairs, running into the room followed closely by Alan, she runs over to Scott.
"Scott, honey? Are you okay?" grabbing his wrists, she starts to check him for cuts, bruises, broken bones, concussion, internal organ damage… only stopping when she is satisfied that he is okay.
Then she cuffs him round the back of the head!
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" she demands loudly.
"Ow! Grandma, not so hard" Scott protests, as Gordon and Alan roar with laughter.
"Well?" she asks again, straightening up and glaring at him with her arms folded.
"There was a spider" is Scott's explanation.
"Which is still running round this room somewhere" Gordon tells her. "Scotty was trying to catch it, but it is more intelligent than he is!"
"No, no it is not, it just has the ability to climb the walls" Scott replies, rolling his eyes.
"Maybe if the spider bit you, you could learn to climb walls and shoot webs from your hands like spiderman" Gordon tells him.
"And where is Virgil supposed to sleep tonight? We are not leaving until tomorrow morning. And how are you going to explain this to him when he gets back from his piano lesson?" she asks him, cutting Scott of from the reply he was about to give.
"On his mattress on the floor, or in Gordons bed. Its only one night! And I was planning on blaming it on Alan" Scott tells her grinning.
"You will not, and get this mess cleaned up. You will be sleeping in there and Virgil can have your bed, and if I hear you have been trying to blame it on your baby brother, I will make sure you spend your entire summer vacation on laundry duty!" Grandma tells him, with the authority she uses when she means business.
"Yes Grandma" Scott replies contritely, that is no false promise!
"Good boy. Pop the spider in the barn once you have caught it, then get rid of Virgils broken bed. As we are leaving early tomorrow morning, I want your packing done, and inspected by 7 o'clock. No Explosives Gordon!" She tells the two boys, backing out of the room and leaving them too it.
"I am already packed Grandma. Daddy said I can have the room with the ocean view when we get there, my suitcase is already downstairs by the front door. Go and check if you don't believe me" Gordon replies, a look of smug arrogance on his face, as he is aware that Virgil has not even thought about it.
"Oh, I will" She tells him. "In fact, lets go and have a look together". Holding her hand out for him, and together they leave Scott to clean up the room, and catch the spider, Alan following them.
Gordons suitcase is filled with pairs of swimming trunks, his finding Nemo towel and celery crunch bars.
"Where are the rest of your clothes? Pyjamas, jeans, t-shirts, jumpers?" She asks him amused.
"Don't need them, I am going to go swimming every day. Daddy said so." Gordon tells her, proud of his efforts to do his own packing.
"You did a great job, but there are a few things that you will miss if you leave behind." She tells him kindly. "Where is your Squid? You can possibly leave that here".
"I wasn't going to; he's coming on the plane with me. Daddy agreed that he wouldn't like it in the suitcase". Alan is going in the suitcase and Squid is having his seat" Gordon tells her seriously.
Grandma is unable to contain her laughter. But she knows that she will have to repack this before the morning.
*TB*
Virgil has just finished his last piano lesson before the vacation, he cannot believe it took him so long to pluck up the courage he needed to start playing again.
The teacher his dad found, lives in a farmhouse a mile down the road from theirs. She is a retired music teacher approaching her 70th birthday, and she has the endless patience and love for music that Virgil needs to bring him out of his shell.
"Would you like to stop for a coke? I know you are leaving tomorrow, and you won't be back for 10 weeks." She asked him, as he gathers his sheet music together.
"I would, but I need to get home and start packing. I haven't even got my suitcase from the basement yet" Virgil replies.
"It is still early; you have plenty of time" She insists. "Humour me Virg, stop and keep me company for a half hour".
Virgil is too nice to be suspicious and has no idea that Scott has contacted her to delay his leaving until the spider is no longer on the loose!
"Okay, but I really can't stay long". He tells her smiling, as they move into the garden, which is great news as she has just received another message from Scott to advise the situation is under control, with a picture of the spider in a glass, its fangs bared looking angry!
The air outside is thick and heavy, the sun has been baking the ground for the last few weeks with no signs of an end to the relentless heat, and even Virgil is glad their dad put the pool in for them. It is muggy and oppressing and stopped being pleasant a week ago. But sitting under the shade of a large cottonwood tree, drinking ice cold coke is not unpleasant.
Feeling himself relax against the sun lounger he is perched on, Virgil almost falls asleep, jolting suddenly when his phone buzzes with a message.
Scott: Are you cycling home, or do you want a lift? I can come and get you, throw your bike in the back.
Virgil: I am staying here for a bit then cycling I guess
As soon as he has hit send his suspicions are raised, Scott usually would never volunteer to come and get him unless it was raining. The novelty of having a driving license having worn off during the school year ferrying his brothers back and forth to various clubs, now his dad has to offer to pay him to do so!
Virgil: Why?
Scott: No reason if you change your mind let me know
Virgil: You feeling okay bro?
Scott: yeah, but just remember I am your big brother, and you love me!
Virgil is now thoroughly confused!
"Thanks for the drink Mrs Cook, but I really need to get going" he excuses himself politely.
"I will see you in September, have a lovely holiday" she tells him as she shows him through the house to the front door where his bike is resting on the porch.
His t-shirt is soaking wet, sticking to his back, he isn't even half way home before he realises he should have taken Scott up on his offer, slowing his pace to a leisurely crawl the second half of his journey takes twice as long. He cannot wait to dive into the pool, fully dressed the second he is home.
Turning into the driveway, thoughts of the pool are driven from his mind by Scott dragging large splintered wood from the house.
"Oh god, what has Gordon done now?" he thinks.
"VIRGIL!" Alan greets him running down the drive to greet him. "VIRGIL, SCOTT BROKE YOUR BED!"
"You little tattletale!" Scott replies laughing.
"WHAT?" Virgils cry drowns out Scotts words.
"He was jumping on it" Alan continues. "Grandma shouted at him, it isn't fair, if that had been me, I would have been put to bed!"
"Scott?" Virgil asks. Clarity over the earlier texts are breaking through his confusion.
"It wasn't like that Virgil, I promise" Scott tells him.
"So you didn't break my bed?" Virgil asks.
"Well…?" Scott replies guiltily.
"Did you jump on my bed and break it?" Virgil tries again.
"Yeah, but there is a really good explanation for it all, I swear" Scott tells him.
"I am waiting" Virgil tells him, arms folded, looking so much like their grandma that Scott is taken aback.
"There was a spider" Scott starts.
"Did you get it?" Virgil replies.
"Eventually, your room is spider free now" Scott confirms.
"Oh, thank God, I would rather sleep on the floor than lie awake all night knowing that there was a killer spider on the loose" Virgil confirms. "Thanks Scott"
"I am going for a swim before dinner" Virgil tells his two brothers.
"I don't think so. Packing first, then a shower and then dinner and an early night" Grandma tells him, destroying his plans.
"Okay" Virgil replies, not wanting to cause any problems. "Where is everyone?"
"Gordon is in the pool, and before you protest, I have repacked his suitcase already. John is upstairs working on his new project and he packed a week ago" she tells him.
Virgil sighs as he takes the stairs three at a time, his empty suitcase in his hand and into the room.
His bed is no more, and is now just a mattress on the floor, which he notices has been made up with fresh sheets, a sure sign that Scott feels guilty and vowing not to be too hard on his big brother.
Piling in everything he will need for the 10 weeks is harder than he thought, and he has no idea how John will cope as there is no way he will be able to fit all his books in the one case they have been allocated.
The draw from the pool outside, where he can hear Gordon playing happily, is driving him crazy, wishing he had not left the packing until the last minute and resisting the urge to jump out the window and join him is the most difficult task he has faced all day.
Flopping down onto his mattress, Virgil decides a quick break is in order, closing his eyes, he finds himself asleep before he knows it is happening.
*TB*
He is still asleep when supper is ready, his half-filled suitcase open on Gordons bed.
Alan comes hurtling into the room, "HEY VIRGIL" he shouts.
"What?" he replies lazily.
"Supper. Aren't you packed yet? Grandma is going to be so mad!" And why do you smell?" Alan asks, going over to the suitcase and peering at its contents.
"Go 'way Allie" Virgil replies, dragging himself up into a sitting position, yawning heavily. "I am nearly done I will finish after supper. What is for supper?" he asks, standing up now and heading to the door.
"Lasagne" Alan replies, gagging. He hates grandma's lasagne!
The kitchen does not have the burned smell they are used to after Grandma has finished cooking. Confused Virgil sits down at his usual spot and looks round at his brothers.
Smiling at Gordon, still in his swimming trunks, a tank top thrown on to stop him from falling foul of Grandmas table rules.
John is sitting opposite him, his nose in a book, his thick auburn hair the only part of him that is visible.
Scott is helping Grandma serve, but Alan is there, trying to get Johns attention. John is happily ignoring him!
Scott carries in the lasagne, there is also garlic bread, salad, and chips. And none of it looks like Grandma was involved in its preparation!
"Grandma?" Virgil questions.
"Uber Eats!" She replies. "I have been too busy to cook and I thought this was an easier option".
The food doesn't last long with the 6 of them, and neither does the ice cream served up for dessert. Energised with food Virgil gathers the rest of his belongings for the trip.
His scream brings the whole house running.
"Virgil?!" Grandma asks.
"T-t-there Sp-sp-spider!" Pointing to the case. Sure enough there is a large spider sitting on a pair of Virgil's jeans. 8 long hairy legs attached to its equally hairy body. Prominent fangs almost make this monster spider look like it has 10 legs.
John cannot miss the smirk on Gordons face. Recognising it from the practical joke kit he got him for his birthday, he scoops it up and gives it back.
"GORDON!" Virgil shouts at him, "that was not funny!"
"He is right Gordon, that was not funny!" Grandma adds in condemnation.
"I didn't do it, I just suggested it to Alan, he did it!" Gordon confirms.
"Virgil get your packing finished, Gordon Alan get downstairs I want a word!" Grandma tells them.
"I don't wannnna go to bed! I haven't been naughty!" Alan tells her wailing.
"You are going to bed, but only because it is past your bedtime. And no you are not being punished, a prank is not the end of the world if no damage is done and no one gets hurt, right Virgil?" she asks him.
Virgil knows it was a harmless prank, dragging his brothers into his embrace for a hug before shoving them out the room with Grandma.
He is just finishing off the packing when Gordon returns, flashing him what he thinks is an innocent smile. "Hey Virg"
"Just don't bring that bloody thing with you tomorrow Gordo!" Virgil tells him, smiling as he slams the case shut. "Done! Finally! I am going to take a shower, see you in a bit".
"You are welcome to join me if you don't want to sleep on the floor" Gordon tells him pulling his pyjamas on, yawning.
"Thanks Gordo, and remember you bring that spider and I will burn it!"