Lean on me

Chapter 10

"Sloan, you know none of that is true." Jensen says. "Just try. For me. And if you can't do it for me, do it for them." Sloan looks up at her father in confusion. 

"Who?" She asks. 

"All the other kids out there who feel like you do. All the kids out there who have some sort of disability. All the other amputees who feel like they don't have a chance in the world anymore. All the people who feel like their disability or their limitations keep them from having a voice or being seen or heard." He lists. "If you can't do it for me, do it for them. You be their voice." Sloan gives her dad a smile and nods. 

"I'll try." She says, making him smile. "What do I need to do?" 

"They're holding auditions in New York two days from now. You can fly to New York tomorrow and then go to Vancouver on Friday." He says. "The auditions are being held in a hotel in the city so you'll be staying there." Sloan nods. 

"I guess I should pack a bag, then." She says, getting to work immediately. 

The next morning, the group of actors is at the airport, waiting for their flights to be called. When Sloan hears her flight being announced over the intercom, she stands and takes a deep breath, turning to the three males with her. 

"I'll see y'all in two days." She says. She takes a step forward and wraps her arm around Jared. 

"You're gonna do great, Sloan." He tells her. She steps back and gives Grayson a hug next, who tells her good luck before releasing her. Sloan steps in front of Jensen and looks up at him. 

"You really think I can do this?" She asks. Jensen gives her a small smile and nods. 

"I know you can." He says before pulling her to him. He ducks his head down and plants a kiss to the top of her head. "I believe in you." Sloan smiles as she buries her head deeper in her father's chest. "I love you, warrior." 

"I love you too daddy." She says before stepping back. "I'll call you when I land." With that, she turns and goes to her gate, boarding her flight.  

Hours later, Sloan's collecting her suitcase from baggage claim and walking through the airport to the parking lot, rolling the bag behind her. She sees an empty taxi a few feet away and walks towards it, giving the driver the name of the hotel she's staying at before getting in the car. 

Sloan walks into the hotel and looks around in awe. She's stayed in nice hotels before but this one looked like it was five stars. It had high ceilings and marble floors with gold chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The people in the lobby were all wearing nice dresses or suits and the Texan immediately felt out of place in her t-shirt, ripped skinny jeans, and cowboy boots.

She approaches the front desk and stands behind an older woman, waiting for her turn to check in. The woman walks away and Sloan steps up to the marble counter, releasing her hold on her suitcase's handle and resting her arm on the counter in front of her, the hotel clerk looking her outfit up and down. 

"Hi. I have a reservation for Ackles." She tells him, her slight Southern drawl sticking out in the lobby of New York accents.

The clerk raises a brow slightly at the girl's accent and Sloan tries her best to keep her confidence up. Since the shooting, confidence was hard for the girl to muster and what little she had been able to gather was starting to slip from her grasp at all the stares she was getting. Sloan couldn't tell if people were staring because of her clothes, her old and beat up suitcase, her accent, or her missing arm. She was sure there were some that were staring out of a combination of all of the above.

"Of course." The clerk says politely, typing Sloan's name into the computer. After a few moments, he holds a key out to the girl. "Room 713, ma'am."