John's night hadn't been particularly easy, particularly after a classmate of Jenny's had come to the Jenkins home to essentially berate Jenny and Harry for not being worried or panicked about the City Council meeting before it happened. To some extent, he could understand, as prior to finding out that Jenny was married and a werefox, the only mention of weres he'd ever heard on were in occasional references at school in Alabama. Because of this, he'd never really thought much on the existence of such creatures. Seeing Jenny transform and yet still be Jenny where it counted was an eye opener for him and he was happy to see that his older sister was happy. But a part of him also rationalized that if weres were exposed and no one responded well, that he could lose Jenny and Harry... and Huck... and Ginger.
And through the night, it was the last of the names of weres that he knew that he dwelled the most on. While he could say he knew Jenny, Harry, and Huck better, they were all family. Ginger wasn't and ever since meeting her he'd had some periodic moments that made him truly question as to who he was. Some of them came off as simple fantasies and things like that, which normally wouldn't be a problem for people, but John had been wrestling with the question of "who am I" even before coming to Moon Lake. The closest thing to a "partner" had been a boy that John had met in school in Alabama. The boy had said that he "loved" John, but John wasn't fully sure if it was romantic love or platonic love, and at the same time the shadow of his father hung over him and John tried to burry those thoughts. Having his and his younger sister Janice's custody turned over to Harry and Jenny, and for the moment Henry and Lisa Jenkins had brought many of those emotions back to his mind.
As now, he had the freedom to actually have an opinion on what and who he loved. He didn't have James Harper Senior ranting about "real men" and that it was a crime that the government wasn't passing laws demanding gays be stoned to death like in the Bible. A lot of that made some of his thoughts on Ginger confuse him as they conflicted with things he remembered, but he still couldn't shake an interest in her. Even if they only remained friends and John never became a were, he didn't want to lose her friendship. And a part of his mind drifted to a "what if" situation, where weres were exposed and his parents reclaimed custody as a result and as such he would lose contact with Ginger and the freedom that Moon Lake offered. John spent the night tossing and turning over that.
Things were fairly quiet when he got up in the morning and found that just about everyone in the Jenkins home had already gotten up. They were largely gathered around the kitchen with Janice sitting with Jenny and Harry at the small table near the kitchen's back window. John could see them having bowels of cereal while Henry and Lisa were sipping coffee while dealing with the dishes.
"Morning, John," Henry said to him as he came in, "Sleep well?"
"Okay... I guess," John answered, "though what happened at this meeting still has me nervous."
"That will probably have a lot of people nervous," Henry said slowly, "Moon Lake has been pretty firm with regard to the were secret. The fact that someone would argue for a reveal and convince the City Council to agree to it will be bound to ruffle a few feathers as it were."
"Dad won't come back to take us, will he?" Janice asked nervously to Jenny, reaching out to rest her hand on Jenny's elbow.
"No," Jenny said firmly, "Dad's health has probably been taxed enough that he's in no physical shape to try and mom will be caught in a job search to try and cover the medical costs that Dad will need."
"I also wouldn't think that if they reveal weres to the world... they won't reveal Moon Lake," Lisa commented, "something of an insurance policy. The world learns of weres, but doesn't know for sure where they are. Though... that's just a guess."
"But it will mean that you and John will get to stay here with Harry and me," Jenny promised Janice and took her younger sister's hand in her own, "And with Henry and Lisa... Huck and Betty. You will be safe."
Janice gave a smile and even John let out a small sigh of relief as his eyes drifted down to the linoleum floor in the kitchen area. It wasn't bad, and John could see some mild scuff marks, but there was nothing that looked broken or in major need of repair. Which contrasted heavily with the Harper "home" in Alabama. There things were such that even John could tell things were in need of repair, and that was something he didn't want to go back to. Much like Janice, he wanted to enjoy the freedom that Moon Lake offered him. He'd have to wrestle with the question of who he is, but he also knew he'd be free to do that in Moon Lake. He wouldn't have that chance if he had to go back to Alabama.
"You'd best get some breakfast so you're free when Ginger comes by," Lisa said to John, "you wouldn't want to get tired on your tour."
John nodded and began to make a move toward the cabinet where the Jenkins kept their cereal. As he did this, Harry looked over to Janice and noted that she was following her brother with her eyes. This confirmed to him what Jenny had suggested to him that they give Janice a tour of the town themselves, as it would let Janice get a look around as well, especially since the Middle School where Janice would go once all the related paperwork was done was in a different part of Moon Lake from the High School where John would go.
"And while Ginger and John have their tour, Jenny and I will show you around Moon Lake as well," Harry said to Janice, "Show you where the Middle School is, where the High School is, where the College is... along with the fun things that are here."
"Like what?" Janice asked.
"A movie theater... small, but it's acoustics are good," Harry answered, "and there are plenty of spaces for camping and boating come Summer."
"That'll still be some time away, though," Henry commented.
"Will we get to see weremers?" Janice asked to Harry and Jenny.
"I wouldn't think they'd be allowed to be in their were form in the lake," Jenny commented, "not during the day at least... but the point for the moment is to help you learn about the town."
John managed to chuckle a little bit at that as poured himself a bowl of cereal. He thought that Harry and Jenny had talked with Janice about this as a plan earlier and largely met the same result, Janice asking about weremers. But he couldn't complain on that, as if that was what Janice wished to do, that was her choice. Jenny and Harry had seemed to give both of them that sort of comfort, and John was also glad that Janice seemed confident enough in her choice. John hoped that he would be as confident in time, though for the moment that likely come as he thought things over and made friends, at least as a start, and even if that didn't work on its own, he'd still have a friend in Ginger. And breakfast went quietly in that way with some degree of levity and hopeful confidence... even if the thoughts over the meeting's results were less than joyous.
But much of the morning passed with some unease as over the results the City Council meeting of the previous night. It was something that John didn't have any answers to and the thoughts and worries that came from them were still on his mind when the doorbell rang and he moved to answer it, expecting it to be Ginger. He arrived and found Ginger standing there with a small but nervous smile.
"Hey, John," Ginger said softly, "ready to go?"
"I suppose so," John spoke as he stepped out onto the front porch of the Jenkins home and shut the door behind him, "though a bit nervous over what went on last night."
"Yeah... my parents were debating it this morning," Ginger nodded, "it'll be something that will be potentially troubling for the foreseeable future." John frowned slightly as they stepped off the porch and walked toward the sidewalk. This meeting being an "issue" was not something he really wanted to hear, as he had plenty of those sorts of things he had to work with already. Eventually Ginger explained, likely sensing his unsaid concerns. "While many weres are going to be nervous if not opposed this... likely along the basis of, "we've successfully hid for years. There is no reason to suspect that what has always worked will stop working now." That doesn't mean that every were will hold that opinion. Some might even welcome weres coming out into the open."
"Really?" John asked.
"Yes," Ginger nodded with a weak smile, "Many weres will tend to see their fursona as their REAL self. That their human form is just a guise they have to have. It's not something that affects their personality, really, it's just that a were will feel their fursona is more true to who they are. As such, many weres would be quite open to the idea of being in their fursona all the time... or at least more frequently than "only at night" and select holidays."
"What about those who were born human?" John wondered.
"As to whether or not they see their fursona as their real self?" Ginger looked to him as they stopped a few steps from the sidewalk in front of the Jenkins home, "a lot of that may depend on how that person entered were society. Those that accept what they've become and even embrace it may well come to that decision... those that don't or are conflicted might not. Mom says that a lot of that is stuff that I shouldn't have to worry about."
"Oh..." John looked down, though he did feel a bit better as Ginger slowly wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"But as I said... it's not going to change who a person is," Ginger continued, "your sister is still who she is, even if she's a werefox vixen now. And if you ever become a were... that change wouldn't affect who YOU are."
"Thanks, Ginger," John said weakly and kicked one foot against the pavement, "so the debate between weres will be a question of freedom versus restriction?"
"More freedom versus tradition," Ginger answered, "because weres have had bad experiences in the past, usually the result of the rare rogue were or some criminal that has used an animal as a part of his crime spree, those that have favored "hiding" cite those past experiences. Those that favor the other side will argue that much of Moon Lake in and of itself goes against many of the arguments in favor of "hiding," and only works because weres control Moon Lake. They could also cite that the world has changed greatly in the past two hundred years. It's why these things are likely to be heavily debated for awhile."
"Even though the City Council voted for it?" John wondered.
Ginger nodded as she looked to him, "but that's not something we can solve. Even if it moves forward... I'd bit it'll take awhile to get all the wording and plans out for the release. Which could well mean that things could change in the future. And right now... we're not in the city government and to young to vote anyway. All we can work on is being good friends."
"That sounds good," John smiled.
"And no matter what happens," Ginger promised him, "I will ALWAYS be your friend."