ABOVE THE INFLUENCE

11: 24 A.M

"Can you believe this? Being portrayed as gangsters."

"Slick. See how the world can change you so fast." Jackson gives Lester a weak smile. I look up at the screen, seeing a woman with large glasses appear behind a desk.

"CNN Reports that the hostage is Officer Dante Jackson. This is the very same officer who was wounded during the NYC Bank Robbery, while leading people to safety."

"Man, you're a freakin' hero." Rodney scowls. RING.

"What's with the publicity Audrey?" Lester barks into the phone. As he keeps arguing with her about not controlling the media, I make my way over to the water fountain. Filling a bottle with water, I take it to Jackson.

"Here." I hand it over to him. He snatches it out of my hand gulping it down. "Sorry I haven't been very helpful."

"Who's there to help?" His brown eyes scan my face. "What's your name?"

"Rodriquez. Gwen Rodriquez." He sticks out his hand.

"I heard that name before." I shake it.

"It's common." I look him over. "You're uncomfortable." He smiles at me. "All go get you a cushion." I walk over to the desk where Lester is. Coming to one of those wheelie chairs, I rip off a cushion that is hanging by a thread.

"The students that are holding the hostage, will follow at the top right of the screen. Stephanie Williams." The lady announces.

"Jennifer Lopez on a bad hair day." Rivers snorts. I glance over my shoulder at what he is looking at. On the screen is Stephanie's picture. She has a high ponytail on her head, which is all frizzy.

"Wow." I choke trying to get the word out.

"Okay. They really need to take that picture off." She laughs at herself.

"Ever hear of retakes?" Lynn amuses twirling her hair around.

"Robert 'Rivers' Tremont." Rivers picture appears.

"What's with the Elvis smirk?" I began cracking up. His hair is even angled like his.

"I had something on my lip okay." He shrugs his shoulders.

"Rodney J. Templeton."

"Dude. I didn't now you are bald." Rivers gasps when his picture comes up. Rodney just sneers at him.

"Zechariah Malone."

"It's Ziggy." He grins at all of us.

"Lynn Sabatini."

"Frankenstein's wife without the hair." Lester chuckles as he hangs up the phone.

"Yeah whatever." She moves from her hair to her rings.

"Gwen Rodriquez." I stare at my picture as it comes into view.

"Damn girl. Lookin' fine." Rivers hollers winking at me.

"Shut up." I cast him a look.

"Why couldn't my picture turn out like yours. It's perfect." Stephanie moans, placing an arm around my shoulder.

"Why you always wearing those wraps around your head?" Ziggy watches me pull down my ski hat with question.

"Hey it's Lester. Lookin' like a jock man." Thank God for Rodney interrupting before I would have to answer.

"Even showing our pictures, they still think we're gang members." Lester grunts. RING!

"Don't get that." Lynn runs over to the phone and places a hand over it. "Telephones are for the dark ages. If we want them to meet our demands, lets do it right." A gigantic smile spreads across her face. "Lets go global."

11:28 A.M

"It's .com, not .net." Lynn punches Rivers's arm.

"Okay, gezz. I've only been taking computers for a while." Backspacing he types the correct address. "Here we go. I'm in. We just have to type what we want, e-mail it, then wait."