Californ-I-A
San Diego, California
One month later
Drake was working on his 'D' average by laying on the sofa and eating the last bag of
nacho cheese chips while channel surfing on the family television in the living room.
Josh walked in carrying a big white posterboard and a new package of magic
markers.
"This is what you are going to do today on a Saturday?" Josh rolled as eyes as he
spread out his project on the dinner table.
"Yes, and I'm still not done."
"Why are you so lazy, Drake?"
"Why do you keep on bugging me, Josh?"
"I'm not. I have to work on my map of Germany for history class."
"Calvert said that is not due for another month and you're working on it now?"
"Uh—yeah. That's what you are supposed to do. You probably don't have your country
picked out yet."
Drake turned up the television volume from the remote.
"Josh, this is the living room. Do your homework upstairs and leave me alone."
"Fine! Boy someone is extra grouchy today." Josh huffed as he picked up everything
off the table and headed upstairs as Drake paid no mind to him. He knew just staring
blankly at the television screen would piss his brother off. Drake felt bad for sending
Josh upstairs five minutes later because he had to get off this comfortable sofa and
get his own Mocha Cola. He hated doing anything on Saturday's with the exception of
two things. One playing with his band and two going on a date with a beautiful girl, both
of those came later. Right now, he should be still in bed if it weren't for Megan who put
tons of maple syrup in both he and Josh's beds as they slept last night. And would you
still believe—Audrey and Walter still didn't yell at her? How could this have been Drake
and Josh's fault? The evidence was there. She must have had 'something' on their
parents.
it was the only thing that made sense.
The phone rang while Drake took a can of soda out of the refridgerator.
Unknown Name, Unknown Number was displayed on the caller I.D.
You never know who it could be and besides Audrey purchased a telemarketer
blocker at Radio Shack so it couldn't have been an unwanted solicitation call.
Drake picked up the phone, "Hello?"
There was breathing on the other end. But not a man's heavy breathing. More like the
breathing of someone who was afraid to talk.
"Is this you, Patty?" Drake put the can down on the counter, "I—"
The person hung up. He was going to have talk to her at lunch on Monday and maybe
ask her out if Erica from tonight didn't turn out to be 'a monther'.
"What's your problem?" Josh came downstairs. He needed a glass of juice as his
throat was dry.
"Nothing. Patty from my math class called me, but hung up. I don't know why she's so
shy. I'm Drake."
"I can't believe how big your ego is."
A little humility would do his brother good Josh thought as he grabbed a glass out from
the dish rack.
"That's not the only thing-----ssh!"
"What is it?"
"I hear Megan. I think we should put maple syrup in HER bed." Drake whispered
"Why? We'll only get in trouble. Like we did this morning when we didn't do anything.
We almost got grounded…and I have a date with Mindy tonight. Thank you very much."
"I heard you, you Boobs!" Megan came in carrying a box.
"What's in the box?" Josh asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. It was probably
something that was going to zap his bottom in the middle of the night.
"I don't know. It's for you, Drake."
Megan didn't have time to bother her brothers at the moment. Her mom was going to
buy her a new pair of boots before oboe practice and she wanted to get a pair of
powder blue ones with the fringe on the sides.
"What did you order?"
"Nothing."
There was no return address and the postmark had Des Moines, Iowa printed on it.
"You shouldn't open a box from a stranger. What if a bomb is inside?"
"Calm down, Josh. I'm sure a bomb is not inside the box." Drake grabbed a steak
knife from the kitchen drawer to open up the mystery package.
"Holy snot! Josh! It's a bunch of single EP's from The Beatles and The Stones—as
well as the rare Zero Gravity at Madison Square Garden bootleg CD."
There was an invoice on the package from Morton's Music but no return address or
information on the sender.
"Looks you have a secret admirer." Josh rolled his eyes, even though he was a one-
woman-man and loved Mindy, he was still jealous of these seemingly good things that
always happened to Drake.
"I bet that was Patty. She probably wanted to ask if I checked the mail yet, but was too
shy. I think I'm going to cancel my date with Erica and see if Patty wants to go the
Premiere. You'll leave me two tickets won't you?"
"God forbid you pay, Drake. But, Patty seems like a nice girl so I will."
"You're so cute when you get flustered, Josh. Well, I'm going upstairs to play my music
goodies! Looks like you can do your homework downstairs after all."
Josh growled as he pointed to his head, "HEADACHES!"