Jerry's Cousin // Jack Brewer X OC

•35•

||A SLIP DOWN MEMORY LANE||

|CAMI

Jack broke 4 bricks impressively. "Oh!" Rudy yelled.

"Yeah!" Jack cheered. They high fived as I watched from the bench and Eddie watched from behind them. Kim was on yet another vacation with my family. I don't really care though. She's more of a sister to me now than a friend. Both our families treat us like their daughters, so it's normal at this point. "Did it again! I am on fire! Fire!" Jack sang.

"More bricks Eddie! Just think, in a couple of hours Jack is going to break the world record for most bricks broken by anyone under 15," Rudy beamed.

"And I'm breakin' a world record too for most bricks wheelbarrowed from one place to another. Right, Rudy?" Eddie asked.

"Yes you are," Rudy confirmed before turning to me and Jack mouthing 'no he's not'. Eddie went off to get some more bricks as I looked through the record book.

"Some of these records in this book are crazy! There was a woman in Michigan who ate a her own car! Come look at this picture," I almost laughed, beckoning Jack towards me.

"Wow. She literally has a trunk in her junk," Jack deadpanned. I tilted my head, nodding.

"Would you let him focus, Cami? The judge from the Burgess Book of World Records is gonna be here in a few hours," Rudy reminded us.

"He's right. This is my last chance to break the record. After I turn 15 next week, I won't be eligible," Jack agreed.

"Ya know, you getting your name and, more importantly, this dojo's name in that record book, is like the biggest thing that's ever happened to us," Rudy said.

"What about when I won the Junior World Championship in China where my name and the dojo's name was headlined all over Hong Kong?" I asked.

"Not everything has to be about you, Cami!" Rudy snapped. "Besides, it's not a part of my two goals as a sensei. My first being saving the president from a ninja attack and, my second, getting my dojo's name in a record book that's read by millions of people on their toilets."

"I'm out," I immediately dropped the book into the trash can, walking into the locker room.

•••

"Oh, Cami, the whole mall's talking about Jack," Joan told me as we helped the setup crew setup the stuff for Jack's record breaking stage. "There hasn't been a buzz like this since the escalator ripped off my security pants."

"Thanks Joan," I sarcastically thanked, grimacing at the memory. "I uh finally got that image outta my head. Now it's back."

"Oh I can still hear those construction workers hootin' and hollerin'," Joan recalled incorrectly.

"Begging you to cover up isn't exactly hootin' and hollerin'," I told her.

"Well, when your my age, Cami, the uh definition of a hoot gets mighty loose," Joan replied making me look at her weird. I saw Jack walk through the courtyard and into the dojo.

"Yeah, I'll see ya later Joan," I waved, following Jack into the dojo. I made him a bracelet that I wanted him to where when he breaks the brick record. He doesn't have to wear the bracelet, but I'd really like it if he did. "Hey uh Jack!" I called to him. "I made you something to wear when you break the record." I took off a black beaded bracelet, handing it to Jack.