Page 7 of Golden

Swallowing, I sit back with a smile. She’s always been fierce, and now, treading the line between being a kid and a young adult, I can clearly see the formidable woman she’s going to be. My heart swells with pride.

“Okay,” I say. “So, what do we do?”

“I’m trying to raise money at school.” She sighs. “But the most someone has ever raised is six thousand dollars, and that was after a natural disaster a few years ago.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Six thousand dollars is pretty good.”

“Seriously?” Jace matches my expression. “I googled who you go to school with. That’s pocket change for them.”

“Wait a second.” I lean forward on the table. “Why are you googling people at Franklin West?”

Jacey stares at me as though it’s obvious. “I want you to help me.”

I can’t remember a time Jacey has ever asked for my help and there’s absolutely nothing I wouldn’t do for the most important person in my life. Even so, I pick up my sandwich and pretend to mull it over, fighting to keep the smile from my face as she fidgets in her chair.

“Sol,” Mom warns. “Stop teasing her.”

“Fine,” I relent. “Let me think about it.”

Jacey’s face is the picture of hope. “Really?”

“Did you actually think I wouldn’t help you?” I ask. “You could tell me to kick a pile of puppies and I wouldn’t hesitate.”

Her eyes widen. “Why would you do that?”

“Oh my god. It was an example.”

Mom chuckles and I grin, but the wheels in my brain are already turning. Jacey talks more about the center as we eat, and as soon as I’m done, I excuse myself and go down to my room to call the guys. My room is my favorite thing about the house. A converted basement, it boasts a bedroom, bathroom, and living room that during high school, was rarely empty. If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m back at least once or twice a month, Jacey would have claimed it by now for sure.

Heading through to the bedroom, I slump down against the wall and pull out my phone. It’s a Saturday afternoon, so I figure the guys are likely together.

Zak answers on the third ring. “Hey, man. What’s up?”

“Is Alex with you?”

“Yeah, he’s in the kitchen. Hang on.”

I sit back against the wall, listening to the sounds of the Den as Zak moves through the house. “Put me on speaker.”

“Hey, Sol,” Alex says. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I want to pick your brains.”

“Oh?” Zak says. “What’s up? Everything okay with Jacey?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. But it is to do with her. There’s a center for people with CP in the city and Jacey has joined a youth group there. She wants them to go on trips and stuff, but they don’t have the funding.”

“You need money?” Alex asks.

Where my family, and Zak’s family, are wealthy, Alex’s are filthy rich. His father is the billionaire head of a property development company. He’s also a complete dick from what I can tell, so I guess you can’t have it all.

“It’s not only about money,” I explain. “Jacey wants to raise awareness. She’s done a ton of research. Apparently one in three hundred and forty-five children have CP in the U.S., but because the symptoms can be so varied, people don’t know a lot about it.”

“Okay,” Zak says. “So, what can we do?”

“Fundraiser,” Alex supplies immediately. “We hold a black-tie event where people buy entry.”

“Ooh, and we could have a raffle or auction, too,” Zak adds.

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