There were two juniors and Samantha's sister Lexi had made varsity as a sophomore. She was turning into quite the fox. It seemed like she and Judy and... Ross and Monte were always together and it was a mix and match sort of thing. I wasn't sure what Carl's brother Rich was doing. I only had three classes at the high school. Still, I could do my other work while my friends and lovers were studying together. By four o'clock we were all winding down and thinking about dates. That, of course, was. Doctor Kalfou tossed back her covers and pulled her own locker out from beneath her bed. “Where does the ship receive wounded?” she asked, quickly shimmying into her trousers.“No idea. Ask one of the Norths,” Jack took off her belt and began sliding pouches, holsters and sheaths onto it one by one. She snapped a shoulder strap onto it and put the entire thing on again. The strap ran across her body from left hip to right shoulder, helping to distribute the added weight of the two pistols that. That was probably a waste of effort, I wasn’t sure if she could see my eye rolling. “We hear those sorts of jokes every day at school – especially in the girls locker room. We were shocked before because we didn’t expect Daddy D. to say it.”“I see! I’m being square am I – an old fuddy-duddy?”I treated that comment with the ignore that it deserved.“Pass Sabrina here.” I held out my hand. Mum put the stuffed kitten in my hand and I tucked Sabrina into the space on my chest between Liz and her. I didn’t even have Lexi’s ashes with me and I could still hear her as if she were standing beside me. “I don’t know what to do any longer. I’m lost.”“Mama needs you. Sammie needs you. Hannah needs you. My friends ... my whole clan needs you, Daddy. Help them. Help them be all they can be and protect them as much as you can.”“I promise you, my darling little angel. I will do whatever is necessary.”“Now you sound like Brian.” Giggles in the rustling leaves of the trees. “Don’t forget to do what.