FEELING

Now it was the next day. Around breakfast time, Rerun had not touched his food as he had yesterday.

"So you haven't eaten yet Rerun"

Charlie Brown had came over, and had found the young boy pacing.

"…You don't mind if I…"

He got out cereal, thinking he could make some instead. It was when he began pushing a bowl to Rerun that he suddenly blurted out.

"Linus isn't coming out of his room, not outside, not anything" he cried, "I've tried four times, he's keeping the door shut and ordered me to go away".

The older boy nodded, and told Rerun to stay and have breakfast.

"Thanks" Rerun took the readied cereal bowl. However, Charlie Brown was already making his way to where his best friend was isolating himself.

With now both siblings out of the way, as he'd got to Linus's room, he called out. "Linus, it's me, I'm coming to get you"

"Please go away Charlie Brown" Linus replied, then added, "pass it on"

"Sorry Linus, but no thanks".

Charlie Brown tried to turn the door handle, but as he handled it, it was pulled open from the inside.

Linus looked up and down, and frowned at him. He seemed just about ready to come out, and yet he wasn't.

"Why won't you leave me be. Isn't this like what you did, self isolation"

Charlie Brown shrugged, "Well whenever I did that, aren't you always coming in to assure me. That's not annoying me"

He gave a nudge on Linus's shoulder, but it was as he didn't really feel it.

"Come in then" he muttered, "besides there's stuff to recycle over here"

Linus knocked a box. It was full of belongings, "…take this off my hands, will ya"

Charlie Brown got on his knees, shuffling through the box.

"This is, wait, it's some stuff about your Great Pumpkin. But it's October remember"

Linus was dismissive, "It's not my Great Pumpkin…and I don't have any point in keeping it"

Charlie Brown got up at that remark, and he arched his head to look him in the eye with disapproval. Linus could see it, but he wasn't focused on whether he did his usual thing on Halloween.

"Don't look at me like that" he asked, "even you thought that waiting for the Great Pumpkin was stupid"

"But putting a stop it like this. Do that when you'd actually like to"

"I'd actually like to Charlie Brown". Linus sat on the ground, "And don't say that I'm lying".

Charlie Brown placed a hand on a bedside table, "I won't Linus, except that we both know that you are"

"Oh, can you give me peace Charlie Brown".

"I know because…I've been seeing you deteriorating".

"Deteriorating?. And?", Linus had expected Charlie Brown to figure that out, but not to take this route.

"And with that in mind, I…", Charlie Brown moved his hand, holding Linus's as the other boy got on his feet. Linus noticed he was uneasy.

"…So there's something I need to confess to you".

"Confess, okay" Linus looked at his best friend, who was silent and avoiding his gaze.

His face softened, "Hey…You can tell me Charlie Brown"

"I…wondered if I shouldn't take the bully hunters recommendations. I knew I shouldn't have tried to get your friend's support. I knew I shouldn't have ever involved Rerun"

"Involved in what Charlie Brown" Linus pestered him to tell the truth.

Charlie Brown had a pale look on his face, "I…I may, I… IfiledarestraingorderthatcutoffLucyfromyou"

Charlie Brown winced, as he anticipated his reaction. Linus glanced down, he moved a confused expression on his face. What he'd said was quick, but he heard it.

Then, snickering began to escape from his mouth.

"Heh. That's actually a bit funny Charlie Brown" he motioned, "It had a humour going for it. Delivery was a bit stale, but being all serious doesn't mean…"

He paused, as it now began to dawn upon him.

"I mean, really you didn't actually…"

He could see right into Charlie Browns eyes, and it was there that it was all confirmed. Now Linus went pale.

"Now, I know that you'd be upset by this…and perhaps now…"

Linus stared at the floor, "No, I'm taking it well I…"

Charlie Brown stopped Linus's hand before it hit him.

Linus felt his anger grow, "You went behind my back"

"I know, I know…that you

"I trusted you"

"Yes, except in this case…"

"You don't get it" he hissed, "I was close, she was actually going to turn over a new leaf. I was this close".

He pincered his finger and thumb together.

"…and now…now she's pretty much no longer my sister…thanks for that"

He sat down on his chair, waiting to see whether Charlie Brown would leave or stay put. Instead he sat down beside him.

"And so you know…".

Then, Linus felt his anger fade away before he could help it, and a depressed look soon took its place.

"…whatever happened with me, It wasn't Lucy" he said "I unleashed a tirade against her, I lost my compassion, I was the aggressor Charlie Brown"

Linus stayed seated, and Charlie Brown saw how badly he was unnerved.

"Then I have something to suggest you do next"

"And what's that" Linus asked him.

"Give up"

"You think that I'd better stop"

"Give up" Charlie Brown repeated "But stop works just as good"

They were silent as he rubbed a sad Linus on the back, who realised that he was waiting before talking again, "I'm going to tell you something that's hard to hear Linus"

Linus silently stared at him, "And that's because..."

"Look. She's probably not going to turn over a new leaf. Every time it's looked like she could or would, it never ends up happening".

"Maybe she was becoming…"

"No Linus, Lucy isn't becoming like you, it's only risking you becoming like her"

Linus, now woeful, looked away, "Does that mean…that it's the both of us who could be like monsters?"

"Linus, you are not the same type of person as her, nor the same type as me. You're the brainiac who's hung around me for years. Staying my friend when I had very little of them".

After what he'd just said, Linus gave Charlie Brown more attention.

"You're not monster-like, despite what anyone might say. That's thier loss, and more of you for the rest of us. No reason to isolate yourself" Charlie Brown said, then added, "And try quitting the baseball team".

"You heard", Linus exclaimed, beginning to do more and more rethinking, "Look, I'm…sorry about that".

"And so you know, despite the negativity Lucy has with you, so many people do look at the positives, at your positives" Charlie Brown nodded, "And they refused to play baseball without you and your goodwill on our team anymore".

"They wha…"

"…Yes. Your sister can complain about you if that's what she wanted, but I believe she's also going to be the only one listening" he finished his statement, and now looked very welcoming.

With that understanding, everything got through to Linus.

They had fallen silent, there was little more to say that wasn't already said. Linus took the opportunity to lean forward and whisper a kind word back.

It wasn't loud, but it made Charlie Brown open his arms. Him and Linus embraced, the younger boy's feelings of pain, anger and insecurity beginning to decline.