A little less than two years ago

"John, we need help with the pie orders please please pleeaasse come help." Jane begged John through his phone.

"Jane I can't I'm shopping for something very important." John answered while spinning an accessories rack, judging everything on it.

"Oh, for your little crush right?" Jane giggled.

"I don't have a crush on him! I just really like his show…"

"Oh, yes of course. That's why you started taking later shifts so you're break would match with his show, because you only like his show. You're in it deep John." Jane's mocking grin could practically be heard.

"Whatever Jane. I'm busy alright, if you have time to pester me, you guys obviously don't need help. Bye Jane."

"But Joohhn-" Jane's pleading was cut short as John hung up. He picked up a pair of red sunglasses, upon further investigation he didn't think they'd be right. John sighed, why was he even doing this? Chances are he'd never get the guts to actually send anything. He left the store empty handed, he felt the cashier's eyes him as he left. John had been to three different stores, but none of them had what he wanted. Then again, John didn't even know what he wanted… He started his car and headed back home, he failed today as well.

Attempt number three. John had driven to a mall an hour away to continue his mission. He had been searching all day once again and still couldn't find anything good. Seven stores and he still couldn't decide. He discovered that he liked the look of aviators though, so he was getting closer. He left the mall without a single item.

Attempt number four. This time John went to a goodwill one town over. He figured he'd try to cover all his bases. A few old ladies smiled at him and a small kid almost bowled over him. He searched the store top to bottom with no luck. He was running out of time. He only had two more days if he hoped to get it shipped anywhere near the correct date. John went home again, disappointed.

"Hey John! Quick come in here! I think there's a raccoon in the garage!" Jane's paniced screech shocked John out of bed. He grabbed his glasses and bolted to his open door. His face smashed into plastic wrap, it gave into his weight but effectively stopped his sprint. John fell on his face tangled in sticky plastic wrap. Jane's laughing sounded from the end of the hall way.

"Really Jane, saran wrap?" John sat up, peeling the thin layers from his face.

"I can't believe you fell for it! Again!" Jane laughed so hard she snorted, then proceeded to laugh twice as hard.

"Just you wait, I'll get you back…" John stood up, crumpled the plastic into a ball and chucked it at Jane.

"No you won't, you'll be too distracted by that radio guy you're stalking." Jane giggled.

"I-I'm not stalking him!" John's voice wavered.

"When is his birthday?"

"... December third…"

"What's his favorite color?"

"Oh come on anyone who listens to his show knows!"

"I've listened a few times, but I don't know, but you do riiigght?" Jane grinned.

"...It's red."

"And to top it all off, you know where he lives."

"Okay, that's on the radio's website, that one really is common knowledge." John wasn't a stalker, it's not like he followed Dave around his town. He'd never even seen Dave in real life.

"But who's actually wondering where that guy lives? Do people even give birthday gifts to radio hosts?"

"I… I don't know, but I'm going to. Who knows, maybe I'll be the first to do it." John smiled, the idea of being the only fan to send Dave a birthday gift excited him a little.

"You are a lost cause mister… are you going to help in the shop today or are you going keep shopping for a present?"

"Even if I wasn't still looking for a present, I wouldn't help. I will never help you and Dad with that store, ever."

"You are such a party pooper John, why don't you like the store? We get a lot of happy customers you know…" Jane puffed her cheeks out.

"I hate baking, I hate those weird harlequins, everything in that places makes me want to scream."

"Sometimes, I wonder how we're even related…" Jane shook her head.

"Hey, we only say that Jake. He's the weirdest one." John laughed.

"True, remember when he tried to wrestle the bear that kept getting into our garbage? He almost got his arm torn off, then when he healed up he tried again! No one else in the family is stupid enough to do that!" John giggled at the memory of Jake sprinting out of the woods with a gigantic bear on his heels.

"The worst part is that we all know he's smart, yet sometimes common sense seems to just step right out of his brain…" Jane paused for a moment. "Hey John?" She got serious all of a sudden, it made him worried.

"... Yeah?"

"Do you think Jake's actually alright? Or… are we all just in denial…" Jane looked away, watching a cardinal out a nearby window.

"They never found the ship right? No wreckage was ever found, so there's no reason to think it got destroyed and sunk. So it's just as Dad said, the ship probably veered off course and hit an island. Since Jake was such a survivalist, he's probably built an entire tree house village by now!" John believed this wholeheartedly, Jake wasn't the kind to go down easily.

Jane however, had her doubts. "Yeah… you're right." How could someone actually survive something like that? Ships that go missing don't ever turn up, planes that disappear in the sea don't ever turn up, the ocean swallows everything.

"Well, I gotta get going, I need plenty of time to search. See you later Jane!" John left in a carefree manner. Jane had no idea how he did it.

"Too thick…. No not black…too see through…" John perused a selection of aviator glasses. None of them were to his liking. He switched stores. "Maybe these ones?" John held the glasses in question up to get a better look. Silver rims, not too thick, and mirror lens'. They were perfect. John paid the cashier and took his ,long searched for, treasure home. John entered his home, cautiously stepping through doorways, lest there be plastic wrap waiting to attack him. He made it to his room safe and sound. He set the glasses down on his desk. Was he really going to do this? Yes, he decided, he had to do this. He already bought the glasses, there was no going back now. John found a notebook and began writing. Dear Mr. Strider… Wait no too formal. John erased it. Dear Dave… That wasn't right either. Dear Strider Radio? God, that's like he's writing to everyone in the show. Dear Dave Strider… John didn't like that either, but it would have to do. John was reminded of how much he hates writing letters. He proceeded to write a paragraph of stupid sappy things. John stared at his end product, it was awful. The more he looked at it the more he hated it. Dave would really think he was some crazy stalker fan. John shook his head, forget it. He didn't even want to write his name on it, he didn't want anyone to see this and know he was responsible for such a terrible excuse of a fan letter. John pushed back in his chair, how else could he write the letter? He wanted to tell Dave how much he enjoyed his show, but how could he say that without being creepy? Impossible, he couldn't do it. John tore the letter out of the notebook and threw it away, he placed the sunglasses in a drawer, he'd return them tomorrow. Except he didn't return them, John completely forgot about them.

One week later.

"John it's trash day, did you get the trash from your room?" Jane had called John at work, earning him malicious glares from his boss.

"Jane, how many times have I told you not to call me at work, you know I'm already on thin ice here. Couldn't you have just gone in my room and checked?" Hurriedly whispered.

"You always get all huffy if I go in there without permission, John."

"Whatever, no I didn't, thank you for taking care of it, bye."

Jane rolled her eyes, John could be so testy sometimes. If he'd just do his own share of the house work, this wouldn't happen. Jane went to John's room and began dumping his small trash can into a larger bag, she noticed something though, a crumpled piece of paper. Now, Jane wasn't one for snooping, or at least that's what she'd tell you, but she couldn't resist the temptation to see what it was. Her imagination ran wild as she tried to think of what kind of notes her cousin would throw away, but she didn't even come close to what it really was. The birthday letter to that radio host John worshiped. Jane read the letter, it was really sweet, she didn't understand why he threw it away, did he never actually send Dave anything for his birthday? Jane wondered, she knew John had been searching for sunglasses, but didn't know if he'd actually bought any. She needed to investigate this mystery. If John had bought anything, there would be a receipt. She dug through his trash, no luck. Where else would you put receipts…. Pants pockets! Jane was ,for once, glad John never his laundry in a timely manner. She dug through all his pants and finally found her target, a receipt for sunglasses. Considering that the receipt was still in his pants, She had to assume the glasses were still there somewhere too. She would start in the most likely place, his room. She had to exercise extreme caution, if John found out she had raided his room, she'd be shunned. She searched his end table, under his bed, in his closet, and lastly his desk. She found them shoved in the back of his top desk drawer. She smiled to herself, even if it was going to be a little late, Jane knew she had to send this for John. Even if he never knows it was sent, she still had to do it. She found an old fed ex box, shoved some tissue paper in it and placed the letter with the glasses inside. Jane taped up the box added some postage and threw it in the mail box. Jane felt accomplished, though she didn't really know what she accomplished, maybe she hoped Dave would write back to John. She wasn't sure, but she was proud of her deed.