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Robbie ran out the studio doors, only to see the exhaust trailing the school bus that had left him behind. A knot formed in his stomach as he stood alone in the cold winter air. He'd been with his classmates on a field trip to visit the Zap! Entertainment studios; he'd gotten swept up in a conversation with a stage manager for one of the game shows and must have lost track of the time.
Robbie's first instinct was to walk home, but he knew he'd get a scolding from his mom since it was so cold. He watched the bus, watched as it headed out of sight, down to the lower levels of Electricopolis, where he and almost everyone else in the city lived.
“Hey!” A feminine voice snapped him out of his reverie, and Robbie nearly fell over as he turned to the source of it.
A girl about his age stood before him. She wore a long, expensive-looking coat as well as earmuffs over her beautiful blonde hair. “You look lost,” she commented, sounding concerned.
“I'm not really lost,” Robbie said. “I was with the school group doing the tour and they... left without me, I guess.” He shifted uneasily on one foot.
Margie shook her head, looking sad for a moment before a determined look came over her face. “That's okay – I'll get one of my dad's people to get you a ride home. He's in a meeting right now, so we'll have to wait a little bit, if that's alright with you.” She started to head back into the studio. “C'mon, let's get out of the cold!”
“Wait!” Robbie chased after her. “I appreciate the offer, but who's your dad anyway?”
“My dad is Mr. King.”
Robbie's eyes widened. “The Mr. King? The one who practically owns the town?”
“The one and same.” The two of them entered the studios, and the girl suddenly straightened up and held her hand out in mock formality. “My name's Margaret, but you can call me Margie if you want to. And you are?”
Robbie took her hand, giving it a strong shake. “It's... Bob. Just Bob is fine.” He didn't know what had gotten over him, but for some reason he wanted to start fresh with this girl.
“Okay, 'Just Bob,'” the girl said with a grin.
They walked down a hallway and sat down on a bench outside a conference room.
“What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you have school, too?”
“Nah.” Margaret kicked her legs back and forth. “I have a few private tutors... but I finished my work early today, so I was wandering around the studio.”
“Wow,” Robbie breathed. “You're really lucky! I wish I didn't have to go to classes with everybody else.”
“Yeah...” The girl trailed off. She glanced at her companion before adding, “I guess so. I don't see a lot of kids my own age, though.”
Robbie thought that she was probably better off that way, but didn't say anything aloud.
The two teenagers were quiet for a moment before Margaret asked, “So did you enjoy the tour?”
Robbie launched into an enthusiastic ramble about his favorite parts, and his interest in the different parts of the entertainment industry.
When he'd talked for more than a few minutes, he looked over at Margie. She was smiling, obviously enjoying listening to him.
“Is there something wrong?” she asked.
“Well, you know...” Robbie turned away sheepishly. “Most people would have interrupted me or told me to shut up by now.”
The girl looked sad at that. “I think what you have to say is interesting – and you're very passionate,” she said.
Just then, the door to the conference room opened, and some men in suits filed out.
“Dad,” Margie said, tugging the arm of one of them – a tall, dark haired man with a pencil-thin mustache. “This is Bob. He was on the school tour earlier this afternoon and he missed the bus back with the rest of his class. Could you have one of his guys take him home?”
Mr. King smiled warmly at his daughter's newfound friend. “Certainly – and I can call your parents too, if you'd like, Bob.”
Robbie nodded. “Yeah, I'm sure my mom's getting worried by now!”
---
And later that evening, at home with his mom, Robbie thought about his chat with Margie. He'd heard that the top tier could be cut-throat and shady – all the actors and players competitive and greedy. But Margaret and her dad hadn't been like that at all.
Maybe things were different, could be different.
He'd just have to see for himself someday.