Rebels of the Night

Chapter 5

Present~

Seven months later

"Do you ever get sick of the dark?" Peggy asked John.
"No. It might be silly, but I feel like a nocturnal owl or bat, which is cool, but...Nevermind." John looked down and rubbed the back of his neck.
"What?" Peggy urged.
"It's stupid" John said.
"Cmon man, pleeeaaassee?" John looked at Peggy, seeing her puppy dog eyes.
"Fine. I like looking at animals and other things in nature and even though feeling like a bat is cool, I'd rather be like...I don't know the name of it..."
"Can you describe it? Maybe I can help."
"Well, it has like a shell that it can sometimes like hide in, and they're so cute and precious- and they're small and they like water." Peggy stifled laughter.
"See, I knew you were gonna laugh."
"No no, it's just...how do you not know the name of a turtle!" Peggy laughed a little bit more.
"A turtle? That's what they're called?"
"Wait, so you seriously never learned about turtles and reptiles?" Peggy asked. John shook his head, a confused look on his face.
"Amphibians and mammals?"
"Are you speaking English still?" John asked. Peggy was shocked.
"Do you guys learn anything in school?"
"What's school? Nah, I'm just kidding with you. All we learn is shit about the Fence and Light and Shadow history and the rules. Then we're set free to do whatever the fuck we like to."
"Really?"
"Yeah. If you wanna learn more things like math, science, music and etcetera, you have to have the money. Which, if you couldn't tell, most of us don't have."
"Wait, what's 2+2?"
"Fucking four Peggy- I mean like advanced math. I know how to add and multiply and shit, and how to calculate price and other things that's necessary for life, but I don't know how to find the circumference of a square-"
"Circle."
"Right. We have libraries and that's where I got most of my learning from- along with Alex and some of our other buds. They might be closed, old, and dusty as hell, but it helps."
"Wow."
"Yup."
"Did you guys ever have those ridiculous ass problems where a guy buys like fifty-seven watermelons and 103 pencils?"
"Yeah! That's so fucking ridiculous- you clearly buy sixty and 110 so then it's even." Peggy laughed lightly. Their brief joy was short lived.

Rewind~

"Where am I going mama?"
"You're going to stay with Dad for a while, okay Jackie?"
"But mama, I wanna stay with you and Martha and junior. And I wanna see Lil Mary too."
"I know Jackie, but...you have to go."
I love you mama."
"I love you too John."

"Bye stink breath." Martha punched John's arm.
"Sayonara booger face." John punched his sister's arm back. The two siblings hugged each other, then ruffled the others hair.
"I hate it when you do that" they said simultaneously, bursting into laughter. John walked over to his mother and waved to Henry jr., who waved back.
"Bye mama."
"Bye Jackie. I love you."
"I love you too." John hugged her, and looked at her enlarged stomach.
"I love you too lil Mary." John hopped into the backseat of the car, his father driving them away from Day and to Night.