“Thank you, Mikey,” Shawn said, shaking his head and smiling. “Let’s continue around the room.”
Shawn made his way around the room, pointing at this student and that, each with their own story of why they cared about the planet and what they were doing here. Leila listened, occasionally interrupted by a playful nudge or snarky comment from Sarika, but mostly, she watched. She stared.
At Shawn, and how he kept talking to everyone else but never seemed to take his eyes off her.
THREAD: Alternatives to the Raptor Trust in Fairmount
SUBFORUM: PHILADELPHIA-CENTRIC
Alternatives to the Raptor Trust in Fairmount
Posted by Toothless
AUGUST 14th, 2017 | 7:02PM
Hey all, odd question. I’ve come across this wounded bird that I’d like to help out, but the Raptor Trust in Fairmount is shutting down, as I’m sure many of you have heard. Does anyone know any solid alternatives, particularly places that won’t euthanize an animal that can’t be recuperated?
RE: Alternatives to the Raptor Trust in Fairmount
Posted by Jill the Birder
AUGUST 14th, 2017 | 7:09PM
You could try the Roxborough Animal Habilitation Center. Depends on the bird, I think, but I know they take just about everything. I saw a turkey vulture there once that would never be able to fly. Just lives there. Seems happy. As does the peacock who chased my car.
RE: Alternatives to the Raptor Trust in Fairmount
Posted by Toothless
AUGUST 14th, 2017 | 7:09PM
LOL, that peacock story. Thanks Jill. This really helps out a lot.
RE: Alternatives to the Raptor Trust in Fairmount
Posted by A Dash of Paprika
AUGUST 14th, 2017 | 8:09PM
What did you do to that poor bird, Toothy?
RE: Alternatives to the Raptor Trust in Fairmount
Posted by Toothless
AUGUST 14th, 2017 | 7:02PM
Har har. Nothing. I’m trying to save him.
RE: Alternatives to the Raptor Trust in Fairmount
Posted by A Dash of Paprika
AUGUST 14th, 2017 | 7:09PM
Since when did you grow a heart?
RE: Alternatives to the Raptor Trust in Fairmount
Posted by WithouttheY
AUGUST 14th, 2017 | 7:15PM
Come on Paprika, chill.
ECO-ACTIVISTS MESSAGE BOARD: PERSONAL MESSAGES [USER: WITHOUTTHEY]
FROM
SUBJECT
DATE
TOOTHLESS
Thanks
You know, for all that.
8/14
WITHOUTTHEY
RE: Thanks
shrugs not a big deal. We all get carried away sometimes.
8/14
VI
“Wait, so nothing? Nothing at all?” Sarika asked as she poked at the chicken nuggets on her lunch tray, scowling.
“Not yet,” Leila said, shrugging and taking a bite out of a nugget. “Try one, they aren’t terrible.”
“I don’t trust meat that isn’t shaped like actual meat,” Sarika said, grabbing a french fry off her plate and dipping it in ketchup. “It isn’t natural.”
“You’re serious?” Leila asked. “You just dipped a rectangle made of potato starch into a puddle of paste that contains some tomato, but mostly tons of artificial chemicals. Let’s not talk about natural vs. unnatural here. This isn’t hair.”
“Yeah, but french fries are fucking delicious,” Sarika said, eating the whole fry in a single bite. “They are excellent ketchup delivery systems. Right?” Leila gave her a look, and Sarika grabbed the ketchup packet and looked at the back, her expression immediately souring. “Oh. Well, whatever. I’m a hypocrite, lock me up. Anyway, I still can’t believe the two of you haven’t talked since that first meeting. That tension in that room was thick.”
“You think so?” Leila asked, even though she knew. She could tell that Shawn was into her, the way he stared at her from across the room and the awkward way he said goodbye at the end of the meeting, complete with way-too-long see you laters and an extended handshake that implied maybe a hug could have happened.
“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Sarika said, swirling another fry around. “Maybe he’s waiting for you to make the first move or something. Trying to be all mysterious or hard to get or something.”
“Well, he’s going to be waiting a long-ass time,” Leila raised one eyebrow, “what with that whole mess involving that friend of yours.”
“Ha ha,” Sarika said, rolling her eyes. “I wouldn’t hold that against him. I’ve been dealing with Jessica and her clique for a while now, and I’ve never even seen him around. Not at after-school events, or picking her up. Nothing. I think they were secret or something.” She shrugged.
“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me you had some bullies picking on you.” Leila shook her head.
“You can’t protect everyone,” Sarika said, reaching across the table and giving Leila’s hand a squeeze. “I didn’t need saving.”
“Okay, okay,” Leila said before grabbing another nugget.
“You should at least come on the field trip,” Sarika continued, burying another french fry in ketchup, the lightly burnt potato slice coming up entirely red. “I mean, if anything, that’ll be a good opportunity for you two to talk, maybe sneak off into the woods.”
“Field trip?” Leila asked, ignoring her suggestion. “I didn’t hear anything about that.”
“Wow, you really were out of it.” Sarika laughed. “He handed out those slips?” Leila shrugged and Sarika abandoned her fries to dig through her backpack.
“Behold, the permission slip,” Sarika said, pulling a piece of paper out of her backpack and waving it about triumphantly. “Fairmount Park field trip.” Leila plucked the piece of paper out of Sarika’s hands and read it, trying not to frown.
“You know we can basically walk to Fairmount Park whenever we want, right?” Leila asked, handing the slip back to Sarika. “It’s like, right there. You can probably see it right outside the windows here in the cafeteria.”
“But on this trip, you’ll get to see so much more,” a voice chimed from behind Leila. She turned around to spot Shawn smiling his lopsided smile, his long hair dancing over his eyes as he gazed intently at Leila. She felt herself going flush and turned back to Sarika, who was grinning.
“Mind if I sit?” he asked, a bagged lunch in his hands.
“Yeah, no sure, go ahead,” Leila muttered as he settled down next to her.
“Sarika, right?” he asked, pointing at Sarika with a snap and a click sound from inside his cheek. Sarika frowned and Leila flashed her a quick please-be-nice look. Sarika’s expression immediately softened, though her smile looked forced.
“Yes!” Sarika exclaimed. “Nice to see you again.”
“You too,” Shawn said, nodding. He turned to Leila. “So the field trip. Like I said at the meeting, we’re not, um, as funded as we were before for . . . personal reasons.” Shawn stumbled over his words, looking progressively more awkward as he tried not to mention Jessica. “We’re going to do a little community service as part of their summer clean-up day, cleaning the grounds around the Shofuso house. We’ll even get to work with the koi pond. And then tea and a Japanese lunch in the house.
“Manual labor, Shawn?” Sarika snarked, gobbling another fry. “Really?”
“Hey, I’m trying here,” Shawn said, stealing a fry off her plate with a defiant smile before turning back to Leila. “Have you ever been there? How long have you even been in Philadelphia?” He put his elbows on the table and held his head in his hands, smiling, his eyes piercing into her. Again, Leila felt flustered at all the attention.
“No, I haven’t. I’ve lived in the city a while, in . . . a few places. Can we”—Leila glanced at Sarika, who exchanged a knowing look with her—“maybe talk about something else? What’s the deal with that house?”