Cards was quietly talking with Kloppmen.

"Now Cards you know I love all you guys, and you ain't caused me any trouble at all. But I don't know if I can let you host the strike here. Its just bad for business." Kloppmen sighed, "I want to help you all. But I need to make sure you pay me."

"Don't worry! We're working on it. It won't be an issue." Cards smiled "And these guys, if they stay will be helping." She said begging.

"Fine, but just as long as you aren't disrupting the rest of the guests." He said. "And pay!" He yelled as Cards smiled, relieved.

She headed out to the front. "How'd it go?" She asked David.

"I don't think they like me."

"Well you haven't exactly proven yourself to us" Maps said as he walked up. "We don't even know you. You're just the boy Jack's sleeping with this week." He turned to Cards. "So, you and Spot?"

She nodded. "Maps, I need to go to a clinic" She said gulping back tears, the cut on her face was looking a little worse for wear. It spanned from her temple to the bottom of her jaw, impossible to hide.

"Cards, you can't! You need to help us get support on MTV!" David said. "Look that could help us! None of the rest of us really got anything that you can see! It might make up for the fact that you served time in jail!"

"David this..." Jack walked in smiling "Hey! Just the two people I needed to see." He said "Cards, what happened with Kloppmen?"

"We have to pay, anyone staying here has to help as well." She said. "We have to behave! Jack I'm serious no fucking up."

"Relax Cards" Jack grinned shaking his head. "We'll be fine. You know that."

Cards sighed. "Jack, I can't go with you to MTV today" She said softly. "I need to go to a clinic."

"No." Jack said as if it was a question, he ignored it. "Okay David, we've got everything we need right?"

"Les is gunna be in school today" David said "So he can't come with us. "

"Hmm would it look worse if we pulled him from school to come with us, or if we didn't have him?" Jack asked.

"If they ask where he is, we play up how commited we are to as many of us as possible getting an education." David said. "Then we remind people that it isn't our fault we're in the possitions we're in. We aren't victims of society, we're victims of our situation." He smiled, liking the sound of that.

Jack nodded. "Hmkay, Cards you got that?"

"Jack I really need to get this sewn up!"

"Someone will do it for you later" Jack said off handly. "Look we'll find you something to kill the pain after the interview."

Cards sighed, looking around for Spot. He seemed to materalize "Everyone's ready to go out, I organized them for where to beg, they're making signs now. Other kids are going to work" He gently pulled her to him. "You'll be fine." He said. "Just relax a little."

"How do you expect me to relax?" She laughed. "I'm a nervous wreck, and rightfully so!"

"Cards." Jack snapped grabbing her arm, wrenching her from Spot, he pulled her aside. "You don't get to be a nervous wreck, you don't want to go back to how things were any more then the rest of us. Remember seeing Dutchy hit his head? That's why you're doing this. Look at Tiger" He pointed to the girl, who was looking a little queesy, "you want that kid doing what we're doing right now? Look at all we've put in, and this is only like the third day" He said, "You don't get to have emoitions. You are this strike."

Author's notes.

One more! Then I'm all caught up. But yeah, this story is supposed to be ending a lot sooner then this... It just won't get to the point. So you all get lots of filler about how the strike is affecting people. Lets see, next is when they get on MTV again, Then another big riot, then it gets really bad, then well, you've seen the movie. (Oh wait! you didn't realize this was just a modernization of the movie with girls as well as boys?)