The drive up to the cabin would be four hours long, so Mark's family came by to pick me up before dawn on Friday—even earlier than my mom got up for work. I'd packed my duffel the night before, so I was ready to go as soon as Mark knocked on the door.

Other than going places with my mom, and one-day sleepovers at Mark's house, I'd never been away from home for three days. I'd be like Mark's brother for three days. I told Mark that, too, as soon as we started driving. His mom and dad had music and news playing in the front so that we could talk privately in the back.

He seemed to like that idea.

"And you know what?" I asked him, playfully nudging him.

"What?'

"I'm a month older than you, making me the big brother."

He looked at me, "But you look like a little brother. A real little brother."

I used to get mad at short jokes, but I was over it. If there was one thing that Mark taught me, it wasn't to take everything so seriously.

"Plus, I'm in charge, remember," he said.

"The big brother is always in charge," I kidded him, "so you better not make me mad."

Then Mark leaned over to me, suddenly serious, whispering, "I mean it."

I was sitting next to weird Mark again.

He sat up straight again and looked out the window on his side.

I kept staring at him, looking for a sign that this was a big joke.  

But it wasn't.

I didn't talk to him for a while and just looked out the window as the sun slowly rose. He had his earbuds on and was listening to music anyway. My mom still hadn't gotten me a phone, but I didn't mind. She couldn't afford it, and I knew about cyberbullying. 

I hoped this was one of those times when he got his weirdness out of his system and returned to being friendly again.

After driving for an hour, we stopped for breakfast at a fast food place. Everything seemed to be back to normal, and Mark told me about the hiking trails near the cabin and how they go on for miles all around the lake. 

"You can spend the whole day just taking the trails around the lake and back to the cabin."

"Just bring your lunch," his dad added, which made Mark and his mom laugh. I figured it was some joke between them.

When we got up to leave, I headed for the bathroom. Mark went with me. When I opened the door, I realized it was one of the single-person ones. I was about to tell him I would go first, but instead, he pushed us both in and closed the door.

"What are you doing? It's for one person!"

He locked the door.

"I'm in charge," he told me.

"I was trying to be funny," I told him, "Let me go to the bathroom."

Instead, he peed, then washed his hands.

"Can you leave so I can go to the bathroom now?"

He went up to me with his touch attitude and looked down, "You can go when we get up there."

"That makes no sense. I have to go now. Stop it."

"I'm in charge," he repeated.

"Fine, you're in charge. Can I pee now?"

"I said, wait until we get up there."

Someone knocked on the door.

"We're not going to get there for hours. I can't wait."

"I'm in charge. You want me to tell my parents that you're too much of a baby and want to go home?"

The person knocked again.

"I'll tell your parents you won't let me pee," I told him.

"No, you won't. Let's get back to the car."

He opened the door and pushed me out in front of him as the other guy walked in.

"I'm in charge," he whispered again.

I realized then that not only was I stuck with the mean Mark, but he was the same Mark that had ruined the entire school year for me.

But somehow, he forgot I wasn't the same kid I was at the beginning of summer. No matter what he thought, he wasn't in charge of me, especially when I could go to the bathroom.

We walked back to his car, where his parents were already waiting. I let Mark get in on his side, and then I said to his mom, "I'll be right back; I have to go to the bathroom."

It would have been weird for him to get out again and run after me, so he stayed where he was.

When I got back to the car, he glared at me like I was going to really get it from him. I hadn't seen that look since school, but I didn't care anymore.

I promised myself that I wouldn't let him push me around anymore.

Not this weekend.

And not ever.