Realistic Fiction - Tumblr Posts

Rebellion, Shall We?

     When students get fed up...

    We were all sitting in class. Stone walls let in the early autumn drafts, so all of us were wearing the thin sweaters and barely-there jackets provided to us. All of the girls were trying to keep from shivering. Wooden floorboards lead to a wooden platform at the front of class. Ms. Rochester was droning on and on about the topic of the week, rows of glazed over eyes were gazing vaguely in her direction. Out of the exactly twenty people in the room, only three people were really paying attention. The three pre-chosen girls who were taking notes. Even though everyone’s eyes were on the teacher, their minds were on the vents. And when the time would come. 

     I was sitting in the first row nearest to the door, three seats down. Though I couldn’t see everyone in the room, only the teacher could do that, I was monitoring everything. From the scratches of the three pencils on the paper, to the mummers that were rising up from the back of the classroom. Turning around in my wooden desk, I silenced the mutterings with a look. It may have seemed like I did it on a whim, but I made sure that the teacher wasn’t looking. And I had to make certain not to jingle the chain that bound me to the desk. They were there so that no one could leave unless the teacher unlocked you. On a regular day when nothing was scheduled to happen I bet three people would have been either thrown out of the room, hit with the steel meter stick, or both even though we were only half an hour into class. But this was not a normal class, not in the slightest. None of us could afford to get in trouble, at least not until….

     One of the notetakers dropped their pencil, it was almost time.

     “Ten, nine, eight, seven,” I looked down at my antique watch, watching the second-hand tic down, “Six, five, four,”

     Two of the girls slipped on masks, with the teacher none the wiser. Ms. Rochester had always had trouble looking up from her lecture book.

     “Three, two, one.” I finished my count and held my breath. And it seemed like nothing happened.

     I thought I smelled something, but those wearing masks felt it first. They fidgeted but didn’t cough, and I clenched my fist as I saw eyes begin to water. We couldn’t have done all of that for nothing, no it couldn’t be. When the teacher seemed unaffected, I had to blink back the water in my own eyes.

     “Damn it, don’t tell me this was all for nothing,” I thought to myself, but just as I was giving into despair the teacher started coughing.

     “And if you...and if you....just,” the teacher couldn’t even continue the lesson, she was coughing so much.

     Ms. Rochester started doubling over, but still tried to continue the needless lecture. For a second I thought she had more endurance than I thought. That she was going to power through while having the reaction. I was wrestling with the fact that my initial impression of her was wrong when Ms. Rochester excused herself to the infirmary. Just as the mask-wearing girls were just reaching their breaking point. We received the vague instruction to copy from our textbooks and for a few minutes we were all quiet and compliant. But once the footsteps disappeared sighs were let out all throughout the room. Slipping the key from my pocket I unlocked my chains in a practiced motion. With an excited chill, I calmly walked to the front of the classroom, and stepped up to the teaching platform.

     “Thank you, everyone, for being such model, model students today,” I started, almost laughing at how well my plan had worked out, “We could not have done this without Ms. Rochester not suspecting a thing. And the quiet environment you all created was perfect. All of you head down to the cafeteria, GiGi will have secured the cookies by now, free of charge ~of course~. Gwen, Vivian go to the Cedar Dorm, room 341. I’ll exhort you two there. And let me commend you two even though we got your EpiPens in the raid last week it’s still very brave of you two to come to class today. You guys get something very special later, trust me. And I want to emphasize to all of you, even though I’m being maddeningly vague about why we did all this, relax, everything I do, everything I ask you all, to do has a purpose.”

     Once my speech was completed I went around unlocking everyone from the desks. Everyone started to head out of the classroom once they rubbed their ankles a bit. Normally I would have went on. As a sort of prelude to my speech later that night. Some verbal baiting about what I would announce that night, I needed to foster some curiosity after all. But I had more important things to deal with than my speech. With haste, I gathered up my backpack and started to escort Vivian and Gwen out the door. Though it was only when the door to the class opened and people started wandering out, did I remember I had something else to say.

     “Oh right!” I said, slipping on my projecting leader voice once again, “We’ll be switching note-takers tonight, so Cecile, Sera, Phoebe, you guys are off duty.”

     There was a large murmur of discontent at that announcement, but I smiled when I heard three sighs of relief throughout my fellow students. 

     “No matter how big of a victory we just earned,” I thought to myself,” They’ll always find something to complain about.”

     True to my word I walked the two coughing students out of the building and to the aforementioned dorm. The corridors of the buildings were identical, the walls were identical, and after a few turns, even the art of the walls looked the same. It was only when I got outside of the building did I breathe easy, but even that had a dark side. As I walked on the historical cobblestone paths I saw the grass, grass the painstakingly maintained by students in detention under threat of violence if even one blade was out of place. Trees blanketing the mountains in the distance were landmarks I could never get to. Through the brittle ivy, I saw the walls, walls that both blocked me in and kept me sane. I didn’t know how I would manage outside of the walls, and just that thought made me squirm.

     Cedar Dorm wasn’t too far away, but by the time we were climbing the stairs, I was half carrying Gwen. Without knocking I kicked my way into room 341, ignoring the two half-dressed girls tangled around each other on one of the single beds. Placing Gwen on the bed and making sure Vivian was comfortable on the floor, I started digging through the boxes that were piled in the corner of the already cramped dorm room. 

     G. Harris

     V. Derintime

     I found them both in the first box and for a brief second, I thought about reconsidering my views on God. Luckily the moment passed. In quick succession I stabbed the corresponding EpiPens in the corresponding girls, and after a few minutes their couching began to subside. Thanks to the masks the reactions weren’t severe, so they wouldn’t need actual medical attention. Still I needed to make sure they were both okay, and by that, I mean someone else would have to make sure they were okay. And she should already be helping. When I turned back to the room I saw that the two girls had extricated themselves from each other, and were looking concerned at the two girls who had been stabbed, finally, they were doing their jobs. The washed-out plaid sheets on one of the beds were tangled, while the other identical bed was still occupied by Gwen. 

     “So the peanut dust worked?” Rebecca who had been on the bed asked, clearly trying to cut the supposed tension in the room.

     I internally snickered. Whatever people choose to do in their free time was none of my business, but I could never understand why so many of my fellow students choose to spend so much time in bed together. That and why they had been so focused on jamming their tongues down the other’s throats to get the EpiPens ready in advance. But I supposed that everyone had to have their escapes. 

     “Like a charm, Ms. Rochester will be in the infirmary for a while,” I told her, selectively leaving out the heart aching few moments when Ms. Rochester did react to the allergens we deliberately pumped into the vents.

     “And one of our biggest competitors, out of the way,” Rebecca nodded. 

     Bee who had been in the bed with Rebecca glared at us. She had been tending to the girls who had peanut allergies, taking their temperatures, that kind of thing. Covering them with blankets and administering more remedies, “How can you categorize this as a success? Gwen and Vivian almost didn’t make it here.”

     “Perhaps if the EpiPens had been ready ahead of time, or if you two met us in the hallway they would be in better shape, “ I told her in a casual tone. I had struck below the belt. I knew that, but I didn’t like how she had said that. Sure I had taken some risks, but they would all payout in the long run. They just had to have patience, they would see that they would have to.

     Bee shut up after that, and I felt a bit bad. But not bad enough to apologize. Instead I watched her as she tended to the girls. “Wounded in an attack.” That’s what I would tell everyone when I gave them their special reward that night. “Brave.” That’s the word that I would use. Even before they recovered fully I was composing my speech. 

     “Bravely they walked into the scene of one of our surprise attacks. Knowing that even though their allergies may be severe, the cause was more important. That we would take care of them. And that is my promise to you, to all of you. I will take care of you! It may take some sacrifice, it may take some work, but all of you, all of us will be okay!”

     I sighed, it wasn’t quite right. “Okay” was a bit of a passive word, but I knew that I would figure it out by the night. In the meantime I sat down on the floor and started on my homework for the day. In the past, I would have gone to my own dorm, but…. Ever since I had started all of my little uprisings people would walk in and out of my room without warning. It hadn’t really mattered that my roommate didn’t know the meaning of locks before, but now it was a real pain in the neck. Like I would be just sitting on my bed reading and someone would walk in, demanding that I get them the letter their boyfriend from back home had sent. And of course, I would try to placate them, telling them the date of the next mailroom raid. But of course, they would argue, and eventually, they would take my advice and wait for the next raid, but only if I gave them some black market chocolate. It would take like half an hour and after only three minutes of homework or reading or whatever I was doing someone else would pop in. And the cycle would start again.

     That’s why I had started hanging out in other people’s dorms to do everything, even sleep. I kept a spare uniform in my backpack so I didn’t even have to go to my dorm to change clothes every day. Now that I thought about it I hadn’t been to my dorm all that week, my clothes supply was almost through. And of course, there was another reason I hung out in other people’s dorms. I thought about that as I watched Bee and Rebecca C. try not to kiss each other as they hung around. Bee was the closest thing we had to a nurse aside from the school nurses, and they would never join our side. But Rebecca, Rebecca was someone I hadn’t thought would shack up with Bee. She was one of the first leads I had ever trusted enough to organize a raid, one of the last raids of the black market to be exact, but we hadn’t talked one on one in a while.  It was fun to sort of spy on my close associates and friends, at least for an afternoon. Because what were they going to do, tell me to leave? 

     The afternoon passed quickly, with homework and studying. School was never a high priority for me, but my role made it important that I never let my grades drop again. A grade drop would mean a referral to the councilors, and I couldn’t afford any unwanted attention to myself. 5:00, I knew that the “study groups” were meeting. The designated note-takers from every class were sharing the notes, everyone copying them in their style just in case of any surprise note checks. 6:00, the “study groups” were dispersing and people were starting their nightlife routines. Blackmarket stores were opening up in dorms across campus, selling and bartering off everything from chocolate to stamps. Of course with my representatives watching their every move for overcharging or faulty products. I shuttered and my pencil shook when I thought of monthly tax collecting coming up, but steeled myself with the fact that we would have scored our big victory by then.

     “Right everything will be better by Monday night, or we’ll all be in the principal's office,” I told myself, as an ultimatum of sorts.

     7:00 Vivian and Gwen were well enough to leave. Still, it had been a traumatic experience so I gave them a couple of signed sick notes. It was enough to get them out of a day or two of classes. The notes were a prize in their own right, I could see the admiration in the eyes as I casually pulled the notes out of my backpack, but they weren’t their ultimate prize. 7:30 I was done with my homework and felt fully prepared for any pop quizzes. Rebecca and Bee were fingering each other under a blanket, and I figured it was high time for me to go.

     “The meeting’s at 9:30,” I reminded them, though I'm not sure that they were listening, “I need both of you there.”

     I could have stopped by my dorm and gotten some rest, but the meeting that night was way too important. So I walked to the art building. And even though curfew was officially at 9:00 I was getting some weird looks from every passing teacher. If the rest of the campus was drab, then the art building that drab with a layer of yellow. For flavor. Identical, by the book, 100% on the report card art pieces were hanging, decorating, and generally brightening up the space. Of course, the halls were dark and empty. Officially all campus buildings closed at 6:00. But if you were “checking on your art piece” no one would bother you. And finally I was there, the Gallery.

     It was as big as a small auditorium and absolutely chocked full of art. Craft class tapestries up on the walls and paper lanterns glittering from the ceilings made this room everyone's favorite hang out in the school. When they could get in, technically it was only open during parent visitation week and board meetings, but stealing a key was child’s play. Feature dividers were up all around the room for the sole purpose of hanging up paintings the school found acceptable. Quietly just as I practiced and had done over and over again I pushed the feature walls out of the way so that when all of the girls were gathered there would be standing room. I even used all of the muscles that I had gotten from swimming to push all the sculptures into a corner as well. But not before I committed the layout to memory. When the art teacher went into the Gallery the next board meeting, nothing could be out of place. At the same time, I knew that across campus Emma D. was preparing the space for the meeting after the big meeting. A gathering that some of my more funny friends called the “After Party”. Once I was done clearing the room I sat on the stage that was intended to hold statues, waiting for people to file in. 

     The first was the cafeteria/kitchen team. Ladened with folding tables and “Midnight snack” they started setting up the spread for that night. Nothing too fancy just grapes, cheese, a bit of cured meat, but they were still better than what we got on a regular basis. I talked them up as they were working, just polite chatter, nothing serious. But I made sure that the girls’ lead GiGi would be at the After Party that night. Girls seemed to be drawn to the snacks by smell and soon the room was full. Normally with so many girls in such a space would have been deafening, but all of them knew the importance of silence. 

     “Thank you all for coming tonight,” I said when I finally stood up on the stage, “As always we will start with the most mundane topics.”

     I started with the freshman. Group A, then Group B, then Group C, then Group D. Picking note takers for all of them. It was by random draw so I had no say in the choices yet people still thought that I was picking favorites. It was even worse when I got to the sophomores. For yet another week I wasn’t chosen as a notetaker and I honestly thought that some girls would start knocking down tables. Bee calmed them down just in time though. The juniors and the seniors went much easier and pretty soon we were done, with the issue of note takers at least. 

     The complaint period was also a bit testy. 

     “My teacher is being so mean, poison her too!”

     I told her that the poisoning was a one-time thing. The purpose of which would be revealed later in the meeting.

     “I had to give Elly K. $5 and a kiss for a bag of skittles!”

     Once I made sure that she wasn’t talking about the chocolate kiss I told her that I would look into it. Or more accurately I would have someone else look into it for her. Conveniently for her, Elly K. wasn’t at the meeting that night, I would make her face justice though. I promised the girl that.

     “I have detention and three papers to write this week!”

     Once I had thoroughly berated her for procrastinating so much, and not actually working in her study group I gave her a solution. No handouts from the cafeteria for a week and I would have someone write her essays. And I felt the future headache I would have when thinking of something to give the essay writers.

     I announced for more comments or concerns, seeing as there were none I moved onto my main point.

     “I’m sure that by now you have heard of our operation in Ms. Rochester's classroom” I started hearing the whispers blossom as I mentioned what was already on everyone’s mind, “To quell any rumors I will tell you what happened. Our brave field operatives Fiana and Emma B. released peanut dust into the vents that led to her classroom. As any sophomore in group C would know Ms. Rochester is very allergic to peanuts. The operation was a success, Ms. Rochester ran out of the class and Laurel K. the infirmary helper told us that she is stable.”

     Cheers erupted when they learned of the operation and I paused to let them continue. Sophomores especially knew of the shame when Ms. Rochester forced them to put their own food in the trash and watched as she spit in it. When she tightened the desk bindings in response to a single sound. But getting back at a mean teacher wasn’t the reason for the operation. I thought about the look on her face as she raced out of the room. At least that wasn’t the only reason.  

     I put on my commanding leader voice once again, “But the real stars of the operation were the ones who really risked it all. Vivian D. and Gwen V. were in the classroom. And for those who know them, you know that these brave girls are allergic to peanuts. I gave them the option to cut class, I would have taken care of everything. But Gwen and Vivian are brave, they knew that only a totally normal class could get Ms. Rochester to let her guard down. They elected to stay in class and expose themselves to the peanut dust. Bee had their EpiPens but still, it was a risk. A risk that they have not been rewarded for yet. So Gwen, Vivian come up here, it’s time to get your just deserts.”

     More cheers for Gwen and Vivian and I could feel the two girls’ popularity soaring. They pushed their way to the front, and I invited them to step up on the podium for me. Gwen’s black curls bounced as she climbed up and Vivian had to stifle a gasp. That was what I was aiming for, to seem larger than life. Once they were up beside me and staring out at the crowd, I started talking again.

     “This operation highlights the one thing I have said to you time and time again as this year has gone one,” I told them, making sure to put emphasis on every word, “That we will dominate with school. It may take risks, it may take years, and it will take sacrifice, but we can do it together. And believe me, what I give to these brave girls is only a taste of what you will all receive in the near future.”

     And with that, I pulled the ultimate reward out of my pocket. Two cell phones, one in a marble case and one in a flower case. And I handed them to their respective owners. The room was silent as Gwen turned on her phone, and I saw tears in people’s eyes as the start-up tone rang out throughout the room. Vivian actually did start crying when she looked at her lock screen. When the awe in the room hit its peak I spoke again.

     “This weekend we will get all of the technology that this school has taken from us back,” I promised everyone, conviction filling every inch of my voice, “Ms. Rochester was only a test, this will be the true exam of all of us and all of the progress we have made. We will break into the Principal's storage room, take every piece of technology from the latest iPhone to the smallest Fitbit, and return them to their owners. Expect your phones by Monday or me to be in detention, that is my promise to you all this night!”

     I stepped down from the podium and the room lit up with the closest thing to a roar they could manage an hour past curfew. Vivian and Gwen followed behind me and I whispered something urgent to them before the crowd swept me away.

     “Tell me right away if someone takes your phones,” I told them quickly. And seeing the confused look on their faces I explained further, “Some people won’t be able to wait until Monday for contact with the outside world. Don’t let your phone’s out of your sight until Monday, tell me if you can’t find them.”

     They nodded and I tried to dash out of the room. But still, I was accosted by people all the way to the door. Naturally, even though the meeting was over people were still milling around the room. We always staggered our exit time so there weren't hundreds of girls going back to their dorms in the middle of the night. I mean the shadows would be full of girls hiding in them. As always I was in the first group but even though the meeting ended at 10:00 I left the Gallery at 11. 

     I used the walk to the After Party to compose myself, think back about what I had said.

     “Maybe I laid it on a little too thick with the brave stuff,” I said to myself, staring up at the moon.

     Since I had announced the plan publicly there would be way more opposition. Even though the team leads and student government had known about it for weeks, I could tell that it would be a rough After Party. Still I walked all the way to Cypress Dorm, knowing that there would be hell to pay in the morning if I wasn’t there.

     The Cypress Dorm was exactly like all of the other dorms scattered around campus. Three stores of red brick and small windows. With only the occasional dying planter box to break up the monotony. I climbed the stairs two at a time to the third floor, where I stopped at room 372. Redundantly knocking as well.

     Hearing nothing inside the room I knocked again and hearing nothing I knocked a third time. An exasperated “come in'' echoed from inside the room. Stifling my smirk I walked inside and found the usual cluster of people in the usual configuration. Room 372 was used for storage so old furniture was stacked haphazardly across the space with only the cobweb scaffolding to keep them upright. Making it seem cramped and dim, even though the lights were on. In a rough cluster of chairs near the door were most of the people I could count on. Team leads and special representatives chatting while desecretelty sipping on the best champagne we could find in school. They quieted down a bit when I entered the room, but didn’t stop their chatter entirely. I couldn’t tell if it was because they weren’t surprised that I was here, or if they were just tipsy.

     But the main group near the door weren’t the only people at the After Party. The regulars, the student council, and ones who always gave me trouble were standing a bit farther away. There were other chairs of course. In fact they were standing around some of the best chairs in the room. Real antiques, plush and velvety, but they were just standing around. Instantly silent upon my entrance I could feel that it would be a rough meeting. Breaking the tension early I gravitated toward the person who I knew would have the most to say.

    “Harris!” I greeted our student body president with a small hug acting like we were friends, even though everyone knew that we weren’t, “I heard about you getting Mrs. Gogomine to let off on the group punishments, good work you really are made for diplomacy, huh?”

     Elenore Harris had been student body president since I was a freshman. Always trying to make reforms on her own. Slightly longer lunch breaks as rewards, and landscaping for only the worst offenders. Everyone had seen her as a radical reformer who would change the school for the better. At least that was until I came along. Now she had been relegated to the wayside a bit, and her only job seemed to be raining me in. Or at least try to anyway.

     Harris pushed me off of her, “Don’t play with me Valencia! You're about to step on the hornet's nest and you’re still trying to play games!”

     I smiled grimly when she used my first name. As student body president it was only natural that everyone treated her with respect. And even though we didn’t have the best relationship I still called her by her last name and usually, she did the same to me. But when we were really going at it, when she was really mad at me, she would switch to my first name. The subtext heavy in her tone. You’re not a leader, I am. You weren’t elected, I was. You can’t accomplish anything, I can. She was so infuriating sometimes.

   “It’s high time we stepped on the hornet's nest,” I said, not exactly raising my voice but adjusting the gravitas to make sure that everyone in the room knew that this was addressed to them too, “They’ve been stinging us for years. And you just want to leave them be? Looks like you may be more of a hornet than I thought.”

     It was an old jest, but something that she needed to be reminded of. The reason that I didn’t run for student government when I first got into the school was because I didn’t want to be part of the establishment. When I first started raiding the kitchen and petitioning students to help me that was the answer that I got. 

     “Just run for an office,” they said, “Make changes when you get elected.”

     It always infuriated me when I heard that. I was young and I was even more angry than I was when I was talking to Harris at the After Party. The student government was just a place for us to pretend like we were making a difference. A little play place in the real world where we could make believe that they cared about our opinions. I don’t think that I could ever be part of something like that. And then more than ever that sentiment was growing. Everyone was looking at Harris like she was a tool of the establishment, and I could tell that it was starting to grate on her.

    “Hornet's nest or not,” Harris said, I could tell she was regretting using that metaphor, “Doing what you're doing, taking back everyone’s technology, that will ruin this entire….”

    Harris paused for a moment while gesturing around the room at the team leads and important people in the rebellion, “What do you call this a rebellion? When we get caught red-handed in the principal's storage room this little rebellion is over. And all of us are getting in-school suspension plus yard work for the rest of our time here!”

     I sighed and backed up. Taking a seat on a bursting apart couch near the entrance where everyone in the room could see and hear me with perfect clarity. A cracked flute of champagne was already sitting on the end table, waiting to be drunk. Lifting it to my lips I took a sweet sip, not breaking eye contact with Harris along the way. With a sigh, I placed my arm around the girl next to me and smiled, smiled as if the entire room was mine.

     “If you bothered to read any of the memos and plans I sent to your room you would already know that there is no chance of us getting caught. But I suppose you’re too busy upholding the status quo to care about any of my changes.” 

     What I really wanted to say was “get out if you don’t like what I was doing”, but couldn’t. As inept at politics as I was, I knew that Harris’s support was a thing that I needed. Even if she gave it reluctantly. And besides, even if she was just a mouthpiece of the principle half the people at the After Party still looked up to her. I needed all the help I could get if the techno-raid was to go off without a hitch.

     Harris sighed as though I was a screaming toddler in the aisle at Walmart, “You know that I want change but this isn’t the way to get it. It’s too much of a risk.”

     She had softened her tone and as much as I wanted to bring her in and tell her what I really felt. That I didn’t really want to do this, but that the students needed change. That if I didn’t do something soon everything that I had worked for would crumple. But I knew, I knew, that whatever she was saying was just a ploy to get me to admit that I was wrong. Instead I took another sip of champagne and didn’t relent.

     “Please Harris,” I told her using a tone that said I thought that she was as stupid as she thought I was, “Read the plan and then make comments. You sound a bit ignorant otherwise.”

     Plays on her intelligence normally worked and before I knew it Harris was sitting down on the one the chairs she had abandoned and reading the plans that I had meticulously typed up on my stolen typewriter. The thing was pretty dense so I knew that it would take her some time to even skim it over. With Harris busy I turned my attention back to the team leads. 

     “So GiGi, how goes the kitchen?” I asked her, even though I knew full well how it was going. It was going great. The previous girl I had entrusted the kitchen team to was too cautious. We barely had enough snacks for even the meeting every week, let alone for cookies between classes. But GiGi was clever and brave, she knew the kitchen inside and out, and she had been getting the job done swimmingly. Even though I didn’t need her to tell me, I had gotten her official report just the previous day, it's good to start with positive news.

     GiGi knew this too because she smirked at me, “Valencia, darling, it’s amazing. Come next week and we’ll be able to cook our own food when the chef ladies aren’t there.”

     That statement earned her fistpumps from everyone around her. Not having to eat cafeteria food would be amazing, even though it wasn’t that bad it was soulless. Making our food would be a big morale boost as well. Having heard everything from GiGi I turned my eyes toward the person who I had draped my arm around when I first sat down. I knew her name was Rosane, but other than that nothing. In fact I didn’t even know why she was even at the After Party, or how she knew about it. As far as I knew she wasn’t even a team lead.

    I offered my other hand for her to shake and looked down at her from my position on the couch, “I’m Valencia Ruiz I don’t think we’ve met.”

     Ignoring the absolute absurdity that I would have my arm around her we have never officially met and that fact that she most definitely already knew my name Rosane shook my hand and introduced herself.

   “Rosane Bearson, I’m a freshman in group C,” she said which raised a few eyebrows from me. Being a freshman she was likely the youngest person in the room. I wondered who trusted her enough with a team that she would need to attend the After Party.

     “Oh I’m not an actual team lead,” she told me, quick to figure out what I had been thinking, “But since Ana B. is sick she said I need to lead the classroom team until she gets better.”

     I nodded as the situation became clear to me. When she first got sick I hadn’t sent Ana B. a get well soon card, I sent her a congratulations card. It wasn’t everyday someone got strep throat and the flu at the same time after all. 

     “Ana must trust you a lot if she wanted you to lead her team,” I told her, masking the fact that I was a little pissed that Ana hadn’t told me that she had assigned a random freshman girl to lead one of the most important teams in the rebellion, “You must be a very capable girl.”

   She looked down and blushed and it was only then that I realized how flirty I must sound. Still, I hid any discomfort by asking her my standard question.

     “And how are the classrooms, Rosane?” I asked her.

     She switched over to a more business-like tone as well. Which only made me giggle internally, “Well everything seems to be going well for now. Distribution of sick passes is down by about 20% but we’ve only been distributing them for a few months now so I think the hype has gone down and we’re reaching a baseline.”

     Her report pleasantly surprised me. Even though she was only a freshman Rosane seemed fairly competent. I took a mental note to add her to a leadership position when one opened up. She would be an asset if I kept her around. Unfortunately I didn’t get to tell her how smart she seemed because Harris finally finished reading the action plan. 

     Harris sighed in a way and got up. Every eye seemed to be on her when she approached my little corner of the room. Sensing her intentions Rosane got up from the coach and a few seconds later Harris replaced her. A pang of sadness went through my chest as she walked away, but I knew that it was for the best. The time to sip champagne and pat ourselves on the back was over. The time to plan our next move and debate was best had begun in earnest.

     I took a sip of champagne as Harris began to speak, “I’ll have to admit Valencia this plan could go off without a hitch.”

     Though I knew that that was hardly the end to her statement I smiled nonetheless. If the plan warranted a complement from even Harris then I knew it was as close to flawless as I could muster. 

     “But the steps to make this happen are unreasonable,” and leave it to Harris to find a flaw anyway, “Poisoning an entire school is not how we should operate.”

     She said “we” as if she had contributed anything except complaints and legitimacy for the rebellion.

     “We’re not actually poisoning anyone,” I told her for what I assume wouldn’t be the last time, “Just making it look like we are.”

     “But what you’re going to do to the student council room….”

     We went on and on like this for the better part of half an hour. And I seriously started to wonder why she had even the whole thing if she was going to ask me to basically repeat every paragraph. She wanted to be assured that there wasn’t going to be too much damage, all of the fires would be in controlled areas and we would monitor them for the entire day. That we wouldn’t actually hurt everyone, terrible smells alone couldn’t harm anyone and those who experience phantom symptoms would go to the infirmary and be treated. That they wouldn’t notice all the electronics were gone, they would be replaced with fakes as soon as we left. Since I had been expecting this I had answers for everything. Eventually even Harris had nothing more to question.

     “Alright let’s put this to one late vote,” Harris said and I couldn’t tell if it was a last ditch effort to stop the techno-raid or if she was just that invested in democracy.

     Fifteen hand up, a total landslide. Harris reluctantly raised her hand, and it was unanimous. The After Party started to clear out after that but quite a few people stayed behind to finish the rest of the champagne. No one ever came into the storage room except other students so it would be fine. I was one of the first to leave. Saturday would come sooner than I would have liked so I needed to get my sleep in while I could. And besides, I was already a little tipsy from my flute of champagne. 

     I walked out of the storage room and then out of the building altogether. Taking the back paths I made my way towards nowhere in particular. As I walked under the moonlight I saw Rosane walking in the bushes, practically invisible from the windows. A great idea came to me when I saw her but I was really curious about something else. Everyone knew the importance of sleath while wandering after curfew but walked in the bushes alongside little-used paths, that seemed like overkill.

     “Is there a particular reason you're communing with nature at this hour, Rosane?” I asked her hoping that my tone underscored curiosity and not accusations.

     Rosane seemed surprised when she realized that I was behind her but she answered right away, “The principal's own apartment is above my dorm building so I always have to be really careful when sneaking back in.”

     I nodded, “Speaking of dorms, can I sleep at yours tonight?”

    This time Rosane didn’t just seem surprised she genuinely jumped when I asked. 

     “Oh, I’m not... I mean not that you’re... “ she stuttered out and I immediately realized my mistake. The alcohol must have been messing with me because I usually didn’t ask like that. Still I tried to play it cool. 

    “I mean I need a place to crash for the night,” I laughed, “My place is always too crowded in the morning. Nothing more nothing less than a place on your floor until 5:00 tomorrow.”

     Rosane realized her mistake though I couldn’t blame her for making it. In the dark I saw her shrug, “Sure I don’t mind. And my roommate always goes to the Gallery meetings so I don’t think she will either.”

     No matter how much alcohol I had drunk I always needed to make sure that I had consent and not just begrudging acceptance, “Are you really alright with this? I know it’s a lot to ask. Believe me, I won’t be mad at you if you say no.”

     “Yeah it’s fine but follow me and be as quiet as possible.” she said disappearing even farther into the foliage.

     I followed her through dirt paths that I didn’t even know existed and through grass that wasn’t even stomped down in the slightest. And after ten minutes I was sitting on the floor in a dark room, the noises of Rosane changing in her pajamas echoing through the darkness. Even though the lights were off I imagined that it was a typical freshman dorm. Sparsely decorated and family photos on the nightstand. As if seeing icons of their parents every day would make them come back. Come back with tears in the eyes regretting the day they ever banished their daughter to a prep school in the middle of new england nowhere. Come back, back with the proclamation that they finally loved their daughter. But by the time they turned into sophomore the family pictures were gone and the room had a bit more personality. Everyone always started decorating once they realized that their parents weren’t coming back for them.

     Once I heard the telltale sounds of Rosane finally falling asleep I started to undress. Since she was already sleeping I didn’t want to risk changing noisily, but I still tried to make myself comfortable. I took off the school uniform maroon pants along with the matching jacket. The stupid asoct that they made us where I used to wrap up my pants and jacket into an impromptu pillow. And the last thing I took off, much to my relief, was my bra. And with that, I finally laid down on the carpeted floor curled up under the blanket that Rosane had given me. Sleep came easy for me, I knew that I would need the rest to do everything again the next day.

     Saturday came earlier than I had expected. By the time dawn broke, I was standing in my room trying to come up with an outfit that would be both good for getting around fast and look impressive. After a bit of deliberation, I decided on an oversized polo completely unbuttoned, revealing a bit of collar bone that would definitely get me dress coded. My usual skinny jeans would suffice, but I couldn’t go anywhere without my slightly heeled suede boots. Because after all what was more important stealth or clicking around in my boots? The answer was obvious to me as I tiptoed out of my apartment, grabbing my backpack along the way, careful not to wake my roommate. I didn’t know what she would do if I woke her up early again. 

     Dew and grass stuck to my boots as I cut through the lawn to get to the path. A teacher that I didn’t know walked past me and gave me the hairy eyeball but I kept my gaze facing forward. No class didn’t mean no punishments, so I tried to act innocent. Which was the truth, technically I hadn’t done anything wrong yet. But still, you never knew who would stop you just to send you back to your dorm to change. I made it to the Hemlock Dorm without encountering any more teachers. That was the benefit of traveling at the crack of dawn I guess. Room 003 was in the basement, one of the least desirable rooms out there, and only used as a punishment for the most outspoken “troublemakers”. The dorms weren’t cleaned, they were barely heated, and they had no windows. Terrible for living in, but perfect hiding places.

     Click, click, knock-knock, click-click, slam. The “secret” knock for the mobile kitchen was quite elaborate and a bit redundant but so was the girl who lived in it. Throwing the door open like a treasure chest Citrine laughed when she saw me and I couldn’t help but laugh back. With temporary tattoos covering every visible inch of her dark skin and a shock of pastel green hair Citrine was one of the only people at school that I really called a friend. She pulled me inside and shut the door, dramatically engaging the four locks that she had on the door before pushing me to the floor and shoving a bowl of oatmeal into my hands.

     “Dude!” Citrine said with her usual brand of excitement for everything while flopping down at the floor next to me, “I can’t wait to get my phone back! Half the time Mrs. Grimes isn’t even in ISS . I'll be able to use my phone to kill time. I have so many otome games downloaded on that thing.”

     While she was talking I took a bite of my oatmeal, brown sugar-cinnamon, my favorite kind. I was always grateful when she made a bowl for me when I visited. 

    “You won’t be able to use your phone in class,” I pointed out to her with my sticky spoon, “It’s almost guaranteed that you’ll get caught that way.”

     Citrine rolled on the floor dramatically and I laughed a bit, “Of course I know that Valenc. But can’t a girl dream of bigger things than this...”

     Getting up from the floor Citrine struck a longing pose, “Bigger than being relegated to guard a fridge day and night. Bigger than living in a basement with no contact with the outside world. Dream that one day, ONE DAY, I will be free! Free to not waste away my youth with books in dim light. But waste away my youth in front of a screen as nature intended!”

     Once her monologue was over I clapped lightly. Too bad the school was so straight-laced and didn’t allow clubs, Citrine was a born theater kid. By fridge, she meant the industrial refrigerator I kept in her dorm. The school had been throwing it away but deception and proper planning had put it into our hands. Some of the mechanics class girls had fixed it up and affectionately named their neon painted beauty the Midnight Snacker. But speaking of refrigerators...

     “Anyway how are the eggs,” I asked her, finishing up my last bite of oatmeal.

     Citrine adopted a grin that told me that she was either about to stab me or jump out a window. Luckily she did neither and instead opened up the refrigerator. Almost instantly I coughed, the smell was overwhelming. In between coughs I asked...

     “I thought you kept them in a bag?”

     Citrine brought out a black shopping bag tied with the best knot that we could muster, “I did, but the smell is escaping. No matter how much we try to hide it, nothing will keep these eggs from contaminating everything they are around them, it is their destiny!”

     I rolled my eyes, “Just give me the eggs, Citrine.”

    She did give me the eggs. She threw them at me and after a fumble they were safe. And up close they were even more eye-watering and nausea inducing. Dry heaving I suddenly regretted eating that oatmeal. I had come prepared for this from my backpack I pulled out a trash bag and wrapped the eggs in that. Then I pulled out an even smaller backpack and put the entire black mass in that. Citrine and I talked a bit. About school and homework. About if or when we get to go home. About everything we could think of. But the moments of peace ended and I had to leave.

     Back outside I took a few deep breaths of cool air to rid my system of the eggs and the basement’s musty funk. Everything would officially start around noon but I still needed to prepare the headquarters of the day. And I couldn’t wait to get the backpack with the eggs off of my chest. On the walk to the other side of campus, there were considerably more people out. Early birds and overachievers mostly heading to the library. I pushed past the small stream of people, ignoring the looks at my two backpacks. 

     For the techno-raid that day our base of operations would be in the Gonner Building. Brick, four stories, the usual but what was most important was that it would empty all weekend. I went around the back and knocked sharply on a side door. Then realizing my mistake I just walked in. It was easy to forget that most people didn’t wake up at 5:00am like I did. I walked down the hallway until I got to the first classroom. Once inside I started to prepare the room. By the time Bee walked into the room I had pushed the desks to the side of the room and written our plan of action on the whiteboard.

     Bee walked in pushing a shopping cart with Rebecca C. inside. Fire-resistant blankets were also in the cart and a box of supplies, but we would use those later. Instead of the cart and its contents I focused on the people so brazenly walking into the room. As if they hadn’t skipped the oh so important After Party.

     “Nice of you to come,” I said once Rebecca had jumped out of the cart, “I thought you two would be too busy to help out today.”

     Bee didn’t bat an eyelash, simply heading over to the whiteboard to look at what she would have to do. She and I both knew that it wasn’t really her that I was mad at. From her, that sort of thing was expected. Instead, I turned my gaze to Rebecca, the girl that was supposed to be my second in command. Rebecca smoothed out her tucked in t-shirt as I looked at her. I didn’t want to look too mad though, instead, I smiled at her. Rebecca seemed to know what my smile meant though because she looked a bit scared.

     “Listen Valencia,” she said, clearly attempting to cover her ass, “I was really busy with homework on Thursday so I couldn’t go to any of the events.”

     If I was less of a shady bitch I would have accepted her apology and let her go. If the situation was less important I would have told her off and let her go. Unfortunately for Rebecca, this was the most serious thing our uprising had ever tackled, and she hadn’t spoken to me in two days.

     “Even if you were busy on Thursday,” I said, my tone saying that I knew that she was busy, but not with homework, “There was always Friday.”

     She tried to stutter someone out but I cut her off, “I counted on you and I told you to be there and you weren’t! This is not acceptable Rebecca.”

     With a sigh I announced what I had made reality the day before, “You’re not going to be leading the Fire Team today. Instead, you’re going to be in here managing supplies.”

     Rebecca seemed genuinely shocked. She never thought I would go that far, and I hadn’t either. This was for the best, but Rebecca couldn’t see that. 

     “What!” she was so loud I think that she had forgotten that we were there in secret, “Bee didn’t go either and she’s still on the FireTeam! What justice is that?”

    “Bee wasn’t supposed to be leading the most important team in this entire operation,” I told her simply.

     I could tell that she was hurt, but I couldn’t take back my words even if I wanted to. With a look of pure betrayal, Rebecca stormed out of the room. Bee looked mildly concerned but I couldn’t care less. The job I switched her to was just a filler role, and I didn’t think that Rebecca would stoop so low as to give us up. For the time being, I didn’t care about what she did.

     More people started streaming into the room around 10:30 just as I told them to. Roughly dividing themselves into their three teams for the operation. The Fire Team, the Gas Team, and finally my team, the Retrieval Team. Everyone on the Fire Team seemed a bit confused that Rebecca wasn’t there, but the new lead Courtney D. explained everything to them. Once I was sure that everyone was there, twenty-one people in total and the supplies had been counted and divided up I stood in front of the blackboard. One final review of the plan and then it would be time to go. Since we didn’t have a way to communicate with each other over distances, the plan and the competence of the people implementing it were only preparation we could do. But seeing over at the faces looking at me with such beautiful determination I had no doubts that we would succeed. 

     “We have worked hard for every opportunity afforded to us,” I told them, feeling as if it was high time for a speech, “Every day we struggle for purchase on the mountain that is this school, just trying to make it to a place where we can rest. For a place where we can just be ourselves. Unfortunately, true freedom is a long ways away, and there are many, many more obstacles in our path.”

     I had brought the mood down, then I tried to bring it up, “But this raid will bring us closer than anything we have done before. Finally we will be able to contact the world beyond these walls other than the mail they swear they deliver. Every student in this school will have back what was stolen from them!”

   “Most of you were there at the Gallery last Thursday,” I looked pointently at Bee, “And you heard my promise, my vow. That by the time this weekend is up they will be holding their phones in their hands. I have no doubt that I spoke the truth in the Gallery, that you and I will shape the truth in our hands. What I promised to the students is not a lie, and I know all you will make sure of that!”

     A single cheer erupted from the room and I smiled. Once I was done with my speech the Gas Team left the room to go out and start the plan. We would have no assurance that they would succeed, but I knew they would anyway. They would have to. 

     “Alright guys I know I don’t need to say this but dictation really does help me visual things,” I told my team, we were waiting to leave, “When we get to the storage room I’ll pick the lock, I know how to do it without making it too obvious. We get in, grab all of the boxes labeled ‘student tech’, and get out. The principle keeps everything very orderly so it won’t be that hard to find them. Ten minutes inside of the room, no more no less. On the way out cover everything with the blankets and put them in the cart. If we get stopped, let me do the talking.”

     Some of the team nodded but most of them just acknowledged me blankly. I knew that I was rambling, that I was talking just to talk, but I couldn’t resist talking more. Telling them more things that they already knew just to fill the tense time between when the Gas Team left and when the Fire Team was supposed to go out. Instead of giving in to the urge and making even more of a fool of myself I started pacing around the room. It was always like this when I led a raid. Even though I hadn’t done it in a while it was still the tensest thing in the world. Millions of possibilities rushed through my head, all the ways it could go sideways. No matter what I had said to reassure Harris the plan I put forth was risky, risky enough to fail. 

     Before long the Fire Team went out. This was the part that I had paid the most attention to. Their job was to go out and set four very strategic fires away from the sight of our retrieval. The student council room, one of the basement rooms, the board meeting room, and a kitchen. Arson was a crime, and a major one at that, so there was no way they could be caught. Spreading the smell of rotten eggs in the vents had already made everyone think there was a gas leak. Students placed in every major gathering site on campus would fake the symptoms of gas poisoning, and judging by the pounding of footsteps to the infirmary the nocebo effect was taking hold. Even with Rebecca off the mission there was high chance everything would go as planned. It was what happened if things didn’t go according to the plan that I was worried about. 

     I watched the time on my watch carefully. A minute passed, then two, then three. Not wanting to sit around more than was necessary I started heaping the fire-resistant blankets into the cart. By the time ten minutes rolled around things were much more chaotic outside the classroom and we were all ready to go. The route to the principal's storage room took us directly away from one of the fires. Smoke was pouring out the window of the student council room, but I could see no flames. That was the plan, all of the sites of the fires were easily controllable; it would have been dangerous otherwise.

     Quickly and taking as many disused paths as possible we made it to the storage room. Just as I had said picking the lock was a difficult but hasty process and before long we were in. The information I had gathered had told me that the electronics that were taken from students upon enrollment were stored in the room, but it hadn’t told me what else was stored there. “Confiscated goods” didn’t cover the scope of what we saw there. Gifts from back home taken away for bad behavior, sculptures that hadn’t been up to code, even jewelry that had been forcibly taken. All of the things my fellow students treasured sat in the room, discarded like the trash the administration thought we were. Heirloom necklaces and broken glasses alike crunched beneath our shoes as we walked to the back. It was all I could do to not pack everything in the cart and then come back for more. But there was only one thing we were there for.

     Neatly stacked boxes labeled by grade level stood against the far wall. The principal knew that there would be hell to pay if a student’s parent asked for their daughter’s phone and didn’t get an answer, not that any parent of these students would care enough. We didn’t turn on any lights as we stacked the boxes under the blankets in the cart and replacing them with our decoy boxes. Thinking that I wouldn’t see them in the dim several of my team members tried to open a box, looking for their own phones and tech, but I gave them a firm look every time I heard cardboard rubbing together. They must have thought that I had a will of steel, not opening any of the boxes before we left the storage room. But the truth was much sadder, it was easier to resist opening one of the sophomore boxes when I knew that there was nothing in there for me. Having given me what they thought was a proper education my “parents” had never bothered to give me anything else. Not even a flip phone to call them with, actually they probably hoped that I wouldn’t contact them at all.

     Daylight flooded into our dark adjusted eyes when we left the storage room. The afternoon sun was high in the sky, and light breezes were blowing through. Every fire seemed almost under control and we were well underway to having a normal Saturday again. They were dealing with the distractions faster than I had thought so we walked quickly with the cart. Eyes forward, trying to seem as innocent as possible. In any other situation, our act would have worked, but the distractions had been a double-edged sword. Teachers were too preoccupied to be present on the paths as usual, but any we did encounter were on edge and cautious.

     “Why are you girls not in your designated emergency situation spots?” Ms. Troy asked us, just as we were out of sight of the now re-locked storage room. 

     All eyes darted to me when she asked that, and I was glad that I had practiced my plausible excuses the night before but still…

     “Ms. Harison told us to take these to the library just in case anything has sparked up,” I told her, my tone even and believable. 

     Ms. Harison was an unofficial librarian. Technically she was an English teacher, but all of her classes were spent in the library. She shelved books, she arranged library events, in all but name she was a librarian. Making her the perfect person to have told us to take fire resistant blankets to the library. Ms. Troy let us go after that, her critical gaze turned upon other students who were actually wandering around innocently. We were stopped twice more before we got to the back door, each time I gave a different excuse. 

     Once we got into the back door our pace increased exponentially. The door was locked behind us and blankets fell off the cart in our dash to the classroom. When we got there suddenly everyone who had been lounging around stood for attention. Perfume hung heavily in the air, no doubt to mask the stench of the eggs. A pile of sooty clothes blocked the cart’s path but by that point, we didn’t need it. Everyone and anyone available in the room jumped up to help us. Bee was busy spreading aloe vera gel on the small burns that had been received, but even she stared at the treasure we had reclaimed. Blankets forgot the boxes were piled on desks in a more organized way than I thought them capable of. Seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen all grouped together. And when all of the boxes had been unloaded everyone stood with their respective grade levels. 

     Tears in her eyes one junior girl, I knew her name was Hollie, took a box cutter from her pocket. All eyes were on her, happy sobs escaping from her mouth. It broke my heart to do what I had to do, but it was for the best.

     Crossing the room from the sophomore section in an instant I grabbed her wrist and twisted a bit, causing her to drop the box cutter, “You’ll get your stuff by Monday.”

     Shocked gasps escaped from everyone around the room. I shouldn’t have gotten their hopes up, after the Peanut Test I gave two of the girls their phones for risking agitating their allergies . Clearly, everyone who had helped out in the Techno-Raid thought they would get the same treatment. 

     “What!” Hollie screamed at me, cognisant of the fact that we had to be quiet but communicating all of her outrage in one word, “This is our raid, this is our reward! I thought you were going to give out the tech?”

     Kindness was in my eyes as I listened to her yelling at me. Still, my tone was firm with no room for persuasion, almost teacher-esque in an ironic way, “You’ll get your stuff on Monday just like everyone else.”

     Roars of dissent blossomed from around the room. I wanted to glance over at Bee for support, but I didn’t want anyone to turn their rage on her. Instead, I listened to the complaints for anything I could say to placate them. 

     “We worked so hard for this!” that was a no go, I couldn’t deny that they had all prepared and executed everything perfectly.

     “You owe it to us!” technically I could argue that I didn’t owe them anything that they did what they did of their own free will, but they were more likely to tear me to shreds than calm down if I said that.

     “There's no harm in giving them to us early!” now this, I could work with.

     “I checked on Gwen and Vivian yesterday,” I told them, lowering my voice so they couldn’t hear me unless they calmed down, “In the one day that they had their phones there had been four attempts to steal them. The second they pulled their phones out at the lunch table they were excluded from conversation. You say there’s no harm, but there is. Two people with early tech access aren’t too much but, almost two dozen? You’ll be torn to shreds. Even if it’s only for a day I assure you your dorms will be broken into, and I guarantee that half of your devices will be broken.”

     Everyone seemed to realize what they had been demanding, but I wasn’t done, “I didn’t just steal back these devices to give them away. I stole them so that we can feel like we matter again. That we aren’t just rats trapped in the cage that is this school. We’re people, and people deserve freedom. And given that a school prison break is impossible I thought phones were the next best thing. If I let you loose from here with your devices, chaos will ensue. And before I know it the students I try so hard for will become phone hunger animals, degrading themselves for just a taste of the true freedom that they deserve. I wish I could reward you all in the way that you’ve more than earned, but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until Monday.”

     I had ended the way I had begun, but this time everyone seemed to get the message. Hollie picked up her box cutter and started cleaning up with everyone else. Some of the more comedic among us began to sing the Clean Up Song, and before long we were full fledged chorus and the room was back to the way it was. Baring the twelve boxes still elevated on desks. Once we were done I handed out their advanced reward. Gift baskets full of contraband. Sick notes, pocky, candles, and anything else I could find to give them. Everyone accepted their baskets with grace, but I knew what they really wanted. Having given out the baskets I adjusted my backpack on my shoulders and tapped Bee on the shoulder.

     “This classroom, 9:15 Sunday night, bring Rebecca,” I whispered, making sure that only she could hear me. 

     With that, I left the classroom and then the building. Heading to whoever’s dorm was closest. After a day like that, I could sleep for days. And I almost did. Sunday passed in a blur of naps and essays and before long I was walking back to the classroom. As always I was there early, not just because I loved punctuality, but also because I didn’t want anyone in the room without me. And besides I was the only one who had the key. In the time it took everyone to get there I made sure all of the boxes were undisturbed. Besides a little nick in one of the junior boxes from where Hollie tried to open it, everything was Gucci. 

     When I heard steps coming from the hallway I realized how I must look. Wide-eyed and smiling like an idiot in the products of my own handiwork, not like someone in control at all. In a scramble, but trying to be quiet so they didn’t hear my scrambling I hopped up on the teacher’s platform. The steps were becoming even more prominent, so instead of coming up with any natural looking power pose I hopped up on the desk. Sitting down, legs spread, hoping that I looked large and in charge. 

     GiGi was the first to arrive, looking as amazed as I felt upon entry. 

     “Amazing isn’t it?” I said to her, getting only a noise of excitement in response. Immediately she raced toward the senior boxes and I had only a second to stop her, “Not so fast, wait until everyone’s here.”

     She didn’t look as disappointed as Hollie had, probably because she knew it wouldn’t be long until the boxes finally got opened up. Luckily we didn’t have to wait for long. Ana B. had recovered from her flu in time to sort and return all of the electronics. Which was a relief for me. Even though they were all handpicked by me, I didn’t know if I could trust most of the other team leads for a task as momentous as the one we were doing. Tall, and with a grown out afro by some lists Ana was considered one of the most gorgeous girls in school or sometimes even the most. But I didn’t see her that way. On a mission she was firm and careful, doing rounds she was kind and patient, and during After Parties everything she said was well thought out and careful. In short there was no one I trusted more, besides Rebecca and Citrine of course. Rebecca, I didn’t know about anymore though.

     Completely coincidentally, Rebecca was also the last person to show up. Citrine had already sauntered in when Bee walked in yawning. I had expected them to come together, given the thing they were together, but she was nowhere to be found.  9:30 rolled around, she still wasn’t there. Thinking that she was ghosting me for kicking her off of the Fire Team I started without her. Instead of stooping down to the level of everyone else, I climbed onto the desk to be even higher. Apparently, my heeled boots weren’t enough height for me. Succinctly as I could I started to explain how things would work. Pick out each phone and look in the copy of the student directory, write the information down on a sticky note and organize everything by dorm. Once things were sorted we head out and deliver the goods, packed neatly into individually labeled paper bags. 

     By the time I was done speaking Rebecca was sulking around near the sophomore boxes. Uncharastically I didn’t remark on her late entry, and instead trusted that she had picked up everything she needed to know. With a sad sigh, I hopped down from the desk, landing on the solid floor and not the platform. Not wobbling a bit in my heels. 

     I took some inspiration from Hollie and wretched open the boxes one by one with a box cutter. A pile of black screens and pastel cases, it was beautiful to us. We could have started for hours, just bathing in the glory of what had been so deprived of ourselves for our lives as students. But we had a job to do and only one night to do it. Everyone was responsible for two boxes. 

     Grab a bundle of tech, look in the directory, write the information down on a sticky note, stick the note on the bundle, and put it in the bundle in the dorm’s appropriate pile. Six of us working in tandem, it didn’t take that long. We started around 9:35 and everything was in its proper place around 10:30. After that it was wrapping. I wanted everyone to be anonymous, to have no one know who had delivered their cell phone. But the wrapping portion of it all but signed our names on the cell phones. Citrine wrapped everything in a bright yellow bow, and a lipstick kiss. While GiGi stuck scratch and sniff stickers everywhere. I swear if you didn’t know the importance of what we were doing, you would have thought we were doing an arts and crafts project. 

     Once names were written on all of our bundles we headed out. Under cover of darkness we set out to deliver our packages. Three dorms to each of us, scatter after we finished what we needed to do. I was on my own for the rest of the night, and I breathed a bit easier because of it. With the night breezes pushing my loose coat around me, I hoped that it looked like a cape. After all, I had never felt more like a superhero then in those moments. 

     Starting from the top and working my way down to the basements it took me half an hour to deliver to the dorm. On the way dodging any midnight snackers or people who simply couldn’t sleep. By the time I was done with all of the dorms it was after midnight and I was already hearing excited noises rising up in the night. Thinking that everyone would be too busy to bother me I decided to sleep in my own bed that night. My roommate was already asleep in her bed next to the door, while my bed under the window had collected dust. For the first time all month, I slid into my pajamas. Content in the knowledge that even though what I had done was risky, my students, my people, my friends were happier for it. 

     If you all loved Valencia as much as I did leave a comment. and if you didn’t have a stunning day! 

Tamagotchi Quest

Welcome to 2020, the year of forest fires, pandemic, and lockdown -- a paradise. I toss the remote at the TV. In a sweet shatter of glass, my Netflix marathon is over. My eyes close as the phantom Tik Tok music rings in my ears. I eye my diary with pages falling out of it. I am bored out of my mind. Then a thought clicks in my head, my Tamagotchi! A strange urge takes over my body. I stand up from my messy, lotion smelling bed. Invisible pins and needles prickle my sleepy legs.

  No, the Tamagotchi is probably dead by now. Maybe it has a family now. I walk out of my basement. My eyes feel as if they are on fire as I step into the living room light.

  “Clean up the basement.” My mom yells, from her prison, the kitchen.

  “Give me 50 minutes,” I enthusiastically yell back. But I am dead inside.     I climb up the creaky stairs to the attic. Once I step in, dust billows around like leaves on an autumn day. I pull my shirt over my nose to not catch lung cancer. I open a box filled with my childhood belongings. Inside is my old star wars lego collection. My skateboard, from my 9-years-old-skater past. Behind the box, sits my ancient gaming laptop.

  The memories of my mom breaking the screen in a fit of rage fill my mind like a Vietnam-flashback. Next, I check my box again, no Tamagotchi. Perhaps, my sister Ann has it. So I search through her box. I toss her primary school swimming medals out of the way. They clatter on the ground, scattering woodlice. Hell, she loved sports. Ann is the school's top athlete during the days.  Meanwhile, I was underage drinking. I toss her red cross youth badge, as I sigh.

  Ann was a Marine when she was twenty, while I was gaming in my basement when I was finishing high school. She is a military wife, adopting orphans from war zones. Wait, she hates playing with Tamagotchi. I should check Simon’s.

  I knock over stacks of the books Simon had during his bookworm days. Then, I rummage through his science fair medals. He is a genius, I am the average Joe.

 After that, I comb the entire attic for my Tamagotchi. It’s nowhere to be seen. I sit on the floor. Oh dear, how I wasted my life on mindless entertainment. I peaked in primary school. A pang of remorse makes me queasy. The clock in the corner ticks away with my wasted youth.

 But I still have plenty of time left. I storm down to my basement and delete my Steam account. It’s time to make a change.

Image source: https://www.eonline.com/news/843044/the-original-tamagotchi-is-back-so-prepare-to-never-get-any-work-done-ever-again

Novel Moodboards 📚

Allow me to guide you into my character's worlds, one image at a time.

🔖Edge of Being - YA Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, LGBTQ+ Romance. (Standalone Novella)

🔖Cloaked in Dusk - Fantasy, Romance with LGBTQ+ Rep. (Standalone)

🔖Lies Beyond the Bluff - Urban Fantasy/Paranormal, Mystery, elements of Platonic Romance. (Standalone)

🔖Exiled Sanctum - Japan-inspired Cyberpunk, Sci-Fi Fantasy, Dystopian, LGBTQ+ Romance implied but not the primary focus. (Duology possible)

I hope you enjoyed the peak into my inspirations for them! Let me know of which ones caught your eye the most!