Chapter Two: Warm Fuzzies
"C'mon, kid. Pull up a patch of sand." I smiled. Or at least I tried to. I think I just scared him more.
Walt didn't respond, he just continued to stand there looking uncomfortable.
"Actually," I said, changing tactics, "How about we go for a walk? I've been sitting on my butt all day and I don't think Mich- uh, your dad will be too happy if I teach you the art of extreme laziness."
A shadow of a grin spread across his face. Yeeeees! Score one for me! I thought, wondering why making this poor kid smile meant that much to me.
I struggled to my feet, my legs tingling from being asleep. I started walking to the right, away from the commotion on the beach, hoping Walt would take the hint and follow.
He did.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Walt spoke to me.
"Can I ask you something?" he asked timidly.
"Sure, kid. You can ask as many questions as you want." I said carelessly.
His eyes lit up. "Really? You mean it?"
Uh…"Yeah, I guess. Fire away." What was the big deal for him?
"Do cows have calf muscles?"
"Yeah, I think…"
"Why do mattresses have designs on them when we cover them up with sheets?"
"I don't know. So people will buy them?"
"Why do we say 'heads up' when we actually duck?"
Ha! I think I know this one! "So that the person knows to crouch but they also look up to see what's overhead."
Walt stopped the tirade of questions momentarily, pondering my answer.
"If Walmart sells for less everyday, how come nothing's free yet?"
"Because if they made things free, they would go out business."
"Is late night TV educational?"
"Sure is. It teaches you that you should have gone to bed earlier and not wasted valuable sleeping time watching the crap that's on after midnight."
Walt started cracking up after that one. Again, it gave me the warm-fuzzies to see that kid, who was usually so somber, to loosen up and have a good laugh.
"My mom would have liked that one!" He told me, still smiling.
"You and you're mom played this game?" I asked, interested.
Walt suddenly looked really shy and sad. "Yeah. She would ask me all these stupid questions when we were stuck in a waiting room of whatever, to pass the time."
I looked down at my companion. "That's so cool! I really wish my mom or dad had done things like that with me when I was little." I said almost wistfully.
After a few more minutes of silence, Walt asked "Do you like wrestlers?"
"Wrestlers are just guys in girl's swimsuits."
Walt droned on, asking more and more questions.
I was starting to get bored of our little game, and was about to tell him in a not-so-nice way, but then I remembered the way his dad had dumped him with me without even saying goodbye.
So I took a deep breath and kept on answering.
"No dammit! I can't tell you how to get to friggin' Sesame Street!" I screeched, completely exasperated, as we approached the tents. . During our two hours, forty-three minute walk (Yes, I timed it, okay? He was really bugging me) he had asked me every question known to man, including the meaning of life.
Walt didn't even bat an eyelash. I guess he was used to me by now. "You should have told me that you were tired of the game, we could have played something else."
"You…we could have?" I asked, feeling really stupid.
"Yeah, that's what friends do." Walt said, looking away from me shyly.
Oh God, the warm-fuzzies were back.
"Yeah, Walt, sorry. I should have told you." I said quietly, feeling kinda choked up.
"Well…I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked more than stated.
"Of course, kid. Us misfits gotta stick together." I laughed.
Grinning, Walt ran over to the tent he shared with his dad, waving at me over his shoulder.
For the rest of the night, the warm-fuzzies stayed with me. I had a real friend, for the first time in a long time.