Richie had spent the majority of the afternoon at home, gutting the rabbit he'd caught and cleaning up the house. Just because they lived in a shithole didn't mean Richie want it to look like one.
Maggie had gotten home a while after Richie, just after six. She started making dinner and talking to Richie about how absurd the prices for soap had gotten. Richie listened, but he wasn't really listening.
His mind was still trapped in the conversation he had with Bev and Stan. They were right, he was smart enough to join a rebellion, and if he was good enough, he'd be able to get more money for himself and Maggie. There wasn't a lot of cons to it.
As they started to eat dinner, Richie glanced at the clock on the wall, which showed him it was nearly seven. Two hours to make his choice.
"Are you okay, Richie?" Maggie asked as they ate dinner.
Richie usually ate as quickly as he could, but he seemed to be picking at his food.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Richie said with a small smile. "Guess I'm just full of cookies."
"Cookies?"
Richie pulled out his game bag and tossed the bag of pastries to Maggie. "It's a gift from Alvin. A thank you for hunting with Bev and stuff I guess."
Maggie raised an eyebrow. "He didn't buy them, did he?"
"Food is scarce," Richie said flatly, not meeting
Maggie's eyes. "We all do what we need to do."
Maggie glared at him. She knew what he meant, but she wished that it wasn't true. Most nights she prayed that she would wake up and Richie would somehow have an arrow on his wrist so he could go somewhere safer. Yet, every day he had the spade.
"You don't steal, do you Rich?"
"No. I hunt and I trade. I'm not a thief."
Maggie smiled softly and cleared her plate, Richie finishing up and following her a few minutes later. She washed the dishes while Richie wrapped up the food and put it in the small fridge they owned. It often broke down, but it was worth it to have a fridge in their house.
"Mom?" Richie asked after they'd made their way to their room and Maggie began her nightly routine.
They'd spent a couple of hours in silence, not really knowing what to say. It wasn't often that there was negative tension between them, but when there was they both knew it was best to let it pass. However, Richie decided he needed to go to the meeting. He couldn't sit in silence forever and miss it.
"Yeah?"
"Stan and Bev invited me to a celebration thing tonight. It's at Bev's and I think I should stop by," Richie said, glancing at the clock. It was nearly eight thirty and he didn't want to miss his chance.
Maggie shrugged. "I don't mind. Just be safe and don't do anything stupid."
"Me? Do something stupid? Never," Richie said with a smirk, Maggie rolling her eyes in response.
"I'm serious, Rich."
"It's not like I'm joining a rebellion," Richie said, despite knowing that's exactly what he was doing.
Maggie scoffed. "I feel bad for the rebellious Tenebrians. They don't seem to understand that a rebellion won't change anything."
"Why not?" Richie asked way too quickly.
Maggie looked at Richie suspiciously. "It's dangerous and the Lucantians have all the power. It's just going to get people hurt."
Richie hummed and nodded. "You're right. I'll be back later," he said, leaving before Maggie could stop him.
