The girls crowded around the court, pretending to watch their brothers or friends, but, really, were hoping for this second-coming of Apollo to get off the fence already, and pick one of them.  Decide already, TJ!  Pick me!   No, pick me!

TJ remained resolutely single, to general dismay.

“Yeah, bro.  Don’t we have an “in” with the decision-makers, anyway?  I mean, I’d think the chances of them turning down our proposal are, what, slim to zero, right?” Jason asked, teasingly, and tossed a football to TJ.

Frowning at the older boy’s casual attitude towards the project, TJ caught the ball with his free hand, and said nothing at first as some of the others began to make remarks similar to Jason’s. Angie jumped in, noting her brother’s increasingly frustrated countenance and responded a little heatedly to the others, “Look guys, TJ’s right.  Even if our mom heads the foundation it doesn’t mean we’ll get a free pass on this. TJ’s done some research on causes similar to what we want to work on and he anticipates the foundation could get lots of proposals from legit groups working on girls’ education.  So if we send a sloppy one in, at least in comparison to others, not only will it get turned down – it’ll be embarrassing for us and for all our parents, too!”

She eyed Jason, who was the son of Rose, one of their moms’ oldest friends in New York.  She and Jason had practically grown up together, and, as always, she couldn’t hide her disappointment at his lackadaisical attitude.  What is going on with him?  He has got to shape up soon.  He’s going off to college in a few months like I am, and he’s still the same, I hate to say it, unfocused, sometimes lazy boy I’ve known all my life.  I thought roping him into this passion project of TJ would give him some direction, but…

Jason caught the frustrated tone that underpinned Angie’s comment, and pursed his lips.  He smiled apologetically at Angie, and then looked at TJ, who was considering all of them with that trademark piercing look of his, and felt ashamed.

Well, the last thing that I want to happen is to be written out of this thing. It’s one of the few things I have worked my ass off over.  Okay, if TJ’s right and this project is worth working further on, I’ll do it.  I’ll be damned if I’ll be run out of this thing by Angie’s younger brother!