To all my readers: I'm sorry for the slow update times but it is my hope that college will slow down soon. Also I was hoping to get your feedback on an issue. Since this story is centered around Joshua, I was wondering what everyone thought. Thanks for everything.
Chapter 8
There had been silence between the two friends for the past twenty minutes. It was a surprise that the two still fit inside the now smaller clubhouse. Things were beginning to get uncomfortable both physically and emotionally.
"They didn't tell you did they?" Joshua said breaking the oppressive silence.
"Tell me what?" Samantha asked.
"What really happened yesterday." Her friend told her.
"I was kind of hoping you would since Mom and Dad wouldn't tell me." She said. Joshua didn't respond.
"Just because I'm nine doesn't mean I'm stupid. Tell me what happened." Samantha was starting to get upset at everyone trying to protect her.
"I'm sorry." Joshua said nodding his head. Slowly he licked his lips and told her the whole thing.
Stephanie sat in the kitchen waiting for her husband and son to come home. Both had been gone for a while and she hoped that things were going ok. A knock on the door broke her from her thoughts.
Quickly, she got up and answered it. However when she found her friends on the other side of the door, she didn't hide her disappointment.
"Well I'm happy to see you too." Trixie said.
"Huh? Oh sorry. I was waiting for…" Amanda cut her off.
"Your husband and your son?" She asked. Stephanie gave them a look.
"Robbie and I saw Joshua and leave the airship in a huff and we were wondering if you've seen Samantha." Amanda told her friend.
"I was hoping to talk to Joshua. Things might have been pretty bad if he hadn't alerted me and the Principal was thinking of awarding he and Patrick for their heroic efforts." Trixie said.
"Well I'm afraid that Joshua isn't in the mood for talking. If he left in a huff from the airship, it means he didn't give his father the chance to explain everything." Stephanie had a frown on her face. It was a rare occurrence to see their usually beaming friend with a real frown on her face.
"Patrick told me that he didn't want to talk and he wanted people to stop calling him a hero. I think he feels guilty for not helping Joshua moreor something." Trixie said.
"Whatever happened to the good old days?" Amanda said suddenly.
"The good old days when it seemed that every time we turned around my husband was trying to save us from the next disaster? When we were constantly looking over our shoulders? I had hoped those were gone but I guess not." Stephanie said sullenly.
Samantha reached over and hugged Joshua. She wished there was a way to take away his pain.
"There is a hero inside all of us. For some that hero remains dormant because they lack the courage. For others it's waiting just below the surface and when the time comes they do the unthinkable. Your hero was just below the surface and when the time came you acted." Samantha told him. Joshua gave her a blank stare.
"Your father told me that once and I believe it. Whether you want to admit it or not you saved a lot of people including George." She said.
"How? I shot him." Joshua couldn't seem to get past that.
"Yes but now that people know he needs help he'll get it. No one else was hurt and you should feel at least a little better about the situation." Samantha tried to explain.
"How'd you get so smart?" Joshua smiled for the first time in twenty-four hours.
"I suppose its because my mother's and engineer and my father is an inventor. Or maybe its because I have a great friend who has taught me everything I know." She smiled back. The two friends hugged again.
"Do you think we could cheer Pat up?" Joshua asked.
"Most definitely. Lets go." Samantha said with a sparkle in her eye. The two managed to squeeze out of the old clubhouse and make their way to their friend Patrick's.
To Be Continued…