Summer Bummer

"Don't even think about sticking that video game in your bag, son!"  My mom growled from my bedroom door.
"What exactly am I gonna do out there then?" I shoved my Fireball Z back into my nightstand and flopped onto the bed next to my half-packed suitcase.
"Run around, breathe fresh air, go swimming.  Any of these appealing to you?"
"No," I mumbled through the pillow.
"Well, you’re going.  End of story. So make the best of it, okay? We gotta leave in an hour so get packed.  Bring your football if you want."  Off she went to torment my father and make sure he didn't pack his video games either I bet.
My mom and dad were going to desert me for the summer while they took a European vacation with my aunt and uncle.  They were dropping me and my dopey cousin off at Grandpap's farm.  I always got the raw end of the deal. 
Have fun, mom says.  There was no fun in the middle of nowhere.  I wasn't even allowed to bring my Nintendo. And my cousin Randy was so dorky.  All he ever did was read nerdy science books and play in the dirt.  I was on my way to the 6th grade and I didn't want hang out with a geek during my summer vacation.
We left St. Louis an hour later and I was on my way to Boredomville.
Grandpap gave us the grand tour.
"There's the woods over there, past the East field.  And the barn is yours to play in, so long's you boys don't give the chickens nothing to squawk about. “I rolled my eyes. Chickens?
"Pond's over that way.  Small boat you two can take fishin' if ya want.  Got bait in the fridge."  In the fridge?!
I looked at my cousin Randy after Grandpap left.  His glasses were slipping down his nose and he pushed them up with a dirty pinky finger.  Such a loser.
Randy chirped at me, "So, ya wanna go do something?"
"Um, I think I'm gonna go toss the football around."  Then I added," By myself."
"Oh." Randy looked hurt, “Well, I'll go read my new World Book Encyclopedia Science Year."
Great. The only kid I was gonna see this summer was a total nerd.  I grabbed my football (thank you mom) and threw it up in the air for a good hour before realizing I was the most bored I'd ever been in my life.
"Hey.  Wanna do some fishin'?"
I threw my football up in the air and pretended not to hear Randy. 
"C'mon, Joey. I know you're bored too."
"Fine. Get the stuff and I'll go."  This couldn't get any worse.
"Awww! Gross! Randy, look at these things!"  I pointed into the styrofoam cup of worms. I was half mesmerized and half repulsed by the squirming.
"Cool. Eisenia hortensis."
"E what?!"
Randy looked at me proudly, "A nightcrawler.  It's used mainly for composting and recycling biodegradable waste.  But they make really good fish bait too.  Just poke um on like this."
He grabbed one of the squirming creatures and slid it on the hook.” Now just toss it in the water out there."
I watched, amazed that this uncool cousin of mine knew stuff about the outdoors.  In no time he had a bite.
"Whoa! This guy's fast." He shoved his glasses up his nose again. “Look at the line!  See how the pole is bowing."  I stared.  Who knew fish could be this exciting.  Maybe this kid was okay after all.
Randy reeled in the fish and showed me how to dig the hook out, "Hold him like this so he doesn't get away from ya."
He passed the silvery fish over to me.  Gulp!  This was so gross. 
"Hey, it kinda tickles."
"Yeah, he's a little guy. Just toss him back."
"Like this?"
"Yup, there he goes."
I watched the fish swim down to the deeper part of the pond and then looked at my hand where it had been.  A few scales shimmered on my fingertips and I wiped them on my jeans.
"Hey Randy?  Why you bein' so nice to me?  I was a jerk earlier."
"No one's ever nice to me.  They all call me names.  Don't feel bad, I'm used to it."
"What about your friends? Aren't they nice to you?"
Randy looked over to me, his pinky absent mindedly pushing his glasses up for the 100th time that day, "Don't have any."
"Hey Randy, when we get back to Pap's, ya wanna throw the football
around or something?"
"I'm not very good at sports, Joey."
"We can fix that."
I looked at my cousin and thought he'd make a cool friend.