{{Special thanks to my girlfriend, her brother, and his boyfriend for their input on this episode.—tmw.}}
John Harper was sitting in Henry Jenkins Senior's den, reading a book. The patriarch of the Jenkins family, which John was now technically a part of since his oldest sister Jenny married Henry's youngest son Harry, had allowed the young lad access to his library to help pass the time.
John's other sister Janice, also hoping to be emancipated into the guardianship of Jenny and her new husband, was off somewhere learning crocheting (whatever that was) from Harry's mother.
John was lost in the pages of a book discussing Astronomical facts from fiction, when there was a knock on the open den door. He looked up and saw the oldest Jenkins' son Henry Junior, aka Huck, peeking in on him.
"Two things," said Huck. "One, I have to go look at a house to make an estimate on a repair job."
"Do you want me to come with you?" asked John, wanting to do something. Huck had already promised he could help with the painting of Jenny and Harry's new apartment when the project was that far along, and thought it'd be nice to offer, although he wasn't sure about his long term career plans, especially in regards to the construction business.
Actually, I'm still not sure about a lot of things, John admitted to himself, but that's another matter.
"No," replied Huck. "I just wanted to let someone know where I was. My mom and your sister are still upstairs playing with yarn," he said, a personal opinion about crocheting, "and everyone else is still out. Adding in going to check the situation out and make an estimate, the whole project shouldn't take more than a couple of hours between today and tomorrow."
"So I guess you're feeling better now," surmised John, recalling how Huck was recovering from being shot by an assassin in the employ of Dieter Wilhelm who thought he was carrying out the contract on his brother Harry.
"A little. Chest still hurts at times, but I need to get out and a simple job like this should be no problem. Besides, Betty's at work covering the office and arranging what she can for our upcoming wedding."
"Okay, but you said there were two things," John reminded him.
"Yeah. There's someone at the front door to see you," said Huck, before he turned and walked away.
"WHAT?" said John in disbelief.
Not sure what was going on, John stopped and checked his appearance in the hallway mirror.
He and Janice were in clothing loaned by the Harpers, hand me downs that Mrs. Jenkins and her boys had outgrown, since the Harpers had come to Moon Lake on what was just supposed to be a daytime excursion to stop his sister's wedding at their father's insistence and drag Jenny back to Alabama to marry the man James Harper Senior had promised her to, the same Dieter Wilhelm that was behind the troubles that the two families had experienced before the wedding.
As John approached the Jenkins living room, he noticed that the curtains were pulled back for the day from the big bay window in the front wall.
Through that, he could see Huck making his way to his construction company's pick up truck parked at the curb, but no sign of anyone else.
Curious, he went and opened the front door.
That was when John Harper's heart briefly skipped a beat.
Standing on the front porch was Ginger O'Toole, the neighbor from down the street he met yesterday.*
The red head looked great in a form fitting dress whose bottom hem barely made it to her knees.
Then again, her shapely form and green eyes helped with Ginger's allure. The freckles on her face just added a sense of adorability.
From what little he knew about females, some young ladies looked a lot better than others, but there was just something about the females of Moon Lake at any age that made them look at least ten times better than anyone else. John wasn't sure if it was something else or a side benefit of being a were, although Jenny's improved looks since becoming a werevixen certainly gave that theory some credit.
But whatever it was, John certainly gave the girl before him a second look.
And a third.
"Hello," Ginger finally said, not mentioning how John stared at her, perhaps because she was staring at him too. "I missed you at school today."
John knew they were both the same age (14) and should be in the same grade (Freshmen), but "That's because I can't officially register and attend until we get this emancipation business taken care of," he explained.
"Oh," said Ginger, obviously disappointed at not seeing the boy at Moon Lake High today. "Well, do you have time to just sit and chat?"
"Sure," said John, happy to spend some time with her. Truthfully, as crazy as his life had been even before the fateful trip to Moon Lake, he wasn't sure about a lot of stuff, so maybe having someone new his own age to talk to would help.
"Would you like to invite me in?" asked Ginger, thinking that would be the next obvious thing to do.
"Oops. Sorry," said John, before inviting her.
The two teenagers sat down on the main sofa of the Jenkins' living room. Technically, they were next to each other, but there was still somewhat of a polite and respectable space between them.
"How was your day?" asked John, trying to break the ice.
Ginger O'Toole smiled and then began relating how things went for her at school.
He nodded a lot in acknowledgment of the discussion, even adding some comparisons to how things would be at school for him today if still in Alabama.
Once they exhausted that topic, there was a long pause between them.
Then Ginger said, "Do you know you're kind of cute when you're bashful?"
"Cute?" repeated John, as his face started to blush in embarrassment.
"Listen," said Ginger. "I'm not trying to influence your decision in any way, shape, or form. Besides, you can't officially make one until after you're an actual resident of Moon Lake. But when the time comes, if you do decide to become a were and want to be a weretiger, I'd be more than honored to initiate you."
"How?" wondered John.
"Well, a bite or scratch are the more traditional ways, but those are pretty boring. Most newcomers decide to choose Option Three."
"And what's that?"
Ginger looked around a bit to make sure they were alone, and then whispered in John's ear, "Sex."
His face turned even redder than before as she smiled at him.
"Like I said, there is no way I can influence your decision. In fact, I'd be in trouble if I somehow do," admitted Ginger. "But I can't lie to you either. Ever since we met yesterday while you were on that walk with your sister*, I won't deny being interested in you. With your permission, I'd like to be your friend, and if something even stronger than that eventually develops, I wouldn't object to a more serious relationship between us."
"Well, I..." began John, trying to figure out what to say.
"Oh, damn. I came on too strong again, didn't I?" realized Ginger. "Mom says I need to control my emotions better, but dad says it's just part of being a weretigress, which is one of the reasons why he fell in love with mom in the first place."
"It's not that," John finally said.
"Oh? What? I would imagine you and your sister are experiencing some kind of... unsettled feeling, with the whole emancipation situation unfinished."
"Well, that's part of it," admitted John Harper.
"Part?" repeated Ginger. "Whether or not something more ever happens between us, if you want a friend and would like someone to talk to..."
"I appreciate that, but it's difficult," he confessed.
"I see. Is it me or you?" wondered Ginger.
"Me," replied John, and then, trying to make it clear, added, "Me, me. Not you me."
"Oh," said Ginger, before growing silent. Then she asked, "Is it about whether or not you even want to join were society, let alone as what?"
"Well, kind of, but maybe not the way you think."
"Truthfully, I do kind of envy normal human beings," admitted Ginger. "For us naturally born weres, we grow up knowing what we are. For normal humans who choose to join, they have practically the entire were world to choose from, but whatever they pick has to be THE choice for the rest of their lives because—"
"I remember what both you and your brother said. Once you become a were, that's it. No take backs or do overs."
"True. There are some situations like your oldest sister's. People joining who weren't originally planning on joining, but do enjoy being a were afterward."
"I doubt she's shared all the details with us, but Jenny now calls it a happy accident after Harry became her werefox," said John.
"True. We don't intentionally force anyone to become a were," said Ginger, skipping over the town's Mandatory Were Law,** under the belief that would just cloud and confuse the discussion. "But if there are any people who regret their choice when joining, I've never heard of one."
John thought about it, and then asked, "Can you keep a secret?"
"What are friends for?" she asked in return.
"I've only told one other person in my life so far," said John, thinking about his previous conversation on the subject with Huck***. "I honestly don't know how the rest of my family would react if they knew, but if it wasn't for the fact he's in the hospital right now, my dad would kill me if he found out."
Ginger O'Toole reached out to take John's hands in hers. "You can trust me," she promised him.
John Harper stared at her for a bit, then nodded his head affirmatively. "It's not a question of whether or not I'll ever join were society," he began. "In fact, if I ever do fall in love with someone here, if they're a were, then if it gets to that point, I'd be willing to become a were to be with them."
That made Ginger O'Toole smile.
Then John said, "My problem, and it's still one I haven't figured out an answer to yet, is that... is that I haven't figured out yet if I'm supposed to fall in love with a man or a woman."
"Oh," was all Ginger said.
"Oh?" repeated John, totally confused as to her reaction. "Well, that's certainly better than you running out of the house screaming at the top of your lungs in fright or saying that you're going to tell on me."
"This is the twenty-first century, and Moon Lake is a lot more progressive than some other places. Truthfully? You're not the first person I've met whose had that problem," said Ginger, by way of explanation. "I won't go into any details, because I won't betray any confidences, but I do know a couple of people who have wondered the same thing about their own lives."
"What did they do?" asked John, hoping for some helpful advice.
"Sorry. I won't betray a confidence, remember?" she reminded him. "Straight, gay, or bi, that's a choice only you can make," said Ginger, looking at him more closely. "The world is a confusing enough place as it is without the were aspect of life in the equation, so don't even think about that part right now," she advised him. "There's no telling how many people might have at least thought about it, let alone possibly have experimented with their own gender before deciding what was best for them. But first and foremost, you have to know what's in here," she added, pointing to his heart, "before you can make the right decision, whatever that is."
"Yeah. That's pretty much what the other person told me too."***
"Then I'd heed it. There's no time table on deciding. In fact, I advise you to take all the time you need."
"Thank you," said John.
"You're welcome," replied Ginger.
The two talked about other matters for awhile. TV shows, books, nothing of any major consequence, although John and Ginger discovered they did have similar tastes.
Then the alarm on Ginger's wristwatch began to chime.
"Afraid I have to go home now and start tackling my homework," she announced, while turning the alarm off.
"Would you like me to walk you back to your place?" asked John.
"I'd like that," she said, giving him another smile.
He held the front door open for her, and as they walked from the Jenkins house to her home, Ginger said, "From what I've seen of you and your sister, I take it the Harper household was kind of strict?"
"You don't know the half of it."
"Abuse?"
"Some," admitted John.
"I see," was all Ginger would say on the subject. At least now I know the probable reason why he's confused about his gender identity and said his father would kill him if he found out. I just hope John meant figuratively and not literally. "Well, regardless of what decision you and your heart eventually make, there are a few things you should know."
"And they are?" asked John.
"First, my brother Fred is straight. In fact, he's with his girlfriend right now, if you know what I mean."
"Okay," was all John said, despite the fact that he had felt some attraction toward him as well as Ginger the day they first met.
"Secondly, since we're sharing secrets, no one in my family knows this but I have... dabbled with a couple of girls during sleepovers," admitted Ginger. "They're okay, and can be fun under the right circumstances, but my preference is definitely for men."
"Okay," replied John, not sure what else he could say, as they reached the front lawn of the O'Toole house.
"I had a nice time talking to you, and any time you need a friend..." began Ginger.
"You too," said John.
Then she said, "One more thing."
"Yes?"
"While I am a woman of my word and will not force myself on anyone, there is this cute boy from Alabama who I'd like to get to know a whole lot better than I already do," she said with a smile.
With that, Ginger O'Toole pulled John Harper close to her.
The boy was surprised at the hug, let alone the strength of the young weretigress, but was even more shocked when she kissed him.
It wasn't just a peck on the cheek, or even a quick kiss like his mother or sister would sometimes give him.
It was full lips upon lips contact that seemed to last a lot longer than it actually did.
Within seconds, the feeling of Ginger's lips were still upon his even as she was starting to walk away from him.
"Don't worry. You can't become a were from just kissing one. See you!" she said with a smile, before running up to her front door.
John Harper just stared at her as Ginger reached her front porch. Then she turned back and waved at him while still smiling, before disappearing inside her house.
With a whole lot more on his mind now than there was before, John Harper walked back to the Jenkins house seriously lost in thought.
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*Previous Andersons' episode: "Which?"
**One member of a newly arrived family must become a were so all share the secrets of Moon Lake and have a stake in protecting them. But despite her entry being the work of a rogue werevixen, Jenny is technically considered the Harper family were, so no other Harper has to join unless they really want to.
***During the John Harper-Huck Jenkins segment of our previous "Let's Talk" episodes.—tmw.