You & I - 12. Chapter 12

To Watson,

I was gone long before school let out on Friday. I guess you could say it is a little weird considering I'm supposed to be the geeky one, and you're assumed to be the jock. Somehow, it's amusing to see the roles reversed. Currently, it's Monday, so I didn't get to read your letter until this morning. Nevertheless, yeah, I've known for a while that the teachers move the mailboxes daily. I presume you could say you know how the notes get transferred so quickly now.

Over the weekend, my family and I went to an old Heritage Museum to do with the old railroad. The experience was delightful, and I must say I didn't think I'd enjoy it thoroughly as much as I did. My dad is into all that kind of stuff. Therefore, I more or less went for his sake. It ended up being a lovely day out with the family and on the way back we got shakes at McDonald's which are my favorite sort of milkshakes; drove home and watched The Avengers.

Thankfully my folks don't drill me about having to get a summer job. I should inquire at the library to see if they have any openings for volunteers. I could do with getting out of the house for a while during the summertime because not a lot happens when summer break comes. I find that I am locked continuously inside when everyone else is outside enjoying the sunshine. Holiday time should always be about soaking up the sun and lounging in the water. I can't agree with you enough, that's what makes summer unique. Imagine going swimming in the Potomac River in the dead of winter. The moment you'll pull yourself from its treacherous waters you'll freeze like an instantaneous popsicle.

Touché, I reckon we would all love to live in California equally. I wouldn't mind if I either lived in California or Florida. Both of them are pretty warm. If I were to take one over the other, I'd probably take California because they don't experience anything as significant as hurricanes. I never looked at the rain as something special, but now that you actually mention it I think it's pretty cool. I have never been outside in the pouring rain like you see in all those Hollywood movies were the actor tilts their head up to the drenching sky and is showered.

Bummer; sorry to hear that your weekend has been altered by ensuing practice. I hope to discover in the next letter how your weekend went. Let me know if the basketball practice ran according to plan or if it failed miserably. It sounds like you're hesitant to let someone else take your chance. I would to if I was given the opportunity to shine. Only if you give up on something so close to the finish line. I don't think you were ever destined to fulfill that role. Sticking with it through thick and thin takes guts. I guarantee if the rest of your team recognized how you're feeling about the pressure being placed on you they'd understand. Perhaps asking for help; some pointers is not as far off in the distance as it initially might appear. If they are your friends, they will know the signs surely. Will, they actually mouth you off if you lost by accident?

As far as the condition goes with getting stuck with my cousin, yes. Everywhere I go, I seem to be appointed to the position of a personal babysitter. I can relate to what you said that your mom is forcing you to drag your little brother everywhere with you. If it's not too much to ask; is your brother Jordan attending our school or is he in a different school?

I'm sure your little brother, Jordon, looks up to you. I'd bet he won't open his mouth about anything. I assume there could be some sort of mutual understanding between both of you. I understand that if I had a little brother and he had secrets, I'd recognize the power of the brotherly bond. It would work more or less as an acquaintanceship. If you didn't see me, I didn't see you.

Yikes, I can see why you scratched out the statement about the lifeguard. If it were me writing this letter, I probably would have restarted the note all over again but after all an old strikethrough knows best. Sure… Lifeguards are "hospitable."

I haven't gone swimming in a long time where I was actually able to go down a slide with someone else. I spend most of my time in the water doing laps up and down the pool. I surmise you're a little bit more free-spirited when it comes to fun. Personally, I keep my head down and focus primarily on increasing my lengths and my speed. Fun I think ended when I got into swimming more than just a pastime. I can't say however I have hit my head off the floor of the pool. I hope your friend Coren was all right. Plus, I believe everyone hates after they exit a swimming pool. The 10 minutes that you run around trying to get all your personal belongings out of the locker, dried and dressed, I believe is up there with the 7 AM school shower in the dead of winter.

Even though I don't attend sporting events, I heard the first thing Sunday morning that the Tigers had a defeat. I'm sorry to hear about that. Yeah, I should have figured that you'd be turning up for the occasion without being asked. Still, even if they were beaten, they still hold the respect of the locals and the school. I am sure the Tigers will succeed the next time around. Do you think your brother will follow in your footsteps for the team? I'd personally love if I had a little brother or perhaps someday, a son or daughter of my own to follow the path I had once at one point. I don't know there is a tingly feeling that comes from the notion every time I think about it now. It almost makes me feel proud, honored even if something like that ever happened.

In connection with your job; count your lucky stars, I saw the potential… I kid, of course.

I could have had a whale of a time with your coffee, but now since it's all but long gone, I guess I'll never know. Correct you did clarify that I could drink it, but it would be poisoned. Wow, where is the fun in that? I must live to a healthy age in order to solve all the crimes which are striking the city off guard. How is a good cup of Joe going to help me anyway if I'm 6 feet under? Perhaps I do know a way now if you were to become a King; I'd brew a lovely vat of coffee. You may have at it to see what happens. I place a wager on the outcome. Either you'll cough up more blood than anything else and drown in your own blood. Or two: you barf up a kidney that life will not be worth living after witnessing such cruel infidelity.

I vote for the sticky note's neon sign thingy… I require you to come into work on Tuesday morning dressed like those guys from Home Alone, where after Kevin, lets loose a contraption with a load of pillow feathers on the two thugs. However, I am not one of those workaholics who sleep on the job and pretend they are, in fact, working. Except, I should give you a raise effective immediately for looking out for your boss.

I look forward to plenty of free time per calendar month.

Oh, okay, a banshee sounds fantastic then. Theoretically is that all it does; it arrives in the middle of the night and steals men who are begging for it away. Seems like a pretty horrible way to go if you ask me. Again, from what I hear, all Irish people are drunk, so I suppose if you are smashed, being able to say no is not an option. I'll make sure from now on whenever I go to sleep, I'll close my windows. The Maryland Summers should be enough to render me useless by first light, due to the lack of fresh air.

Let's both agree that we'll never speak of yodeling again. My cousin was using my PlayStation during the weekend. Somehow when I logged onto YouTube, there plain as day in my suggestions, was the yodeling Walmart kid. And for the last two days, the blooming kid has been harassing me in the suggestions panel of YouTube. In the off chance, I should've taken you up on your offer to hear you sing. You may never know; you could have had the voice of a choir boy.

Well, there goes my breakfast. I genuinely thought you would've saved me no questions asked. I understand heights may not be your best point, but, hey at least I won't be hanging for long. I guess we'll see which takes longer: the point where you realize that you need to save me or the millisecond I give way from the ledge. I have some hope of surviving considering you just said that you would crawl to the edge of the cliff to save me.

About garnering 10 years worth of filing material, that is why you have a secretary; they are the ones who are thought to keep everything in check and balance. While I'm off gallivanting about the city, you should be at the office placing index cards in the new filing cabinet that we recently purchased using the taxpayer money.

Yes, I heard about the movie and apparently, it's okay. It's not really my thing. However, I reckon it is a new experience, and new encounters are always worthwhile. I hope you enjoyed the film' whatever it is about. Come Monday, don't let some wisecrack slip back my way concerning my statement. The caption on IMDb states that the character is a guy called Simon Spier, and he has a huge secret: he's gay. Sounds like it's going to be a massive deal in the gay community, for anyone who is gay. Or whatever they call it... I have lost count of how many different names they have for every subgroup within the crowd.

Your little brother Jordan sounds like he can be quite a handful. I politely detest. Do you know how that looks on paper? If you don't even want him, then what in God's name thinks I'm going to want the nuisance. I'd say it would be pretty lonely without the constant privacy interruptions. I surmise you'd get used to little things that other people take for granted.

Still, I love your representation of brotherly love. Gave me a giggle sure; surprised you haven't invented a little competition between the two of you to see who can knock out the greater number of teeth within the given year.

I reckon it's nice to be able to say that... Being able to say that you're a big brother. And when you feel like it' you can just approach your little bro, ask him to hang out, kick a ball around for a little bit. I guess not many people would look at it the same way, but siblings are peculiar things. I hope you got to get Jordan off the cell phone or iPad or whatever electronic device he was caught up in. I find that nearly every bonding situation these days take place over one of the following.

You either meet up with friends or family, exchange pleasantries over a social alcoholic drink. Ideally, the other way of going about it is over a lovely meal, or McDonald's quick-fix; of which half the table's attention is drawn to cellphones, where the chit-chat fades into a bland nothingness until nobody is talking, and all consumed by the virtual reality.

I'm wary now. I'll never be the same if I witnessed you reenacting Norman Bates. At least you caught onto the no cliché thing; being new is incredible. Yeah, and I hope you got to see the movie Disturbia. Let me know what you thought of it if you actually did get to see it.

Good to know that you won't be one of those kids who just turn up for the sake of it and then disappear after hours. I'll hold you to that, that is if we ever do meet. There is some sense in what you say. The human population acts a lot smarter than we actually are. We believe we have all the answers figured. We are deemed to be the most versatile species there is. Yet I still have problems trying to figure out what I'm eating for lunch on a daily basis.

Reasonably one day we will all but be a story of what once was. Just like Moby Dick, The Kraken, or religion. Humans have a common misconception of complicating things, to further oneself when it is not necessary. Robots are going to outdo us. For once it would be nice if everyone just slowed down, enjoyed the moment that's around them, and understand that not everything has to be a challenge, question or race.

I get what you mean by your friends catching you. In no way do you have to feel obligated to write back to me. If it takes a couple of days for a reply, I'll understand. All I ask is that you don't forget about me.

Until later,

From,

Sherlock.