Midnight:

Chapter 2:

January 1st

8 A.M.

"John Laurens!" There was no need for an alarm clock, not when Ellie was yelling at him right now. "Open this door right now!"

John groaned as he pulled his blanket over his head. How Ellie had this much energy early in the morning the day after New Year's, John would never understand. He laid there in the bed, not wanting to deal with Ellie right now. Alexander had probably told her that he ran away after the kiss they shared. He could imagine that she would have an earful for him.

Perhaps if he laid there long enough, she should go away. He held her breath as he laid there for a few minutes longer.

"Fine!" Her voice called back to him through the door. "I'll be back later then!"

John let out a small sigh of relief as he heard her footsteps going back down the hall. He could wait until later to talk to Ellie about why he ran away from Alexander. He knew he shouldn't have; he was having such a good time with him. He pulled his blanket down and stared at the wall in front of him when his phone buzzed.

It was a text from Marta: Hey! I'm coming for a visit today! Let's go to lunch!

John frowned at her text. It wasn't like her to say that she was coming for a visit. He sent her a quick text back: Okay, see you then!

After hitting send he pushed himself out of bed. If she was coming, he wanted to be somewhat ready to see his sister.

He walked over to the dresser, pulling his clothes out for the day when his phone vibrated again seeing another text from her: Let's meet at the diner near the campus for lunch.

There was only one diner near campus. She must've been on her way already. He sent her a reply: What time?

He tossed the phone down on the bed before pulled out the clothes that he had selected an outfit for the day. He pulled a shirt over his head as the phone vibrated once again. He turned to see her message on the screen before it went all dark again: How does noon sound?

Sounds just fine to me.

He glanced up at the clock, noon couldn't come soon enough.

Revolution Diner

12 P.M.

John looked around the diner as he entered. Normally, during the semester everyone was there meeting and doing homework amongst the crowd of locals but since there was a break the diner was empty.

"How many?" The hostess asked as he walked over to her stand. He did a quick sweep around the room to see if Marta was already there. He didn't see her anywhere. She must've still been on the road.

"Two, my other party hasn't arrived yet."

The hostess smiled and the light caught the silver name tag that was clipped to her blouse. She grabbed two menus. "That's okay, I'll get you seated and direct them to you once they've arrived."

"Thank you," a small pause as he read her name tag once again. "Peggy."

She shrugged as he followed her to a booth. As soon as he slid into his seat, she handed him a menu. "Don't mention it. We're slow today anyways."

He nodded as he took the menu, glancing over it. As soon as he looked up, he could see his sister coming over and sliding into the seat across from him. He set the plastic covered menu over at Marta. "You made it."

She shrugged, taking her purse off and setting it against the wall of the booth. "Sorry, I was stuck in traffic." She smiled as she picked up the menu that was left at her spot waiting for her. "So, how have you been?"

John's lips pressed together before he let out a small sigh. "Why are you really here, Marta?"

She blinked once. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you're checking on me either for Dad or for Martha."

Marta let out a small sigh as she sat back in her sea. "Neither of them asked me to come, John. I know that Martha had mentioned it to her parents who mentioned it to Father that you hadn't answered her in a while but neither of them asked me to come. I just wanted to come and see you. You're alright, right?"

John was silent for a long moment unsure of how to answer her question. He knew that physically he was alright, but was he alright mentally? As he opened her mouth to answer he noticed the waitress standing next to the table. "Are you two ready to order or do you need another minute?"

John barley looked up at her, but Marta gave her a wide smile. "Could we have another minute please? We're still deciding but we'll both have an iced tea, please."

The woman smiled, nodding her head. "Sure thing, coming right up."

Marta still smiled as she watched the woman back away before turning back to John. John was playing with the edge of the plastic menu as he let out a sigh. "Marta, I hardly think here is the best place to talk about it."

"John, just give me something. I'm worried about you." Marta looked at him from across the table, brown eyes soft and big.

"I'm just unsure about Martha."

A moment of silence filled the air before Marta spoke once more. "Is this because we have the same name because you know as well as I do that no one's called me Martha in ages. I go by Marta and you know that."

"Can we please order and talk about this later?" Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the waitress making her way back over to them and he would have hated to turn her away again.

Marta glanced over and saw the waitress, sighing as she nodded. "Fine with me but after lunch we're going back to your dorm and talking about this."

John didn't have time to answer because the waitress was standing in front of them with a smile. "Are you ready to order?" She didn't answer them if they needed more time as she placed their drinks of the table in front of them, taking her pad of paper out of her apron.

Marta nodded as she smiled as she handed the woman her menu. "Yes, I'll have a Caesar Salad with thousand island dressing."

She nodded, scribbling it all down on her pad of paper before glancing in John's direction. "And you, sir?"

"I'll have a grilled cheese with the fires."

The woman smiled, glancing up from her pad of paper. "Coming right up."

As soon as the waitress had left to put in their orders, Marta let out a small sigh. "Are you sure you can't tell me what's really going on here?"

He wanted to. Deep down inside of him, with every fiber of his being, John wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell his sister that he had spent an amazing night with someone he had just met and felt more affection for him than he ever did for Martha.

They were in a public place, however, and their father was a well-known man. John and his siblings had tried to stay out of the public eye, but it got harder and harder as their father got further and further into politics. He started out small, of course, winning a few local elections. He was now moving on to state elections and running for the sente. John wouldn't be surprised that in a few years' time their father would make a run for president.

He sighed, shaking his head. "How's father's campaign going?" It was a safe topic to talk about there in the diner and one that he hoped that she wouldn't change it back to him.

Marta shrugged her shoulders. "The usual, he's still pushing the same narrative as when we were kids."

Thankfully the topic was no longer him for the time being.

An eyebrow rose and he looked at his sister, a small smirk on his lips. "You mean the my-wife-die- tragical-and-I-raised-my-kids-on-my-own narrative?"

Marta grinned and nodded. "The very one!"

"You think after so long people would tire of the same narrative. I mean we're almost all grown by now. I hardly see how it's going to work on people."

"Well, to be fair, it's no longer local elections but statewide. There are people who haven't heard that narrative before and he, of course, needs ways to gain votes so he pulls out the old classic." As Marta spoke, the waitress brought their meals over setting it down in front of them. They both thanked the woman, watching her walk off an attend to other customers in the diner.

John would have to remember to give her a good tip for her dealing with the two of them.

Without another word the two of them dug into their meals.

John's Dorm

2:30 PM

"Now," Marta began as she shut the door to the room behind them. John removed his jacket and set it on the bed as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Now what?"

Marta pulled the chair out from John's desk, sitting in the chair as she watched her brother. "What's going on between you and your girlfriend? She said she hadn't talked to you since November and it sounds like she really wants to talk to you."

John frowned as he lowered himself on to the bed. He was going to have to tell his sister at one point or another, he knew that. A hand came up and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a long story, Marta. I'm sure you have to get back sooner or later."

He was stalling.

He knew that.

Marta frowned right back at him, arms crossing in front of his chest. "John, tell me, what's going on. I want to be there for you but the best way that I can give you any support you need is that if you talk to me."

"I'm gay." The words left John's mouth smoother than he expected. They were freeing. He felt that a weight had been lifted off his shoulders just by telling his sister.

There was a moment of silence and John was suddenly dreading the worst. He wasn't too sure exactly how his sister was going to react and hadn't really thought about it until the words left his mouth. He cast his gaze down for a moment before looking up at her and she finally let out a small sigh.

"How long?"

He rose an eyebrow at her. Was she trying to ask how long he had known? How long he had been gay? "How long? How long have I been gay?" It was a confusing question and he was about to lecture her that it wasn't a choice when she shook her head at him.

"No, but how long have you known?"

John shrugged. He thought about it and he just knew when he was a young child he shared the same thinking of the things that he saw around him and in that men and women married each other but in high school, after getting with Martha he found himself being more and more aware of the fact that he was attracted to the men around him. "I had been having thoughts about it and was becoming more and more aware of it after getting together with Martha and I think it was conformed on my trip to Switzerland junior year."

It was the first he really spoke of this trip with his sister or anyone really. It was a memory he held privately for many different reasons and this was one of them.

Marta sat there nodding her head before giving him a small smile. "Well, I'm glad you told me and don't worry. I won't go back and tell them, like I told you, I'm here to see you and see how you're doing."

John smiled at her and nodded his head as he glanced down at his shoes on the ground.

"Just one question though."

John blinked as he looked up at her again. "What is it?"

"What about Martha? What are you going to do?"

"Why do you think I've been avoiding her? I don't know how to talk to her yet and after last night I'm not sure I want to. Can't I just move away from everyone?"

"No, that's a horrible thing to do!" Marta rolled her eyes and shook her head as he glanced down at her watch. "Oh, I think I should get going. It's getting dark and I told dad I would be back by dinner."

John smiled as they both stood up and Marta came over, pulling him into a big hug. "Thanks for visiting, it was nice seeing you."

Marta nodded, pulling away as she grinned at him. "I'll see you later, okay? Just, try and talk to her okay? You can't avoid people forever you know." She said as he walked over to the door before slipping on out.

John let out a small sigh as he sank back onto the bed in the room when there was a knock on the door. He let out a groan. Speaking of avoiding people he thought to himself as he stood up and made his way over to the door to find Ellie standing there on the other side, arms crossed in front of her chest. "We need to talk. Now."

AN: Here's the second chapter! It was a lot of fun writing this chapter and I wanted to look into the sibling relationship. A lot of things are going to be happening in this story and before anyone asks; Alexander will be back in the next chapter.