The boy made his way into one of the higher sections of the ship, finding a high window ledge to sit on and think as he looked out to the star filled sky.

She wants me around for dinner? I can’t understand why all of a sudden she wants to communicate with me… Did something go wrong between her and Derek? Did she finally confess her feelings to him? I know he has feelings for Kenzie, but Elizabeth wouldn’t believe me if I told her… maybe she’s trying to pull me into a family meeting that’s been arranged? No, Olivia could have done that in a much more… efficient way. His thought chain spiraled around Elizabeth and all the possible reasons she could have wanted him to be at dinner. Then his thoughts calmed, and he smiled to himself -the closest he could come to a real smile. It was a bit lopsided and looked somewhat sad, but his inner enthusiasm towards the possibility of leaving the ship with everyone else matched that of a toddlers enthusiasm towards their favorite activity.

The blonde spent the hours leading up to dinner sketching and dozing off before the light blue dot on his wrist cuff started to blink, signaling Elizabeth was ready for him to join the family for dinner. He sighed, dreading having to attend a dinner he knew he wasn’t even wanted at, at least, he wasn’t wanted by 90% of its members. As he walked down the halls of the ship, his steps were light and completely inaudible to the ear, something he had perfected over the years so his family members wouldn’t be able to hear him when he decided to explore the ship. As he got closer to the ship's dining hall, he could hear the voices of the rest of the crewmates, loud and filled with joy, a joy he knew would cease the moment he entered the room. The blonde paused before he was out of the shadows, rethinking his decision in joining the crew. He listened to everyone's voices as they echoed through the hall, a tear spilling down his cheek as he heard his sister playing the “bubbly” persona she had perfected to mask her true personality in front of everyone except him, who she didn’t bother hiding her disgust for.

“Elizabeth, didn’t you say Johnas was going to attend this dinner?” The boy could hear John's voice from just around the corner.

“Ha, Beth, are you even sure you actually saw him? You know, sometimes I think the man is just a hallucination, I haven’t seen him in years.” Kaitlin added on, causing the whole group to laugh.

“Yes, I’m not dumb Katie, I know I saw him and we actually had a pretty decent conversation. Well, it was more of a conversation than what I usually get when I chat with him.” Eliabeth replied, adding a huff of annoyance towards the end of her statement. With that, the boy took a deep breath and slowly came peeking around the corner. The room went almost silent as everyone turned their heads toward him.

“Johnas! Wow, we really haven’t seen you in ages, I’m glad Beth was able to convince you to join us. Don’t be a stranger, we’re all family here, pull up a chair. Nate’s making dinner, he should be done with it soon.” John greeted the blonde as he slowly walked into the room, slightly bowing his head to show his “hello” and respect. The boy mouthed a very quiet thank you to John before taking a seat in a chair situated a bit further than the rest, away from the more devious members of the group who he knew had not seen him as a welcomed guest. Elizabeth smiled and moved away from Derek, pulling a chair up next to the blonde, though he seemed a bit startled by the action.

“I thought for a while you weren’t going to attend, but you really did end up coming down, thank you for that.” Elizabeth spoke to Johnas, leaning in to whisper when she got to her thanks. Johnas nodded to her, his hands fidgeting in his lap as he struggled to keep his anxiety in check. The group went on talking and Johnas stayed silent, fully aware of Elizabeth who was keeping an eye on him to make sure he was engaged and wouldn’t leave. Johnas waited up until Elizabeth was caught up in a conversation with Derek, her head turned and her attention completely off of Johnas. Despite John who was the only one paying any attention to Johnas at the time, Johnas took the moment to slip away and into the kitchen where Nathaniel was making dinner, banking on John keeping his mouth shut. John watched as he slipped away, a look of pity crossing his face due to Johnas’ discomfort. John knew Johnas had troubles being around the family, and therefore kept quiet, allowing the silent blonde to stray back into his comfort zone; knowing he’d feel much better in silence with Nate.

When Johnas entered the kitchen, Nathaniel had his back to him, pulling the chicken off the stove before saucing and plating it. Johnas quietly took a seat at the island and rested his head in his arms, only his eyes poking out to watch Nathaniel finish up. When Nathaniel turned around, he froze, trying to process whether Johnas was actually sitting there or whether he was just a figment of imagination. After a few seconds of confirming Johnas was real, Nathaniel went back to putting all the plates on the counter to take out to the table, then placing one in front of Johnas directly. When Johnas peered up at Nate, Nate used sign language to ask if Johnas wanted any extra sauce or condiments.

'I’m actually staying for dinner tonight… if that’s okay?' Johnas sat up and signed back, not particularly wanting to speak. Nathaniel couldn’t hold in his surprised look, but quickly concealed it and a small smile appeared on his face as he nodded.

'Of course you can Johnas. Would you like to sit next to me?' He asked, implying he was enlightened by Johnas company. It wasn’t anything far from the truth, Nathaniel was closer to Johnas than any of the rest of the family members could get to him. When Johnas was first introduced to the ship, Nathaniel immediately caught his attention. Since Nate was mute, and none of the other crew members cared to learn sign language at the time, he was often left alone and distanced himself from the rest of the members. Johnas used the ship's resources to learn ASL on his own time and dedicated his time to getting to know Nate. The two of them became quick friends and often did their daily workouts together, becoming gym buddies. After the incident concerning Johnas occurred, he started to drift away from everyone, and while he was the most comfortable with Nathaniel, he cut most of their contact off because he didn’t want Nate caught up in everyone else's gossip about him. Though they didn’t see each other nearly as often as they used to anymore, Nathaniel was always happy to talk to Johnas, seeing as he was the only member who didn’t seem somewhat weary around him.

'Sure, I’d like that. Can I help you bring the plates to the table?' Johnas replied, referring to everyone else's plates. Nathaniel nodded, his smile widening to a more relaxed look.

I wish I could turn back time. I miss the little ray of sunshine Johnas used to be, he was much happier back then… back before reality hit, I guess. If only Bee would let him go, I’m sure Johnas would be much happier down on Earth. I don’t understand why he won’t… out of all of us, Johnas would thrive the most on Earth. With his IQ, I’m sure Johnas could figure the place out in a heartbeat. Nathaniel thought to himself, watching as Johnas gathered the plates, looking less weighed down than when he first entered the kitchen. The two of them carried all the plates to the dining table and set them up around the seats present.

Oh, they must have gotten a smaller table so it would fit the space better… Johnas thought to himself as he walked in carrying his plate, realizing there wasn't a seat or really any comfortable space set for him at the table. John looked around and made the same realization before standing from his seat.

“Don’t worry Johnas, I’m sure we can make space for you. It’s just… you haven’t eaten with us in so long, we got a smaller table because the other one made it complicated to get around the back corner.” John spoke up, seeming somewhat guilty about the situation.

“It was easier for us and it’s not like you’ve been around to protest.” Derek retorted, rolling his eyes before giving Johnas a look that said ‘I dare you to say something back’.

“Derek, maybe try eating dinner without a stick up your ass, for once.” Makenzii elbowed Derek in the side while rolling her eyes.

“I mean, was he wrong?” Soarin piped in, shrugging his shoulders as he picked up a bite to eat. Nathaniel ended up being the one to clear the spot next to him and placing a chair there. Elizabeth's face turned into a pout, seeing as Johnas was across the table and sat next to Nate rather than her.

“What’s wrong Beth? You seem upset.” Makenzii asked as she took notice of Elizabeth's downed expression.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t Beth the one to invite you to dinner tonight? Yet I haven’t heard you converse with her once and here you are, seemingly avoiding her across the table.” Sirrina directed her insult at Johnas, who froze, panic filling his mind as he tried to think of a way out of his situation.

I’m not avoiding Liz, I’m just trying to stay out of their way… If I sat next to her, it means I’d have to be next to either Derek, Soarin, or my sister, and they all hate me… Johnas thought while the table went silent.

“Maybe he’s just trying to avoid your rotten attitude. You three have been awfully nit picky towards him since even before he got here, so I’m sure he is much better off staying on this side of the table. Now, there is to be no more fighting words, am I clear?” Olivia piped up, showing her authority towards the group as she silenced them. Soarin and Sirrina nodded while Derek grumbled to himself. Dinner went on fairly silent after that, though Katie managed to pick up a light conversation with the group. While the conversation carried on, John leaned to the side, closer to Johnas.

“Are you not hungry, Johnas? You can eat however much you want, I think we have leftovers from the last few nights because Nate’s been making more lately, so don’t worry about portions, okay?” John whispered, catching Johnas’ attention. Johnas, startled by the sudden closeness, saw John's concern and shook his head lightly, a forced smile making its way to his lips.

“N-no, it’s okay, my stomach has just been feeling a little buggy lately. I’m not very hungry right now.” Johnas replied, quietly sinking back into himself, trying to hide from John's concern. John had a solemn look, but nodded silently, deciding not to press any further questions.

“Johnas, would you like to go to Earth with us this year?” Olivia asked Johnas, though she already knew the answer. Johnas’ eyes shot up, glowing yellow as surprise and excitement threatened to spill out. The rest of the table sat silent, everyone except Elizabeth and Nate, sitting astonished that Johnas was being given a chance to join them again.

“M-may I?” Johnas managed to get out, his excitement unable to be contained. Olivia nodded her head and Nate smiled down at Johnas, encouraging him to agree.

“You’ll be able to join, however, you know the rules. This is your last chance to prove you’re not a risk, do you understand? If you break the rules then I’ll have no choice but to revoke your authority all together.” Olivia confirmed, watching Johnas to see what his reaction would be. Johnas nodded his head, looking down with a smile as he buzzed with happy emotions. When the conversation was over, Nathaniel got up to start gathering dishes and left for the kitchen. Seconds later, Johnas got up and eagerly followed, grabbing his plate, practically untouched.

'Are you excited to get some fresh air?' Nathaniel asked Johnas as he placed down all the dishes he had by the sink. Johnas nodded excitedly, turning on the sink and rinsing off the dishes. Nathaniel smiled as he went back to grab the rest of the plates. When Nathaniel came back, Johnas was hand washing each dish and washing the dishes Nate used to make dinner.

'Oh, Johnas, you don’t have to do that. I can take care of the dishes.' Nate signed, tapping Johnas’ shoulder to grab his attention. Johnas shook his head and gave Nathaniel as close to a smile as he could get.

“It’s okay, I like helping with the dishes, plus, you made dinner, you shouldn’t have to do everything yourself.” Johnas replied, his voice deep yet light and airy off the tongue. Nate smiled, moving to dry the dishes Johnas washed, signing a thank you as they worked to finish up.

'Would you like me to make you something sweet? You didn’t seem too interested in dinner.' Nate signed when he put the last dish away, looking at Johnas' full plate still sitting on the table.

“Oh! No, that's okay! I’ll eat my dinner now. I didn’t mean to be rude at the table, I apologize.” Johnas replied in a hurry, sitting at the island and eating his dinner while Nate put leftovers away.

'You don’t have to apologize for that, Johnas. I wasn’t offended in any way, I know sometimes you don’t really have the appetite for something so filling.' Nathaniel signed before folding his arms on the lower counter opposite to Johnas, watching Johnas take small bites. The two of them started up small talk about Nathaniel’s new gym scores and what each of them had been up to lately, passing the night away in the comfort of each other's presence.