"Hazel hesitated before suggesting, "Bert, I could give you a lift home as we are so close but I wonder if you would mind coming to my house and stayi...ng with us until Sarah my daughter, picks Suzie up. If you have other things to do, I will understand but..." She's picking you up Bert," Tom exclaimed, "You watch out, you'll be her real husband soon!" I ignored the remark but his words proved prophetic."I was going to have a shower to wash the grime away and cool off a bit and continue on my. Last night’s fire was harder on him than most and he just wanted to wash it all away but knew he couldn’t. He shut the water off with more force than necessary and shoved the shower curtain aside. He hoped a cup of coffee would help him start a normal day. DJ stepped out of the shower and stood in the early morning sunlight, grabbing his towel and unconsciously heading toward the kitchen and the smell of fresh coffee. Allison stepped from the deck into DJ’s kitchen and had to catch her breath. “I really don’t have any material like that…” I started.“I didn’t mean it that way,” she quickly interrupted. “If you could just take a look at some of my pieces, I was hoping you could tell me how to find someone to work with me on the photos.”Jesus. She wanted me to read her stuff. I didn’t know how to respond.“Look,” she hurried on, “How about I read some to you, and then we can talk about it.”I sat back, feeling boxed in. If I said no, I’d be telling her I didn’t believe in her. If I went. " You threatening me?"I sighed.How can anybody that stupid hold onto a job?Then I stood up and got right in his face. "You know, like most everybody else in this school, I thought Jacob was weird for messing in politics. If you are an example of the system, more of us can do it. You are an insult to everything that this school teaches me an adult should be. If it wasn't for those two, I'd leave right now. No detention they could give me could annoy me more than you are right now." Well said.".