Healing Sophie

43

Murky brown water dripped pathetically into a bucket in the corner of the room. Mice skittered across the floor. The community center was pretty drab, Victor thought.

Drab, but hopeful.

As he glanced at the gray walls while sweeping, he envisioned what the place could be. The space was huge and empty, perfect for classes or maybe a boxing ring. For the moment, though, he just needed to get everything to stop leaking or smelling bad. All in a day's work. Perhaps several days, judging by the mysterious colors on the floor.

When he finished sweeping and was about to move on to mopping, Victor heard laughing outside. His brows furrowed and he poked his head out to see four young teens spray-painting the wall of the center.

"Hey. Hey!", Victor shouted. The kids bolted and he chased after them, but quickly lost them. He sighed and turned to the graffiti.

The word lost was spray-painted in bold letters across the community center wall.

The place was lost. It was lost and neglected, but Victor intended to put everything he had into showing it some much-needed love. For himself and for the fellow lost, angry kids.

He walked back inside and to Jerry's office before slouching in a chair across from him. Jerry glanced up. "Yes?"

Victor frowned. "Some kids were vandalizing the wall outside."

Without looking up, Jerry muttered, "There's some paint and a brush in the closet."

Victor scowled. "Doesn't it make you mad? People mistreating this place?"

"Of course it does," Jerry said quietly. "But anger won't get us anywhere."

The words sank deep into Victor's chest. Jerry was right. Anger wasn't the solution, but that didn't mean fighting back was wrong. An idea popped in his head and he felt a jolt of electricity through him. "Jerry, if I get this place cleaned up and get some kids here, will you let me use this space for an event?"

"Kid, if you can even get the brown stains off of the bathroom wall, you can have whatever you need. Except for money, we're dead broke."

Victor left Jerry's office with a new determination he had never felt before.

"I need your guys' help," Victor greeted as he stormed into the living room. Sophie was sprawled across Finn and Theo's lap with Chase on the floor against the couch, nose in her laptop as she ran a hand through Chase's hair. The three of them glanced up at Victor with concern.

"With what, Vic?", Chase asked.

Victor sighed and explained to them the state of the community center and the kids he saw. He finished breathlessly and looked at his friends. "I just feel like I need to do something. The center has no funding, so I was wondering if... maybe you guys could come volunteer and help out?"

Sophie's eyes softened and she smiled, sitting up. Her beautiful brown eyes were filled with exhaustion. She had been running herself ragged between the play, school, and planning Jess's wedding. "We'd love to, Victor. I can volunteer Tuesday after work, I don't have any work or rehearsals on that day."

"I can do any day other than play rehearsal days," Theo offered.

"Finn and I have our movie that we're working on, but I can do Thursdays," Chase said.

"Ditto," Finn said.

Victor smiled, the action still foreign but nice. "Thank you guys."

His chest ached at their offers. He was filled with a drive to see through repairing something for once instead of breaking it.