Chapter Nine
I counted loudly to fifty, knowing full well how this was going to turn out. As I pointed ut earlier, Brandon was a horrible hider. Damien and I had both found him first while we were "it". Damien was about to get revenge on his brother.
As I reached fifty and started out to find the boys, I wondered what had made Brandon the way he is, and why Damien wanted to make a bet in which the loser had to do whatever Brandon said. I hoped I would find out soon.
I stopped my thinking and looked around, because I thought I saw someone crouching in the bushes to my right. It wasn't full dark yet, but it was dim enough to where I couldn't see this person clearly enough. But it was clear that, whoever they were, they were facing away from me.
I crept through the bushes, careful not to make a sound so I could catch them by surprise. I stretched out my hand, tapped their back, and said, "Caught you."
The person turned around. It wasn't Brandon as I expected, but Damien.
"Dude, I can't believe you found me first," Damien whispered.
"Well, keep quiet. I'll pretend I never found you," I said, turning to leave.
"Too late!" Brandon said, as he climbed down a tree somewhere to my left. He walked up to us and said, "Looks like you lost the bet, big brother. Come on, let's get back to the tent so I can collect my reward."
"Fine," Damien said, as we followed Brandon back to our tent. Once there, Damien took all of his clothes out of his backpack and handed them to Brandon.
"The ones you're wearing too," Brandon said.
"What?" Damien asked, who apparently didn't hear him clearly.
"
All your clothes, remember. That includes what you're wearing." Brandon replied.
"I don't want to be naked in front of my friend," Damien said.
"Fine, you can wear a pair of my underwear," Brandon said. He reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a pair of red briefs. He threw them to Damien, then looked at him with an evil smile as Damien removed his clothes while under his sleeping bag and put on the red briefs. Even though he was covered, I looked away.
"Okay, I'm going to hide these now," Damien sid, as he walked out with the bundle of Damien's clothing in his hands. Once he was gone, I turned to Damien and asked, "Why?"
"Why what?" Damien said.
"Why would you make a bet in which the loser has to do whatever he says?"
"The bet we have to make is a result of another bet I lost to Brandon."
"Do you
ever win against him?" I asked.
"Usually. But there are times that he wins."
"I see that," I said. Then, when I was sure that Brandon wasn't back yet, I leaned in closer to Damien and said, "I have a plan..."
Five minutes later, Brandon came back into the tent. By then, Damien and I had come up with a plan to get even, no matter what.
"Hey Brandon," I said, as Brandon got comfortable.
"Yeah," he answered.
"I got a deal for you," I said.
"What?" he asked.
"You and I are going to play blackjack. Best out of three games win. If I win, you have to give Damien's clothes back and you have to do anything we say for the rest of the night."
"And if I win?" Brandon said, clearly interested in my little offer.
"I give you all my clothes, and Damien and I have to do anything you say for the rest of the night," I said.
Brandon thought about it for about half a minute, then he said, "You're on."