THE WANNABE SISTER, AND WANNABE BROTHER

Following that confrontation, Maddison had returned to her locker to get her gear. And, as she exhaled, to calm down after that chase.

She had known Edward Black for a long time. Longer, she thought, than anyone else in the club. They had met shortly after Edward joined, and they quickly found both similarities and differences between them.

Maddison was quick to action, wanted to solve problems as soon as possible, and was more than a little hotheaded.
By comparison, Edward was more cunning and calculating, and planned ahead so that when he did take action, he would win in anyway he liked. They often joked that they were breaking some kind of rule in being friends.

However, Maddison and Edward had one key similarity. Neither would let anyone walk over them without a fight. And with help from Edward, Maddison could easily give that fight.

"Hello Maddison".

Linus and Charlie Brown walked to her. "Thanks so much for what you did back there"

"You're welcome kid". She closed her locker, and sighed.

Linus and Charlie Brown glanced at each other.

"I don't know how you and Charles stand that sadistic brats abuse" Maddison said, in contrast to her earlier opinions.

"It gets difficult" Linus admitted.

"I-I didn't believe it. That your own sister would want to put you through that extended pain. It's shameful"

Her fist clenched. She clearly shared Edwards angered feelings towards Lucy.

"But aren't you an only child" Charlie Brown spoke up, "why the strong opinion?".

Linus looked between them.

Maddison bit her lip, sitting down.

And to their shock, her eyes watered, as she revealed the truth.

"I-I wasn't an only child".

This surprised the boys.

The 13 year old girl gazed ahead, and began telling her story.

"I was so excited, when years ago, I learned I would have a brother. Someone I could nurture and mentor" she reflected on that time. "I just wanted, maybe, a partner in crime. And I wanted a friend".

At the time, she had seemed on top of the world. But she then told them what happed next.

"and then, then when the time came, he…he didn't make it"

Linus gasped, and Charlie Brown looked horrified.

"I was so heartbroken when it happened" Maddison stammered. "And so disappointed, and, well, I fell into a depression. I didn't know where to go from there".

Maddison closed her eyes, remembering her past.

"And then, then I did".

A younger Maddison, aged 9, wiped her eyes as she sat alone on the bench. Then, she saw at the school playground, a mean looking boy, pushing and bullying around two preschoolers.

"And it was then I realised" she told Linus and Charlie Brown "I couldn't defend my brother, but I could, and would, defend everyone else"

Maddison leapt up and tackled the bully, while telling the preschoolers to run.

"I took a beating for that. It wouldn't be my first".

She was pushed to the ground, sporting a black eye.

"But on that day, I earned something"

The bully quickly paled. "I was joking, it was just a joke, okay", he tried desperately to plead for himself, as the preschoolers returned with their older brother. But Edward Black had none of it.

"I earned Kingmakers respect"

Edward reached down and helped Maddison up, helping her limp away from the playground.

"And he, well, he earned my loyalty"

A week later from that confrontation, a purple SOJAS sash was placed over Maddison, but a proud Edward.

Linus and Charlie Brown watched as Maddison faintly smiled. It was certainly an emotional story.

Charlie Brown, for one, knew what to say next.

"As an older brother, I think you have, and would've been great Maddison" he reassured.

Linus nodded in agreement.

"You're at least better than me" Charlie Brown whispered to himself, and he was overheard by the others.

Maddison looked at him, and Linus became slightly worried she would take a similar approach to Edward.

But instead of being tough on him, Maddison smiled. "You are great, Charles".

"Really?", Charlie Brown hadn't thought he and Sally did enough for each other.

"I can tell" Maddison revealed. "Besides" she looked at the boys "Sally's not the only one to whom you act like a brother".

And with that, Maddison closed her locker, waved farewell, and left.


"Okay, now I'm confused"

Charlie Brown was talking to Linus following the story.

"First Edward defends you, then he doesn't. One day you're friends, the next your entering this "society" opposing him. What's going on?"

Linus explained it was complicated. "Ive been err, doing some activities and training with them, for self improvement etc"

"Does it have to do with your "Classified" plan?" Charlie Brown asked.

Linus nodded.

"Why can't you tell me?".

"Charlie Brown. If I could I would." Linus said, exasperated "But, I've been told it wouldn't be for the best. Trust us, we're going to make it successful for you."

After years of bullying and depression, believing in strangers wasn't his strong suit, "Look, I don't know if I can trust them".

"You trust me, right" Linus asked him.

The two of them looked at each other. Did he?. Would he believe Linus could help him?.

"Of course I do" Charlie Brown said reassuringly "you're my, well, my security."

His security!. Just like Linus'd said he was.

"Thank you" The younger boy smiled "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!:Psalm 133:1"

Linus then looked surprised at himself.

Charlie Brown stared at him, puzzled, "Wait…brothers dwell in unity?".

"Oh" Linus rubbed his hands nervously "It's…ummm…a quote about…errr….well…never-mind".

Lamenting his sudden emotional awkwardness, he walked back.

"I won't let you down, okay".

Charlie Brown nodded.

But a small, dismissed part of him angrily thought, that after all this, Linus'd better not.

Meanwhile, as he was walking away, Linus's phone then buzzed with a message, and he looked. It was from Gina Black, strangely, about an incident with Jacob.

And he was not happy when he read what had happened.