Gordon is asleep already when Virgil gets back from his shower. Unconcerned as his brother is snoring quietly, Virgil sits down on the mattress on the floor. He seriously cannot believe Scott broke his bed! If anyone was going to break a bed by jumping on it, he would have put money on it being Alan. He is just lucky his dad believes in good sleep and the mattress is a memory foam one, specially tailored for his body shape.
Lying back on top of the clean duvet, Virgil stares up at the ceiling, thinking about all the changes that have been made to their lives in the last year, he cant deny its been interesting if not a little traumatic! But the next year is going to be so much better, and he cannot wait to get to the island tomorrow.
It feels like he has just fallen asleep when his alarm sounds. Groaning loudly, he turns over and tries to hit the snooze button, forgetting that he is a lot closer to the floor than he usually is, and his hand hits the ground instead.
"OW!" he says loudly, confused by what just happened and by the continued screeching of his alarm clock.
"Wha?!" Gordon says confused by the shouting. "You kay Virg?"
"Yeah, sorry, I forgot I was on the floor, its time to get up" He replies, finally coherent enough to sit up and turn the alarm off. "Remember Grandma said wear jeans and a t-shirt, not shorts"
"But it's the middle of the night Virgy, it is still dark outside!" Gordon tells him, tired and confused still.
"I know Gordy, but Grandma said…"
"Well I'm saying no, I'm going back to sleep!" Gordon interrupts, turning over to face the wall, he is asleep again before Virgil can say anything further.
Well, that went well! Virgil thinks as he gets up, dragging the blanket off his brother, ignoring his renewed protests, and tickling his feet. The one part of his body Gordon cannot stand being tickled.
Gordon is a mixture of sleepy, grumpy and giggly as he drags himself out of bed and chases Virgil down the stairs.
"GET BACK HERE SO I CAN PUNCH YOU VIRGIL!" He shouts at him as he races into the kitchen. To be stopped in his tracks by Grandma.
"Stop it, both of you. Have some breakfast" She tells him, shoving Gordon into a chair and presenting him with a bowl of porridge.
"Fine, but when we get to the Island, he is fair game!" Gordon tells Virgil, who is sitting opposite him laughing.
"Sort it out yourselves, I'm going to make sure your brothers are getting up" Grandma tells them, leaving the kitchen.
"I am serious Virgil, I am going to prank you so good, you will be begging me for respite by the end of the summer!" Gordon tells him, stirring his breakfast with the handle of his spoon.
"How about I apologise, and offer to carry your luggage all the way to the island?" Virgil asks, he really does not want to spend his entire summer looking over his shoulder anticipating a prank.
"And 100 dollars?" Gordon asks.
"What do you want 100 bucks for?" Virgil asks, spitting out the large gulp of coffee he has just taken.
"Dad said next time I get suspended from school he's taking away my allowance for a month, so I'm saving for the occasion now, so I won't be broke when it happens." Gordon tells him.
"Didn't you learn from doing this to Scott that blackmail and extortion are illegal and a guaranteed way to get you grounded?" Virgil asks.
"It is only wrong if you get caught, that's what I am trying to teach Alan anyway" Gordon replies.
"Okay, I will carry your luggage, pay you 10 bucks and not tell dad your evil scheme to destroy his innocent little Allie!" Virgil negotiates.
Gordon snorts, "Dad is already aware! Carry my luggage, 100 dollars and I won't tell dad you were the one who broke Grandmas antique vase, and just think Alan did hard time confined to his room for that"
Virgil knows he has lost.
"Fine, cash or bank transfer!" Virgil asks, sighing.
"Cash please, it's untraceable" Gordon replies, and starts to finally eat his breakfast.
"You are an evil child Gordo!" Virgil tells him.
"Yeah, I know. What are you going to do about it?" Gordon replies, an evil grin lighting up his face.
"Nothing, come on little bro, lets go and get dressed" Virgil replies, getting up and collecting the empty bowls, popping them in the sink.
They meet Alan, John, and Scott on the stairs, all wearing identical looks of exhaustion.
*TB*
"Virgil can I borrow your red hoodie? I want something big and baggy for the journey, and the red one is the most comfortable of all the clothes I have borrowed without your knowledge!" Gordon asks, he's wearing one of his dads old faded NASA t-shirts over a pair of dark blue jeans.
Virgil knows after this morning he shouldn't be indulging his brothers wishes, but he looks at the look of longing on his face, a face that has been through more in his 8 years of life than most people go through in their whole lives, and happily gives in. Grabbing it out the wardrobe and throwing it over to him.
"Thanks Virgy" he replies smiling, dragging it over his head. It comes down to his knees, and he has to roll the sleeves back three times to use his hands, but he doesn't care, this is his favourite jumper.
"I am ready now, I will meet you downstairs. I hope you like carrying my suitcase and sitting in the back of the van with John because I called the front seat" Gordon tells him, skipping out the room.
Grandmas mini van is fully loaded when they get downstairs. And she is trying to force Alan to take his travel sickness tablets, as he is the only one who is prone to car sickness and they have a long drive to the airport.
"No, I don't need them anymore. I don't feel sick Grandma, I will only take them if you do!" He insists.
"Alan, either take the tablet or I will strap you to the roof of the car so you aren't sick all over it" Scott tells him.
"YES ME TOO!" Gordon insists, jumping up onto the cars bonnet and up onto the roof.
"Alan, take the tablet. Gordon get down or your going to spend your entire summer grounded" Grandma tells them both.
"NO" Alan yells angrily and runs back into the house.
Torn between the terrible two, Grandma is temporarily stuck, before quickly deciding.
"Scott, deal with Gordon" she calls to him, while running after Alan, finding him hiding in his closet.
"Alan, it's okay. This tablet tasted disgusting, I know, but the alternative is much worse dear. Just think how much Gordon is going to tease you if throw up all over him! Please, do this for me and I will get you all burger king for lunch at the airport" she tells him.
Nodding, Alan agrees to take the tablet. "You promise me that you won't let Gordy pick on me for the whole trip?"
"I promise" She agrees, vowing to have a serious word with her 4th Grandson, who hopefully is now off the car roof!
Alan wrinkles his nose at the disgusting after taste in his mouth, but it is done, the tablet has gone.
It is still dark when they go back outside. Scott has Gordon pinned to the floor and is sitting on his back.
"I did it for you Grandma, and he is going to be on his best behaviour for the whole trip, or he knows I will pound him!" Scott tells her.
"Let him up and get in the car. And do not threaten him, that's my job!" Grandma tells him, smiling.
Alan climbs into his booster seat without any further complaints. Scott and Virgil claim the back seat, leaving Gordon to fight over the front with John.
"Gordon, a word before we leave please" Grandma tells him, calling him away from the battle with John, who takes advantage to hop into the front seat, his feet resting on the dash as he pulls a book out from his backpack.
"I want you to behave on this trip. No pranks, no gags, no teasing, you sit in the car quietly, or when we get to the Island your dad will be told, and you'll be dealt with by him, and that means grounding" she tells him seriously.
"Why is it just me who gets threatened? My brothers are just as capable of being naughty. It isn't fair Grandma!" he insists.
"Just promise me Gordo, please. Just this one thing" she is almost begging him to behave.
"Okay, can we go now?" he asks.
"let's go Kid" turning back to the car, he is already engaged in drying to drag John from the front seat. Sighing, "this is going to a bloody long day!" she thinks.
"Get in the back Gordon, next to Alan" Grandma orders him.
"No, I don't want to sit next to pukey, last time he threw up on me, it was gross." Gordon replies, grabbing Johns' book and throwing it on the back seat, hoping to use it as bait. John had this covered, and just picks up the spare he kept hiding for this exact scenario!
"I am not telling you again Gordon, you either get in the back of this car, or I will call your father and tell him none of us are going, and that you're spending your entire summer holiday locked in your room, with no air conditioning, I will remove Virgils mattress and you will be sleeping on the floor, as for food, bread and water three slices a day, no treats and when your dad gets home he will pick your boarding school!" Grandma tells him.
Gordon gets into the car, slamming the door shut and sinking down into the seat next to Alan. "It's been a horrible day, and it is not even 5am yet" he thinks, picking up the book he threw on the seat, he throws it out the open window when no one is looking.
Grandmas keys are in the ignition about to be turned when Alan pipes up that he needs the toilet.
"I will take him Grandma" Scott tells her, getting him out the car.
"Thanks Scott, anyone else?" Grandma asks.
Silence greets her, as Gordon is using Scotts absence to steal his seat, slotting in next to Virgil.
"Miss me?" He asks.
"Always bro" Virgil tells him indulgently.
"GRANDMA" Scott protests on his return.
"Oh just get in the car Scott, or you'll be spending your senior year being home schooled by monks in Timbuktu! Grandma tells him, patience now exhausted, and not in the mood for any further fighting.
"Grandma, can you please keep the ghastly children in the back under control? John tells her scathingly. "I am trying to read here"
"I am under control" Alan protests, kicking the back of his seat.
"Grandma, Ghastly grandchild 4 kicked me" John informs her.
"Ooh which one am I?" Gordon asks.
"3" John replies, "Virgil is 2 and Scott is 1"
"Which one are you?" Gordon asks.
"I am John, the good child!" John replies.
"Yeah right!" Gordon replies bursting into laughter. "I have read your diary"
"I don't keep a diary!" John replies.
"What is that file on your computer you tried to password me out of then? It was remarkably interesting once I cracked your password" Gordon tells him.
"Just a little fiction I put on there to annoy you, because I knew you wouldn't be able to resist trying to hack the files, ghastly grandchild 3"
Gordon opens his mouth to argue some more, only to be silenced by Grandma.
"The next person who speaks, will be checked in with the luggage and spend the journey in the cargo hold!" she threatens.
The car lapses into a comfortable silence, which remains for 5 minutes before being broken by Gordons snoring. He has taken the hoodie off and is using it as a pillow, his face against the window, his feet curled up on the chair next to him, taking up more than two thirds of the seat and squeezing Virgil up against his door.
"Permission to speak Grandma" Virgil asks.
"Permission granted Ghastly Grandchild 2" John replies.
"Grandma!" Virgil repeats.
"Stop it John, go ahead Virgil"
"Can I move Gordon so he's more comfortable? I promise I will be careful" he asks her.
"Fine, just be careful, and make sure you get his seatbelt secure after, and try not to wake him up I was enjoying the peace!" She tells him.
Virgil moves him so he is in the middle seat his head resting on Virgil rather than the window, and he wraps the hoodie around his shoulders. Much better, he thinks.
The rest of the journey is fairly peaceful, and they are less than an hour away from the airport, when Alan starts to cry.
Scotts smothering instinct kicks in.
"Allie? Whats wrong?" He asks concerned.
"I feel sick" he wails desperately.
Scott grabs the Tracy Family Sick Bucket from its spot on the floor and holds it on his lap just as Alan loses his breakfast.
John feels sorry enough for him to stop calling him names, as he turns in his seat to look at his brothers ghostly white face.
"Grandma we will need to stop" Scott tells her.
"Okay boys, we are nearly at the service station, hold on Allie, just 5 minutes" she reassures him.
Alan is still sobbing quietly when they reach their rest stop, and Grandma gets him out the car.
"Virgil, wake Gords up for me, and we will meet in the café after I have helped Alan clean up and get changed" Grandma tells him. "The coffee is on me!"
Alan is refusing to let her put him down, insisting on being carried.
"Can you carry me?" Gordon asks him, yawning sleepily.
"Come here" Virgil replies kindly, bending down so he can climb up onto his back.
Scott looks at John.
"Don't even think about it Ghastly Grandchild 1" John replies.
Scott exchanges a look with Virgil. Before grabbing John and throwing him over his shoulder. Ignoring his protests as they walk into the café and wait for Grandma and Alan.
"There will be payback Scott!" John tells him.
"Oh not again!" Grandma groans. "What has happened now?" she asks, placing Alan down on the bench next to Scott.
"Ask. Him!" John glares angrily at Scott.
"I was just doing my good deed!" Scott tells her innocently. "Did you order me a coffee?"
"Yeah, they will bring it over in a bit." Grandma tells him, choosing to ignore the new fight.
"Did you get me a coffee?" Gordon asks.
"Absolutely not, you, John and Alan are having juice. Virgil, Scott and I are having coffee" she tells him. There is no way she is putting up with Gordon high on caffeine.
"Oh good, coffee is disgusting" Gordon tells her relieved, causing her to laugh.
"How do you know?" John asks.
"Scott let me try it one night when he was babysitting and I wouldn't go to sleep, that wine you drink is disgusting too. Dads beer isn't too bad, but I wouldn't choose it deliberately" Gordon tells her.
"SCOTT?!" she cannot help raising her voice.
"Its okay, dad already bawled me out for it!" Scott tells her, glaring at Gordon.
Grandma gives up, she really has had enough of today, and it is not even 9 o'clock. Draining the remains of her coffee, she starts to gather her grandsons for the walk back to the car, putting the freshly cleaned bucket on the seat in between Alan and Scott.
They surprise her by not protesting over the front seat and accepting their original places. Gordon, even sitting in the middle, after making Virgil carry him back to the car, fully intending to go back to sleep.
Tired and miserable from being sick, Alan falls asleep quickly. Scott and John both return to the books they were reading, while Virgil joins Gordon and Alan for a nap.
The car is silent, which is just how John likes it, as they finally pull into the airport parking lot.