Propel
There was one thing Kris could drink no matter what.
Berry-flavored Propel was the best thing he had ever tasted. No one really understood, but that was okay by Kris.
On long road-trips with his family, Daniel would get Mountain Dew and drive everyone insane with his hyper ways and the way he screamed at the Game Boy whenever Mario died jumping into a hole. It put everyone's nerves on edge.
Like right now. His parents and him and Daniel were supposed to be on some educational trip to see Mount Rushmore. But really, who wanted to visit South Dakota anyway? There were plenty of other cooler places Kris could think of to visit.
"Don't you think going to see president's heads carved into rock is kinda weird?" Daniel asked.
Kris rolled his eyes. 8-year-olds were so lame. It had been an hour since they stopped at a gas station to fill up the car. An hour, and Daniel hadn't stopped talking about totally useless things that nobody cared about.
"Only you think that, Dan," Kris quipped. It helped that he was two years older. Because it usually meant that Daniel would listen when Kris told him to stop talking so much. But not this time.
"Why do they even call it Mount Rushmore?" Daniel asked. "Why not, Mount President-Face?"
"Daniel, be respectful," Neil admonished lightly.
"Sorry, but I'm wondering."
Kris took a long sip of his Propel.
"Why do they call it Propel, anyway?"
Narrowing his eyes at his brother, Kris lowered his voice. "Annoy me again, and just watch how far I propel you out of this car..." he promised.
Daniel laughed like a hyena. "You can't propel me anywhere! You're like a stick-person!"
"Boys, come on now!" Kim insisted. "That's enough. Now, let's play a game."
Kris groaned, and slouched in his seat. Of course, Daniel thought it was the greatest idea ever.
"Okay! What game? But I'm not playing with Kristopher! He cheats!"
"Once upon a time there was a family on vacation...and then..." Kim looked at Daniel.
"And then they went to Disney World and rode all the rides...and then..." he pointed to their dad in the driver's seat.
"...And Mama and Daddy had to take long naps after that," he grinned in the rearview mirror, raising his eyebrows at Kris.
"...And while they were gone, I stayed at home and watched TV, and had all the ice cream and junk food I wanted! And then I played all Daniel's video games and beat them all!"
"No fair!" Daniel objected, taking another long drink of his Mountain Dew.
"Your face is no fair," Kris quipped.
"All right. Hand it over," Neil ordered, motioning for the unnaturally huge 20 oz bottle that Daniel had bought. "One of us needs to stay awake to drive, and one of us needs to take a nap..."
"You are too wound up, and too loud," Kim admonished. "And Kristopher, if I hear you antagonizing your brother again, you're going to wish you'd stayed home."
"Yes, ma'am," Kris nodded, and looked out the window, to block out the sound of his brother carrying on.
Then, he drank his Propel in silence. But he made sure that Daniel could see just how much he was enjoying it.