Part 6: A Correspondence

~~~~~

Dear Person,

It’s always nice to hear someone say they love you. But seeing as I have no idea who you are, I can’t actually say it back. I really am sorry for that.

And I hate funerals. There. Look at that. I’ve told you something about myself. Now could you reciprocate?

-Aderyn

P.S. If you wish for me to even THINK about trusting what you’re saying about Chris, you must give me good reason to.

She folded the letter and placed it in ‘their’ locker. She’d had enough of listening to random voices with the ‘ghost.’ The only reason she even trusted the ‘ghost’ in the first place was the uncanny instinct that it was right. And she usually trusted her instincts.

But for some reason, this letter person confused her. She had absolutely no feeling, good or bad, of his intentions.

Deciding that thinking about it more would only give her a headache, she moved on to Spanish.

~~~~~

Sarah kept glancing over at Aderyn with a very odd look on her face. After the third time, Aderyn glared back at her and whispered, rather loudly, “What?”

“Sorry,” Sarah whispered back, “It’s just...a lot to take in, you know?”

“Ahem,” Mr. Junker said pointedly in their direction in an attempt to get them to stop conversing with each other and listen to him. As if that would actually ever happen. It was a minor annoyance, though, as they had to write down their conversation now. Slowed them down.

So what are you going to do now? Sarah scribbled.

We’ve been through this. I’m going to find the ass who killed my mom and clear my father’s name, Aderyn replied.

Sarah rolled her eyes. Yes, I am aware that is the plan, but how are you going about completing it?

Oh, I see. Very simple. Find out who wrote the note.

And how do you do that? Sarah was starting to get a tad impatient. She wanted to go DO something to help. But these plans of action were rather vague....

That’s a very good question, Miss Watson.

Oh, am I Watson now?

Of course. You’re the sidekick. And you’ve got to call me Holmes. Or Sherlock. Whichever you so prefer.

Sarah couldn’t help but laugh a little. Clearly neither of them liked to keep things too tense for too long. Alright then. So, Sherlock, where shall we begin?

I don’t know. You’re not expecting me to be all brilliant and think like Holmes, are you? Because I haven’t read the novels.

Neither have I.

Well then, we’ll make up our own method. I think it should begin with you going and getting us some scones. Holmes was British, right? And the British like scones.

They do. I shall. How about just after school today? We can feed our brains as they storm.

Sounds good to me. See you then. Are you going to come on the bus or go home first?

I’ll go home first. I’ve got to pick up the scones, don’t I?

Aderyn nodded and smiled. Sarah was so great.

~~~~~

As the locker creaked open, Aderyn found herself wishing for there to be a reply. It was unrealistic, as she’d gone straight there after Spanish. This mystery person wouldn’t have had time to drop anything off.

But clearly she was wrong, as there was a piece of paper waiting patiently for her to pick it up. How did he do that? She didn’t give it any more thought, but opened the paper instead.

I hope that you are able to avoid that particular hate of yours.

On a lighter note, I like sushi. It’s very good with some soy and some pickled ginger. Plus some wasabi to give it a little kick.

Tell me something you like as well.

Love,

An Admirer

This guy was insane. Who liked sushi? Granted, she’d never tried it, but the thought of stuffing raw fish into her mouth was the opposite of appetizing. But then, her first message that day had been a little odd as well, telling him she liked funerals and demanding personal information and all. She scribbled a quick note back to him and shoved it into the locker.

Admirer,

I enjoy writing things down. I keep a journal of everything that happens to me. It’s sort of a way to document my life. With the memory that I’ve got, it’s always good to have something in writing. I often forget things.

As telling as your love for sushi is (insert sarcasm here), I am no closer to trusting you. I need proof.

-Aderyn

~~~~~

Addy,

You want proof? I have no solid evidence at the moment, but I do have a story. You can choose whether to believe it or not.

A year or so ago, I met this girl. And I was absolutely, over the top, head-over-heels, madly in love with her. She had this gorgeous red hair that waved down her back just so, and her blue eyes always managed to catch whatever light was in the room. (Do not roll your eyes at this letter like that. It may sound sappy, but I promise you, I am not normally so sensitive. This girl just...did that to me. Made me all poetic. And stop racking your brain for a name. You wouldn’t know her. She does not go to our school.)

Anyway, to continue with the actual story, I desperately wanted to go out with this girl. After many months of sweaty palms and shaking hands and girly high-pitched voices when I stood near her, I finally mustered up the courage to ask her to the movies. And, joy of all joys, she accepted. You have no idea how happy it made me. Well...I suppose you may, having declared yourself in love with Chris. So, for then, all was flowers and sunshine in my world.

But then, after we’d been going out for around six weeks and decided we were going to be serious and all that, I made the stupid mistake of going to the movies one Saturday with my friends instead of her. We hadn’t had any plans together; she was allegedly going to some wedding with her family. But when I arrived at the movies, I saw that she was not at a wedding (though what she was doing with the other guy in the back of that movie hall may have required her to have her own little shotgun wedding sometime in the future).

She’d just been using me the whole time. Because her parents had approved. They’d not liked the guy I caught her with, and she needed a decoy. I wonder WHY they hadn’t liked him....

Alas, my heart had been broken in two by this little red-haired bitch. And, let me tell you, it was not a pleasant experience.

So I know what it’s like to be broken by someone. And I simply do not want the same thing to happen to someone I love. That is why you should trust what I say about Chris. I can’t give you specifics, but let’s just say the situations are not too far apart.

Wow, you’re right. This writing thing is a very good idea. Granted, I haven’t had a problem remembering it on my own, but it feels good to write things down. I am terribly sorry if this story had offended, annoyed, or bored you in any way. But here it is.

And, for the record, I never said I LOVED sushi. But it is good.

-Me

~~~~~

You,

Wow. Just, wow. That sucks. I still haven’t decided whether I believe you or not, let alone whether I’m going to trust you, but it still sucks. If it happened, I offer you my sympathies.

But how did you know Chris and I have exchanged ‘I love you’s?’ Sarah doesn’t even know that, and I tell her just about everything.

And don’t call me Addy. You don’t get to do that yet.

I suppose you’d like another piece of information about me. Um...I live with my older sister Devi. Both my mother and my father are unable to take care of us. Do not bother asking why; you will not get a response to that question. It’s a waste of your ink and your time.

-Aderyn

~~~~~

Addy,

Thank you. You don’t need to feel TOO sorry for me, though. She ended up with herpes, and the information was somehow posted in her school. And not even by me. Clearly the fates had their own little revenge in mind.

And it’s completely obvious to just about everyone that you and Chris are ‘in love’. Do you think no one sees when you mouth it to each other across the halls? It’s sickening.

I’m sorry about your parents, whatever happened with them. (Not asking. I promise.)

In my family, we’ve got both parents, but they like to ignore us a little bit. They’re not neglectful or anything, but they always seem to have something else on their mind. Big important doctor-type things. (They’re both doctors, in case you were wondering.) They have very little tolerance for those who do not know what myocardial infarction is.

I’ve also got a baby sister, Mya. Seven months old. She’s absolutely adorable. So if it wins me any points, I do know how to take care of a baby. Feeding, burping, changing, all of that. I heard somewhere that girls really like that. If you don’t, well, you know it now anyway.

-Me

~~~~~

You,

I TOLD you not to call me Addy. Stop it.

I shall write to you tomorrow. The bell is ringing.

Oh, and your baby sister sounds really cute.

-Aderyn

~~~~~

Sarah plopped in front of Aderyn, who was sitting at her kitchen table and staring at the clue without actually looking at it anymore. She was just sort of gazing off into space.

“Hello. I bring you scones,” she said brightly, breaking Aderyn out of her trance.

“Oh. Hi,” she replied, shaking her trance to help herself come back to reality.

“Whatcha thinking about?”

“I was looking at the note…the handwriting looks a little familiar.”

“Familiar as in yay, you know whose it is?”

“Familiar as in I KNOW I’ve seen it somewhere before but cannot for the life of me remember where.” Aderyn’s voice was starting to pick up in volume in frustration.

“Relax,” Sarah said, noticing that a nice little mental breakdown would not be far if her friend continued at this level of intense thinking. She’d witnessed one before. They were not pretty.

By this time, Aderyn was pacing back and forth near her seat. “But it’s so CLOSE. Right on the tip of my brain. I recognize that handwriting. Gah!”

While Aderyn continuted pacing, Sarah picked up the message and examined the script for herself. “I haven’t seen this before, but I must say that this writing is rather pretty. I like the little swoops they do at the end of each word. But it still looks like a guy’s handwriting. I’m not sure why...it just seems sort of angular and masculine even with the swoops.” Sarah tilted her head to get a different view as she thought.

Aderyn interrupted her friend’s ramblings. “OH! I think I may know where I’ve seen it before!” She grabbed the note from Sarah’s hand, being careful not to tear it, and dashed out the front door. She barely paused long enough to slip into her shoes and grab a coat.

Sarah stood up looking at the closed doorway in shock. That had been rather sudden.

“Aderyn! Wait for me, dammit! You can’t go into Sherlock mode without your Watson!”