“That’s what I said.” He smiled and stared at her. His gaze would have been unnerving if this were a chance meeting.
He’s g*y, she reminded herself.
“Have you ever been in a Boys and Girls Club?”
“No, I haven’t.”
She walked him through the game room. Several couches and chairs, beanbag chairs, and pillows were thrown about. “Our mission statement really does define what we do for the kids. To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” Karen had memorized the statement a long time ago.
“We accomplish that by having a safe place for kids to hang out after school. Kids love video games so we have that here for them.” There was a big-screen television she had personally bought for the club along with two gaming stations. A few older arcade games were lined up along the walls. “There’s also table tennis and a pool table when the video monitor isn’t working for them. We have a yard outside I’ll show you when we get there.”
“How many kids come in?”
“It varies. We’ve had up to a hundred kids signed up to come in daily…but double that who only come in periodically.”
Michael looked at the kids who were trying to act uninterested but failed. “They have to sign up?”
“For our insurance purposes they do. We have a pay-what-you-can system. Most of these kids aren’t able to pay. We rely on donations and outside fundraisers.”
“The kids themselves do some of the fundraisers,” Jeff added. “We had a car wash last month that brought in a couple hundred dollars.”
“A couple hundred doesn’t sound like it would pay your power bill.”
“It doesn’t,” Karen said, surprised at the level of interest in Michael’s voice.
“We help the kids after school with their homework and school projects. It’s mainly teens but sometimes we get kids that are eleven or twelve.” Karen walked by her math table and glanced at Juan’s paper as she did. “You’re never gonna get that pizza if you don’t get past problem six, dude.” There was laughter in her voice. She really did want the kids to do well.
“Yes, Miss Jones.”
She walked Michael into the kitchen. “The kitchen is fully functioning. We provide snacks and occasional meals. The truth is, there are plenty of kids out there who don’t get a solid meal at home. Every one of them knows they can find something here. Most are too embarrassed to say they’re hungry.”
“How do you get past that?”
“We let them know when we’re providing meals, and none of them miss that day.”
“Why not provide a meal every day?”
Karen met Michael’s eyes. “Funds.”
“Oh.”
He held the door to the back open and she walked through. Jeff had fallen behind with Tony, who was asking about details of what it cost to run the club.
“There’s a basketball court and a yard where the kids play. We try to organize scrimmage games for them. Seems the only way to get them off the video games.”
He watched her now, and she was highly conscious of the smile on her face.
“Sounds like you love it here.”
“The kids are great. Not all of them are disadvantaged. Just misguided. I like to think we keep them off the streets and away from drugs and gangs.”
He placed his sunglasses over his eyes. “Do you have a lot of that here?”
“We’ve had a couple of problem kids. But we deal with them as soon as we know anything about it. Two or three times a month a youth counselor is available. I think of this place as a safe haven for these kids. We have no tolerance for bullying and don’t judge.”
“Interesting.”
Jeff stood several yards away, well outside of hearing range. The teens lingering in the yard talked among themselves.
She lowered her voice. “Kid charities to spend your money on?”
Michael looked behind them. “Worked, didn’t it?”
Karen laughed. “So, what do you think?”
He shook his head. “I think Gwen was wrong. I think you are a saint. You do all this for free?”
“That would be the definition of volunteer.”
He chuckled. “Oh, a smart-ass…you’ll fit right in.”
She pointed a finger to his chest. “Saintly smart-ass. Get it right. Does Tony know why you’re really here?”
He shook his head. “Only you and I…and Gwen.”
Jeff and Tony were walking their way so Karen quickly changed the subject. “Well, what do you think?”
“I like it. There are plenty of youth charities out there helping kids after they’ve fallen down the wrong path. This one seems to want to get a hold of at risk kids before they tumble.” Even if Michael was acting the part, he did it successfully.
They walked back into the main room, where none of the kids had moved.
Michael leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Time to turn on the charm.”
And he did.
Karen found a stool for him to sit on as he encouraged the kids to ask questions. “Where do you guys go to school?” he asked them, helping to break the ice. “What do you like most about school?”
Several kids told him they liked going home.
Amy told him she liked coming to the club after school.
“What do you like least about school?”