Linus was leaving his house at 6:15, making sure no one knew where he was going, with the exception of Rerun, who he had asked to keep quiet.
Blanket in hand, he began walking toward Black Manor.
Schroeder, Marcie and Franklin all arrived at Black Manor at around 6:30pm. They were surprised to see each other there.
"Oh, Hello Schroeder" Franklin greeted
"Hello you two" he greeted back "What are you here for?"
"We were invited to a meeting about the upcoming football game" Marcie explained.
"Oh, I'm here for a meeting about Lucy and her clique's behavior"
They took a moment to think about it, then Marcie spoke up.
"It's a big house, I guess we were invited to two different meetings" Marcie theorised.
Schroeder and Franklin stared. Marcie could be quite daft.
She realised her mistake "Actually no, that just really unlikely".
Three other kids walked up to them, all the people who had invited them here.
"Hi Samantha" Schroeder said.
"Hi" she greeted back.
Henrietta knocked on the door.
"You're right" Henrietta explained to them "It's just the one meeting for us all"
The door was opened by Gina, who greeted them. They walked inside the manor.
Entering into the large dining room, they saw the table set up with 10 chairs. They each took a seat.
"So, what does Lucy and her clique have to do with the upcoming game" Franklin asked
"Well, it's a football game" Samantha said to him.
"Ah yes" Schroeder said. He knew Lucy's history with football.
Marcie gasped "I saw Charlie Brown on the game roster".
Someone was walking down the stairs, and entered the dining room.
"Then I think you know what they are plotting to do"
He took a seat at the table.
"Good Evening everyone" Edward greeted "Thanks for accepting our invites"
They introduced themselves to each other, reflected that Maddison was running late, and Edward than began the meeting.
"I'd like to welcome everyone, to the meeting of the Society Of Justice And Security".
"The Society of what?" Marcie asked.
Edward explained they were otherwise known by the abbreviation, SOJAS.
He then gave a brief explanation about how they had been a social club for a couple of years. Neil added how Edward had been their leader since the beginning.
"But enough about us" Edward said "I heard you were a gifted pianist Schroeder".
He nodded.
Samantha suddenly had an idea, in regards to the song she was working on.
"Schroeder" she asked "I've been working on an anthem for the club, but I have no inspiration. I know you only like and play Beethoven, but, could you help me?"
He thought for a moment, and then decided. He wanted to share his love of music, and he had began to like Samantha
"Why not"
Samantha smiled "Thanks so much"
Schroeder shrugged "I said you were at least better than Lucy"
At the mention of Lucy, Marcie turned to Edward.
"How do you know of this plot of theirs" she asked intently
Edward explained to them what had transpired that morning with him and the clique. The reactions were a mixture of irritation, worry and anger.
"So you were meant to keep this secret, but you're now telling us everything. Isn't that risky" Franklin asked
"It is, but I know you aren't one to report this back to them"
Franklin agreed "Suppose as long as we're the only ones you've involved in this"
Except that wasn't true
"Well" Edward began.
"Well what?" Henrietta asked
"Let's just say, there was, maybe, a third pair of ears in the hallway".
"Oh for goodness sake"
Linus walked up to the large manor door and rung the bell. He had gone over what he planned to say when he confronted Edward, but the possibilities make it difficult. Would he listen and back down, or fight back?.
His train of thought was stopped when a young boy open the door.
"Hello" Linus greeted.
"Hi" the boy said, "we weren't expecting many visitors. What's your name".
"Linus Van Pelt" he replied.
The boy was silent.
"You're not allowed here" he suddenly said , and closed the door.
Linus stood still, he knew that meant Edward had found out he knew of their plot.
He reached for his phone, intending to message Charlie Brown, but stopped when he heard muffled voices from the house.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he moved up to the nearby window to hear better.
"I wasn't 100% about this plan to begin with, and this new info isn't helping your case" he heard Henrietta say.
"I can work around it" Edward replied.
He then saw the young boy move up to Edward.
"Yes Jacob" he asked.
"Someone came to the door just now" Jacob informed "And they said they were that Van Pelt kid you told me about".
This peaked the others concern and panic.
"Lucy was here" Henrietta exclaimed "she could have heard everything".
"Did you turn her away?" asked Marcie intently.
Jacob now looked very confused, and Edward slowly turned to him. "Jacob, you did turn away a girl, didn't you".
"No, it was a boy"
Edward sighed "you idiot, I told you to let in the boy and turn away the girl, not vice versa. Excuse me". He got up from the table.
From outside, Linus felt he had overstayed his welcome and began to quickly move toward the gate.
Then, he saw Snoopy walking through it in the opposite direction.
Okay, now it was confusing.
"Snoopy, what are you…"
"Well, guess being a latecomer has its perks…" a voice suddenly rang out.
Maddison blocked the gate.
"…Especially now, I think".
Linus paled, he was busted.
Edward quickly walked down the hallway.
He opened the front door to see Linus halfway down the steps, facing a distrustful Maddison. Who was about to grab him.
"Maddison wait"
Linus turned to see Edward gesture him inside. He was now very hesitant.
Edward explained.
"I know why you're here. I'm willing to talk".
Despite his hesitancy, Linus obliged.
He and Maddison followed Edward to the dining room and took a seat at the table.
Familiar faces looked at him. He could make out many of the kids that were with Edward that afternoon, and noted that all of them wore a sash of some kind.
He then saw many of his friends. Schroeder was sitting next to a girl with a cyan sash, and was looking at him curiously. Marcie and Franklin were sitting between a yellow sashed girl and a green sashed boy. Both looked interested by his appearance at the meeting.
"We know why you're here" Maddison began "You eavesdropped on a conversation today"
Edward had messaged her about Linus around an hour earlier.
"I did" Linus confessed.
"I doubt anyone else knows that" Edward observed "and I suspect your sister would retaliate against you, if she knew you were here."
"How'd you know" Linus began
"That Lucy is an aggressive jerk towards you, your personality is in stark contrast to hers" he replied "It would make sense, Charlie Browns worst enemy pitted against his best friend".
That wasn't a bad analysis, Linus thought
"She did threaten me this morning with violence, if I looked into it" he explained.
Many of them looked disapproving of that, though Neil spoke up
"Yet, you still are trying to stop her".
"Because you wanted to help your friend out of trouble" Samantha added.
Linus nodded "Charlie Brown has enough problems as it is".
He addressed Edward directly "And you're not going to add yourself to the list of enemies. I won't allow it". Linus declared, and immediately regretted his tone.
Edward stared at him.
"So, you came to my house to stop me from joining Lucy. Yet you know there is nothing stopping me making you pay for challenging me" he grinned.
Linus went white, he cursed himself for his naivety.
Edward rose from his seat, and to the shock of Linus, offered his hand. "I knew I liked you"
Now Linus was very confused, but he accepted the handshake.
He then contemplated that none of the people at the table ever had been malicious towards his friend. And here Edward Black was, leading a meeting full of those people specifically.
"Schroeder" he began "you haven't changed your opinion on my sister, have you"
"I'd still rather marry a rockstar who slanders Beethoven daily than her" Schroeder replied.
"And Marcie, Franklin, you've never wanted anything like this for Charlie Brown" Linus said
"Not me" said Franklin
Marcie agreed "Charles deserves better"
Linus turned to Edward, he now understood.
"You aren't joining Lucy's plot, you're sabotaging it" Linus exclaimed.
Edward smiled.
"Those brats treatment of other people is sickening" he agreed "We all know this plot is yet another example"
"It's worse than that" Linus blurted out
"Pardon"
"When Charlie Brown told me he'd join the game" Linus explained "he said if he failed this time, he'd give up, indefinitely"
"Give up on what" Franklin asked
"Everything" Linus told them
They all thought for a moment.
"It's worse than she hinted" Edward mused
That then peaked Linus interest about a question he'd had for Edward, since that afternoon on the tennis courts.
"Even before we met, you knew my name already" he wondered "and, you mentioned that you had a debt to repay, for your cousin".
"Our sixth member, albeit absent" Edward explained "She had a lot of grateful things to say about you".
And Linus now had an idea who it was. "Is your cousin…"
Edward nodded.
"Yes, my cousin, is Janice Emmons".
