"Why do you need me?" Dave turned to me and asked.
"We need you, Dave! You are our leader, the brains of our outfit. Come on, you are a vital part of our team. Besides, who else could keep us under control?" I tried to reassure him.
"Yeah, Dave. Come on! Please?" William asked. "What would we do without you?"
"I…can't…my mother…she needs me too. No, I can't…please Hope…don't push me!"
I struggled for the right words. "Dave, your mother is old enough to take care of herself. We need you; I need you. Please. We have to find…" I turned away from him. William wrapped his arm around me.
"Please, Dave. Hope needs to find her father. She…we…need you to go with us. It's a big world out there, and we need your know-how. Please?" William gave him a pleading glance.
Dave looked down at Charlie, his Charmander. Charmander smiled back up at him. "Char?" Dave sighed. He looked like he was going to consent. "Okay!" I smiled, and hugged him. He hugged me back, but I could see in his face, something was wrong.
"What?" I asked. He shook his head. "Dave, I have known you for years. What is it? Is it your mom?" I watched him as he actually fought back tears. Then I knew. "She's in the hospital again isn't she?" He shook his head. "Then what?"
"My…mother...she…" He fell to his knees. "Why?" He began to sob, and William and I sat next to him quietly. "She was so young!" Charlie began to cry, too. I gathered the poor Charmander up in my arms. "Hope? I have to go with you, I have nowhere to go!"
"Do you have any money…anything?" William asked. Dave turned to his backpack lying next to him. As if on cue, Charlie got inside and pulled out a piece of paper. It was a legal document. "What? That scum! He took everything you own practically! We have to fight this!" William exclaimed after reading the letter. He handed it to me, and I read it, although the disgusted look on William's face told me everything.
"No." Dave composed himself and grew very serious. "There is something else…" He reached again into his bag, and shakingly pulled out another paper. "This is why." He read the paper aloud, and we stood in a shocked silence. Basically it said that there was only one way for Dave to get back his family's possessions, he had to become one of the elite four by his 18th birthday. "I don't know if I can…" Dave sighed, and put the paper in his bag.
"Does Black get to touch any of your parents stuff 'til then?" William asked.
"No, he only gets it if I can't become an elite. How can I do that?" Dave frowned, and looked at Charlie. "Will you help me Charlie?" Charlie puffed himself up. Dave laughed, and smiled at William and me. "Well, let's go, then! We can't just sit here."
"We need you, Dave! You are our leader, the brains of our outfit. Come on, you are a vital part of our team. Besides, who else could keep us under control?" I tried to reassure him.
"Yeah, Dave. Come on! Please?" William asked. "What would we do without you?"
"I…can't…my mother…she needs me too. No, I can't…please Hope…don't push me!"
I struggled for the right words. "Dave, your mother is old enough to take care of herself. We need you; I need you. Please. We have to find…" I turned away from him. William wrapped his arm around me.
"Please, Dave. Hope needs to find her father. She…we…need you to go with us. It's a big world out there, and we need your know-how. Please?" William gave him a pleading glance.
Dave looked down at Charlie, his Charmander. Charmander smiled back up at him. "Char?" Dave sighed. He looked like he was going to consent. "Okay!" I smiled, and hugged him. He hugged me back, but I could see in his face, something was wrong.
"What?" I asked. He shook his head. "Dave, I have known you for years. What is it? Is it your mom?" I watched him as he actually fought back tears. Then I knew. "She's in the hospital again isn't she?" He shook his head. "Then what?"
"My…mother...she…" He fell to his knees. "Why?" He began to sob, and William and I sat next to him quietly. "She was so young!" Charlie began to cry, too. I gathered the poor Charmander up in my arms. "Hope? I have to go with you, I have nowhere to go!"
"Do you have any money…anything?" William asked. Dave turned to his backpack lying next to him. As if on cue, Charlie got inside and pulled out a piece of paper. It was a legal document. "What? That scum! He took everything you own practically! We have to fight this!" William exclaimed after reading the letter. He handed it to me, and I read it, although the disgusted look on William's face told me everything.
"No." Dave composed himself and grew very serious. "There is something else…" He reached again into his bag, and shakingly pulled out another paper. "This is why." He read the paper aloud, and we stood in a shocked silence. Basically it said that there was only one way for Dave to get back his family's possessions, he had to become one of the elite four by his 18th birthday. "I don't know if I can…" Dave sighed, and put the paper in his bag.
"Does Black get to touch any of your parents stuff 'til then?" William asked.
"No, he only gets it if I can't become an elite. How can I do that?" Dave frowned, and looked at Charlie. "Will you help me Charlie?" Charlie puffed himself up. Dave laughed, and smiled at William and me. "Well, let's go, then! We can't just sit here."