Ian had lugged the gas can, and his now huge looking pants, nearly halfway back to his car, when a Ford P.O.S. pulled up along side him and a voice called out.
"Hey, didja see a pair of pants along here!?"
Ian looked up to find the face from the i.d. looking at him.
"HOLY CRAP! You look like ME!" shouted the face, voice cracking slightly.
Ian felt his own mouth hanging open.
"Hey, what was that bro? Wow! He looks just like you!" came another, deeper and older sounding voice from the driver's seat. A tanned guy, maybe a high school senior, was leaning over and staring out the window. This guy's jaw was a bit squarer, his hair a bit darker and longer, yet looked enough like the kid that he was obviously an older brother. Kyle's older brother.
"I... yeah, uhm," Ian started, mind scrambling to come up with something which made sense. "Er, how did you lose a pair of pants?"
Not that Ian really cared-- well, okay, so he was a bit curious-- but mostly he wanted to stall for time.
The boy reddened.
"Kyle here got pants-ed by Kurt," his older brother explained, then seemed to realize that his brother's apparent twin probably had no idea what that meant. "Kurt's the school bully. Kyle was at the park, Kurt pulled off his pants and tossed them somewhere along here. Hey, if you see him, you'd better head the other way. For some reason his got it in for my little bro this week."
It looked like they were preparing to depart.
"Wait! I did find your wallet!" Ian announced, holding out the wallet. "Can't say what happened to your pants. Uhm, could you give me a lift back to my car?"
Kyle anxiously grabbed the wallet.
"Hey! Thanks!" the kid announced almost shouting. He eagerly verified its contents. "Sure, hop in!"
His older brother grumbled something about "my car", but didn't object as Ian pulled open the passenger side back door.
Kyle turned around in his seat and looked at Ian.
"You're really sixteen?!" he asked, sounding impressed.