A Curious Day

[Gavin Armstrong H6]

((This thread is open for all to read just like any other but I ask nobody replies to it please ))

“Gavin! Get up! Get up, Gavin! Gavin! Gavin! Gavin!” Jheylon screamed jumping up and down on his twin brother’s bed. “Gavin its time for breakfast you have to get up. Come on it’s the last day of school. Hurry, hurry, hurry!” Jheylon then proceeded to jump from the bed onto the floor and throw his brothers clothes at him before running from the room. He thumped down the stairs making as much noise as a herd of elephants.

Adversely, his brother simply groaned and stared up at the ceiling now irreversibly awake for the day. Sure he couldn’t wait to get the last day of school over with as well but did it have to start so early? That’s not to say Gavin wasn’t a morning person – he certainly was more so than a night person. But his brother’s exuberant energy often made Gavin feel lethargic at such small hours. He knew it couldn’t be helped though so all there was left to do was get himself up and as prepared as possible for the day ahead.

“Well, well, well, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence.” Jheylon teased when Gavin appeared in the kitchen ten minutes later. Gavin simply shot him a glare before glancing into the living room where his sister sat eating Cheerios and watching cartoons.

“That’s rich coming from the boy we have to gang up and drag from bed kicking and screaming every other school day.” Finally came his retort, when he was good and ready to begin the day.

“Ah dear brother but this isn’t any other day. This is the last day. This is the day our dreams come true in the form of going to school to see everybody but we don't have to do any work. We spend the whole day outside playing football ((soccer)) and eating freezies. We clear out our lockers and when the end of the day comes we go home with no work in our bags and no obligation to go back for two whole months. Today dear boy is the best day of the year. Better than birthdays, which is coming up by the way, better than Christmas, better than Easter. This my friend is the epitome of happiness in our young lives.” Jheylon lectured and Gavin simply rolled his eyes; it was the same speech every year with the addition of a few new words that Jheylon had picked up and thought made him sound smart.

“How’s it going Anna?” Gavin asked a he plopped down beside her on the couch with a bowl of cereal himself. He didn’t honestly expect an answer considering she was watching t.v. but it was a greeting on the calm side. He knew she had been bothered with Jheylon’s enthusiasm earlier that day before Mum and Da had allowed Jheylon to wake him up.

[Gavin Armstrong H6]

Click went the slot in the door moments before Korena Armstrong walked into the kitchen sorting the mail. Jheylon jumped up and down trying to look for brightly colored envelopes which would contain the boys’ birthday cards or better slips that would tell them to come collect a package at the postage office. Curios Gavin came in as well but under the pretext of getting another glass of juice, not wanting to seem to eager. Usually the boys get an even pile; but not this year. “Who’s that one from? Where is the stamp? Think mine will come tomorrow? Maybe it got lost! You have to share! Mom Gavin won’t share!” Jheylon screamed ignoring his own pile of cards and looking solely at the one envelope Gavin received that he had not.

Slowly Gavin peeled open the envelope, eyes not leaving the swirl of green text on the front clearly addressed to him and marveling at the absence of a postage stamp. Upon reading the containing letter he looked at Jheylon as if he were nuts. “Ya real funny. But next time you want to pull one of your pranks on me try and make it believable. Wizard? Come on Jheylon I thought you were good.” Gavin said to his brother with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t worry we don’t need to share; you can have it.” Gavin said putting the letter and enclosed booklist on the table. “Good effort though mate.” With that Gavin went up to his bedroom and got ready for the day leaving a puzzled twin standing slack jawed at the table wondering what on earth was going on.

[Gavin Armstrong H6]

“I say comic book store first then the sports place to look at trading cards.” “But I want to look at cards first” “But that is closer to home – we would have to go across town then come back for he comics then go back again to go home.” “So?” “So that’s illogical” “I want to see cards first I don’t care about the trip” “Well we do” “Who are you to speak for everyone” “Look we are already here – end of discussion.” Mark and Tom, the boys’ best friends, fought after school that day while the four wandered the streets of downtown London. With a resigned sigh Tom followed his three mates into the comic book shop as they all looked around admiring all the things they knew they could not afford with their allowance, completely ignoring the things they could.

An hour later Tom lead the way out demanding a trip to the candy store for his grievances before hopping on the underground. They passed down the same old streets everyday but today something was different. They passed the record shop ok but before they could get to the bookshop which was usually right beside it they passed a grimy little pub with a small sign on it that read ‘The Leaky Cauldron’ “Hey guys, when did they put that in?” Gavin asked pointing at the pub, which looked like it had been there for centuries, but Gavin knew he had never seen it before.

“What the record shop? It’s been there forever boyo. That’s where we got Tommie Boy’s birthday gift last year remember?” Mark said as if Gavin were insane. Oddly enough nobody else seemed to have noticed the pub either and Gavin glared at his brother. “I told you to give it a rest. It’s not funny anymore its just annoying” Gavin said before storming off leaving his mates standing there baffled as he got on the underground and went home alone. Jheylon would usually not subject his brother to his pranks and never pushed so hard.

[Gavin Armstrong H6]

‘Was it really there? Nobody else seemed to see it. Why could I? Paranoid? I have been obsessing over that silly joke all day; maybe I wanted to see something? That’s nutters, why would I want to see something? Well why was it there then? Maybe because it really was there? But why couldn’t anyone else see it then? Maybe they could? They didn’t seem to. Maybe they were in on the joke? Bet if they were they would have taken it down by now; I could just go check. What would be the harm in that? Well going out when it’s almost dark for one. Going across town alone for another. But it will just be a moment to check its not there and I know this city like the back of my hand. Why not just go tomorrow? Because I won’t sleep all night. How will I get out of the house though? I could tell them I am going for a walk. Everyone has seen I was upset all afternoon anyways; a walk would be plausible. But what if it is there? It won’t be.’ Gavin contemplated while pacing his room that evening. He had come home in a huff and not spoken to everyone all afternoon. He just locked himself in there emerging only for diner where he did not speak. He felt kinda bad when he say how hurt Jheylon looked but he needed to learn his lesson.

Mind made up Gavin swung open his door and thumped down the stairs. “Going for a walk alone be back soon.” Gavin yelled to his family before walking out the front door and out the front garden of their downtown London home.

The trip on the underground was uneventful besides Gavin’s heart pounding in his chest and this feeling everyone was staring at him. He had never been on the underground alone before; he wasn’t allowed on it alone. But he had to check – he just had to. At his stop Gavin stood up and moved slowly towards the door his feet feeling like they were filled with lead. His mind swam telling him he would miss his stop the doors would close, others telling him that’s would be good because at the next stop he could just take another train home. He had to know though and came out onto the busy downtown street. There it was the record store, the bookshop, and the pub. ‘What have I done?’ he thought as he slowly pushed the door open.