DEPRESSED
An opening that occurred after class let out had allowed many kids to gather back at the school during afternoon tea.
"You got a four" Charlie Brown asked, as he held a few cards in his hand. He had embroiled himself in a game of Go Fish with a few other people.
Thankfully he could, and was taking his time. There was no rush to go home and do something such as feed Snoopy, he and Woodstock were accompanied interstate.
"No. What about Rerun, I would like a…uh…Rerun" he looked over at the younger boy.
Rerun looked up, "Oh. No…I got nothing". He resumed looking at his cards, "Oh, and go fish".
But little was done to get back to the game.
"Hey, you seem a bit distracted" Rerun's friend Katie noted, "Why?"
Before an answer came, Charlie Brown placed his cards face down on the table. "There's no chance I'm getting anywhere with my hand, so I'll acknowledge the elephant in the room"
"Which in this case, is that there's someone not in the room".
From beside him, Janice Emmons did the same with her cards, "Rerun, where's your brother".
"Well look I…I dunno" Rerun admitted.
His response garnered a degree of uncertainty from the others.
"And that makes four days straight you "Dunno" where he's at Rerun" Charlie Brown's sister Sally perked up.
Both Janice and Charlie Brown sat back. The latter spoke again.
"Last time he was absent this way was when he was training himself up, and we found all was well. Then of course stuff went wild but…".
He arranged his cards. It was nearing half a year since he'd played in the Birchwood-Rochester sports match, a match lost amongst a friction between many kids. Then came the consequent changes, somehow being a forced, and somewhat overnight, decline in the unhappy environments of Birchwood.
"Since then, we've been having the time of our lives" Janice noted, "Not even the government's had a honeymoon this long"
"That could be it" Rerun theorised, "Maybe that honeymoons going away, and he's simply coming to terms with that".
"No"
That statement mildly took them aback, as Charlie Brown shook his head.
"It's not regarding that. I think…if you want my opinion…I think Linus is depressed".
There was a quiet amongst the group at the table.
"Depressed?"
"Yes" he said quietly, "Depressed"
The others pondered this. He hadn't been one to get depressed like this too often.
"Big brother. I think you might have some…ah…Given being depressed is how you've typically reacted before"
He frowned at her and she fumbled awkwardly in response, "No offence"
"Is there any signs then" the older boy asked, "Anything?".
There wasn't a response from the younger kids. But he noticed Janice had changed her expression, and then slightly nodded.
"Well…there's his academics. Previously he's gotten along well with that sort of stuff, but…"
She reached into her bag, and pulled a slip of paper out.
"This here, these are his most recent school results"
He took the slip she gave to him, and opened it. The other three hesitated around him from their seats at the table.
Charlie Brown was looking at the paper, and after a bit, ran a hand slightly over his short hair. They sensed it wasn't a positive sign when he closed it.
"Can you believe that he's getting two D+ grades".
"No" Rerun said worryingly.
"Sadly, Yes" Janice confirmed.
"Geez, that's kinda pessimistic an….." Sally then realised, "Oh right, that's cause you've already seen them".
Charlie Brown returned the paper to Janice.
"So…not what I'd expect from him".
They talked a bit more about how very recently Linus'd been on edge, and discouraged, and basically not acting the way he usually did.
"But, well" Sally tapped her knuckles on the table, "what's the source of the issue?"
Her brother and the younger kids didnt have an solid answer to give her.
"I'm not for pointing fingers, but, if you want my guess…" Janice said, and then paused.
"Janice" Rerun became curious.
"…I think that its…someone who's the source, and not something".
As the others continued their inquiring, Charlie Brown dwelled firmly on those words. He had his own thoughts, and he wasn't alone in this, about the "someone".
He was happy that Sally began putting an emphasis on information before action. Excusing himself, he went off to see if he could find Schroeder's table.