A Heart So Wild by Raine Thomas

Author:Raine Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Iambe Books
Published: 2021-08-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

“Yo, hold up. Why I gotta pair up wit’ a ol’ white dude?”

Callan’s eyebrows lifted over the greeting by his newly matched P.A.L.—short for Pillars of Atlanta Leadership. The acronym applied to each of the volunteers and youths enrolled at the Michael Sanderson Center for Boys and Girls.

Callan had attended the grand opening of the center with most of his teammates just over three months ago. He made a significant contribution after having an in-depth conversation with the center’s founder, Caroline Sanderson. Caroline was the current owner of Atlanta’s Major League Baseball team, having inherited the role when her husband, Michael, passed away the year before. From everything Javy had shared about her, she was among the most invested owners in the league. Between that and her goal to raise future leaders from kids who otherwise might not have that opportunity, Callan had found the center worth supporting.

That was why he mentioned it as a preference for volunteering when Vivian asked whether he had any. And because all of the city’s professional sports teams partnered with the center, something Caroline had made happen through her many connections, it hadn’t been difficult for Vivian to get him in. Only a week after their meeting, he was matched with one fourteen-year-old Rashied Arnold.

Who looked like he had just come across something dead and mangled as he stared at Callan.

This is going well, Callan thought.

“Rashied, is that any way to greet your potential P.A.L.?”

The question was asked by one of the center’s liaisons, a cheerful African American woman named Shay. She was currently with Callan and Rashied in one of the center’s greeting rooms used when new potential P.A.L.s were first introduced. The liaison made the introductions, gauged how the P.A.L.s vibed, and then either decided to change the pairing or allowed the two P.A.L.s to remain paired.

Or so Callan had been briefed before being led to this room.

“Mr. Murphy is new to the program, just like you,” Shay said to Rashied. “He plays hockey.”

“Get out. Atlanta has a hockey team?”

Callan practically heard Roxy hooting with laughter from wherever she was right then.

“Yes,” Shay replied with seemingly unending patience. “The Atlanta Siege. They’re the newest NHL expansion team and played their first season last year.”

“What kinda name is The Siege?” the kid asked with a lip curl.

“The team was named for the siege against Atlanta during the Civil War,” Shay said, looking to Callan and getting his nod of agreement. “Their mascot is Sarge the Phoenix, who symbolizes the strength it took the people of this city to rise from the ashes and overcome adversity.”

That eased the lip curl. Rashied’s mouth instead twisted into a considering frown.

“Here now,” Shay said, motioning towards a four-person table. “Why don’t we sit down and get more comfortable?”

Ignoring the suggestion, Rashied said, “You win anything?”

Callan took it as a positive sign that the kid had finally directed a question at him. “We won our share of games last season, but we didn’t make it into the playoffs.

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