We agree to meet up later and Cassandra sits us down at our table before explaining that it was her boss and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy, old money people. I look around the room and note the business names and the bankers.
"Oh my lord the shrew has come out of hiding," I hear a man's voice behind us and I place a hand on Cassandra's.
I turn and stand to face Mr. Goddard and immediately I don't like him. Aside from the entitled swagger and the blonde bombshell he's damn near dragging around with him he's my height and about fifty pounds of soft around the middle, add to that some dyed blonde hair and you've got a thoroughbred asshole.
"You must be Mr. Goddard," I state, cutting him off about five feet away Cassandra," Did you need something from Mrs. Konklin?"
"She's my wife's kid now go find yourself some milk to drink," He states trying to stagger past me.
"Okay well two questions then, if she's your wife then who is she," I ask pointing out the happy woman he's got with him," and two why doesn't she use your name?"
Having a few drinks in him doesn't help but when he goes to push me aside and I put my weight in the opposite direction he ends up losing his balance and falling to the floor. I make it a point to keep the woman from falling mind you, need to have some manners. Goddard is confused as to what happened but immediately starts in on his defense.
"He hit me," He states as a few people come over to help him up.
"How could he have hit you with his hands down, you on the other hand just picked a fight with a high school student Quentin," Mr. Abernathy states bringing some calm to the situation," Now go sit yourself down and cool off at your own seat or leave, I will not have you causing a scene."
We watch him stagger up and head away from Cassandra with his date in tow. I thank Mr. Abernathy for his intervention and he simply nods but now he's taking stock of me. I hope it's good because there is money in their bank accounts. I sit back down with Cassandra and she silently thanks me for my stepping in, I figure that's part of why she brought me and honestly I hope he gets dumber as the night rolls on. Dinner is nice, some sort of imported fish that I don't think I want to learn to pronounce and I mostly listen to conversations as opposed to trying to run them. I get to talk mind you but I keep my words simple and to the point.
"Honestly I thought most young people currently didn't know what proper table and conversation manners were," one of the women at our table states, calling me out.
"And that's the problem, no real leadership or role models," I tell her, getting a surprised response.
"What do you mean Guy," Cassandra asks, baiting me.
"Well I was hoping to save this for my pitch but I'll get right out and use you as an example," I said to the woman who started the line of questioning," You're a successful woman I take it?"
"Head of marketing for a few major textile companies," She replies a little proudly.
"Did you always want to be the head of marketing," I ask and she looks a little conscious.
"No I didn't but this is where I am," She replies, still waiting for the point.
"I'm not going to insult you ma'am but I am making a point with this. You wanted to be something different when you were my age, probably since you were younger than I am like let's say an actress. Problem is there were no actresses around you to emulate or learn from so you did your best in college until someone who should have tried to help you either turn their back on you or shot you down on your plans, your dream," I explain and now for some reason I have everyone's attention, including a table near us.
"Not quite like that but continue," She says and I continue.
"Everyone says nobody donates to a high school yet we're told that this is where your education either ends or begins depending on what we do. Had someone put the options in front of you to actually take part in whatever it was that you were looking to do and gave you a tangible role model then your path would have been clearer and you'd be less inclined to give up because not only do you see the dream but you see the road in front of you," I explain and realize that I have a small crowd now as I'm going in depth with my explanation.
"So you're saying people will follow someone simply because they take the time to put themselves in front of everyone else," I hear a man say and note it's Mr. Goddard.
"Actually I'm proof of that, I never put myself on the ballot to be the student leader but they voted me in on a write in. If you put someone in front of a group of unsure and misguided teenagers, who have some of the worst people to idolize in front of them, and show them that there are actual jobs that people can work and be successful in if they simply point themselves in the right direction and go. You could literally redefine your work force by simply taking say ten of the middle road students and making sure they finish high school on time so they can do a two year degree in college and join your workforce," I continue my explanation," The Jesuits said 'get them young and the possibilities are endless' I disagree. Take a teenager and show them that they can actually be something by simply putting forth the effort and you'll be training your replacement when you retire.``
My words hit home and I get a few appreciative nods and a dick look from Mr. Goddard, he doesn't like me but fuck him. I continue explaining programs of my school, especially going over the new study groups that Jun and I implemented last year. People pay attention to me and then disperse. I don't get anyone on the hook for any real help but I'm told I made a compelling argument for my cause and leave it at that. The evening winds around and surprisingly a few of the people who were listening earlier are interested in hearing more. My now mini presentations go over well with me catering to the sensibilities of more than a few people and I actually get solid lines for donations which helps me get a better idea as to what I can do to balance the budget when another idea strikes me and I pitch it to Mr. Abernathy first.
"Sir the students I represent are good and getting better but class work doesn't really help you prepare for a job in an industry like yours. Let me hand pick ten or as many as you think you can handle and I'll have them come up to you for a field trip, you can shuffle them off as per their interests and let them spend a day working with people in the fields they might be looking at," I pitch and while he's nodding his eyes are skeptical.
"You'll hand pick these students based on what," he asks plainly.
"Only on ambition and determination, grades are fine but look at people who did poorly in school and still make it. They make it because while paying attention in class is good, getting up and doing something is better," I am continuing my pitch and it's finally having an effect.