Don't Stop Running

Chapter 8

"Well hello there," Jet Star said as he walked into the diner, his eyes never leaving the girl in front of Flame and I.

"Hi," Flame replied.

"You wanna... introduce me to your... friend?" he asked, sitting next to Flame.

We were sitting in a booth currently trying to distract the little girl with a coloring book.

"Grace," I started, and she looked up from the book, "this is Jet Star."

"Hi Jet Star," she said shyly.

"Hi Grace. I like your hair," he said, smiling.

"Thank you."

She smiled shyly at him and continued to color. Jet looked at me and nodded to the diner kitchen, we got up and decided to talk back there.

"Party told me you guys picked her up when you were shopping during our debrief," he explained.

"Yeah, she was hiding in a pile of clothes," I sighed, looking at her sadly.

She was filthy and malnourished. Her clothes hung off her body and you could still see her bones peeking out.

"What are we going to do with a kid?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "Party is taking you and her to see Dr. D tomorrow. This is a rare occasion, a kid out in the desert. When it does happen though the group that finds them usually keeps them, unless another group offers. Knowing Party though, he's going to offer to keep her."

"Well let's hope we're all fit to play the role of parents," I sighed and walked back to the booth.

"C'mon Grace, I'll show you where you're going to be sleeping."

She silently got up and followed me downstairs. The guys were sat around the living room talking amongst themselves. They quieted down as we walked past.

I walked down the hall and to my room, setting Grace's ratty bag down on the dresser.

"This is my room but you can sleep in here. I'll put your clothes in the bottom of the dresser for you, okay? Would you like to take a shower?"

She nodded and gave me a small smile.

I dumped the bag of clothes that we managed to take from the abandoned store and shuffled through them, sighing.

"I don't think we got you pajamas kid. Let's get you to the bathroom and I'll have one of the guys give me a shirt for you. We can pretend it's a night gown," I said, smiling.

She gave me a bigger smile this time and nodded once more.

I took her hand and led her to the bathroom and started a shower for her. I gave her a bar of soap and a rag, putting a towel on the counter for her.

"Go on and get in, I'll bring a shirt in a minute."

I turned and closed the door then made my way to the guys. They looked up at me as I came in.

"I need a favor. We didn't pick her up any pajamas while we ransacked that place. I need a shirt for her," I explained.

"I got it," Party offered.

We walked back down the hall and stopped at his bedroom door. He opened it and went in, I stayed  at the doorway. I looked around his room quickly, not wanting him to catch me staring at his stuff.

There were posters and drawings strewn messily around the walls, a couple piles of clothes on the floor to add to the boyish flair. There was a desk shoved into a corner, books, pencils, and maps piled up on it. Lastly I looked at Party Poison.