hadn’t eaten for days.
“Do you really have to ask?” answered Michael. “They’re in the office. Head on in. I’ll wait for Ed.”
“Oh, I’ll wait with you, here,” said Jonathan, feigning nonchalance.
“Well, you don’t have to ask me twice,” said Zac, already inside and halfway into a mouthful.
After Zac went in, Jonathan quietly closed the office door, leaving himself and Michael in the hallway to await Ed.
Trina looked up from inside the study. “Uh oh,” she said. “Brother talk.”
Michael looked at his brother, eyebrows cocked. It wasn’t like Jonathan to change the plan without telling him, and now he had no idea what he was up to.
“I want to tell you what’s happening,” said Jonathan, but just then, the doorbell rang.
Michael went to open it.
“Wait—” shouted Jonathan, but it was too late.
In sauntered Stu.
Michael turned and looked at his brother and instantly knew what had happened. “I’ll never trust you again.”
He shook his head with resignation. Walking into the office, Michael sat down in the chair at the ancient roll-top desk that had been in his family for generations. The others saw the expression on his face, and silence filled the room. Levity turned to apprehension.
Lu broke the silence. “What’s wrong, Michael.”
Michael just gestured toward the outer room with a stormy look on his face.
Jonathan walked in followed by Stu.
“Stu!” Trina exclaimed. His mere presence brought her to her feet.
“Before everyone has a cow,” said Jonathan, looking at Michael and Trina, “let us explain.”
“What is there to explain?” argued Michael. “You changed the plan without telling anyone, you brought in an outsider—one which you knew I don’t trust by the way—and now we’re stuck.”
Jonathan answered tersely, “Hey! This isn’t just about you and your ego. Let me explain.”
“Hey, nice to be here, too,” said Stu, trying to keep it light.
“Where’s Ed?” asked Zac. Onie elbowed him in the ribs.
It was true though , thought Michael. Half the group knew what was going on, and half didn’t. The ones who had kept up on their studies knew Stu had masked himself as Ed. The others were still wondering why Stu was even here and why Ed hadn’t shown up yet.
Jonathan quickly explained the mechanics of masking to the group and sorted the confusion out so he could get to the important part. “Michael, nothing against you, but I went to Stu as soon as I realized this was affecting the real world. This is not a situation for our ‘gang’ to just play around with. As serious as Mira and Brandon’s predicaments are, I’m sure we can solve them. But if we screw something up in the real world, we are going to be in too deep. That’s why I brought in Stu. I know some of you don’t trust him. I know he can be arrogant and—”
“Hey!” said Stu.
Jonathan ignored him. “—full of himself at times, but Stu and I have become good friends over the past few years and I would trust him with my life—and have—on several occasions. I am asking you to give him the benefit of the doubt for me. I know him, and he wants to help.”
The group looked at each other. What could be said after that speech?
“Okay, have it your way. What’s next? We don’t really have any choice now anyway.” Michael turned away. His words didn’t match his body language.
“Yeah,” said Trina. “I understand what we’re doing, but I don’t understand how it’s going to solve the problem.”
“Not to mention what happened to Brandon,” said Lu.
As if on cue, Mrs. Ross knocked on the study door and had Brandon in her arms. “Brandon wants to say goodnight.”
Seeing Brandon brought the reality of what the gang was trying to do back to the entire group. Michael felt chagrined. He picked up Brandon and kissed him goodnight, then handed him back to his mother.
“No,” said his mother, “Brandon wants to say goodnight to all of you.” She held him
“Do you really have to ask?” answered Michael. “They’re in the office. Head on in. I’ll wait for Ed.”
“Oh, I’ll wait with you, here,” said Jonathan, feigning nonchalance.
“Well, you don’t have to ask me twice,” said Zac, already inside and halfway into a mouthful.
After Zac went in, Jonathan quietly closed the office door, leaving himself and Michael in the hallway to await Ed.
Trina looked up from inside the study. “Uh oh,” she said. “Brother talk.”
Michael looked at his brother, eyebrows cocked. It wasn’t like Jonathan to change the plan without telling him, and now he had no idea what he was up to.
“I want to tell you what’s happening,” said Jonathan, but just then, the doorbell rang.
Michael went to open it.
“Wait—” shouted Jonathan, but it was too late.
In sauntered Stu.
Michael turned and looked at his brother and instantly knew what had happened. “I’ll never trust you again.”
He shook his head with resignation. Walking into the office, Michael sat down in the chair at the ancient roll-top desk that had been in his family for generations. The others saw the expression on his face, and silence filled the room. Levity turned to apprehension.
Lu broke the silence. “What’s wrong, Michael.”
Michael just gestured toward the outer room with a stormy look on his face.
Jonathan walked in followed by Stu.
“Stu!” Trina exclaimed. His mere presence brought her to her feet.
“Before everyone has a cow,” said Jonathan, looking at Michael and Trina, “let us explain.”
“What is there to explain?” argued Michael. “You changed the plan without telling anyone, you brought in an outsider—one which you knew I don’t trust by the way—and now we’re stuck.”
Jonathan answered tersely, “Hey! This isn’t just about you and your ego. Let me explain.”
“Hey, nice to be here, too,” said Stu, trying to keep it light.
“Where’s Ed?” asked Zac. Onie elbowed him in the ribs.
It was true though , thought Michael. Half the group knew what was going on, and half didn’t. The ones who had kept up on their studies knew Stu had masked himself as Ed. The others were still wondering why Stu was even here and why Ed hadn’t shown up yet.
Jonathan quickly explained the mechanics of masking to the group and sorted the confusion out so he could get to the important part. “Michael, nothing against you, but I went to Stu as soon as I realized this was affecting the real world. This is not a situation for our ‘gang’ to just play around with. As serious as Mira and Brandon’s predicaments are, I’m sure we can solve them. But if we screw something up in the real world, we are going to be in too deep. That’s why I brought in Stu. I know some of you don’t trust him. I know he can be arrogant and—”
“Hey!” said Stu.
Jonathan ignored him. “—full of himself at times, but Stu and I have become good friends over the past few years and I would trust him with my life—and have—on several occasions. I am asking you to give him the benefit of the doubt for me. I know him, and he wants to help.”
The group looked at each other. What could be said after that speech?
“Okay, have it your way. What’s next? We don’t really have any choice now anyway.” Michael turned away. His words didn’t match his body language.
“Yeah,” said Trina. “I understand what we’re doing, but I don’t understand how it’s going to solve the problem.”
“Not to mention what happened to Brandon,” said Lu.
As if on cue, Mrs. Ross knocked on the study door and had Brandon in her arms. “Brandon wants to say goodnight.”
Seeing Brandon brought the reality of what the gang was trying to do back to the entire group. Michael felt chagrined. He picked up Brandon and kissed him goodnight, then handed him back to his mother.
“No,” said his mother, “Brandon wants to say goodnight to all of you.” She held him
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