Redbeard

First Day Of School

        "Sherlock, it's time for you get up." Someone was shaking his shoulder. Sherlock yawned and rolled over in his bed and consequentially on to Redbeard, who squirmed out from underneath Sherlock and sat up. Sherlock cracked his eyes open to glance at Redbeard.

        He was getting old. His once shiny scarlet coat had begun to fade, the glossy feel was gone and the white on his muzzle was creeping steadily over the rest of his face. He rolled over and peeked at his mother.

        She was entirely to awake at 6:30 in the morning for Sherlock's tastes. He stared at her for a second, then his eyes slammed shut as he rolled back over in his bed and tugged the blankets back up towards his chin saying, "I wanna sleep." He burrowed deeper in his blankets, pulling them over his head, which wasn't an easy thing with a 31 kilo dog sitting on the sheets. 

        "Sherlock, it's the first day of school, remember?" Sherlock suddenly went still underneath the sheets. Then the sheets came flying off! Pillows went sailing through the air and a 7 year old slid off the bed, onto the floor and went running towards the closet saying, "Does that mean I'll get to wear my uniform?" Mrs. Holmes laughed and replied, "Yes, Sherlock, you'll get to wear the uniform. I'll take Redbeard out while you get dressed, how about that."

        "Alright!"

        "Come along then Redbeard, let's go outside." said Mrs. Holmes. The old setter shuffled off the bed and followed Mrs. Holmes, his tail wagging as the two of them left the room. Sherlock eagerly stripped off his pyjama top and took the bright white undershirt off the hangar.

        The shirt was a brilliant white and the collar was starched stiff, his black and blue striped tie was already threaded around the back of the collar. There was a vest was made of black wool with the school logo stitched in blue and black on the right breast and black slacks with polished black shoes. When he walked downstairs seven minuets later his mother had lunch ready for him. She looked up from the small pan of eggs on the stove and smiled. 

        "Look at you!" she dried her hands on a towel as she walked over to Sherlock and knelt in front of him. She tugged at the collar as she asked, "How does it feel?"

        "Itchy, but I'll get used to it." Sherlock replied. She tsked when she saw how crooked Sherlock's tie was. 

        "Honestly Sherlock, you can tie a better knot than that!" 

        Sherlock huffed, blowing the air straight up his head and tossing a small knot of his black curls around. Mrs. Holmes fixed the tie, then clapped her hands and said, "There! Now you're the perfect little gentleman!" Sherlock grinned when he looked down at the uniform. It did look quite good on him, he felt like a grownup.

        He slid into his seat at the table and almost as soon as he sat down he felt the warm tongue of Redbeard. The dog had taken his usual place under the table with his head almost in Sherlock's lap. He scratched the chin of the old dog while Mummy piled his eggs on a plate. As soon as she had set the plate down Mycroft walked in the room, still dressed in his pyjamas. Sherlock looked over at him.

        "Nice penguins." Sherlock said sarcastically. Mycroft didn't bother to reply, he just grabbed a plate off the counter and filled it with eggs. He sat across from Sherlock at the table and began to eat his eggs while Sherlock picked at his. Mrs. Holmes glanced up from the sink and over at Sherlock while he was absently pushing a small piece of egg around his plate and staring at it. 

        "Sherlock, the food goes in your mouth, not around you plate." Sherlock sighed and pushed his plate away from him saying, "I'm too excited to eat." Mrs. Holmes smiled knowingly and whisked the plate off the table replying, "I know the feeling dear, I was almost as excited as you for my first day of school. Now," she scraped the leftover eggs into Redbeard's food bowl, "Go brush your teeth! Then I will walk you to the bus stop!" Sherlock shoved himself backwards from the table and trotted off down the hall to the bathroom.