{Okay. Sorry for my prolonged absence of late, but "work + impending Christmas season = hell on Earth" from my point of view.—tmw.}
When Janice and John Harper returned to the Jenkins residence, they were a study in contrasts.
Janice couldn't wait to tell everyone about their afternoon walk, let alone "meeting genuine weretigers!"
"Fred O'Toole seemed interested in me, but I hope he'll still like me once I'm a were-mermaid," Janice said, "and I think his sister Ginger is interested in John," she added with a smile, while looking at her brother.
But John Harper was strangely silent on the whole situation.
"Well, you can tell me all about it while we get ready for the newlyweds to return home," said Mrs. Jenkins, referring to her younger son Harry and his new bride Jennifer, who was also Janice's older sister.
"Where's James?" John asked, referring to his older brother, looking around but not seeing him.
"He's still at the hospital, dealing with your parents," revealed Huck, coming out of the downstairs bathroom.
John was surprised that the older Jenkins son was not only back in his human form, but fully dressed too. "My mom's going to need help getting things ready for the celebratory dinner she wants to throw Harry and Jenny. James did call. Your dad's doing about as well as can be expected right now. Your brother and my dad will be home in time to eat, but I don't know whether or not that will include your mother too. Meanwhile, my mom's got a grocery list I promised to fill while Betty and the others work on things here. Want to join me or help here?"
John didn't need much time to decide to accompany Huck, so together the two of them walked out to his pickup truck.
Still somewhat sore after being shot by Dieter Wilhelm's henchman, thinking he was killing Harry*, Huck took his time getting into the pickup, but was soon comfortable behind the wheel.
In route to the grocery store, Huck tried to strike up a conversation with John.
"You missed a good football game. Seattle beat the Cowboys," said the older man.**
"I'm more of a baseball fan myself," was all John would say.
"Oh. Atlanta Braves fan?" Huck asked, thinking of the team closest to Alabama.
"Don't really have a favorite team. I just like the game," John answered. "Can't quote you chapter and verse on stuff like players' stats and history, but I try to watch as much as I can from the first pitch of preseason to the last out of the World Series every year."
"I know the feeling," agreed Huck. "Not much into basketball myself until they get closer to the playoffs every Spring. Then I'll follow it till the final buzzer of the Championship."
"Yeah," was all John said.
Wanting to get the kid to open up more, Huck asked, "Is something bothering you?"
John looked at him and replied, "With everything that's been going on lately, what isn't bothering me?"
"Fair enough," said Huck. "But you were strangely silent when Janice was talking about your walk."
"Sometimes I think she should mind her own business."
"Maybe, but she is your sister. Never had any myself, but I do know what it's like dealing with an older brother."
"James and I get along great," John said defensively.
"Never said you two didn't," Huck hastily replied, "but something new is definitely bothering you more than everything else that's happened. Care to talk about it?"
John just sat as Huck drove, thinking things over. Huck knew better than to push further, so waited until either they reached the grocery store or John spoke again.
Thankfully, it was the latter.
"Truthfully? I don't know what to think," John finally admitted.
"About?" Huck asked.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not crazy about dad having a heart attack, but otherwise I'm all for being emancipated by Jenny and getting a fresh start here in Moon Lake. I could tell you stories that would curl your hair, fur, or whatever; and the sad part of it all is every one of them would be true."
Huck just nodded his head affirmatively, waiting for John to continue.
"But the part that gets me is that even though I'm on the verge of a fresh start here, it seems like my old problems have come too."
Huck waited, but when John wasn't forthcoming with an explanation, asked, "Like...?"
"Remember when I said there was someone back in Alabama I was interested in, but even if I knew whether or not they liked me too, my dad would never approve?"
Huck remembered, so John said, "What I haven't told anybody before now, not even James, is that the other person is a guy."
"So?" asked Huck, as he pulled into the parking lot of the local grocery store.
"To say that my dad would freak if he even suspected I might be gay would be the understatement of the year," began John. "But truthfully? Even I don't know what the hell I am."
"Meaning?" asked a confused Huck.
"When we were hanging out with those other kids earlier, I wasn't sure whether I was more interested in Fred or Ginger," admitted John. "Let alone which one it should be."
"So it wasn't the fact that you're new in town or that they're weretigers?" Huck asked, at least knowing of the O'Tooles down the street from his parents' house.
"No. Not even sure what the heck a weretiger even looks like, let alone what it means to them to be one," said John. "It's just that sometimes I have no idea what or why I'm thinking whatever's on my mind, let alone what I should do," he confessed.
Huck parked his pickup truck, then turned to look at John. "You're only 14, right?" to which the younger Harper nodded his head. "Man, when I was 14, I didn't know much about anything either. What I wanted to be, let alone who I was or would be, were all big unanswered questions to me."
"It's no easier today," confirmed John.
"I'm sure, even without the issue some people make out of what's called gender identity nowadays," agreed Huck. "Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who think they know what you should do and be, but in the end, the only one who can make those decisions for you is you."
"So, what should I do? Fred or Ginger?"
"Who said it had to be either of them? After you get settled and start attending school regularly, you might wind up meeting your soul mate, one true love, or whatever you want to call that person."
"But how will I know whether it should be male or female?"
"Part of that will depend upon the other person," Huck pointed out. "Whenever you finally figure out whether you're straight, bi, or gay will be as much a question of what's in your heart as well as how whoever the other person is feels about you. I mean, look at me. Betty was right under my nose for years and it took getting shot for me to realize it."
"But by then you already knew you were straight," pointed out John.
"I can't deny that," conceded Huck. "Some people just know sooner than others. But just because you don't have the answers today doesn't mean you won't have them eventually."
"So when will I know?" asked John.
"Heck if I know," admitted Huck. "I've known Betty since high school. Always considered her a close friend, which is why I talked dad into hiring her at the construction firm all those years ago. Because she was someone I knew who I could trust. I'd tell you not to worry about it, but that sounds like one of those 'easier said than done' projects to me."
"Yeah. I've searched a lot of websites for answers whenever I had the time at school. Even the ones that agree on a course of action don't always agree on why that particular course of action should be followed," said John.
"The only thing I can tell you with 100% certainty is this," began Huck. "Whenever you do find whoever it is that you want to be with, regardless of who that person is, you better be as sure as you can be in case that person is also a were because once you do more than hold hands or kiss a were, there's no going back."
"You mean sex?" realized John.
"Yep. Unless you're accidentally bitten or scratched, sex is the usual method of induction," revealed Huck. "You'll be joining were society as another member of that species because there are no 'take backs' or 'do overs'. One entry, one life altering transformation per person."
"So if Janice ever does get her chance to become a were-mermaid..."
"She better be dang sure that's what she really wants, because she'll be one the rest of her life," confirmed Huck. "Jenny was scratched by a rogue werevixen as a distraction while trying to escape justice, but my brother intentionally became her life/soul mate werefox because he loves her. Thankfully everything worked out between the two of them.* Betty knows what she's facing marrying me, so our honeymoon will be very special," Huck said with a smile.
"I just wish I knew what I wanted, let alone who," confessed John.
"Just give it time. Now, we better go get those groceries," said Huck, as he started climbing out of his pickup.
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My thanks to my girlfriend's brother and his boyfriend for their input on John's situation, as well as other same gender points of the overall Moon Lake saga. Whatever John is or will be remains to be seen.
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*A long story told in greater detail in previous episodes of late.
**As detailed in episodes of Moon Lake, Tad featuring reporter Tom Herald.—tmw.