Can you believe it? He shoved me in! Good old sweet Howie Dorough, shoved me into the ocean and off the boat we’d been riding on! Okay, so what if I told him his hair looked like a rat’s nest when wet – it’s true! Well, least I think it is. And so what if I touched his hair? It’s just hair! That man is lucky I know how to swim, or I could’ve drowned, what with being tossed off a moving boat without a lifejacket on! Okay, not wearing a lifejacket isn’t very smart, but the others aren’t either! Of course, they probably knew none of them would be tossed off – well, least not by someone else on that boat! Yeesh! So what if I’m a pest? It’s my job as the little brother to do so!

Uh-oh….they’re coming back and Howie’s getting ready to jump in after me! I’d be swim and swim fast! *pauses* What the…..Haha! Howie just tripped and fell in, when trying to climb out and into the water! Oh my God! You should’ve seen him! He looked like Lil' Tyk does when Brian says the word bath! Hahaha! Oye, I can’t move I’m laughing way too hard!

Oh! Brian just took filmed it all on Kevin’s video camera! Howie’s so gonna kill him for it! Hey….maybe that means he’ll forget about me?

Gah! Take that as a no people! Here comes an angry Howie! I best make like a fish and swim! If only I wasn’t laughing so hard….

Howie’s view:

Yes folks, I did indeed shove young Nickolas off the boat while it was moving. The kid had the nerve to touch and insult my hair! And because of that he so deserves what he got and what’s coming to him – a brotherly beating. No I wouldn’t seriously harm him, he is my Nicky after all.

Anyways, back to my predicament. I did not fall off that boat by accident! Yes, I slipped as I was climbing out – but what nobody really saw was the fact that Alex had also tripped me at that exact moment! I swear, once I’m through beating Nicky, I’m so going after that so-called best friend of mine! Yes, he’s my best friend – a best friend who had better hide if he knows what’s good for him!

I hear Nicky laughing, and I just know he saw me fall out of the boat. Well, I guess he assumes that we are even now – but we all know what assuming does, now don’t we? Young Nickolas had better run – er – swim, if he cares to escape the brotherly beating that’s coming his way. Though, I doubt he can move at all, what with how hard he’s currently laughing. Heck, I’m amazed the kid can even stay afloat right now, considering he’s laughing that hard. Then again, he may as well be fish-boy, since he loves the ocean and swimming so much. I bet the kid knew how to swim before he could even crawl! I wonder is that’s true, since the kid can out swim any one of us any day of the week.

I feel myself chuckle quietly, as I swim closer to the young hysterical blond who’s not even trying to escape. I know he sees me; we have made eye contact a few times, ever so briefly. I bet the boy’s probably trying to give me a head start, figuring he can still out swim me while laughing. Well, think again Nickolas! Howard Dwaine Dorough is not one whose hair you mess with! To think you’ll actually live to tell about it is just plain crazy! Besides, I know the other three guys are on my side – Nicky has been pestering us since we climbed aboard – making some of us wish we’d jumped back off while we’d still had the chance.

Get him!” I shout, as I spot the others jumping off the boat to join us.

Nick’s View

I hear myself squeal, as I notice the others coming in to help Howie. As if Brian’s on his side! He’s my best friend!

Oh crap! Here they come and at top speed! Yes, I can usually out swim them – but not when I’m laughing like this and not when they’re all ganged up against me! I turn quickly to try and get away, but somehow without my knowledge A.J. has managed to sneak up behind me. I yelp, darting backwards quickly.

Suddenly, I’m under. I don’t know who did it or how, but I am. I hold my breath for long as I can, but the longer I’m held down the more I run out of air. What’re they trying to do? Kill me!?!?!

Howie’s view:

I can feel Nicky squirming under our grasp and know we’d best let him up soon, if we didn’t want to seriously harm the kid. We’d all sort of pounced on him at once actually – which was rather quite funny when you come to think about it. Ha! Poor kid never even saw what hit him!

After a few more minutes, I tell the others to release him, which we do. I watch, smirking, as Nicky comes up gasping for air.

“Are you trying to kill me?!?!” He exclaims midst gasping for the breath he had lost when dunked under.

No,” I reply smugly. “Just teaching you to not mess with my hair.”

“You’re twisted man, just twisted,” Nicky states, coughing some.

“And you love me anyway,” I answer.

“Thanks for playin’ along dude,” Nicky grins. “I knew you would.”

I shake my head at him. “Just don’t mess with my hair or I will drown you!”

“No you wouldn’t,” Nicky replies sweetly. “You love me too much.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Frack,” Brian laughed, splashing him. “It was his idea to try and drown yah.”

I watch Nicky turn and seek revenge on his best friend, knowing I am safe for now from his pranks.