Brothers for Life
by Redkage
Chapter 1: The Two Brothers
When he was four, Ben was orphaned. He and his parents were in the car on their way to the beach when a drunk driver crashed into them. His father was killed instantly, and his mother died two days after. Since he had no living relatives, he was moved into an orphanage. At first Ben was quiet and kept to himself, but eventually he started to open up to the other children. As time passed by, he spent most of his time with children his age or younger.
Finally, when Ben was 5 years old, the Kennings came into his life. Mr. and Mrs. Kenning wanted to have children, but all their attempts failed. They decided that if they were unable to concieve a child of their own, they would adopt instead. They were tempted to adopt the younger children first, but when they saw Ben, a silent bell rung in their minds, telling them that this was their son.
So Ben became a Kenning. They were the perfect family; happy, healthy and loved each other to death. But when Benny was 6, something unexpected happen: Mrs. Kenning was pregnant. Everyone was surprised by the pregnancy, even Benny. He was having mixed feelings about the baby, but he was mostly happy and excited about having a little brother to look after.
8 and a half months later, Johnny was born. It was a difficult birth, but when Johnny entered the world, he was so small and weak. He was instantly placed on life support since he had such weak lungs. As Benny looked through the plastic box around Johnny, he felt a sharp pain in his heart and it took everything he had to hold back his tears. Silently, he prayed that Johnny would live, and that he would always take care of him.
Johnny did indeed live, yet he was very frail and sickly. He lived in the hospital for the first 3 years of his life before he was allowed to finally be taken home. During those 4 years, Ben visited Johnny every single day without fail, telling him about his day, read stories, and play games with him. When Johnny finally came home, Ben was so happy he actually ran outside and yelled to the world that his little brother was home.
Although Johnny was allowed to live at home, he was still very sickly and frail. He was much smaller then other children his age, and much weaker as well. Still Ben and Johnny didn't let this stop them from loving each other. They would play inside and out, practically inseperable. They occassionally wrestled, hoping they would get as big as the wrestlers on tv. Johnny always tried his best, though Ben always won, pinning him to the floor and pretending he was squashing a bug.
One day, however, during a wrestling match, Johnny found himself unable to breath properly. He was rushed to the hospital immedietly. Ben was overcome with guilt, and never left Johnnys side.
It was then that the doctor produced a possible answer. They had just recieved an experimental drug that would help Johnny develop his body better and turn back into a normal boy. It had been tested extensively before, and was relatively safe, so the Kennings agreed to the treatment.
One month after they had started Johnny's new treatment, Ben noticed that Johnny was getting taller. After using a ruler, he discovered that Johnny had grown an inch and a half in one month. Johnny was so happy that he was growing that he pulled back his shirt sleeve and flexed his arm. Normally, when Johnny flexed, there would not be even a faint hint of muscle, but when Ben looked closely, he saw just the smalled rise on the arm.
"Wow Johnny, you're growing muscles!" Immedietely, they went into a wrestling match, but Ben still won as easily as before.
"You watch out, Ben, I'm gonna become so strong, you won't ever pin me down again!" Johnny laughed, hugging Ben.
"Maybe in a hundred years!" Ben laughed and gave Johnny a noogie. Little did he know that it was actually a lot sooner then that.
Chapter 2: Johnny's Growth Spurts
The months went by and Johnny grew. After Johnny had reached the average weight and height of a normal kid his age, they stopped the treatment. Yet That didn't stop Johnny from growing. In one month he grew an inch, and the next month he grew two. Not only that, Johnny was started to develop some muscle mass as well. At first it wasn't noticeable, but as he grew bigger and bigger, everyone began to take notice. At the age of 5 and a half, Johnny was about 4'1" and 103 lbs of ripped muscle.
The Kennings were worried about Johnny's development, so they took him to a doctor for a checkup. The doctor was surprised to see Johnny looking so buff, but after the test came back the doctor reassured that Johnny was perfectly healthy, and that his development was just from the leftover chemicals in his system still circulating from the treatment, and that it should be temporary.
During Johnny's growth spurt, Ben and Johnny continued to have their wrestling matches. Ben started to find it harder and harder to pin Johnny down every week, yet he was still determined. On his 11th birthday, Ben asked the Kennings fopr a weight set. He would spend most of his free time building his muscles. As Johnny watched Ben work out, he asked if he could pump iron also.
"You're way too young Johnny." Ben said, grunting as he pushed the bar to the rack.
"But I'm bigger then everyone as old as I am." Johnny whined.
"No." Ben said, sitting up and wiping the sweat off of his brow. "I don't want you getting hurt. Maybe when you're my age."
Johnny pouted, but didn't say anything. Ben just smiled and gave Johnny another noogie, which quickly became a wrestling match.
Ben found himsself, to his surprise, needing to give everything he had the wrestle with Johnny. Johhny was much stronger and heavier then the frail boy he once knew, Ben a run for his current 'No loss' title. After ten minutes, Johnny finally was pinned to the ground.
"I'm catching up to you." Johnny smiled. "Soon I'll be the one pinning you."
"Not if I can help it." Ben grinned and ruffled Johnny's hair.
After that, Ben and Johnny didn't wrestle each other for a very long time. Each of them started to do their own things. Ben was busy working out and getting ready for high school. Johnny was busy growing. At the age of 6, he weighed 112 lbs at 4'4. When he was 6 1/2, he was 124 lbs and 4'9.
The next half year was most noticeable, however, as Johnny grew faster then he had ever before. Every week Johnny grew an inch and a half and added 10 lbs of pure muscle mass. There was not a trace of fat on that boy's body anywhere! His shoulders grew broad and his neck thickened. His biceps and triceps swelled with power. His chest pushed out and full so much, that his teacher once mistook him for a girl before he realized that it ws actually muscle instead of breasts. His muscles weren't the only thing developing, however. Ben became aware of this when he saw Johnny hand his mom a pair of ripped up underwear, saying that he had outgrew them. After looking at them more closely, he saw that they were actually the same size of his father! Johnny wasn't just getting buffer, but he was becoming more hung as well! At age 7, Johnny hit the 6 ft mark, weighing at 220 lbs of pure, solid muscle.
And as he grew bigger, Johnny's personality changed as well. He began to show off and flaunt his muscles every chance he got. He took extreme pleasure in flexing for everyone, and he even rips out of his clothes from time to time. Not only did Johnny become more confident, but he became meaner as well. He began to forget the words 'please' and 'thank you,' giving demands and orders instead. His parents never corrected him, however, mainly because of a small growing fear of him. Whenever they tried to scold him, he would stand up straight, walk up to them, and let his massive chest bump into their faces, making them lose their voice. Johnny was becoming more and more like a high school bully everyday. He taunted his father's flabby gut, he made snide remarks about his mothers weight, and he especially enjoyed comparing his muscles to Ben's much smaller ones, despite him being 6'1" and 160 lbs. of muscle.
Finally, when Ben was a sophmore, Johnny walked into his room, demanding a match. As Ben looked up from his homework, he had his first real look at Johnny in years.
The boy was HUGE! He was as big as a pro bodybuilder! Johnny towered at 6'3", and his 235 lbs. of muscle radiated with power, and even a large bulge in the front of his very tight shorts. It was hard to believe that this massive hulk was actually his 8 year old brother!
"Wrestle with me." He demanded, his voice making it sound more like a command then a request.
"We haven't wrestled in years." Ben said, turning back to his homework.
"Then we're long overdue for one." Johnny said, crossing his arms over his massive chest.
"Maybe later." Ben replied, not bothering to turn around. "I have work I need to finish."
Without warning, Johnny grabbed Ben from behind and pulled him from his desk and off of his chair. Before Ben could react, Johnny threw him onto the ground and twisted his arm behind his back.
"Come on, fight me!" Johnny said mockingly, ignoring Bens cry of pain. "Give me a challenge!"
"You're hurting me!" Ben yelled, trying to break free, but found himself helpless under his brothers mighty grip.
"What, now that you're the one pinned down, you're gonna wuss out on me?" Johnny twisted Bens arm further, causing him to cry out louder. Mr and Mrs. Kenning barged into the room at this time, panick strickened when they heard Ben's cry for help.
"Johnny!" Mr. Kenning yelled. "Let him go right now!"
"What are you going to do if I don't?" Johnny snapped his head up at Mr. Kenning. "Spank me?" The look on Johnny's face made Mr. and Mrs. Kenning step back involunterly.
"N-now Johnny, please let your brother go." Mrs. Kenning said catiously. "You're both too old to be doing this."
"Then how come you let the two of us wrestle when HE was my age?" Johnny growled. "It never bothered you before, so why should it now?"
"Because you're stronger then your brother!" Mr. Kenning said, though not as strongly as before. "He can get hurt."
"It's the same thing when we were young! Only we switched who's the top." Johnny said, giving Ben some slack. taking this opportunity, Ben scampered from under Johnny.
"J-Johnny..." Ben said shakingly. "Wh-what's going-"
"From now on, I'M the man of the house!" Johnny roared confidently. "If you don't like what I say, tell it to these!" Johnny flexed his arm, making the softball bicep swell up, leaving everyone stunned. Smiling, he walked over to Ben's weight set. He stacked everything up and together, then with one heave, lifted the entire set into his arms!
"I'll be taking these." Johnny barked. "And I'm some more weights though. Gotta give this growing boy something to sweat with!"
Laughing, Johnny carried his new weights into his room, leaving his mom, dad and older brother in shock.
"J-Johnny..." Ben whispered. "What's happening to you?"
Chapter 3: Man of the House
The next year was very dark for the Kenning Family. In order to keep Johnny happy, they had to buy several new machines and heavier weights, using money they saved intended for Ben's first car. As a result, the car Ben recieved when he got his license was an old, beat up used car. Now that Johnny had access to some weights, Johnny began to really put on some muscle. Every day the whole house was filled with the sound of metal clanging and Johnny's grunts, moans and yells as he pumped himself up bigger. Ben witnessed Johnny's growth every day as he quickly inched up higher and higher, his muscles bulging bigger then he could ever dream of. And Johnny was only 9 years old! The Kennings were very worried of what it would be like during puberty.
Johnny was growing so big and so fast that he needed new clothes at least every two weeks. The first few times the Kennings took Johnny to buy clothes at a regular store, Johnny would select several shirts that whould fit, but also selected one that was about a size or two small. He would exhale all the air in his lungs and pull the shirt on, the fabric hugging every bulge and crevice on his physique. He would then walk out into the store, then hit pose after pose. A front double biceps pose made his arms explode out of the sleeves. A lat spread caused the seams on the sides to pop open, and a most muscular pose rips the shirt straight down the middle, exposing his massive chest and perfectly small waist. To makes matters worse, the Kennings had to pay for the shirt that Johnny ruined, which were usually some of the more expensive ones. Pretty soon he was upgraded to Big and Tall. There, he still had some difficulty with clothing. Finding the right outfits was a challenge since most shirts was tight on the chest and extremely roomy around his abs. The same went for pants, where he ripped several due to his rippled thighs, yet desired a pair that fitted perfectly around his waist. After a few more visits, they had to resort to making custom fitting clothing. In fact, the tailors who measured Johnny had to buy longer measuring tapes since Johnny quickly outgrew even their standards. All the while Ben wasn't able to get any new clothes for himself. Instead, he got the few massively oversized shirts and pants that Johnny hadn't decided to hulk out in.
Shirts and pants weren't the only things being replaced quickly. Once, when Ben opened the trash can lid to throw something away, he found several large wads of something big and smelly. It took him three seconds to realize it was one of Johnny's old jockstraps. By the size of it, Johnny was getting massively hung as well! After looking at the discarded underwear, Ben instinctively reached down at his own manhood. He was well hung for a guy his age, but compared to his brother he was still a little child. Ben sighed and replaced the trash can lid and went back inside, feeling more inferior.
Every night Johnny would barge into Ben's room, pick him up, and place him into various wrestling holds. Each time Ben protested, Johnny would punch or squeeze him until he gave in. Johnny would then pick Ben up and use him as he would with a barbell. Once, Johnny actually used Ben as a footstool for two hours straight before he allowed him to leave.
One night, Johnny decided to become a little more violent in his wrestling. He pounded on Ben, placed him in various head locks, holds and painful positions. Eventually, he threw Ben on the ground and actually stepped on him!
"Now who's the bug now, huh bro?" He laughed. Ben tried to squirm out from under Johnny's smelly feet, but Johnny moved his foot right onto Ben's face, choking him with his stench. Ben nearly passed out when Johnny lifted his foot and left laughing.
Ben couldn't bear to face Johnny in the face. Deep down inside, he still loved Johnn, but it was getting harder and harder to remeber the old Johnny every day. Slowly, the happy little boy Ben loved so much was disappearing, being replaced by an arrogant, cocky muscleman.
During Johnny's Junior year at high school, he once came home to find several of his stuff lying out in the hallway. Immedietely, he entered his room. Inside, Johnny was doing bicep curls while shirtless, giving him the full view of his brother.
Johnny was larger then anything Ben had ever seen. At a collosal 7'2, he weighed at about 324 pounds of rock hard solid muscle mass. His arms bulged and pulsed with beautiful veins as the pumped the weight up and down. Sweat dripped down from his handsome, masculine face onto his bulging melon sized pecs, traveling through the crevices of his rippling 10 pack and soaking into the bulging front of his jockstrap.
"What are you doing?" Ben demanded.
"Working out." Johnny grunted, making another rep.
"I mean what are you doing in my room!?" Ben said more forcibly.
"My room was getting a little small, so I decided to take over this one." Johnny said, setting the weight down. "You don't have any objections, do you?"
"Of course I do!" Ben said, slamming his books onto the ground. "This is my room!"
"Not anymore bro." Johnny said, standing up to his full 7'2". "This is MY room now, got it? If you don't like it, grow some muscles on that puny body of yours!" His hand darted out and squeezed Ben's right bicep hard, digging his fingers into the much smaller muscle.
Ben grunted and cried out, but Johnny kept on digging his fingers in until Ben was on his knees. Johnny let go of his grip and laughed. He grabbed a cardboard box filled with some of Ben's stuff and threw it out the door, the Ben after it. Giving one last laugh, he slammed the door again, and the sounds of clanging metal began from inside.
Ben laid there on his hands and knees, trying to take everything in. He was just thrown out of his own room by his little brother! Ben felt so frustrated and confused. Still hurting, he began picking up his stuff from the hallway floor. While he was picking up his stuff, he heard something like glass underneath one of the boxes. He picked up the box and the book it was on up from the ground... then dropped them.
There, on the ground, was a picture of Ben's birth parents. The frame was broken, the glass shattered and the picture torn.
"No... NO!" Ben cried, picking the picture up. He pulled all the glass away, then took the picture out of the frame. The picture had indeed ripped in two. It had been the only picture he had of his parents, and now it was ruined.
Ben was angry. Furious in fact. Without even thinking, he ran down the stairs, jumped into his car and sped out of the driveway, speeding down the street.
"I'll never forgive him..." He muttered as tears straked down his face. "I'll never forgive him... I'll never forgive him..."
As the light in front of him turned red, he slammed his foot on the gas. He never saw the truck. He didn't see it until it was far too late.
Chapter 4: Reflections
Johnny and his parents sat in the waiting room of the hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Kenning was holding each other's hands, their faces casted down in worry and grief. Johnny sat by himself in the corner, refusing to even look at them. In his hand was the torn up picture of Ben's birth parents.
Finally, the door opened, and the doctor entered. Immedietly, all three jumped up and hurried over to him.
"Is Ben... how is... is he-" Mrs. Kenning tried to speak out, but found herself lost for words.
"He's going to live." The doctor reassured them. Mr. and Mrs. Kenning breathed a sigh of relief. "However, he's been badly hurt." The doctor raised his clipboard and flipped through the pages. "A broken arm, internal bleeding, head trauma... considering he didn't have his seat belt on, I'm surprised he was even alive."
Mr. and Mrs. Kenning exchanged a worried ook, but said nothing.
"But what most puzzles me is the various bruises all over his body." The doctor continued. "The damages he had sustained in the past severely weakened him physically, despite being atlethically fit. Now, I know some boys can be troublesome, but to discipline him like this-"
"We don't discipline him." Mr. Kenning said quickly.
"He's a kind, sweet hearted boy." Mrs. Kenning added. "He's never given us any discipline problems."
"Then perhaps he was being bullied?" The doctor asked. "Though, a boy of his size and age shouldn't be..." He trailed off as his eyes landed on Johnny, who still refused to look at anyone in the eye. The puzzle piece clicked into place in the doctors mind as he finally had the full picture.
"I see." He said. "I guess I should've know this would happen. I can't help but feel somewhat responsable for this."
"Responsible?" The Kennings looked at the doctor, confused.
"I should have realized that Johnny's abnormal growth would cause some sort of sibling tension." The doctor sighed. "If a teenager was handed a body like his, he would let it go to his head. God can only imagine what a 9 ear old would do. Though, honestly, all of the other people who went through the same treatment never experience as much growth as Johnny did." Johnny looked away at this, still keeping silent.
"Doctor, when can we see our son?" Mrs. Kenning interupted.
"You can see him now if you wish, but..." The doctor trailed off.
"What's wrong?" Mr. Kenning asked.
"... Your son is in a coma. I'm not sure when he'll wake up, if he ever does."
* * *
The moment Johnny came home, he stomped up the stairs, entered Ben's old room, and slammed the door shut. He stood there, leaning against the wall, trying to take in all that has happened. After a moment of silence, he kicked one of his dumbells so hard that it flew across the room and breaking apart one of Ben's wooden drawers and knocking it's contents out.
Regretting destroying one of Ben's things, he walked over and picked up the the pieces. As he collected the pieces, however, his eye fell upon a small case, about the same size as a first aid kit. Curious, he placed the the things in his arms down and picked the case up. He walked over to Ben's bed and sat down, ignoring the creaking protest as it bent from his sheer weight.
There was a small lock on the case, but Johnny broke it using his strong fingers. Slowly, he opened the case to find two pill bottles, a tube of ointment and a thick journal. First, he picked up the tube of half used ointment. It was labled for use on bruises. Ben must've used it to treat the bruises Johnny gave him. As he placed it back into the case, Johnny took the two bottles and looked at their labels. They were painkillers and anti-depressents. Johnny never would've guessed that Ben had been taking anti-depressents.
"What have I done?" Johnny said shakingly, looking at the pills and ointment. "What... what have I done to him?" As if to answer his question, his eyes came to rest on the journal. He picked them up and began flipping through the pages.
Dear Journal,
Last night Johnny had trouble breathing. It was during our wrestling match that he had trouble. I never meant for him to get hurt, honest! It's all my fault that he's in the hospital. I asked the doctor if there was anything to make him stronger, strong enough to not get sick anymore. The doctor told me there was, but it might change Johnny. I told him I didn't care. He was my brother. No matter what, I won't leave him.
Johnny felt his eyes moisten up as he read this. So Ben was the one responsible for him becoming like he was today. Shakingly, he flipped through the pages again until another entry caught his eye.
Dear Journal,
Today, I noticed that Johnny was starting to grow bigger then me! He was just a little bit taller then I was, but his muscles by far outsized mine. He likes it so much, that I think it has gone to his head. Actually, lately he has been acting a little like a jerk, but I know that he's still the sweet little brother inside, and I love him all the same, no matter how big he gets.
Johnny felt a sharp stab in his heart. Despite all he did, he still loved him? Johnny was tempted to stop right then and there, but something told him to read one more page. He flipped through until he came to the last entry and began reading.
Dear Journal,
Today I got my first car. It's not the best car, it doesn't even have airbags, but it was all we could afford, with all our other expenses gone to feed and clothe Johnny. Johnny has changed so much, and not just in size. It's getting more and more difficult to remember my happy little brother. The Johnny today... he isn't anything like the brother I loved. Sometimes, I wish I knew where my Johnny had went...
Johnny stopped reading as a tear drop hit the page. He threw the book off to one side and buried his face in his hands. "Oh God, what have I become?" He sobbed. "It's all my fault! Oh Ben... I'm so sorry..."
It was late at night when Mrs. Kenning knocked on the door and entered. Johnny was still sitting on the bed, weeping. "Honey...? Are you alright?"
"It's my fault... it's all my fault..." Johnny said between sobs.
"Honey, no it isn't..." She said, walking over and sitting down next to him. "It's not your fault." She gently tried to place her arm over his shoulder, but he was so tall and his shoulders were so wide that it was impossible.
"Yes it is!" Johnny yelled, jumping up from the bed and turned around to face her. "It's my fault he became messed up! It's my fault he has to take anti-depressents and painkillers! It's my fault he ran out and got into that car crash! And If I weren't such a damn pig he'd at least have airbags or something, anything that would've stopped him from getting hurt!"
"But Johnny-"
"You don't understand, Mom!" Johnny reached into his pocket and yanked out the torn photo. "When I threw out Ben's stuff nto the hall, I accidentally tore up his photo of his parents! That's why he ran out and got into that accident! The whole thing is my fault! EVERYTHING is my fault!"
Mrs. Kenning didn't say anything. She simply stood up, walked to Johnny, and hugged him.
Johnny broke down and hugged back, crying harder then ever. "Oh Mom... I'm so sorry for everything I've done."
"There there, just let it all out." She said, patting him on the back. "When Ben wakes up, he'll be happy to have his brother back."
"I... I can't see him again." Johnny said, pushing himself away from her gently. "Not after what I've done..."
"You're a child." Mrs. Kenning pointed out. "Children makes mistakes. He'll understand and forgive you."
"Will he?" Johnny asked, his face lighting up slightly.
"I'm sure he will." She smiled, and they hugged once again.
Chapter 5: Bad Influences
Although Johnny had a breakthrough, he was still a wreck, even after his talk with his mother. He lost his appetite, he barely spoke and he became very reclusive. Johnny lived in a zombie like state. He'd wake up early in the morning, throw on whatever outfit that was closest, eat breakfast slowly and without tasting it, go to school, stare at the blackboard all day, go home and went straight to bed without eating dinner. It took him a week before he finally snapped out of it and decided to do something.
"I'm going out Mom." Johnny said as he walked out the door one day. He began walking down the street like normal, ignoring the amazed glances from various people. He was, after all one of the biggest and most handsome guy around. At an impressive 7'4 and 360 lbs of pure muscled flesh. His biceps were at least 30 inches around. His chest was pushing the 70's the last time he had bothered measuring, and his waist still stayed a ripped 28" around. In the back of his mind, he wished he was a little trimmer, but his ab muscles had started to actually grow in size within the last few months.
After a few minutes of ordianry walking, Johnny began to feel impatient, so he started to jog. This caused jaws to drop at the sight of him, since while he jogged, his becs bounced up and down in a hypnotic rhythm. Johnny felt even more anxious by all the staring, so he picked it up into a run, going faster and faster, his legs were soon becoming a blur. He was about to his 25 MPH before he skid to a complete stop, his shoes actually smoking slightly.
Johnny now stood in front of a rather nice looking two story house. It was part of a rich neighborhood, where everyone had excellent jobs that paid well. Without hesitation, Johnny walked up the the door and knocked. A few moment later, a very beautiful woman opened the door, the kind that you'd see in the swimsuit edition of a magazine. She had soft pale skin, dazzling blonde curls and a large set of breasts that would've made any man blush.
"Oh hello Johnny!" She said cheerfully. He voice was nearly drowned out, however, by loud music that was being played somewhere above them. "Come in, come in! Kevin's in his room right now."
"Thank you Mrs. Smith." Johnny squeezed through the door and went up the stairs and to Kevin's room without knocking. Kevin's room looked like it came out of a teenagers dreams. It was furnished with reclining chairs, a pinball machine, a home entertainment center complete with surround sound. And this was just the beginning of what was in this one room!
"Hey man, haven't seen you for awhile." Kevin said from his bed. He was dressed in nothing but his boxers, and was looking at playboy magazine. Kevin was a large guy of about 16 or 17. He was tall and had a large build for a high schooler. He had shining blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and a rich tan. All in all, he was a very handsome guy.
"Kevin, we need to talk." Johnny said as he sat down on an armchair, which groaned under his bulk.
"Sure, but let's get something to drink first." Kevin threw his magazine to the side and grabbed the remote, turning off the stereo. "HEY MAGGOT!"
There was the sound of someone running through the hall, and a few seconds later, a small, geeky boy of about 7 years old opened the door. "Yes Kevin?" He squeeked, pushing his glasses back into place.
"Make us some protein shakes for me and Johnny!" Kevin barked. The boy quickly clsoed the door, and Johnny could hear him run down the stairs towards the kitchen.
"You shouldn't treat your brother that way." Johnny said, still looking at the door. His shirt fabric groaned as his muscles tensed up when he spoke, taking it to towards the limit.
"Why?" Kevin said, picking up his magazine again. "He does everything I want to. It's not my fault he's so small and weak and can't take care of himself."
"It's not right." Johnny said firmly. His hands squeezed his own knees as he tried his best to control himself. There was a faint ripping sound as one of the seams on his shirt suddenly gave in.
Kevin looked up from his magazine, then set it down again. "What's wrong Johnny?"
"It's... my brother." Johnny said quietly.
"What, that wimp?" Kevin threw his legs over the side of the bed and sat on the edge in order to look at Johnny directly. "Is he starting to tell you what to do again?"
"No, it's not that." Johnny said, trying to avoid talking about the accident. "It's just..."
"You're going soft." Kevin snorted. "Haven't I taught you anything? The stronger man gets to tell everyone else what to do. He gets everything he wants, no questions asked. I thought you already showed everyone who the man was already."
"I did." He replied quickly. "It's just-"
"Oh come on!" Kevin threw his hands up in the air. "Don't tell me you're seriously thinking about giving it up! I mean look at me, I have everything I want!" He waved at the various objects in his room. His high speed computer, his video games, his music collection and various other things. "Being the man of the house is everything a guy can ask for!"
"What about family?" Johnny snapped. His knuckles cracked as his grip on his kness tightened. There was another rip in his shirt, this time in his right sleeve, which was slowly inching away to reveal his pumped up arms. "What about... what about the love between you family?"
Kevin bursted out laughing. "Love? You gotta be kidding me! Who needs love? Tell me, doesn't it feel great to have everyone look up at you?"
"Well yeah, but-"
"And isn't it great that they let you do anything you want?"
"Yes, but-"
"Doesn't it make you feel good and powerful to have everyone afraid of you?"
"Ye- NO!" Johnny jumped up. "No, it doesn't feel good! Thanks to me, my brother is in the hosptal!"
Kevin blinked, then smiled. "What, he couldn't handle a real man?"
The did it. Johnny's arms lashed out and grabbed Kevin and lifted him up from the ground, then slammed him into the wall, breaking the plaster. Johnny's muscles became extremly pumped and tensed as he stared down at Kevin, his feet dangling 3 feet from the ground. "Listen you, my brother is in a COMA for God's sake! I ripped his heart out and he got into a car accident when he ran out of the house! It's all YOUR DAMN FAULT!"
"My fault?" Kevin said in disbelief, sweat beginning to form on his face. "Who took you in when all the other kids started calling you a freak? Who taught you how to lift weights when your brother refused to let you use his? Who taught you how to be a man? ME!"
Johnny reared his arm back, then punched a basketball sized hole in the wall a cm close to Kevin's right ear. Kevin's eyes went wide, and a dark trail appeared on his boxers as he actually wet himself. He looked at Johnny's heaving watermelon chest, the bulging biceps and triceps, the sheer width of the boy's shoulders. Before his eyes, he witnessed the shirt slowly explode off of Johnny's body. First the sleeves exploded apart across the high peaks, revealing vein streak biceps, pumped with blood. Next, the collar of Johnny's shirt ripped as his neck and delts bulged it's way free. Kevin's eyes trailed down as he followed the tear from the collar going straight down, exposing Johnny's impressive watermelon pecs.
Kevin tried to move, or at least wiggle, but found that he couldn't. He was petrified.
"If I had never met you, my brother wouldn't have gotten hurt!" Johnny growled, his breathing becoming more and more hoarse. "I made a mistake by treating Ben like shit, but I made a bigger mistake by ever listening to your crap!"
"L-l-look, I'm sorry!" Kevin said weakly. "P-please don't h-hurt me!"
"I thought you told me that a man should hurt weaklings whenever he felt like it?" Johnny grinned wickedly. "What's wrong? Can't handle being picked on by a real man?"
"P-p-please, let me go!" Kevin stuttered. "I treated you like family!"
"Oh really?" Johnny brought his face an inch from Kevin's. "Then why do you treat your little brother like a personal slave? Why do you make your parents do whatever you want? If this is how you treat your family, I rather be an orphan! Better yet, I should put you in a coma as well! That way you can't mistreat your family anymore!"
"Please... please just don't hurt me!" Kevin whimpered, tears of fear actually welling up in his eyes. "I promise I'll change! I promise I'll be a good person! Just please let me down..."
At that moment Kevin's little brother opened the door, carrying two large glasses of protein shakes. He took two steps before he looked up and saw Johnny holding Kevin against the wall.
"Leave my brother alone!" He yelled, dropping the glasses and running to Johnny, pounding and kicking at his calves. Johnny didn't even feel the child's hits as he looked down at him. Johnny was confused to why this little boy would defend his brother, despite everything Kevin had done. Then Johnny the reason why: they were brothers, and the little guy actually loved Kevin, just like Ben had loved Johnny.
Johnny's grip relaxed, and Kevin dropped onto the floor. Instantly, Kevin's brother ran over to him and hugged him. Johnny just looked down and glared straight into Kevin's still frightened face.
"If I ever hear that you've been treating ANYONE like shit again, I'll make sure you'll regret it." With that, Johnny turned around and walked away from Kevin, determined to never look back at him again. He quickly ran down the stairs, brushed past Mrs. Smith, and actually walked THROUGH the door, knocking it from it's hinges, and even taking a head sized chunk of the doorframe and wall where Johnny didn't bother to duck.
"I won't make the same mistake twice." He said to himself as he walked home. "When Ben wakes up, I'm going to take care of him and show him how much I love him."
Chapter 6: Forget me not...
Two months after the accident, Mr and Mrs. Kenning was in the kitchen. Mrs. Kenning was washing the dishes from lunch, and Mr. Kenning was reading the newspaper. Johnny was upstairs, cleaning Ben's room yet again, making it almost perfect. After reading Ben's diary, Johnny had changed. He had become polite to everyone again, and became more courtious. He even used his savings to replace all the things he had wrecked that was Ben's. When he ran out of his savings, he went around the neighborhood, doing odd jobs that he could do easily with his size and strength. Eventually, he earned enough money to buy a brand new car, equiped with some of the best safety installments, just for Ben. Johnny was determine to make up for everything he had done to Ben, and then some.
Johnny himself didn't change as much as he used to. His height only grew about 2 1/2 inches, and he added only 20 pounds. Johnny's parents believed that his growth spurt was finally slowing down, at least until puberty starts. Truthfully, however, Johnny had refused to even look at his weight set. Something in the pit of his stomach blamed them for turning him into the heartless jock. Was he just being paranoid, or was he actually afraid, Johnny didn't know.
The quiet afternoon was interupted when the phone rang. Before Mr. or Mrs. Kenning could even step towards it, Johnny rushed out of Ben's room, jumped down the entire stairs and picked it up.
"Hello? Uh-huh, uh-huh, no, we're not interested. Goodbye." Johnny sighed as he hung up. According to the doctors, Ben was starting to show signs of regaining conciousness any day. Although Johnny wanted to be at Ben's side when it happened, his parents convinced him i was better if he just wait for it and proceed with life like normal.
"Johnny, you've got to take it easy." Mr. Kenning said from behind the newspaper. "He'll still be at the hospital when he wakes up, so for now avoid running through solid walls."
"I haven't done that for a while Dad." Johnny frowned.
"I don't think three days counts as 'awhile.'" Mrs. Kenning laughed as she washed the dishes. "And you're father is right. You need to relax and calm down."
"I'm just anxious to have my brother back." johnny sighed. Mr. and Mrs. Kennings exchanged looks and a smile. They were both happy to have their youngest son acting like the old Johnny again. The only thing that could make this any happier was for Ben to return.
Just when the thought crossed their minds, the phone rang again. Of course, Johnny was the first one to pick it up again.
"Hello? HE IS!? We'll be right over there!" Johnny slammed the phone so hard that it actually broke apart. "He's awake! Ben's awake!"
* * *
"Come on Dad, can't we hurry?" Johnny whined from the back seat. They had reached the hospital, but Mr. Kenning was having a difficult time finding a good parking space. Johnny bit his lip while he was drumming his fingers impatiently on his knees.
"Just be patient." Johnny's father said. "Ben's been lying in that bed for two months already. A few more seconds won't hurt.
Johnny gave a small whine, and sat quietly for 10 long seconds before he snapped. Without any warning, Johnny opened the car door and jumped out. He forgot to let go of the door, however, and it actually broke off! He didn't waste any time saying sorry however, as he turned it sideways, threw it into the car, and then turned heel and ran towards the hospital doors.
Inside, Ben rushed through hallways and doors (some literally) until he reached the elevator. He jabbed the button...only to have it break from his brute force. He gave a grunt of frustration and opened the door left of the elevator, revealing the stairway. He ran up the stairs with determination. He climbed and he climbed, he climbed so much so fast that he went two floors higher then he had intended. Johnny gave another grunt of frustration as ran down those steps, making sure to stop at the right floor this time.
The moment his foot stepped onto the hospital floor, he rushed down the halls, counting doors as he went by, and skidding to a stop at Ben's door, leaving black skid marks three foot long on the white floor.
Johnny stood there, in front of the door, breathing heavily. His hand shakingly reached for the handle, going ever so slowly. What would he say to Ben? What would Ben say to him? Would Ben ever forgive Johnny for what he did? All these things raced through his head as Johnny finally touched the handle, griped it in his hands, then opened the door, stepping in.
Inside, resting quietly in the white linen sheets was... no one. Instead, a nurse was quietly cleaning up.
"Where's Ben?" Johnny yelled. The nurse jumped up in surprise, dropping the sheet she was holding.
"Mr. Kenning!"
Johnny turned around to see the his doctor walking up to him. "Doctor! Where's Ben?"
"Ben has been moved to another room on the other side of the hospital." The doctor said. "As I tried to inform you before you slammed the phone on me.
"Oh..." Johnny said, his face turned beet red.
"Follow me." The doctor said as he turned around and began walking. "Your parents should reach Ben the same time we do." Embaressed, Johnny followed.
* * *
"Ben!" Mrs. Kenning yelled the moment she opened the door to Ben's hospital room. Instantly, she was on top of him, hugging and kissing him. The men stayed back and smiled at the display of motherly love, though Johnny was tempted to do the same, minus the kissing of course.
"M-mom, stop it, you're embaressing me!" Ben laughed, his face blushing deeply. "I'm alright now, so you can stop."
"You just came out of a two month coma! How can I stop when we've been so worried?" She sobbed as she continued to kiss and hug Ben, but this time crying as well. "Don't you EVER do that again!"
"S-sorry Mom." Ben said, hugging her back. "I promise I won't do it again... what did I do again?"
"That must've been a pretty hard hit you got if you can't remember that." Mr. Kenning said. "You ran a red light and crashed into a truck, remember?"
Ben frowned and shook his head. "No, I don't really remember. It's all a blur to me... by the way, who's this?" Ben pointed at Johnny.
There was a stunned silence from everyone in the room. "What do you mean, who is that?" Mr. Kenning asked. "That's your brother!"
Ben frowned. "No, that can't be. Johnny's way younger and smaller then him. Where is he anyways?" Johnny tried to say something, but somehow Ben's words paralyzed him. It had to be a joke, right? Ben was just getting back at him, right?
The Kennings exchanged startled and confused glances. The doctor then cleared his throat and motioned them to follow him outside, Mr. Kenning gently leading the shocked Johnny out as well. As soon as the door was closed, the doctor turned around, a serious look on his face.
"What's wrong with Ben?" Mrs. Kenning asked in a frightened voice. "Why can't he remember Johnny?"
"You son still remembers Johnny, Mrs. Kenning." The doctor replied. "But not the Johnny of today. In fact, his past few years seems to have been wiped out from his memory. Since Johnny has changed significantly within the last few years, it is logical that Ben will be unable to recognize him."
"Are you telling me my son has amnesia?" Mr Kenning said frantically.
"Partially, yes." The doctor answered. "He still remembers everything from about... 7 or 8 years before, but the rest is sketchy at the most. I had several specialists examine him, and we've determined that Ben's memory has indeed been erased."
Johnny just stood there, looking through the glass at Ben, not believing what he was hearing. He felt like his whole world was crashing down around him. His own brother didn't even recognize him! And yet...
"Will he ever remember?" Mrs. Kenning continued, her hands moving and rubbing each other, a sign for deep worry.
"In time, I believe he will." The doctor looked at Johnny. "The head trauma he suffered wasn't that extreme, But for the time being, I suggest that he be taken good care of. He's still recovering after all."
"Yes doctor. And thank you." Johnny's parents went back into the room. After taking some time to absorb it all, Johnny followed also.
"Where is Johnny?" Ben asked again. "And who's this man that you said was my brother?"
"Ben, honey..." Mrs. Kenning said gently, running her hand through Ben's hair. "You see, this is J-"
"Jerry!" Johnny said quickly. Both of the Kennings looked at Johnny in surprise. "I'm you're older brother Jerry. Mom and Dad adopted me some years back."
"But you're too old!" Ben said, his eyes widening in surprise. "You must be, what, 25, maybe 30?"
"Actually I'm 17 and a half." Johnny lied. The Kennings gave Johnny a confused and puzzled look, but Johnny gave a 'play along it' look in return.
"Only 17?" Ben choked, looking at Johnny from head to toe, taking notice of the broad shoulders, ripped v shaped torso, and the tree trunk quads that strained his jeans. "But you're HUGE!"
"I work out a lot." Johnny shrugged, causing Ben's eyes to bulge as he actually saw a rip form in the collar or Johnny's shirt.
"Wow..." Ben said in awe. "But...where is Johnny?" He looked at Mr. and Mrs. Kenning, who stood silently by themselves.
"Johnny... is at a special hosptial." Mr. Kenning said quickly. His eyes glanced at Johnny, who gave a very small sigh of relief. "He started to develop problems again, so we sent him there so they could help him get better."
"Johnny's... gone?" Ben said in disbelief. "But... but he needs me! I'm going to him right away!" Ben started to get out of bed when Johnny placed his hand on Ben's shoulder, stopping him from moving further.
"I know you two are close, but it was the only way." Johnny said as sincerely as possible. "He misses you like crazy too, but how do you think he's going to feel when he sees you like this?" Johnny points to Ben's pale skin, his sickly face and even patted his stomach where his once ripped torso was now hidden under a soft layer of fat formed from the lack of exercise.
Ben looks up at Johnny and frowns. He stares deeply into his eyes, feeling something familiar. "I... guess you're right Jerry." He said, relaxing back into the bed again. "It's just... I love him so much. I can't stand not able to be there for him."
It took everything Johnny had to choke back his tears as he heard this. "I'm sure he feels the same way." He said, "But he understands that you need to rest up. Now get some sleep. We'll have you home in no time." Johnny quickly turned and exited the room. After exchanging another glance, Mr. Kenning followed, leaving Mrs. Kenning with Ben.
Outside, Johnny sat down on a bench and buried his face in his hands. Quietly, Mr. Kenning sat down next to him and patted him on the back.
"Are you sure lying to Ben like this is a good idea?" Mr. Kenning asked.
"It's better this way." Johnny said softly. "Now he can keep his perfect image of me in his memory, and I can start all over with him as Jerry."
Mr Kenning sighed and patted Johnny again. "I understand how you feel .But you can't hide who you really are. You may look like some sort of 25 year old bodybuilder, but you're just 10 years old! Sooner or later he'll find out the truth."
"Please... just help me try at least." Johnny said, looking down at him. He was now so big and tall that even hunched down he towered over his father.
"Mr. Kenning sighed again. "Alright, you're mom and I will help you the best we can. Yet what are you going to do when his memory returns?"
"I don't know Dad... I seriously don't know."
Chapter 7: Rehab
Ben stayed in the hospital for one last night before the doctor allowed him to go home. During that one night, however, Johnny was busy trying to gather and hide all of the old stuff that might have hinted that he was really Johnny, such as older photos, several momentos and most importantly Ben's journal. He then sat down and formulated a plan with his parents in order to hide his identity from Ben. Since it was summer, Johnny could hide his real age easily, but he had no idea what he would do when school started again. He suggested that he attend high school in order to fool Ben, but his parents turned that idea down instantly. They struggled with that fact for hours before decidding to put it off for later. Hopefully, when September came around, they would have figured something out if Ben didn't remember anything yet.
When Ben came did come home, Johnny waited and served him hand and foot, following him like a puppy dog. Whenever Ben was thirsty, Johnny would run into the kitchen and brought several differnt beverages that Ben might've liked. When Ben's stomach growled, Johnny would fix a snack that would've feed three people. And whenever Ben started to climb the stairs, Johnny would lift him up into his arms and carry him all the way up.
Ben said it wasn't really neccesary for Johnny to be Ben's shadow... though, in truth, Ben was the one who was in Johnny's shadow, seeing how he towered over him. He explained that although he appreciated the thought, he was perfectly capable of doing things on his own.
At first, all Ben was allowed to do was rest and relaxed, but eventually he began to ask if he could start exercising again. Everyone, especially Johnny, protested to this, saying it was much too soon for Ben to be exercising. However, Ben eventually got under his parents skin and they eventually caved in to his request, despite Johnny's objections.
So Ben began to exercise to get back into shape again. First he tried jogging in order to rebuild his stamina, as well as burn off some of his excess fat. He would throw on some sweats and put on his running shoes early every morning, then go to the park to jog. The first few jogging sessions ended quickly, without covering much distance. Eventually, however, Ben began to pick up the pace, and soon he was running miles again. After his jogs, he would do sit ups, push ups and pull ups, then drink a protein shake.
Every morning when Ben went out jogging, Johnny would follow from a distance, making sure Ben wouldn't see him. This wasn't easy, however, since Johnny was too big to really hide behind anything, and eventually Ben found out.
"If you're that worried about me Jerry, then you should run with me." Ben said, crossing his arms and looking up.
"I don't know..." Johhny said, hunching down a bit and rubbing the back of his head in embaressment. "I just don't feel comfortable jogging around a lot of people."
"Are you kidding?" Ben gave a light punch to Johnny's arm. "With legs like those you could run an entire marathon! You should be proud of those muscles of yours, show them off a bit!"
Johnny wanted to tell Ben that he didn't want to show off because it might turn him back into a bullying jock again, but couldn't find the right words. So, Johnny gave up and started running with Ben. Every morning he would squeeze into a swet shirt and pants. This was somewhat difficult, since his chest stretched the top portion of the shirt so that you could actually see his pecs outlined through the fabric, yet it was super baggy around his thin waist. His sweats was also tight around his tree trunk quads, but the waist was huge, since it was originally made for a fat man.
Those jogs around the park made Johnny nervous. He used to love having people look at him. But now, with Ben by his side, his face felt so hot he thought it was going to burn off. Every step made his meaty pecs jiggle and bounce up and down through the fabric, his quads rub and roll against each other, his massive arms stretching the material taunt. The sight of him jogging was making girls dizzy and guys stunned by the display of masculine beauty in motion. He looked so much older and mature then he really was that several grown women actually asked him out on a date! He bashfully refused, however, saying he wasn't looking for anyone.
Ben laughed as the one particularly hot babe walked away, disappointed. "Dude Jerry, you're like a chick magnet!"
"But I don't want to have a girlfriend..." Johnny's face turned scarlet.
"Oh, I guess that means you're gay!" Ben joked.
"No!" Johnny said, horrified. "I'm just... not old enough yet!"
"Oh come on!" Ben reached up and patted Johnny on the back. "You're almost 18 for christ's sake. It's about time that you get out there and experience the sex life.
I'm only 10. Johnny thought to himself. The only sex life I know is that it can make babies.
After Ben was fit enough, he decided to move onto weightlifting again. Of course, Ben tried to convince Johnny to be his trainer, which he flatly refused. He was still afraid to lift weights again, seeing how they had played an important part of turnig Johnny 'evil.'
So instead, Johnny just sat there, watching his brother lift weights. He would gaze dreamingly at his brother, watching those muscles bulge and pulse with every rep. He'd take notice of every sweat bead that formed and followed it as it dropped. He'd take notice of every little fiber of muscle, every definition. Even though Ben didn't compare to his own massive physique, Johnny couldn't help but feel amazed. All of Ben's muscles were earned through hard work and dedication, while Johnny had his handed to him on a silver platter.
"Hey Jerry, do you have to watch me like that?" Ben asked as he dropped the barbell he had been lifting.
Johnny snapped out of his trance and blinked. "Huh?"
"You've been watching me like some kid watching his favorite superhero on tv." Ben chuckled.
"I'm just admiring how hard working and dedicated you are." Johnny answered, feeling a little surprised by the comment sice it was half true. "I've never seen anyone work so hard."
"You mean besides yourself?" Ben laughed, poking Johnny's pec. His finger didn't even dent it. "You must've worked five times harder then I do in order to grow that big!"
"But I-" Johnny stopped himself before he blew his secret. "Nevermind." Ben shrugged and moved over to his next routine. Johnny just sighed and watched Ben worked out again.
And so weeks passed by like clockwork. Ben worked out, Johnny would admire, and they'd connect like brothers again. Yet it was all a lie. The brother Ben had known, and the brother he was getting to know was the same person. This one fact made Johnny restless at night, the weight of his lies heavier then anything he had ever lifted.
One night, Johnny felt particularly restless, so he decided to grab a midnight snack. When he exited his room, however, he heard what sounded like a small moan coming from Ben's room. Intending to find out what was wrong, Johnny opened the door slowly, peering in.
Inside, Ben was tossing and turning, emitting small moans and groans, sweat soaking his clothes as he moved around restlessly.. It took Johnny awhile to realize that Ben was having a nightmare. This took him back to when he had nightmares when he was a child. He remembered whenever he was having a nightmare, Ben would come into his room and crawl into bed with him, holding him tight, keeping him safe from harm. He'd stay there until Johnny fell asleep again, the nightmares disappearing. When he woke up, he'd find Ben still there, gazing into his eyes.
The memory gave Johnny an idea. Quietly, he crept over to the bed, then slowly got in. The bed creaked in protest of Johnny's bulk and weight, but he ignored it as he got into bed with Ben, wrapping his arms around the smaller guy, pressing him against his chest. Ben calmed down a little, feeling more comfortable being pressed against Johnny's big, warm pecs. Smiling, Johnny moved his head down and sniffed Ben's head. Ben's musky odor filled his nostrils, filling him with memories of their childhood together.
"Plea...se...don't...hur...t... me John...ny..." Ben said in his sleep, shaking. Johnny's head snapped back. Ben was having a nightmare of him! Johnny felt his heart turn ice cold. What was Johnny doing to Ben in his dreams? Did Ben regain his memory? Or was Ben just reliving a memory as a dream?
"Ben..." Johnny whispered, holding him closer. "Don't be scared... I'm here for you..."
"Jer...ry..." Ben whispered in return, relaxing in Johnny's arms, his nightmares disappering and turning into a dreamless sleep. Johnny's heart sank. He realized, at that moment, that Jerry was the brother of love, and Johnny was the brother of pain. It made him feel so conflicted inside. What should he do? Johnny held onto this thought as he continued to hold onto Ben.
And so Johnny held onto Ben until early in the morning. He quietly slipped out of bed and returned to his own room, ducking under his covers and burying his face into the pillow.
Hours later, at the breakfast table, Johnny decided to ask Ben directly.
"Ben, were you having a nightmare last night?" He asked.
Ben's fork full of egg stopped in midair as he looked up. "Yeah, I did. How did you know?"
"I was... going to the bathroom and heard noises coming from your room." Johnny lied. "What was it about?"
Ben frowned and scratched his head. "Honestly Jerry, I can't remember all that well. I felt like someone hurting me, but then you came along and the nightmare disappeared."
"Really?" Johnny felt a rush of relief. So Ben didn't remember him... yet. "Some weird dream." Mr. and Mrs. Kenning each gave Johnny a look, but said nothing.
"Yeah, it was." Ben shrugged, and continued eating. "Pass the salt please."
Chapter 8: Memory
It was late one night at the Kenning's home when a loud crash woke everyone in the household up. Startled, Ben and his parents rushed out of their rooms and into Johnny's. There, Johnny laid on the ground, surprised. Under him was the remains of his bed, the frame broken.
"Jerry, what happened?" Mrs. Kenning asked.
"I... I was sleeping and all of a sudden the bed just... broke." Johnny said in surprise.
"Is it just me, or is Jerry bigger then the first time I saw him?" Ben asked. Everyone looked at him, worried.
"That's nonsense." Mrs. Kenning said quickly. "You must still be half asleep."
Ben looked at Johnny curiously, then shrugged. "I guess you're right. Well, goodnight then." Ben yawned and went back to his room.
"Measure me Dad." Johnny said as soon as he was sure Ben was asleep. Mr. Kenning nodded and went to fetch the tape measure and a chair. A few minutes later, Johnny leaned against the wall while Mr. Kenning measured.
"You're just under 8 feet, son." His father anounced as he made a mark on the wall. Johnny felt a cold, sinking feeling in his gut. He quietly walked over to the scales and stepped on it. Mr. Kenning walked over and looked at the number. "You're... you're 395 pounds." He gulped.
"I gained over an inch and 15 pounds in over a month?" Johnny asked, a little horiffied. "I haven't grown this much since I was, what, 7?"
"I think you're starting to go through puberty." Mrs. Kenning said. "Regular boys your age starts to... develop and grow during the teenage years. You're going through the same thing... just... stronger."
"But I don't want to grow any bigger!" Johnny said, horrified.
"It's a natural part of life, son." Mr. Kenning said, patting Johnny on the back. "I know you don't like it, but there's nothing you can do about it."
"But when I first got big, I became mean to everyone!" Johnny said. "I'm afraid that if I get any bigger, I'll...I'll..."
"Oh honey... is this what you were worried about?" Mrs.Kenning asked. She reached up and placed her hand on Johnny's cheek. "Listen Johnny, it is our choices that makes us who we are. As long as you choose restrain your urges and desires, you will be fine."
"R-really?" Johnny asked, kneeling down so he could see his mother better. "I won't become mean again?"
"As long as you try not to." Mrs. Kenning smiled,giving Johnny a quick hug. "Now go back to sleep, and we'll get you a new bed tommorow.."
* * *
The next day went by like any other day. Johnny jogged with Ben in the morning, watched him exercise and work out and ate lunch. Then they went out and tested several new beds for Johnny, buying an actual king sized bed that was extra strong and firm. After they brought the bed into Johnny's room, Ben and Johnny spent the rest of the day listening to music, talking, and so on. After dinner, they watched a little tv, then went to sleep.
The next morning, when Johnny stood up, he felt his head banged the ceiling, making a small imprint. Startled, he looked up, the ceiling right in his face. The ceiling was 8 feet high even, which meant that he had grown overnight! Panicking a little, he went to te scale and hopped on...only to hear it break under his feet!
"Dammit!" He kicked the scales, sending it flying into the wall, where it stayed stuck inside the hole it had created. "Dammit, this is not good." He muttered, storming down the stairs. He remembered seeing another scale in the garage, one that went up to 700. He was in so much of a rush that he didn't notice Ben until he bumped into him, knocking him onto the floor.
"Oww!" Ben cried. "Watch where you're going Johnny!"
"Sorry Be- wait, what did you call me?" Johnny stopped in midstep and looked down at Ben.
"Call you what?" Ben asked, picking himself up from the floor.
"You called me Johnny."
"I did?" Ben looked at Johnny, surprised. "I'm sorry, I must've mistaken you for him. For some reason, you remind me of him lately."
"Really? How?" Johnny asked, sweat starting to form on his palms.
"I... don't know." Ben shrugged. "Maybe I'm just being silly." He then turned and went to get breakfast. Johnny watched Ben as he walked away, a feeling of dread forming in his gut. Quickly, Johnny ran out to the garage and tore through the junk until he found the scales. Without bothering to go back to the house, he took a deep breath, stepped on the scales, and looked at the number. 402 pounds.
"7 POUNDS IN JUST ONE DAY!?" Johnny yelled, his voice loud enough to set the alarms off of every car on the block. A few fast heartbeats later, Johnny's parents barged in, trying to see what was the problem.
"I GAINED 7 POUNDS IN JUST ONE DAY, AND NOW I'M OVER EIGHT FEET TALL!" Johnny cried.
"Calm down Johnny!" Mr. Kenning said, pressing his hands to his ears. "Everyone can hear you!"
"How can I calm down!?" Johnny yelled, but not as loudly as before. "Who knows how big I'm gonna get?"
"What was that?" Ben asked, walking into the garage. "Sorry, I couldn't hear anything after that first yell."
"Jo- I mean Jerry was just being upset about gaining a few pounds of fat." Mrs. Kenning lied.
"Is that all?" Ben rolled his eyes. "Geez, he's as big as hell and more ripped then a bodybuilder. A few pounds of fat is nothing on him. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish my breakfast."
Johnny watched Ben as he left the garage, filled with mixed emotions. "Dammit, what am I gonna do? What's Ben gonna think when he watches me grow right in front of him?"
"Calm down Johnny." Mr. Kenning said, putting his hand on Johnny's shoulder. "We all knew we couldn't hide it forever. Sooner or later, we'll have to explain to Ben everything."
"But Dad..." Johnny began, but gave up. It was no use. Sooner or later, Ben was going to notice Johnny's abnormal growth and remember who he really was.
* * *
And so Johnny grew. Every morning he would measure and weigh himself. He would grow an inch or more every night. He now had to hunch over when walking in the house since most of the ceiling was 8 feet high. Johnny avoided showing Ben as much as possible, spending most of the day outside. Not only did his height increase, but so did his weight. He'd add 10-15 pounds per day! Johnny tried to hide his growing bulk by wearing bigger clothing, but soon those would stretch tight. Twice, his shirt exploded, ripping to shreds. Luckily, these times he was away from Ben, though Ben would ask Johnny why his shirt was in shreds.
Yet despite Johnny's growth, Ben seemed to pay no attention to it. In fact, he was starting to become more and more distnat with Johnny. One day, Johhny walked by Ben's room and looked in. Ben was sitting on his bed, crouched over, looking troubled. Not wanting to leave him like that, Johnny knocked on the door lightly.
"Are you okay?" He asked, stepping inside.
"Go away." Ben said, not bothering to look up.
Johnny, however, walked closer to Ben. "Is there something wrong...?" He reached out to place a hand on Ben's shoulder.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Ben slapped away Johnny's hand and his head snapped up at him.
Johnny stepped back. Although he didn't feel the slap on his hand, he still felt a sharp pain.
Ben just looked at Johnny, then placed his hand over his eyes. "I-I'm sorry Jerry, I didn't mean that. I don't know what's going on with me lately."
"B-Ben, what's w-wrong...?" Johnny said shakingly. Never before had he seen Ben so upset. Ben had always been kind and gently with Johnny. Never before would he try to slap him away.
"It's just... these nightmares." Ben shivered. "At first, I couldn't remember who it was that was hurting me in those dreams. But lately, they've becoming more and more clear. It's... it's you, Jerry." Ben looked up, fear in his eyes. "You're the one that was hurting me."
Johnny felt his heart turn to ice at thsoe words. "Wh-what?" He said weakly.
"I know it's not real, but I can't help feel afraid!" Ben said in anguish. "You've been the best brother I could have, yet deep down something is tearing me apart. I... I feel afraid, but I also feel... hate."
"B-ben..." Johnny whispered, his hand starting to shake.
"I-I'm sorry Jerry, I just don't know waht's going on with me." Ben looked away, not able to face Johnny in the eye.
Johnny didn't say anything. He felt as if something was caught in his throat, stopping him from speaking. Yet his body moved and hugged Ben, his arms completely wrapping around him, his hea reaching up and stroking Ben's hair. He wanted to hold onto those moments longer, his last few moments with Ben as Jerry. Soon, Johnny decided, he would tell Ben everything. Ben didn't deserve to be torn apart like this anymore. Soon, he would know.
* * *
An entire month passed by since Johnny's growth spurt started. Johnny took a deep breath as he made a mark against the wall on the outside of the house in the bacyard, then measured it. it read 10 feet, 1 inches. Johnny felt his heart skip a beat. He had broken the 10 feet mark. Johnny had last measured his weight at about 518 before he stopped, since he couldn't see the numbers anymore due to his massive chest blocking the view entirely.
Johnny was a giant. His muscles bulged and flexed with every single movement. His shoulders was four feet wide, loaded with massive melon sized muscles. His biceps and triceps were approximately 59 inches around, cold. Johnny's pecs, which was impressive before, stretched out over 100 inches around, looking as if someone had stuck two ten year olds under his skin. His 12 pack abs had become so ripped and cut that it could shatter stone when he wedged it into the crevice and flexed. His legs had also grown propotionately, becoming as thick as tree trunks, and not as a figure of expression.
Johnny's muscles weren't the only thing that grew. Johnny had also started to grow hair everywhere. One morning, Ben pointed out the stubble on Johnny's face. Ever since then, hair sprouted everywhere. Johnny had to shave twice every day in order to get rid of his growing goatee. He also shaved his arms, chest, and legs, but it still grew back fast enough to give him a rugged look, making him even more handsome then before.
"Mom? Dad?" Johnny said as he called into the house. "I... I broke 10 feet."
"I knew this day would come." Mrs. Kenning said as they both walked over to the door. "But I never knew it would be this soon. I guess we should start packing."
"What are you talking about?" Johnny asked, confused.
Mr and Mrs. Kenning looked and each other, then back at Johnny. "We had a new house made." Mr. Kenning said at last. "It's big enough for even you right now, and it's not to far from here."
"What? Really?" Johnny blinked in surprise. "Since when?"
"Since you broke the seven foot mark." Mrs. Kenning said. "The doctor told us to do something like this in case you hit puberty and started growing like this."
"So... we're moving?" Johnny asked/
"Yes Johnny, we're moving." Mr. Kenning smiled. The sound of glass breaking was heard from behind the Kennings. Johnny peered inside as his parents turned around to see Ben, standing in the living room, where he had just dropped his glass of juice.
"What...did you just call him?" Ben asked, his eyes wide open.
"Ben, we can explain." Mrs. Kenning said as she started toward him.
"No! Stay away!" Ben yelled backing up. "You called him Johnny! Why!?"
"Because...he is Johnny." Mr. Kenning said.
Ben just backed up more. "No...that can't be Johnny! Johnny's a small, kind boy. He always had been..." Ben looked at Johnny, a look of confusion and anger in his eye. "Johnny... he died didn't he? He died during the time I can't remember. That's why you adopted him isn't it? So you had someone to REPLACE him!"
"Ben, please listen to us." Johnny said.
"NO!" Ben snapped. "Don't talk to me, you... you freak!" Ben turned and bolted for the front door, grabbing his car keys on the way out. Instantly, Johnny crashed through the entire back wall of the house, crashed straight through the house and through the front of the house. His arms lashed out and grabbed Ben just as he was about to get into his car, his hand completely surrounding his waist.
"LET ME GO!" Ben yelled, pounding on Johnny's hand.
"Ben, listen to me!" Johnny said, bringing Ben up to his face. "I am Johnny!"
"No you're not!" Ben yelled, still trying to get out of Johnny's grip. "You're just some freak trying to take his place! You're no brother of mine, you're an imposter! Now let me go!"
"NO!" Johnny roared, all the glass in the neighborhood shattered from it. "I WON'T LET YOU GET INTO ANOTHER ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF ME! I CAN'T STAND SEEING YOU HURT AGAIN BECAUSE OF SOMETHING I DID!"
"What do you mean!?" Ben yelled back, yet more out of confusion then anger.
"It was my fault that you got into that accident!" Johnny held back his tears as he looked at Ben in the face. "I ruined your picture of your birth parents by accident, and you ran out and got hurt! If I hadn't been such a jerk, you would've never forgoten about me! I...I'm sorry Ben. I's so, so sorry..." Johnny let go of Ben and fell to his knees, making the ground shake. He sobbed, tears flowing in bucketfuls as he looked down at Ben.
"J... Johnny?" Ben looked up, amazed. "Is... that... is that really you? I... I remember. I remember everything now!" Ben reached up and touched Johnny on the face. "You... idiot! How could you have kept this a secret for so long!? Why didn't you tell me!? Did you think I'd hate you after everything we've been through?"
"But Ben..."
"No buts!" Ben said sternly. "Related by blood or not, we're family. We may have had our differences before, but I always loved you like hell."
"B-Ben..." Johnny grabbed Ben and hugged him, being extra careful not to crush him. "I love you too, Ben."
"You don't need to tell me again." Ben laughed. "I always knew you loved me deep down. After all, we're brothers for life!"
END