life @ 23, chapter 3 (Age 20, epistolary)
Jan. 7th, 2008 02:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wellownedbkuplife @ 23
Chapter 3: 20
Dear Daniel,
Well, I was trying to hand write you a letter. But it was in fountain pen (cause I’m such a pen person. Fountain pens are gravy and I used to know how to do calligraphy a bit and yeah… but it’s not exactly legible on lined paper and stuff…) and just all wonky, so we won’t go there. How are you all? Well, I hope. Just wanted to know how things are going with you. Especially since this is like… the third time I’ve tried to start this letter. Do you realize how hard it is to write a letter when you don’t really remember what’s been going on lately?
Here, everything’s going quietly, or will be soon. Some friends drove in from North Carolina, a seven hour drive, for the weekend at the end of November. That Friday, we played flag football. Ever tried it? American football, but supposed to be less contact because to end a play, you pull off a velcro’d tab on your hip. Yeah… it doesn’t end up being less contact because some guys here are all competition. Had a bruise on my arm for two weeks… and ached for a week. It was fun though. All the way ‘til my team lost. Ah well… it was really too cold to play anyway. After we lost, we went bowling. They just passed a smoking ban, so it’s gotten better to go later in the evening. I’m a terrible bowler, but I bowled pretty well. Coupla strikes, coupla spares. Considering I haven’t been bowling since once this summer (and before that, probably the summer before…), that’s pretty cool. Can you bowl?? It’s fun… if you aren’t looking for competition. Like I said, guys here are all having to prove their manhood or something. And the girls don’t do much, so it ends up being me, my cousin Celestina and occasionally my sister doing everything (though my sis didn’t play football… which blows. She’s got the better arm for it…). But whatever. We bowled and had a blast, it being the first time that group had been together in two years…
Then… the next day, we all went out together, and ended up splitting the group into two: the couples and the single people. How sad. All the couples (pregnant and married or otherwise) didn’t feel like going to play laser tag. So all the single people went off to play laser tag. I was a body shield for Ceelie by the second game so she got first and I got tenth (out of 48, which makes us both top 25%... not bad…). Of course, Our Annoyingly Loud Friend wasn’t there to brag and claim it was a fluke that she won. Well… with me taking all the shots that were aimed at her, I guess she would have to win then… I’m not complaining. It was fun.
And to keep the fun going, we went and played cards at a friend’s house. I guess it all worked out well, cause we didn’t have to chaperone some kind of love fest (sorry… but it’s not pretty to sit and watch a whole bunch of kissing and such when what you’re supposed to be doing is shooting pool or something. Besides, as couples, they have resigned themselves to lives of boredom instead of going—‘yes, another person to go have fun with!’ If I ever get married… I swear I’m never going to be a bum like that. I will be brave and go out. If I get married.).
Family dinner that Sunday, which was one of the noisiest ones yet. I’ll forgive it though. It was good to be back with family.
Other than that… it’s been quiet. Finals. Which weren’t as bad as I was going to make them out to be. Well… except for Medieval Europe. Didn’t study, didn’t go to class, didn’t pass the final. So much for cramming. It was impossible to do. But I think I passed all the same, so I guess it was alright. Didn’t have any kind of final in swimming or water fitness (hah. Like you could actually test water fitness….), and piano was today [the… 7th. Yep. The 7th.] and not hard in the least. She said I needed to play louder, but my timing is good, and I can actually play according to the music. YES! I ACTUALLY LEARNED SOMETHING NEW AT SCHOOL. See me be thrilled.
Having fun yet? I’m a babbler. I don’t do short letters. I talk about everything. Except… yeah. I have like nothing to talk about now. I’m trying not to listen to me because then I’ll delete the letter and you’ll never get it. Or maybe you would. I dunno.
Um… everyone here says hello. They may not have met you yet, but they like you. They’d love for you and Rafael to come visit. ‘Specially cause British cash spends better here than American cash over there. Cost of living being lower here. And we’re all cheap/broke/lame, so we do lots of free stuff in the summer. Thus the partying all the time. Ish. [We don’t really party all the time. But if there’s a free hard floor that holds maybe four couples or more, it’s a card-slash-dance-party. But… yeah. There ya go. We don’t have a place right now. So no parties by us. But other friends’ll hold it so we’ll go there.]
I’m still babbling, aren’t I? I thought I’d try to cover everything in one go. But that’s like… three weeks worth… two months worth of stuff. I dunno. So, this is what I’m like in emails and letters. Now you know. If you write back, I’ll write back. I babble… which means I end up talking your ear off. But in person, I don’t. How about that?
Ok. So… um… I’m going now. You’ve got my love and thoughts.
As always,
So.
Hey Sophie,
The months are flying by, and I guess we’re just alike in that I can’t seem to start a letter to you that doesn’t sound pants. Including this one. Know that I had the best of intentions.
I started lessons for driving. I don’t have a car as yet, a sentiment I know you understand, but I’m saving up for it as we speak. It will probably put my trip across the pond rather later than we had first thought, but know that it is all for a good cause. The lessons are really quite scary, even for me! The instructor always seems to be bellowing at me for forgetting one thing or another. I’m tempted to just give up the car and keep my bike.
Natasha sends her love, and asks that I give her new email address to you, as she’s lost yours. She and Blaine are… well. They are seeing each other a lot more now. It’s become a lot like what you wrote: “some kind of love fest … to sit and watch a whole bunch of kissing and such when what you’re supposed to be doing is shooting pool or something.” Were they dating when you were here last? I don’t remember if you knew anything about it. Don’t say anything to Natasha if she wants to tell you herself. I just couldn’t remember.
Tell your family that my mum and I send our love. I really wish I’d gotten to see more of you when you were here. Life here isn’t quite as I planned, is it? My friends are kind of being a drag. My mum’s not feeling quite well. And you were, if nothing else, a good change of pace.
Maybe I shouldn’t call you that, but I don’t know how else to call you a breath of fresh air.
All my love,
Daniel
Oh Danny boy,
One of these days, I’m going to reply to you quicker by letter, instead of falling into that emailing trap. Forwarded games and surveys that have been written out by … well, god knows how many people.
Grrr…. Ok, if I don’t quit having typos, I’m going to throw a fit. I keep typing apostrophes where they don’t belong. It might be because it’s half past ugly in the morning, I haven’t been getting the sleep that I need and I’m such a total slacker that I haven’t finished my homework yet. Not that you needed to know that, but it’s just something that has been on my mind for the past half an hour.
I don’t know if I emailed you my plans, but you know how the plan was for a trip this summer to see you again? Ha. Yeah, about that. So it’s not going to be this summer. Things have come up, mostly with a lack of funds on my part. Gran’s being a little difficult, and has basically given me a Do Not Pass Go card. Can’t stay there for now because of some things she’s going through. *sigh* C’est la vie. I can’t worry about it too much.
So, not this summer. Next summer?? At least, that’s going to be the new plan. :D Me and Ceelie. Celestine. My cousin? I’ve told you about her, right? She’s like… the greatest little cousin I could ever have. She likes a lot of the same stuff I do, without it being creepy. She’s been dying to travel overseas for ages and ages. Just was too young to do it. She still is, technically. But she won’t be after this year.
So what does your car look like anyway?? It would’ve been all bad to come back and have to beg a ride off your handlebars! Imagine me sitting there…. WOULDN’T HAPPEN. I don’t think I even did that with my sister when we were younger. I can totally see myself riding there for all of two seconds before falling off and bouncing down some hill as you traipse off down the road. Definitely not cool. But, dude, so jealous of you having a car before me. I’ve been driving for two years and still haven’t gotten a car yet. No fair you should go six months and have it together. *pouts*
Kidding, sorta. Hahah.
Meanwhile, nothing doing here. Summer’s gotten to be one of my laziest times of the year. Right up there with cold winters inside, rainy spring days inside, and uh… brisk fall days inside. Ha. I’ve been working my butt off, in that completely *not* way. At any rate, I’m getting paid, and saving up for next summer (at least), so that I can come and stay the summer again. Maybe I’ll make it an every 2 year thing. Give me a year to save up.
Like I said though, I’m just working a bunch. Just got back from a week at the beach with family. The whole kit and caboodle went to Virginia at the beginning of June. It was still cold and rainy and totally not beach weather. Or, at least, not what I though beach weather was. I thought it was supposed to be pert near tropical—sunny, hot, hazy, sparkly blue. Instead, we got thunderstorms and clouds, a couple of sliced feet on broken shells, and the noisiest bunch of family EVER. God, you would’ve loved to have been there. I’ll tell you the next time we plan to go, so you can enjoy it too. My family, to put it in a nutshell, is crazy fun.
I’m babbling again,right? I’ve never actually gotten the concept of telling anyone what’s really up in my letters. I should be glad you love me so much. No one else puts up with me going on and on about nothing quite like you do. *kissy noise* Ha ha.
Oo, speaking of kissy noises, how’s it going with Tasha and Blaine? Haven’t heard from either of them in about a month. I keep meaning to ask, but it slips my mind just as quick. D: Not cool, I know. I’m such a bad friend. Forgive me?
Always,
So
Dearest Danny,
Scratch that on the summer kick. Looks like it’ll be a little later than that. Maybe in the fall?? Don’t let me forget to write you everything I’ve got planned. It’s me and Celeste, so prepare to have your hometown invaded for at least a weekend by the two Americans.
Give my love to everyone, and I’ll get a real letter off to you as soon as I’ve got a minute to get my brain together.
All my love,
Soph
Chapter 3: 20
Dear Daniel,
Well, I was trying to hand write you a letter. But it was in fountain pen (cause I’m such a pen person. Fountain pens are gravy and I used to know how to do calligraphy a bit and yeah… but it’s not exactly legible on lined paper and stuff…) and just all wonky, so we won’t go there. How are you all? Well, I hope. Just wanted to know how things are going with you. Especially since this is like… the third time I’ve tried to start this letter. Do you realize how hard it is to write a letter when you don’t really remember what’s been going on lately?
Here, everything’s going quietly, or will be soon. Some friends drove in from North Carolina, a seven hour drive, for the weekend at the end of November. That Friday, we played flag football. Ever tried it? American football, but supposed to be less contact because to end a play, you pull off a velcro’d tab on your hip. Yeah… it doesn’t end up being less contact because some guys here are all competition. Had a bruise on my arm for two weeks… and ached for a week. It was fun though. All the way ‘til my team lost. Ah well… it was really too cold to play anyway. After we lost, we went bowling. They just passed a smoking ban, so it’s gotten better to go later in the evening. I’m a terrible bowler, but I bowled pretty well. Coupla strikes, coupla spares. Considering I haven’t been bowling since once this summer (and before that, probably the summer before…), that’s pretty cool. Can you bowl?? It’s fun… if you aren’t looking for competition. Like I said, guys here are all having to prove their manhood or something. And the girls don’t do much, so it ends up being me, my cousin Celestina and occasionally my sister doing everything (though my sis didn’t play football… which blows. She’s got the better arm for it…). But whatever. We bowled and had a blast, it being the first time that group had been together in two years…
Then… the next day, we all went out together, and ended up splitting the group into two: the couples and the single people. How sad. All the couples (pregnant and married or otherwise) didn’t feel like going to play laser tag. So all the single people went off to play laser tag. I was a body shield for Ceelie by the second game so she got first and I got tenth (out of 48, which makes us both top 25%... not bad…). Of course, Our Annoyingly Loud Friend wasn’t there to brag and claim it was a fluke that she won. Well… with me taking all the shots that were aimed at her, I guess she would have to win then… I’m not complaining. It was fun.
And to keep the fun going, we went and played cards at a friend’s house. I guess it all worked out well, cause we didn’t have to chaperone some kind of love fest (sorry… but it’s not pretty to sit and watch a whole bunch of kissing and such when what you’re supposed to be doing is shooting pool or something. Besides, as couples, they have resigned themselves to lives of boredom instead of going—‘yes, another person to go have fun with!’ If I ever get married… I swear I’m never going to be a bum like that. I will be brave and go out. If I get married.).
Family dinner that Sunday, which was one of the noisiest ones yet. I’ll forgive it though. It was good to be back with family.
Other than that… it’s been quiet. Finals. Which weren’t as bad as I was going to make them out to be. Well… except for Medieval Europe. Didn’t study, didn’t go to class, didn’t pass the final. So much for cramming. It was impossible to do. But I think I passed all the same, so I guess it was alright. Didn’t have any kind of final in swimming or water fitness (hah. Like you could actually test water fitness….), and piano was today [the… 7th. Yep. The 7th.] and not hard in the least. She said I needed to play louder, but my timing is good, and I can actually play according to the music. YES! I ACTUALLY LEARNED SOMETHING NEW AT SCHOOL. See me be thrilled.
Having fun yet? I’m a babbler. I don’t do short letters. I talk about everything. Except… yeah. I have like nothing to talk about now. I’m trying not to listen to me because then I’ll delete the letter and you’ll never get it. Or maybe you would. I dunno.
Um… everyone here says hello. They may not have met you yet, but they like you. They’d love for you and Rafael to come visit. ‘Specially cause British cash spends better here than American cash over there. Cost of living being lower here. And we’re all cheap/broke/lame, so we do lots of free stuff in the summer. Thus the partying all the time. Ish. [We don’t really party all the time. But if there’s a free hard floor that holds maybe four couples or more, it’s a card-slash-dance-party. But… yeah. There ya go. We don’t have a place right now. So no parties by us. But other friends’ll hold it so we’ll go there.]
I’m still babbling, aren’t I? I thought I’d try to cover everything in one go. But that’s like… three weeks worth… two months worth of stuff. I dunno. So, this is what I’m like in emails and letters. Now you know. If you write back, I’ll write back. I babble… which means I end up talking your ear off. But in person, I don’t. How about that?
Ok. So… um… I’m going now. You’ve got my love and thoughts.
As always,
So.
Hey Sophie,
The months are flying by, and I guess we’re just alike in that I can’t seem to start a letter to you that doesn’t sound pants. Including this one. Know that I had the best of intentions.
I started lessons for driving. I don’t have a car as yet, a sentiment I know you understand, but I’m saving up for it as we speak. It will probably put my trip across the pond rather later than we had first thought, but know that it is all for a good cause. The lessons are really quite scary, even for me! The instructor always seems to be bellowing at me for forgetting one thing or another. I’m tempted to just give up the car and keep my bike.
Natasha sends her love, and asks that I give her new email address to you, as she’s lost yours. She and Blaine are… well. They are seeing each other a lot more now. It’s become a lot like what you wrote: “some kind of love fest … to sit and watch a whole bunch of kissing and such when what you’re supposed to be doing is shooting pool or something.” Were they dating when you were here last? I don’t remember if you knew anything about it. Don’t say anything to Natasha if she wants to tell you herself. I just couldn’t remember.
Tell your family that my mum and I send our love. I really wish I’d gotten to see more of you when you were here. Life here isn’t quite as I planned, is it? My friends are kind of being a drag. My mum’s not feeling quite well. And you were, if nothing else, a good change of pace.
Maybe I shouldn’t call you that, but I don’t know how else to call you a breath of fresh air.
All my love,
Daniel
Oh Danny boy,
One of these days, I’m going to reply to you quicker by letter, instead of falling into that emailing trap. Forwarded games and surveys that have been written out by … well, god knows how many people.
Grrr…. Ok, if I don’t quit having typos, I’m going to throw a fit. I keep typing apostrophes where they don’t belong. It might be because it’s half past ugly in the morning, I haven’t been getting the sleep that I need and I’m such a total slacker that I haven’t finished my homework yet. Not that you needed to know that, but it’s just something that has been on my mind for the past half an hour.
I don’t know if I emailed you my plans, but you know how the plan was for a trip this summer to see you again? Ha. Yeah, about that. So it’s not going to be this summer. Things have come up, mostly with a lack of funds on my part. Gran’s being a little difficult, and has basically given me a Do Not Pass Go card. Can’t stay there for now because of some things she’s going through. *sigh* C’est la vie. I can’t worry about it too much.
So, not this summer. Next summer?? At least, that’s going to be the new plan. :D Me and Ceelie. Celestine. My cousin? I’ve told you about her, right? She’s like… the greatest little cousin I could ever have. She likes a lot of the same stuff I do, without it being creepy. She’s been dying to travel overseas for ages and ages. Just was too young to do it. She still is, technically. But she won’t be after this year.
So what does your car look like anyway?? It would’ve been all bad to come back and have to beg a ride off your handlebars! Imagine me sitting there…. WOULDN’T HAPPEN. I don’t think I even did that with my sister when we were younger. I can totally see myself riding there for all of two seconds before falling off and bouncing down some hill as you traipse off down the road. Definitely not cool. But, dude, so jealous of you having a car before me. I’ve been driving for two years and still haven’t gotten a car yet. No fair you should go six months and have it together. *pouts*
Kidding, sorta. Hahah.
Meanwhile, nothing doing here. Summer’s gotten to be one of my laziest times of the year. Right up there with cold winters inside, rainy spring days inside, and uh… brisk fall days inside. Ha. I’ve been working my butt off, in that completely *not* way. At any rate, I’m getting paid, and saving up for next summer (at least), so that I can come and stay the summer again. Maybe I’ll make it an every 2 year thing. Give me a year to save up.
Like I said though, I’m just working a bunch. Just got back from a week at the beach with family. The whole kit and caboodle went to Virginia at the beginning of June. It was still cold and rainy and totally not beach weather. Or, at least, not what I though beach weather was. I thought it was supposed to be pert near tropical—sunny, hot, hazy, sparkly blue. Instead, we got thunderstorms and clouds, a couple of sliced feet on broken shells, and the noisiest bunch of family EVER. God, you would’ve loved to have been there. I’ll tell you the next time we plan to go, so you can enjoy it too. My family, to put it in a nutshell, is crazy fun.
I’m babbling again,right? I’ve never actually gotten the concept of telling anyone what’s really up in my letters. I should be glad you love me so much. No one else puts up with me going on and on about nothing quite like you do. *kissy noise* Ha ha.
Oo, speaking of kissy noises, how’s it going with Tasha and Blaine? Haven’t heard from either of them in about a month. I keep meaning to ask, but it slips my mind just as quick. D: Not cool, I know. I’m such a bad friend. Forgive me?
Always,
So
Dearest Danny,
Scratch that on the summer kick. Looks like it’ll be a little later than that. Maybe in the fall?? Don’t let me forget to write you everything I’ve got planned. It’s me and Celeste, so prepare to have your hometown invaded for at least a weekend by the two Americans.
Give my love to everyone, and I’ll get a real letter off to you as soon as I’ve got a minute to get my brain together.
All my love,
Soph
