She came after changing into a loose T-shirt and shorts. I told her about my plans to stay over tonight at the nearby friend and we talked for a while... I was still feeling cold and I kind of asked her if I could make coffee for myself. She at first said yes, and then said wait, she got a better idea.She ran off and came back with a bottle of scotch and two glasses. Being a Punjabi, my eyes lit up when I saw the liquor, but I was skeptic at first. I tried denying but she said take some to get. ’ ‘She doesn’t have one, but Lisa liked the name Hope. She said it was fitting for her baby.’ Ellie wondered if she’d had some kind of premonition. ‘That’s a nice name,’ he said. ‘Can I see her?’ ‘Yes. If you want you…’ He knew there was no way on earth he could NOT see her now. She was all he had left. * * * The shadows lengthened in the dark room as night fell. Still, Michael continued to sit, immobile in his worn leather armchair. A glass of scotch sat untouched on the table beside him. He. You’re a good person; why would you be interested in owning slaves?? ?I’m not, which is why I intend on selling them. Their families— every single one of them-- are rich. Can you imagine the price they’d pay to spare their daughters a life of slavery? We can charge anything we want for the captured girls. Most of us are at this school because we’re poor. We have no hope of an easy life, or even attending college, but if we win this simple game we will have the resources to pull. She had the urge to spill every sordid detail of her life. It wouldn’t matter anyway. He wasn’t serious, anyway. He’d just laugh about it to his buddies after the hag ball. ‘I don’t need to tell you anything.’ She went back into the terminal room and gathered her things together. He leaned in the doorframe and said, ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘About what?’ She readjusted her bag. Denial had always worked before. ‘You’re rattled. If some guy hurt you…’ ‘Nobody hurt me. I’m fine…’ ‘Don’t lie to me, Jo,’ his.