Dirty Laundry 36

Was making dinner, when the phone buzzed. It was my cousin Walsh. "Are you home?"

Me-:"Yeah."

Walsh-:"I've been ringing your buzzer for five minutes."

Me-:"They still haven't fixed it."  I went out to the main lobby of the building and let him in. "What's up?"

He followed me back down the two long hallways to my apartment not saying anything. My cousin went from room to room checking the place out.  "You're still not unpacked?"

Me-:"I need to get some more book shelves, and stuff. Everything okay?"

He nodded opening and closing the cupboards in the kitchen. "Yeah. What were you going on about last night for? I caught up with the fairy tale and the piece you wrote last night was good."

Me-:"That short piece took me three hours to crank out. I'm hitting that wall again."

Walsh-:"You're over thinking it."

Me-:"Always. So, what's going on?"

He shrugged. "You said you needed to talk last night. So...did you?"

Me-:"And you are referring to?"

Walsh-:"I don't understand why you insist on being so stupid? Talk to him. That's what the internet is for, breaking down the whole famous thing."

Me-:"Well, with your theory, goes both ways. If a famous person wants to talk to their fans, specially if he's as you believe Mr. Scratchy, then he knows how to get a hold of me."

Walsh-:"You believe it too."

Me-:"Tell you what. I'll give him till the next ppv. Then...I give up completely."

He looked at me sideways as he reached for his cigarettes. "Can I smoke here or is this a non-smoking building?"

Me-:"You can smoke in the apartment."

He nodded lighting his cigarette, leaning back against the sink. "You'll give up as in take my advice or give up-give up?"

Me-:"I will find a way to find the real Mr. Scratchy. If he's still alive."

Walsh-:"Yeah, that didn't answer my question. And you know, you know Mad Hatter is the real Mr. Scratchy. You're just being a douche about it."  We heard a door slam and a male voice screaming about something, not in English. "Home sweet home."

Me-:"I think he's having an affair."

Walsh-:"Mr. Scratchy?"

Me-:"The dude in the hallway. I think he's cheating on his wife. She was out there all morning crying."

Walsh shrugged again butting out his cigarette in a candle holder I had sitting on the kitchen table. "Okay. Just stopped by to see what you had done with the new place. I have to go get my oldest, she's at a friend's place. Have you made any new friends?" he smiled at me, blushing like he does.

Me-:"I'm too old to make friends."

Walsh-:"Na, you're just too scared. Never too old." he ducked out the side door before I could say anything else.