Chapter 11
“Nothing goes to shit while I was gone?” Raven asked as she entered the sunroom where Charles and Erik were sitting.
“We managed. Did the kids enjoy the mall?”
“Yeah, they did. It was good to get them out.”
“Well, I’m glad you're back. Erik and I had some things we wanted to discuss, "Will you please gather Alex and Hank?”
“Oh, no need professor we’re right here,” Hank said as he entered the room.
“What do you have some special sense for when you're needed?”
“He wishes,” Alex joked, patting Hank on the back.
“Can we please get back on track here?” Erik begged.
“Yes,” Charles said, causing everyone to take a seat, “As summer comes to an end that means school will be starting in the next couple of weeks. And I’ve known we’ve talked about using a school as a front and that these kids will need an education. But, we have not exactly talked about what that means. Because I think we can all agree that trying to send them to a regular school will not be in everyone’s best interest.”
“Well if this is going to continue to grow, we can’t school them all here. I’ve actually been doing some research. The local school Bayville allows students aged 9th-12th grade to enroll part-time there to take classes. This allows us to still do some educating here, keeping the school idea as a front. While also ensuring students get enough education if we can’t find more teachers,” Hank explained.
“Yeah, I remember that program actually. From when me and Charles were kids. I took a math class or two there to be able to get my diploma. Its whole purpose is to be able to help small schools in the surrounding area who don’t have the budget for some classes,” Raven responded.
“Good job, Hank. That’s really good. I know me and Erik are going to both reach out to our connections to see what we can do about staffing teachers here. But, for now, how is the cover doing? How close are we to being able to find new students?”
“So, me and Hank were actually working on this before we left this morning, “Alex started, “I reached out to our friend Fred in the CIA and he had some good ideas on how to best be able to reach kids. We continue the idea of a school, but we do it in two parts. On one side of our so-called school, it is for at-risk kids and we explain it publicly as almost a shelter. On the other side, it is an elite boarding school. This is how we can get through to parents to be able to get to their kids.”
“Okay, Hank, do you have anything we can get out there?”
“Yes, actually I have created pamphlets that Fred agreed to hand out to his contacts. It will go out to shelters around America. Our numbers are all listed on the back and I’ve also created a line linked to all our phones specifically for kids asking for transport.”
“I can’t believe this might actually work,” Alex sighed.
“Don’t sound so surprised,” Charles laughed in response.
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Angel jolted awake, quickly serving her head left to right to see what had woken her. She soon realized it was her phone buzzing off the hook. She glanced at her phone. The contact was unknown and according to the clock it 1:30 AM. Not the time anyone with sense should be calling. She thought about letting it go to voicemail but thought better of it. Instead, she crossed the short pace to her desk and hit the green answer button.
“Hello?”
“Hi, um, is this Angel?”
“Depends on who's asking.”
“Hi, I think we met at the mall the other day. You got me out of getting the cops called on me. You pretended to be my sister.”
“Oh, hi. Wanna explain why you’re calling me in the middle of the night?”
“You said you worked for a place that helped people like me. Like someplace that could help me?”
“Yeah, Xavier’s School for, well we’re still figuring that part out.”
“I, I think I need your guys' help.”
“And how is that?”
The line went silent for a moment, and Angel thought the girl had hung up. But, the girl finally spoke and Angel noted how different she had sounded from the last time she spoke. The bubbliness and sarcasm that was in her voice was replaced by a quiet, somber one.
“I just really need,” the girl stopped again before her voice retired to the one of a few days ago, or at least an attempt of it, “Just need a place to crash for the night.”
“Okay, can you tell me where you are? I’m going to come pick you up.”
“The bus station off 9th street.”
“Okay, I’m going to try to get there as quickly as possible. But, we’re about an hour away. Do you want to stay on the phone?”
“No, I’m-I’m good.”
Angel got there in forty-five. And that includes the time it took to get Raven awake enough to come with her.
“That’s her, on that bench,” Angel told Raven. She quickly sprinted ahead. The girl immediately brightened upon seeing her, causing Raven to smile.
“Hey, how you doing? This is my friend, Raven, I think you remember her from the other day.”
“Yeah, I do. Name’s Jubilee by the way. Don’t think I ever clarified that.”
“Well, it’s nice to put a name to that face. How about we get going, get you somewhere more comfortable.”
“Sounds great.”
Angel obeyed the law better on the way back, taking the full hour to get back to the mansion. When they got there they were surprised to find Jean sitting outside the front door.
“I heard you guys get up,” she explained before they could ask.
“Yeah, we had some things we needed to do. Jean, this is Jubilee, she’s gonna stay with us for at least tonight. Jubilee, this is Jean.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Do you want to crash in my room? I got an extra bed. And it’s right next to the kitchen if you're craving a midnight snack. I steal some all the time,” Jean said with a goofy smile.
Jubilee smiled in return, “Sounds perfect. What’s your favorite late-night snack?”
And before the older girls knew it the two were already headed off together laughing and smiling like they had known each other for years.
“Think she’ll stay for one more day?” Raven asked.
“I don’t know. I hope so, she clearly needs help, I just don’t think she wants to admit it.”
“Well, maybe Jean can help change her mind. It’ll be good for both of them to have a friend.”
“Yeah, hopefully”