Charlie and Finn Can't Sleep

Charlie opened one eye.

Then the other eye.

The house was dark. The house was still. Everyone was sleeping.

Everyone except Charlie.

And everyone except Finn.

Finn was sitting right next to the bed, looking at Charlie with his big brown eyes. His tail went thump thump thump on the floor.

"Finn," Charlie whispered. "I can't sleep."

Finn licked Charlie's hand. That meant me neither.

Charlie slid out of bed real slow. Feet on the cold floor. Tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe. Finn's claws went click click click on the wood.

"Shhh," said Charlie.

Finn tried to be quiet. He really did. But his claws still went click click click.

They crept past Mom and Dad's door. Charlie held his breath. Finn held his breath too — then his tail bumped the wall.

Thump.

They both froze.

Dad snored.

They kept going.

Down the stairs. One step. Two steps. Charlie held the railing. Finn took the stairs in one big whoooosh and slid all the way across the kitchen floor on his belly.

He bumped into his water bowl and it went CLANG against the wall.

Charlie stood very still at the bottom of the stairs.

Nothing. Nobody woke up.

Charlie let out a big breath.

The kitchen was silver and blue in the moonlight. The window made a square of white on the floor. Finn sat right in the middle of it, like he was on a stage.

"Okay," Charlie whispered. "Snack time."

Charlie opened the fridge. That big bright light poured out and made everything glow. Charlie squinted. Finn squinted too.

There it was. On the second shelf. The jar of peanut butter.

Charlie grabbed it and set it on the table. Then a spoon from the drawer — but the drawer was sticky and it opened too far and all the spoons and forks went CRASH CLATTER CLANG right onto the floor.

Charlie's heart went boom boom boom.

Finn sniffed a fork.

They waited.

The house stayed quiet.

"Okay," Charlie breathed.

Charlie picked up one spoon and left the rest right there on the floor. He climbed onto the big chair and twisted open the peanut butter jar. That good smell came out — warm and brown and sweet.

Charlie took a big scoop. A really big scoop. So big that it stuck to the whole roof of his mouth and he couldn't talk at all. He just sat there going "mmfff, mmmffff" and kicking his feet.

Finn put his chin on Charlie's knee.

"Okay, okay," Charlie said, except it sounded like "mmkay, mmkay."

He held the spoon down and Finn licked it. He licked it so hard the spoon flipped right out of Charlie's hand and flew across the table.

Finn's tongue was still going. Licking the air. Licking nothing. He looked so confused that Charlie had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing.

Charlie got the spoon back. One more scoop for Charlie. One more lick for Finn. They went back and forth like that in the blue moonlight kitchen until Charlie's eyes started to feel heavy.

He closed the peanut butter jar. He put it back on the second shelf. He closed the fridge and the kitchen went dark and silver again.

He picked up all the forks and spoons — every single one — and put them back in the drawer. Quiet this time.

He put the spoon in the sink.

He looked around. Everything was just like before. Nobody would ever know.

Finn licked his own nose about fourteen times.

"Come on," Charlie whispered.

Back up the stairs. Tiptoe, tiptoe. Click click click.

Past Mom and Dad's door. Dad was still snoring.

Into bed. Covers up to his chin. Finn curled up right next to him, warm and heavy, and let out a long, rumbly sigh.

Charlie put his hand on Finn's back.

"Good snack," Charlie whispered.

Finn's tail went thump — just once.

And the house was still again.