THE PLEDGE
2 weeks earlier
Edward Black sat at a restaurant, looking at the menu. A young girl walked in and sat down at his table.
He placed down the menu, he was expecting the company.
"Can I get you a drink?" he requested.
"Of course, cousin Edward" Janice responded.
Edward placed an order with the waiter. The two began to talk.
"So, where's next for you" Janice pondered.
"An old memory of ours. We plan to move and set up in Birchwood".
"Really"
"I hoped to finally have a solid home base" Edward said "mildly speaking".
They received their drinks and began to think about what he was planning.
"They'll be mixed reactions to you and the club, yknow" Janice explained "Some people will welcome you with open arms…"
"…but others with closed fists" Edward finished.
He drank his fruit juice.
"But do you remember what I told you about my friend?" she asked "Can you meet with him?"
Edward chucked "Yes I do, and yes I can"
Janice finished her drink and got up.
"Thanks Edward, and good luck"
She shook hands with him.
"I'll see you soon"
Present Day
"YOU'RE JANICE'S COUSIN" Linus exclaimed.
He was shocked, but it wasn't exactly surprising, given what he said that afternoon.
It's a small world after all, he supposed.
"I am" Edward repeated "Hence why I knew of you, Charlie Brown, and even Lucy. And, given how you helped her, why I got so angry at that boy on the tennis courts"
Linus appreciated that Edward had remembered to show gratitude. It explained why he was so invested in the town.
Neil, on the other hand, was focused on something else "Maddison, did you invite a beagle to the meeting".
Henrietta chuckled
"No" Maddison rebuked "I invited a WWI Flying Ace, and if you want to argue the point, go right ahead".
Neil chose not to do so.
"So" Schroeder asked "if you know of their plot, what do you need us for?".
They all looked at Edward.
"I need information" Edward explained "I need to know every misdeed that Lucy, Violet, and the rest have gotten away with"
Edward wanted to know his enemies. But more so, he wanted to know their "criminal record", which would show exactly how angry he should become.
He took a drink from his glass as everyone else reflected.
Linus was the first to speak up "Well, Lucy once disowned and kicked me out of the house for a couple of days".
There was silence.
Maddison looked disbelieving, "You know this isn't a joke, right?".
Schroeder looked over and shook his head.
"He wasn't joking" he told her "she did it as Rerun was born"
"What!".
A large crack appeared in Edwards glass as he gripped it tightly.
At that, they all began to list off the many cruel actions that they'd gotten away with, particularly Lucy, but also Violet and others. And how many of them, Linus in particular, had been victims of their cruelty. It was a long list, full of psychiatry scams, destroyed pianos, stolen blankets and pathetic insults. No one was impressed by anything.
Infuriated, Edward had crushed his glass into a pile of sand on the table. And that was before they talked about everything Charlie Brown went through.
When they were finally done, all five members of SOJAS were practically burning, with the amount of unfiltered rage they had.
An angry Maddison turned on her sweetest voice.
"Linus, what's you address please".
But Edward quickly moved to stop her. He knew if she had her way, she would storm down on the clique immediately.
"No, no. We're not confronting her now"
Maddison glared at Edward
"Cmon. Edward, you surely won't tolerate this, let alone sit twiddling your thumbs for one and a half weeks. Just order Lucy to back down tomorrow, and show her who she's messing with if she refuses, I say".
"I don't disagree with your logic" Neil responded "but I think her clique would find someway to do the plot behind our backs, no matter how strong we are".
"Agreed" Edward said "this way, we'll know everything we need to make sure her plan fails".
He got up and began pacing around the table
"I do not intend to "twiddle my thumbs" as Maddison put it. I intend to use the most effective, suitable and destructive methods against my opponents" he pledged.
"By being a spy myself" he continued "I'll know who's involved, and what they're doing. This plot will be sabotaged without them even knowing, everything will be shifted in our favour. And then, when the time is right, we will reveal our detrimental handiwork.
"We foil the plot and expose them as the culprits" Neil summarised.
And we will not only foil this plot, we will then ruin their clique for being responsible. I will tear their clique into pieces from the inside. I will not allow a speck of their in-just power to survive. And, as for Lucy, Violet, and the rest of them" Edward paused "I will ensure they will answer for all their cruel behaviour, past and present".
"And then" asked Marcie.
"Then, we will use our own power to change this current status quo. And this town will flourish, under my watchful eye".
Edward breathed heavily.
"Where they used cruelty, I will use strength".
He looked around for their response.
For the most part, many of them seemed satisfied with what he had had to say.
"Ah" said Linus "I get it now"
Marcie looked to him.
"Hey Linus" she asked "are you alright with this?"
Maddison understood why Marcie asked, and looked at Linus for an answer.
"She's my sister, but Lucy's got away with this far too many times" he responded "If you can make this work, well, I won't stop you".
"I still think it's better to just present her with an ultimatum tomorrow" Maddison huffed.
Fortunately, there was a way to settle the debate.
"I call for a vote" Edward said "all in favour of the plan, please raise their hand".
He hoped they would show support. All he needed to do was keep Lucy from that ball.
Hands were raised. Neil, Samantha, Schroeder, Linus and Edward all supported the plan.
But Marcie, Franklin, Henrietta, Maddison and Snoopy all voted against.
"Rats, we tied" Schroeder realised.
Suddenly Linus remembered "Didn't you say Janice was your sixth member?"
Edward got out his phone and texted.
They waited
He quickly looked up "She said yes"
"Alright" Linus celebrated.
But Henrietta was unconvinced.
"No, you didn't even explain what she was approving to her, did you" she accused.
Edward sighed, busted.
"Worth a try".
He soon looked up again from his phone "She still said yes"
"Rats" Maddison cursed "Never mind then"
Edward clasped his hands together.
"So, that about summarises everything. But, if I need anything else, I will ask you. And, thank you all for telling me what you know. We'll put it to good use"
They assured him he was welcome.
"One more thing, don't tell anyone about our plan" Edward requested "and, that includes Charlie Brown himself"
This surprised many of them.
"Why not?" They asked him.
Edward explained his reasoning. "There's too much risk Lucy could notice he knows about it. And that would be problematic".
Most of them were satisfied with his reasoning, and after exchanging goodbyes, they began leaving the manor, with the exception of two people.
Edward sat down. He was thankful his plan would go forward. He could practically hear the Great Pumpkin in his mind, telling him the crisis was averted.
"So, is this normal for you guys"
Edward looked over to Linus.
"Stopping cruelty and promoting justice. It's basically our club purpose" he said "what do you think?"
"I think you're a bit crazy" Linus cheekily told him "but, I'm grateful for what you want to do, you're all really generous people".
Edward smiled, and then made an offer to the blanket carrying boy.
"How would you like to join us".
Linus raised his eyebrows "You'd want me to join your club"
Edward explained that he was impressed that Linus had been really steadfast to his friends, and had been so passionate, so willing to help Charlie Brown succeed in any way he could".
"The passion you showed for him tonight" Edward acclaimed "shows that you, Linus, have the power to change these people, this town, for the better".
But Linus bowed his head.
"What's wrong" Edward asked.
"You are" Linus said "That's not me".
He sighed, "I'm not this strong person. I carry around a blanket for security, if it's not clear. I'm not a confident young man, I'm, well, an unconfident young boy. So, a word of advice, don't waste a spot in your club on a naive insecure weirdo like me"
The two boys sat, thinking.
"Perhaps I was wrong" Edward said
"Yeah" Linus agreed
"But I don't think so"
Edward got up.
"Linus, tomorrow I'd like to take you on as my apprentice. I can help you with your confidence, I can teach you to become a strong person. So you can act on your willingness to help your friends, for the time for words alone is over.
Linus also got up.
"Meet me here tomorrow morning" Edward said "and I will begin your training"
He held out his hand
"Join me, and we will win against this cruelty and bullying, together"
And after some thought, Linus again accepted the handshake.
Maddison walked to where Edward was sitting down.
She sat down in Linus's chair.
"I don't trust him" she said
"Who"
"Linus"
"Why"
"Blood is thicker than water" she explained "did you consider that before making him your apprentice"
"I did" Edward said "but, what is right may be even more important"
But Maddison wasn't finished with her concerns.
"That leads me to another question" she said "you could tell Charlie Brown about this, he's for sure not going to spill it to Lucy. But, you haven't, why?"
Edward frowned. He had expected Maddison to ask this, and had a reason. Despite all his calculations, and all his planning, there was always going to be one possibility to undo everything, one spanner in the works that could ruin the well oiled machine.
The biggest risk to the plan, the biggest risk to Charlie Browns success, was Charlie Brown himself.
"Charlie Brown is too gullible and foolish" Edward explained. "That has been made clear today".
He sat down.
"So you lied" Maddison confirmed, disapproving.
"I have a good reason" Edward defended himself "For example, it should have by now become quite apparent Charlie Brown would never kick a football held by Lucy, yet he still exhibits this repeated stupidity".
Maddison thought she'd at least trust Linus for that job.
"When it comes to failure, he does not disappoint" Edward continued "I don't trust his involvement. It would jeopardise our plan, as my involvement will jeopardise Lucy's."
"So, you believe he would curse us with bad luck" Maddison asked.
"I believe that he would certainly cause our plan to fail" Edward told her.
He clenched his fist.
"And if there is one thing I never intend to be, it is a failure"
"Never again"
Rerun was just about to go to bed, he had been wondering when Linus to get back. His older brother had told him where he was going, and had trusted Rerun would cover for him.
But, unfortunately, as his sister came up to him, it was clear that what he had been trusted to do, might not happen.
"So" Lucy demanded of Rerun "Where's Linus"