#heeeheeheee

  Lately, Teddy found his life incredibly dull. Nothing ever seemed to happen in Brindleton, and when something did, he was immediately disinterested. Life consisted of Church dinners and schoolwork and Irene’s endless musical recitals. Teddy was fit to go mad. 

  With his brother gone, he was much lonelier than he had anticipated. 

  Despite how different the two were, they were always able to talk about anything and everything. Teddy teased his brother about his introverted habits while Sam gave unsolicited advice his brother’s rowdy friends. And they always laughed. Finding some common ground to joke about. 

  But it was much harder to have a good laugh over letters. 

  The days ticked by slowly as Teddy got used to his newfound boredom. Even his pals and Pearl, his on-again-off-again girlfriend, didn’t interest him much anymore. He wanted to be like Sam. He wanted to be out experiencing the world. 

  “Ted,” Pearl whined one afternoon. “I don’t wanna come around here anymore if you won't pay me any attention.” 

  “Sorry, Pearl, my mind was wandering.”

  She huffed. “Your mind is always wandering. What’s gotten into you? You’ve been as dull as dirt lately.”

  “I’m just...bored.”

  “With what?”

  “Everything.” 

  “Well, what are you gonna do about it? Go to college?” 

  Teddy laughed at that. He knew he never wanted to go to college like his brother. He hated school. But he also hated the idea of working in town for the rest of his life, in a job his father would find for him. All he knew, is that he wanted to leave. 

  “You’ll have to kill me before I go to college.”

  Pearl rolled her eyes. “Well I know you wouldn’t want to work around here, either. You’ll probably go off with Lewis to the city, won't you, and leave me behind?”

  Teddy furrowed his brow “What are you talking about?” 

  “What, Lewis hasn't told you yet? Well, Dorthy told me that their uncle runs some sort of ring in the city, a bad sort of crowd. She’s been begging him not to go, but he’s been thinking about it lately.” 

  “What do you mean, bad?”

  Pearl seemed disinterested in any conversation not about her. “Oh, I don’t know,” She sighed. “They do something or another with alcohol. It’s not terribly interesting.”

  Teddy took in her words, staring off into the distance. The future suddenly seemed ripe with opportunity