Who Wouldn't Want To Be Me

“Come on! Come for a run with me?” Jared begged, and I let out another groan, my head buried under my pillow.

“Ja-red,” I complained, and heard him whine.

“Puh-lease?”

“Dude, I’m tired… I wanna sleep,” I whined, rolling over and facing the bed where Jordan was still somehow fast asleep.

“Please? Please? Please? I really want to be in good shape, I want to make the team this year,” he explained, and I cracked an eye open at him, seeing the full puppy-dog pout in effect, lip stuck out and all.

“Oh Jesus, the things I do for you,” I growled, and saw his face light up as I sat up and yawned. I gave Jordan a shove, and he woke up with a jump.

“Huh? What? Wasgoingon?” he asked, blinking as he tried to figure out what was going on.

“We’re going for a run,” I said, and he flopped back down to the bed.

“Have fun,”

“No, we’re going for a run,” I repeated, and he groaned.

“No… I’m tired,” he complained.

“So am I, but your little brother wants to go, and seeing as you’re actually his brother you have to come too,” I informed him, and he groaned before sitting up.

“Fine. But you’re making me breakfast when we get back,” he decided, and I shrugged.

“We’ll see about that,” I huffed, and Jared laughed before launching himself at me for a hug.

“Thank you Cam,” he pressed his cheek to mine, looking much like a little kid who got something they desperately wanted for Christmas.

“Oh I guess you’re welcome,” I rolled my eyes, and then he went upstairs, leaving Jordan and I by ourselves in the basement.

“Why do I get the feeling I’m going to regret this?” Jordan asked, and I shrugged as I changed into some workout clothes, facing one wall while he did the same facing the other.

“No idea Jordy,” I sighed, before stretching and yawning once more. We went upstairs and each had a glass of water before the three of us went outside and stretched.

“So, the usual?” Jordan asked, and Jared nodded.

“I swear, if it’s farther than four miles of running one of you two is piggy-backing me back here,” I warned them, and they both grinned.

“It’s just four miles – the other mile we walk,” Jordan told me, and I groaned.

“Half a mile walk to warm up and half a mile walk to cool down,” Jared told me, like it made all of the sense in the world.

“Okay, okay, whatever,” I sighed, and made sure I was limbered up before we headed out. We walked to the corner, and then ran to the next grid road, before turning around and running back the way we’d come, and again walking the last bit back to the house. I was sweating bullets and about ready to pass out – my lack of working out the past week and a half was definitely becoming evident. I’d have to convince Jordan to work out with me later today or something.

“Shit, I’m out of shape,” I complained as I flopped down onto the Staal’s front lawn and laid there looking up at the clouds for a moment.

“Most people don’t consider themselves out of shape after running for four miles,” Jordan pointed out, and I raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not most people now am I?” I shot back, and Jared laughed at the look on his brother’s face.

“Whatever,” he rolled his eyes, and sat down hard on the grass beside me to start stretching, and I slowly sat up to start doing the same. Jared just shook his head at us again before starting to stretch out. Soon Linda came out onto the porch, wrapped up in her robe and wearing her slippers to see what we were up to so early.

“We just went for a run mom,” Jared called, and she looked surprised.

“Cam, how on earth did you get these two out of bed so early? If you stay all summer maybe they’ll all be in MVP shape,” she teased, and both boys rolled their eyes.

“Actually the red-head here hauled me out of bed, so I thought it was only fair Jordan should tag along,” I replied, and she laughed.

“Well, I’m starting waffles, so if you three come in and shower up breakfast should be ready in about a half-hour,” she told us, and then headed back inside the house.

“Your mom is the best,” I decided as I rolled onto my stomach and laid there like I was going to go to sleep. The boys followed suit, and I looked to see Jordan watching me, his chin on his crossed arms.

“What?” I asked, and he just shrugged.

“Nothing,” he countered, and I sighed before closing my eyes, the early morning sunshine feeling fantastic on my skin.

“Don’t go to sleep on us,” Jared warned me, and I sighed.

“I can go to sleep if I want; you woke me up this morning remember,” I shot back, and Jordan laughed.

“Wow you two fight like an old married couple,” he teased, making both of us snort.

“Do not – the two of you fight like an old married couple. We fight like siblings,” Jared corrected him, and I nodded.

“As much as I’m offended that you guys think I fight with you all the time I think I agree with the red head,” I announced, and they both laughed again.

“You know it’s true, don’t even try to deny it,” he pushed, and I opened an eye at him.

“Don’t push it Jared – she’ll beat you up,” Jordan told him, and after a moment of silence we were all rolling in laughter.

When we finally managed to get a hold of ourselves we went inside, and found the rest of the Staals who were on the farm last night at the kitchen table.

“Sit down and have some breakfast – you boys can worry about showering afterward otherwise the waffles are going to get cold,” she scolded us and sheepishly we all did as we were told, more than aware of how we probably smelled.

“Nobody came and got me up for a run?” Marc asked, sounding a little left out.

“We figured the new dad might need all the sleep he could get,” I told him with a wink, and he shrugged a moment later.

“I still could’ve came,” he mumbled, and I realized his feelings had been a little hurt by being excluded.

“Well tomorrow morning I’ll wake you up bright and early to go for a run – then we’ll see if you’ll complain about it anymore,” I snorted, bringing laughter to the whole table and an easy smile to Marc’s face.

“Just try me,” he retorted, and Lindsay rolled her eyes, before her attention was back on the baby who was wide awake and watching everybody with his big blue eyes.

“All right – play nice kids,” Linda warned us as she put waffles on mine, Jordan and Jared’s plates. I took no time in putting whipped cream and berries on them, and digging in; Linda’s cooking was famous to anyone who knew any of the Staal brothers.

“Oh my God these are good,” I said, and Linda nodded.

“They ought to be – I made them from scratch, Grandma Staal’s recipe,” she told me, and sat down to eat her breakfast as well. Things were pretty quiet until we were all finished eating – I offered to help do up the dishes, along with Marc, Jared and Jordan decided to go and shower, and Lindsay took Michael and sat down in the living room with Henry.

“Thank you for offering to help Cam – you really didn’t have to,” Linda assured me.

“You’re nice enough to let me stay here and feed me, the least I can do is help with the dishes,” I insisted, and she just smiled at me before going back to washing, while Marc and I went back to a mini war of snapping our dish towels at each other without Linda watching and dodging each other’s attacks.

“You boys do that one more time and I’ll send you with Henry to work,” she warned us after Marc let a particularly loud snap go, and we both chuckled before behaving and finishing the dishes without any more incident.

“Hi Lindsay!” I heard the door shut and the slight hullaballoo as the last Staal family came into the house.

“Hi Aunty! Hi Mike!” I heard Parker excitedly welcome his family, and Levi let out a happy shriek as well. I made my way downstairs quietly, and met Jordan coming out of our room.

“Eric’s here,” I told him, and he paled slightly.

“Well, it looks like a nice day to go and show you around T-Bay with Jared, don’t you think?” He asked, and I managed a small smile.

“You’re amazing Jordy,”