THE CLOSE CALL
The next few days leading up to the game were some of the hardest of Linus's life.
Lucy had been glaring angrily and throwing insults at him at every turn. Linus had a hunch it was due to the incident with his blanket. She hadn't taken her missed opportunity well.
He had engaged in repeated training with Edward, going there after school to do all sorts of exercise techniques, all to improve his strength in time to defeat her clique.
It was gruelling training, but Janice was keeping him happy between sessions, sometimes meaning he forgot to get his blanket back from Edward.
"Your style is quite unique" Edward had told him. It differed from his own, in being more focused on defending.
The three of them were also looking at the statistics of the game, which they then presented to the team.
Charlie Brown appeared to be grateful, but deep down, he was loathing the football training. It was driving him to his limits. Patty was pushing the team harder, and Edward even more so, particularly where he was concerned. And all the while, he still had no clue what the latter and Linus were doing together.
"So we're all going to do something about Black tonight" Charlie Brown told Sally at Thursday lunch "it's about Linus. He's distant, I'm worried he's upset, and we need some help so…".
Sally had zoned out. She was picking at the food in her lunchbox.
"…I had you at Linus, didn't I".
His sister nodded.
Following their argument, Rerun had been shutting himself in his room, refusing to talk. Linus couldn't even try to make amends, as he'd barricaded his door.
At school, Jacob Black confronted him.
"Your brother's trying to talk to you, Rerun" the youngest of the Black clan appealed to his classmate.
"Until he drops being a weirdo, he can keep trying" Rerun responded, trying to end the uncomfortable conversation.
"Really" Jacob frowned "he can't just "drop being a weirdo". Besides, he could be autistic".
"Well uummm…", Rerun shuffled awkwardly, he hadn't thought there was maybe an underlying reason. It made more sense of Linus's stimming and habits.
"Unfortunately, as my brother said" Jacob continued "adults in this world are useless, including phycologists".
"My sister's a phycologist"
"A fraud, maybe" Jacob muttered, so Rerun couldn't hear.
The bell rang, and Rerun left the classroom, passing Gina as she walked in.
"That kid really wants to be his version of normal" he heard Jacob tell his sister.
"Normal or no" Gina replied "either he faces his brother, or he's gonna have to face ours".
Once outside, Rerun thought on what Jacob had said. Maybe he'd been a bit harsh on Linus. No, defending Lucy kicking him out of the house, took the "maybe" out of the equation.
But why was Rerun going to have to, according to Jacob,"face their brother".
Well, Linus was also right in that security was important. So, to make sure his sisters clique was secure, he would need to find out, why had Edward Black been discussing his brother?.
The manors doorbell rang sometime in the evening. Edward got up and left to go answer it.
The club were having one final Thursday meeting, before the big game tomorrow.
Linus was deep in conversation with Samantha and Neil, who were discussing the former's song. Schroeder and her had just completed it.
But, they then heard the sound of someone running across the hall.
Edward rushed back in. "Hide somewhere" he whispered "they can't know you're here".
"Who can't know" Neil said
Edward turned to him, concerned.
"Lucy's here" he told them "and she's brought the whole clique".
That couldn't be good.
Quickly, the SOJAS members exited out off the room, while Edward walked over to the door.
Opening it, he stood back as Lucy, Violet, Rerun, Freddie and the rest walked in. They went into the dining room and took a seat, Lucy making sure to take the one at the head of the table.
Edward took a seat at the opposite end, hiding his internal infuriation at everyone present.
"Everyone" Lucy said "I wouldn't usually call a emergency meeting such as this, but I've had to"
"Now our plot against Brown's been going great" Violet recalled "but, we have encountered a potential threat".
"Who is it" asked Freddie curiously.
"It's not just one person" Lucy said "It's a group known as SOJAS, whatever that means".
"No clue, so I doubt they're important" Freddie confidently stated.
Edward held in a smirk, only for a dangerous rumor to be revealed.
"But" Lucy explained "Rerun believes, that they have a spy in our ranks".
Now, Edward held himself from cursing under his breath. Especially as Violet, now looked distrustingly at him.
From behind the door, Janice was looking in at the meeting.
"Do you see anything" Linus asked from the stairs.
"No" she replied.
Linus was worried. If Lucy was about to expose Edward?.
"That Freddie kid's got his phone number written down" Janice suddenly said, "I can note it".
"His number?" Linus questioned.
And then he realised an idea. "Tell me it Janice" he said.
And after he did, they quickly ran up the stairs to where Maddison was hiding.
"Maddison" Linus said "call this number".
"Whose is it" she asked.
"Freddie's, he's downstairs now".
"But couldn't that expose Edward".
"It won't" Janice theorised "Please trust him, Maddison".
She had originally not trusted Linus. But throughout the past week, he had been loyal to the club, more than she would have expected of him.
It was time to return that favour. Maddison dialled in the number and called.
Downstairs, as Lucy continued to pester about the possible spy, a phone suddenly began to ring.
She glared around, irritated.
"Whose is that?" she asked.
Freddie slowly reached for his phone as everyone turned to him. He smiled sheepishly.
"Answer it" Lucy hissed "on speaker please".
Freddie answered.
"Hey Freddie" Maddison's voice said "how's my spy going".
"I don't…"
"So what up with our little scheme, that loudmouth and snob caught on to you yet"
"What!"
"Jeez Freddie, did I catch you at a bad time…"
"I don't know yo…".
Freddie immediately hung up, his confidence was gone. He looked mortified.
Lucy, Violet and other members were looking at him in fury.
Edward broke the silence, "Fabulous, this meeting is for members of our group only. So, goodbye".
"But, I was framed, I don't know who..".
Lucy got up, and slapped him. She was furious.
"GET. OUT. You two faced liar" she yelled.
Freddie fled out the door, without another word.
The rest of them gazed around each other, silently.
"Is there anyone else" Edward asked them all "who wants out. Think's sabotaging Browns football is too far".
He looked at the youngest, Rerun. But from next to his sister, he didn't answer. No one answered him.
And therefore, Freddie was only going to be his first victim. The rest would soon follow.
As Lucy, the last person, was leaving the manor, Edward made a final suggestion to her personally. Something about purple shirts at tomorrows game.
In return, she gave a gift to Edward, which he accepted with a sinister smile.
"I figured you deserved this" Lucy said. "After all, you more than anyone, treat me how I deserve to be treated".
With that, she left, closing the door.
"You're so right" Edward furiously hissed to himself, carelessly tossing the gift aside, "I will. I will treat you exactly how you deserve to be treated".
He sighed, that confrontation had been too close. But now, he would be free…free to take his vengeance.
He then couldn't help himself, he broke into hysterics, pounding the table.
Edward was cluching his stomach as he laughed. The rest of SOJAS walked back to the meeting room, many chuckling themselves.
"Sorry" Edward apologised as he regained himself "Ohhhhh, that almost made me feel sorry for Freddie. They just so easily turned on him".
"I heard the call" Samantha said "Nice one Maddison".
"Thanks" she replied and patted Linus on the shoulder "but our new guy came up with that one".
Unfortunately, not all the clique had left the house.
Rerun had, of course, made up the spy rumour. He'd done it, hoping to indirectly make Edward explain his affiliation with Linus.
So now, he'd given the rest the slip. Being small, he had secretly snuck back to Black Manor. Rerun crept around the house, till he reached the lounge window. Hiding under the windowsill, he looked over.
And gasped, surprised to see Linus right there in the room, talking to Edward.
He heard the two of them discussing something about tomorrow. He then heard the football game mentioned also. And, he heard the names of the clique members.
They were in league, Rerun realised. I just wanted him more normal, and he's conspiring like this. I gotta warn Lucy.
But as he moved, he heard Linus speak up.
"I have one request" his brother suddenly told Edward.
Rerun stopped. What did Linus possibly want?.
"What is it?" Edward asked. But he already had an idea what he would request.
"Spare Rerun"
From outside, Rerun looked surprised.
Linus appealed to the older boy. "He's not like Lucy. My brother's still a good kid. He's just been confused lately…".
"…and has betrayed you as a result" Edward angrily pointed out.
"He's 5" Linus protested "Don't let him be caught up in the conflict. I won't lose hope that he'll change. He's better than this".
Edward was silent, running a hand through his dark hair. And he relented.
"No harm will come to your brother" Edward agreed. To prove his point, he took his target list of the clique members, and crossed out Rerun's name.
From outside, a watching Rerun couldn't help but feel relieved.
He began to wander home, trying and failing to ignore his feelings of guilt.
A group of seven friends met at the tennis courts. After exchanging some information, they came to an agreement: Storm to Black Manor
Linus had been uncharacteristically distant, even seeming upset at times, and had been constantly going to Edward Black. Coincidence, they thought not. Despite some minor reassurances from Schroeder, Marcie and Franklin, it was time to check in, and find out what was going on.
And, as Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty grabbed their baseball bats, if things got ugly. Then, they'd stage what they called, Operation: Bail out the Brainiac.
Little thought was given to the name.