What Do You Know About Sherlock Holmes? Pt 1
Danny was one of a handful of students at Kukui High who had a 0 period and in the last eight weeks, he had gotten to know, or at least know of, the other students who also had a 0 period. Every morning at 7, Danny walked into the school's library, signed in and went to the table in the back of the building where the group tables were. The building is practically deserted, but he still like the privacy of the Encyclopedias and various topographic maps of the Hawaiian Islands, the United States and the world.
Danny had just pulled out both his notebook and math book when the early morning sun was blocked and a shadow was cast on the table he was using. He looked up, ready to glare and rant at the person who was about to bother him, when he noticed who it was. Danny paused a bit and rethought the words that were about to leave his mouth.
"Can I help you?" Danny asked.
"You're Danny Williams, right?" the person asked.
Danny nodded his head.
"You have Lukela for AP English?"
Danny nodded his head again and the person pulled out a chair from across the table and sat down.
"Uhh…what are you doing?" Danny asked.
"Sitting down," the person said with a laugh. "That's what one does with a chair when they pull it out."
Danny sat up from his slouching position in his chair. "Yes, I know that. But one also usually asks if the seat is taken before helping themselves to it."
"Right; is anyone sitting here?" the person asked. They waited a beat before responding. "I didn't think so." Danny rolled his eyes. "I'm sure Meka's told you all about me…"
Danny shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing I didn't already know from Chemistry class," the person cocked an eyebrow and looked at Danny. "You sit at the table next to me, Steve McGarrett."
"So you do know who I am," Steve said with a smile.
Danny's stomach absolutely did not get all twisty.
"Jameson's told me that if I don't bring up my grade in Honor's English, Coach Carter is going to pull me from the starting lineup and that'll make my old man flip out." Steve said.
Danny stared blankly at Steve. "And you're telling me this because?"
Steve sighed, tilted his head forward and looked at Danny though his eyelashes. "What do you know about Sherlock Holmes?"
Danny gave the relatively simple question some thought before answering. "The Robert Downey, Jr. movie?"
Steve's eyes became comically wide as he tossed his backpack on the table. "Movie? I thought you guy were reading a book? Catherine didn't tell me about a movie."
Danny suppressed a laugh and shook his head. "Never mind; what do you need to know about Sherlock Holmes?"
"Is it the book or the movie?" Steve asked again. "Because my father has Holmes books, but I don't know if he has the movie."
This time Danny couldn't resist laughing out loud. "Forget the movie McGarrett. What book do you have?"
"My father has a few of them, he used to read them to my sister and me when we were younger, but I brought two of them," Steve replied as he pulled both books out of his backpack. "A Study in Scarlet and The Adventure of the Dancing Men."
Danny gave both books consideration. He's only read parts of A Study in Scarlet and found it confusing at best, but thought The Adventure of the Dancing Men was a bit more enjoyable. "What kind of assignment do you have to do on Holmes?"
Steve shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it would depend on the book. I looked over Lukela's Holmes approved reading list and each book has a different assignment attached to it."
Danny nodded his head. He knew all about the reading list and the assignments attached to it.
"Coach said I have until progress reports at the end of December, if that makes any difference."
This time Danny's eyes went wide. "That's next month and the assignments for both of these require at least six weeks for reading and doing the assignment."
Steve sighed. "Will you help me?"
Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. "Zero period is the only time I'm free. You gonna have a problem being here at 7 am?"
Steve didn't take the time to think before he nodded his head. "I can do that. I'm usually up at six to surf."
"Right, then start reading The Adventure of the Dancing Men. The assignment for that one is fairly simple. You have to come up with your own substitution cipher and one paragraph in your final paper on the book has to be written in that cipher."
After Danny explained it, he was sure Steve would balk at doing the assignment, but was thrown for a loop when he agreed.
"What book did you choose?" Steve asked
"I haven't decided on my next one yet."
"Next one? How many have you done?"
Danny looked a little smug and also went for nonchalance. "I've done two so far."
"You've done 2 reports in 2 months? I thought you said they take about 6 weeks to do!"
"Oh no, not me; they might take you 6 weeks, but I finished 2 reports in 2 months," Danny said with a smirk.
"What are you trying to say?" Steve demanded. "You think I can't finish the book and the report in a month?"
Danny continued to smirk. "I don't know, McGarrett…can you finish it in a month?"
Steve glared at Danny. He knew when he was being challenged and Steve never backed down from challenges. "Oh I can finish it, and I bet you I can come up with a code you won't be able to break."
Danny laughed and shook his head. "You really want to bet me? Ask Catherine what she got on the Dancing Men report, and then ask her to see a copy of my report…"
Steve stared at Danny. "You're saying you're smarter than Catherine?"
"No, I'm saying that you shouldn't make foolish bets against people you don't know." Danny gathered his books and papers and shoved them in his backpack. "So, tomorrow at 7 am? Or do you need a day or two to think about it?"
Steve glared at Danny as he walked away laughing.
"You know when and where to find me once you've decided, McGarrett."
