Mark regretted loaning Richard his jacket. His twin brother was bigger, stronger, and, let's face it, a knucklehead. Granted, being a small teenager, Mark felt reassured that the high school football captain had his back, but right now he wanted to wring his twin's muscular neck. As the twins walked home in the dark, Mark reflected on the course of the evening.
"Hey, can I wear your new jacket?" Richard had asked, holding up a light-weight white jacket that had the crinkly appearance of being made out of paper.
Before Mark could reply Richard had already slipped it on. Being oversize it fit him fine despite being quite a bit bigger than Mark. Richard admired the jacket in Mark's mirror.
"I look like a cool wad of toilet paper!" remarked Richard smoothing back his hair.
Mark snorted. He had taken the bus all the way to the mall in Seattle to buy that jacket with money he'd saved for months. It was so trendy. Far trendier than anything in his twin's wardrobe which consisted of nothing but athletic clothes.
"Fine," replied Mark relenting. "But don't you dare get it dirty or tear it. It's super fragile."
The twins left the house and joined a group of friends hanging out by the lake. There wasn't much to do in rural Washington in the late '80's. It was spring and far too cold to swim. Someone had a boom box and a few cassette tapes.
Richard stood with some boys at the end of a dock horsing around. "Ugh, Duran, Duran," Richard wrinkled his nose. "The band that recorded no good songs ever!" That got him a few snickers from some of the other guys.
Mark was sitting on a blanket on the shore with some girls talking. His twin's comment irritated him. Duran Duran was one of his favorite bands.
Suddenly a flurry of movement on the dock caught Mark's eye. He looked up in time to see his twin push their friend Steve backwards while Steve was standing on the edge of the dock. As Steve started to lose his balance and fall backwards towards the water, he reached out towards Richard and grabbed the jacket. He caught hold of the collar and, as he fell, the fine fabric on both sides of the zipper gave way.
Steven landed with a splash holding a fistful of white jacket in his hand. Richard looked down at his brother's ruined coat.
"Richard!!!!" screamed Mark.
