<div class="floatleft">(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ca3TZA_WwAAhzzc.jpg)</div><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 13pt;">Name:</span></span></strong>Jack Spratowski (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=316301.msg15284962#msg15284962)<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 13pt;">Date | Time:</span></span></strong>September 30th, 14:05<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 13pt;">Location:</span></span></strong>Ballroom<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 13pt;">Outfit:</span></span></strong>Resist & Rebel t-shirt, jeans, dress shoes<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 13pt;"> Mood:</span></span></strong>This Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWgUAwqgf3k)<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 13pt;">Content:</span></span></strong>Heading to opening ceremonies<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 13pt;">Tagging:</span></span></strong>Dr. Broussard, The remaining professors at the head table, Valerie, Open<br/><hr/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><em>A month ago...</em></span><br/><br/>This was way more difficult than he had expected it to be.  Particularly so with a seven year old attached to him.  The small girl sat upon him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and all but pinned him to the sofa he was sitting on.<br/><br/>"Li-Li", he muttered quietly as he rubbed the girl's back with one hand through her shirt.   Two other girls watched from another sofa nearby.  They were older, fourteen and fifteen and clearly sisters and one of them rolled their eyes.<br/><br/>"No!" , came a muffled and defiant response from the small girl on Jack's lap.  Aside from her small arms wrapped tightly around his neck but her face was also buried there.  He lightly patted the small of her back as if to give her notice that it was time for her to actually pay attention.<br/><br/>"Li-Li...it's not going to be as bad as you think it is."<br/><br/>"No!  It will be!"<br/><br/>Jack sighed as did one of the other girls.  She stood up and Jack reached out with one hand  open as he held the smaller girl with his other hand.<br/><br/>"Megan wait.  We have a lot more to go over and..."  The girl stopped long enough to give Jack a withering look.<br/><br/>"Listen...whatever.  It's fine.  We knew this wasn't gonna last and T-Ride will take care of us anyway.  He loves me and if I tell him..."<br/><br/>Jack snarled quietly as he cut her off.<br/><br/>"Tony is nineteen and you're fourteen AND he's an idiot."<br/><br/>Megan stopped mid-stride as she was moving to leave the room and glared at Jack.<br/><br/>"His name is T-Ride and his age doesn't matter and you're wrong!"<br/><br/>Jack snapped back in return.<br/><br/>"His name is Tony.  We used to steal food from the docks together and he was an idiot then and an idiot now!  Do you even know what T-Ride means?"<br/><br/>"NO!" , shouted the frustrated teen.<br/><br/>"Right! Neither does he because he's an idiot!"<br/><br/>Megan made a frustrated sound that was part shriek and part growl and stormed out of the room.  Jack let out a deep breath as he looked to the remaining girl on the sofa nearby only to have the small girl on his lap relinquish her death grip around his neck and speak softly after sniffling.<br/><br/>"Miss Prentiss says that Li-Li is a nickname but Olivia is my proper name and that's what she will call me."<br/><br/>Jack's tone changed immediately as he looked at the small girl.<br/><br/>"Miss Prentiss is right.  We listen to our teachers right?"<br/><br/>The small girl nodded her head.  "Yes but they never get close to us to touch us.  Ever. Not even hugs."<br/><br/>"Good." , Jack nodded once to confirm.<br/><br/>"Are you really going to leave us forever Jack?"<br/><br/>There was a momentary flash of dismay on his face before he gave the small girl a grin.<br/><br/>"Nope. Just about eight months and then I'll be back. You won't even have time to miss me."<br/><br/>She wiped her nose with one forearm as she continued in turn and mumbled...<br/><br/>"I dunno...eight months seems long to me."<br/><br/>"It'll be fine Li-Li and you're gonna be fine." , Jack paused a moment.  His eyes narrowing and his nostrils flaring slightly.  "When is the last time you had a shower?"<br/><br/>"I dunno...", came another mumbled response.  "Yesterday?"<br/><br/>Jack gave her a small grin and lightly poked at her ribs once with a single finger.  She squirmed and batted his hand away as she smiled.<br/><br/>"I know four days stink when I smell it. Shower. Now.  Then we'll get you ready for bed."  Olivia slipped off his lap and left the room through the same door Megan had.  Leaving him alone in the room with other teen.  He sighed as he spoke.<br/><br/>"Melanie.  She needs to shower at least every other day.  If she looks and smells like shit then they'll find out about us.  Find out about the house and then we're broken up and scattered."<br/><br/>"I know..." , she said in exasperation.  Jack gave her an unconvinced look.  "I know!  I just...it's been a lot lately."   The young girl looked tired...stressed and gave him a sad smile.  "I think maybe I just sortof thought we would be a family forever."<br/><br/>Jack shook his head and opened his mouth to talk only to have Melanie cut him off.  "I know, I know.  We're not a family.  Families are broken and fucked.  We're a team.  Teams get things done.  Teams keep it together." , she exhaled slowly and looked to Jack.  "I just don't know what we're going to do about food and money and..."<br/><br/>"Don't." , Jack shook his head.  "I've got you and the others.  I have six weeks saved up and when I get over there I'll figure out a way to get money to you weekly before the six weeks run out."   Melanie shook her head slightly as if to protest but Jack kept going.  "Listen.  They're giving me a full ride.  If they're willing to pay for me...then they'll be willing to pay me an extra hundred and fifty a week to keep me."<br/><br/>Melanie blinked in surprise. "But...but we're getting by on a hundred."<br/><br/>Jack had set his jaw and nodded his head once. "Yeah...and you'll do better with a hundred and fifty."  Melanie paused...thinking before she spoke.  Jack liked that about her.<br/><br/>"Do you think this is all a play?"<br/><br/>Jack sighed...shrugging slightly.  "I really don't know.  If it is, it's a fuckin' elaborate one."<br/><br/>"Sex trafficking?"<br/><br/>Jack shook his head slightly and gave her a thoughtful look.<br/><br/>"Maybe?  I don't know.  I doubt they'd go to these lengths but...well...it's too good of an opportunity to pass up.  Their website looked legit?"<br/><br/>Melanie pressed her lips together in disapproval and gave him a wry smile.  "Right. Because no one could ever make a fake website about anything."   Jack laughed quietly and they both shared smiles with one another as they sat on opposite sides of the room only to fall quiet.<br/><br/>Silent...until the silence got a little too heavy.<br/><br/>"I'm scared Jack."<br/><br/>"I'm scared too, Em."<br/><br/>Things got quiet again for a long time before Melanie sighed, wiping at tears with the back of her hand.  "Sam's out back."<br/><br/>"I know."<br/><br/>"He's super-pissed."<br/><br/>"I know." , growled Jack as he stood and moved across the room and made to leave before pausing in the doorway and looking back to Melanie.<br/><br/>"Em?"<br/><br/>Melanie turned, shifting on the sofa to look at him and lifted a single eyebrow inquisitively.<br/><br/>"I'll make this work." , he said in a quiet way that very much sounded...felt like...a promise.  "I'll take care of everyone."<br/><br/>Melanie chewed on her upper lip for a moment in thought before giving him a small, sad smile.<br/><br/>"I believe you, Jack."   He nodded his head in response to her and left to go find Sam.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><em>Now...</em></span><br/><br/>Jack looked visibly relieved when Dr Broussard agreed to have Jack meet some guy named Arthur that could give him some work.  That took so much pressure off.  Sure; he would still need to do well at school and train for track but maybe being super busy would help keep him from getting into trouble often.<br/><br/>Maybe?<br/><br/>Nevertheless, Jack's gave Dr Broussard a warm, easy and relieved smile.<br/><br/>"Thank you, Dr Broussard. I'm..." , he shook his head slightly as he tried to articulate it properly. "Just...well...yeah.  Thank you.  So much." He nodded his head slightly and took a step back away from the table.  "I'll let you get back to your tea."<br/><br/>Smiling as he worked his way down the length of the table, introducing himself and shaking hands with the professors that would shake his hand in return only to then move away from the head table so he could figure out what he'd do next.<br/><br/>His mind was racing.  The only thing special about him was his physical ability.  Is that what Dellban was?  A place for people that were physically gifted?   He reached back with one hand and lightly scratched at the side of his neck in thought as he took in the sight of everyone present.<br/><br/>"Yeah...no.  It's not just a physical thing. Some of these people here look...well...", he murmured quietly to himself as decided what he might do next when it was a nearby blonde that caught his attention. She had a smile that...well...it shone.  He wasn't feeling particularly wolfish at the moment but it was hard to deny a smile like hers.<br/><br/>So...<br/><br/>While the pretty blonde was beaming and deciding what manner of culinary delight she might sample next, he moved smoothly up alongside her. Not touching her but close enough that he could turn slightly and extend his hand to her as he offered her a warm, easy smile.<br/><br/>"Name's Jack."<br/><br/>