AHall80: I did go see them, but no. We don’t get along that well.
RubyMars: I see.
AHall80: It was good seeing them. I told them I’d come by again when I get back.
RubyMars: I’ve got my fingers crossed for you. You’ll figure something out.
AHall80: :]
AHall80: Msg you soon
6:09 p.m.
AHall80: Guess we’re going without Max.
RubyMars: I’m sorry.
AHall80: It’s all right. I’m not going to not go just because he can’t. I can’t just take time off whenever.
RubyMars: I agree.
RubyMars: Still sorry though. I’m sure you’ll have a great time with Des and your other friend.
AHall80: Yeah, it’ll work.
RubyMars: :)
8:08 p.m.
AHall80: Leaving for the airport in a minute
AHall80: Got a long drive
AHall80: I’ve been trying not to be in a shit mood but failing at it
RubyMars: It’s okay. It isn’t uncalled for.
RubyMars: Have fun though and relax.
RubyMars: Send me pictures.
AHall80: All right I will
AHall80: Be safe, RC
RubyMars: You too.
June 19th
2:01 p.m.
AHall80: Hey
AHall80: I made it
RubyMars: Hey.
RubyMars: Did you have a decent flight?
AHall80: Two flights.
AHall80: They were good. We got to stretch out a little in economy since Max and his sister/friend couldn’t go.
RubyMars: That’s good. :)
RubyMars: Did you get any sightseeing done today?
AHall80: A little. We saw something called Scott’s Monument and walked around this park. Went to some place called the Royal Mile and saw the castle from outside.
AHall80: The line to get in was too long, so we didn’t go.
RubyMars: Boo.
RubyMars: Besides that, everything sounds fun.
AHall80: The Internet at this hotel is too slow. I’ll send you pictures another day.
RubyMars: Your tour thing starts tomorrow?
AHall80: Yeah. 5 days.
RubyMars: Lucky.
AHall80: You all right?
RubyMars: Yes. Working.
RubyMars: Trying to work, you know what I mean. Making things I can’t sell yet. Trying to finish the jobs I have before I leave in a few weeks.
AHall80: You’ll sell them.
RubyMars: I like your optimism.
RubyMars: I’m acting like my sister, I’m sorry.
AHall80: What’s going on with your sister anyway?
RubyMars: She’s still hiding that she’s training. I don’t get why, but whatever. My mom is still paying her dues so she can skate even though “she isn’t” and we all know she’s a big, fat liar.
RubyMars: I don’t get it. I really don’t. But I still love her anyway.
AHall80: What don’t you get? Why she isn’t skating?
RubyMars: Yes. She doesn’t get it. She doesn’t remember how tight money was for a while with the rest of us. My mom wouldn’t have been able to afford putting the rest of us into any kind of lessons, but by the time Jazz wanted to skate, my older brother and sister were already out of the house, that’s the only reason why she could. She doesn’t get how lucky she is. I tried telling her once a couple years ago, but she didn’t get it.
RubyMars: One Christmas, I asked my mom for roller skates and she couldn’t buy them for me because she didn’t have the money and didn’t want to ask my dad to buy them.
RubyMars: Jazz doesn’t know about any of that.
RubyMars: After my heart thing, there was a while where my mom wouldn’t let me participate in my school’s field day. I was the only kid who couldn’t. She doesn’t get how lucky she is. I love her so much, and usually we get along really well when she has time to hang out, but sometimes she drives me crazy with how self-centered she can be.
RubyMars: That was longer than I thought. I guess it bothers me more than I think it does. Sorry.
AHall80: I’m sorry, Ru.
AHall80: I get why that would piss you off.
AHall80: Tell her.
RubyMars: Maybe.
RubyMars: :)
RubyMars: Changing the subject. Have you gotten any sleep?
AHall80: Yeah, it’s been easier than when I was back home. The time zones aren’t so different.
RubyMars: Good. Are you sharing a room with someone?
AHall80: Nah. I was supposed to with Des, but since Max isn’t here, I got my own and Des gets the room the girls were supposed to share.
RubyMars: I know it sucks, but that is nice.
AHall80: Yeah
AHall80: Trying not to be a shit about it
RubyMars: Too late. :)
AHall80: Har har
AHall80: I’m going to bed. Msg you again when I can.
RubyMars: Okay, have fun, stalker.
AHall80: Night, Rubes.
June 20th
3:15 p.m.
AHall80: What are you up to?
RubyMars: Hi stranger.
RubyMars: Just finished arguing with my sister.
RubyMars: No biggie.
AHall80: With your little sister?
RubyMars: Yes.
RubyMars: My big sister is sane.
AHall80: What happened?
RubyMars: We were eating lunch when she started complaining about how much she hates her job and is so tired of everything. Literally, everything. She complained about how hard her mattress is and how she’s hoping to talk my mom into buying her a new one. I think that’s what drove me the most crazy.
AHall80: Keep going
RubyMars: So I told her that her mattress is newer than mine and how if she wants a new one she should just save up money at her “shitty job that pays her $10.50 an hour” and buy another one because it isn’t like she pays rent or insurance or anything.
RubyMars: It was like another person was using my mouth to talk to her, Aaron. I’ve never talked to my sister like that. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to anyone like that.
AHall80: For real?
RubyMars: For real. She got so pissed after the shock wore off. She said I don’t understand what she goes through and how her life isn’t as easy as everyone thinks it is. I don’t think her life is easy. I know how hard she works. So then we started arguing about that.
RubyMars: Then, I told her she needed to quit acting like a brat and either get back on the ice or not so Mom wouldn’t keep paying for her coach if she didn’t have to. I know I got to her because all she did was look at me and storm out.
RubyMars: I feel bad for saying all that, but not really.
RubyMars: My stomach hurt and I sweated a whole bunch the entire time. That was the meanest thing I’ve ever done.
AHall80: That wasn’t mean. That was tough love. She needed to hear it from somebody.
RubyMars: Thank you for telling me that. I still feel bad.
AHall80: Don’t.
AHall80: I’m proud of you. That took guts.
RubyMars: It did.
RubyMars: :)
AHall80: When I first started getting promoted, it was hard for me to be tough on these guys that I’d known who weren’t moving up. I didn’t know how to treat them or act because I didn’t want to step on their toes. At the end of the day, you know you got to get things done even if you’re pissing somebody off. You just figure it out with time. Sometimes you have to stop and finally make your point… like you did with your aunt.
RubyMars: What you’re trying to say is that you’re bossy now?
AHall80: I’m used to people listening to me.
RubyMars: That sounds about right. :)
AHall80: ….
RubyMars: Have you always been bossy?
AHall80: When I know what I want and think I can do it better than someone else.
RubyMars: I’ll
take that as a yes.
RubyMars: I’m not. We balance each other out. It isn’t a bad thing.
AHall80: You’re bossy when you want to be.
RubyMars: Sometimes, but it’s rare.
AHall80: Sure
RubyMars: Like you said, when I know what I want.
AHall80: And in the middle of the night when you’re in a mood.
RubyMars: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
AHall80: Sure
RubyMars: ….
RubyMars: I’m logging off now.
AHall80: Lol
RubyMars: How was your day? What’d you do?
AHall80: Got picked up early for the tour. We stopped in a town called Dunkeld, I think it was called, stopped in an old pine forest, walked around a loch… that’s what they call a lake… with some old castle in the middle of it. Checked out Loch Ness, and we’re staying in this town called Ullapool for two nights.
RubyMars: You went to Loch Ness????
AHall80: Yeah, the water is so dark, it looks like coffee.
RubyMars: Jealous.
AHall80: You’d love it.
RubyMars: :) Now you have to live your life for me too, mister.
RubyMars: I wouldn’t be doing my own thing if it wasn’t for you, so I’m doing my part living my life for you too.
AHall80: :]
RubyMars: Thank you for being such a good friend to me.
AHall80: :]
RubyMars: You there?
AHall80: Yeah
AHall80: I’m taking pictures while I’m here. I’ll send them to you when I can.
RubyMars: Deal.
AHall80: Gonna hit the sack., We’re getting picked up at 8.
AHall80: Night, Ru.
RubyMars: Goodnight, have fun.
June 21st
2:57 p.m.
AHall80: Hey
RubyMars: Hey.
RubyMars: How was your day?
AHall80: All right. Saw some castle ruins and checked out a bay and a village.
RubyMars: Was it pretty?
AHall80: Yeah
AHall80: Just got back from dinner.
RubyMars: Was it good?
AHall80: Yeah, Des and Ian stayed at a pub by the hotel. I wasn’t in the mood to drink.
AHall80: I’d rather be in my room
RubyMars: Are you okay?
AHall80: Just got a lot on my mind lately.
RubyMars: You know you can always talk to me about anything.
AHall80: I know, Ru
AHall80: Being in the van all day here just gave me a lot of time to think about things
AHall80: I’ll sort it out.
RubyMars: Yes you will.
RubyMars: Everything will work out.
AHall80: :]
AHall80: I’m going to hit the sack.
AHall80: Have a good rest of your day, Ruron.
RubyMars: Night, stalker.
June 23rd
12:11 p.m.
AHall80: Hey
RubyMars: Hi.
RubyMars: How’s the vacay going?
AHall80: :]
AHall80: Good
AHall80: The hotel we’re staying at doesn’t have Wi-Fi. We’re eating dinner right now
AHall80: This town is called Portree
RubyMars: Eat your dinner then.
RubyMars: Wait, how are you messaging me?
AHall80: Eating as I type
AHall80: Borrowed Des phone. He’s using mine to call his girl. I got an international plan for calls before I left.
RubyMars: To call all your girlfriends while you’re over there?
AHall80: ….
AHall80: No. In case Max called.
RubyMars: I see.
RubyMars: What’d you see today?
AHall80: You’d be in heaven.
RubyMars: Tell me every detail.
AHall80: We’re in Skye today. We stopped at this place called the… I can’t spell it… Quiraing… Ian says that’s how it’s spelled… most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. Got to hike about half the trail. It was rainy and really cloudy, but the longer we walked the more the clouds went away and you could see these lakes, lochs whatever they’re called… Never seen anything so amazing in my life. Like I was on a different planet. Saw a waterfall, had a walk through another place called the fairy pools, another castle ruin, a cemetery…
AHall80: Wish you could have seen it.
RubyMars: :) As long as you had fun, that’s good enough for me.
AHall80: Had to do most of the fairy pools walk by myself because these lazy asses didn’t want to.
AHall80: I jumped into one of the pools and froze my ass off. Got tons of pictures.
RubyMars: Good. Send them to me.
AHall80: Des is off the phone.
AHall80: I’ll msg you when I can.
RubyMars: Okay. Have fun.
AHall80: Bye, Ruron
June 24th
12:09 p.m.
AHall80: Hey
RubyMars: Hey you.
RubyMars: How was your day?
AHall80: Good
AHall80: Saw this castle called… I wrote it down… Eilean Donan castle, stopped in a town called Fort William and checked out this place called Glencoe.
RubyMars: You had fun?
AHall80: I wouldn’t say fun, but it was good.
RubyMars: What’s wrong?
AHall80: Just wishing things would have worked out better for this trip.
AHall80: Hate thinking like that.
RubyMars: I’m sorry, Aaron.
RubyMars: Hopefully you can go on another trip with Max sometime in the future.
AHall80: It’s not even that.
AHall80: About to head out for dinner. I’ll msg you before bed.
RubyMars: Okay, have a good dinner.
AHall80: :]
4:33 p.m.
AHall80: You there?
RubyMars: I’m always here.
RubyMars: Unless it’s the butt crack of dawn.
RubyMars: What did you have for dinner?
AHall80: Fish n chips
AHall80: I’ve been thinking
RubyMars: What brought this miracle on?
AHall80: I wish you could’ve come with me
AHall80: You there?
RubyMars: I’m here, sorry.
RubyMars: I didn’t mean to give you a guilt trip about going to Scotland.
AHall80: You didn’t.
AHall80: Just wish you could’ve come too.
RubyMars: :)That’s really nice of you. I wish I could have too.
AHall80: I’ve been thinking about it a lot
RubyMars: When is your flight back?
AHall80: Tomorrow
AHall80: You gone on another date?
RubyMars: No.
RubyMars: You?
AHall80: Nah
AHall80: I’m sleepy
RubyMars: Then go to bed. :)
RubyMars: Did you drink too much tonight?
AHall80: Yeah
RubyMars: Lol
AHall80: :)
RubyMars: That’s the first real smiley face you’ve given me.
AHall80: Nah
AHall80: You haven’t seen the rest
RubyMars: Go to bed.
AHall80: Ok
AHall80: Night
RubyMars: Goodnight, Ruron.
AHall80: Bye
June 25th
1:23 a.m.
AHall80: About to check out of the hotel, just wanted to say bye.
RubyMars: Good morning to you.
RubyMars: Okay. Have a safe flight home. Enjoy your extra space on the plane.
AHall80: I will
AHall80: Hey
RubyMars: Hey
AHall80: Never mind I’ll msg you when I get home.
AHall80: Go to bed
RubyMars: Yes, Mommy Aaron.
RubyMars: :) Be safe.
AHall80: You too.
June 27th
1:54 a.
m.
AHall80: I figured it out
RubyMars: Hi to you.
RubyMars: Glad you made it home safely, lol.
RubyMars: What did you figure out?
AHall80: Why don’t you come with me?
AHall80: Ruby?
AHall80: You there?
RubyMars: I’m here.
AHall80: …
RubyMars: I dropped my phone sorry.
AHall80: Did you see my message?
RubyMars: That’s why I dropped my phone. You want me to go with you… where?
AHall80: To Florida
RubyMars: ….
RubyMars: You want me to go with you to Florida?
AHall80: Yeah
RubyMars: I’m just trying to understand. Why do you want me to go with you?
AHall80: I want to meet you. You said you wanted to meet me…
AHall80: Unless you don’t
RubyMars: I do
RubyMars: I do!
RubyMars: You just caught me totally off guard is all.
AHall80: Come with us.
RubyMars: You keep saying that.
AHall80: Because I want you to
RubyMars: I thought Max was going with you to Florida?
AHall80: He is
AHall80: He doesn’t feel bad going there
RubyMars: But you want me to go too?
AHall80: Yeah
RubyMars: Why? Because you want to meet up?
AHall80: Yeah…
RubyMars: But why?
AHall80: Because what’s the point in waiting? It’ll be a while before I get more time off.
AHall80: Come with
RubyMars: Maybe you aren’t thinking about this clearly.
AHall80: I am.
RubyMars: Mmm-hmm… I don’t think you are.
AHall80: Why?
RubyMars: Because.
AHall80: Why?
RubyMars: Because!
RubyMars: You can’t just decide overnight you want to meet me all of a sudden.
RubyMars: I’m leaving in less than two weeks to visit my dad.
AHall80: There’s no “all of a sudden.”
AHall80: And I didn’t decide that overnight
AHall80: I’ve been thinking about it a lot
AHall80: What’s the problem?
AHall80: You’re leaving after I have to be back from Florida.
AHall80: You there?
RubyMars: I’m here.
RubyMars: I just… what if I get on your nerves? Maybe you won’t like me in person.
RubyMars: You’re not exactly asking me to have dinner with you and your friends. You’re inviting me to go to a beach house with you and people you’ve known for a long time for multiple days, right?
Dear Aaron Page 19