Greg sat on his doorstep waiting for his mate, John to arrive. He shook his head as he saw him, raising an eyebrow. "Get distracted again? Let me guess you were on that site again. Tumble or something." He watched John chuckle softly. "It's tumblr. And yeah. I was. Sorry. But I'm here now, yeah?" He said, waiting for Greg to stand.
They started walking toward the school at a steady pace. "Whatever the site. You spend way too much time on there. I don't even understand. What's the point of it?" John shrugged as if it didn't matter as much as it did. "The point of it.. depends on the person I guess. Each person has their own reasons for going on the site." He said, not looking at Greg as they walked.
Greg sighed, "I was asking your reason for going on it. It's just pictures and stuff. Peoples annoying comments. Right?" He asked, glancing at John who chuckled lightly, finally making eye contact. "It can be. But there's more to it than that I guess. For me.. I don't know. It's a place to share interests. And share facts about myself in an anonymous way. You know? It's like.. I can actually ask for support for things when I can't ask for support from people I know."
"You mean people like me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow again. He was slightly offended that John would tell things to people he didn't know before telling Greg. Greg was his best friend after all. They'd been best mates since primary school. Greg thought John told him everything, but apparently he was wrong, seeing the expression on John's face, the slight uneasiness was written all over him. Greg nodded as if he got his answer. "Right. I don't see why you can't tell me things, John. I'm your best mate and you know me, and let's face it, I'm real." He said, hoping to get it through to John.
John's expression took on a mixture between outraged and embarrassed. He shook his head before speaking again. "Greg.. You just. You don't get it. Yeah. You're my best mate. And I do tell you things. Most things. But there's some things.. I just, I like to keep to myself. And the people online. Well… It's sometimes easier to talk to them because they don't know me for me, you know? They're not going to judge me." He put up his hand in peace at the outraged look on Greg's face. "I don't mean that you judge me. Or at least.. I know you try not to. But come on Greg… It's just, different I guess. And really I don't speak to specific people. It's just my blog. No one talks to me on there really. Well.. until today apparently." He said, a smile growing on his face a bit, to Greg's astonishment.
"Who's talking to you now? What'd they say?" Greg asked quickly. He guessed he could ignore the rest of it for now. He didn't understand. He didn't know why someone would want to talk to people they didn't know, and besides that he didn't understand why they would blog about kittens and other ridiculous things.
"I.. well. I don't know. It's anonymous. But they.. probably she, since majority on there are girls, I think…" His brows furrowed a bit in thought before his face cleared and he shrugged. "They said they liked my blog." He said with a grin that didn't falter even when faced with Greg's stoic expression. "It was nice." He said, almost defensively, but still with a smile.
Greg shook his head and took a deep breath. "Alright, whatever mate. It's your life. If you want to spend all day on the web with people you don't know and can't trust rather than me. It's all fine. But don't make me late next time, yeah?" He finished speaking as the two of them made it to the school and headed toward the field.
John followed behind, not answering. He didn't know what to say to Greg. He wanted him to understand the purpose of a blog, how just writing it for people to see helped him. Their comments on his posts were always welcome. They helped him get through the days when everything else just seemed dull. He entered the lockers right behind Greg and got dressed for their game. It wasn't a real game, it wasn't even technically practice. It was just some mates from the team that liked to get together Saturday nights to kick a ball around. John liked playing when it was nearing sunset and he liked playing with fewer people, though he did enjoy everyone on the actual team. As soon as he was dressed he headed onto the field with the others, pushing all thoughts of the anonymous user and Greg's thoughts on his blog out of his mind.
John made it home in time for dinner, not speaking to his mum much but thankful that neither his sister, Harry, nor his father were home. It definitely made things quieter and more peaceful, or so he thought, before she smiled up at him and then started speaking. "Are you done with your homework?" She asked quietly, as if it wasn't a loaded question. John sighed. "Mum. It's Saturday." He said, like that answered everything, which to John it did, but going by the expression on his mum's face, she disagreed. "And?" She pushed. He shook his head. "No. I'm not. I'll finish it tomorrow." He paused long enough to meet her gaze before sighing. "I'll work on it after dinner." He said, knowing full well he'd get distracted and not finish at all, but it seemed to appease her, since she nodded. "Good. I don't want you to get behind." She said, and if John thought that was the end, he was wrong. "How's school been? We haven't had much time to talk about things…recently." She left out the reasons for that.
John sighed and poked at his food, suddenly not very hungry. "School's fine mum." He said. He was antsy now, just wanting to leave and go up to his room. He didn't want to deal with this now, didn't want to talk to his mum who didn't understand. She nodded, though she didn't look convinced. "And… any new girls in your life I don't know about?" She asked with a smile that told John she knew exactly what she was doing. He rolled his eyes. "No mum. No new girls." He wouldn't tell her even if there was.
It wasn't that he didn't like his mum. He loved her, very much. He just couldn't talk to her about things. He didn't understand how some people could discuss things with their parents. If he told anything at all to his dad he'd smack him and tell him to quit whining. And his mum, well she was kind and tried to be understanding, but she wasn't always there. She wouldn't stick up to John's dad for one thing, and she never truly did understand. She'd try to explain everything away. And of course he couldn't talk to his alcoholic sister. She couldn't even handle her own issues, how could she tell him how to handle his?
She frowned a bit but nodded. "Alright, love. Finish your meal and you can go pretend to do your homework." She said with a knowing look. "I want some evidence that you started it though." She said, before standing to put her own dishes in the sink and start washing them.
John scoffed lightly before taking a few more bites of his food. He threw away the last bit before handing her his plate as well and then going to his room, trying not to look as though he was too eager.
He sighed softly as he shut the door, leaning against it for a moment before moving to drop on the bed next to the bag of crisps and his computer. He set the bag aside before pulling the laptop on his lap like before and logging in. He told himself he'd start his homework in a bit and tried to believe it. He started scrolling down his tumblr from where he left off, before opening a new tab to start at the top again. He grinned when he saw the new ask, clicking on it quickly to see the message.
John chuckled softly and quickly tapped out a reply to the anonymous ask. He couldn't believe they were still talking to him, but it definitely made him feel better, and that was something no one in his family including his mate Greg, would understand. He hit post then refreshed the page, deciding to keep this page at the top, just in case.
Anonymous:
I don't think the way the compliment is given matters as long as it's obvious it's a compliment which I thought it was. And if that was your first ask then I rescind my other statement, my faith in humanity is as low as ever. Though I wouldn't want you to get a big head either.
bonds-companion:
Right, fine. It was a compliment and I appreciate it immensely. You made me grin like an idiot, happy? Also, you're highly contradictory. You tell me that I'm still not necessarily not an idiot. And then you say that humanity is low for not noticing me, but then you say you don't want me to get a big head. You shouldn't compliment me so much, then. Getting a GIANT head. :D
John couldn't help but feel like an idiot after posting that. He knew his grammar was off, but couldn't care enough to change it. Besides, by the sounds of the person, they'd mention it to him, which meant they'd have to send another. John grinned at the thought. Maybe everything wasn't as bad as he thought.
Sherlock wasn't entirely sure how it happened. Molly and Sherlock had started their project. They probably spent a couple of hours on it, and it wouldn't take too much longer to finish. But sometime during their work they needed to look something up. Sherlock brought his computer over and looked for what they needed. However, that wasn't the end of it. From there, the project was gone from their minds and they were both scrolling through tumblr. Molly was showing him some of her favorite blogs while Sherlock scowled and shook his head. He mocked almost every post Molly showed him, but somehow Molly was enjoying herself.
"You like them. You're just trying to pretend you don't. Besides, I saw the blog you were on earlier. Whose was that? They must be pretty important if you hate everything on their blog." She said with a self-satisfied expression.
Sherlock rolled his eyes. "No, I don't know them. They don't even follow me." He said, almost sounding put out before taking over the computer again to go to his blog. "And it's not about the individual things on their blog. It's altogether. He posts some of the stupidest posts at times, but still, together, they make him." He said as if that explained everything and didn't just add to Molly's confusion.
Molly chuckled and shook her head. "Alright. Fine. So you like him, not his blog." She rolled her eyes, not entirely sure how the two could be mutually exclusive, but smart enough not to bring it up. Sherlock was too busy scrolling down the blog to pay attention.
"You just got on. How do you blog so much so quickly?" He muttered to himself, to Molly's amusement. "Well, whether or not you know him, or you like his blog.. you're still emotionally invested by the sounds of it. Have you talked to him?" She asked, innocently.
Sherlock huffed. "Of course I've talked to him." He muttered, and then grinned when he found what he was looking for. Bonds-companion had answered him. Molly looked over, highly interested, before she let out a dramatic sigh. "Anonymous? No wonder he's not following you. How would he even know who you are?"
Ignoring her, Sherlock read through the post before instantly going up to write another ask.
Anonymous:
Hm. Yes, I think I'm satisfied with the grin. And I'm aware of my contradictory tendencies, but it makes life interesting. Putting a word between the two negatives doesn't cancel out the double negative. I do hope you're aware. And to think you've been doing so well otherwise. And look, you used ridiculous emoticons as well. Well isn't that endearing. Next you'll be sending me *hugs* and the like.
Molly bit her lip to keep from laughing as she read over his shoulder. "You do realize, you sound like you're flirting with the person. Well… at least if it wasn't you it would be flirting. And seeing as they don't know you…" She trailed off with a smile. Sherlock rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. It's not flirting. I'm telling him he's an idiot. And he's male, so you might as well call him as such." She raised her eyebrow but decided not to ask. "Right. Okay. He, then. And not flirting. Sure. Tell me when you get engaged though, I'd love to be the flower girl." She grinned widely at him.
Sherlock huffed and turned away from her, ignoring her again as it was easier than listening to more of her silly theories. He went back to refreshing John's blog every so often, looking at his new posts while waiting for him to answer, hoping it wouldn't take as long as last time. Molly, meanwhile, watched Sherlock with a gleam of both understanding and mischievousness. She glanced at the name of the blog and read it over and over again, trying to memorize it the best she could.
Anonymous:
Hm. Yes, I think I'm satisfied with the grin. And I'm aware of my contradictory tendencies, but it makes life interesting. Putting a word between the two negatives doesn't cancel out the double negative. I do hope you're aware. And to think you've been doing so well otherwise. And look, you used ridiculous emoticons as well. Well isn't that endearing. Next you'll be sending me *hugs* and the like.
bonds-companion:
I was quite aware. I also knew you were going to say something about it. You really are self-assured, aren't you? Probably think you're some sort of genius, next to all of us idiots. And I like emoticons, thanks very much. They help express the emotion of what you're saying so it's not mistaken. And I'm going to take that to mean you want a hug from me. It's very forward of you, I don't even know your tumblr name.
Anonymous:
I am a genius. And I'm not sure if knowing that you were wrong, but writing it anyway really helps your image of an idiot. It's almost worse than writing a double negative out of ignorance. You can express the emotion through the connotation of the words you use. It's just as simple, and less childish. No, you don't know it.
bonds-companion:
Of course you are. :P It's worse to be ignorant. Because choosing to be childish, well at least I can change when needed or when I want to. Again, I like being childish sometimes, lightens the mood and all that, yeah? And thank you captain obvious. That was my way of asking if you'd come off of anonymous. If you don't want me to post responses I can answer privately, can't if you're on anonymous though. So, what do you say anon?
Anonymous:
I don't appreciate my intelligence being questioned, or mocked as it were. I do have to admit you may have a bit of a point, that you can go choose to be intelligent eventually. But it's still worse. Because you have a chance to prove you're not ignorant, a chance to share your intelligence with others, rather than joining in their ignorance. I'm aware of what you were asking.
bonds-companion:
Seeing as you wont tell me who you are, I can't really trust your intelligence, can I? Though what you said makes sense… Though it probably won't make me stop being my childish and fun self :D But I'll try to do better, all for you. I hope you're happy.