Late that night, John tapped on Peter's door.
"Peter!" He hissed. "Peter, wake up!"
"I'm awake." Peter said, but he didn't sound awake.
"Hurry up!" John said. The fish and cheese he had wrapped in an old blanket were starting to smell already…through the blanket itself. He went over to Wendy's door and tapped on it, too.
"Wendy! Wendy, wake up!"
"I'm up, John. I never went to sleep." She said.
"Good. Come on, I might need you help to get our sleepy-head brother out of bed to help us!" Peter appeared behind him.
"I'm up, John, I'm up." He said.
"Good. Come on! Let's go!" John said. He led the way down the stairs to the fireplace. He grabbed a chair and pushed it to the fireplace.
"Hand me the fish and cheese!" He said and Peter handed him the smelly food. John dislodged a brick and disposed of the food.
"Now, when Dad lights the fire tomorrow, the food will heat up and it'll smell really bad in here and BANG! our plan is complete." John said. The three then scrambled back up the stairs and into bed.
...oOo...
"JOHN!" Samuel Smith roared. He stomped up the stairs with Peter and Wendy close behind. "John, get out here!"
Uh oh. J0hn thought. He found the fish. Or someone squealed.
John opened the door of his room to find a very angry Samuel Smith standing outside. Peter and Wendy peered around their father at their brother.
"I think these belong to you." Samuel said as he shoved the fish and cheese at his eldest son. John looked at Peter and Wendy.
"Did you guys tell on me?" He asked.
"No!" Peter and Wendy said in unison. "Dad found the fish and he somehow just knew you did it!"
"So you did do it. John, what am I going to do with you?" Samuel demanded. "Maybe Mr. Williams is right. Maybe I should send you to law school or off to be apprenticed. In fact, that's what I'm going to do. I'll look into it right away. Meanwhile, you're not to leave your room. Not at all."
"Dad!" John protested.
"John, I've had enough. You'll learn not to get into so much trouble. And time away from your siblings might do them some good." He said, indicating the trouble John was always getting Peter and Wendy into.
"Dad…" Wendy said quietly, but Samuel didn't hear here.
"John, get back into your room, now. I'm going out to speak with Mr. Williams about any masters who need an apprentice. And if he doesn't know of any, I'll look into enrolling you in law school." He said and John glared at his father. He walked into his room and slammed the door. He kept his back to the door and he heard Samuel walk back down the stairs. Only then did he stomp back over to his bed.
"John! There'll be none of that!" Samuel called from downstairs and John stomped good and hard one last time to show that he didn't care what his dad said or did and that he didn't like him. He waited for his dad to storm up the stairs again, but he didn't. Samuel Smith had already left for town.
A/N- John is not a happy camper. Why am I not surprised?
Remember, John and his father do share one thing- their stubbornness.
Please review!
-Robin