Chapter 3 3

First thing in the morning, Xander got up and did his exercises. It gave him time to think. The previous day had a lot packed into it. The Brian situation could become a problem, and Xander needed to get out in front of it. At the very least, he should tell his mom what happened. No way would he share that with his dad because his dad would fly off the handle and probably blame Xander for the mess.

Yes, he had initiated the confrontation because if Xander hadn't, the creeper might have done untold damage not only to his sister but also to other kids. Xander didn't regret any of that. Sending Karen after Brian might not have been the best option, but it brought the issue out in the open.

He did feel a bit bad that Karen had gotten hit, but she needed to learn that running her mouth had consequences-something too many people ignored. With the Internet, they could drop their 'truth bombs' with little or no repercussions because they didn't have to say them to someone's face.

In many places, even if you were facing someone who broke into your home, you might end up in jail if they got hurt. That, and the fear of getting canceled, meant people were afraid to stand up for themselves, which only emboldened the bullies.

Xander had a strong suspicion he'd get called onto the carpet for kicking Brian in the nuts. So it was better for him to tell his mom ASAP instead of letting her be blindsided by a call from the school.

He next thought about Pam and her friends. Xander had used his past life's experience to ease himself into that group. But he worried he might be trying to run before he could walk, so to speak. After all, he was only thirteen, and even he had to admit he was too young to be in a physical relationship. Not that thirteen-year-olds weren't capable, but they weren't emotionally equipped to deal with everything that entailed.

While he wanted to get to know the girls better, it was probably best for them to just be friends. That would all change when they went to high school.

With that in mind, Xander decided to limit eating lunch with their group. He wanted to make other friends-maybe even guy friends, even though he considered the majority of them immature dumbasses; most twelve- and thirteen-year-old boys were.

He'd begun to remember some of the people he'd been friends with. There were some he wanted to avoid-primarily Donnie Wilson, who'd be transferring in soon. They'd first bonded because they were the 'new' kids.

At first, Xander really liked Donnie because he was outgoing and helped Xander make new friends. Later, in high school, Donnie became his source of condoms. Donnie's parents owned a mom-and-pop pharmacy, and the two of them would go in and shoplift whatever they needed. That was a bonus for a high schooler who didn't have a lot of cash on hand.

They'd later decided to be roommates when they went to the University of Arkansas, and their time at U of A opened Xander's eyes to what Donnie really was. Quite simply, Donnie only cared about Donnie and what he could use you for.

One night in college, Donnie brought a girl back to their room, shocking Xander because he'd told Donnie he planned to ask her out. She and Xander seemed to have a genuine connection, and Xander thought she might be the girlfriend he was looking for. Donnie had even given him advice on how to win her over, so Donnie was well aware of what the girl meant to his roommate.

In Xander's opinion, this completely violated the bro code. When Donnie saw Xander's eyes cloud over, he pulled his supposed 'best friend' out into the hall.

"I know you like her, and I told her you were going to ask her out. After we talked briefly, I decided I had to have a piece, too. She says she's up to doing both of us, so I'll get her warmed up, and then you can have a turn. It's a win-win, man," Donnie said.

Xander took a moment to take that in. Donnie made it sound like no big deal, but Xander crumbled inside.

"I don't know," Xander said as he tried to get his mind around what he'd just heard.

Xander was stunned that Donnie would do this to him.

"Your loss, then. She's a hot piece of ass, and you'll regret not tapping it," Donnie said.

When he saw Xander was going to bail, Donnie said, "Just come in and watch. If you don't want to when I'm done, I'll do her again."

Xander regretted letting Donnie talk him into going back into the room. College was all about hookups, and Donnie could sweet-talk almost any girl into coming home with him. Donnie fancied himself a cocksman, so of course, after he bedded them, he was off to the next conquest; rarely did Donnie bring back a girl more than once.

Xander watched as Donnie undressed the girl and made her blow him.

As he got ready to fuck her, Donnie said, "Get your dick out, and she can suck it while I do her from behind."

Donnie tried to give Xander a fist bump, but the girl looked at Xander and didn't look happy, so he bailed, leaving Donnie hanging.

When he returned a couple of hours later, Donnie grinned as if proud of what he'd done.

"She couldn't get enough. You should have stayed because she did me three times and got pissed off when I couldn't get it back up. She would've done you for sure."

"Are you two going out now?" Xander asked.

"Hell, no. I might hook up with her, but she's too much of a skank for me to date. If you want a quick fuck, you should call her."

Xander did see the girl the next day. She tried to talk to him, but he walked past her as though he didn't see her. Thankfully, she got the message that he wasn't up for sloppy seconds.

Donnie was perplexed when Xander backed out of getting an apartment with him the following year. But that incident had been the last straw. Xander was the one with money, and he would've had to put down the deposit. Without his help, Donnie was stuck in the dorms the next year while Xander got a place off campus.

After that, Xander and Donnie drifted apart until thirty years later. Donnie called him out of the blue because he needed money. Xander had a momentary weakness and lent it to him. At the time, Xander was doing a big consulting gig and raking it in, so it wasn't a big deal. He figured he'd probably never see the cash again.

As it happened, Xander found himself in a jam a couple of years later and needed a few grand. He had the funds, but it would mean withdrawing them from an investment, which would incur penalties. To see what Donnie would do, Xander called him to see if he would pay back a small portion of what Xander had lent. Donnie said he'd see what he could do and then blocked Xander's number.

As a side note, at their ten-year high school reunion, which Donnie didn't attend, Xander overheard some of the girls talking about Donnie and how much they loathed the guy. It seemed Donnie was all hands, and it sounded like he forced himself on more than one of them. Afterward, he would dump them, which would've been fine if he hadn't told them they were terrible in bed, so he had moved on.

Then the knife slid into Xander's back when Kelly asked Pam, "Why didn't you ever go out with Xander?"

"Because he was friends with Donnie. I just assumed he was the same way."

This time around, Xander would avoid getting sucked into Donnie's vortex. He might even take the time to warn a few people to help them avoid Donnie's charm.

Once he finished exercising, Xander took a shower and headed downstairs to find his dad had gone to work, but his sister hadn't come down yet.

"I need to tell you something," Xander told his mom.

He shared what had happened with Brian.

"I fully expect to be called into the principal's office today."

"While I'm glad you looked out for your sister, I'm not too happy with the way you did it."

"Looking back, I agree, but it is what it is," Xander said.

"We'll have to deal with that later. I'm going to go to your grandpa's this morning. I'm considering getting a job with him."

Last time around, his mom started working in the office and eventually took over her dad's company when he retired. That almost made Xander's dad lose his mind-especially when he consistently lost jobs to her after their divorce. His mom never said anything, but Xander knew she loved it.

His dad wouldn't be happy that she didn't want to work for him. Xander was sure his dad wouldn't have paid her. Or if he had, she would've had to put her paycheck into their joint account, where he would control the money. She'd been smart enough to open her own account, but his dad made her pay all the bills until their divorce.

"Good for you."

"You do realize your father will get involved if the school calls, don't you?"

Xander sighed.

"I figured as much."

Whenever something like this happened, it meant Xander was in for a beating. His dad lived by the 'spare the rod, spoil the child' philosophy. Xander might not allow that to continue in this timeline.

When he got onto the bus, Karen and Brian were both missing. The rumor mill said they'd both been suspended for three days.

When he arrived at school ... nothing. Somehow, his part in what happened hadn't reached the powers that be.

'Yay, Xander,' he thought.

That didn't mean Brian wouldn't look for revenge when he returned. For the time being, Xander could relax.

During PE, Xander waited until Coach Carlton divided the class into teams to play softball. Coach Carlton was one of the assistant football coaches at the high school.

"Coach, I want to get ready for freshman football this year," Xander said between innings.

"You need to put on some muscle and get into shape if you don't want to get hurt."

Xander explained what he was doing to get started down that path.

"Easing into it is a good plan. On top of what you're already doing, I recommend you either start running or biking. The hills around here can be challenging. When you start, go uphill and work your way back down. That way, you don't get stuck at the bottom," Coach Carlton said.

"When I start lifting weights, what should I do?"

"For a beginner, I suggest lifting heavy weights at high speeds for low reps. That will add a manageable but not extreme amount of muscle. It'll help with athleticism far more than any other method. The goal is to explosively handle eighty to ninety percent of your max," Coach Carlton said.

"Why not do a traditional workout where I do more reps?" Xander asked.

"Because at the lower volume of reps, your body doesn't get as sore, but it quickly improves your strength. This way, you can run without being in pain from lifting. I call this 'lifting with intention.'

"Once you can handle the low rep/high weight approach, we can add higher rep work. This is needed for overall muscular balance and joint/tendon health. High rep is excellent for building muscle. It's been my experience that once you can handle the high reps, you should split your workouts 80/20. If you do a Monday through Friday workout schedule, do high reps on Wednesday and low reps on the other days.

"When you feel you're ready, I'll help you get started," Coach Carlton said.

"Thanks," Xander said.

"Oh, and something else: if you want to start lifting, you'll need a partner. It might be best to find a few guys to work out with because you'll need a spotter for safety."

"I'll ask around. I'm sure some other guys want to play football, too," Xander said.

"Your team is back on the field. We can talk later," Coach Carlton said, attempting to draw Xander's attention back to the game.

Xander trotted out to the outfield.

Xander managed to talk to Tim about his brother. Tim's mom and dad had to come to school to pick up Brian. When they learned what Karen had accused Brian of, everything blew up. Tim's older brother would no longer be allowed to ride the bus. His mom would take him to and from school until he got his driver's license in the spring.

"He's also been told that if he gets into any more trouble, there will be dire consequences," Tim said.

Xander winced.

"It's the unspoken punishments that are the worst. I would almost rather take a beating; at least then, it would be over."

"The good news is Karen also got suspended. She's been told that if she keeps up her verbal attacks, she might get expelled," Tim shared.

When he got home, Xander told his mother.

"I'm glad he won't be anywhere near Izzy," his mom said.

Xander's knowledge of the future told him Brian's family would be among the first to buy one of the three houses his grandfather was building. While he didn't remember Brian doing anything to Izzy, his mom wouldn't be happy about that.

"Did you talk to Grandpa about a job?"

"I didn't get a chance. Grab your sister, and we'll pay him a visit," his mom said.

"Izzy!" Xander yelled.

"Don't yell; go get your sister."

Xander couldn't help it ... he rolled his eyes. It seemed that particular teen response was ingrained in him. He shrugged, grinned at his mom, and ran upstairs to find Izzy.

Grandpa Davidson had a work trailer that served as an on-site office. He was a Vietnam War veteran who'd hung pictures of his old unit on the walls and had an American flag behind his desk. Izzy rushed in and yelled, "Grandpa!" as she leaped onto his lap.

"This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you all here?"

"Xander and I are looking for work," Xander's mom said.

"Wouldn't you rather be with Wayne?" Grandpa Davidson asked.

"Being around your significant other 24/7 isn't the best idea," his mom said.

Grandpa Davidson just nodded.

"What about you?" he asked Xander.

"You're building in our backyard. This would make it easier than trying to get to one of Dad's job sites," Xander said.

"What are your skills?" he asked Xander, acting like this was a serious interview.

"I can do basic stuff like being a gofer or cleaning up. I've also helped my mom paint."

"Is he any good at painting?" Grandpa Davidson asked Xander's mom.

"He's not an expert at cutting in yet, but he can handle a spray gun and roller for the big surfaces," his mom said.

"How about we do this? We're nowhere near ready to paint these homes, and your grandmother has been after me to paint the exterior of our house. Why don't you two do that after school and on Saturdays?"

"When can we start?" Xander asked.

His grandfather smiled at his eagerness.

"How about Saturday? That way, I can help. Plus, it'll give you an excuse to come over for dinner."

He figured his grandfather wanted to verify that Xander wasn't a menace before he let him loose painting one of his spec homes. It would also allow his grandfather to discuss with his mom what she wanted to do.

The dinner comment made Xander cringe because his grandmother was a terrible cook. Her go-to meal was meatloaf. She ground up all her leftover vegetables and added them to the loaf, then topped it with crushed stewed tomatoes that had almost no seasoning. It was never good, in his opinion.

After the first week of school, Xander settled into a routine. He would get up, do his exercises, and run, something he'd just started. He found it humbling to learn how out of shape he was, likely because he spent too much time playing video games and not enough time outdoors and being active.

After a shower and breakfast, he caught the bus to school, where he was making friends. The Princesses were even friendly, leaving most other guys in awe because the girls thought most boys their age were useless. To be honest, most of them were, but that was just middle-school boy stuff. They were all halfway between thinking girls were icky and hormones kicking in. The changes had most of them confused.

Then, he would come home and help his mom paint his grandparents' house. His grandfather taught him some tricks with the spray gun, so he became good at using it. His mom still didn't trust him with cutting in, so he had someone to talk to while they painted.

While his mom returned home to cook dinner, Xander cleaned up and walked over to the new home job sites. His grandfather had him go around and pick up after the workers left. If he had time, he would tackle the giant pile of trees that had been removed from the building sites. Xander turned the limbs into wood chips, which his grandfather planned to use for landscaping. The big stuff was turned into firewood.

Then he would go home and take a shower before dinner.

Something new this time was that he did his homework and read ahead to be prepared for the next day's classes. His mom had him study in the dining room with his sister. Xander would spend some time helping her, but his sister consumed most of that time telling him about her day.

He cherished the time with Izzy more than he had during his first time around. Before, he hadn't appreciated having a sister, especially one who always had his back when he was older. When she died, Xander had felt the loss. This time, he planned to be more involved and maybe steer her away from some of her poor choices, in particular taking up smoking. He wanted to keep her in his life for a long time.

After his first week, Grandpa Davidson tried to hand Xander cash. But Xander convinced his grandfather to open a savings account so his dad couldn't get his hands on the money. Thankfully, his dad thought Xander worked for his grandfather out of the goodness of his heart. Not wanting to pass up an opportunity, his dad left him a task list for the week.

Instead of being irritated at his dad, Xander thought of it as additional exercise, which would fulfill his goal of not turning into a pudge.

A few weeks later, his mom started working in his grandfather's office. If Xander hadn't been prepared, what he found when he got home later that week would have shocked him. Sitting in their driveway was an old Dodge Caravan parked next to the pop-up camper. His dad had traded in his mom's car and used the money to buy his new acquisition.

Dinner that night was tense because his mother wasn't on board with his dad's vision of family camping trips. She also loved her old car, and being forced to drive a minivan gave her a soccer mom vibe that wasn't her. Not to mention, his dad had failed to discuss these purchases with her beforehand.

Xander kept his opinion to himself because the van would be his when he turned sixteen. It gave his mom an excuse to get something different for herself.

Knowing this, Xander planned to talk his dad into improvements that would benefit him. He went to his room to draw out what he had in mind.

On Sunday, after church, his dad lounged in a lawn chair with a cold beer while Xander did the yard work. Once he had put all the equipment away in the shed, Xander sat beside his dad.

"I think your idea of camping is great," Xander said to ease into his plan.

"Well, I'm glad someone does. I thought having some family time would be good."

Or, as Xander remembered it, hell. It always ended in a near-death experience or tears-sometimes both.

"I was thinking. You should make some improvements to the van."

His dad's eyes narrowed, which was never a good sign.

"What do you mean?"

"What if you took the third row out and converted it to a foldout bed? That way, you could invite some friends to join us," Xander said.

"What are you talking about?" his dad asked.

"Hang on. I drew up something that might work," Xander said, and ran into the house and grabbed the plans he'd sketched out.

He knew his dad's need to be right would kick in if he said anything, and Xander would regret even bringing the subject up. That was why he handed the plans to his dad and said he needed a shower. As Xander left, his dad had his head down, looking at the sketches.

Xander's dad had a couple of other characteristics Xander could exploit: he was a perfectionist, and it would be his idea if something ever came of it. That was why Xander hadn't put a lot of work into his design. His dad would take it and make it his own, which would end up being kick-ass. He just needed a nudge to come up with the idea.

Xander was having lunch with his friends: John Tyler, Steve Callahan, Mike Hendricks, Kevin Moore, Jake Dolton, and Kannon 'KJ' Johnston. From his past experience, he knew this was the group he should've hung out with his first time around.

John and Steve lived in the same subdivision as Pam and Kelly, so they rode his bus. That meant their parents were well off, and both were popular. Mike was the best athlete in the group, while Kevin was the biggest guy and the smartest. Jake lived on a farm, while KJ lived in town.

"There's a dance next week. Are any of you guys going to ask anyone?" John asked.

"It's a matter of logistics," Kevin said.

KJ scowled at smarty-pants. "Explain that in English."

"A proper date requires you to pick up and drop off your date. Who wants to be the guy that has their mommy drive them?" Kevin asked.

"Boys, let your Uncle Xander edumacate you," Xander said in his best Texas drawl.

Kevin flipped him off, which made Xander's day because his friend hated it when he launched into his good ol' Southern boy routine. The others knew it, too, and egged Xander on.

"Lay down your wisdom," Mike said solemnly.

"Until we gain some form of transportation, traditional dating is probably out of the question," Xander said.

"I wouldn't even know what to say to get a date," Steve said.

The funny part of that comment wasn't that Steve looked clueless about girls; it was that he claimed he'd scored with a girl at church camp the previous summer. Of course, Steve wouldn't reveal the girl's name because that was something you shouldn't do. Xander thought that if you believed Steve, he had a bridge to sell you.

Xander ignored the interruption, more for Steve's sake, because a couple of the guys were about to make smart comments that would embarrass the boy. He probably deserved it, but Xander was on a roll and didn't want the conversation sidelined by bickering.

"That means you ask the girl to meet you there. It solves the entire issue of having your mommy drive you," Xander said.

They all stared at him like a pack of puppies you told to sit and stay for the first time, with a lot of head tilting and vacant looks.

"First of all, Steve had a good point," Kevin said. "How would we go about asking a girl out? Then the big question is, what would we do with them at the dance?"

Xander looked around the table and saw a lot of nodding. Somehow, Kevin got away with asking questions that made it clear he was clueless about girls. Even with his experience, Xander wasn't the smoothest operator in that regard.

"I'll answer the second question first: you dance with them."

"Say ... say what?" KJ asked.

"Just what I said. Instead of you guys hanging out in a group playing grab-ass all night, you wander over to the girls and ask them to dance," Xander said.

"Is it me, or is he talking nonsense?" Jake asked.

Xander knew what they meant because every middle school dance he'd attended involved zero dancing. And if someone saw a guy dancing with a girl, that became everyone's primary topic for the next month. It earned the guy in question rock star status until everyone figured out the kid was full of it or that his mother had made him ask the girl to dance. It was a small town, so forget about trying to keep anything a secret.

"I'm not too sure about that," Kevin agreed.

"Okay," Xander said with a shrug. "I guess it's up to me to show you boys how this is done."

He stood up.

"What are you doing?" Mike asked.

"Watch and learn, boys," Xander said as he approached the Princesses' table.

Peggy spotted him coming and recognized something was up because everyone at his table was staring at Xander. She said something, and all the girls turned to look at him.

That caused all of Xander's thirteen-year-old insecurities to come to the forefront. He was suddenly the center of attention, still a scrawny kid who was about to ask the best-looking girl in their school to the dance. It took all of Xander's old self to calm himself down and remind him he didn't give a fuck if he got turned down or not. Just asking would make him a legend, so Xander took a deep breath and smiled.

"Pam? Would you do me the honor of meeting me at the dance next Friday?"

He held his breath for a beat until all the girls squealed, and Pam jumped up and gave him a bear hug followed by a kiss ... on the lips.

"Yes! I would love to be your date to the dance!" Pam announced to the entire lunchroom.

"We'll talk next week to hammer out the arrangements," Xander said.

He wandered back to his table, where the guys sat stunned. Then KJ broke the tension.

"Someone popped a boner."

Xander shrugged.

"First of all ... dude! People will start talking if they hear you're checking out guys' dicks," Xander said, causing a round of snickers. "Second, I just had the best set of tits at West Fork Middle School pressed against my chest. You can bet I'll be dancing with Pam if there's even the slightest chance of a repeat performance."

That shut them up because they had nothing to come back with. Xander's friends had thoughtful looks when the bell rang for their next class.