"OK. Stay put, Lizzie, I'll just be a second" Grandpa said, opening his door, the keys left in the ignition but the car still.

"Oh, Grandpa, no! It's OK, I can do it-" Elizabeth began, somewhat startled by his sudden words but also moving to her door handle.

She wanted to help him, the garage door was quite heavy and he'd driven a little way out of the drive before stopping, not that she had paid much attention. She had been stuck in her own thoughts, she hadn't even really realize he'd started to drive. Anyway, she knew it would take her just a few seconds to dash back to the garage, she thought it might take him a little longer.

"Nu-huh, you stay put kiddo" the old man insisted, elongating his body and clicking his fingers as he stretched beside the car, "the lady waits, the gentleman works"

"I'm a lady?" she teased lightly with a small smile, enjoying the over exaggerated way in which he was stretching. He made it look as if he'd been driving for hours already, not just for a few seconds down their own driveway.

"You're darn tootin'" he winked, "and as such, you should never spend time with a man who doesn't treat you like it, OK?" she smiled at him and he continued, leaving his door open, "you just pop on your seat belt, kid, I'll be back in a flash"

She did as she was told, pleased by his words and glad for his company.

She was also glad that she wasn't stuck in Lucy's car.

She loved her mother and she felt a little bit guilty for all but abandoning her in a car filled with teenage boys but it had to be done. She had been able to hear the excited, almost exuberant laughter of the Frog Brothers all the way from the garage. She'd popped her little rucksack into the car, just like Grandpa had told her to and then she simply stayed there, waiting for him. She just didn't have the energy to face the two clowns again and they were all she could hear. She couldn't hear Sammy, she hadn't heard Nanook's excited barks either.

All she could hear were their two guests.

When the bigger car had made its way down and away from the house, she'd been relived, the silence that followed in its wake very welcome.

Elizabeth thought that she should have perhaps explained to her mother that she would be riding with Grandpa but she was quite sure he'd delivered the message on her behalf.

For a few moments, she'd just shut off her mind and enjoyed the silence, grateful for the short respite. It boggled her mind that she had already needed a respite. She couldn't believe that she was already over it, already finished with the camping adventure that hadn't even begun.

She had still been at the house and there she was, ready to throw in the towel and just wait for Dwayne's comforting arms.

Yesterday she had been looking forward to it, the idea of fresh air and time with her family had been a very positive one. She had been excited even, she had been ready to cleanse her body and laugh with her family but now?

She just didn't want to go.

She knew it was silly but Edgar's words had cut her deep. Her confidence had been hit hard and she couldn't shake the feeling of hurt. Even Alan, adding that she hadn't gotten that fat.

It sucked.

She felt ugly, worried about her weight and it had taken the wind clean from her sails. Had she gained a little? She wasn't sure, she hadn't noticed it and nobody else had said anything to her...but her boys saw her almost every night, her family every day.

Maybe she had gained weight and it just took the fresh perspective of the Frog Brothers to show it?

Taking a breath and resisting the urge to study her face in the mirror, Elizabeth tried to distract herself, tried not to think about it.

It was hard going and she was annoyed at herself for it.

Where was her cool logic when she was terrified of Dwayne back in the cave? Where was her cool logic when she was talking with David? It was frustrating. How could she only find reasons to agree with the words of Sammy's stupid friends? She knew she was only making herself feel more foul but she just couldn't stop.

As the car door slammed, Elizabeth turned to look at her Grandfather.

"Alrighty then, let's get this show on the road! Have a listen, kid. Appreciate the way this baby purrs and we'll be on our way, off into this glorious Santa Carla morning!"

"Purr?" she asked with amusement, surprised by his energy.

"Oh yeah, she's an absolute beaut" the old man said, running his hand over the wheel once, "and she purrs alright. You just listen. You're in for a treat"

As the car rumbled to life, Elizabeth nodded, eyebrows raised.

The old man awed and hummed for a moment and she tried to match him but it wasn't real, not for her.

The engine sounded quieter, softer than the one in Lucy's car and the car itself sort of shook gently with the efforts of the engine but still. To her, a car was a car and an engine was an engine.

The two cars were different...but not that different.

She would be lying if she said she understood what he was talking about but, not wanting to dampen the old man's very sweet and earnest enthusiasm, she smiled, "yeah, it's pretty cool, huh?"

"Liar" he chortled lovingly, still holding the wheel with care.

"No, really, it's awesome-"

He chuckled again, "that's a big old porky pie and you know it"

"...porky pie?"

"A porky pie is a lie, Liz" he grinned at her.

"No, I swear, the car-" she said, mildly panicked, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

"-isn't really your thing, I know that, Lizzie" he assured her, looking at her with a calm and kind of disbelieving amusement, "I'm just yanking your chain"

"Oh.." she tried to laugh, "I was just trying to...it's a nice car"

"You were just trying to support me, I know, I know. Your Grandmother used to do the same, I ever tell you that?"

"She did?"

"Oh yeah, sure..." as the car ambled out of the drive, the old man smiled happily, "did a great many things to make me happy, come to think about it. She indulged my hobbies, even though she didn't understand them herself. She was a wonderful woman...just like you"

"Thank you Grandpa" Elizabeth smiled, meaning it but still a little jolted by the panic she'd felt.

Of all the people in the world she wouldn't want to upset, Grandpa was number one.

"Mhmm. So what's goin' on up in there, kid?" he taped his own head for a moment, "you're not usually so..." he paused, as if trying to find the right word, "...flustered"

Silently, she agreed with him. She loved her playful words with Grandpa, their easy relationship. She had never been so caught off guard by him before, she could usually match his wit, catch onto his jokes or at the very least appreciate them. For a moment back there, she really believed he was calling her a liar. She was too in her own head, too conscious of everything to match him today.

She didn't know how to admit her feelings, though. It felt silly to say that she was feeling fat and ugly and she didn't want to put her family in the awkward position of having to balance her feelings of hurt with their somewhat rambunctious guests. Lucy was a wonderful, graceful and patient hostess, it wouldn't be fair to her to have to try and comfort her daughter while trying to be welcoming to the boys that had hurt her.

She thought it would be better if she just stayed silent. At least they would be able to get through the day without extra drama. She was sure the boys wouldn't make any comments in front of Grandpa at least, not after his snarling display of annoyance regarding the invasion of his workroom.

It was probably for the best if she just swallowed it, tried to suck it up.

"I don't know" she shrugged, moving to hitch her legs up onto the seat before pausing, thinking better of it, "I just didn't want you to think I don't like your car. I didn't want to offend you, Grandpa"

"When have you ever done that?" he asked happily.

She shrugged again, throwing a small smile towards him.

"You're a good girl, Liz" he told her, both hands now back on the wheel, "you don't need to spend your time with people you can't laugh and joke with. Life's too short for that"

Holding down her smile, Elizabeth nodded at his words.

Random, but good advice all the same.

Grandpa must have been a wonderful husband and father.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh Santa Carla air, he grinned, "we picked a gorgeous day for a barbecue, didn't we?"

"We did" she agreed.

The sun was bright but it was a little cloudy, giving some welcome shade and coolness to what would have otherwise been a roasting day. There was a soft breeze, too, and with the roof of the car down it felt even better.

"Yup, we really did pick a good one..." his eyes were firmly set on the road before them, Lucy's car not even a speck in the distance, "...even if we didn't pick the best guests..."

Elizabeth paused as she took in his words. Is that where he was going with the talk about gentleman and spending time with good people?

She wasn't sure.

"Yeah they're...they're something else alright" she agreed again, trying to be diplomatic. She shifted in her seat, looking out to her side and trying to enjoy the view.

She didn't want to talk about the Frog Brothers at all.

"I didn't realize Sammy was that close to 'em, if I'm honest with you. Lucy only said friends and I was busy, not really paying attention"

"You know them?"

He nodded.

"Independently from Sammy, I mean? You knew them before we arrived?"

"They're not the best apples, Lizzie. Not the best apples by a long shot, those boys" he admitted, his voice low.

"No?" she glanced over at him, taken aback by his words.

That was the single most negative thing she had ever heard the old man say.

How did he know the Frog Brothers? She didn't want to think about them but she wondered how, exactly, he knew about them.

"No. They have...had...a bit of a reputation and you know what they say about bad apples..."

"Um..they spoil the bunch?"

"Barrel"

"Yeah, that's it" Elizabeth nodded, "barrel. I think Sammy's alright though" she admitted, "he has a good head most of the time"

Truthfully, she thought that Sammy was so far removed from The Frog Brothers' weirdness that even if they were friends, he would be fine. He was all fashion and MTV and hair gel. They were all camouflage, stupid dog tags and blunt rudeness.

They were opposites.

Nothing would change that. She was positive that Sammy would be fine.

"I'm not so worried about your brother but you know what they say. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes" he turned to glance at her before looking at the road once more, "did you ever hear that turn of phrase?"

Elizabeth shook her head, somewhat bemused by the direction their conversation was taking, "is that about the boardwalk?"

"Well, it applies to a great deal many things, kid but it applies double to your brother's friends" he shrugged a little.

"They're stupid but they're not dangerous" Elizabeth shrugged, annoyed that she was now thinking about the two idiot brothers, "Sammy'll be fine"

"Yeah, I think so"

"...what was their reputation?"

"What?"

He had started the conversation and she wasn't happy to be talking about them but she also wanted to know, now.

He'd made her curious.

"You said they had a reputation. Why? What is it?"

"Was"

"Huh?"

"What was it, Liz. You use the past tense because it's in the past"

"OK...what was their reputation? How do you know them?"

"I don't know them, know them. I know about them, or at least, I did" Grandpa shrugged, "like I said, it's in the past"

"...alright but what's in the past?"

"I don't like to gossip"

"Please?"

"Now don't push me on it because I really don't like to gossip but those two...well, Lizzie they are kind of dang...oh, heck I don't know" the old man shook his head, looking torn before almost blurting out, "they played a pretty damn stupid game when they were barely into the second grade"

"Huh?"

"Those kids had an encounter with the police, almost had one with the courts too. I'm not so sure I like them being around my grand kids, though I try not to judge"

"Really?"

"Yeah, sure. Better to give everyone a chance and-"

"-no, I...I mean about the courts and stuff"

"It wasn't nice, kiddo"

"What happened?"

"They were playing werewolves or something stupid and, well...a dog got hurt. I'm not going to cast aspersions or anything because people do change but those two-"

"-they hurt a dog?"

"Can you keep it between us?" Grandpa asked, looking at her briefly before watching the road once more, "I said that I don't want to gossip but it's not good of me to tease you with the facts. I started so I should finish"

"Of course"

"...they killed a dog. Were arrested, investigated by the police but before the owner went ahead and pressed charges, the local toilet rag messed up-"

"-sorry but what's a toilet rag?"

"Community newsletter, thankfully it went under. I never liked it myself. Anyhow, the editor messed up and published their names in a little memo about it and that's a no-go. Can't publish the names of minors..." Grandpa shrugged, shaking his head, "...that whole family got a pretty big payout from it. I didn't like the paper but it was done on a volunteer basis and the head ended up declaring bankruptcy because of it. Nasty time but that's the reason their parent's can keep their shop going like they do, I guess...though I always thought there was somethin' not quite above board with them, since this is just between us"

Elizabeth nodded, remembering the two people all but passed out at the counter of the shop. They seemed out of it and who slept at their place of employment, leaving children to do all the work? She'd pretty much forgotten her first encounter with them but now that she was thinking about it, their home situation did seem a bit messed up.

"The Frog Brothers never got in trouble for it?"

"Nah. Their parent's showed a bit of smarts, probably the only time they got involved in their kid's lives..they paid out some of the money to the dog's owner. Charges weren't pressed, the few of those community papers were all recalled - though most of them ended up straight in the trash, anyway - and that's kind of that. Case closed, chapter finished"

"Oh..." she shifted in her seat.

As the wind breezed past them, he admitted, "I feel kind of bad for tellin' you if I'm honest"

"I promise I won't tell anyone. This is just between us" Elizabeth said, meaning it with all her heart. She wouldn't ever break a vow to Grandpa

"And I didn't tell you that because I want you to treat 'em different, either OK? Like I said, people change and they were young..." the old man sounded unconvinced.

"I won't treat them differently"

She wasn't going to engage with them at all, period.

He smiled at her for a second, "see? You're a good kid...and to be honest, the reason I'm even having this conversation with you is so you'll see they're total and utter headcases"

Elizabeth couldn't help the little laugh that escaped her at his words.

"I'm serious here, Liz" he shook his head with a smile, but his words weren't quite light, "whatever is wrong with those boys is no little thing, alright? Hurtin' animals - even if it was just the one time - parental abandonment. They don't go to school, 'sfar as I know but I don't keep up so much with what goes on in town anymore. Not since old Bob died-"

"-who's Bob?"

"He ran a bait and tackle shop near the boardwalk. Died ten years ago and I ain't been down that way since"

"Grandpa...do you think Nanook-"

"-he'll be just fine. This happened a while back now, kid and there haven't been any more incidents that I know of. I'll keep an eye on Sammy because I love that little fashionista but you...you just focus on people who lift you up and treat you well, OK?"

"Like you?" she tried to joke, her voice shaking a little at the unexpected kindness in his words.

"Exactly. A gentleman like me" he winked at her, before his voice softened a little, "that's what this whole conversation has been about. I'm not usually a curtain twitchin' gossip but I want you to understand this. Nice girls like you shouldn't waste their time, their energy or their thoughts on whatever comes out of the mouths of psycho kids like those..."

"Oh...you heard?"

"Course I did, kiddo, I was right behind them" he said, his voice a little gruff, "and I didn't like it"

"...me neither" she replied, her voice a little taught.

As the old man reached across to her, he took one her hands in his. Squeezing it tightly, he simply said, "you didn't gain weight, your face is as pretty as ever and you're better than that, OK?"

"Than what?"

"...than getting upset over their nonsense. Letting those kids into your head! This is our family camping trip to honor my great, late wife and if my granddaughter doesn't crack a smile, I might just have to crack a few skulls"

She smiled at him, a genuine and honest reaction to his words.

"I'd like to see you crack a few skulls"

"You got it, kid" he winked, releasing her hand, "say, you wanna turn the radio on for me? It'll be the Chiffon's Hour pretty soon"

"Sure, Grandpa" she said, the smile still plastered on her face.

As she reached for the radio, she felt brighter. Even hearing the somewhat dark but apparently distant and forgotten history of the Frog Brothers, Grandpa's words had lifted her up and she was glad she had been invited to ride with him.