Heath opens the fridge for the fifth time that day, munching on more of Brax's groceries and gulping down more of the juice and cola, directly from the bottle; a habit Brax had tried to stop many years before but for Heath it was inbuilt.
"Heath, can you not keep eating everything in my house? Kyle and Casey need food for their snack when they come home from school; you know they get hungry and need their energy after their long day," Brax states and shuts the door of the fridge.
"There's still plenty in the fridge, Big Fella," Heath replies, with a mouthful of grapes, then grabs a packet of Oreos off the bench and begins eating them.
"Heath, will you leave things?" Brax reminds again and snatches the biscuits from Heath's hand and places them back on the counter.
"Why don't you go for a surf or something?" Brax suggests.
"Already done that this morning and then went to the gym to work on my strapping muscles," Heath boasts and flaunts his biceps in the air while Brax rolls his eyes at Heath's ego.
"Well, can you not do something at your place? I need to get these books done for the restaurant by tonight," Brax asks.
"I'm not stopping you," Heath comments and goes to grab the Oreos again.
Brax huffs: there was no stopping Heath when it came to him sponging food. Brax grabs his paperwork and heads towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Heath asks.
"Going to the restaurant to get these finished and Heath don't eat me out of house and home!" Brax sternly comments and walks out.
Heath shrugs and stuffs his mouth with another Oreo before opening the fridge and gulping another wad of juice.
Heath paces around the house for a while pondering on his first attack of revenge for his little weasel brothers.
Heath walks into their bedroom and thinks up his first plan of attack.
Heath got to work remaking Casey's bed and shortening his sheets.
Heath snickers when he realises an even better approach and rushes back to his place grabbing what he needs and returning back to the boy's room.
Heath knew this prank would only work with Casey and not Kyle as the youngest teen had a tendency to just make his bed in haste, just to get Brax off his back, as the eldest expected the boy's beds to be made as their daily chore.
Kyle on the other hand needn't be told as he always made his bed anyway and made it immaculate and the other reason Heath could not attempt to short-sheet Kyle's bed as Kyle would be sure to notice.
Once Heath finishes and adds his special touches, he flaps Casey's quilt back, messily onto the bed how the young teen had it. Next Heath begins on his genius prank for Kyle.
Heath reaches into Kyle's DVD collection and picks out his favourite movie: Aladdin, then rearranges Kyle's DVD collection as if nothing had changed.
Heath pulls his phone from his pocket and twirls the DVD in his fingers as he waits for an answer on the other line from his good mate Jasper; finally, Heath gets a response.
"Hey Jasp; your older brother is one of those techno-computer geek people; isn't he?"
"Yeah, Tommy; he's a wiz!" Jasper answers through the phone that Heath had placed on speaker.
"Do you think he'd be able to help me out with altering a DVD?" Heath asks, feeling hopeful.
"Yeah, that would be a cinch for him and only take him about an hour, depending on what you need."
"Wicked; thanks dude. I'll drop it around in ten minutes."
Heath hangs up the phone and smiles. With DVD in hand, Heath goes and grabs his Ute keys and makes a trip to his mate Jasper's house.
Within two hours, Heath returns and knowing Kyle and Casey were still in school and Brax is nowhere in sight, Heath goes back into the boy's room and replaces Kyle's DVD and smiles at the beginnings of his grand payback scheme; his little brothers would not mess with him again.
That night the boys went off to bed just before ten. Kyle is quick to hop into his bed and grabs his book from the nightstand. Casey pulls back his covers and goes to lie down and stretch out his long legs, just the way he likes but soon realises he is unable to move his legs any further than halfway on his bed.
Casey kicks furiously at the base of his bed and moans in frustration.
"What's the matter?" Kyle asks.
"Something's wrong with my stupid bed!" Casey exclaims; one thing that annoyed Casey was not being comfortable in his bed.
"What sort of something?" Kyle enquires and watches his baby brother trying to thrash around in his sheets.
"I don't know! I just can't move my legs any further than halfway!" Casey says, while giving a hard pout.
Kyle sighs and gets out of his bed.
"Let me have a look," he suggests.
Casey flops down in a sulk and Kyle pulls his quilt back to check Casey's bed.
Casey's legs were tucked in tight.
"It's like your bed has been short-sheeted and my bet it would have been Heath," Kyle explains.
"Why me? He already got me back by giving me a wedgie the other day," Casey moans.
Kyle shrugs.
"Look, it's easily fixed, you just have to untuck it from the bottom; I'll help," Kyle offers, reassuring his little brother.
Casey watches on as Kyle starts to pull at Casey's sheets, but nothing is budging.
"What's going on?" Casey asks.
"This should be easy but it's like it's really stuck or something. I'm pulling but nothing is changing."
"So, what does that mean?" Casey demands; beginning to get highly frustrated again, and he was getting tired.
Kyle stands up defeated.
"I'm sorry Case, I can't fix it. Maybe you can go and get Brax to have a look?" Kyle suggests.
Casey frowns.
"I can't, I mean; I don't want to. Brax was cranky and tired today, remember, after his run in with that abusive customer he was talking about at dinner. I don't want to disturb him."
Kyle nods in understanding.
"I guess you have to just deal with it until the morning and try and get some sleep," Kyle says and follows it up with a yawn.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help Case," Kyle apologises.
"It's okay Ky; you tried," Casey grumbles and snuggles down in his bed and scrunches his knees up to his stomach.
"Goodnight Casey."
All Kyle receives is a grunt as he switches off the light.
Kyle is quick to fall asleep, but his sleep is not peaceful for long as Casey is tossing and turning violently in his bed, trying to get comfortable, but failing.
Kyle could hear Casey kicking around in his sheets and flipping his head around to face his brother, looks at him in the dark.
"Casey, are you still awake?" Kyle whispers and sees the time on the clock and blinks his tired eyes; it was now just after twelve-thirty.
"I just can't sleep!" Casey complains.
Kyle could tell by Casey's tone he was restless and over-tired.
He shifts fully around to face Casey.
"Have you managed any sleep since lights out?"
"No. I've tried but I just can't! I feel like a cramped-up sardine!" Casey moans; a little too loudly.
Kyle sighs.
"Keep your voice down. You don't want to wake Brax and make him mad," Kyle whispers.
"Why don't you go and sleep out on the couch?" Kyle says, trying to make a practical suggestion but at the same time wanted to stop Casey's fidgeting and whining so he could get back to sleep.
Casey huffs and grabs his quilt and sneaks out of the bedroom in the dark. Stepping further into the lounge room Casey hears the familiar sound of snoring and leaning in closer, Casey is able to see from the faint light shining through the curtains, Heath fast asleep on the couch.
Casey's heart sank as he knew the idea of getting a somewhat comfortable sleep on the couch was out the window.
Casey shuffles back to the bedroom and in the dark, clumsily kicks his bare toe on the end of his bed.
"OW!" Casey yells and throws down his quilt.
He flops down on his bed and holds his throbbing toe.
Kyle startles awake and switches on the light, as he sits to attention.
"Casey?" Kyle says in panic.
Once Kyle sees Casey holding his foot through his hazy eyes he groans and flops back down on his bed.
"What happened to sleeping on the couch?" Kyle groans.
"Heath is out there. I don't know why he has to stay over," Casey grumbles.
Kyle murmurs and Casey climbs back into his tight bed and pulls his quilt up.
"Are you alright now?" Kyle asks groggily.
"I have to be," Casey grumbles.
Kyle lazily reaches over and flicks off the light again.
It doesn't take long for Casey to start kicking in his sheets again.
Kyle eventually wakes up to Casey's moaning and groaning again.
"Do you want to swap beds?" Kyle offers; not that he wants to deal with Casey's messed up bed, but he wasn't prepared for a full night of not much sleep and Casey complaining either.
"No. You have a soft mattress and I need to sleep on a hard mattress," Casey grumbles.
The further the night rolled on the more tired Casey became.
Casey sits up in his bed feeling dizzy and just exhausted from kicking his legs and fidgeting most of the night.
He glances over at the clock on his and Kyle's bedside table and sees it's now four AM.
Casey glances over at Kyle sleeping soundly; he just wanted that.
Casey decides to slip out of his bed and pulls back Kyle's quilt and sheet. Kyle stirs.
"Ky, can I sleep on your bed?" Casey whispers.
Kyle groans, far too tired to get up out of his slumber and coziness to swap with Casey now so just shifts over, allowing room for Casey to slip in.
Casey snuggles down but being unable to get comfortable in a different bed and a soft bed at that, Casey wriggles and restlessly kicks his legs around.
Kyle groans uncomfortably at Casey's movement but was too tired to remain awake and eventually Casey too fell asleep.
The following morning at seven-thirty, Heath makes his way into Kyle and Casey's bedroom to wake them up for school. He snickers when he sees the scene in front of him: Casey and Kyle fast asleep in Kyle's bed.
He grabs his phone out and quickly snaps a few shots before giving both his brothers a slight poke. When neither teen stirs, Heath takes it a step further and sucks both his pinky fingers and pokes one each into Kyle and Casey's ear, giving them both a wake-up wet willy.
Kyle and Casey instantly startle awake and rub their saliva infested ears and stare up at Heath.
Casey is the worst looking out of the two boys with heavy dark eyes and swaying drowsily.
"Geez, Casey: you look a mess; what happened?" Heath asks with a smirk.
Casey glares up at Heath.
"Like you didn't know," Casey grumbles and shifts on Kyle's squishy bed.
"You know you two look like such adorable little babies in bed together and I've got just the photo to prove it. Awe how utterly adorable; definitely one for the photo album and for the eighteenth and twenty-firsts," Heath chuckles and shows his brothers the photo, who both just groan in response.
"Anyway, it's time to get up my sleepy little brothers; got to get you ready for school," Heath announces and pokes both his brothers in the ribs several times.
Kyle and Casey wriggle away and grumble in frustration.
"Why isn't Brax here?" Kyle asks, shifting as far enough away from Heath as possible and sitting up on the side of the bed.
He wonders why the eldest wasn't the one waking him and Casey up like usual.
"Big bro's had to go into work early and deal with some supplier coming in for a big delivery so told me to get you both up and out the door to school and that's exactly what I'm doing; so up and at 'em," Heath informs and roughly ruffles Kyle's hair.
Kyle is the first to rise from his bed and Heath gives him another poke in the ribs, causing Kyle to retract; he did not need this in the morning.
"Got one of you up, now how about you little baby Snoopy? Need some incentive?" Heath teases.
Kyle rolls his eyes as he has his back towards Heath, grabbing his school clothes from his dresser, thinking what big words Heath was using.
Heath leans over and wet willies Casey again but this time as Casey attempts to pull away from Heath on one side Heath is quick to wet willy his other ear.
Casey screams out in protest and tries to slap Heath's hands away.
"Heath; get off!" Casey moans loudly.
Kyle glances over feeling sorry for his little brother who already had a rough night and was now dealing with Heath's torture.
"Get up Case! I'm not having Brax have a go at me because you can't get up out of bed," Heath states and grabs Casey by the arm and pulls him up.
"Okay, I'm up," Casey moans.
"You both better be dressed and at the table for breakfast in ten."
Heath walks out of the bedroom snickering, "Cute little babies; who'd have thought they'd share a bed at fifteen and sixteen?"
Casey groans and gets his school clothes out.
"Why does he have to be here and be so bossy and annoying?"
"You heard what he said about Brax, and that's Heath for you," Kyle replies, already half dressed in his uniform.
Casey hops around drowsily trying to change his pants.
"Hey: are you alright?" Kyle asks with concern, now putting on his shirt.
"No. I'm so tired and just wish I could go back to bed. I can't even have a sick day because I can't bear being stuck at home with Heath and I won't be allowed a sick note anyway," Casey grumbles.
"I'm sure you'll be okay. Maybe you'll wake up as the day goes on," Kyle points out, sitting on his bed and putting on his socks.
Casey quickly finishes getting dressed as Kyle goes to use the bathroom and wash his face.
Once finished, the two teenagers go out to the kitchen for breakfast.
Heath already had two bowls of cereal and a glass of milk with the nutritional energy powder 'Choc-a-boost' set out ready for his brothers.
Casey and Kyle take a seat and eye each other skeptically.
"Well, eat up; breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
"What did you do?" Casey asks.
"I wouldn't muck around with breakfast boys; brother's honour," Heath states and crosses his heart.
Kyle and Casey take a bite of their cereal and so far, all tasted fine.
Heath watches and waits for the right moment when Kyle and Casey have their next bite of cereal.
Heath snickers, walking up between them and licking his hands enough to leave them thoroughly moist, he slaps them down and rubs each of his brothers on the cheek.
Kyle and Casey gag in disgust; Kyle coughing and choking on his cereal as it goes down the wrong way and Casey spits his cereal out and spills what he had left in his bowl on the table.
Both vigorously rub the saliva from their faces.
"Heath, I already washed my face!" Kyle protests.
"Sorry Bubs; couldn't resist slapping those cute little baby cheeks of my little brothers," Heath teases and ruffles both his brother's hair.
Casey grunts and storms out from his chair in a huff.
"Why are you having such a grumpy tantrum this morning, Case? Didn't you sleep well?" Heath laughs.
"Shut up!" Casey snaps and goes to grab his school bag.
Kyle also gets up in a huff, but he goes and re-washes his face before grabbing his school bag.
Heath waits for both boys to be ready before grabbing their lunch containers off the bench.
"Brax made you both lunch," he says.
"Kyle: you got the turkey and lettuce sandwich and your favourite granola bars, and Casey: Brax made you a roast beef and tomato sandwich and protein bar. You both have an apple with lunch and an Anzac cookie, and cheese and biscuits, along with a slice of banana bread for recess, in there too."
Heath hands a green coloured container to Kyle and a light blue container to Casey.
"Did you freeze our bars so when we bite them our teeth hurt? Or did you swap out our meat with rubber?" Kyle asks and Casey nods.
"Or did you swap our cheese slices with that horrible Tofu, Bianca gave you one time and you left it in the fridge for days?" Casey adds.
"Kylie, Casey, do you dare question my motives?" Heath says while shaking his head.
"Yes, we do!" Casey grumbles. Heath continues to shake his head and chuckles.
"Brax made your lunches, not me, so have faith boys. Now have a good day at school," Heath says with a smile.
Kyle and Casey shove their lunch containers into their bags and make their way to school.