Ginger O'Toole was at her family's dining room table, already well into her homework that afternoon, when her brother Fred finally returned home.
"Hey Sis," said Fred, coming into the dining room after grabbing his book bag off the living room sofa, where he left it before going back out after school.
"Well, I can tell what kind of an afternoon you've had," replied Ginger, while sniffing the air. Although brother and sister were still in their normal forms at the moment, her weretiger senses were as acute as ever.
"Yeah," said Fred with a smile, thinking back over the brief, but athletic session of sex he had with his girlfriend. "How's your afternoon been?" he asked, sitting down next to his sister.
"Okay."
"Just okay? I thought you were going to spend some time with that new kid," said Fred, referring to John Harper, who was staying at the Jenkins house down the street from them.
"I did."
"Is everything all right? If he's hurt you somehow..." growled Fred, feeling protective of his sister.
"No. In fact, quite the opposite."
"What? You hurt him somehow?" asked a confused Fred.
"No. He is hurt though."
"You didn't..."
"No. I never laid a paw on him. All John Harper's abuse happened before he came to Moon Lake."
"He's been abused?" said her shocked brother.
"He called it a very strict upbringing," explained Ginger. "I'll be surprised if I'm wrong about this, although I'm not certain exactly how badly he, let alone the rest of his siblings, had it."
"Geez," said Fred, stopping to think about the situation. "We've heard some scuttlebutt about Jennifer Harper ever since she was scratched by that rogue and became a werevixen against her will, but you know how rumors and gossip are. I mean, until today..."
"Yeah," agreed Ginger. "Something like this appears in the news occasionally, but this close to home, and to someone you at least kind of know..."
"What kind of parents would do something like that to their own kids?"
Ginger had no answer at first, for she had been thinking about him ever since parting company with John. Finally, she said, "It's a tough situation. You want to help, but ain't sure how."
"And even worse if you're directly involved."
"Yeah. From what little John was willing to say, I think it's the father more than the mother, although at the very least she's probably guilty of neglect and turning a blind eye to the father's actions," presumed Ginger.
"I wonder if this might have anything to do with Janice Harper's fixation with wanting to be a mermaid, especially now that she knows it's possible."
Ginger just shrugged her shoulders, before the O'Toole siblings grew silent for a bit.
Then Fred said, "I may not agree with everything they've done at times, but I'm glad we've got the parents we have."
"Me too."
Fred wasn't sure what else to say for a moment, and then asked, "I know you like the guy, but what happens now?"
"I just be there for John the best I can. Right now he needs a friend more than anything else," replied Ginger.
"Considering what you said to me about him last night, if you and John never do more than be best buddies, you'll be okay with that?" asked Fred, recalling his sister's thoughts about the boy she just met yesterday.
"I'll have to be. Won't I?" was all his sister would say, not mentioning John's current uncertainty about his gender identity.
MEANWHILE...
Eric Anderson and Julie Stovall held hands as he walked his fiance to her house.
Eric wanted to talk.
He needed to know more about Arthur Curtis, especially how he might fit into Julie's life.
Yet the other were mer teenager was the one thing Julie DIDN'T talk about on the way to her house.
"I've been busy all day at school, yet risked leaving my phone on, just in case. But I still haven't heard anything from either mom or dad yet, so your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not she's pregnant," said Julie. "But if mom is, it will affect our attending the were-mer assembly in the Pacific Ocean next summer."
"Oh?" was all Eric could say.
"Think about it. With today being November 2*, mom would be in her seventh month by next June. Even in her full mermaid form, she wouldn't be up to such a long distance swim. We might have to bow out. After all, dad wouldn't want to go solo and risk leaving mom alone that close to term, and the only way we'd be allow to attend is if dad could arrange a proper chaperone for us. Then again, I wouldn't want to leave mom alone either the closer we get to whatever her projected due date is," pointed out Julie.
"Understandable," agreed Eric. "Then again, I wouldn't want to go without you to begin with."
"That's sweet," said Julie with a smile, before giving Eric a quick peck on the cheek.
"Hmm... Unless they're in the garage already, I don't see any sign of mom or dad's cars," commented Julie, looking ahead toward her house.
"I'm sure if there's news, they would at least say they'll tell you in person when they get home," observed Eric.
"True. Anyway, we've also got to start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas..."
"In what way?" wondered Eric. "I do plan on getting you something special for a Christmas gift," he added, although he had absolutely no idea what that might be even as he said the words.
"Well, who eats at whose house? Do you come to mine? Do I come to yours?"
"We'll work it out. After all, there's still a couple of weeks before we have to finalize that decision," Eric pointed out as they approached the Stovall residence.
"True. Then again, it seems like every year, the closer we get to a major holiday break, the more the teachers pile on the homework. Speaking of which, even without that oral report due Friday, gym is the only class that I didn't get a homework assignment in today."
"Well, I've got a lot too, so—"
"So we better get right on it," said Julie, not realizing she cut Eric off. "I'll Skype you after I confer with Arthur about our report tonight, if there's any time to do so before I go to bed."
What he really wanted to say was suggest maybe sitting together and start tackling their homework as a couple, which would also give him a chance to talk about how he felt.
Instead, all Eric could say was "Sure," even as Julie gave him another peck on the cheek and ran to her front door.
Eric stood there on the sidewalk until she was inside the house and the front door closed.
Then he looked down at his hands.
Julie was so busy talking, she never noticed that I was in our Stage 1 form the whole walk together, he complained to himself, while staring at the webbing between his fingers.
As he went back to his normal form with the webbing receding into his hand, Eric stared again at the Stovall residence. "I love her, but I can't be losing Julie. Can I? We're destined soul mates with a bright and wonderful future together. Right?" he asked himself, but there was no reply in any way, shape, or form.
Not knowing what else to do, Eric turned around and started walking back up Oak Street to his house.
Yet he was so wrapped up in his confused thoughts, Eric Anderson never noticed the vehicle that followed him from school parked back where Oak meets Wood Street.
The driver sat, checking her appearance in the mirror, while keeping an eye on her target.
Okay. Good thing I parked here instead of following them down Oak. He's alone now, so he must live somewhere here on Wood Street. Kind of an ironic address for such a handsome stud, she thought.
As soon as he comes back up here, I'll introduce myself and see if he wants to have some fun this afternoon, she added, feeling her nipples harden under her shirt and the moisture between her pants covered legs grow.
___________________________________________________________
*To those in our Andersons thread at the moment.—tmw.