A small chubby boy and his equally small mother shuffled into the busy church hall and began walking towards the 'leader' of the group.
John wasn't one for socializing with kids his own age and this was his mothers fix for it.
John Watson was joining scouts.
John and his mother reached the front where a platform of a stage was, a large bearded man turned to beamed at them, he was wearing a light brown shirt and a red and black scouting scarf around his neck.
"Ah Mrs Watson Good to see you and this must be John, glad to see you here. So your thinking of joining us eh?"
John focused his attention from the noisy children to the man as he realized the question was directed at him.
"Uh... I suppose so." He said quietly.
"Why don't you go and make some friends while your mother and I sort out the paperwork? Oh and I'm Gavin by the way" he smiled kindly turning to some forms sprawled out on the stage and handing Mrs Watson a pen.
John looked around cautiously as boys ran around the church hall, it was a big enough place with chairs piled along both walls beside him and a few posters made by children much younger than him. There where about 12 kids in total most where playing with a ball and the others in various corners chatting among themselves.
"I'm away now sweetie, il be picking you up afterwards"
and with that Johns mother had left him in the hall with a bunch of strangers which he had no desire to interact with.
Well bollocks
Out of the corner of his eye John could see a scruff of messy brown hair and a very pale face sitting alone with his knees pulled up to his nose.
He seems less intimidating than the others I might just...
John plonked himself down beside the boy and let out a tired sigh
"'I don't like this and I've only been here 3 minutes, what do you guys do here anyway?"
The pale boy looked up.
"You actually want to talk to me?"
The boy had quite a deep voice for 13 and sounded genuinely surprised.
"Well ..yeah that's why I'm beside you" John wasn't sure what to say, he was being friendly but it wasn't working.
The pale boy looked him up and down then stuck out his hand.
"Names Sherlock, I don't want to be here either but it gets me out of the house I suppose" he mumbled into his knees.
Sherlock turned his head towards John so the side of his face was now on his knees and looked from his hand to John and back again. John responded quick by shaking his hand firmly
"My names John" he said with a small smile.
"Alright everybody fall in now" Gavin shouted blowing a whistle.
Everybody made their way to the make shift flag pole at the top of the hall in front of the stage and formed a line along one of the faded pre painted lines on the floor.
Sherlock reluctantly uncurled himself and stood up and so did John, they followed the others, standing at the end of the line. Standing up straight Sherlock was a good couple of inches taller than John, but then again John was short for his age.
"Alright everyone we have someone new in today, this is John."
Gavin beamed and looked at John who looked along the line and saw faces directed at him.
"Sam break the flag please" Gavan said to the group smiling at John.
An older boy went up to the makeshift flag pole and fiddled with some ties attached to a tightly packed bundle at the top of a pole, after some tugs the purple flag was released. The boy named Sam stepped back and everyone made a sign with their hand. John didn't know what to do so he just stood there an watched for now.
Everyone lowered their hands and Sam stepped back into the line.
"Ok we're going to play dodge ball then practice knots tonight, break" Gavan turned and began to fumble through sheets of papers. Everyone else went off in their own groups and took of there scarf and brown shirt.
Sherlock looked at John curiously, "how old are you?" He asked.
"Uhm well I'm turning 13 next month" he replied
"You seem a little short for your age don't you?" Sherlock asked tilting his head slightly looking John up and down again.
Johns eye twitched "and your point is?"
"Oh I've annoyed you haven't I?" Sherlock stepped over to he stage.
"Its nothing I just get a little testy about my height, that's all" John said to the ground following Sherlock towards the stage both of them sitting up on it.
For the rest of the night Sherlock and John enjoyed each others company. No one seemed to mind them sitting out during a few games or going a little overboard on the bamboo stick tower.
At 9:45 they all fell in line again and lowered the flag then where dismissed. John made his way outside with Sherlock, spotting his mother sitting in her car, he quickly gave Sherlock his mobile number and asked him to text about a game they where discussing earlier and with that he hurried down the path to the car.
Sitting in the car John smiled to himself.
"Did you have fun tonight sweetie?" Mrs Watson asked pulling out onto the main road and heading on home.
"Yeah I found another boy my age who likes the same games as me and he lives really close to us." John beamed at his mother trying to fight a yawn.
"Wow it sounds like it went great, are you going back next week to see your friend?"
"Yeah we are going to learn tent pitching next week" John replied yawning fully and resting his head on the door window. Mrs Watson smiled at her son and continued to drive. John felt a buzzing in his back pocket and pulled out his phone, flipping it open and reading the text.
"is that you jawn?"
-SH
"Yes it's me dumbo"
-JW
"Ah ok just making sure"
-SH
"Your strange :)"
-JW
"Is that good or bad? "
-SH
"Depends which way you take it"
-JW
"Whatever, just save my number before you forget"
-SH
"Sure thing, see you next week"
-JW
"Alright Jawn, goodnight"
-SH
John smiled to himself and looked out the window.
It had been a good night.