Chasing Jenna by Micki Fredricks

to the number of generations that your family has been involved in the house. Cale’s bloodline goes all the way back to the founding house. Every grandfather or uncle or cousin in his bloodline has been involved in the house in some way.”
    I stood there like an idiot having no idea what to say. I couldn’t imagine having a family tie like that. I didn’t even know my father’s name.
    “And the sponsoring,” I urged him on.
    Throwing his hands up in front of himself in frustration, he continued. “Isn’t this what you’re going to talk to Cale about now?”
    I pursed my lips together and glared at him. He knew how badly I wanted this information but I didn’t want to beg him; although, I wasn’t completely against the idea, if he didn’t believe the mad girl act.
    “I really don’t know that much about sponsoring. The house runs on a strict rule of ‘need to know’ and it all depends on what year you are in the house. First years really don’t know much. We are the runners. We serve food, we do laundry, those sorts of things. We earn the right to know what happens in the later years through loyalty to the house. Most of us don’t even understand how the business works yet.”
    “Really?” I was shocked. “I would’ve thought your dads would’ve had you in the office learning from the time you could walk.”
    “No, it’s against the rules. You have to make a commitment to the house and that can only be done at age 18. The elders don’t want to teach any of the business secrets to someone who hasn’t committed. Can’t have anyone running off and starting their own business I guess.”
    This was all so complicated I was almost sorry I asked, but at the same time, there was something so mysterious about it all.
    “I don’t understand all the secrecy.”
    “Come on, you’re making it way too complicated. It’s not like we are some warped group out to take over the school. It’s just a way we identify ourselves so we know what level everyone is on. It’s just like any other job, you learn as you go. First years, like I already told you, the runners. Second years learn the financial end of the house. They start learning how the house works, from paying wages to the cooks to making sure the lights stay on. Third years, like Cale, get to start learning the business from the ground up. They see how the structure works. Fourth years gets to run a mock business. The top fourth year student though, gets to run the business on a small scale through the house to see what level he will be placed in after graduation. Nolan Mcguire is the Marshall of the house, that’s what they’re called. He runs things like the faculty banquets that I told you about earlier. The school and the faculty get a lot of perks from the house, due to the Marshall’s trying to make an impression on the older generations.”
    “Run the business through the house? Great, now I’m not only a charity case, I’m a business venture.”
    “Jen, Stop. It’s not like that. I told you, I really don’t know that much about the business other than it provides international customer service. So I guess The Marshall runs a small scale of that here in town. Sometimes first years will have to wait tables at big parties or drive someone to the airport. But the sponsoring stuff is something totally separate from that. It isn’t part of the business, just something the house has always done because the business is big on giving back to our communities.”
    “This is harder to understand than any class we’ve been to today. So you really don’t know that much about sponsoring?”
    “Nope, sorry. Maybe you could fill me in after you talk with Cale,” he said with a wink.
    He motioned to me, encouraging me to move my feet as he started to walk backwards, “Come on now, you don’t want to make Cale wait, do you?” he smiled as he turned his back to me.
    “But wait, I have one more question.”
    He stopped and looked up to the sky,