Chapter One

"So I expect a full report on your service projects by the end of the week. And proof that you did them!" Ms. Wiley dismissed the class for the day and fell back into her chair, reaching out for her coffee cup.

"Ms. Wiley?" Megan approached her timidly.

"Yes, Megan?"

"Well, I've been thinking of volunteering at the welfare office. I've been doing a little work there and I'm headed there later today. Is that ohkay for the project?" she asked.

"Welfare office? Yea, it's fine. Especially for you kids, living here! Should be a good experience." Ms. Wiley regarded Megan silently for a moment. "It's good, Ms. O'Connor, good." Megan left the room and went to go meet up with Tanis, Adena and Sébastien for a doubles game. "Where's Squib and Cam?" asked Adena. "Squib's got guitar practise, Cameron's out somewhere, and Cody's spending some quality bonding time with her dad," answered Sébastien, getting up after a few stretches.

"Quality bonding time…sounds like fun!" said Adena. They divided up and she lobbed the ball over to Tanis and Sébastien. The game went well, with Megan and Adena winning the match 4-2, 5-1, 4-2.

As they all packed up, (Rick had come to remind them that their court time was over) Megan caught a glimpse of her watch. "Oh crap! I have to go guys…service project at the welfare office." She hastily stowed away her racket and sprinted back to the dorms to change.

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"Have a good evening sir," said Megs tiredly. She'd been standing at the tellers booth for a good three hours, asking mindless questions and filling in form after form. "Next, please."

A man with thinning hair and a grey-green top stepped up to the window. "I... I'd like to register for welfare?" His voice seemed familiar, but Megan couldn't place it.

She pulled out a pink slip of paper, and uncapped her pen. "Last name?"

"Dubé. Henri Dubé." Megan wrote in the "d" then looked up at him.

"Did you say Dubé?"

"Ah, yes." He looked perplexed, but smiled encouragingly.

"You wouldn't happen to have a son, would you? Sébastien, at Cascadia? Tennis player?" She'd dropped the pen and leaned over the desk.

"Oui! Sébastien, you know him?" Mr. Dubé asked.

"Very well." Megs heard a cough behind her, and helped him fill out the form. After checking it over with her supervisor, she handed him his first cheque and asked if she could wrap up for the day. As she donned a jacket and mittens, Megan ran out of the office to see if she could catch Séb's dad. Alas, he'd disappeared into the snow. Sighing to herself, she started the walk back to campus, trying to remember everything he'd said in his application. Megs broke into a run and ran the three kilometres back to Cascadia, debating whether or not she should mention it to anyone- or to Séb himself.