Dear Aaron(13)

Hope you’re okay.

-Aaron





Chapter 6


November





From: [email protected]

Date: November 1, 2008 2:01 a.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: Surprise!



Aaron,

I’m glad you got the package! I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get there. Besides sending my brother things (and he’d never tell me he got them or say thank you), I’ve only sent one other person care packages (not the “tick lick” guy). I dragged my brother with me to Target and made him help me choose things for you. I put my thinking cap on to figure out how I could send you cheese that wasn’t perishable (there aren’t that many options) and then experimented a lot. I ruined a pound of the freeze-dried stuff before I got the measurements for the water to cheese ratio correct to rehydrate it. It isn’t the best tasting pizza in the world, and if you hate it, my feelings won’t be hurt. :)



I bought and sent you a few books yesterday. Only books, nothing else, don’t get too excited. Hope you don’t care about surprises. I don’t.



Me? Find a dark spot to pee in? Busted. I’m crying laughing. I made my friend keep an eye out for me while I did it. Now I need to text her and remind her about it so she can laugh too. Did someone you know tell you they had to do that? There’s nowhere to pee!



Worrying about how much you pee in a day is something I never even thought about. Do they give you bottles of water or do you reuse them?



You “don’t remember the titles.” Okay. Right. I pinky swear I won’t judge whatever your read. Hint, hint, hint.



I read Twilight right after it came out. I was 19. This is a judgment-free zone, remember? Have I read Ender’s Game? Is there a moon in the sky? I’m kidding. Yes, I did, and I enjoyed it a lot.



I know my mom loves me. You can’t be that overprotective if you didn’t love someone, and there’s no one more protective than my mom. If she could have given me everything I ever wanted, she would have. After my parents separated, we all stayed with her. My dad moved back to San Francisco. That’s where most of his family lives. He has a sister who lives here in Houston. The only reason my parents moved here (Texas) was because of my mom’s family. My dad hated living here. He says the humidity reminded him too much of the Philippines when he was a kid.



I still see my dad at least once a year. He comes down to visit, and I try to go see him sometimes in Cali. He got remarried a few years ago to a nice woman with three kids who are cool. My mom on the other hand… she’s been remarried three times since him. Husband #4 is five years older than me.



There’s one thousand two hundred and four beads/sequins on the dress I made her. Good guess.



My brother didn’t learn his lesson. On Christmas that year, he brought a pan of brownies. Pot brownies. Everyone except my little sister ended up high as a kite. It was probably the best Christmas I’ve ever had since I was a kid. It was a lot of fun even though my mom got really mad afterward.



Why weren’t your parents into pranking? Are they really serious? Not that there’s anything wrong with it, just curious.



No picture or video of running into the door, but it happened. Ben, husband #4, was on the floor laughing. My mom walked out of the kitchen. Luckily it was only them who saw it, otherwise it would take two lifetimes to live it down instead of one. My mom texted everyone to tell them what happened. That’s my family for you.



I just got home from a concert. I left my earplugs at home and don’t think my ears will ever be the same. I’m about to pass out. Hope you’re okay.



-Ruby





From: [email protected]

Date: November 3, 2008 3:27 p.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: Strange stuff



Ruby,

I really do appreciate you sending me the box. I reread the message I sent and it didn’t sound half as appreciative as I wanted it to. Don’t know how you even thought to try dehydrated cheese, but it was genius. I already ate one pizza and have zero complaints. It was a little piece of home I needed after this crap week. I nuked everything in the microwave like your instructions said… Debating whether to stretch out what I got left or eat more tomorrow. I try not to save things just in case there isn’t another time, know what I mean? I’m looking forward to seeing what books you sent. Thanks. Really.

Ruby, I had just been kidding about peeing….



I’ve been through a patrol where we only had a canteen a day. We can get as much water as we want. I don’t take it for granted. They tell us to crush the water bottles when we’re done with them so that the company who does the bottling doesn’t try to reuse them.



I swear I don’t remember the titles of the books. If I see the covers, I’d recognize them. I’ll tell you if I see them.



Ender’s Game is one of those books I wish they’d make into a movie… but I bet it wouldn’t be as good as the book.



That’s good you still keep in touch with your dad, but I can’t get over your mom being remarried to someone a few years older than you. Is that weird? Do you care?