Triple Trouble

Chapter 1: Jeff

It was a sunny day. But not a sunny day as in "we are going for picnic" kind of day, more like "the sun is descending and about to roast us" kind of day. Jeff was looking outside the window, all of them open just in case a breeze came through. His brother and sister were playing in the front yard with a dog. They didn't have a dog, and he was sure their dad would say no as soon as he saw that dirty pup. He was bored. Which was worse than being hot. He could hear his mom talking on the phone with his aunt. She lived very far away, in another country. Jeff wondered how it was to live apart from your family. He probably wouldn't get used to a quiet home. 

Being a part of triplets was no joke. People always think that having a twin means you're all the same, but they couldn't be more wrong. They looked somewhat similar, but they were all different in personality and taste. Jeff was the oldest and he liked to brag about it. Lena was in the middle. She had the heart of the rebel without a cause... and she was really, really shy. So all that fire usually stayed at home. And lastly, Gary. He was momma's boy, yet he was the most social of them. So you see, all very different. And no matter how much they screamed and fight each other at times, they all loved and protected each other. That's what siblings are for.

As soon as Jeff saw Lena pulling out the hose and she attacked her brother and the dog with water, he got an idea. He texted his friends from school and told them to meet him at the pool. The pool wasn't a very popular place, but it was hot so he knew they all would want to go. He went downstairs and told his mom he would be back for dinner. She was so distracted by her phone call that she didn't really paid attention to him, but he did heard her say "take your siblings with you", which he chose to ignore.

Bicycles were a hobbie of his. He loved riding them and just going faster and faster and not thinking about anything. He knew all the shortcuts between his house and the school. One time, while he was riding, he was descending a bridge and he didn't saw it wasn't a normal fall. His bicycle went crazy and he thought he was flying for a moment. That didn't last... he crashed hard and had to go to emergencies. A broken arm, stitches and a lot of scratches. Needles to say, Gary was very jealous of all the attention he got from mom. Lena said she wished she had a broken arm too, because it looked very cool. All his friends and even some teachers signed his arm. He was thinking about that when he realised he had arrived at the pool.

Jeff was the first one to arrive. He looked at the pool, a huge blue mass of water. It smelled like chlorine. He kinda liked it. Walking to the bathroom, he changed his clothes and did a very bad jump to the pool. A few minutes later his best friend arrived. Rodrigo was a very funny guy. A class clown, according to his teachers. He had a contagious smile and an even more contagious laugh. He waved at Rodrigo to catch his attention. 

"Hey, dude!" he exclaimed. 

"Sup, Jeff. Swimming like a mermaid?" he half smiled. 

Jeff glared at him.

"Haha, very funny." he rolled his eyes. 

"I'll be a comedian someday."

"Whatever. Are you coming or do I have to drop you?"

"Geez, you're in a mood. I'll go but first I have to tell you something."

"Ok, spill it."