1: Welcome

welcome to

Auburn Brights Academy

!

hope you’ll stick around. this story is going to be long.

there will be some chapters deeper into the story that will contain disturbing content. i will put a trigger warning ahead. this story also has criticism against wealthy people and some offensive ideaologies. there is also criticism against the government and religion. take all this with a grain of salt but also some truth to it.

:) enjoy

CHAPTER 1: WELCOME

V

incent Florence

My acceptance letter sat on my lap while I sat in my mom’s old Toyota car. The engine made an irking humming noise that- everytime she drove- made me worry that the car would explode and kill us both. But no matter what I told her, her saying was the same: It gets the job done. Which, fair enough, it does. Because here we were, in New England, miles away from my home town in Wisconsin. 

When I applied to this school, I never expected to actually get in. It’s similar to how a person would apply to Harvard or buy a scratch ticket randomly. You don’t actually think you have a shot, but you just do it because it’s a fun gamble to participate in. 

But who would’ve known that when Auburn Brights Academy, the most prestigious academy in the world, announced they were holding a raffle to have one scholarship student attend their school, that they would’ve chosen me! A small town kid who grew up without a father and a single mother.

At first, I protested wanting to go. I didn’t want to abandon my mom and let her live alone. I wanted to stay and stick around with her. But my mom refused and convinced me that by going to Auburn, I won’t just be investing in my future but also hers. It sounds selfish, but my main concern has always been helping my mother. Even at my own detriment. 

“.. and remember to call me everyday. If not, just a text is fine.” My mom spoke. 

“Yes, mom. I understand.” I replied. She’s given me a sort of list of things she wants me to do and her expectations. I’ve always lived up to them so it didn’t matter. 

“And one more thing, Vincent.” Mom said, using my name and not my nickname. “You are different from these kids. All of these other kids come from affluent families whose grandparents made more money than our entire bloodline will ever make. So of course, they might not see you as one of them. You’re an outsider. Don’t forget that.” Mom said.

Her past words have mostly gone through one ear and out the other. But the staid tone she had spoken to me let me know that she was not joking around. This wasn’t her being motherly or overbearing, but similar to a warning.

“Okay– Okay mom.” 

Mom kept driving through the deep forest. The voice on the GPS let us know that we were getting closer to the school. I watched as a large metal gate, which was opened, welcomed us to the academy. Immediately I felt an unwelcoming sensation. It was contrasted to the ardor feeling I was used to at my old public high school.

In the distance, the trees began to clear up. After we drove through them, I was met with something that I could only describe perfectly as gothic. It was a large looming academy, with an old English look. Stone walls encircled the large… castle. That’s the word.

I was beguiled by the large building that I hadn’t noticed us pulling into the gravel parking lot. The rattling cacophony of the engine stopped, meaning my mom had stopped the car. 

“Let’s go, Vinny. It’s time!” Mom said. She rolled up her window and opened her door. I followed suit, grabbing my phone and stepping onto the gravel. The sun was sheltered by a blanket of ashen clouds, casting a silhouette onto the earth below. Only a few sporadic crepuscular rays breached between clouds, signifying that the sun was still out. 

My eyes scoured the area in which my mom chose to park. It was in a small enclave in the front of the academy. On the left, right, and front of me was the academy and the looming windows. I looked up at the windows and saw a few students looking down at me. 

Literally and figuratively, they were above me. And by their fault-finding stares, they knew it too. 

“Vincent? Vincent Florence?” An old voice called out. My eyes looked towards the front entrance of the door. Standing in front of double grand doors, which were now opened, was a septuagenarian woman. Her silver hair and red lips and whispies eyelashes all contracted each other, making me wonder if she really was her age or younger, or older.

Standing next to her was a student who bore a charming smile on his face. His blonde hair was neatly slicked back with no strand out of place. The boy stood at a similar height of mine, probably a few inches short of me. He wore the school’s uniform, as were all the other students who watched on. 

The uniform was of black slacks for the boys and skirts for the girls. They also wore a chestnut colored blazer over a white button up. Everyone wore a black and gray striped tie. But some students either had their ties undone or instead replaced it with an ascot of similar palette. 

“Vinny! Go up to them!” Mom told me. I followed what she instructed me to do and walked to the older woman and young man. 

“You must be Vincent Florence!” The woman’s voice, while croaked, had a sweet highlight to it. Strangely, I felt calm with her voice. 

“That’s me, ma’am.” I replied. 

“I am headmistress of Auburn Brights Academy, Madam Avianna Clemont. And I would like to extend a welcome to our institution.” She said. We both reached our hands forward. I held her hand and did what my mother told me and bent down to kiss her hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” I said. The headmistress let out a small chortle. 

“Why aren’t you a gentleman!” She said. She pulled her hand away quickly and turned to the boy next to her, who had been observing our salutation. “This here is Percival Genevieve III. He is to be your guide for the day. So should you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask.” 

Percival took a small step forward. “Welcome to our school!” He said. “I’m in the senior class, so we’ll be seeing each other often. Why don’t you follow me and I’ll gladly showcase our wonderful institution for you.” His preppy voice made it sound as if this place is a dream to attend.

“This is wonderful! I have some important matters to attend to. Once again, Vincent, welcome to Auburn Bright Academy. Where the best and brightest flourish away from the genpop.” She said. She gave me a small smile and entered the halls of the academy. She turned a corner and went out of sight, the sound of her footsteps echoing away.

I watched as Percival stood silent, his eyes watching to where the headmistress had walked away to. Once the sound of her footsteps faded away, he turned and let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank-fucking-God she’s gone!” His tone of voice no longer had the prep it was getting used to. Instead, he sounded like any other teen I’ve met. “Let’s get this started, shall we?” 

“But what about my luggage?” I asked. 

“Already taken care of.” Percival said. I turned around to where my mom had parked the car. While I was speaking to the headmistress, a group of workers had brought out a trolley and put my luggage into it. “We’re a bit behind schedule, so go and say your goodbyes. I’ll wait.” Percival said. 

I quickly walked over to my mom and quickly gave her a tight hug. She was much smaller than me, so I easily trapped her in my arms. 

“Alright, Vinny. You remember everything I said, right?” Mom asked.

“Mmhmm!” I replied.

“I even packed some of your stuffed animals and letters from your old friends. I’m gonna miss you!” Mom said.

“I’m gonna miss you too, mom!” I said. We hugged for a while until it was time for her to go. Mom gave me some final kisses and tried hard not to cry. I watched as she hopped into her car and pulled away from the academy grounds. She gave a final wave at me until her car was back in the forest and out of sight.

I’ll see her again soon. But I’ve always been close to my mom. Even when my dad left when I was young, I was still with her and was the reason she went on with life. And now, I was alone in a new place and my mom was alone in a place she knows. 

But I sucked it up! I’m here for one thing: To do my best among the best with the best resources. 

“Ready, amigo?” Percival asked from behind me. I turned and saw him leaning against the porte cochere of the grand entrance. 

“Ready!” I replied. I walked over to him as he led me into the academy. 

“Your bags will be at your dorm when we reach there. Now, enjoy as yours truly shows you this academy.” Percival said. 

He walked up to a hall, with the left side adorned with fresco paintings from the Renaissance. There were some occasional statues, all of them perfectly sculpted showing the anatomy of the ideal human body. 

“Here is the dining hall. Breakfast is from 7 to 10. It’s optional and unlike public schools, we have gourmet food made by Michelin Star chefs.” Percival said. I stared into the hall, which reminded me of the mess hall from Harry Potter. There were some students sitting in the seats. But instead of large tables, there were circular tables scattered throughout with chairs around them. 

“And here is the patio.” Percival said. He signaled through the arches as a large verdant patio was available to all students to walk throughout. 

“Woah!” All I could say. “What’s that?” I asked, referring to the bronze statue in the middle of the patio.

“That’s the founder of this academy, Sigmund Auburn.” The statue was of an old man. In one hand, he held an open book. In the other, he wielded a sword that pointed to the ground.

“He kind of looks like Donald Sutherland.” I said. Percival let out a small chuckle but he compressed it. 

“Yeah, my friend said the same.” Percival said. We continued the tour, with him showing me some of the rooms and amenities that came with it. Included in the school were several extracurriculars, a gym, pools, a gambling room, and even a place to smash things. 

“But there’s something you haven’t told me about.” I said.

“Hmm? What is it?” He asked

“That.” I pointed to the tower that gloomily was erected from the ground. The cylinder tower, made of hard stone, led up until a few windows were scattered throughout. The top ended with crenellations and a single flagpole that had the school’s flag in it.

“Oh. that.” Percival said in a chimera voice of monotone but nuisance. “I wasn’t going to mention it but since you asked. That’s the Absolute Turret.”

“Absolute Turret? Does anyone live there?” I asked.

“Of course. That, my friend, is the tower where the student council resides.” Percival explained.

“Oh, this place has one of those? That’s cool. My old one had one similar and they always planned some of the best events.” I said.

“Yeah, well, this student council is different. Much much different than any other one.”

“How so?” I asked.

“This school has high expectations from society. Sons and daughters of millionaires, socialites, senators, you name it. Their kids go here. And thus, we all have to do our best to reach high profile jobs. Therefore, the Student Council is meant to be the guiding light of our class. But instead, they take the power to themselves.” Percival explained.

“So what do they do? I imagine they keep to themselves.” I said.

“Every student in this school pays tuition in order to attend. The student council collects that. Students have to act accordingly. The student council enforces those rules. There are some events that are created. And the council plans those. They do their jobs but it’s without heart or focus on the students.” Percival took a pause and looked up and down the hallway. “In my opinion, they’re all stuck up assholes.”

“Why don’t you and the student body vote them out? I’m sure the voice of the public will get them out of power.” I told him.

“That’s impossible. The student council holds power in and out of the school. They all come from powerful families. Every year when there’s an election, they will kindly send threats to every student that if they don’t vote for them, their families will suffer dire consequences.” Percival said.

“Yikes. That doesn’t sound fun.” I muttered. “When is the next election?” I asked.

“Since the school year just started, it will be in about a month. Luckily, we have just one more year. Then it’s off to Princeton for me.” 

“Hmm.” I said. “So who’s the Student Council President? I’m sure they’re the most arrogant out of all.” 

“If only you knew the half of it. The president is Sarah Barrington. She’s head of the council and one mean bitch. Just with one stare she can knock you down.”

“Barrington? As in Barrington Law & Associates?” I asked, remembering seeing that name on posters for the law firm.

“Exactly! She’s really good at arguing with people. She had the president’s power because her family, the Barringtons, are second in command to the Lexingtons- the family that has connections everywhere.” 

“Lexingtons, as in Aleida Lexington I would assume.”

“Correct! There aren’t any Lexingtons who attend Auburn this year. So instead, it goes next in line. The rest of the council also come from the Lexington family. They’re much smaller branch families but still have power.” Percival said. He looked down onto his watch. “It’s time to show you your room! Let’s go!” Percival said.

I followed close behind as he walked through the halls. We went up two flights of stairs and into a hallway that had several doors on each side. Down the hall, in front of a wooden door, were several bags that I recalled as mine.

“This is your room! You have the same dorm as every other student, so no classism. Oh, and the headmistress had me give you this…” Percival reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “It’s a food card. Other students pay in cash or have their food brought in through the helicopters. But since you’re a… scholarship student… you get a card. Your pin number is 1, because you’re the first student to get one.”

“Got it!” I said. “Thank you, Percival, for showing me around.”

“Oh please, call me Percy. Percival sounds too formal. It’s the afternoon right now. You can head to the showers right now or later. But I recommend it sooner.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I replied. We heard the sound of footsteps behind us. Both Percy and I turned around. 

I watched as the most handsome man I have ever seen in my life walked up towards us. He must have been 6’4’’ and towered over us. He wore the school uniform but even with the clothes on, you could easily see his muscular frame. He had black hair, which curtained in a wave motion on the side of his face. He made eye contact with me, his blue eyes piercing me, but then looked away to Percy.

“Hey, Percy.” The handsome guy said. His deep voice shook me to the core.

“Hi, Connor!” Percy replied.

Connor. Connor…

“And hello to you, Archibald.” Percy said. I was confused as to who Percy was talking to. I saw as a person’s head poked out from behind Connor’s large frame. 

“H–Hi.” Archibald said, his voice being lower than a whisper. From what I could see, Archibald had curly black hair. His wide eyes were a deep brown, almost black. He also had round glasses that perched on his nose. He was also small. Significantly smaller than Connor. 

I figured I should say hi to my new peers. “Hi, Archibald. I’m Vincent.” I said. 

I watched as Archibald let out a whimper and hid behind Connor.

“Don’t take it too hard. Archibald is like that to everyone.” Percy said. I turned to Connor.

“I’m Vincent.” I extended my hand to the handsome giant. Connor looked at my hand, then at me with sharp eyes. 

I thought he was going to possibly punch me but instead, he also held out his hand and gave it a firm shake.

“Connor. Connor Devonshire.” Connor introduced himself. 

“He’s in room 318! Right next to yours!” Percy told Connor. 

“Hmm. Well, I hope you don’t jerk off too loud.” Connor said to me. He pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and went to room 317, next to mine. He unlocked the door and turned to me, giving me a charming wink. 

My face turned red and I let out a small giggle. The only thing left was Archibald. He stood there, looking at me and Percy. He was breathing hard until he quickly ran down the hall behind us. I watched as his small legs took him far down until I couldn’t see him.

“Is he okay?” I asked.

“He’s fine. He just has some… issues. He’ll warm up to you eventually.” Percy said. Percy handed me my dorm keys and gave me some more information I’ll need. 

“Uh, question. Are Connor and Archibald… dating?” I asked.

“Oh, of course not! No! Archibald- Archie- follows him around while Connor protects him. Archie used to get teased for being too small. Connor took him under his wing and kept him safe.” Percy explained.

I said my final goodbyes to Percy as he went down the hall, inviting me to join him and his friends to breakfast. I spent the next hour moving in all my bags and unpacking. The room in itself wasn’t anything to write home about. It’s similar to your average college dorm. My favorite part was the window, which looks over the quad and gives me a good view of the Absolute Turret. 

The bed was quite soft. I layed in my bed and looked at my ceiling. It felt weird that I was now in a new environment. Tomorrow is Saturday. There isn’t school tomorrow and I’ll be getting my schedule and books soon. I also plan on exploring more of this school soon.

As for friends, I think I got along with Percy. 

And then there’s Connor. I’ve only been at this school for four hours and only exchanged a few words with Connor but I already think I’m falling for him. God, that man is something! If I end up dating during my time here, I won’t object to it. 

The clock on the wall told me it was currently 7. Mom packed me a small meal in a tupperware. I pulled it out of my bag and ate it while sitting at the desk. I watched a movie on my phone and already began to miss home. 

On the corner of my bed was a towel and shower shoes, alone with my shampoo and body wash. 

“It’s shower time.” I muttered to myself. 

I stood up and began to remove my clothes. I stood in my room with a towel over myself and shower shoes on. When I opened my door, I turned my head to scout the hallway and saw no one was here. From what Percy told me before, I walked in the direction of the communal showers.

I walked in and saw as several both guys were in here, showering with each other. Their slick and wet bodies were shiny from the water and some had soap everywhere. 

As a gay guy who has pent up desires, this place is a nightmare. I walked over to the corner of the room, feeling the eyes of several guys on me. 

Slowly, I removed my towel and bared it all in front of these guys. 

I kept my head down the entire time. Just like my mom told me. Keep my head down while here. Don’t get involved. That’s what I have to do. 

---

welcome to my new story! hope you’ll enjoy it!

2: Ivy

CHAPTER 2: IVY

Vincent Florence

The shower I had wasn’t anything special. It reminded me of my old high school when I used to shower among my male classmates. I can recall the times when we would all be bare under the showers and show each other off, comparing our endowments. Friends would playfully tease one another by slapping their wet skin. It’s how I came to terms about my sexuality when I realized I would stare too much at guys and feel myself become aroused.

But here, in Auburn, there was no teasing. No laughter or skin on skin contact. Gone are the days when I could put my hands on my friends shoulder and pinch their skin. These guys here are quiet. And it’s understandable. Shower time, especially with other naked men, is an awkward feeling. But it shouldn’t have to be.

I returned to my room with a towel on my waist. I did encounter some other guys along my way, most of whom didn’t bat an eye but some did stare at me. Most likely because I’m the new kid who is also poor.

Once I entered my room, I sighed in relief and sat in my chair. I looked at my clothes that sat on my bed. I slowly put them on until I was in my night attire, which consisted of some high-knee shorts and white shirt. My eyes turned to a painting that was bolted onto the wall that was joined with Connor’s.

The painting wasn’t like the Mona Lisa or Picasso. It was just of an angel whose wings were spread out as it stood on a rock. When I touched the painting, it jolted, something that a bolted painting shouldn’t do. That’s when I realized it wasn’t bolted in.

When I pushed the frame to the side, the painting moved and the wall was behind it. I saw a hole in the wall that made a large peephole to Connor’s room. Curiosity got the best of me and I peered in.

My eyes scanned Connor’s room, which looked like my room but had a bit more personal items around, such as a pair of shoes on the desk and books opened. Connor wasn’t in my line of sight but I could hear some rustling on the side. I looked closer and saw a Lord of the Flies book on his desk that was worn out heavily, probably from his constant reading.

Connor came into view and wore nothing. Absolutely nothing on his body. He was completely naked and I was bearing witness to his nakedness. His entire body was a soft tan color, similar to light caramel. His body had a small shine to it that I can distinguish as lotion. And his penis. Despite it being flaccid, its size was barbaric. As he walked to his desk, it swung like a pendulum and hypnotized me. His firm ass jiggled per every step he took.

“Fuck…” I muttered. I must have spoken too loudly because next thing I know, Connor is looking at me through the peephole, his blue eyes staring back at me.

“Never pegged you for a voyeur, Vincent.” Connor said, a sly smirk on his face. I could finally make out small specks of freckles on his face that were mainly bundled on his nose and some on his cheeks.

“Oh! Sorry!” I dropped the picture frame I had been holding up. I swung back into its place and covered the peephole.

“Awe, come on, Vincent! I don’t mind you looking!” Connor spoke from the other side.

“You sure?” I asked, waiting for his response.

“Yeah. I like an audience.”

I reached to the frame and moved it out of the way. Connor must be sitting on the bed, which was located on the same wall where the peephole was at. I could only see his face, neck, and his top chest, which even drove me wild.

“I see you found the Worry Hole.” Connor said.

“Worry Hole?” I asked.

“Yeah, it rhymes with glory hole. When Percy used to live here in your dorm, he made this hole because he would struggle with his assignments and ask me for help. Thus, Worry Hole.” Connor explained.

I didn’t listen because his collar bone was so attractive. The indent made me want to drink water out of it.

“Still, I’m sorry I was looking at you! It wasn’t proper of me to do that.” I apologized.

“I told you, Vincent. It’s fine.” Connor said. “Percy told me you were joining us for breakfast. We eat in the cafeteria that has a glass roof over it. We’ll be there. You’ll get to meet the rest of us .” Connor said, emphasis on the us.

“How many other friends are there?” I asked.

“Well, you met me, Percy, and Archie, sort of. There’s two others. Don’t worry, they’re friendly. One of them is a little too friendly.” Connor said.

“Can’t wait to make their acquaintance. Percy also informed me that I was getting my schedule and books and uniform. Will that take long?” I asked.

“Not at all. Maybe the uniform since they have a stylist who measures everything to perfection. But we’ll have enough time to see the rest of this place. Has Percy shown you the Muse Wall?”

“No, he hasn’t.” I replied.

“That’s good.” His tone was mischievous. “And listen, Vinny,” He said my nickname! “Some of the people at this school may not like you because you’re, well, lower class. To me, that’s fine. Based on what Percy told me, you’re a better person than most of these other rich assholes. But if someone messes with you, just come to me. Got it?” Connor asked.

“Mhm. I understand. Thank you, Connor.” I said.

“No problem, Vinny. Get some sleep. Today must have been exhausting for you.” Connor said.

I yawned and muttered a disagreement. “I’m not tired.”

“Sure, bud. Sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.” Connor said.

“Night, Connor.” I said.

“Bonum noctis.” Connor replied. I returned to my bed and turned off the lights. I laid in my bed and was on my phone for a few minutes. Once I put it to charge and pulled up my blanket over myself, I turned to face the wall and closed my eyes.

I wasn’t able to sleep and had to bring out my stuffed animal, a medium sized panda plush that the tag said was named Pancho. When I smelled the panda and got a whiff of what my home smelled like, I shut my eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

Normally, my dreams are quite vivid and include something random. I’ve had dreams of childhood friends that I haven’t seen in over a decade who make appearances in them. But tonight, I couldn’t make out what my dream was. But the most I was able to remember was me standing in a room full of people. But everyone was ignoring me, doing their own activities.

The sound of my alarm woke me up. I jolted up and was brought back to where I was. The morning sunlight streamed in through the window. Casting a glow onto the bed and wall. I got up and stretched my body a bit. I texted my mom a quick good morning and gave her a status on what my life is like right now.

Next was choosing an outfit. Since this school is full of rich kids, I should probably wear something that will both blend in but also let everyone know that I have some sort of class. My outfit for the day consisted of some black slacks, a white button up, and a sweater vest that screams academia. Most of my new clothes were given to me by friends, who, upon hearing about my acceptance to Auburn, made a clothes drive for anything that looks rich.

I saw that in one of the corners of my room was a small sink. I walked over to it and saw that there was a complementary toothbrush and toothpaste. I brushed my teeth, and slicked back my dark brown hair that everyone insists is black but isn’t.

Keys in hand, phone in hand, and leaving with my dignity, I unlocked my door and exited out. I locked my door, room 318. My eyes scanned over to Connor’s room. Last night I had seen him naked, and that image of him started to arouse me.

The halls this morning were quite empty. The sound of my footsteps echoed off the walls and sprung back to me. The high arched ceiling seemed taller than the tallest building in my old town. And the old stone that the school was made of was still in pristine condition, but I was still terrified that they would crack any second.

I had memorized the path that Percy took me on yesterday. After a while of walking, I reached the grand stairs that led down to the first floor. I carefully walked down and passed by a group of girls who sat at the steps.

“Good morning.” I acknowledged them and gave them a small nod.

One of the three girls scoffed at me and turned away. Another one gave me a small smile. The next one, a red haired, leaned over to the friend that smiled at me.

“I thought he was going to be ugly. He’s actually cute.” I heard her whisper. I guess she must have thought that I wouldn’t hear. Or maybe it was her intention to make me hear.

Still, I smiled with a new confidence boost. I trekked to the cafeteria. I walked into the dining hall. There were a few kids who were scattered throughout the area. Some ate cereal while others had some dish served on gold plates. I witnessed as a butler-like servant walked up to one of the kids reading a book and served him a plate of lobster tails.

Remembering what Connor told me last night, I skipped through the tables and chairs in the dining hall and found an archway that led to a much brighter area. As I entered the bright area, I saw that this place was similar to the dining hall, with circular wooden tables and chairs that were covered in linen fabrics and metal mantel pieces. But instead of a large cathedral-like roof, it was a glass roof with ivies that provided a bit of shade to the patrons below.

“Buongiorno, Vinny!” Percy said as he hooked his arm around my neck. His loud greeting made all the people around us turn to look at us.

“’Morning, Percy.” I greeted him.

“Let’s get some breakfast. I’m starving.” Percy said. He kept his arm hooked on my neck and led me into a supermarket-like place near the dining hall.

“So, do you guys buy your food?” I asked. Percy looked up and down one of the shelves.

“Kind of. Most of these are not actual pre-packaged food. It’s sort of like a walkable menu. You pick and choose what you want to eat. They’ll make it and you pay for it. Some people prefer to have it served to them. Some other kids have certain dietary restrictions so they have it specially made.” Percy said. He found what he wanted and grabbed what looked like an card that was piled in each place.

“Are you going to pick something to eat or chew on your spit?” Percy asked me.

“Right!” I said. I found a picture of what the title said as buttermilk pancakes. Under the title were several cards. I grabbed a card and saw there was a barcode behind it. There were also some fill-in bubbles that you fill out. The options ranged from adding berries, maple syrup, and other assortments. I also chose some scrambled eggs, bacon, and a side of chocolate milk- which the title said it made from authentic cacao that’s “ethically” sourced.

“Missing home already?” Percy asked.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Based on your simple mid-west breakfast, I’m guessing you’re used to eating that all the time.” Percy said. He was indeed right. I chose these options because it’s what I grew up eating.

“Is it that obvious?” I asked with a small blush on my face.

“Not really. Most of these kids eat things like wagyu beef or sushi. Some people have pastries shipped in from France every morning. I just hope you don’t mind sharing some of your food with me.” Percy teased.

We both walked up to the register. There was a man standing there who wore a butler suit. Percy handed the man his cards of food and then handed him a credit card. I started to panic until I realized that I had my food card. When it was my turn, I handed the butler the cards and then pulled out my food card. Now that I got a good look at it, it looks similar to a credit card but it was a dark gray color and had the school’s logo plastered on it.

“Pin number?” The butler asked, turning over a small machine that looked like a card scanner. I pressed the 1 button and a small jingle was made. “Your food will be ready soon.” He said. Percy instructed me to sit at a waiting place. I watched as some other kids walked in and picked out what they wanted.

“So, you saw Connor naked last night?” Percy whispered to me.

“Shush!” I quickly told him. “He told you?” I asked.

“Yeah. He told me that you were looking at him through the Worry Hole. And even when you two were talking, your eyes kept trailing down his body.” Percy said.

My face felt hot. “I didn’t think he’d notice.” I muttered.

“Listen, man. I’m cool with it. I don’t know if Connor swings that way because he never talks about it. But I’m cool with it. Though, a lot of these kids here probably won’t accept it. They’re Gen Z but because of how sheltered they are, they still hold some old values.” Percy explained to me.

“Order 17!” The butler yelled.

“That’s me!” Percy stood up. He walked to the counter and grabbed his tray. Percy had ordered a French omelet that had a small side of caviar. There was a bottle of a blue liquid in a glass case.

“Order 18!” The butler yelled. I saw my receipt and saw it was my order number. I got up and walked to the counter. My tray had your traditional Americana breakfast that you would find at a roadside diner that you stop at during a long road trip. There was a cup of chocolate milk that had a plastic seal on top with the school’s logo.

“Let’s go to the others!” Percy said. We both walked out of the supermarket. I followed Percy as he walked through the mostly empty tables. I could start to feel myself getting nervous even if there was nothing to worry about. In the corner of the hall was a table. There was Connor, Archie who sat close to his protector. Next to Archie was a girl who hung her head down. She had dark brown hair and, despite it being the weekend, wore the school’s uniform.

“Morning, sleep heads!” Percy announced to the table.

“Percival, my head hurts!” Connor groaned.

“Hi…” Archie muttered to Percy. Archie turned to me but then looked away quickly. The girl who sat next to Archie nodded but didn’t look up. She chewed on a small cookie. Archie would lean over at her and whisper something in her ear. She made an attempt at smiling but it would revert back to her somber expression.

“Vinny, why don’t you sit next to Connor? Yeah?” Percy said with a smirk on his face. Fuck, this is his way of getting us to sit closer. Connor scooted himself and his tray of food over. I took my seat next to him, placing my tray on the dark oak table.

“That’s a breakfast!” Connor said, looking at my tray.

“I’m hungry.” I replied.

“Right!” Percy piped up. “Vinny, this is Dorian Arthfael. Dorian, this is Vincent.” Percy spoke to the shy girl.

She looked up at me with her dark brown eyes. Behind them was a lingering feeling of sadness. Just by looking at her, I felt depressed. I could tell that she’s been through something. Using this, I made sure to give her a warm smile.

“Hi.” Dorian muttered out.

“Hi.” I replied. She turned her head back down and stared at her tray of food. Archie rubbed her back softly.

“Don’t ask.” Percy whispered in my ear.

“So, Connor, tell us about Montana.” Connor told me.

“Wisconsin. And, it’s fine. It has everything I need so I have nothing to complain about.” I said.

“Oh, you’re from Wisconsin. I’m sorry about the governor.” Percy said.

“It’s fine.” I said. “ We thought we could try to stop that party from winning. But at last, we’re just teens who aren’t old enough to vote.“ I said.

“Still, it must suck. My dad told me about him. That guy sounds like an asshole.” Percy said.

“You know Senator Montclair?” I asked Percy.

“Sure do. My family comes from a long line of aristocrats. I know most of the government officials in the US. Some of them came to my babyshower. Perks of having a dad in politics.” Percy said.

“Don’t get cocky, Percy.” Connor said to Percy. “Don’t forget that your dad hasn’t beat the lizard allegations.” Connor teased. Both Archie and Dorian, who have been silent throughout the entire conversation, let out a small snicker.

“Dude! I FaceTimed you with my dad! I gave you an up close look at his eyes to prove he wasn’t a lizard! What more do you want?!” Percy said.

“Give him a cricket and see if he eats it.” I said, spouting the first thing that came into my head. This made Connor, Dorian, and Archie let out chuckles with Percy’s red face made us laugh even more.

After we calmed down, I began to dig into my food with Percy and Connor asked me questions about my life. It was hard to explain the concept of public school, food stamps, and the fact that we don’t ship in ice from the north pole to put in our drinks. Though, part of me wonders if they’ll ever understand.

“Hey boys!” A woman called out. I turned and saw a girl standing in front us. She had one of her hands on his hip with the other down against her body. She stood in a contrapposto position. Her wavy brown hair was down to her sides and extended past her shoulder. Her blue siren eyes pierced directly at me. She wore something similar to the school uniform. But she didn’t wear a brown blazer and opted for just a white button up and skirt.

However, the part that grabbed my attention was her chest. She had unbuttoned her shirt just low enough for the top of her breasts to pop out. Her breasts looked like they wanted to pop out and were waiting for a small movement to burst out. Underneath, she wore a black satin bra.

“It’s too early for this, Octavia!” Percy groaned.

“Awe, lighten up, Percy! Besides, I need to look my best for the new guy.” Octavia said. She placed her hands on the table and leaned forward. Her breasts hung downwards. It’s clear that she was teasing me. “So it’s true. Mr. Cheesehead is a cutie.” She said.

“Mr. Cheesehead?” I asked.

“It’s a nickname going around. It’ll die soon!” Connor told me. “Octavia, button those things up. We’re trying to eat.”

“Just let me flirt with him for a bit. What do you say, Vincent? Want to come with me to the library and catch up on some sex education?” She asked, licking her lips.

“Listen, Octavia. First of all, he’s gay. He isn’t interested in female breasts but male breasts. Second, it’s literally 9! Why don’t you sit down and have an apple!” Percy said. Connor got the apple from his tray of food and slid it to her.

Octavia huffed but obeyed and buttoned herself up. “Fine!” She muttered. She grabbed the apple and sat next to Dorian and she chewed on her apple.

“Octavia Hawthorne!” Percy informed me.

“Nice to meet you!” I said, holding out my hand.

“Pleasure.” Octavia said. She looked at me while shaking my hand. Her soft hands had sharp nails contrasted with each other. “Hmm. Yeah, he does look like Connor’s type!” She said.

“Wha- Connor and I aren’t- That’s- Fuck! What makes you think- that?” I stuttered out.

“Well, for one, Mr. Cheesehead, I heard about your lingering eyes. And second, Mr. Devonshire hasn’t stopped looking at you.” Octavia said. I slowly turned my head to Connor. He was, indeed, looking at me.

“Can’t help it.” Connor said.

“That doesn’t mean anything! It’s not like we’re going to date anytime soon.” I said.

“I’m betting a lot on you two getting together. Just like Dorian and Archie.” Octavia said. Both Dorian and Archie, who had been listening to our conversation, turned red and faced away from us. Now that I see it, those two do look great together.

I spent the next hour catching up with all these new people. From what I am able to understand, these five people have been friends ever since they entered Auburn. What they have in common, I am yet to understand? But there is something that drives these five different people together.

Both Archie and Dorian were mostly closed off. And from what I learned in AP Psychology in my old school, it’s usually a sign of trauma sustained at a young age. Archie was reserved and kept to himself while Dorian had a sad look but looked like she wanted to join into the conversation. But it seemed like she just couldn’t speak up. Octavia was a normal person. She did make some sexual innuendos, plenty of them that she sporadically interpolated into our chatter. Percy was also how I remembered him yesterday, sort of having a ‘who cares?’ attitude. And Connor spoke sometimes with a witty comment but just spent his time either eating his food or stealing glances at me.

Of course Connor’s glances sent shivers up my spine. I welcomed him to look at me. Even if I was the more hideous person on the planet, I’d still let someone admire my beauty that captivated them.

The atmosphere dropped in the room when all chatter stopped in the dining hall. Everyone’s eyes turned to the entrance. I turned my eyes there too and saw a woman standing there. Behind her was a guy to her right and another to her left.

“Oh shit!” Percy muttered.

“What? Who are they?” I asked.

The woman in the center scoured the room until her eyes landed on me. I could see her eyes sharpen as she began to walk towards me with her two men behind her. They walked with elegance, their aura emanating authority.

“It’s the Student Council President.” Percy whispered.

The President now stood in front of our table as she looked at me. And I’m left to wonder if she’s going to welcome me with open arms or with a bite of venom.

3: Oedipus

CHAPTER 3:

OEDIPUS

Connor Devonshire

The President herself stood near our table. It’s clear that she’s here to greet our school’s newest student. But based on her look, I’m wondering if her welcome will be sincere. 

She stood near our table. Despite being around 5’7, her entire demeanor scares everyone. Her jet black was straightened down and perfectly combed. Oh her head was a small headband that was encrusted with ivory pearls that outshined every other jewels. And her green serpent eyes pierced through anyone’s soul.

“Vincent Florence.” The President spoke, her tone jolting all of us. “I see you’re getting well adjusted to our school.” She said.

Vinny didn’t say anything. I placed my hand on his thigh under the table to calm him down. It seemed to work a bit, and it did calm him down a bit. But in the end, he was still nervous.

“I guess I should introduce myself. I am your student council president, Sarah Barrington. Behind me are other members of the council.”

She singled behind her, where the other two guys were at. 

“Student council vice-president, Preston Cambell Worthington.” She signaled to a guy who was taller than her. He had pale skin and curly black hair and the most wicked blue eyes that blended more closely to gray. “And student council secretary, Benedict Sullivan Kensington.” Sarah signaled to the other guy behind her. This guy had a bit of a tan on his skin. He had brown eyes and straight black hair passed his ears and draped down. 

It was silent after she introduced herself and her friends. I don’t have much experience with Sarah because we never interact. I only had a small conversation with Preston, which was years ago that I doubt he even remembers. Benedict is another story. We were cordial at one point but he began to get involved with the whole student council business, it was as if I never existed to him. 

“I hope that you enjoy your time here at Auburn Brights Academy. But I just want us to be clear about one thing.” Sarah lunged forward across that table. Her hands gripped onto Vinny’s collar and pulled him forward until the two were face to face.

Vinny was shocked as his eyes widened. He was staring into the eyes of the devil herself. Sarah’s serpent-like eyes stared into Vinny’s soul and was searching for his weakness.

“You’re nothing here. Just a waste of space. You should be grateful that our money is funding your scholarship. So sit here. Eat your food from the card we pay for. And walk to class through the halls we pay to upkeep. And enjoy the amenities that we fund. But no matter what: You’ll always be nothing but a food-stamp using–hand me down wearing–future drug dealer scum.” Sarah said. 

I shivered upon hearing her words. Her family comes from a line of lawyers. So Sarah has a sharp tongue and uses it when it’s to her advantage, either to win an argument or to put others down. 

“Uhh…” Vinny muttered out but he couldn’t say a word. Sarah smirked and brought her other hand to his face, running her acrylic nails onto his face and pressing in deep.

“You understand, right?” She cooed at him. She looked at his outfit and let out a short chortle. “Try as much as you can to fit in. Everywhere you go, you’ll never be one of us!” Sarah pushed Vinny back and loosened her grip on his shirt and sweater. 

“All done?” Preston Worthington asked Sarah.

“Let’s go.” Sarah commanded. I saw Benedict Kensington pull out a small tube of hand sanitizer and gave a small squirt to Sarah. 

We were all quiet, as so was the rest of the dining hall. Everyone watched as Sarah and her goons walked out of the outdoor dining hall and into the grand dining hall. They were out of sight but their influence had drastically lowered the mood here. The sour gloom permeated deeply onto all of our psyche. Many of the patrons turned their heads and looked at Vinny. Vinny was sitting back and had a blank look on his face.

“What are you all staring at?!” Octavia yelled to the whole dining room. People quickly turned away. I rubbed Vinny’s back while Percy tried to get Vinny to drink some water.

“Don’t let what she said get to you. You belong here just as much as we do.” Percy said.

“But she’s right.” Vinny muttered in a defeated tone. “I don’t have money to my name. I’m just leeching off all the other kids who actually pay and contribute to this school.”

“So what? There’s tons of assholes who go here that don’t deserve to!” Percy said. 

“Y-Yeah!” Archie spoke up. I turned to Archie with a shocked expression. “Y-You got in either way! That should mean something!” Archie spoke up, the first time he’s ever said something to Vinny. 

Vinny smiled at Archie. “I guess you’re right.” Vinny said in a more boisterous tone. 

“I think we’ve had enough drama for this morning! Let’s ditch this place!” Octavia said. We all agreed and stood up, leaving our trays behind. Vinny wanted to help put the trays away but we had to forcefully tell him that people do that for us and they’re paid to do it.

We quickly exited the dining hall until we reached the grand hallway. 

“Okay, losers. First thing on the agenda is to get Vinny’s books and classes! Archie, want to lead the way?” Percy said.

Archie let out a small nod and began marching down the hall, with Dorian in tow. Octavia walked up to Dorian and the two talked in their usual hushed conversations. I walked alongside Vinny while Percy walked behind us. 

“Is the student council always so… draconian?” Vinny asked. 

“Only when they’re in the presence of anyone who isn’t on the council, which is rare. They usually only make appearances when they have announcements regarding activities. I’m guessing the president just wants to see the new kids who just transferred.” I explained.

“Before my mom dropped me off here, she told me about how I wouldn’t be accepted because of my status and that everyone will always look down on me. I expected it but didn’t know it would happen so suddenly and so upfront.” Vinny said.

“Unfortunately that’s how it is here. People tend to be upfront about things and make their disdain obvious. However, they aren’t immune to reproach. Most of these people here are just as flawed as you are, most of them worse.” I said.

“Like?” Vinny asked.

“Frederick Dupont. Third year class. It was discovered that he once crashed his new car into a small hut on a trip to Egypt. He killed a whole family and the result was that his family was banned from the country. His dad was there for business negotiation. They almost lost all their money but bounced back.” I explained to Vinny.

“Yikes! And I thought I was an outcast because I wore H&M.” Vinny chuckled. 

“What’s H&M?” Percy asked from behind us. 

“Hey, Connor!” Octavia spoke up from in front of us. “Do you think the Peace Corps are doing their gun show again this year?” She asked.

“Tavia, we talked about this. Don’t flirt with those guys! Everyone knows that they’re not the most caring individuals.” I said.

“But they’re so attractive! I know they do some fucked up shit. But I’d still let them have their way with me.” Octavia said as I saw her face blushing.

“What is the Peace Corps?” Vinny asked.

Percy jumped forward, squeezing his way between me and Vinny. “The Peace Corps are a group of guys. They’re basically like officers who are trained to patrol the school. They follow the command of Milton Livington, the student council peace corps commander. He sort of commands all the students to behave accordingly.”

“And if the students don’t obey?” Vinny asked with a tremble in his voice. 

“They take you to the dungeons, silly!” Percy lightly punched Vinny on the shoulder. But then his tone became serious. “No, but actually, you don’t want to go there. I’ve heard that it’s worse than going to New Jersey.”

After a few more minutes of walking, we reached the dean’s office. Luckily, her assistant was there who handed us the schedule. 

“Alright, you have first, second, fourth, and sixth with Connor.” Percy began to read off Vinny’s schedule. “I have you with me for third and eighth. And you have Archie and Dorian for seventh.”

“And what about me?” Octavia asked.

“I didn’t mention you because I didn’t know if you even attended class.” Percy replied. “You two are together for homeroom and fifth.” 

“Finally!” Octavia groaned. “Now I have someone to talk to.”

Next was Connor’s books. He didn’t bring a book bag, but luckily Archie had brought his. There were about five thick books, four thinner ones, and two magazines needed for other classes. 

“Have you read any of these books?” I asked Vinny.

“I’ve read The Lord of The Flies and The Metamorphosis.” Vinny said.

“Good because we have a test on The Lord of The Flies in two weeks.” I replied. 

“Next is clothes, right?” Octavia asked. Percy confirmed this. “Then let’s head over to the student store.”

After walking through the campus to the first floor of the north wing, the sign of the student store showed that it was open. All of us entered and passed through the aisles of school supplies and technology that included MacBooks and the newest iPhone. 

“Uniform sizing.” Vinny read the sign. “So I guess I go through there and get fitted?” He asked as he pointed to the burgundy curtains that led into the dressing room.

“Go ahead! We’ll wait for you!” Percy said. I watched as Vinny hyped himself up as he clenched his fist. 

“‘Kay! I’ll be right back.” Vinny said as he entered through the curtain. Percy and Ocativia walked off and were looking at some personal care items they wanted for their routine. I watched as Archie and Dorian went over to an aisle that had some earphones and the two chattered with each other silently. Meanwhile, I sat back and sent a few quick texts to my older brothers and asked about their morning.

I felt someone tugging at my sweater sleeve. I turned to my left and saw Archie standing next to me, looking up at me with his huge dark brown eyes.

“Everything okay, Archie?” I asked.

“I-I’m good.” He muttered. “Dorian is listening to music.” His soft voice spoke.

“Alright. You can join me while I wait for Vinny.” I said. Archie leaned next to me as he stared forward. “What do you think of Vincent?” I asked Archie.

“Me? I think he seems nice.” He muttered out. “He hasn’t m-made fun of me yet.”

“You need to stop thinking that every person is going to pick on you. Vincent is a nice person and I’m sure you’ll warm up to him.” I reminded Archie.

“Okay.” Archie said. “Do you like him?” He asked. 

I had a small smirk on my face. “Too early to call. He’s definitely attractive and someone I could see myself being with.” I replied, acknowledging my developing feeling out loud. 

Our conversation continued on lightly until the curtain opened and out walked Vinny wearing the school attire. 

“What do you think?” Vinny asked with a large smile on his face. He wore the school’s uniform, which were black slacks, a white button up, and a dark brown blazer over it. He also had on Oxford shoes and his dark brown hair had been combed lightly.

Percy let out a whistle. Octavia made her lustfulness known loudly. Dorian looked up then down and gave a shy nod. Archie held out a thumbs up. 

“It’s perfect!” I said loudly.

“I can’t wait to wear this on the first day of class!” Vincent said. He had a smile on his face while I made sure to take in as much of his look as possible.

“Wait? How are you paying for this?” Percy asked.

“They told me it comes free with my scholarship, just like the food card and books.” Vincent replied.

“How many outfits are you taking?” I asked.

“I asked for seven because you can never be too certain. That should be enough.” 

“Well then let’s stop sitting around and get these to your room. It’s almost lunch and I’ve built up an appetite.” Octavia replied. Vincent entered the dressing room and returned out with his former attire. He also had four large black bags with the school’s seal on it. 

“Anyone want to help a guy out?” Vinny asked while struggling to carry the bags. I walked over and grabbed two of them. “I guess chivalry isn’t dead.” He muttered.

Vincent and I walked back to his room and dropped off his uniform and books into his room. Meanwhile, the others went to the dining hall at our table in the corner and got some food for us. After we dropped the bags in Vinny’s room and were walking back, I could feel his eyes on me.

“I can see you staring at me.” I said.

“Sorry.” He muttered. “How come you aren’t back at home?” He asked.

“Meaning?” I asked back.

“I overheard the dressers talking about how they look forward to the weekend because many kids go home to visit their family and come back on Sunday night. But you and all your friends are here? Why?” Vincent asked.

“I don’t want to get too much into it,” I said. “But we all don’t exactly have the best homelife or best relationship with our parents.” I replied.

“How’s your relationship with your parents, if you don’t mind me asking.” Vinny said.

“My dad was a macho-man. He was hard on us but maybe a little too hard. And my mom was barely around to provide some motherly love. My four older brothers grew up to be like dad but I’m still conflicted if I want to be like my dad to please him or be the exact opposite.” I explained. 

“Wow, I’m sorry about that.” Vinny said. “I only had my mom growing up. But I couldn’t imagine having both parents and them still being emotionally absent.” Vinny’s words did hit me deep. But I didn’t show it and just pushed it down. 

We entered the grand dining hall but skipped it and jetted straight towards our table. I looked up and saw the luxuriant vines that hung down from the ceiling and casted a soft shadow onto the patrons below. In the corner of the hall was our group of friends, with Percy standing up and signaling us over.

As both of us arrived at the table, there were several trays of food and some snacks that the group has purchased from the shop.

“Thank God you’re here! We were just arguing if Oedipus is actually at fault or if he was just the product of what the Oracle told him.” Percy said. 

“What are the positions?” I asked.

“Octavia and Archie believe that it’s Oedipus’ fault that he killed his father and married his mother. Meanwhile, both me and Dorian believe that it’s the fault of the Oracle who planted the seed and caused it all to happen.” Percy explained.

“How are you going to blame the oracle! All they did was tell Oedipus’ parents what was going to happen, not that they were going to make it happen!” Octavia responded.

“I’m staying out of this!” I replied. 

“Fine! You then, Vincent! What’s your position!” Octavia pointed to Vinny as he stood still upon being called on.

“Me? Uhh…” Vinny stuttered out. 

“Don’t forget who was the one that showed you around school.” Percy muttered to Vinny.

Vinny sat thinking for a while while we all sat in a pregnant pause, waiting for his consensus. 

“I blame Cadmus.” Vinny replied. Everyone had a shocked look on their face, since he chose an option not on the table.

“Explain.” Archie muttered out.

“Well, you’re all blaming Oedipus and his parents but have you all stopped to think why that happened. Don’t forget, Cadmus was the one who killed that dragon and caused him and his family to get cursed by Ares.” Vinny said.

“But why are you choosing to blame a past ancestor for the actions of their descendants? Doesn’t that seem dishonest?” Percy asked.

“Well, not exactly. Like I said, Cadmus killed the dragon that belonged to Ares. Need I remind you all of some other descendants of Cadmus that had horrible fates, such as Actaeon, who was turned into a deer and killed by his own hunting dogs. Or Semele who was obliterated by Zeus. Or Niobe who had all her kids murdered by Apollo and Artemis. Even Megara, the first wife of Heracles, whom she was murdered by after Hera drove him mad. I’m just saying: That family has had many tragedies and they all stem from one person.” Vinny ended his argument by taking a small sip of a water bottle. 

Tavia let out a small chuckle. “Interesting. Did not see that coming.” She said. 

“That… seems like a reasonable explanation. Blaming everything on the past actions of another is not something I would’ve figured out. I approve .” I said, making the word approve more emphasized.

“Hmm.” Percy said in a skeptical manner. We both gave each other reassuring glances.

Interesting… interesting indeed.

“I think you’ll do great in Literature class.” I said.

“Some advice, Vinny,” Percy said. “Connor is known to be a bit… disputatious. Everyone knows that he’ll argue with anyone about any book. So when he gets fussy in class, don’t try to calm him down. He knows what he’s doing.” He warned Vinny.

“Oh, really? I look forward to seeing your discourse with our professor.” Vinny said.

“And I look forward to your in-depth analysis.” I replied.

“Enough flirting, you two! Get a room, why don’t you!” Octavia said. “But if you wouldn’t mind letting me watch…” 

“Maybe it should be you getting a room, Tavia. You seem a bit… animated.” Percy said.

The two started a bit of arguing. I sat back and gleefully watched. I saw out of the corner of my eye Vinny as he eyes the snacks.

“Get one.” I said.

“But I don’t have any money. How will I pay them back?” He asked.

“Vinny– You seem to have forgotten where you attend. A $3 bag of chips is nothing to any of us. You don’t have to pay anyone back. Just eat.” I said.

Vinny looked at the pile of snacks until he reached forward and grabbed one. I turned to Archie and Dorian as the two continued to whisper into each other’s ear softly. And then there was Percy and Octavia, who continued their small argument. 

“I’m nervous for class.” Vinny told me.

“You’ll be fine. You have at least one of us in each class. But also try to avoid the student council. You’ve already been acquainted with Sarah, and the rest are just as bad as her.” 

“Why do you think her middle name is Seraphina?” Percy said. “She’s exactly like a serpent.” 

“Her parents sure knew what they were doing when they named her that.” I muttered.

“Do you all always meet here or is there another hang out spot?” Vinny asked.

We all looked at each other and said nothing. We communicated with our eyes. Dorian had a look of confirmation, and so did Archie. However, Octavia and Percy were still skeptical. The rule is that every person must give an approval.

So for now, it’s a no.

“Just here. Sometimes we walk around the courtyard. But it’ll be autumn soon so we’ll stick to the warm inside.” I replied.

Vinny had a curious look on his face, considering the fact that we all just spent a few seconds looking at each other and ignoring his existence. But he didn’t prod any further for information. 

“To Vinny.” Percy said, holding out a cup of orange juice. “May he spoil in the academy’s riches and become one of us.” 

“To Vinny!” The rest of us said except for Vinny. He also held up a small water bottle. There was a glistening smile on his face that showed all I needed to know that he’s different. He isn’t like the other students. He isn’t like my friends. He’s– different. 

And as Night came, when we all were in our dormitories and getting ready to sleep, there was a ring on my phone. I looked and saw a text on our group chat.

Emergency Meeting Now! Archie texted. 

And I slipped on my shoes and sweater, I peeked into the peephole that I shared with Vinny’s room. He was asleep and laid motionless on his bed.

“Sleep tight.” I muttered 

I grabbed my pin from a hidden compartment and walked out of my dormitory and into the dark hallways. And I walked off into the Night and away from the eyes of the academy.

4: Promenade

CHAPTER 4:

PROMENADE

Vincent Florence

By the time it was 7 am, two hours before class started, I was already dressed and ready to go. I took a quick shower and did my hair as best as I could. I decided to button up my blazer to make myself feel a bit thinner. I had my necessary books in my bookbag and draped it over my shoulder.

I knocked on the wall that I adjoined with Connor, knocking a few feathered taps.

“Connor…” I whispered. “Are you awake?” I asked.

“No.” He replied. “Of course I am. What do you need?” He asked.

“Well, I’m ready and I’m bored.” I said.

“Wait a few more minutes. We’ll go get breakfast. Just… chill.” Connor said. I sat back at my desk and texted my mom.

‘Mom! It’s my first day of class!’ I texted.

‘Are you and your friends going to eat? Don’t forget to eat breakfast!’ She texted back.

‘We’re going to the dining hall soon!’

‘Perfect! Good luck, Vinny. Do great things!’ Mom texted.

‘I will!’ I replied and turned off my phone. Right on queue, there was a knock on the wall I share with Connor.

“Hey Vinny! You ready? Let’s go!” Connor yelled through the wall. I jumped up and headed straight for the door and opened it. I encountered Connor who had just finished leaving his dorm alongside me. Connor scanned my body and then did a double take, this time his eyes lingering on me much longer

“You okay there?” I asked.

“I am now.” Connor muttered. “Come with me. We’ll meet the others down there and eat before class starts.” Connor said. I quickly followed him behind and the two of us walked through the dorm wing and into the main hallway.

This time unlike the past two days I’ve been here, the halls were a bit more populated. I ran into more students here and, while many didn’t seem to care about someone like me, some did take glances at me.

“Am I popular?” I asked Connor.

“No. You’re only popular if you’re on the student council. You have notoriety because you’re the first p-” He stopped himself. “You’re the first… lower class person to attend this school since its inception.”

“Because I feel like everyone is looking at me. Is there hazing at this school? Am I going to be drenched in water or be stripped naked?” I asked.

“Not that I can recall, no, there isn’t any hazing here. The Peace Corps officers will be around and I’d doubt they allow something like that. But… seeing as how the president doesn’t like you… I wouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch.” Connor warned me.

We walked down the steps and I once again saw the three girls I saw a while back. They were talking with each other and I decided not to acknowledge them. The dining hall was more full this time. Many of the tables were taken up with groups of people who were all being served their meals.

The other dining room from yesterday, which Conner informed me was called the Ivy Hall, was opened and was populated sparsely. Connor and I got our breakfast and walked to our table where Dorian sat alone.

“Hey, Dorian!” Connor greeted her. She looked up and gave him a smile.

“Hi.” I greeted her too with a small smile. She looked up and returned the small smile and quickly looked back down. Dorian reached into her backpack and pulled out a folder and handed it to Connor.

“Oh, you finished your part? Alright, I’ll add them together and submit it.” Connor said. I looked at the folder. “It’s for our Business class. We’re working together.” Connor informed me.

The rest of the others came. Percy walked in and was followed by a little Archie, who was walking quickly behind him. And then Octavia walked in with her shirt unbuttoned.

“Why is your blazer buttoned up?” Octavia asked.

“Well, I figured it looked nice.” I replied.

“It’s August right now. It’s not time to button up your blazer. If you keep it like that, expect people to talk. Just a warning.” She said as she sat in her seat. I unbuttoned my blazer quickly.

“Okay, duckies!” Percy said. “Let’s go over what we’re doing. Tavia: You’re taking him to homeroom. Connor: You’ll take him along with you during first and second. I have him for third. Then Vincent will go again with Connor during fourth. After fourth, we have lunch so you all better show up! Octavia: You’re fifth. Then back to Connor for sixth. Seventh will be Archie and Dorian. And I’ll be with him for the last class! Everyone got that!” Percy asked the group.

“Uh…” I said.

“Got it!” Connor said.

“Understood!” Octavia replied.

We all returned to eating. Connor and Percy both let me in on some things I need to know regarding certain teachers and how they are. I also learned about the routes we’ll be taking and how to best remember them since the school can be large.

We then went over where to meet who. Luckily, my schedule is easy to adapt to since all I have to do is walk a bit to reach each person, where soon we’d go to class.

On the speakers that were above us, the sound of a deep bell rang seven times. As soon as the ringing stopped, everyone in the dining hall got up and began to walk out.

“That’s the warning bell. Class is starting. Octavia! It’s go time!” Percy said.

“Yes sir!” Octavia said. She grabbed my hand. “Come on, Vincent. Homeroom is waiting!” She began to lead me away. I turned and saw Connor giving me a thumbs up.

Octavia was very agile and maneuvered through the concentrated crowd quickly. She grabbed my wrist tightly and didn’t let go. We walked up a set of stairs and entered the second floor of the southern wing of the school. We passed through other classrooms that were open.

“Up ahead!” She told me. We approached a classroom and walked into it. The layout of the room wasn’t like a normal classroom but resembled a lecture hall, with terraces that go up and the bottom center being where the professor sat.

“You must be Vincent Florence.” A voice called out to me. I turned and saw a thin woman with straightened brown hair that went past her shoulders. She had on the biggest round glasses, to the point that her pupils looked bug-eyed. Her attire screamed professor in need of a break.

“Yes, that’s me.” I replied.

“Welcome to Homeroom. You’ll sort of just sit here during announcements for thirty minutes. Then you’ll be off to first period.” The teacher explained.

“Understood.” I replied. Octavia began to drag me up the steps on the lecture hall until we reached the top floor. We sat on the right edge of the classroom and watched the rest of the students pile in.

“This is Mrs. Martin. She’s an astronomy teacher. Pretty relaxed.” Octavia explained.

After a few minutes, in which most of the lecture hall was occupied, the seven bells rang through the speakers and the front door was closed and locked.

“If you’re late to class, don’t even bother showing up.” Octavia said to me. Everyone in the class was talking to one another while Mrs. Martin organized some papers on her desk. After a few short minutes in which Octavia and I discussed our Zodiac signs, the speaker once again came on.

“Gooooooooddd Morning, Auburn Academy!” A chipper female voice came on the speaker. I saw Octavia roll her eyes. “Welcome to the fourth week of class! I hope you all had an amazing weekend! I am your host: Student Council Public Relations member, Thomasina Watson Norrington!”

Okay, so another student council member. So far, I’ve heard of the president, Sarah Barrington; vice-president, Preston Worthington; secretary, Benedict Kensington; peace corps commander, Milton Livington; and public relations, Thomasina Norrington.

“We have a few things on the agenda today! Firstly, the town’s harvest festival will be hosted in two weeks. The Garden Club would like to extend their offer for volunteers to help with their harvesting crop! So all you green thumbs out there: Join in the fun! Second, our head of the English department will be hosting office hours starting Wednesday for seniors who need extra preparations for their SAT’s.

“Next on our agenda comes from our student council Peace Corps Commander, Milton Livington. He would like to remind all students to stay clear of the north-west wing of the school until repairs are completed. And for our last announcement, I, along on the behalf of the student council, would like to welcome to Auburn Brights Academy- Vincent Florence! Our first scholarship student in this academy’s history! Be sure to give him a welcome! That’s all that we have for today! Until tomorrow! See ya!” The speaker turned off.

I noticed a few classmates gave me looks. Not of hatred or disgust, but indifference.

“Don’t freak out, Vinny! Just keep your head down and you’ll be good!” Tavia reminded me. I spent the rest of the period just thinking back and forth about whether or not everyone here wants to kill me.

When the seven chimes rang out, everyone exited the classroom. Octavia walked alongside me until we reached an intersecting hallway. Octavia waited around until I could see the head of Connor through the sea of students. He walked towards me and took me from Octavia.

“How was homeroom?” Connor asked.

“It was good. Nothing bad happened.” I said.

“Alright then. Next we have marine biology, so prepare for that.” Connor said. We walked to the first floor and to the back of the school. We entered a building that looked a little more modern that differed from the brown and stone from the normal school. Inside was a large lab.

As we entered, everyone was instructed to grab a lab coat, goggles, and gloves. Connor directed me to a bench fit for two people. We set our book bags under our tables and went to put our coats on. Once the seven bells chimed and the class was locked, a young woman walked out from a door located at the front.

“Good morning, student!” She said while putting on her yellow gloves.

“Good morning, Ms. Brown!” All the students said.

“I was informed by the headmistress of a new student!” Her eyes scanned the classroom until they landed on me. “You!” She pointed at me. “Please introduce yourself.”

My worst fear came true. All eyes were on me. Connor gave me a reassuring smile.

“My name is Vincent Florence. I’m from Wisconsin.” I said. Luckily, it doesn’t seem that Ms. Brown is interested in hearing more and continued with her lecture.

Connor helped me along the way. Our assignment for the day was observing microscopic phytoplanktons under a microscope and identifying where the water came from based on the organisms. I had a phase when I was in middle school where I was obsessed with all things ocean related, so this class was entertaining for me.

The bell rang for the next class, which I had with Connor. Both of us quickly put away our materials and grabbed our book bags and left the building and back into the main campus. We throttled around, or more specifically, I followed Connor as he guided me to the next class.

Finally, after walking up two flights of stairs and through a sparsely packed hallway, we reached our destination. It was just like the other classroom doors, with an unappealing dark oak door that led to the room inside.

“Welcome to Mr. Quinn’s calculus class!” Connor jovially announced as we both entered.

“Mr. Devonshire, just sit down!” A voice said. I turned around and saw at the front desk was an elderly man with a large white beard. His gerbil eyes were small and wicked with a pair of small round glasses covering them.

“Ass.” Connor muttered. “Let’s take our sets.” Connor said, leading me up through the lecture hall. He took a seat in the back row on the side.

Calculus was an okay class. Math has never been my strongest suit, but I am still able to absorb enough knowledge to where I can succeed. Connor would doodle on his paper and not listen to the professor. I had to nudge his shoulder a few times when the professor was going over a new question.

It was time for third period. Connor walked me down the hall until I spotted the familiar blonde-haired boy. Percy was excited to see me. I said a final goodbye to Connor, who looked like he didn’t want to see me go. But I still left with Percy to third class, Sculpting, and sat my time out until it was time for the next class.

There was nothing interesting about fourth period. According to my schedule, it was a German language class. Luckily, the class was at a tyro level, so a novice like me in another language would be able to catch up. Connor seemed to already know German, but according to him, he was still required to sit through this class as the school does not take into account his current knowledge.

Finally, it was lunch time. It’s only been four classes and I already want to take a nap. Both Connor and I made our way to the Ivy Hall and took our seat in the back. I was told that Archie and Percy were choosing lunch today, which they do on a cycle.

“What do you think of the school so far?” Connor asked.

“It’s… packed.” I replied.

“Is that good or bad?” He asked.

“Well, compared to my old school which, the furthest math they had was Algebra 2, is far more advanced. Overall, I would say I do indeed enjoy the classes so far. And the teachers are interesting.” I said.

Octavia and Dorian made it to the table. The two chatted with us and Octavia asked me about my day.

“I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that fifth is pretty relaxed. The professor doesn’t really hand out work and most of his students take naps.” Octavia said.

“Lucky bitch.” Connor muttered.

Luckily, that class is a God-send. Because I was able to restore my battery with a one hour nap. I did wake up in between because Octavia would make weird remarks and I’m sure I heard her taking pictures of me sleeping. What she does with those pictures, I guess we’ll never know. But it’s not my business.

Sixth period was with Connor for literature class. But the teacher wasn’t here today, so the two of us just relaxed.

The most awkward class had to have been seventh period. I was with the mutes: Archie and Dorian. Archie has somewhat warmed up to me, but still can’t speak around me unless Connor is around me. As for Dorian, it would seem that she in general has a fear for all men. When we would pass a group of males, she would shy away and walk along the wall, with Archie forming a barrier between them.

I’m not one to judge her actions, because I myself am flawed as a person. It would only take God to make assumptions from someone who I’ve never spoken to. And thus, it is not in my place to decide what she may have gone through.

And finally, the day came to close with eighth period, where Percy and I had a coding class. This to me was my most boring class, since coding isn’t my favorite thing to do. I instead played solitaire on the computer when the teacher wasn’t looking.

The group decided to meet after school. All of us gathered at the bottom of the grand staircase.

“We’re going to go promenade! Join us.” Connor said.

“Why?” I asked.

“The school is the best when all the students are in their clubs or taking siestas!” He said. I ended up agreeing because despite my exhaustion and the homework I was given on the first day, I figured that spending time with these guys was a good way to relax.

We made a pit stop at a store and got some snacks. Afterwards, we walked alongside a stone path on the side of the school. We all had discussions and I was asked about some of my classes. I felt my phone ringing and saw it was my mom calling me.

“My mom is calling! I’ll be back!” I announced to the group.

I walked towards a bush and answered her call.

“Hi, mom!” I said.

“Hey Vinny! How was class?” She asked.

“It was good!” I said. “They’re kind of hard but I think I’ll be able to do this!”

“That’s good! Some of your friends from here came by earlier to ask how you were doing. They miss you!”

“I miss them too!” I replied.

“Have you made any new friends?” She asked.

“I have. They’re really nice people. I wish you could meet them.” I said.

“Knowing your taste, I bet they’re the most strangest people.” Mom chuckled.

I felt a pair of hands on my shoulder. “That’s not true.” The person said.

I jumped back and turned to see Connor there. “Jesus-fucking-Christ!” I exclaimed. Connor had a handsome smirk on his face.

“Vinny! Who’s there!? Vinny?!” Mom spoke on the phone. I muted myself on the call and turned to Connor.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“The group is watching two ladybugs fucking on a leaf. I wanted to hear your voice.” Connor said.

“My mom is on the phone!” I said.

“I guess I should meet her.” Connor said. I turned back to the phone call, my mom still asking where I was, and unmuted it.

“Sorry, mom. I got distracted.” I said into the phone.

“I heard another voice. Who’s there? Your friend?” Mom asked.

“Yeah. Mom, you’re on the phone with Connor Devonshire.” I said.

“The pleasure is mine, ma’am.” Connor said.

“Well, I don’t feel comfortable meeting you through a speaker. Put me on FaceTime, Vinny. I want to see your friend!” Mom said. I complied and my mom’s face was on the screen and she got a good look at Connor. “Wow, Vinny! He’s a handsome one.” She said.

“Mom, please don’t!” I pleaded.

“It’s true. Look at him! I think he’s your type.” Mom said.

“That’s quite enough, mom! Please don’t do this!” I said.

“I agree, ma’am.” Connor replied. I tried to take my phone back but Connor placed his hand on my forehead and held me away.

“Give me my phone, you Green Giant!” I said.

“So, Connor, has my Vinny been a good student? Or has he caused any trouble?” Mom asked.

“Vincent had been a very good student. But he may be up to no good soon.” Connor said with a hint of teasing in his voice.

“Well, it better be something tame like putting bleach in the laundry or hijacking the speakers.” Mom said.

“Ha ha, yeah, sure.” Connor said. I kept trying to get my phone back while Connor held it away.

“This was nice, Connor. I have to go. But if you ever have free time, come on over to Wisconsin and I’ll show you around and even cook you a nice meal.” My mom said.

“I’ll take you up on that offer in the future. Goodbye, Mrs. Florence!” Connor said.

“Goodbye, Connor! Bye, Vinny!” She hung up the phone. Connor finally removed his hand from my forehead and returned my phone.

“Ass.” I muttered. I turned and saw the group had finished watching the bugs have sex and had been watching us with smirks on their faces.

“That was interesting to watch.” Octavia said.

“The show’s over!” Connor announced. “Let’s continue with our walk.”

They all began to walk and Connor turned around and gave me a wink. I let out a small smile. Yeah, he’s a bit annoying, but he’s fun. He and the others.

I think this is going to be a good year. I’ll keep my head down and do my thing with the group until I graduate.

It’ll be easy. Surely nothing will get in the way that will interrupt that flow.

5: Golding

CHAPTER 5:

GOLDING

Vincent Florence

It has been two weeks since my first day of school. Normally, within a few days of school, I would already feel the repetition of the days. All the classes were packed with monotonous lesson plans, essays, reading, or worksheets. My once young hunger for education became stagnant when all I was given for 11 years was the same dish.

But in Auburn Brights Academy, everyday is full of something new and exciting. Sculpting class, for example, is always entertaining since our one assignment is to create a statue using clay. In marine biology, I had Connor, the debonair man who lightened up my day. Even the classes that I had with Archie and Dorian were entertaining, especially seeing the two blushing at each other.

One thing that I haven’t seen in a long time is anyone from the student council. According to Connor, the student council has their own schedule and are taught privately by teachers in the tower or after school. They spend most of their days in their tower doing council work.

As for my feelings for Connor, we’ve gotten closer everyday. Sometimes we’ll talk over the Worry Hole about random things. I’ve been in his dorm, sat on his bed, touched his sheets, and smelled his clothes (don’t question me). But I wouldn’t ask him out. Maybe not yet.

Octavia pulled on my arm as we entered our homeroom class. I was already exhausted because I woke up late. If it wasn’t for Connor who yelled at me through the hole, I probably wouldn’t have been to class. And attendance is vital in this academy.

“Good morning, Ms. Hawthorne; Mr. Florence.” The homeroom teacher, Mrs. Martin, greeted us.

“Good morning, professor!” I replied back. Octavia gave her a nod and quickly ascended to our spot in the top of the lecture hall.

Octavia pulled out some nail polish and began to paint her nails. “So are you going to ask out Connor?” She asked.

“Wha- no? I want to focus on my studies first.” I said.

“Everyone says that and proceeds to start dating a few weeks into the school year. So long as you date a smart guy, like Connor, I’m sure you’ll be fine.” She replied.

“Do you or the others have a person in mind?” I asked.

“Percy is very picky about who he wants to date. He’s in the public eye so dating someone controversial could ruin his image. Connor has a sexual tension with you. Me? I think I’m good. As for Archie and Dorian, it’s no secret they like each other.”

“Right!?” I replied. “It’s so obvious they like each other.”

“I’ve been trying to get Dorian to speak up but she is too afraid to get rejected, even though Archie himself has expressed interest. But it’s fun to see the two of them be so awkward.” Tavia said.

I was going to reply until the sound of the intercom came on and it was time for the morning announcements.

“Goooooood morning, Auburn!” Thomasina Norrington’s voice echoed through the speakers. It’s obvious that her preppy voice is a farce. No one is that chipper in the morning. “We have an important announcement, but I’ll start with the tamer ones! Firstly, the Gardening committee has asked me that the harvest festival will begin this weekend. If you miss this weekend, you still have two more weeks. Remember: All proceeds go towards the Gardening Club. Next up, the cafeteria will be offering Latin American cuisine in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Just ask for the exotic menu in the canteen and select from your favorite.”

Octavia leaned over to me. “Don’t fall for it. Some members of the student council are xenophobic and actively hate migrants, especially brown people. They’re only doing this menu thing because of some backlash they received two years ago.”

Thomasina continued her announcements. “Let’s give the Robotics team a round of applause for their great success against Royal Windsor yesterday, who beat their rivals after only three rounds. We wish them all luck as they get closer to the finals. The tailors have just announced their new line of winter clothes! Stock up before the winter comes and be able to look stylish too! Check out the new cashmere knitted sweaters and ear muffs to keep those ears of yours warm and snuggly!

“And finally for the final announcement! It is with great pleasure that I announce the start for this year’s Student Council Election! It’s election season once again here at Auburn Brights Academy! I, along with the rest of the student council, are glad to announce our re-election campaign! Anyone who wishes to run can submit their name and be on the ballot.”

I could’ve sworn I heard her say ‘Don’t bother.’ softly away from the microphone.

“Campaigns will take place for two weeks. Then the election, a three day event, will be created and everyone will have a fair chance to vote, as stated in our school’s policy. Remember, anyone can run! And if you end up not liking who won, well tough luck! Let’s make this a great election, ladies and gentlemen! See you all out there!” Thomasina ended her announcements and the click of the microphone was followed by silence.

My peers around me had defeated looks on their face, possibly from the fact that they’ll have to endure the student council again.

“If people are upset, why don’t they run themselves?” I asked Tavia.

“The student council has dirt on everyone’s family. Affairs, embezzlement, foreign scandals, the whole thing. They even have guards around the sign up sheet to keep everyone away. It’s authoritarian.” She explained.

“Sounds a lot like Russia. And we all know what happened to them.” I replied.

“We all just sort of suck it up. Yeah, the student council is greedy and pretentious, like the rest of the student body. But everyone hates them because they’re in the spotlight. Everyone else around here is just the same, the only difference is the size of their pedestal.” Tavia explained.

“Surely someone should at least try to interfere. Has anyone tried?” I asked.

Octavia had a knowing look on her face. But whatever secret she was hiding, she preferred not to say.

“There have been attempts. All of them end the same way.” She made a thumbs up and plunged it downwards, making a splat sound with her tongue.

“They die?!” I loudly said, getting the attention of others in the class.

“No, idiot! But their reputation and family’s fortune does. If you want to do something, do it in secret.”

I chose to sit on the topic for a while. The draconian ways that the council operates seems barbaric. At my old school, the student council were usually all people from different clubs. Some were popular people, others were academically smart people. And some were even placed to meet a quota, such as ethnicity and sexuality. Here, however, all power is seized by a group of individuals who can control anything inside and outside the school. Their absolute reign has surely been studied in the countless other books about the rise and fall of kingdoms and stories.

The Roman Empire, The Great Depression, Macbeth, they’re all stories of essentially being too big they fall apart from their own agendas. It’s only a matter of time before the student council will face that epic demise and see how it feels to be knocked down from their thrones in the sky.

My wandering mind kept me hurdled from normal classes. Connor noticed this and asked me if I was maybe constipated or sick. I just replied with ‘I’m fine, just thinking.’ He seemed to buy it, for now.

During lunch, the topic of the re-election came back as the main discussion.

“I have a question.” I announced. Everyone gave me the spotlight. “Do you have to vote?” I asked.

“Not really.” Connor replied. “They do act like it’s a holiday, so you don’t have classes during those three days. Most people just vote to be in the good line of the student council.”

“Do you all vote?” I asked the table.

“None of us participate. We prefer to remain somewhat neutral.” Percy said. This was followed by Octavia and Archie letting out small chuckles. Percy looked at them and gave them a look to quiet down.

“Hmm.” I said. The group continued their talking. Connor rubbed my leg and leaned into my ear.

“What’s on your mind, Vinny?” He asked.

“I don’t like any of this.” I whispered back.

“The election? It sucks, I know. But just remain calm. Everything will be fine.” He said. I gave him a smile back and he winked at me.

During sixth period, literature class with Mr. Halleran- a man who claims to be the descendant of both Ovid and Edgar Allen Poe- I finally began to pay attention to our lesson. We had been reading The Lord of the Flies and were in a socratic seminar.

“I think the descent in chaos is very reflective of how everyone can have animalistic tendencies.” Brooke McCoy said during her moment to talk.

Professor Halleran snickered at this. We all heard this. I saw Connor roll his eyes and made his distaste obvious.

“Ms. McCoy, you do realize the story is about children, right? It’s about how quickly children are able to fall into madness without the guidance of adults. The story is about how immature and undeveloped brains can easily be persuaded by those in power.” He said.

This is the most absurd reach and analysis I’ve ever heard. How is this man a literature professor? Before I even noticed, I raised my hand up to be called on.

“Mr. Florence? Care to support or refute Ms. McCoy’s statement?” The professor asked, having a look of wonder since I never raise my hand in class. His peppered hair has been styled into a bun behind his head and the strands of baby hairs on his forehead bothered me for some odd reason.

“I would like to support Brook’s statement but also refute yours.” I said. Connor placed his elbows on the table and placed his head on his hands, leaning forward to see what I was going to say.

“How so?” Professor Halleran asked.

“You claim that the depravity in this story is the result of young minds operating without guidance of an adult. Your statement in itself can be refuted with a simple glance into history.”

“Elaborate.” The professor responded.

“Let’s look at World War I and II. Both of these wars were some of the most devastating and some of the most atrocious crimes against humanity were performed on people. And these were started by adults. Unit 731, the Holocaust, the dropping of nukes on Japan, all these acts were not committed by children. If children were to have declared war, World War I would have ended with a simple timeout and spanking. The wars showed that humanity as a whole had a depraved side that, when given the resources and lack of morals and rules, can come out and be destructive.

“As Brooke said, everyone has animalistic tendencies. No human is immune to them. But we simply don’t act on them because we know they’re wrong and will hurt ourselves and others. So we stay away from them and push them away. But when you’re stuck on a deserted island with no supervision or guidance, then it can become a problem. If Lord of the Flies was instead with adults, the second half of the book would not even be allowed in academic halls.” I ended my speech.

The class remained silent until the professor cleared his throat.

“That was a very… methodical uh, conclusion, Mr. Florence.” The professor said. He is never the type to admit he’s wrong, so that’s all he said. “I think this is enough for today. Just write your final reports on the story. Use anything from this seminar for your reports if you need some help. I think we had a very informative seminar today. Class dismissed.” The professor said and returned to his seat.

Even though we still had 10 minutes left of class, everyone began to pack their items and leave the class. I packed my books away and walked out of class, waiting for Connor. He emerged from the lecture room and made his way to me.

“Did I embarrass myself? Did I piss off the professor and now he’s going to fail me? Did I just fuck up my future? Or God!” I panicked.

Connor placed his hands on my shoulder. “Relax, Vinny. You did good.” He said.

“You think so?” I asked.

“I know so. I was going to reply to the professor’s comment. But your hand just shot straight out and I wanted to see what you were going to say. But you kept your composure and didn’t stutter once. It’s like you had that planned and memorized.” He said.

“It was just in the spur of the moment. It just came to me.” I said.

“Still, you defied authority and didn’t let him make assumptions. You quite literally pulled his head out of his ass and opened his eyes. It was fucking genius!” Connor’s appraisal of me really made me warm inside.

“This coming from the man himself who talks against the professor, that means a lot, Connor.” I replied. Connor kept his hand on my shoulder and stared into my eyes.

His beautiful blue eyes were on me. His slicked back hair gave him a professional look. He looked like a man who could be both a model and successful business man. But his freckles that were scattered on his nose and cheeks brought some innocence to him. I reached up and placed my hand on his chest.

“You work out?” I asked.

“Yeah.” He replied in a deep voice that he only has when he’s concentrated on something.

“Where do you find the time?” I asked.

“My dad called the school when I first enrolled, insisting I have a period for working out. I have the weight room all to myself during third.” He explained.

“Maybe we can both go to the gym together and work out.” I said, running my hand up to his neck and feeling the warm skin and Adam’s apple.

“We’ll be alone, Vinny. Do you think that’s a good idea?” He asked.

“We’ll have to see.” I replied, my hand on the back of his neck and feeling his hair. He gulped hard, his hands rubbing my shoulders but starting to roam down my arms.

Connor licked his lips slowly, his hands grasping my arms and pulling me in closer to him. He was only 5 inches taller than me, however, he felt like a giant in front of me. My eyes scanned to where we were: In a small empty hallway with no one around. I began to lean, my breathing picking up.

As we were a few inches apart, the bell rang and all the doors in the hallway opened and the once empty corridors were now populated by waves of students. Connor and I split apart and acted as if we had just been walking alongside each other. The two of us remained silent, walking along one another as we reached through the hallways and towards the corridor where I’ll meet Archie and Dorian.

I saw the two leaning against the wall, Dorian leaning her head on Archie’s shoulder. I didn’t want to walk away without saying anything to Connor. So I turned around to meet him.

“Bye, Connor.” I said. Connor was shocked but at least a small smile came upon his face.

“Goodbye, Vinny.” He replied. I gave him a small smile and walked to the two waiting for me. Meanwhile, Connor walked away, his tall frame sticking out from the wave of people.

“Let’s go.” Archie muttered at me. He’s warming up to me, thankfully. Dorian has yet to say anything to me, but we’re at a basis where we can look at each other and smile.

It was after hours during school. Tavia, Archie, and Dorian had some project to do and were in a lecture hall. Connor had to talk with his counselor. That left me with Percy. Luckily, the two of us needed to do some research for our humanitarian class.

This was my first time in the grand library. The tall cathedral-like building stretched up into the heavens. Large French stained windows lined the walls, allowing light in the hall. Several shelves adorned the books from all continents and all times were placed methodically throughout the shelves. Percy and I stood on the second floor and were searching around.

“Just saying, the line between church and state has been dramatically blurred in recent years. Did you hear about Indiana? That place went downhill after the elections. And they aren’t the first.” Percy said, talking about our recent class.

“Religion should not be used when creating laws because it favors one belief over the other. Yet it seems that politicians forgot about that.” I replied.

I found the book I was searching for and handed it to Percy. He grabbed it and returned to our table and began to scan through the table of contents.

“I’ll be right back.” I said.

“Mhm. Sure.” Percy said without looking up. I walked through the shelves and touched the books on the shelves.

I reached a section labeled ’Auburn Archives. I walked into the section and saw the shelves were lined with books all about Auburn. Some were yearbooks. Others were speeches from important figures who gave them during graduations. And some were of the long history of the school. One that intrigued me was a book titled ‘Student Council Election Regulations’. I grabbed it and scanned through it. The thin book had several guidelines when it comes to the student council. Regulations and terms and conditions pertaining to good morals, how long the election should last, and more.

One part that grabbed my mind was pertaining to the number of seats on the council. According to the rulebook, the council should have 9 members, an odd number. However, the current student council has only 8 members. And according to the rules, there needs to be one member who focuses on student relations, which there isn’t.

I looked around and tucked the book into my bag and hid it. Seeing as how the book didn’t have a barcode, anyone can take it and the system won’t care.

I returned to Percy, who had found the chapter we needed.

“Where’d you go?” He asked.

“Just looking around.” I replied and took my seat next to Percy.

Throughout the time in the library, my mind was racked between my assignments, the student council rulebook, and my interaction with Connor. When I returned to my dorm later, I put the rulebook on my desk and began reading.

I read the entire thing and took notes about it. Now that I realize, this book was located in a sequestered spot of the library on a far shelf. Whoever put it there must have not wanted anyone to find it.

During dinner, I was my normal self, but kept thinking in the back of my mind about the student council. They must really enjoy their power if they’re willing to pull away from the student body. To the point where they remove the position that interacts with the students. And how they got away with it is a big mystery.

I knew it was time to sleep when the sun was gone and only the stars and crescent moon were in the sky. I slid the book under my mattress and began to close my eyes. But right as I was getting ready to sleep, I heard noise coming from Connor’s room.

Slowly, I got off my bed and put my ear against the Worry Hole.

“I’m telling you, after what I saw today, I know he’s a good match.” I heard Connor speaking. He must be talking on the phone.

There was some muffled talk from the other line. Whatever they said was unknown, but the voice belonged to most likely Percy.

“I’ll explain later.” Connor said. I heard his shoes walking through the carpeted floor and he opened his dorm door and walked out.

He must be going to the bathroom.

But whatever they were talking about must be a private matter. So private that I don’t even know about it.

I tried waiting for Connor to come back eventually. However, sleep overtook me and I eventually fell asleep into a dark abyss.

Hopefully I’ll find out soon what the secret is. For now, the secrets will roam the halls at night, away from prying eyes.

6: Blasphemy

CHAPTER 6:

BLASPHEMY

Connor Devonshire

My eyes remained on Vincent during all our classes. There were two reasons I was watching him. First, he’s attractive. We haven’t spoken about our moment in the hallway. Though that doesn’t mean that we want to ignore it. It seems as if that moment was a spark that lit and has slowly been growing.

Second, I need confirmation. That’s all I will say.

Election campaigns have begun to pick up. Since the student council believes they’re God, they don’t come down their tower to campaign for themselves. Instead, they hire other students who do the work for them.

No matter where you went, there was someone giving out snacks or gift cards with the person’s face plastered on a sticker. I was in the bathroom and some guy slipped me a Parisian pastry and told me to vote.

Vinny, being the ball of sunshine he is, has found a way to see the good in it. He’s been offering to take all the snacks off our hands that we don’t want. We also give him our gift cards, since none of us need them. He’s essentially just a trash can for the things we don’t want.

I sat with Archie and Tavia at our table and were dining.

“Listen, Connor. What you told us about Vinny, especially with that whole thing during literature class, it sounds like he’s a match. But I’m not yet convinced.” Tavia said.

“We accepted Percy into the group with less. Vinny has shown that he’s worthy!” I replied.

“That’s because Percy- no offense- has more worth to him. His family is famous in several social and political circles. Vinny is a kid from a random state who was lucky in the lottery to get in.” Tavia replied.

“If Vinny was rich, would you have already accepted him?” I asked.

“Yes, to be honest. I just want Vinny to prove that he is worthy. He has nothing. So where is his worth?” She asked. I turned to Archie.

“E tu, Archie? What’s your stance? Yes or no?” I asked.

Archie was pondering for a moment. “Yes.” He muttered.

“Show me just one more proof. Then I’ll agree.” Tavia said.

So far, I, Archie, and Dorian are yes. Percy is a maybe, though a recent conversation with him has swayed his opinion to yes. Tavia, a member who has always been critical, needs more proof. Which, I’ll accept. I’ll find more proof and show her.

The next day, Vinny and I walked through the crowded halls and made our way to the lab for marine biology. I could see up ahead a small stand set up with banners and flags around it. I saw Lawrence Whitehall standing near the stand and handing out small boxes.

When the two of us got close, Lawrence turned to us.

“Morning, Connor, Vincent!” He greeted us. He was handed two boxes from his assistant and held it out for us.

“Good morning, Lawrence.” I said.

“Here, for you!” I grabbed the box and saw it was a skincare set, the expensive kind. “Vote again for Gilbert Carrington for treasurer!” Lawrence said. I rolled my eyes and packed the box in my bag.

I turned and saw Vinny staring at the stand. Lawrence managed to place a pin on Vinny’s blazer. I grabbed Vinny’s hand and dragged him away from there.

“Look!” Vinny said, holding out the box. “I’ve always wanted to buy this brand!” He awed at the skincare set.

“Here, have mine.” I handed the eager boy my freebie.

“I haven’t met the student council treasurer. What’s he like?” Vinny asked.

“He’s a know-it-all cunt that you should definitely stay away from.” I told him.

“Is there some underlying beef?” Vinny asked.

“No one likes Gilbert Carrington. Point simple! He’s the one that collects tuition payments from all the students. He’s also a shark and likes to add charges to anyone for anything. He once charged me $500 because I said cheers during the Thanksgiving potluck two years ago.”

“Where does all that money even go? I get the tuition. But charges like that must be going somewhere.” Vinny said.

“No one knows. Not even the headmistress or IRS can get that information out of them.” I replied. Vinny went back to admiring the box while the two of us continued to the lab.

All day, I kept my eyes on Vincent, waiting to see what he would do. Anything small that shows his reproach to authority, a key characteristic. And I can’t force the situation into his hands. He needs to do it on his own terms.

The others were also tasked with watching Vinny as he takes a test that he isn’t aware he’s a part of. Throughout the day, everyone reported that he was still the same. But I’m yet to lose hope.

The final confirmation would take place during his last class with Percival. Humanitarian class, a breeding ground for all discussions regarding the human psyche and structure of life.

‘Eureka! He did it!’ Percy texted our group chat.

‘No way!’ Archie texted.

‘Proof?’ Dorian asked.

‘I don’t believe you.’ Tavia said with a smirking emoji.

Percy then sent a video that he had recorded in class. I put my earphones in and proceeded to click on the video. The setting was in the Humanitarian lecture hall. Vinny sat next to Percy, and Percy had placed his phone in his book but had it turned to face Vinny’s face.

“So according to this, empathy and overall being a good person derives from a book that has been heavily altered for thousands of years.” Vinny said.

“Keep in mind, Mr. Florence, that back then religion was the norm. It would make sense for people to follow what the scriptures would say.” The professor responded.

“By that logic, anyone who doesn’t believe in the Bible is a horrible person because they never learned how to be a good person. And by default, all religious people are essentially deemed as good people. Notice the flaw in that reasoning?” Vinny asked.

“Yes, Mr. Florence. I definitely see the flaw in that way of thinking. But it’s easy to say that when we live in a modern world where religion by this point is considered as a tradition that is slowly being left behind. Contrasted to back then when it was the basis of everyday life.” The professor replied.

“I’m just saying, professor. I know many atheists who are some of the best people you can meet. And I know many religious people who are horrible people but hide their actions behind a wall of love and virtue. If it takes a book to make a good person, then does that mean that we’re all disgusting by default? Maybe… possibly. But people are also good in nature. Today, the world is both good and evil. And it will remain that way. If an all-power being who has the ability to control everything hasn’t even stopped all the wickedness in the world, why hasn’t he done so? Is he really all-powerful? Or is there really a God?” Vinny ended his speech.

I could hear the professor tapping his shoe on the floor. “Fair enough. Write me a report about that and submit to me for some extra credit. That goes to anyone else who is interested in this discourse. I want to see what you all think. Whether you agree with Mr. Florence that religion is an excuse or catalyst.” The professor announced it to the class.

“That was awesome.” Percy said from behind the camera. Vinny turned to him and gave him a reassuring smile. I saw Vinny’s beautiful smile as the video ended and it froze on his face.

I returned to the chat and saw some new messages had arrived.

‘My vote is yes.’ Archie texted.

‘me too!’ Dorian replied.

‘After this, I’m in support.’ Percy said.

‘You all know my stance.’ I texted. ‘Octavia?’ I texted.

Octavia spent a few minutes thinking, the three bubbles on the screen for a long time. I waited patiently to see what she would text. My phone vibrated after a while, letting me know of her response.

‘Fine! We’ll let him in.’ Octavia said. The group chat exploded into messages as we all began to glee with happiness knowing that we were going to have a new member soon.

Sparks were set off in my chest, knowing that soon, Vincent Florence will be a part of our group.

“Mr. Devonshire?!” I voice loudly called out. I turned up to see my astronomy professor giving me the stink eye. She had been calling on me but I was busy.

“Sorry.” I muttered and put my phone away. However, I didn’t feel embarrassed. I was on Cloud 9, running on a high, walking on sunshine.

We all met up for an afterschool lunch. Percy was able to distract Vinny by asking him to pick up a few books for them. Percy specifically chose books that were difficult to find.

“So how are we going to tell him?” Tavia asked.

“We can’t just go up to him and be like ‘Hey! Want to join the revolution?’?” Percy said.

“We don’t tell him about the revolution. We’ll just tell him it is a club. We’ll slowly introduce the idea until after the election. Does that sound good?” I told the table.

Dorian leaned over to Archie and whispered something in his ear. Archie listened, then leaned over to Percy and whispered something in his ear. Percy listened and nodded his head.

“Archie told me that Dorian told him that we should do a special initiation. Give him a pin.” Percy said.

“I was thinking the same thing. Should we do the classic envelope-under-the door-in-the-middle-of-the-night?” I asked.

“This should be fun. He’ll finally get to drink the Kool-Aid and we can finally stop whispering behind his back.” Tavia said. She bit her nails and had a smirk on her face.

“You look too excited, Tavia.” Percy remarked.

“It’s just so exciting. I’ve wanted to see the student council fall since I first laid eyes on those pricks. With Vincent, we’ll be able to move with our plans quickly.” Octavia said.

“It does feel exciting!” I replied. “Knowing Vinny, I’ll bet he’ll be able to come up with a plan to take down those tyrants.”

“Here he comes!” Percy said. I turned and saw Vinny walk into the Ivy Hall with his arms full of thick books. I stood up and quickly walked over to him.

“Need any help?” I asked.

“Please!” Vinny replied. I grabbed more than half of the books and easily carried them in my arms. “Thank you.” Vinny said. I saw his eyes trail down to my button-up shirt. I had removed my brown blazer and rolled up my sleeves, showing off my arms.

“Earth to Vinny!” I said. He blinked quickly and acted like nothing happened. The group was waiting for us.

“I got the books.” Vinny said as he and I placed the books on the wooden table.

“Thanks.” Percy said. “I’ll read them later.”

There was an awkward silence. I was mentally face-palming myself, since their silence is something that Vinny has mentioned in the past.

“You guys want to go to the harvest festival?” I asked.

“For what? Do I need a fucking pumpkin?” Percy asked.

“That could be fun!” Vinny said. “I’ve never been to one! It’s so cool that you guys have one here. Can we please go?” Vinny asked. I looked into his amber eyes. I can’t say no to him.

“I’ll go. Anyone else want to go?” I asked the group.

Archie and Dorian raised their hands. Octavia then raised her’s. Percy rolled his eyes but agreed in the end.

“Perfect! We’ll go this weekend. That won’t interfere with any plans, right?” I asked the group.

“Nope! All good on this front.” Tavia replied.

Following that, in the night, I kept texting the group as to how we were going to go about initiating Vinny. We only had about four days to come up with something. Dorian decided she wanted to create the initiation process, which we all agreed with.

The next day, it was the end of second period. I had said my goodbye to Vinny after he had gone with Percy to their next class. I walked to the gym, entering through the main entrance and into the locker room. I removed my clothes and changed into something more comfortable.

Because I’m one of the few people who had gym as a class, I have this place to myself. Most of the other kids who have gym as a class have it at the end of the day so they can go from working out to playing on the field.

I was doing some dumbbell exercises when I heard the door to the gym open. I turned and saw Vinny walking in. His eyes were scanning the room until they landed on me.

“Florence. Don’t you have sculpting?” I asked, standing up and walking over to him.

“Class was canceled. Our teacher had an emergency.” He replied.

“And where’s Percy? You two have that class together.”

“He said he needed a nap. Since everyone else was busy, I remembered you told me that you had gym class. So I came over. Hope I’m not disturbing you.” Vinny said.

“Not at all. This class is usually boring so some company would be nice.” I said. Vinny’s eyes scanned down to my arms. I saw him feel his biceps himself.

“You’re quite big.” He said out loud, and based on his shocked expression, he didn’t mean to say that.

“Thanks. I have a strong regiment.” I replied.

“I should probably leave. I’m distracting you from your workout.” Vinny turned around and was getting ready to leave. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.

“Wait! Don’t go.” I said.

“Alright.” He replied.

The two of us were standing for a bit. The only noise audible was that of the air conditioner blasting cool air into the gymnasium.

“So… want to show me some techniques?” Vinny asked.

“Gladly.” I replied. I walked him over to the equipment and set up one of them. “This is a smith machine. You set up the dumbbells like this,” I placed some weights on the handlebars. “Then you place the rail on your shoulders and back of your neck. Then you sort of just slide down.” I said and did it.

“Hmm.” Vinny grunted, watching me. I worked out for a few minutes while Vinny sat on some mats that had been stacked up. Vinny would either watch me or look around the room. I didn’t mind him watching. I like an audience.

I was gasping for air and crouched on the floor. Vinny stood up and walked over to where I had set my bag down and searched for my water bottle. He pranced over and handed it to me.

“Thank you.” I said between breaths.

“Take a break. You’ve been working yourself too much.” He said. He doesn’t know that I was doing it to impress him. “Here. I can give you a neck massage.” He said and went behind me. He rubbed his hands together to create some warmth and his fingers touched my neck.

This is the first time he’s ever touched me in this way. Usually, we have small handshakes or the times when I would grab his hand to drag him away. The difference is this time, it’s more of a connection.

His fingers rubbed into some sore spots in my neck. I rolled my neck and felt my joints cracking. Vincent rolled his fingers and palm onto my neck and parts of my back.

“All better?” He asked, removing his hands from my skin.

“Much better.” I replied. I stood up and turned to face Vinny. He was only a few inches shorter than me. But still, I wanted to pick him up and carry him around.

“You’re so amazing.” I muttered.

“Really?” He asked.

“Of course. This school year would have been boring if you didn’t transfer. I probably would’ve shot myself in the head. Everyday with you is an adventure, Vinny.” I said.

“If only you knew how much I enjoy being around you, Connor.” Vinny said.

“Listen, Vinny. I need to be honest.” I said.

“You can tell me anything.” He said.

“Truth is,” I clenched my fingers, trying to see if it was a good idea to say. But fuck it! I’ve kept it in for too long. Revealing my feelings won’t kill me. Physically at least. “I like you. It’s strange, since I’ve never felt this way about anyone. You just click for me.” I said.

Vinny was quiet. I waited patiently for his response. He was shocked, but his face didn’t show disgust.

“I feel the same way.” He replied. “I wasn’t sure if you really liked me or if maybe you were just one of those straight guys that acts fruity.”

“So… the attraction is mutual, right? I just want to confirm.” I said.

“Yes, it is.” He replied.

“So I guess this means we have to go on a date.” I said.

“Maybe we can do the harvest festival.” Vinny replied.

“But the whole group is going.”

“Then I guess a little rendezvous from the group won’t hurt. We can just sneak off into some apple orchard or pig pen.” Vinny said, placing his hand on my chest.

“The first one sounds romantic. Not so much the second. But it sounds like a plan. Consider it done.” I said.

“Great! That’s- great!” Vinny let out a small chuckle.

“Nervous already?” I asked.

“A bit. Just never been on a date with a guy before. Not that I’m already chickening out!”

I looked at my phone and saw the time.

“Class is almost over.” I announced.

“Damn. Guess I have to leave.” He replied.

“Or you can join me in the locker room and watch me shower.” I smugly replied.

“You sure you want that?” He asked.

“You’ve already seen it all. What’s the fuss?” I replied.

“Then lead the way.” He said. I walked to grab my bag while Vincent followed me. I entered the locker room and went to my locker.

I stripped all my clothing off until I stood naked in front of Vinny. His eyes did not leave my body once. I swore I saw a bit of drool escape his gaped mouth. He watched as I grabbed my clothes and went for the shower.

After showering, with Vinny making some small talk, I finished and changed back into my school uniform. I placed my gym bag with my dirty clothes back in my locker. The cleaners will come and pick it up to have it washed.

The seven chimes of the bell rang out.

“Time for fourth period. Carpe diem!” I said, walking the both of us out of the gym and back into the hallway that was already flooded with people.

“Off to German class.” Vinny said.

We walked alongside each other like normal classmates. Even though a few minutes prior we confessed our feelings, agreed to go on our first date, and he saw me naked.

All we have to do is go on our date on Saturday. And then, later that night, Vincent will become a member of our group.

And he’ll join us in taking down the student council president and her circle of tyrants.

7: Night

CHAPTER 7:

N

IGHT

Vincent Florence

Our entire group stood outside the harvest festival entrance, watching as townspeople from the local town entered with their children in hand. Their smiles on their faces were worth more than how much money we all have in our pockets.

“Let’s not stand around all day!” Octavia said.

“In we go, then.” Percy said. We all stepped forward and walked into the festival.

“See anything you like?” Connor asked. I turned and saw him standing there wearing one of the best outfits I’ve ever seen. He wore dark brown pants that ended a little under his ankles. He had on black boots. He wore an umber color knitted turtleneck and a dark red scarf.

“Not yet. Though, that apple pie looks good.” I said, pointing to the stand where a woman and man stood and cut and served apple pie.

“My treat. Let’s go.” Connor lightly grabbed my hand and dragged me to the stand. “Two slices, please.” Connor asked. He paid for the pie and tipped them in the tip jar, slipping in a Benjamin.

“I sometimes forget that you’re rich.” I said as he handed me the plastic case with a slice of pie inside.

“Just name what you want and I’ll buy it.” He said.

“I just hope you don’t feel like I’m taking advantage of you or being a gold digger.” I said.

“I grew up rich and around rich people. I’ve seen my share of gold diggers. And you check none of the boxes. So you’re good.” Connor assured me.

“Since you’re offering, you know what would go well with this apple pie?” I teased.

“What?” He asked.

“A chai latte.” I replied.

“Where are we going to find-” He turned to his left and saw people selling drinks next to us. “Oh, right. Yeah that sounds good too.” Connor said. We bought two cups and realized we had split up from the group.

Connor and I looked around but couldn’t find them. They must have gone somewhere else or split up themselves.

“Eh, whatever. This just means that we have the moment to ourselves.” Connor said with a smirk on his face.

“Let’s go somewhere calm, then. Seems a bit noisy here.” I remarked. Connor agreed and the two of us went to a guidepost and searched for something that sounds secluded. I pointed out the pumpkin patch.

The two of us, with food in hand, walked away from the main center of the festival and found the pumpkin patch not too far away. We searched around and found a log at the edge of the patch with no one around. The two of us sat on the log and began eating our food.

“What made you ask me out?” I asked.

“It just felt overdue. Like we had been prancing in circles throughout the entire party and now, I’ve decided to dance with you.” Connor said elegantly.

“That’s a nice way to put it, Connor. And I’m thankful you were the one to reach out first. I probably would have shit myself if I were to have done it.” I replied.

“That would have been a disaster. But it wouldn’t have made me any less attracted to you.” Connor said. I’ll admit that it sent a shiver up my spine. I blushed hard while shoving my face with a piece of apple pie.

“Anyways, tell me about your family. I always talk about my mom and my hometown. Why don’t you tell me about your backstory? What are you hiding behind those cerulean eyes, Connor?” I said.

“If you really want to know, I’ll tell you my story.”

Connor set his plate and cup down on the floor. He looked into the pumpkin patch. For a moment, it seemed like he was being overdramatic about his past. However, like I said once, I have no idea what any of these people have faced in their life. And thus, I must keep all assumptions to myself and listen with open ears.

“I was born on July 28, 2010 in a prominent town in upstate New York. I’m the son of Franklin Devonshire and Gabrielle Devonshire-Lockridge. I’m the youngest of five siblings, all boys. Since I was young, my father always had this idea of forcing masculinity onto us. We hunted, went to military school, and learned to shave as soon as we started puberty. However, despite my father’s intentions, he still failed in trying to make us better men. Out of the five of us, I seem to be the only sane one.

“My oldest brother, Isaac, sort of runs my dad’s company but my dad has expressed his disappointment because he doesn’t meet his standards. Then there’s Claus, who is currently in rehab. Horace was disowned by my dad after he ran off to Barbados with some random woman. And then there’s Sterling, the forgotten child whom my dad barely remembers. Out of all of them, I’m the only one who met my dad’s expectations. It was by the persuasion of my mother, who saw my dad’s flaws, that she had me attend Auburn. If I was still at home, I’d probably would’ve taken one of those shot guns and used it on my father, then myself.”

Connor finished his deliverance. I stared, both in awe at someone who went through that but also in shock at how in shambles his entire family is.

“Oh, Connor…” I said, reaching to place my hand on his shoulder.

“I’m fine. Honestly, it’s my brothers I feel sorry for. Most of them still have to be around my dad and listen to him. The only time I have to see him is during the summer and winter break. Luckily, once I graduate, I’ll move into my college and have four more years.” Connor added.

“If you ever feel down about your past, you can always talk to me. I’ll be here for you when you need me, Connor.” I said in a soothing gentle voice.

“I’ll take you up on that offer.” He replied.

“Is everyone else’s backstory that tragic?” I asked.

“Mine’s the more tame one. Some others in the group have it worse.”

“I won’t ask because it’s not my business to know. But it really makes me wonder if I’m lucky that my mom and I are still so close.” I said.

“We all sort of envy you for that. Most of us don’t have the best relationship with our parents. You, however, you can easily call your mom whenever and she’ll answer. She’ll greet you like you’re her most prized possession.” Connor said.

“I hope you understand that blood isn’t always family, Connor. I personally feel that you’ve created your own family here at Auburn. Don’t lose those connections and you’ll be fine.” I told him. He seemed to smile at that.

“And now there’s a new member.” Connor added.

I looked at Connor. He winked at me. I stupidly smiled the more I looked at him. I began to feel myself lean in closer to him. Connor’s face also began to get closer. I could feel his breath near my mouth.

“There you two are!” A loud voice called. Connor and I split away and saw the group walking towards us. It was Percy who had called us. “We’ve been looking all over.”

“Sorry. We got lost in time.” Connor replied. “Where’s Octavia?”

“We’re looking for her next. Let’s go. Archie here managed to piss off the farmers for picking on the runts in the pig pen.” Percy said.

“They’re assholes.” Archie quietly said. I’ll add that to the list of words Archie has spoken. Which is less than 10. Meanwhile, Dorian has 0.

Connor and I stood up and patted ourselves from the dirt. I quickly finished my food. Connor handed me his which I also quickly ate. We then went with the group to look for Octavia. We came across a barn and entered it. Near the haystack was Octavia leaning against a wall with a hunky farm boy leaning over her.

“Octavia Hawthorne!” Percy yelled. Octavia pushed her hair behind her ear and turned to us. “Come on! We’re leaving!”

Octavia gave a final wave to the farmer boy and walked over to us. “Lead the way.” She said. We began to walk back.

“Who was that guy?” Percy asked.

“That was Dennis. He’s the son of a farmer.” Tavia replied.

“I genuinely have no word, Tavia. Just keep it in your pants.” Percy said. Before we exited the festival, we passed by the Gardening Club’s stand and bought some baskets of fruits and pumpkin cookies.

We entered the car that brought us here and hopped in. After a few minutes, we reached back into the academy halls. Overall, I thought this was a good day. I had fun with Connor on our first date. I finally learned more about him and his struggles.

When it was time for dinner, everyone in the group, including Connor, said that they had to attend to some personal matters. I went to the small store and got some snacks and came to my room. I watched Succession on my laptop and binged as many episodes as I could. I also did a bit of my skincare.

Eventually, it was close to midnight. Connor has yet to come back. I sent him a text asking where he was. He replied that he had some homework that needed to be turned in before midnight so he was crunching time in the library.

I was staring into the ceiling, looking at the wood ceiling and small chandelier that hung from the ceiling. I shut my eyes for a moment until I was awoken by a knock on my door.

A knock in the middle of the night? This screams suspicious. Nevertheless, I got off and walked to my door. On the floor was a small black envelope. It had been slid under the crack of my door.

I bent down and grabbed it. It was like any normal envelope, except it was black. I opened it and saw a handwritten letter inside.

To Vincent Florence,

We’ve observed your past behaviors within the past weeks. And we have all decided that you are worthy of our secret. Please head over to the north-west wing. Please make your way after reading this. Once you’re done reading this letter, scribble on it and rip it up until completely shredded. Then scatter the scraps out your window and let the wind blow them away.

We hope to see you there.

AN

After reading the letter, and wondering if it was legit, I slowly walked to my desk and did what the instruction told. I grabbed a fountain pen and scribbled all over it. Then I ripped it up and opened my window, letting the wind blow the pieces away.

I then dressed in some black slacks, a wool sweater, and gloves. Before I opened the door, I wondered if I really was going to do this. But then my phone chimed. I had five notifications.

‘Follow the instructions.’ Everyone texted me that. From Connor to Dorian. They’re all in on it. Now this is strange. I wonder if this has to do with their constant whispers.

With a deep breath, I opened the door and walked out. I turned on my flashlight on my phone and locked my door. I then began to walk down the hall, careful to not make loud steps. Everytime I heard a creak in the dark, I jolted in fright and wondered if I was being followed.

I finally reached the north-west wing. According to the announcements, this place is off limits. No one knows why, it’s never said. But the instructions said to enter here. And so I did.

The hallway was mostly just doors, similar to the classroom doors. I kept shining my flashlight ahead of me, lighting my way. I came across an intersection. I wasn’t sure where to go. I scanned the two hallways, wondering where to go. However, on the left hallway, I saw scribbled on a locker ‘AN’, the same one written on the letter.

This has to be the way.

I continued to walk through the hall, occasionally seeing the ‘AN’ scribbled on the walls. The derelict halls and locker showed no signs of occupation. This place has been abandoned for a long time.

At the end of the hall, there was a single locker room in the center. It was cracked open and I could faintly see a red light inside. I cracked the door open and saw a small tunnel inside, lit up by red lamps hanging from the walls. The tunnel should’ve scared me off, but the group’s simultaneous text from earlier reminded me that this is safe. Unless I somehow managed to become friends with psychopaths. But that seems unlikely.

The floor of the stone hallway was wet with water, most likely from a burst pipe. I must have walked for a few meters before I came upon a large metal door. There was no window inside, just a handle. However, on the handle was a lock with four combinations. The light here was bright enough for me to see a piece of parchment paper taped on the door.

Ellohay Incentvay Orenceflay,

Congratulations on making it here through the odyssey of darkness. Presented to you is a puzzle for you to solve. Achieve and you shall be rewarded. But fail, and you shall turn back and return to your dorm, but you will be left hungry for secrets. Your questions search for deeper meaning, and they shall come forth in simple words.

Complete this puzzle and figure out the combination for the lock. You have 10 minutes to do so. Good luck.

AN

Inscribed onto the metal door were four words on a list.

Violence Lust Anger Treachery

These four words struck me a bit confused. Four traits from mankind. Some of the most destructive behaviors that come from the deeper nature of man. But what do these have to do with the combination?

My hands reached forward to touch the combination lock. I first observed that it was indeed locked. ‘1234’ and ‘0000’ were not viable combinations. It’s too easy. But I noticed that the numbers on each dial went from 1 through 9. There’s 9 options here.

Wait a minute!

Nine options. The clues are from the inner darkness of the human mind. It must be the nine circles of hell! Dante’s Inferno…

Now I have to remember what the numbers mean. From what I can recall, there are nine circles to hell. They are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery.

By order of sequence, I can assign each of the examples a number based on its position in the inferno. Violence is 7; Lust is 2; Anger is 5; Treachery is 9. The code is 7259. It had to be! I quickly put the code into the lock. The small click confirmed that I was indeed correct as the lock came undone.

The metal door slowly creaked open, I poked my head inside and saw another long tunnel, only this time it was more lit up with bright yellow lamps hanging from the ceiling. I walked in and began to walk until there was one final door. This one was a wooden door in the shape of a large circle. I stood at the front, unsure of what to do.

The door opened by itself for me. I slowly creaked open into a dark room. The pitch black room was mainly dark, except for a small light in the center of the room. It was a candle, burning wax and falling off the table. When I stepped into the room, the wooden door shut quickly. I was left alone in the dark room, waiting for something.

A blinding light came on, and the entire room lit up.

“WELCOME!” A group of people shouted. I jumped and saw that the group were all standing near the candle, which now that I take a closer look, is impaled on a cake.

“What’s going on?” I asked. Connor walked over to me and put his hand around my shoulders.

“You’re officially joining us as part of our group!” Connor said, dragging me to the small table where the cake was at.

Written in icing on the cake was ‘Welcome to Auburn Nights!’

‘AN’

“What’s Auburn Nights?” I asked.

“It’s us. We’re Auburn Nights.” Percy replied. “In the day, we’re students of Auburn Brights. But at night, when we congregate here, we become Auburn Nights.”

I stood in silence, still confused as to what exactly is happening here.

“You idiots!” Octavia blurted out. “I knew this was going to be too much for him! We should’ve just told him!”

“It’s more fun this way! At least we didn’t decide to have him do a blood sacrifice.” Percy retorted.

“Hey, Vinny.” Connor muttered into my ear. I turned to look at him. “You okay?” He asked.

“I- I- I-” I muttered. “I can’t believe that you are all in some secret society.” I said.

“I wouldn’t call it a society. Maybe a club.” Percy said.

“Is this what all the whispering and awkward silences were about?” I asked the group.

“We just wanted to see if you belonged with us.” Octavia replied. “And you passed. So welcome, Vincent Florence.”

I finally took a good glance at the room we were in. It reminded me of a common room you would find at a university. There was a loft that was connected by a staircase. The walls were made of part limestone and dark oak planks. Scattered throughout the common room were couches, chairs, tables and bookshelves. I was also able to make out a small kitchen area and a room that was a bathroom. There were also some beds in the loft level.

“Nice, right?” Connor nudged my arm. “It came furnished when we first discovered it. Whoever was in charge of it before us must’ve done some good rework.”

“I have so many questions…” I said.

“And we have the answers, Vincent. Just ask away and we’ll replenish your curiosity.” Percy said.

“Why don’t we sit down first. Would you like something to eat?” Connor said.

“Sure.” I said. I watched as Dorian began to cut into the cake while Archie served hot chocolate into plastic cups. Connor led me to a lounge area and sat me in the center of the couch. Connor took his seat to my left and Percy to my right. Octavia sat in a recliner while Dorian and Archie sat together on bean bag chairs.

“What’s your first question?” Connor asked.

“First of all, how did you all discover this place?” I asked.

“It was first discovered by Dorian.” Octavia said. “She was finding a place to hide and found this after trespassing through the signs. She then told Archie. Who then told Connor. Who then told Percy. And then told me. And then we all told you.”

“What year was this?” I asked.

“Archie, Dorian and I joined in freshman year. Then Percy and Tavia joined the year after.” Connor said.

“So do you all decide to meet here randomly?” I asked.

“We meet at least once a week for meetings. But sometimes we just come in randomly when we want to get away from the weaving spiders of the academy.” Connor said.

“For example, I come here every Thursday night for a nap because my next door neighbor makes it a point to have sex loudly. And since you now know the code, you can enter whenever you want. We’ll add you to the group chat so you’re up to date with all the future meetings.” Percy said.

“Next question: Where are we right now? I know I entered through the north-west wing. But how hasn’t this been found yet?” I asked.

“From what I was able to gather from looking at a map left here, it seems that this common room is located under the stables. The tunnels you went through brought you out of the academy and into here. And as to how it hasn’t been found, it just seems that no one wants to fix that wing of the school. It’s been left alone. Some people wander in sometimes, but are spooked away by the ominous tension they feel.” Octavia said.

I took another glance at the room. I could see myself being here and spending time with them. I saw Archie get up and walk towards a shelf. He opened a wooden box and pulled out something. He walked back and held something in his hands.

“For you.” Archie spoke softly. He held out a small pin and held it out for me. The pin was a similar crest to the academy’s. But instead of the usual symbols that the normal seal had, this one has a spider in one corner, an ivy plant on the right side, and an upside-down figure of Sigmund Auburn, the founder of the academy.

“Wear this under your blazer everyday. Just like us, it’s in hidden sight but still roaming amongst the crowd.” Connor said. I grabbed the bronze pin and put it on my sweater.

“How do I look?” I asked.

“Absolutely gorgeous.” Connor muttered.

“That’s new!” Tavia yelled from across the room and let out a small chuckle.

Then I turned to the rest of them.

“Another question: What is your endgame?” I asked the group.

It was silent until Archie spoke up.

“To destroy the student council.” He said in an elevated voice from his normal soft spoken nature.

The group agreed, giving nods and vocal confirmations.

“And one more question.” I said.

“The floor is yours.” Percy said.

“What is my role in this?” I asked. Percy gave a look to Octavia, who then gave a look to Connor.

“Well that’s the big mystery, isn’t it.” Tavia said.

The big mystery. We are going to work on how to take down the student council. And based on this first meeting, I’m guessing I’m the final key to this puzzle.

8: Cancer

CHAPTER 8:

CANCER

Vincent Florence

Destroying the student council. They must be crazy. The student council, from what they and others have said, derives from some of the most powerful families in not just the US, but in the entire globe. They have resources we couldn’t even imagine and reserves that can support entire bloodlines for a millenia.

“What are the plans so far?” I asked the group, taking a sip of my hot chocolate.

“We have none.” Connor replied.

“Seriously? You guys want to take on members of the Lexington family. They’re literal gods! They will destroy you all with the flick of a finger! And you guys have no idea on how to bring them down?” I asked the group.

“It’s not that we don’t have a plan! We just don’t have… any idea on a plan.” Percy mumbled out. Octavia face-palmed herself.

“We know that we want to expose them. They’re a powerful family, so they have got to have some skeletons in their walk-in closets. And we have a feeling that they’re dubious ones that they would never want the public to know about.” Octavia added.

“Yeah! There’s already claims of money fraud because of how much money the council takes in tuition and fees. For fuck’s sake! The north-west wing was promised to be fixed several years ago with the money from tuition. But nothing has happened! There’s something fishy going on.” Percy said. Octavia for some reason closed her legs.

“We need a plan. A solid plan that can ensure that we are able to get some secrets while also not using ourselves as collateral damage.” Connor said.

“And am I the collateral damage? Because I’m poor?” I asked.

Connor became flustered. “N-No! That’s not what I meant! Fuck! I shouldn’t have said that. Scrap that. But the reason we want you is because of how you can carry yourself. We’ve all seen it. You’re quick to think. You have curiosity that would scare any dictator. We want you because you have value, Vinny.” Connor said.

“Hmm.” I said, thinking to myself. “Discreet, but wanting to make a big impact from the shadows. Is that the plan? To uncover the secrets of the council and dethrone them?” I said.

“Precisely!” Percy said.

“I’ll need a bit to think.” I said.

“Perfectly fine. For now, check out the common room. Eat some cake, sit on every chair, and smell the candles Dorian brought over. And think of something.” Percy said. I thanked them all and the group dispersed into different sectors of the common room.

Percy walked over to a bookshelf and picked up a book, skimming through the pages. Octavia reclined back in her seat, pulled out two slices of cucumber, and placed them on her eyes. Archie and Dorian began to clean up a bit in the lounge area.

I stood up and traveled to the center of the room. In the middle was the same seal as the Auburn Nights engraved on the floor.

“Our theory is that this place was founded shortly after the academy was created.” Connor said, walking up from behind me.

“Then that means that this secret club has been living alongside the academy. Sort of like a creeping cancer waiting to strike the heart.” I said.

“Sure. But in this case, the heart belongs to a madman. And the cancer is mercy to those who have and will be hurt by the madman.” Connor replied.

“It still amazes me that this existed and I never knew about it.”

“Then that means that the club is doing a good job hiding itself.” Connor said. He placed his hand on my right shoulder. “Tell you what, let’s both meetup here at the same time. Then we can have this place to ourselves.”

“Be here? Alone?” I nervously asked.

“If you’re thinking about something dirty, you’re not the only one.” Connor whispered to me in a deep, gruff voice.

“Fuck.” I muttered. I walked over to the bookshelf, Connor still following me, and scanned all the books.

“All of these are stolen from the library. We have limited editions and first hand copies that are thought to have been lost in time.” Percy said. I scanned the shelves and saw a thin handbook. It reminded me of the student council handbooks.

The handbook!

I let out an audible gasp. Both Percy and Connor stopped and turned to me.

“What’s wrong, Vinny? You okay?” Connor frantically asked, placing his hand on my back.

“I think I have an idea!” I said loudly. This attracted the attention of Octavia and the mute ones.

“Well, tell us!” Octavia said, removing her cucumber from her eyes. We all gathered back in the lounge area. We took our same seats.

“So, you’ve found a plan? Tell us then.” Percy said.

“Before I come up with a plan, I need to describe something I found a while back in the library.” I said.

“Do tell then.” Tavia said.

“I was in the Auburn Archives where they have everything about the school. And hidden in a faraway shelf in a sequestered shelf was a handbook.” I said.

“What kind of handbook?” Percy asked, engraved in my telling.

“It was the rules and regulations of the student council.” I said. Everyone’s attention was on me. “Some of these regulations were about how long the election is, what to do in a tie, and other stuff. But one thing that caught my attention was that there are supposed to be 9 members in the student council.” I said.

“Nine? But there’s only eight right now.” Tavia said.

“Exactly! They removed the student relations member. And according to the handbook, this member will talk to the student body, asking questions if they are satisfied with the council. Whatever is reported back has to be taken into consideration by the president. And they must do things to appeal to the students.” I said.

“Then that’s the plan! We’ll infiltrate the council by adding a person who’s in on the plan! We should head over tomorrow as soon as registration opens and sign one of us up!” Percy eagerly said.

“Hold your stallions, Percival!” Octavia said, immediately shushing Percy. “As soon as we sign someone up, no doubt the student council will do something to stop the nomination. They’re sneaky like that. How do we overcome it?” She asked.

“Lucky for you, the handbook has a loophole.” I said. “There’s a clause about the registration for a nominee. According to the rules, a person has until the final hour of the two weeks campaign period to submit their name. Basically, we can wait throughout this entire campaign period and on the final day, submit a name. The student council will be blindsided and won’t have enough time to react.” I said.

“It’s genius!” Connor said.

“You’ve done it, Vinny! You’ve saved the cause!” Percy exclaimed.

“But now there’s a few issues. The first: Who’s name do we put?” Tavia asked. The room turned quiet.

“You all know I can’t.” Percy said. “My father is friends with too many people. He can’t lose those connections because I want to be a rebel.”

“Yeah, I can’t either. It’ll be suicide for my family.” Connor said. Archie and Dorian shook their heads.

“Why don’t I do it?” I announced.

“You?!” Connor asked. “Are you even capable of handling narcissists? Or people who’ll gladly bash in a baby’s head even if they were breast-feeding it? Those guys are insane!”

“It’s just like you all said. I’m quick to think and can handle my own.” I said.

Tavia leaned forward in her seat. “But tell me, Vincent. What do you have?” She asked.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“Not to be a bitch, but you don’t have money. You don’t have any social standing. You don’t have a name for people to bet on. What are you able to offer that makes you think you’re a great candidate?” She asked.

“Harsh, Tavia.” Percy muttered.

“No, she’s right.” I said. Connor had a shocked look. “I have nothing. No money, no name, no fame. But that’s what makes me great. That I have nothing. You all have something to lose. Fortunes, connections, secrets. All of it. You and your families’ lives will be ruined. But me? I have nothing. I’m a scholarship student. I was raised by a single mom in a small town in Wisconsin. So what do I have to lose? Nothing. Nothing at all.” I said.

The room went quiet. Until there was a small squeak.

“He’s perfect.” Dorian, of all people, said.

“He’s got my vote.” Archie replied.

“That speech just proves it!” Connor said.

“He makes a point, Tavia.” Percy told Octavia.

“I guess you’re right.” Tavia said. “That’s a weakness that you were able to turn into an advantage. If you keep doing that, no doubt will the student council crumble quickly.”

“So, all in favor of making Vincent the student council member for student relations?” Connor asked the group.

“Yea!” The group replied together.

“Now we just need some money. Even if we are going to wait until the last day, we should still have some things to give out. Get the word out.” Tavia said.

“Yes. I’m willing to donate, but I don’t want the student council to see that I made a donation and blame me for it.” Percy said.

“According to the handbook, all donations made to nominees are anonymous. Simply wire some money through a transaction. Not even the student council can access that information.” I said.

“There it is then! We’ll sign Vincent up on the final day of registration. We’ll fund his campaign and get him on the student council. It’s genius.” Connor said.

“Then we’ll wait. How many days until D-Day?” Tavia asked.

“Six.” Archie muttered.

“I guess the only thing left to do is how to train you to handle the student council.” Percy said.

“Might as well…” I replied.

“That should be for another day. It’s past midnight and I’m feeling tired.” Percy said.

“Yeah. We’ve had an eventful day.” Connor replied.

“Are we going back to our rooms or sleeping here tonight?” I asked. The group all looked at each other.

“Sleep over, I guess.” Tavia muttered.

After final chatter about our future plans, most of us walked up the loft and took residency on the empty beds. Dorian opted to sleep on one of the couches below, with Archie sleeping next to her on the floor.

I slept on a bed in the corner of the loft. To the right of me Connor was in his own bed. I removed my sweater and shoes and slipped under the warm blankets.

“Good night, Vinny.” I heard Connor mutter.

“Night, Connor.” I replied. Slowly, my eyes shut, with them focused on the faint glow of the lamps scattered throughout the room.

There was a small click that my ears were faintly able to pick up. My eyes began to slowly open.

“Connor! Leave him alone!” I heard Tavia say.

“Just one more.” Connor replied. I heard another click. When I opened my eyes, I was met with a phone in my face and Connor behind it. “Morning, princess.” Connor’s handsome smile welcomed me back into the real world.

“Morning? What are you doing?” I asked, my voice raspy.

“You just looked so adorable sleeping.” Connor said. I sat up and saw that Octavia was on her phone. Percy’s bed was made and when I looked down, he and those other two were walking around the first floor.

“So you just decided to take pictures of me?” I asked.

“Precisely!” Connor eagerly replied.

“Careful, Connor. He’s going to be above you soon.” Tavia warned.

“Hey! Children of the corn! Breakfast is ready!” Percy yelled. Connor handed me a small black pouch.

“Here. Brush up and join us.” He said and left to go down the stairs. I looked around and saw the loft had a door on the right wall. I walked over to it and realized it was a bathroom. I brushed my teeth and did my business and came back out. Then, I joined the rest of the group at the large dining table.

“Eat up, Vincent. We’ve got game plans to discuss.” Percy said. The breakfast was eggs benedict, some French toast, and fruit on the side.

“Dorian, have you drafted some pin ideas?” Percy asked the shy girl. Dorian nodded and pulled out a sketchbook. She handed it to Percy who then handed it to Connor and then me. I checked the pages and saw amazing drawings of pins.

“Wow! This is amazing, Dorian!” I said. Dorian blushed and hid her face away from me.

“We’ll work on final details. We’ll also need some other merchandise. We’ll do it all today. The final day will be Friday. Everyone understand?” Connor asked.

Everyone agreed. Breakfast ensued and we finished our meal. We spent the rest of that Sunday creating posters, finishing pins, and going over the rulebook that I talked about. Final plans were made. Percy was going to order all the merchandise, since he has connections that will give him priority.

“Friday. You ready?” Connor asked me.

“No. Honestly though, I’ll never be ready but I should just do it.” I replied.

Sure enough, Friday came by. The plan is to pass out pins and posters Friday night, right before the timeline ends. They’ll be running through the dorm halls and slipping pins into as many people’s rooms. But since most likely I’ll be the only candidate for the position, I could get 5 votes and still win.

When the final hour of the night reached, I and Connor stood near the turret, the tower where the student council resides. Inside, the gate that is usually locked was open. There was paper inside. Interesting that the student council is still abiding by the ‘until midnight’ rule.

“Here.” Connor handed me a pen. “It was in the common room when we found it. Use it to sign your name.” He said.

I grabbed the pen and slowly tiptoed into the gate. Pinned on the wall was a board with a piece of paper taped on. There was a list of all the roles, and the names of the current members written underneath. What angered me the most was the lack of other names.

Remember what to write. At the bottom of the page was a blank spot. I scribbled in ‘Student Relations Member’ and added my name ‘Vincent Florence’ underneath. I kept checking to make sure I wrote it all correct and I did.

The time was 11:58. Two minutes until the deadline closes.

“Hurry back!” Connor whispered loudly. I turned and ran out of there. The time was one minute until the deadline. Both Connor and I counted down until the time reached midnight. Right of cue, the gate to the turret began to close and the inside was no longer accessible.

“How are the others doing?” I asked. Connor’s phone dinged.

“They did it! They got as many rooms as they could reach. Now we just wait until Monday when the student council gets back from their trip.” He said.

I let out an awkward chuckle. I was barely able to compose myself. Now I was left to face the wrath of the student council.

“Don’t panic, Vinny. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Connor told me.

However, I was indeed not fine.

Monday morning came and I walked into homeroom with Tavia.

“Relax, Vinny.” She kept reassuring me. But I was on the verge of running out of class. There wasn’t a word about my name on the paper. The council has been silent, normal for them. Though, according to Percy who saw Milton Livington, student council Peace Corps commander, he didn’t have his morning picking-on-a-freshman dose. A bad omen.

The speaker came on. I, along with the rest of the class, were waiting for the small jingle that came on and then the voice of Thomasina Norrington’s overly-cheerful voice. But it didn’t come. Instead, the microphone clickled.

“Vincent Florence! Make your way to the student council boardroom!” Thomasina said. Gone was her happy voice. It was replaced with an angrier tone. The whole room turned to me and watched me. On cue, the door opened and four tall men wearing a black police uniform entered the room.

“Fuck!” Tavia muttered. “It’s Milton’s squad.” She said. The four men marched up the steps, not caring about stepping on people’s bags. They reached the top of the lecture hall and stood next to me.

“Come with us!” One of the guys said. I stood up with my book bag in hand and descended down the aisle. Two of the men were in front of me and the other two behind me. Mrs. Martin gave me a sympathetic look.

We were in the hallway. One of the men behind me pushed me and forced me to walk forward. As I walked down the hall, I pulled out my phone and called Connor. I think he knew that I was calling him and needed to be quiet, because he didn’t speak on his line.

We reached the tower, where I was a few days ago. This time, the gate was fully open. The men escorted me inside but we went through a small hallway. There was an elevator inside. We stepped in. The inside had several buttons. The man who was the one that spoke to me was the one to press a button, floor 8.

The chime of the elevator dinged and the door opened. I walked in and stepped a few feet until I saw a set of double doors. The guards took their place and opened the door for me. My hands, shaking with nerves, were on the verge of dropping my phone.

As I walked in, I took in my surroundings. I walked onto a platform that had the school’s seal on the floor. Ahead of me was a large wall that extended 10 feet up. All the members of the student council sat above me, looking down at me. All eight members sat in their seats, with the middle being the HBIC (the bitch is not supposed to be a compliment).

The doors behind me shut. No way to escape. So I faced the council as they all eyed me down with dirty glances. They know that I’m under them. Hell, I know it too.

“Vincent Florence,” Sarah Barrington, the student council president, said. “Would you please explain this?!” She angrily held out the paper where I had written my role and name.

“W-Well, I figured I should run for office.” I said, trying hard not to stutter.

“Student relations? Did you make this up? Is this a joke to you?!” Sarah asked. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to gaslight me or she genuinely doesn’t know about the rules.

“It’s not, president. It’s a genuine role.” I replied. A few members let out some chuckles.

“Prove it then!” Gilbert Carrington, the student council treasurer, said to me with an accusatory tone.

I reached into my book bag and pulled out the rulebook. As soon as I pulled it out, I could see a few member’s faces drop, including Sarah’s.

“According to this, the manual for elections, there needs to be a student relations member. Which happens to have been vacant at the moment. I took the moment to sign up.” I told the council.

“That’s- That’s- You can’t do that!” Preston Worthington, the vice-president, announced.

“Excuse me? But what is this manual he’s holding?” Thomasina asked. I’m guessing she doesn’t know about the rulebook. She is a year younger than the others. She must have been left in the dark about the council’s sneaky ways.

“Not now, Thomasina!” Benedict Kensington told her. He leaned over to Sarah on his right. “What the hell do we do?” He asked the president.

“Shush it, Kensington!” She angrily replied. She genuinely had a stumped look on her face. “Fuck!” She yelled. “Preston! What can we do?!” She asked her vice-president.

“Nothing, madam. There’s nothing we can do. We checked the cameras. He registered before the deadline and he signed up for a legit role. We can’t do anything.” He said in a quivering voice.

Sarah closed her eyes and composed herself for a moment.

“Could we possibly add one of our own! Do we have any other branch families here?” Sarah asked the council.

“None. The next wave of families will come in two years! Unless you want a Rockefeller, the closest runner up.” Benedict replied.

“Enough! We can’t do this! It’s against the rules!” Preston said. “If we do, we’ll be exposed for not only removing a role, but disobeying the law we represent!” He told the council.

It was quiet in the room for a moment until Sarah let out a sigh.

“Fine!” She finally said. “We’ll let you run. But mark these words, Vincent! Your place in this school and on this council will be low. You’ll be nothing but scum, dirt on the floor! You’re lucky you’re even here! If it wasn’t for Thomasina who created the scholarship idea, you would still be in Wisconsin, using food stamps and going to a shitty public school!” I have never seen Sarah this angry before. Her serpent eyes could spit poison for all I knew.

“You’re in it now, Florence!” Gilbert said.

“Now leave!” Sarah yelled. But before I left I turned to look her in the eye.

“I look forward to working with you, Ms. President.” I said. Her hand grasped her wine glass tightly. I left the meeting room, with the doors closing and finally restricting me from that place. I still kept my composure and didn’t collapse until I entered the elevator.

Once inside the elevator, I kneeled on the floor and took in deep breaths.

“Vinny! Vinny!” I heard from my phone. I remembered that I was still on call with him. I hope he heard everything.

As I pulled out my phone, the elevator door opened and I was met with the first floor. I left the tower and saw my friends all waiting for me.

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be in class?” I asked, walking up to them and hanging up the phone.

“This was an emergency! I sent an SOS as soon as you called me. We met up here and heard it all!” Connor said.

“You were fucking awesome!” Percy said excitedly. “You didn’t back down or let them boss you around! You’re my hero!”

“That was badass, Vincent. You definitely got under the president’s skin. But it couldn’t be deeper than that stick up her ass.” Tavia said.

“Am I going to get killed for this?” I nervously asked.

“Nah! But if you are, we’ll release all the information. You’ll become a martyr for the revolution.” Connor said.

“The election is for three days, right?” I asked.

“Yup! Everyone gets a chance to think about who they want to vote for! You’re basically already on the council! And all nominees get their first chance to vote! So good luck!” Octavia said.

While I just finished almost having a panic attack, the excitement began to settle in. When I first started at this school, I vowed to keep my head down and just focus on my studies. But now, it seems that I’m now participating in local politics.

Connor patted my back and gave me a smile. “You did good, Vinny.” He said.

“Thank you, Connor.” I replied.

“First period started. But I don’t want to return to class. You guys just want to get some food?” Tavia asked.

“Sounds like a good idea.” Connor said.

“I’m in!” Percy said.

“Us too.” Archie replied for himself and Dorian.

“Canteen time!” Tavia said, leading us to the cafeteria.

Before I walked with the group, I stopped and turned around to the tower. I scanned my eyes up and saw the window of the floor I was just in. Standing there was the entire student council, staring down at me. I gave them a wink and went to catch up with my friends.

I hope the student council isn’t already annoyed with me. Because Auburn Nights has plans to bring down their house of cards.

9: Election

CHAPTER 9:

ELECTION

Vincent Florence

I had a suit that I wanted to wear today for the Voting Ceremony. But when I showed Octavia my outfit, she actually gagged when she looked at it. She insisted on choosing an outfit for me. I ended up agreeing since I understand that impressions, especially during elections, are key to success.

Here I was, standing in front of a mirror with a black suit on and my hair styled back. Octavia put my Auburn Nights pin under my blazer.

“He’s going to love this.” She muttered.

“Who?” I asked.

“Connor, silly!” She chuckled and skipped away to collect a small bag.

“Why Connor? Aren’t I doing this to impress the student body?” I asked.

“Let’s be honest, Vinny. You like Connor and he likes you. The sexual tension I pick up from the two of you even turns me on. This is to impress the school, but it wouldn’t hurt to also impress Connor.” She winked at me and began to put moisturizer on my face.

“I mean, we had our first date. He hasn’t really mentioned anything. What if he didn’t like it?” I asked.

“I’m pretty sure he did. I overheard him talking to one of his brothers about the date and he was bragging about how great it was. Maybe it’s because we’ve all been busy with the election. Ask him out later and see what he says.” She told me.

It is true that we’ve all been busy with the election. Everyone, even Archie and Dorian, have been putting their efforts into getting the word out that I am running for council member. After final touches, with Octavia putting on a pin with my face on it, we exited her room to see the rest of our friends heading our way.

As he was talking with Percy, Connor stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw me. His eyes lingered on my body, scanning me from head to toe.

“Connor! Connor!” Percy said, waving his hand in Connor’s face.

“You look amazing.” Connor muttered.

“I know I do!” Octavia replied.

“Not you, Tavia!” Percy said, lightly punching her shoulder.

“Ow! Don’t put your hands on me.” Tavia replied. Percy and Tavia began to poke and pinch each other back and forth. Archie pulled out his phone and began recording while Dorian covered her face with her clipboard.

“Hey! Tweedledee and Tweedledum! Let’s go! The ceremony is starting soon!” Connor said. The two had stopped fighting and we started to walk through the halls and into the quad. Our position was designed by Dorian, who insisted that I walk ahead of us. Connor would be behind me since I’m closest to him. Then followed by Percy and Tavia. Archie would be behind them and Dorian all the way in the back. She insisted on being there.

As we reached the quad, there were several students who came to witness the event. They all were either here to vote on the first day or just to watch. According to Connor, however, many are here to see the person standing up against the council.

“Vincent Florence?” A man with black police gear asked me as he approached me.

“That’s me.” I told him.

“Come with me. Nominees enter through a separate place.” He said. As he turned, I called out to him.

“Wait!” I said. The officer turned back around.

“Anything wrong?” He asked in a deep gruff voice.

“Would it be okay if I entered through the normal exit?” I asked. The officer talked into his earpiece for a minute.

“Sure. It’s fine.” He replied. “But I’ll still have to escort you. Your friends will have to stay in the crowd.”

“Thank you.” I replied. The guy stood off in the distance while I turned to my friends.

“Why did you do that, Vincent? Are you sure you want to walk through the crowd?” Percy asked.

“If I’m going to represent the students, I shouldn’t alienate myself from them. If I enter through the private entrance, what will that say to those voting for me? No, I should be with them.” I said.

“That’s a good idea. Show the people that you’re one of them. Not away from them.” Connor said.

There was a small chime through the speakers. The security guard walked over to me and instructed me to follow him through the crowd. The students parted ways for me and all looked at me. I turned around and saw my friends close behind, with Connor giving me a nod. In a small elevated stage were a few ballot boxes. The nominees, consisting of only the current student council, were all sitting in chairs adorned with jewels on them. Sarah Barrington, the president, conceitedly sat with a small tiara on her head.

“Can she be even more obvious?” Connor whispered in my ear. Sarah’s eyes landed on me, her giving me a nasty glare.

In the center stage was a microphone. Everyone waited for a while until headmistress Avianna Clemont walked on stage. She wore a satchel which had all the pins of every nominee, including mine.

“Welcome, Auburn students, to the first day of voting for this school year. As you know, every year, we take three days where you all decide who will represent our school! The current student council has organized this special event to kickstart the election! And now, a word from the president herself: Sarah Barrington!” The headmistress said. She stepped aside as everyone let out a small scatter of claps as Sarah walked to the podium.

“Today is an important day. Not just for me, but for you all too. As we begin a new school year, I just want to remind everyone that your choice today matters.” I saw a few council members chuckle. “And a reminder, that we work for the student body and we’ll always take your consideration when making important decisions. And with that, it’s time to begin your voting. We’ll first begin with all current members of the council who are rerunning. Then to any… new… candidates.” She said, making quick eye contact with me.

Sarah ended her speech and turned around to the middle ballot box. It was just a wooden desk with a divider to cover up your choices. Sarah bent forward and scribbled a few things until she slipped her ballot into the ballot box. Next up was the vice-president, who did the same thing.

The rest of the council had their turns until Thomasina Norrington, the most recent member, finished.

“Vincent Florence! You’re next!” The headmistress said. She gave me a wink, although I wasn’t sure if it was a threatening or a pleasant one.

I exited myself from the crowd and walked up the steps to the center of the stage. I saw the student council all watching me with distaste in their eyes. I looked away from them quickly and approached the ballot.

There was a stack of paper there. I grabbed the first one on the top and added my name and student ID. There was then a list of several roles. However, under each role, there was only one name. Hesitantly, I checked off all the names until I reached mine. My name was almost cut off from the paper, almost like they purposefully scanned it to make it almost invisible. But I still checked off my name.

Then, I folded my paper and slipped it into the box. I turned back around, the entire student body looking at me. Connor gave me a wink, this one I know is a pleasant one. I marched back down the steps and into the crowd, to the spot I was before.

“Now that the nominees have voted, the ballot boxes will be open to the rest of the students. Ballot boxes close at 8 and open at 7 in the morning. You have three days. Then the results will be announced during a special ceremony. As of this minute, the voting… begins!” The headmistress announced.

The student council all stood up from their seats and walked off the stage to wherever they went.

“You good, Vinny?” Connor asked, tapping my shoulder.

“I’m good!” I replied. I watched as some of the students began to file lines at the ballot boxes.

“Want us to go vote right now or some other time?” Percy asked.

“You should wait until tomorrow.” I replied. “Today will be packed with students wanting to get it over with and the third day will be packed with procrastinators.”

“Good idea. Let’s get some food! I’m hungry and we don’t have classes for the next three days.” Tavia said. We walked away from the crowd, with Archie and Dorian handing out pins with my face on it.

The group walked to the Ivy Hall and took our seat at our usual table.

“Did you see how Sarah was looking at you? It looked like she wanted to rip you in half.” Percy told me.

“I thought she was going to run off the stage and do just that to me.” I said. “Luckily, I think the student council realizes that they can’t do anything and will have to work with me.”

“I wonder how it’s going to be next year now that another role has opened up. I wonder if they’ll possibly change the rulebook or place more puppets on the council.” Connor said.

“At least the students now know that they can regain a bit of control back.” I said. Tavia, Archie, and Dorian came with some snacks in their hands and set them on the table.

“I think we got this. I heard some kids in the shop talking about voting for Mr. Cheesehead. At least your name is known.” Tavia said to me.

“I see that Mr. Cheesehead is still a thing.” I chuckled. “I guess now we wait for the results. But let’s be honest, we all know who’s winning.”

“We’ll need to buy you a new wardrobe. Dorian and I will choose something that’s in season. Percy, you have knowledge on politics, teach Vinny some things. And Connor…” Octavia looked at him. “I don’t know. Give him head to calm him down.” She said nonchalantly.

Connor began choking on his food.

“There you go! You got it!” Tavia said. Connor, now red faced, flipped off Tavia.

“You bitch.” Connor said.

Still, Connor turned to me and with a smirk on his face.

“But she isn’t wrong.” He said. I turned away and felt my face get warm.

Later in the day, we were all back in the Auburn Nights common room. I sat next to Connor as we watched a movie on his laptop. I saw in the corner of my eye Dorian and Tavia with tablets in their hands as they chose some clothes for me to wear.

The conversation I had a while back with Octavia popped back into my mind, regarding Connor and our feelings.

“Connor?” I asked.

“Yeah, Vinny?” He asked back.

“So, I know we haven’t discussed the date.” I said. Connor turned to me fully, giving me his full attention. “But I still like you, a lot.” I said.

“Go on.” He replied.

“Uh, do you maybe want to go on another date? I figured you were busy with the election. Now that it’s almost over, we can go on another.” I said. “Unless you don’t want to! It’s fine if you don’t want to! Honestly, we still have a lot of ways to go if we want to destroy the student council and dating might interfere with that! You know what? Just ignore what I said and-”

“Shut up.” Connor said. I stopped rambling and saw he had placed his hand on my thigh. “You’re overthinking. Yeah, I’ll go on another date with you.” He said.

“Oh, good!” I sighed in relief. Connor lightly squeezed my thigh.

“You’re cute.” He said.

I melted back into the couch, leaning back and admiring as Connor kept his hand on my leg. We watched the movie together. I leaned my head on his shoulder and slowly began to drift off to sleep. After what must have felt like hours, I slowly felt myself being lifted up.

“Wha- What’s going on?” I asked.

“Shut up.” I heard Connor reply. I opened my eyes and saw that Connor was carrying me up some steps. “You’re safe, Vinny.” He added.

I collapsed back into sleep, knowing that Connor was taking me to bed.

“Nighty night, Connor.” I muttered. Connor chuckled, and I felt his strong chest move from his beep bellows.

And when the next morning came, I saw that Connor hadn’t just put me to bed, but himself too. And his body was cuddled up behind me, spooning me into his chest arms. I laid back and admired his face at a close proximity.

His blue eyes opened up. He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds until I felt his hand under my head touching my hair. Connor looked at me and quickly smiled.

“Morning.” He yawned out.

“Is it morning?” I asked.

“I would assume so. There’s no windows here.” Connor replied.

“It’s 9 pm.” Tavia said. I turned and saw her on a bed close by, swinging her legs as she watched us.

“How long have you been there?” I asked.

“Long enough to see you slip your hand under Connor’s shirt.” She said.

I turned to Connor. “Did I do that?” I asked him.

“You did. But it was nice. Your hands are warm.” He replied.

“Whoops.” I said. “Where are the others?” I asked Tavia.

“Just taking care of some outside business. Percy went to get us dinner.”

“Still can’t believe I’m in the election.” I muttered out, finally standing up and moving away from Connor’s warm embrace.

“Believe it, baby!” Connor said. “You’re basically royalty now. You’ll have access to an insane amount of money. And every single person who’s been on the student council has gone to an Ivy League and have become successful after college. You hit the jackpot.”

“I guess more doors open when you have all the keys.” I muttered.

The door to the common room opened and in walked the three others. They all held bags in their hands with the school’s emblem on it.

“Who’s hungry?!” Percy announced.

“Finally!” Tavia groaned. “What took you so long? Did you stop by your room to rub one out?!”

“Girl! I know you’re not calling me a sex addict!” Percy retaliated.

Dorian grabbed the bags from Percy’s hand while he and Tavia continued arguing. Archie once again pulled out his phone to record them arguing. Both Connor and I put on our slippers and went down to the dining table.

The next two days came and went quickly. I accompanied my friends on the second day to let them vote. They all eagerly voted for me and placed their papers in the ballot box. All that was left to do was wait for the results.

All the students were escorted into the auditorium. Because of how old and prestigious this academy is, the auditorium reflected that perfectly. There was a bottom floor, the orchestra floor. Above that was the mezzanine. The top floor of seats was the balcony, reserved for the higher grades. My friends, who all sat there, got front row seats.

Because I was a nominee, I didn’t sit in the audience but on a series of chairs on the large stage, facing the audience. I sat among the other nominees, who all ignored me and chatted amongst themselves. Octavia and Dorian made me wear high-waisted khaki pants with a white button up. According to them, it’s both professional but a common outfit. I’m basically their doll for them to experiment new outfits on.

Once all the students were settled in the auditorium, Headmistress Avianna walked on stage. She tapped on the microphone on the podium.

“Welcome, Auburn! The day has finally arrived. After weeks of campaigning and three days of voting, the results have finally come in! We’ll first begin with any members who have been re-elected!” She said into the microphone.

The speakers began playing an instrumental of America the Beautiful.

“To begin strong, your winner for your Student Council Public Relations is… Thomasina Watson Norrington!” The girl with brown and blonde highlights stood up, eagerly waved to the crowd, and walked over to another row of chairs that were decorated with flowers.

“Next up, your winner for your Student Council Peace Corp Commander is… Milton Livington!” The guy with a brown buzzcut and cold dead eyes stood up and walked over next to sit next to Thomasina.

“Your winner for Student Council Treasurer is… Gilbert Carrington!” The guy with black wavy hair, green eyes, and a handsome smile stood up and walked to the other side of the stage, with a few claps. Connor told me Gilbert isn’t the most liked out of all the student council.

“And your winner for Student Council Chairperson is… Margaret Remington!” A girl whom I haven’t heard speak yet- she had long blonde hair, dark brown eyes, and a smaller frame than most- skipped to her new spot.

“And your winner for Student Council Historian is… Audrey Lorie Wilmington!” Another girl whom I haven’t spoken to yet- with shoulder length dark chestnut hair and black eyes- walked over.

“Your Student Council Secretary is… Benedict Sullivan Kensington!” The guy with tan skin, brown eyes, and black straight hair gave a smug smile and walked over to the third biggest chair.

“We’re almost done, folks! And next, your Student Council Vice-President is… Preston Cambell Worthington!” The guy with pale skin, gray eyes, and black curly hair stood up and walked to the second biggest chair. Only one other person sat in the section I was at.

“And finally, ladies and gentlemen, the big one! You all voted for this person, and here is your answer. Your Student Council President for this school year is… Sarah Seraphina Barrington!” The headmistress loudly announced. The school erupted into applause. Percy told me earlier that you have to clap.

The girl with a black blazer and black skirt rose elegantly from her seat. Unlike everyone who walked to their seats, she stepped forward to the audience and bowed. On her head was a gold sun crown with the rays encrusted in jewels. Sarah marched to her seat, the biggest throne of them all in the middle of the other seats. She crossed one leg over the other and had a smug smile on her face.

“Isn’t that just amazing! Her fourth consecutive win as president! What a record! But ladies and gentlemen, it’s not over!” The headmistress said. The crowds quieted down. “We have one more name left.” There were a few murmurs, many from the audience looking at me. The student council all had their eyes on me.

I could feel sweat forming on my forehead. The bright light made me feel like I was being burnt on stage. I quickly glanced at my friends on the highest level and saw them all smiling at me.

“In an unexpected run, we have one more role that had been left unoccupied for several years. So, students of Auburn Brights Academy, this one’s for you! Your new Student Council Student Relations is… Vincent Florence!” She loudly said.

I froze for a moment but snapped out of it. I stood up from my seat and faced the audience. The audience was silent for a long time. Until the familiar sound of my friends began to cheer.

I looked at where my friends were sitting and saw all of them cheering. This caused a domino effect, and the student body erupted into a series of cheers and applause. I bowed to the audience and showed my submission and fidelity to them. My cheer was bigger than the president. And she knew this as she gave me a disgusted look, her sharp nails digging to the wooden armrest.

Slowly, I walked over to where the other members were. There was one empty seat left, at the edge next to Margaret Remington, the chairperson. I took my seat next to her and faced the audience, trying not to scream.

“There we have it! Meet your new student council, who represent the best of the best at this school! I can expect that this year will be a lot more different than the years before! Their first meeting will start at the end of the month. For now, we’ll return to our normal schedule. Have a wonderful day, Auburn Brights Academy!” The headmistress ended her speech and walked off the stage. The music kept playing as the audience all made their way out the exits.

“Vincent Florence.” A voice said. I turned to my left and saw a Peace Corps officer. “You need to pack and get ready to move into your new room.” He said and left.

Shit! I forgot! All members have to live in the tower and be segregated from the rest. And there isn’t any way around it. I have to move.

I turned to my right and saw the other council members, the people I’ll be living with for the next few months. Everyone ignored me, which I have a feeling will be a common occurrence.

The entire auditorium was almost empty. My friends still remained in their spots, taking pictures of me and smiling at me. The stage lights began to turn off. We all stood and were instructed to stand up and exit through the back. Since I was the last one to leave the stage, I turned around and gave a last look at the audience.

Mostly empty, except for a box in the back wall of the auditorium. Standing there were three men, all wearing suits and each wearing a deer-head on their head. It looked like they were staring at me. I was going to take a picture of them but they rescinded back into the curtain and were out of sight.

I have no idea who those men were, but something about them felt off to me. I wasn’t sure if they were trying to threaten me or possibly let me know that they’re waiting. Or if they’re a part of the school or the student council. Maybe some secret organization.

And what was with the deer-heads? Something about those deer-heads felt too realistic. They didn’t look like those plastic ones. Like it was a real head. I quickly ran, following after Maragret Remington.

Whatever is going on here at this school is much deeper than possible money laundering and corruption of power. No… there’s a nefarious plot at hand. And I may have gotten myself into something I may have never been meant to see.

10: Master

CHAPTER 10:

MASTER

Vincent Florence

“Is that everything?” I asked, scanning the almost bare room.

“Yup! That’s everything.” Connor replied.

“I’m going to miss speaking to you at night time. It won’t be the same as it was before when I can easily slide over the painting and talk to you.” I said.

“You’ll be fine, you idiot. Just text me when you get bored up in that tower and we can talk all night until we fall asleep from exhaustion.” Connor said. 

I took a final scan of the room. The state was back to how it was when I first moved here. There was just an empty bed, a desk and chair, and a sink in the corner. Gone are the loose clothing scattered on the floor. My several academic books and mini stove I brought with me. 

“Well, it’s time for you to leave this place of peasantry and join the higher echelons.” Connor said.

“Oh Em Gee! Just like Sofia the First! I really did become a princess overnight.” I eagerly said. 

“Are you sure you’re a senior?” Connor sarcastically asked. 

“But seriously, I’m not going to become some arrogant bitch when I leave. I’ll talk and hang out with the rest of you guys when we have the free time.” 

“And will you be doing your main task?” Connor asked.

“Yes, gather intel on the student council. Sneaky deals or dirty secrets. I have a feeling that the tower is loaded with many skeletons.” I said. 

“I know something is hidden there. And you’ll be the one to help us.” Connor placed his hand on my shoulder.

“And what do you all plan to do with the secrets I find out? Expose them or blackmail the student council?” I asked.

“That’s possibly the plan. We just know that we want them all to fall from their thrones.” He replied. 

“We still need to figure out our second date. You’ve got any ideas?” I asked.

“Hmm. Well, there’s a beautiful oak tree a little ways from here. It’s a place where people go to have picnics. Unless a picnic sounds too informal for your tastes.” 

“No, a picnic sounds like an ideal date! We’ll both create a basket with foods and bring them out. It sounds heavenly.” I said, feeling myself get excited over the next date.

“Then that settles it. We’ll choose a date soon.” Connor said. Connor smirked at me, his hand still on my shoulder and rubbing it. I reached out and placed my hand on his, rubbing his fingers. His rough hands were beautiful to touch. 

Connor had been looking at me the entire time, he took a small step forward. His hand on my shoulder started to shift towards the back of my neck. I left out a small gasp upon his fingers slowly rubbing into my scalp. 

My hand connected with his, interlocking out fingers. My other free hand came up to land on his chest, feeling his hard muscle underneath. 

‘Just lean in. Lean in and all your dreams with this man will come true.’

When I leaned in, Connor was taken by surprise. But before we landed our lips together, there was a knock on the door, interrupting us both and making us separate. 

“Are we interrupting?” Tavia asked, poking her head into my dorm. 

“N-No! We were just cleaning!” I stuttered out.

“Good! I thought I was going to find Connor railing into you.” Connor shot Tavia a dirty glance. “Or maybe Vinny would’ve done the railing! To each their own!” Tavia held up her hands in her defense. 

“Hey! Tavia! Are they clothed! I don’t need these two children to be scarred!” Percy called out from outside the room.

“They’re good! You can come in.” Tavia replied. Percy, Archie, and Dorian all entered the room and began to inspect my room and luggage. 

“Well, you’re off into the belly of the beast! I hope they don’t decide to choose you for their next human sacrifice.” Percy said.

“They eat people?” I nervously asked.

“Dumbass! You’re scaring him!” Tavia pinched Percy’s shoulder. “No, Vinny. They don’t eat people.” She assured me. “Well… there was a theory from the 1980’s that they eat people. It hasn’t been confirmed, but nor has it been denied. So…”

“Great.” I groaned. “Now I’m definitely worried.”

“You’ll do great! Since your schedule will be changed, you’ll have the day to yourself and take classes rarely. Basically, you get to do nothing all day!” Percy said.

There was a knock on the door, a loud one. We all turned and saw a guy standing at my door. He had on a Peace Corps uniform.

“It’s time to go.” They guy said. 

“Damn…” Percy muttered.

“We’ll take your luggage. Someone will be waiting for you at the tower to show you around.” The guy added. All of us stepped out of the room. Two more men came and brought in a trolley to carry all my bags. 

The first guy told me to follow him. I followed behind, with my friends in tow. The walk towards the turret was silent. The tower, which now stood in front of us, still had the sinister sensation emanating from it. 

“Your friends can’t continue on from here.” The guy told us. I turned to my friends, who all gave me reassuring smiles. 

“Go ahead, Vinny. You earned this.” Connor said. 

“Group hug!” Tavia said. We all hugged, with Connor on my left and Percy on my right. “Don’t forget,” Tavia whispered. “Collect evidence.” 

I nodded in reply. 

The gate that barricaded the entrance to the tower began to open up slowly. Once opened, A guard I saw once that was outside the boardroom stood at the front. 

“Goodbye, guys!” I said, walking to enter the tower.

“Good luck, Vinny! We’ll see you later!” Connor said. I gave him a huge smile and entered the tower. I stood by as the gate began to shut slowly, officially closing me off from the outside. I followed the guard back to the elevator, where I had been once before. 

I watched as he pressed the third highest floor. The elevator took a few minutes to reach the floor. It opened and I was met with a new floor that I have never seen before. This one was a circular hallway, with rooms evenly spaced out. There were four doors, each one having a plaque with a person’s name on it.

“Your room is this way.” The guard said, escorting me over to one of the wooden doors. On the door was a plaque that had my name, ‘Vincent Florence’ inscribed into it in silver. The door was opened for me and I entered.

The inside of the room was immediately much bigger than my old room. The ceiling was twice the height and above was a bigger crystal chandelier. On the other side of where I stood was a large window with a bed under the window. I slowly walked around and checked every detail. The place came furnished with couches, a desk and chair, a private bathroom and shower, and a large closet for my clothes.

“I have a message from the president. There will be a meeting in an hour with the rest of the council. You’ll go to the floor underneath this one to the meeting room. Understand?” The guard asked.

“Yes, I understand.” I replied. 

“Your luggage should arrive in a few minutes. Remember, 10 am for the meeting.” The guy said. I nodded and he handed me a keycard for my door and closed it behind him. 

I was left alone in my new room to explore everything. My shoes rubbed on the carpeted floors. I can already feel the softness of it. I then walked over to my new bed, which was much bigger. I hopped on it and also felt how much more comfortable it was. The window that looked outside looked right at the left side of the campus. Down there was the quad area, where many students will promenade around. 

My luggage arrived a few minutes later. For now, I only have a few items of clothing. But my new outfits that Dorian and Tavia picked out should be arriving in a few days. And after all my clothes were put away, I began to choose my outfit for the upcoming meeting. 

After choosing a simple outfit, dress pants and a button up, I fixed my hair. I walked to the front door and opened it, taking a final look at my room before I left for a while. My door closed and I swiped my key card. The light turned red, meaning it was locked. I noticed that no one else was leaving their rooms yet. They’re either early or going to be late.

Still, I entered the elevator, pressing the floor beneath me. There were three other floors above the one I reside in. One most likely was for the rest of the student council and then the president’s quarters. I’m assuming the top is the floor that oversees the roof.

The elevator door opened after a few seconds. The floor on this level was a meeting room. But instead of there being elevated stands, there was a long table with chairs. On the table in front of each chair was a nametag, mine being at the end. 

A servant, a young woman wearing a white uniform, walked into the room holding a tray of pastries. She walked over to a table and set the tray down. Near the pastries was a coffee machine for communal purposes.

“Good morning, master.” The woman said, bowing down to me. I already don’t like this.

“Master?” I asked.

“Yes, master Florence.” She said, standing up again. I noticed a lack of name tag.

“Well that won’t do.” I said. Her eyes bulged and she looked like she wanted to panic. “What’s your name?” I asked. 

“My-My name?” She asked. I nodded. “Uh, it’s Natalia Hollick.” She said.

“Nice to meet you, Natalia Hollick.” I said, holding out my hand. She was hesitant but agreed to shake my hand. “And what is your job?” I asked her.

“I’m a servant to the Student Council. I do some of the laundry and set up for meetings.” She said.

“Are you a student here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around.” I remarked.

“No, I’m not a student. I’m actually 25.” She said. I was shocked since she looks so young, with silky brown hair and vibrant blue eyes. “I’m in debt to the Barringtons. I work here to pay off that debt.”

“Oh…” I said. “I’m sorry to hear that.” 

“It’s fine. As long as I do my job, I’m fine. But, sir, are you sure you want to speak to me?” She asked.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” I replied.

“Well, usually the student council doesn’t speak to me. They make demands and orders but I don’t even think most of them know my name.” She said.

“I’m happy to be the first. And trust me, I won’t order you around. It’s not my thing.” I said. 

I had an idea form into my head.

“Question. Are you allowed to go into people’s rooms?” I asked.

“Yeah. I have the mastercard that allows me to enter at any time. It’s usually to pick up trash or drop off orders.” She replied. “Why?” She asked.

“Nothing. Just asking.” I said. 

I can use this to the Auburn Nights advantage. I can either try to steal the mastercard, but it might backfire on her and she’ll end up in trouble over it. Or, I can offer her a deal. From what I was able to gather, it seems that Natalia isn’t fond of the student council. It could be possible for her to try and use her access to gather intel on the council. And maybe one of the guys could pay off her debt.

My thoughts were interrupted when the door to the meeting room opened. I turned and saw three council members; Gilbert Carrington, Margaret Remington, and Thomasina Norrington, enter the room. 

The three chatted and completely ignored me. 

“Out of the way!” Gilbert said to Natalia. Natalia lowered her head and walked to the corner of the room where she stood with her head down. The three all began to walk to the table and grabbed a pastry and coffee.

“Maybe the Alps could be fun. We should definitely go.” Thomasina said. 

“Wait, but who’s going to look after the school?” Margaret asked. The three stopped and then broke into laughter. 

“They won’t notice!” Gilbert said. I went over to sit in my seat and waited around. After 20 minutes, 15 minutes over the start time, the entire council was now seated in their seats. Sarah Barrington sat in her seat at the end of the table.

“Good morning, all! This is the first meeting for the start of the school year. We have a few things on the agenda. To begin with, all tuition for each student has been paid in full. Our treasurer, Gilbert, will handle the funds accordingly. Next up, a few clubs have been requesting funding. Primarily the Photography and Culinary clubs. Uh, there’s a new member…” Sarah said softly. “That’s it!” She ended her speech.

I raised my hand. Sarah saw my hand and rolled her eyes. 

“Yes, Vincent?” She asked. 

“Could I introduce myself?” I asked. 

“Sure.” Sarah said. I went on my phone and turned on my recorder quickly and placed it flat side on the table. Sarah went on her phone and typed away.

“Hello, student council. My name is Vincent Florence. I am the student relations member. According to the guide, my responsibility includes asking students their opinions on the council and any concerns they have. This will mean that my time will be spent in the academy grounds, amongst the students. I hope that we’ll be able to get along this school year. Thank you.” I ended my speech and sat down.

I think I did good. 

The rest of the council, most who didn’t look my way, all nodded in response. 

“Now, shall we vote on the club funding?” Preston, the vice-president, asked. 

“Yes, go ahead.” Sarah said. The president doesn’t vote for these matters. Neither does the vice-president. The second in command only votes in ties, which only happens when one person abstains from voting. Just like the Senate. 

“All in favor to fund the Photography and Culinary club?” Preston asked. I quickly raised my hand. Only one other person, Thomasina, raised her hand. “All those opposed?” The remaining members, excluding the president and vice-president, raised their hands. “Both sides, plead your cases.” 

Shit! I didn’t know this was going to happen now. Before a final vote, there’s a debate where the two sides plead their cases. Then a final vote is taken, which is final.

“I don’t believe we should fund these clubs. The Photography club already uses enough funding. What do they need it on? Green screens? Trips to the woods to take pictures of birds?” Aubrey Wilmington said. 

“I want them to get funded because they take great pictures of me.” Thomasina said. 

“There’s a culinary club?” Benedict Kensington asked. 

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to fund them.” I countered. “These clubs have shown promise. It would be nice to see higher quality photos in the yearbook, showing off the accomplishments the student council has done for the year.”

“No offense, Vincent. But we aren’t the US government. We aren’t going to hand out money just like that.” Gilbert said. 

“I would assume the academy coffers have more than enough to buy some stoves and cameras. And besides, this funding could add some approval points to the council. If the student body sees how charitable the council is, you all won’t be seen as greedy-money-hungry douchebags.” I said.

“Is that what people think of us?” Preston asked.

“Maybe. I don’t know. But all I know is that showing a bit of kindness wouldn’t hurt the reputation of the council. Do you want to be known as the council that refused handouts, or that was merciful?” I asked. 

The table turned quiet, as people sat and thought. 

Preston then spoke up. “So, all in favor of funding the Photography and Culinary club?” He asked. I raised my hand, and so did Thomasina. I waited until Aubrey also raised her hand. 

At least we got one more vote.

“All those opposed?” Preston then asked. Benedict, Gilbert, and Milton raised their hands. “It’s a tie. Margaret has yet to vote. Do you wish to abstain or think about it more?” He asked the blonde girl.

“I’ll need to think a while longer.” Margaret replied. 

“Come on, Margaret.” Thomasina said. “Remember when the Photography club let us do a photoshoot? And remember the amount of likes we got? Just imagine how much better those pictures could be.” 

Margaret sat and thought for a while. “I vote in favor.” She finally said.

“Then that settles it. The Photography and Culinary club will receive their desired funding.” Preston said. 

“Is that all for today?” Benedict asked.

“Just one more thing.” Sarah said, putting her phone down. She turned to me, her eyes piercing my soul. “Remember your place, Vincent. You’re only here because Thomasina over there suggested we let in a scholarship student. If it wasn’t for her, you wouldn’t be here. Got it?” She asked menacingly. 

“I understand.” I muttered out.

“Good. Now we can end this meeting.” She said. 

“Meeting adjourned!” Preston said, banging a gavel. Everyone began to stand up from their seats.

“Hey! Get me some sparkling water!” Sarah yelled at Natalia.

“Yes, ma’am.” Natalia bowed and left the room through another door. I looked in disgust as Sarah ordered her around like a pet. Once everyone had left, I stopped the recording on my phone. 

‘Gotcha.’ I muttered. I then stood up and was ready to walk out the room. I stopped and turned to the communal table. 

I walked over to the table, grabbed a bag, and began to fill up with pastries. I also grabbed a cup of coffee and then left the meeting room. 

If I’m going to be surrounded by excess, I might as well take advantage of it. I returned to my room and set the bag on a table. Then, I called Connor.

“Hey, Vinny! Everything okay? Are you dead? Are they all lizard people? What’s going on?” He quickly asked. 

“Calm down, Connor. No, I’m not dead. Though, I don’t know about the lizard thing. But I recorded the first conversation, I’ll send it to you right now.” I said, sending Connor the recording of the meeting.

“What were they like?” He asked.

“They mostly ignored me. I guess Thomasina is not as bad. But they’re still shitty.” I said.

“Hey, Vinny!” Percy said. 

“Hi, Percy.” I replied. “Oh, I met this girl, Natalia.” I said.

“Natalia? Never heard of her.” Connor said. I explained Natalia and her business in the tower as a servant. I also explained her mastercard and how useful she can be, as long as we promise her salvation.

“That sounds like a good idea. We’ll have insider knowledge and get direct dirt on the council. We should include her.” Tavia said.

“I’ll try to talk to her alone. Offer her a deal. So far, the plan is looking up.” I said.

“Awesome! We’ll see you later during lunch. Just keep getting adjusted there and explore the place.” Percy said.

“Will do.” I replied. 

“‘Kay, Vinny. Are you okay?” Connor asked. I can hear that he was alone.

“Yeah, I’m okay. I miss talking to you through the wall. But at least I get to hear your voice with a simple phone call.”

“It’s only for the week. You can join the rest of us peasants during the weekend. And we’ll meet up from time to time.” Connor said. I stood up and walked to the window.

“Where are you at?” I asked.

“In the quad, looking up at the tower? Are you facing us?” He asked.

I looked around the quad until I spotted Connor near a tree. The others were a bit away, taking pictures of something on the ground.

“I see you!” I said. “Look up! I’m at the window!” I said, waving my arms around. 

Connor looked up and scouted around until his eyes landed on me. He waved back.

“I see you! See, we don’t have to go days without seeing each other. We can spot each other here and talk.” Connor said.

“Sounds like a plan. What are the others doing?” I asked.

“Taking pictures of a lizard and its cut-off tail. They’re weird.” Connor said. The two of us kept talking for a while until the seven chimes of the bell rang out. 

“Guess you guys have to go?” I said. 

“Sadly. We’ll talk again later. You aren’t alone, Vinny.” Connor said.

“Bye, Connor.” I said.

“Adios, Vinny.” He replied. And the two of us hung up. I waved at him and he waved back, and so did the rest of the group. They walked off and out of sight. 

I laid back in bed, feeling the soft furniture. Maybe life in the tower won’t be so bad. I could find ways to have fun here. I won’t be a princess in distress up here. 

My first day wasn’t so bad. It could have gone worse.

11: Bacchus

CHAPTER 11:

BACCHUS

Connor Devonshire

I kept pacing back and forth, walking across the stone path and muttering to myself. Percy sat back on the bench, with Tavia rubbing his back.

“You’re making me nauseous with your walking, Connor. Sit down already.” Percy groaned. 

“Shush, Percy!” Tavia said to the blonde boy. “He’s just nervous because he has a date…” She said in a teasing tone.

“So what if I’m nervous? That’s fine, right? It’s not like we’re going to fuck in the grass.” I chuckled awkwardly.

“You never know.” Tavia winked at me. 

“Connor!” A voice yelled out to me. I turned and saw Vinny walking towards me. His happy smile removed all reproach regarding this date. We’re just young kids, trying to live this life with what we have. To panic over a date is to disgrace what we’ve been given. 

“Vinny!” I replied. 

“Ready to go?” Vinny asked. The boy wore a brown knitted sweater, showing his neck and part of his collar bone. 

“Yep.” I replied. I walked over to the bench where Percy sat and picked up the picnic basket that Dorian lended to me. Percy gave me a wink, knowing where I was going. 

“Good luck you two.” Tavia said, removing her hands from Percy’s neck. “Don’t do something that you wouldn’t want to be seen on the internet.”

“We’ll keep that in mind.” Vinny replied. We gave each other a final wave and went off to our desired location. 

The two of us walked in silence. Luckily, this silence was with a calm nature. Throughout the walk, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vinny smiling to himself. Once we had left the main courtyard and through the hedges in the back, we entered the plains in the back of the school.

“How’s the student council business?” I asked Vinny, breaking the silence. 

“Hmm?” He was confused but then answered quickly. “It’s pretty good. I have my first task in three days.”

“What kind of task?” I asked

“It’s something tame. Just asking anything that the student body wants the council to do.”  He replied.

“Wow. Usually the council would hate hearing the voices of their inferiors.”

“Seems like my role has forced their hands to listen to me and the students. I’m doing a small survey and going class to class to get people’s opinions. Should be fun.” Vinny said.

“I look forward to seeing you in my class in a few days.” I smirked at him. 

The rest of the walk was silent. Up ahead was a mound that sloped upwards. At the top of the hill, anyone can see in the distance as the forest ahead covered the distance. Behind us was the large campus, and we were away from it all. 

“This seems like a good spot.” I said, setting the basket on the tip of the hill.

“Good idea.” Vinny replied. I reached into the straw basket and grabbed the thin blanket I packed for this occasion. Vinny cleared the grass of stones and sticks and I draped the blanket over the ground.

“Is this comfortable?” I asked Vinny as the two of us sat on the blanket, with the basket between us. 

“It’s no five-star bed but it feels nice.” He said. I reached into the basket and pulled out some containers from the canteen. 

“I got food from the cafeteria. Is that okay?” I asked.

“So long as I’m not starving, it’s all good.” He replied. I reached back into the basket and then pulled out a small wine bottle and two glasses.

“Don’t worry. It won’t get us too drunk.” I assured him.

“I’ve never drank before.” He said.

“There’s always a first for everything. Am I right?” I chuckled and nudged him with my elbow.

“There’s a lot I haven’t done…” He muttered. 

“Here, try this.” I said, holding out a container with thin slices of meat. Vinny picked up silverware and stabbed a piece of meat. He ate it and savored the taste. His face showed signs of enjoyment. 

“Woah– That’s crazy good.” He said.

“Want some wine to drink it down with?” I asked. 

“Sure. Why not.” Vinny replied.

Using the cork-screw, I opened the wine bottle and handed a glass to Vinny. I first poured him some, only a fourth of the way. I also poured myself some, a little more than him. Vinny help up his glass and we clinked them together.

He took a small sip and quickly shuddered at the feeling.

“OOH! That feels… weird!” Vinny said.

“Well, you won’t be drunk yet. Maybe because you’ve never drank before. It might take a while to get used to the feeling.” I told him.

Vinny held up tha glass and took another sip of the wine. He took a much longer sip of it and smacked his tongue to feel the taste of the wine. 

“Kind of fruity.” He said.

“Just like both of us…” I whispered in reply.

“What’s that?” He asked.

“Nothing…”

“Hmm. It feels weird in my stomach. And my shoulders are starting to feel heavy. Is that normal? Am I dying?” He asked. I chuckled at him.

“You’re adorable.” I said. “You’ll be fine. Unless your family has a history of alcoholism, you won’t get addicted.” 

“I mean… I don’t really know my father, so who knows if he was an alcoholic.” He said. I set my glass between my legs and leaned back.

“Do you ever wonder about your dad? Does your mom talk about him or anything?” I asked.

Vinny took a small sip from his glass and stared ahead. “Honestly, I sort of know nothing about the guy. He’s just the guy that knocked up my mom. He had the chance, multiple times, to see me, to get to know me. But he never took the opportunity.” 

“He missed out on a great guy.” I said.

“Stop it. I’m not that great. Average at best.” He said. I frowned at this.

“Don’t do that, Vinny. Look around at where you are. You’re in the most prestigious academy with some of the richest and most powerful kids. Out of all the applicants, you were the one who was selected. Stop acting like you’re not amazing. Because you are. I see it. The group sees it. The council, who hates everybody, sees it when they accepted you into the school. Now, are you done beating yourself down?” I asked.

He stared at my eyes with a look of understanding. Tears welled up in his eyes and he nodded quickly. “Yes. I understand.” He said. I reached into the basket and pulled out a cloth napkin and handed it to him. Vinny wiped the loose tears free from his eyes.

“You’re doing great, Vinny. And you’ll do even greater things in the future.” I told him. 

“Really needed to hear that. Sometimes I feel like I’m being silently judged in the tower. But, let’s stop getting this deep and eat, shall we?” Vinny said. He reached for a container and saw what was inside and quickly began to eat.

“Slow down, Vinny. You’ll get a stomach ache.” I said.

“I don’t know how you guys aren’t constantly at the cafeteria. This place has some amazing shit to eat! Mmm!” He groaned as he stuffed his mouth.

“It’s like eating your favorite food everyday. At some point, you get tired of it.” 

“Yeah, true. But food tastes so much better when it’s expensive.” Vinny downed his wine glass and wiped his mouth.

“More?” I asked, holding out the wine bottle. 

“Please?” He asked, holding out his empty glass.

“Here you are then.” I poured the same amount of wine as I did last time. I also began to eat something and finished my first glass of wine.

The sun was nearing the afternoon. By this point, we had finished dessert and were now laying on our backs and watching as the small puffs of clouds scattered through the cerulean sky. 

“C-Connor?” Vinny said. I turned my head to my left. Vinny had that drunk-look on his face, where his eyes have a glaze over them and they’re a bit droopy. 

“Mm?” I asked.

“I-I think I’m drunk.” He whispered out.

“It is your first time. Don’t worry. I’ll be your designated… walker.” I replied.

Vinny’s hand reached to land on my hand. His fingers rubbed my palm in circles. Vinny looked at our hands and then turned up to look at me. He gulped hard, I watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed. 

He reached his face towards me. He was only a few centimeters away from me. His eyes were still locked in a daze, but his pupils expanded wide. 

“Vinny…” I muttered.

“Connor…” He muttered back. 

In slow motion, Vinny leaned forward and placed his lips on my lips. It was a burst of energy and excitement as he pecked my lips. I turned my head more to face him and leaned more into the kiss. 

I lightly pushed Vinny away by placing my hand on his face. 

“Vinny…” I said. “You’re drunk. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“You aren’t, Connor. I…” He lowered his head then looked back at me. “I want this. I think the wine just gave me the courage.” 

“So, you want this too?” I asked.

“More than I can say.” He muttered in a raspy voice. 

“Then get those pretty lips of yours back on my face, pretty boy!” I grabbed his collar and pulled him to my face. 

Aggressively, I placed my lips on Vincent’s face. But rather than small pecks, our lips were more connected. At first, I was worried about using my tongue. Luckily, Vinny’s drunk state of mind let him take control. Once his lips breached into my mouth, it was fair game and my tongue slipped into his mouth. 

I could still taste the faint berries from the fruit tart we had eaten earlier. It only added more to his delicious taste. Vinny’s hands landed on the side of my face, holding me tightly. I hope he knows I wasn’t going to let go. 

Vinny shifted around and he got on his knees, not letting his lips leave mine. He put one of his legs over my body and sat on my legs, straddling me and never leaving my lips. Now our kisses were much deeper. My hands briefly touched his back but I put my hands away.

Vinny left my lips. “Put your hands on my back, Connor! Don’t be such a gentleman!” He grunted out. 

“Yes sir.” I replied, feeling my face heat up. Once my hands landed on his back, he resumed his attack on my face. 

We must have kissed for a long time. Because when we finally split apart and were gasping for air, I saw the sky turn from a bright blue to a blend of marigold orange and indigo night. Vinny hopped off my lap and returned to the spot he laid at before. While his eyes were closed, I adjusted myself down there to hide my hardness.

All that was heard on the hilltop was two boys, gasping for air and trying to piece together what this means for them. Was this something good? Or had they left something out that wasn’t meant to be released?

But those fears were lost when Vinny decided to speak up from his state of exhaustion. “That was perfect.”

“It indeed was.” I replied. 

“Does this mean we’re… boyfriends?” He asked.

“Usually you have to ask the other person to confirm it.” I said.

“Oh.” He was quiet for a moment. “Do you want to be my boyfriend?” He asked.

Fireworks were set off in me. Those were the words that I’ve been waiting for since I met Vinny in that hallway all those weeks ago.

“Yes! I’ll be your boyfriend!” I eagerly said. I grabbed his face and planted a deep kiss on his lips. Vinny hugged my torso and settled into our hug.

“Do we have to go back?” He asked in a sad voice.

“Sadly.” I replied. “Don’t worry, though. At least we’ve solidified our relationship. No more awkward glances at each other or weird sexual tension.”

“I don’t know about you, but the sexual tension is still there…” Vinny smirked at me. 

“You play too much, Florence.” I put my hand on his face and pushed him away. 

“Let’s clean up and return to campus. I’ll bet the others are going to want to know how this date went.” Vinny said. I agreed and after a quick clean up, we were prancing back to the main campus.

Upon stepping foot on campus, both Vinny and I saw the group waiting by the Sigmund Auburn statue, all waiting for us. Vinny looked at me and blushed red. 

“They’re here to ambush us.” He said.

“Looks like it.” I said. I grabbed Vinny’s hand and walked up to our group of friends. As soon as they saw us, they stopped talking and were all smirking at us.

“How was the date?” Tavia asked. 

“It was good.” I said.

“And you, Vinny? Did you enjoy it?” Percy asked.

“Y-Yeah. It was great.” Vinny muttered. Tavia nudged Percy’s elbow and the two looked at our connected hands. 

“Hmm. That’s– That’s good to hear.” Tavia said. I noticed Archie taking pictures of me and Vinny while Dorian gave me a thumbs up from behind.

“Anyways. I’m starving. Let’s go get dinner?” Percy asked us.

“Dinner sounds… good.” Vinny said. Despite the fact that we had eaten earlier and gotten a bit drunk, we could still use some food. The group began to walk towards the direction of the cafeteria. 

I tugged Vinny along but he stumbled a bit.

“Oh, right…” I muttered. I slowed my pace but still lightly tugged on his hand. 

“Thank you, Mr. Devonshire.” Vinny muttered.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Florence.” I replied. Picnic basket in hand, the group walked into the cafeteria and into the Ivy Hall, taking place at our table in the corner.

“Can we have wine?” Vinny asked.

“No— You’ve had enough.” I replied.

“Please?” Vinny begged.

“No. I’m going to get us dinner. You two better not give him anything!” I pointed to Percy and Archie. 

“I would never give him alcohol.” Percy muttered. “But I got drugs.” He whispered to Vinny.

“I’ve never done drugs.” Vinny told him.

“And you won’t ever! Percy! No! No to drugs! Archie, watch these two.” I told the smaller boy. Archie saluted me and sat himself between Percy and Vinny.

“Children.” I rolled my eyes as I went to walk with Tavia and Dorian to get lunch.

While we strolled the aisles, getting the card and filling out information, Tavia came up behind me and hooked her arm on mine. 

“Tell me everything!” She said.

“About?” I asked.

“The date. Usually people kiss on the second date. So did you?” She asked.

“We did kiss. And it was amazing. God! Have you ever done something that just gives you so much pleasure that you just want to keep doing it over and over again!” I said.

“Well, I do own a rose toy–”

“Not that kind of pleasure. The one that is so effortless yet leaves an impact for hours.” I said.

“Boy, you are whipped! This should be interesting to watch. But would your parents approve of you dating outside your class? Didn’t your brother get disowned because he fell in love with a girl from a lower class.” Tavia said.

“Vinny is in this school with us. He’s on the student council which means he already has a guaranteed spot in most of the Ivies. He’ll go on to do something for himself and become successful. I’m sure my parents will be fine with it. If not, then I guess my father will have no one to continue his legacy.”

“Hm. Good point. If you two do end up getting married, will I be at the wedding?” She asked.

“All of you are already invited.” I said. Dorian came up from behind us and had her things ready. “Let’s go order before we come back to three high people.” After getting our food and returning to the table (luckily no one is high or overdosed on drugs), our dinner began.

After dinner, the group walked towards the tower where Vinny now resides. 

“This is as far as we can go.” I said. 

“This has been an amazing day, Connor. Thank you.” He said, hugging me, not caring that our friends were looking.

“Text me if you can’t sleep.” I whispered in his ear. 

“I’ll take up on that offer.” He whispered back. We broke our hug.

Vinny said goodbye to the group. When it came time to say bye to Dorian, we were shocked with the response.

“Bye, Vincent.” Dorian muttered in the softest voice I could ever hear.

Vinny was shocked for a split-second but then acted like it was a normal thing.

“Good night, guys. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Vinny said.

“Good luck up there in the pit of snakes.” Percy said.

“Bye!” Vinny waved as he walked into the tower, the gate closing behind him. He blew me a kiss and left from view, deeper into the tower. 

“Well, chickadees, I’m spent. I’m going to bed.” Tavia yawned. 

“Bye-bye.” Dorian said to us and followed Tavia. 

“We should go to bed too.” Percy said. We all walked towards the direction of our dorm. 

Before I entered the school, I looked back up at the tower, where Vinny was in right now. He’s going to take a shower in his own bathroom. He’s going to sleep in a comfortable bed and wake up tomorrow to authentic coffee from Colombia and flown-in-breakfast from Mexico. 

As I looked at the tower, I saw a small light on one of the windows. When I looked closer, I saw a person standing there, wearing a black cloak and what appeared to be a large rabbit mask. I rubbed my eyes, thinking I must be imagining things. When I reopened my eyes, the figure was gone and the light was off. 

Knowing how this school is, with its secrets kept away, I know I didn’t imagine that. Whether that thing was there to taunt me or to let me know that I’m being watched, I might never know.

But I do know this, the Auburn Brights Academy is not the prestigious institution it is. And soon, the mask will fall and the world will be exposed to the haunting secrets that await their reveal. 

I rushed back inside, following Percy and Archie as they chatted.

“Where did you go?” Percy asked.

“Just… got caught on something.” I replied.

“We were just wondering if the rumor is true.” Percy said.

“What rumor?” I asked. 

“That once a year, the most powerful families gather together somewhere and have a sex-crazed party.” Percy explained.

“You’ve been watching too many Stanley Kubrick movies.” I replied.

“There’s supposed evidence of it. I’m just saying: They must be doing something with that money. If I had that amount of money, I’d throw the most debaucherous festival I can think of.”

“And who is on the guest list?” I jokingly asked.

“The Kennedys, Rothschilds, Gettys, you name it.” Percy said. 

“Stick to your movies, Percival. Also, you shouldn’t talk about those things. They might be listening to us right now.”

“Shit!” Archie said. 

“Now off to bed. No more theories.” I said.

Though, part of me wonders if those really are theories. Or if maybe they could be reality. I guess some secrets remain secrets for good.

12: Congressman

CHAPTER 12:

CONGRESSMAN

Vincent Florence

I’m not scared of the dark. As a child, I never feared the abyss. When I stared at pitch black, I felt nothing. However, when the pitch black stared back, is when true terror came. Terror of the unknown. Terror of ungodly machinations that reside in the dark. That’s the real fear. Not being in the dark… but what lies in it.

It’s been an occurring nightmare I had in the tower since I’ve moved in. Everywhere I go, there’s a feeling that I’m being the subject of prying glasses. 

But I don’t believe I’m going crazy. Nor do I believe that I’m actually being watched. It could just be that this tower contains the kids of so many powerful families, and their looming presence overpowers my authority. Of course there’ll be cameras and security. Though, is it security guards that are watching us, or some more malevolent authorities.

My sleep within the past few days have been erratic. I’m able to sleep for a few hours until I end up waking in the middle of the night. And after a quick confirmation that it’s nothing, to my sleep I return.

Though, I still miss Connor and the Worry Hole. Nothing can beat me and Connor speaking through the wall. If only we had dated earlier when we still lived close to one another. Then our conversations would be much deeper and personal.

I can only wish for the moments when the two of us meet during meals and walks along the courtyard. 

Clipboard in hand, I walked into the halls of the academy. I had a list of classrooms I wanted to visit. Most of them are the senior class, and others are juniors and some mix of all lower grades. As I reached my first class, I took a deep breath. It’s time I start my duty as the student relations member.

Knock knock knock.

The large wooden door opened and a woman opened the door. 

“Oh, you’re the student council?” She asked. I nodded. “Come in.” She opened the door further and allowed me to enter.

As I entered, I saw the lecture hall, which was full of students. Many were chattering with their friends but they stopped when I stood in the center of the bottom platform. I cleared my throat.

“Good morning!” I said. I made sure my voice wasn’t too happy. “I’m Vincent Florence, your student council student relations member.”

I looked down at my notes. Since most people don’t know me, or only know me because I’m the scholarship kid, I figured I should introduce myself. 

“I’m a senior, just like all of you. Uh, this position is legit, I can promise you that. I am not a puppet from the council. My job is to hear the voices and concerns of the student body. Anything from complaints, to suggestions, or any in between, I am the one to go to.” I checked down my notes. “My question for you all today is regarding how the council currently operates and if you are satisfied. All of this will be confidential, so I won’t be writing names down. So… are there any comments or concerns?” I asked the crowd.

The crowd was silent. Some gave me speculating looks. It was silent until a hand raised from a middle row on the right-side of the classroom. 

A boy with brown curly hair raised his hand. “How come this position was never known during the past few years. It’s only been 8 members. What happened?” He asked.

Shit! That’s a good question. How would I even respond to that? Should I just tell the truth? Or tell a white lie? 

“I don’t know the specifics. But the council has agreed to bring about a student relations member since they value your opinions. Trust me that this will be a permanent position again.” I said. There, that’s a good lie. I let them know that I’m here for them while also trying to mend the reputation of the council.

Afterall, part of my job is to make sure the council is in a good light. I think my answer satisfied the boy because he nodded.

“I have a complaint!” Another voice called out. It was a guy with straight black hair. “I’m tired of the Peace Corps being too aggressive! I’ve had my bags searched despite not giving a reasonable cause!” 

“I’ll note that down and bring it up in the next meeting.” I told the guy, writing it down on my notepad.

“I have another question!” A female voice called out. “Instead of religious studies, could we be excused from it and instead take a more secular course? I personally don’t feel comfortable with religious talks.” 

“That is a great suggestion. I’ll see what I can do.” I replied. After a few more comments, I ended the survey and let the teacher continue her teaching. She looked upset that I ended my lecture quickly. Guessing she enjoyed the small break.

Next up was another senior class. I was excited for this one since Octavia and Dorian are in it. I did the normal routine: knocking on the door, walking in, and introducing myself. Except this time, Tavia and Dorian were watching me. I also saw Tavia with her phone out, either recording me or FaceTiming someone. 

“Now, are there any comments or questions?” I asked.

“Could the council possibly work on adding some resources regarding racial inequality? I feel that as a person of color, the academy should focus on educating others.” A girl with dark skin siad. 

“Of course. I’ll add that to my top priority list.” I wrote down the comment with an asterisk next to it. 

Then, Octavia raised her hand.

“Yes, you?” I pointed to her. 

“I have a question.” She said. “Are the student council actually lizard people?” She asked. A few students chuckled. I held in my chuckle. 

“No. At least, I think not. Between you and me, though, I’m not sure if it’s alligator or gecko shed I find.” I said. 

Tavia gave me a wink. I hope I did a good job. I ended my talk quickly and continued on with the rest of the classes. I ended my last class during fourth period. Sadly, I wasn’t able to see Connor since he had his gym session during third. 

I went to the Ivy Hall and grabbed some food and sat at the table where we always sit. I waited a few minutes until the lunch bell rang. Then I watched as everyone began to enter the hall. The last one to arrive with their food was Percy. 

“There he is! Mr. Congressman himself!” Percy said as he sat down. 

“Was I good? Did I stutter too much?” I asked.

“You did amazing!” Tavia said. “After you left, the people around me were happy that they were going to be listened to. Some were skeptical, wondering if you were a spy or something. But overall, it was good.” 

I turned to my boyfriend (first time saying that). “I’m sorry you didn’t get to see me in action.”

“Don’t sweat it, Vinny. Tavia FaceTimed me and showed me doing your thing. You were a natural!” He said, rubbing my head. 

“You think so?” I asked with awe.

“I know so.” He replied. 

Percy looked hurt. “Ouch! I guess my compliment doesn’t mean that much to you!” He placed his hand over his heart.

“Of course, Mr. Genevieve!” Tavia said. “That’s his boyfriend!” 

“So what now?” Archie asked.

“I guess I will sort these out and bring them up during the next council meeting. Which should be this Friday. Hopefully they take these seriously. I don’t want to be another council member who doesn’t go on his promises.” I said. 

“They have to listen. It’s their job.” Archie said.

“True. But it’s the student council. There’s only so much I can do. Even with the law, they hold more power.” I reminded him.

Connor tapped me on my shoulder. “I got you this.” He said, holding out a package of a cookie.

“Thank you.” I said, taking it from him. 

“I know how much you like these.” He said, turning away quickly. “You deserve it for being amazing.” 

“That’s just adorable!” Percy said. He leaned his head on Tavia’s shoulder. 

“Eww! Get away!” She knocked Percy’s head off her. 

“The hell?! That hurt!” He rubbed his ears.

“I can make you feel hurt in other ways!” She retaliated. 

These two. Always fighting. 

“You know what we should start getting ready for?” Connor asked. Percy and Tavia put down their knives. “Halloween.”

“You’re right! We need outfits! And decorations! And live spiders!” Tavia said. 

“Is Halloween taken seriously here?” I asked.

“Not really. But us…” Percy placed hand on where his Auburn Nights pin is at. “We take it seriously. Just wait! We’ll show you!” He giggled to himself.

“Then I need to start finding an outfit.” I said.

“I’ll help, Maybe we can go as a couple.” Connor told me.

“As great as that would be, I think I have something in mind.” I replied.

“I just hope it doesn’t involve a mask. Because I still want to see that pretty face of yours.” Connor said, booping my nose. 

“Awe, that’s so cute! I want to throw up and walk into traffic now!” Tavia said.

Dorian raised her hand. “I have a suggestion.” She said in her soft voice.

“I’m all ears!” I told her. 

“Instead of having to walk to every class…” She paused for a moment. “You should make a website.” She whispered softly.

“A website? So people can type their suggestions into it and submit it?” I asked. 

Dorian nodded. “It’s much easier. You can still talk to the students. But you won’t have to walk to every class.” 

“Great idea!” I said. “Thank you.” I told her. She blushed and turned away. “Is anyone here good at making websites?” I asked the group.

“We’re rich, not smart.” Percy said. “But… I do know a guy.”

“You always know a guy!” Tavia muttered.

“Anyways!” He glared at her. “He’s on the Robotics team. He owes me a favor.”

“Great! I’ll talk to the council beforehand. Then we can ask this guy of yours.” I replied.

When Friday came, it was time for the next meeting. I was emailed the time and place of when the meeting was taking place. Once again, I arrived first but luckily I wasn’t alone.

“Hey, Natalia!” I said, walking up to the woman who was wiping down Sarah’s seat.

“Good morning, Vincent!” She greeted me instead of saying something of higher authority. “I heard that you’re doing amazing in your role.”

“Who told you that?” I asked.

“I overheard Ms. Barrington complaining that the students are starting to warm up to you. When Ms. Barrington took office, it took her and her posse five months just to be accepted. In the end, most only accepted her because she sent threats. But you, they like you already.” She patted my back.

“Is it wise for me to get on her bad side?” I asked.

“Normally, it’s a death sentence. But you have protection. And the fact that your family comes from… lower means… she doesn’t have anything to blackmail you on.” She assured me.

“Thanks, Natalia.” I said. I wanted to ask her about the deal, if she wanted to collect evidence for us. But right before I was able to speak, the doors opened and some of the members walked in. 

I sat in my seat at the end of the row and took my place. I waited a while until everyone sat and the president finally made her entrance. 

“Let’s get this over with.” Sarah said. She sat in her seat. “Benedict. Give us the minutes from the last meeting.”

“Right.” Benedict flipped through his papers. “Last week, we voted on whether or not we should raise funding for the Photography and Culinary club. In a 4-3 vote, funding was approved. Our newest member made his introduction to the council.” 

“Perfect. Well. You all have the floor. Anything?” Sarah asked.

“I submitted a story to the Auburn Times about the new payment system and how much easier it is.” Thomasina said. 

“There was an argument my men had to settle between two guys last week in the common rooms.” Milton said. 

“Thomasina.” Sarah said. “Did you cover it up?” She asked.

“Yes, I did. No one will know that your family dumped those chemicals near that shanty town.” Thomasina replied. Chemicals?

“Excellent. I knew I could trust you to cover those things up.” Sarah said. 

The rest of the council took turns saying their pieces. Once everyone was done, I decided to bring up the concerns of the students.

“May I have the floor?” I asked. Sarah rolled her eyes but didn’t speak against me. “I spoke to some of the students and they have some concerns and suggestions.”

“Sure.” Sarah said.

“Some of the students have issues with the Peace Corps being too aggressive.” I said. Milton piped up and turned to me. “Many students have expressed that they get stopped and searched for no reason. Many students show up late to class and have gotten reprimanded for this. Some have even stated that they feel unsafe around the Peace Corps and take routes to avoid them.”

Milton, who mostly remains quiet, looked flustered. “I believe the Peace Corps are doing their job the way they were trained.”

“If that was the case, then why are students complaining? All they want is for the Peace Corps to be less aggressive. It’s not like the students are carrying firearms or starting a coup.” I retaliated.

“Fine. I’ll see what I can do.” Milton agreed, but he still huffed and folded his arms over his chest. 

I brought up some other suggestions, such as secular classes for the next semester and some clubs that requested new equipment. 

“Also, could there be more resources for racial inequality? Some students have complained that the council doesn’t speak much regarding these issues that many are passionate about.” I said.

The entire table bursted out laughing. 

Sarah clutched her stomach and wiped tears. “Let me guess, they want reparations too!” She chuckled.

“They’ll be begging for free housing next!” Preston replied. This caused more laughter. The only ones not laughing were me and Natalia.

“Fine!” Sarah said, still in hysterical laughter. “Well add some books and shit!” She used a tissue to wipe a tear. “Ridiculous.” She muttered.

“Th-Thank you.” I replied, starting to feel off. “One more thing.” I said.

“Let me guess, the browns want help with getting green cards? Or the gays want free gender reassignments surgery?” Sarah said.

“Actually, I was just wondering if I could get permission to create a website so students can input ideas and questions without me having to go to every class? I need permission to use the school’s server and use the rights.” I said.

“Yeah, I will give you the code for it. Is that all?” Sarah asked.

“Yes, it is.” I replied. We wrapped up the meeting quickly after that. The minutes had been counted and all information was written down. The meeting adjourned and everyone left the room. Except for me and Natalia.

I did my usual, getting a bag and stuffing it with treats.

“Hey, Natalia.” I called out to her. 

“Yes, Vincent?” She asked.

“I want to ask you something.” I said. 

“Anything for you.” 

I leaned in closer to her and into her ear. “Do you want to destroy the student council?” I asked. 

She gasped. “I- What are you planning?” She asked. 

“We need someone who can access the rooms of the student council and collect dirt in them. And if I recall, you have a master keycard to open all the rooms.” I told her. 

“But won’t that be dangerous? What if I get caught and fired? I have debts to pay off.” She said. 

“I talked to the others and they’ve agreed that if you help us, we’ll pay off your debts. Doesn’t matter if you succeed or fail, your help will be appreciated.”

Natalia was thinking for a while. “I’ll do it.” She finally said. 

“Perfect! I’ll give you some more information about it and what we’re looking for. Don’t worry, the student council will pay for what they did to you and others.” 

“I want to see Sarah Barrington walk out of this school in handcuffs.” Natalia said. “You said we. Who are the others?” She asked. 

“It’s best I do not tell you, just as a precaution. But we are legit and our plan so far is going in the right direction.” I said. 

Natalia seemed to understand this and zipped her mouth shut. I left the meeting room, making sure I didn’t look shady. I entered my room and closed the sort behind me, locking it. 

I sent a quick text to the group chat, texting ‘Tia Lana has joined the party’. The rest responded with comments about being happy that she’s joined and that she could be a big help. We never talk about our plans or Auburn Nights in texts. Nor do we speak about it in public. When we want to meet up, we send various texts such as ‘Nox apud inferos’ or by capitalizing the word ‘Red’ to mean an alert. Anything that could mean that we need to have a quick meeting. 

Unfortunately, ever since I joined the tower, I’m unable to join nightly meetings since the gate is locked. The only time I can attend is if they’re during school hours or on the weekends when the student council is gone. 

According to Percy, the council is able to monitor all conversations of anyone who uses the school’s internet. Whether they read the texts or not, no one can know. But it’s safer to avoid all talk of it in chats and outloud. 

That next morning, I went about my day of going to the few classes I now have which are either taught individually or with some other council members, and then catching up on other assignments. 

When school ended, I met up with the group and Percy led the way to the robotics lab.

“Did you bring snacks?” Percy asked us.

“No? Were we supposed to?” Tavia replied.

“This guy will do favors if he’s given snacks.” 

“I thought he owed you a favor. Why would we need to give him more things?” Connor asked.

“He’s a bit stubborn. Don’t worry, I packed essentials!” Percy held up his book bag. We walked into the robotics lab, which was mostly a large hall with some computers on the side, an obstacle course area for testing, and a large table with parts and partially-assembled machines.

Sitting in a chair and looking at his computer was a guy typing away at some code. Around him were messes of junk food, Legos, and empty soda cans. 

“Registration forms are outside. Sign in with your name and student ID and we’ll call back in a few days.” The guy said in a monotone voice. Sort of rude that he didn’t turn around to greet his visitors.

“Uh, Elliot, it’s me, Percy!” Percy told the guy. The guy spun around, staring us down. Behind his round glasses were huge brown eyes. His messy brown hair needed fixing ASAP. And the top buttons on his uniform were unbuttoned, showing the top part of his chest.

“Fuck. What do you want?” Elliot asked in a groan.

“I’m here for that favor. And I brought a tribute.” Percy said, grabbing his bag and walking over to the desk where Elliot was at. Percy opened his book bag, turned it upside down, and dumped out several snacks onto the desk. “That should be enough.”

“Shit! You got the matcha ones!” Elliot said. He looked up at Percy and then turned to me. “Is this student council business?” He asked.

“Sort of.” I said. 

“Then I’ll do it.” He said. “Thanks to you, some of my nerds haven’t been getting harassed by the Peace Corps. Anything for you.” He spun in his chair fully and faced the rest of us. “I figured I should introduce myself. I’m Elliot Davenport. My father is Rupert Davenport, head of Davenport Industries. Yes, the one that has rivaled other companies such as Apple and GavGadgets.” 

“Pleasure to meet you, I’m–”

He cut me off. “I know who you are. Everyone does. The boy who went against the student council. Tell Elliot what you need.”

“I wanted to create a way for students to submit suggestions or questions through a website. But I also want it to use the school’s domain and for it to be anonymous without tracing it back to anyone. Could you make that happen?” I asked.

“Easy. Do you have the access code to get into the system?” He asked.

I pulled out the paper. “Here.” I handed the paper. He took it and turned back to his computer, pushing away the other windows. 

“This might take a while. You can leave… or check this place out. There’s a reason why we’re going up against MIT and Stanford in a few weeks.” Elliot said. 

As we looked around the robots, I saw many gadgets, such as small race-cars, a crane, and what looked like a small submarine in the corner of the room. 

Elliot called me over because he wanted my opinion on how the website should look. I added some colors and chose the text font for the website. In the end, it came out perfect. 

All we need to do now is release this website and see how it turns out. Fingers crossed on it becoming a success.

13: Bastard

CHAPTER 13:

BASTARD

Vincent Florence

When Elliot described how the website worked, he explained it like a transplant. He used code from the TOR browser, fixing it up and polishing it, and adding it to the academy’s domain, using a redirect link. The new page would give all users several layers of protection in case anyone tried to find the exact IP address. The address would send them through several different countries, including China, Laos, Artois, and even Tuvalu. It’ll be impossible for anyone to find anything.

Launch day wasn’t anything special. Thomasina just made an announcement about the new link and all the students were sent a notification on the school’s portal. They just tap the link, or they can go through the website, and enter a text. Elliot also made it so only people within school grounds can make a suggestion. Meaning the website won’t be run over by outsiders.

After the first three hours, we began to receive dozens of suggestions. Everytime a new suggestion was made, I received a notification on my phone. 

“Hey, Vinny!” Connor called out to me. He walked over to me with a glass in his hands. “Come on, we’re celebrating.” He handed me the glass.

All of us were back in the Auburn Nights common room, celebrating the launch of the website, but also our great success. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not alcohol. It’s apple cider.” He said. 

“Thanks.” I said, taking the glass and sipping on it. Connor took a seat next to me, inconspicuously placing his arm behind me. 

“I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for you.” Connor said.

“Do you mean where would you all be?” I asked.

“That– but mainly me. I can’t explain it, but you coming here to this school has brightened me up all the way. Like, I’m actually excited to get up everyday.” Connor told me.

“I’m glad I’m able to make you feel that way. Maybe that’s why we’re meant for each other.” I said.

“Damn right.” Connor replied. 

“Thomasina mentioned that she covered up something that the Barringtons did, regarding a chemical spill. Is there something more about Thomasina?” I asked.

“Thomasina’s family, the Norringtons, are the cover-up, you could call them. They hide the family’s dirty business from the public and make sure nothing gets out. It’s how the family has been able to remain in power. That, and also the Livingtons.” Connor explained.

“As in Milton Livington?”

“Yup. While the Norringtons are the cover-ups, the Livingtons are the ones who provide security but also… eliminate… any threats to the family. If you know what I mean.” 

“Killing people.” I said.

“Exactly. Each person on the student council comes from a family that owns everything. They each play a part in the Lexington family tree. The Barringtons are the family’s lawyers; the Carringtons are the accountants; Remingtons are real estate, and so on.”

“So if we destroy at least two families, we could collapse the entire system.” I said.

“Pretty much. Not only that, but many of them have close ties with some politicians and endorse them. Not only will their system fall, but so will the political system. Even the stocks and global economy will suffer. Can’t you just imagine the turmoil this will bring?! It’s so– It’s so… euphoric!” Connor said, looking like he was high on some substance.

“You really want to see this country fall, huh?” I said.

“Not exactly. I just want some of this country to fall. After years of witnessing first hand what power and money can do, I’ve chosen to watch on the sides and see everything burn.” Connor said.

“You, Mr. Devonshire, are crazy.” I said. I set my glass down and turned to him. “And I like that.”

I grabbed Connor by his collar, my lips brushing against his. 

“It’s been a while since we’ve kissed, Connor. And I’ve been craving you.” I said to him. Connor’s face turned red. 

“Then kiss me, Vinny.”

I pulled Connor in and the two of us shared a passionate kiss. Percy hollered in the background, but I didn’t mind. Right now, I have a hunk that’s kissing me. He’s my priority right now. 

Sadly, our kissing interrupted when my phone began ringing. I picked it up, amidst the protest of Connor, and checked who was calling me. The contact was an unknown number. But I chose to answer it. 

“Ellohay?” I asked.

“Vincent! Is that you?!” A voice asked.

“Natalia? Yes, it’s me. How did you get my number?” I asked. I also signaled for the others to turn off the music and huddle around the couch where Connor and I sat. 

“I went through Ms. Barrington’s files. I’m using a burner number. But I did what you asked me to do.” She said. 

“You found something?” I asked.

“On three people. The first was Mr. Milton Livington. I found some records in his bank statements. He’s been making $2,000 withdrawals and sending them to an account. I’m sending you screenshots.” She said. My phone rang and the same number sent three pictures. 

“I’ll see what I can find from this.” I said.

“The next is from Ms. Margaret Remington. When I heard her calling her parents, she was talking about their buildings in Norway that are being built on unstable land. Their plan is to let the buildings collapse and blame it on the engineers. Then they’ll bank on it by attaining insurance.” Natalia said. 

“That’s– That’s amazing, Natalia!” Percy walked over and quickly wrote everything down on a notepad. 

“The last is from Mr. Preston Worthington. His family is in the medicine industry. They apparently did some vaccine trials in an African country against their will. All the people were forced to take the mystery drug and the findings were recorded. Once they had their results, they just left that village with no help, nothing at all.” 

“Alright, do you have any evidence on that?” I asked.

“Just a picture of a fax machine. Most of that information was from a phone call. Who knows how drastic this could be? Vinny, they’re killing people! And they’re getting away with it!” Natalia said. I could hear her begin to breathe harder. 

“Keep doing what you’re doing, Natalia. They aren’t getting away with this.” I kept assuring her.

“But then what if they find out it was me who told you guys? They’ll come after my family! I’ll never see them again!” She said. Percy grabbed the phone from my hand.

“Hey, Natalia, is it? I need you to calm down.” Percy said. 

“Who are you?” Natalia asked from the phone.

“Percival, but you can call me Percy.” He said. Tavia tried to reach and cover his mouth but Archie placed his hand on her shoulder to hold her back. I’m guessing it might be because we swore not to tell Natalia the others’ identities in case the plan backfires.

“Percy. Are you one of Vincent’s friends?” She asked.

“I sure hope so.” Percy gave me a grin. “Listen, I know it must be difficult knowing all this, and knowing that you possibly put your family on the line. But I can assure you, we’re taking measures to make sure your family won’t be in danger. Should things go south, I’ll see to it that you and your close ones are hidden away.”

“You can do that?” Natalia said.

“Yes, I can. My family has done so in the past. And we can help you too if you need. Though, we aren’t betting on that happening.” Percy said.

I could hear Natalia’s breathing begin to calm down. “Pass me to Vincent.” She said. Percy handed me my phone. “I’ll look for some more things. I just hope you know what you’re all doing.”

“Trust me. We know.” I said.

“Bye, Vincent. I’ll see you next time.” She said. 

“Take care, Natalia.” I said. She hung up quickly. “Did you guys get that?” I asked. 

“Yes.” Archie said, holding up the notepad with some scribbles on it. 

“I can probably trace this account number to its original location.” Percy said. “From the looks of it, it’s a Bank of America type account.”

“Do you think he’s paying off someone? Maybe keeping them silent from saying something?” Octavia asked.

“Possibly…” Connor said. “We’ll need more to go on.”

“And what about the Norway building and African tests? Surely one of those is a human right’s violation? How do we pin it on them?” Tavia asked.

“There must be some hidden paperwork. Maybe in some sort of system.” I said. 

“I thought it was going to be some money scandals or corporate espionage. Not literal war crimes!” Connor said.

“But we can see something good from this. We know something now. And that means that there’s more to find.” Percy said. “Let’s look at it like a puzzle. The more pieces we find, the closer we are to finishing the problem. We should have more soon when we either go through some records or Natalia and Vinny continue searching.”

“Still, it feels like the things we just heard are only the tip of this nefarious iceberg.” Tavia said. 

“Then let’s do a vote. Anyone who wishes to leave the Auburn Nights can leave right now. Who knows what we’ll find in the upcoming months. It might kill us or leave us with mental scars. This is a ticket out to anyone who wishes to leave. Does anyone want to leave?” Connor asked the group. 

“I’m staying.” Percy quickly said.

“Me too.” Archie said.

“And me.” Dorian said.

“I have nothing to lose.” I said. “Octavia?” I asked the girl next to me.

“I’ll stay. But only to see them fall.” She said.

“That’s our objective.” I reminded her. 

“Here’s to our unfortunate deaths.” Connor said.

The atmosphere felt different in the common room. Now, we slowly began to come to the realization that the secrets we so hungrily desired may be rotten ones. For a moment, maybe some skeletons should remain hidden. But then, when those skeletons are innocent people who had no say in their demise, it changes your viewpoint. 

And thus, I’m even more determined to go through with this plan. 

During the next student council meeting, as I sat in my seat, I watched all the members. They chatted about upcoming trips, where they bought their clothes at, and visiting a new restaurant that opened in LA. All the while, I’m left with the curse of knowing.

“Milton, are your men doing good?” Benedict asked Milton Livington.

“Yes. The freshmen are on their way to moving to hall duty. The seniors are also preparing for their endurance test. We’ll need to borrow the gymnasium for their practice.” 

“Approved.” Sarah said. She then turned her serpent eyes towards me. “And you, Vincent. Any requests from the bunch?” She asked me.

“Oh–” I stumbled on my words since Sarah never goes out of her way to talk to me first. “The students want to organize a Halloween thing. They want some parties and a costume contest.”

“Gilbert, have a talk with Vincent and some of the students on how much money you’ll need for that. Is that all?” She asked.

“That’s all.” I replied. 

“Alright then. If that’s all, then this session is concluded. You may all leave.” Sarah announced. 

Everyone began to leave. I turned to Natalia and she gave me a look until she walked out the room. I noticed she had left something on the snack table. When I walked over, it was a napkin. Inside it was a mastercard. 

‘I have a spare just in case. Use it when I am not in the tower.’ She wrote on the napkin. I stuffed it into my pocket and walked out the meeting room.

“Yeah, I need to handle some things downhill. Those cadets are still struggling to hold a firearm.” I overheard Milton say in the elevator. We went one floor up onto some of our rooms. I went to my room and unlocked it. 

After a few minutes, I exited my room and looked around. It seems that this floor is empty. I walked and found Milton’s room, with his name engraved on the door. Slowly, I pulled out the master keycard and swiped it onto the lock. The light went from red to green and the door unlocked.

‘Open sesame.’ I muttered. As soon as I entered the room, I shut it slowly. Inside of Milton’s room was similar to mine, with a grand ceiling, a large bed, private bathroom, and work area. But some differences were seen. 

First, on the wall to the left of the bed were the heads of several animals. At first, I thought that Milton could have been those men with the deer heads who were watching me on election day. But these animals were mostly large mammals such as lions, ox, and a moose. The room also had a patriotic feel, with an American flag hanging from the wall and another wall with guns. 

On Milton’s desk were a few scattered papers with the school’s seal but also another seal. This one was similar to the academy’s but had guns crossing in the middle. This must be the military school that Milton is in charge of. 

The bottom drawer of the desk had a lock on it. There must be a key somewhere around. After looking in obvious places, I saw the small American flag on the desk. I grabbed it and turned it upside down, the base looked like it could come off. After twisting a bit, a bottom compartment opened and a key was there. 

Just like I predicted, the key opened the bottom drawer. There were a few things inside, but the thing that caught my attention was a picture. The framed photo was of a young woman with brown wavy hair and a smile on her. But more importantly, in her hands, was a small baby bundled up in a blanket. 

Right as I was going to take a picture, the door to the room opened. I stuffed the photo back and closed the drawer, forgetting to lock it. Entering the room was Milton Livington himself. He stopped in his tracks and stared me down.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” He angrily said. 

“Uh…” Shit! I’ve been caught!. “I know your secret!” Was the first thing I blurted out

“What secret?” He asked. 

“I know about those transactions. The money that you send every month.” I said, hoping to reel in a confession from him.

Milton balled his fists, his face turning red. He stared at me with his thick eyebrows. “What are you on about?” He asked.

“You already know, Milton. Just admit it.” I said. Milton’s eyes scanned down to the drawer. I think once he saw that it was open, he knew his secret was out. His hands relaxed and his angry expression faded.

“I assume you saw the photo…” He said.

“I did.” I replied. Milton walked over to where I was at. I thought he was going to punch me but instead he bent down to re-open the drawer. He grabbed the photo and looked at it. 

There was a long pause. I anticipated Milton to punch or kick me. But the long pause calmed the atmosphere in the room. What was a violent aura slowly calmed. And Milton took a deep breath.

“Her name is Amanda. And that right there is my son.” He said. 

“You– You have a son?” I asked, pushing the record button on my phone while Milton was looking at the photo.

“Mhm. I send her money every month. I bought her an apartment an hour away from here so I can see her and my son.” 

Well, shit! I thought that money was maybe payments for a drug addiction. Nope. Turns out it’s because Milton had a bun in the oven.

“I don’t get it then. Why are you hiding this? You kept this locked away like you had a dirty mistress. What’s so bad about it?” I asked.

“Because, I have a fiance.” Milton replied.

“So you cheated on your fiance?” I asked.

“Well, it’s a bit complicated.” Milton said, placing the photo on his desk. “My parents have arranged a marriage for me. Once I finish school, I’m being sent to marry a 45 year old woman for business purposes.” He explained.

“But, they can’t do that! Can they?” 

“They can. They’ve planned this since I was 12. Two years ago, when I was on a trip, I met Amanda. She immediately fell for me, and I did too. She got pregnant and was kicked out by her parents. So, I bought her an apartment, send her money every month, hired a nanny, and sometimes see my son.”

“So, sometimes when you say you’re off to the military school, you’re actually visiting your son?” I asked.

“Mhm. If my parents or the student council find out about this, I’ll be disowned. I’ll lose my money, my future job opportunities, everything. So I’m keeping this away. And you better not tell anyone!” He said.

“I don’t plan to.” I said. “But my silence comes with a price.” I said.

“Fine! Name it!” Milton reached to grab a checkbook.

“Not that kind of price.” I quickly said. “I’ll need your help.”

“What kind of help?” He asked.

“If you want to be able to take over the company while also getting to keep seeing your son, you’ll spill some secrets about them.” I told him.

“How will that work?” 

“Imagine it, Milton,” I said, placing my hand on his shoulder. “Your parents get exposed for something, such as arranging a marriage between a minor and a full grown woman. They’ll hand over their company to you, thinking that you’ll keep it floating for them. Then, when they’re taken down, not only do you have full control, but your parents can’t say no to you. You’ll get to do whatever you want, including seeing your son whenever you want.” I explained to him. 

Milton was staring out the window, thinking of my proposal. His eyes then looked down at the picture of his son and Amanda. He reached out his hand and touched the framed photo. 

“Deal…” He muttered. 

“Also, anytime I propose something, I’ll need you to vote alongside me.” 

“Okay…” Milton muttered. 

“Then we have a deal.” I said. Milton had a small smile on his face, probably imagining his child right now. 

Milton stopped touching the picture and opened a drawer. He scanned through and found a manila folder, handing it to me. 

“There’s a few things on there about my parents, including the arranged marriage. There’s also something about Audrey Wilmington’s family in there. I don’t have anything else, but I hope that works.” He said. 

“This will do just fine.” I said, grabbing the folder. I left the key on the desk and began to walk towards the door. “Oh, by the way. If I were you, I’d stay away from anything that might criminalize you.”

“Why?” He asked.

“Trust me. Fire is going to rain down on this academy soon. And you don’t want to be the one doused in fuel.” I warned him.

“I understand.” He replied. 

“And remember, not a word to anyone. Or you’ll go down too.” I said.

“Mhm.” He replied. I left the room and tip-toed to my room. Once inside, I collapsed onto the carpet below me, breathing heavily. I pulled out my phone and stopped the recording and just sat for a while.

I was lucky that I managed to find a bit of humanity in Milton. Or else that could’ve gone horribly horribly wrong. I even endangered the group, which Tavia is definitely going to slap me for. But I hope that the folder in my hands will do.

The folder!

I opened it to see what was inside. As soon as I opened it, I saw documents with some lines blacked out. However, there was a copy of that document under it, this one not being blacked out. 

Payout

Silence

Bribes

Those are some of the words that quickly stood out to me. That’s when I noticed it was about the Wilmingtons. 

Quickly, I closed the folder and hid it under a rug carpet. I’ll need to keep it hidden until the weekend when the Auburn Nights reconvenes. As for the spare mastercard, I’ll hold onto it just in case I need it for another time. 

So far, we have the Livingtons and their arranged marriage, the Norringtons and their cover-ups, the Worthingtons and their unethical experiments, the Remingtons and their construction violations, and the Wilmingtons and whatever is in that file. That’s half of the student council. 

I then realized that Halloween is coming up! I needed a costume and fast! Luckily, I think the fashion club is in session right now. I passed through the school halls until I reached the second floor of the south wing of the school. 

Inside the room were several mannequins with different designs. Some people walked around with rolls of fabrics in their arms. 

“Vincent Florence!” A voice called out. I turned and saw a guy walking towards me. He had slicked back hair, with the tips dyed a light blue hue. He was an effeminate man, with manicured nails and a bit of makeup on his face.

“Hi, I need some help with something.” I told the guy.

“Of course! You gave me ladies and men some vicuna wool! I’ll make you anything!” His chipper and high pitched voice said.

“Thank you, uh…” I said.

“Charlie Sterling! I’m surprised you haven’t heard of me!” He placed his hand over his heart. “Oh well! I guess you’re now going to know who I am. So, tell me, Mr. Student Council, what can I do for you?” He asked. 

“I need a costume for Halloween.” I replied.

“Hmm. And do you have an idea of what you want?” He asked.

“Yes, I do.” I said, whispering something in his ear.

“I can do that. Lola! Jeanette!” Charlie yelled. Two other people ran over, both of them with fabrics and scissors in their hands. “Take Vincent to get measured! We’re dressing him up!” 

“Yes, your highness!” The two replied. 

“Now go! We don’t have much time!” Charlie ordered them. I was pulled over to a part of the room with curtains for privacy. The two began to measure me.

“How long is this going to take?” I asked.

“Honey, I hope you cleared your schedule! We take our time here. Now, do you want fake boobs too?” He asked.

“Uh, no. I think I’m good at that.” I replied.

My costume is mostly for Connor to admire. I just hope he likes my costume. I wonder what he’s going to be? Probably something tacky like a devil or policeman. I do love a man in uniform.

14: Haunted

CHAPTER 14:

HAUNTED

Vincent Florence

The Halloween festivities were an exciting day. I was able to form a quick coalition of students from different departments to come together and begin to plan something together. We had people working on music from the orchestra club, props from the drama club, snacks from the culinary club, decorations from the leadership club, and the cinema club made a rotation of different movies to screen.

Our friend group didn’t show up with costumes. We’re saving those for later when we go to Auburn Nights. I wore some devil horns on my head, that’s the most I did. I eventually left during the afternoon to get my outfit ready. Luckily, it turned out perfect.

Charlie Brewer, the president of the fashion club, helped with creating an outfit from one of my favorite movies, The Corpse Bride. It’s a bit unconventional for a guy to wear a dress. But I just adore this character so much.

I went back to the fashion club and got painted and dressed there. The first thing was the blue coat on my skin. Then it was a wig, and then the actual costume. So I was now fully ready to attend the Auburn Nights Halloween Night.

When night came, I entered back into the north-east wing of the academy and entered back to the common room. The inside of the common room was dark, with only a jack-o-lantern in the middle of the room.

“Guys! This isn’t funny!” I said.

“BOO!” A pair of hands grabbed me.

“NO!” I yelled, punching whoever grabbed me in the face. The lights came on and I realized I had punched Percy on the cheek bone.

“My face! My beautiful face!” Percy clutched his cheek.

“I knew this was going to happen.” Tavia said, grabbing an ice bag she had ready in hand and bringing it to Percy. “I told him not to do that. But it was his idea.” She told me.

“Sorry, Percy. It was instinctual.” I said to him.

“Don’t sweat it.” He said. He held the ice bag in hand and looked up at me. “What are you wearing?” He asked.

“I’m Corpse Bride!” I said. Percy and Octavia looked confused. “From the Tim Burton movie! No? Have you guys ever seen it?” I asked.

“No…” Percy said.

“I guess I know what we’re watching tonight!” I cheered.

“What’s with all this chatter!?” Connor said, turning the corner with a bowl of punch in hand. “Woah!” He said as he saw me.

“You like?” I asked.

“Who are you supposed to be?” He asked.

“Has no one seen The Corpse Bride here?!” I asked. I then took a look at their outfits.

Octavia wore a “dress”. I say “dress” because it was basically a long red scarf that twirled around her waist. Then the scarf came up from her waist in two straps over her breasts, leaving most of her chest exposed. Her wavy brown hair was even more frizzled.

“Who are you supposed to be?” I asked.

“Yeah, I never found out who you’re supposed to be.” Percy said.

“I’m Nellie LaRoy!” She said. “No?” She asked when none of us knew. She just sighed and left to sit on the couch.

I then turned to Percy, still recovering from my assault. Percy wore an overly-large black suit with a red tie. He also had a bowler hat on.

“Ooh! You’re the bowler hat guy from Meet The Robinsons!” I said.

“Uh, no. Wait here! I’ll get the rest of it!” He said, running to a small table. He picked up some small contraption, first removing his hat and placing the thing on the head. He then put the hat back on to cover the machine. “Ta-da!” He said.

He stood directly in front of me. The machine was a sort of small contraption that extended forward, hanging a green apple. Since he stood in front of me, the apple covered his face.

“Oh… The Son of Man.” I said.

“Exactly!” Percy said, turning to the side and giving me a grin.

Then I turned to Connor. Connor wore a navy blue suit. The suit was buttoned from the neck down in large black buttons. His sleeves were red from an undercoat and so was his collar. His left chest was a small medal, a red ribbon with a gold sun handing off it.

“Oh… God…” I muttered. Connor’s hair was slicked back. He set the bowl of punch down and walked over to me while I continued to gawk at his costume.

“Are you finding pleasure in my attire?” He asked.

“Y-Yes.” I said. I then looked up to meet his eyes. “But, who are you supposed to be?” I asked.

“Lieutenant Franz Lobheiner. From Christine, 1958? Played by Alain Delon?” He asked.

“No, sorry, Connor. But- But you look amazing!” I said.

“I hope so. I’ve been getting this made for months.”

Dorian and Archie turned the corner. Dorian wore a large red outfit and a white hat on her head. I’m certain she’s supposed to be a Handmaid from The Handmaid’s Tale. Meanwhile, Archie wore a simple pumpkin outfit. He actually looks adorable in it.

“Let’s get this started, shall we? I’m too sober for this!” Tavia said. She danced over to us with a bottle of vodka in her hands.

“Just one shot…” I said.

“Pussy!” Tavia said.

“She’s been acting like this since she’s arrived. Something about playing the part.” Percy told me. Tavia pulled out some shot glasses and poured alcohol into all of them. We each grabbed one and downed it. Despite drinking before, it still hurt since wine was more tame than pure vodka.

“Anyone want candy corn?” Percy asked, holding out a bag of it.

“I’d rather eat shit.” Archie muttered.

“Not you too, Archie!” Percy shrieked.

We all laughed and soon, the normally peaceful common room metamorphosed into a lair of silliness and jumbles of laughter. All types of sweets were eaten all over the place and the music bumped through the walls.

I was dancing when a pair of hands grabbed me from behind on my waist. But rather than punch them, I looked down and saw blue sleeves with red cuffs. I knew it was my knight.

“Connor…” I said, turning around and hooking my arms on his neck.

“Vinny…” He replied, holding me tighter.

“Some party we’ve got.” I said, remembering that I am a bit drunk.

“Yeah, well, I’ve got all I need to entertain myself right in front of me.” He replied.

He bent down and the two of us were making out in the middle of the common room. His hands reached down to grab my bottom and gave it a small squeeze.

“Connor! People can see!” I said.

“Nah, they’re all busy.” He replied. I turned and saw Percy sitting on a chair with a blank expression as he chewed on candy. Tavia stood next to him as she leaned forward and kept trying to bite the apple near his head.

Archie was in a corner of a room huddled up with himself, just watching Dorian. Dorian was dancing by herself a few feet away from Archie. She had removed the cape part of her costume and white hat and just danced by herself with a red dress underneath.

“Psst! Vinny!” Connor called out. I turned to him as he stared at my outfit. “Want to get married?” He asked.

“No, Connor. We’ve only been on two dates.” I reminded him.

“But I’m like, crazy for you. You already have the dress and I have the suit. Why not seal it?” He asked.

“Why don’t we get you sober up?” I asked.

“Okay!” Connor said. I walked him over to a chair and sat him down. I grabbed a water bottle and handed it to him. He took a sip and then quickly spit it out.

“Where’s the alcohol?!” He asked. I simply rolled my eyes and left to grab a wet cloth. After putting it on his head, I realized I should get changed, or at least out of this dress.

I climbed the steps up the loft and into the sleeping area. I stared in the mirror as I tried to reach back and remove my dress. However, I couldn’t reach my zipper. Then, Connor appeared from behind me, making eye contact with me in the mirror.

“Need help?” He asked in a gravelly voice. His eyes were not leaving me.

“Yes please.” I replied.

I felt Connor’s fingers land near my neck onto the dress. He grabbed a hold of the zipper and slowly began to pull it down. The zipping sound continued downwards until I felt the dress come loose. My hands came up and gently pulled the wig off my head. The wag was placed on a nearby stool.

Slowly, I turned around and faced Connor. I tugged on the dress and it came down, landing into a pile at my legs. I should have mentioned that underneath the costume, I only wore boxer briefs. And the rest of my skin was unpainted. Connor’s hand came up and landed on my chest. His fingers rubbed everything softly. I felt safe with him.

Connor pulled my face into a kiss and the two of us were in a heated make out session. He slipped his hand under my briefs, grabbing my bottom ferociously. He also grabbed my right hand and placed it on his crotch. He was hard, and I rubbed him.

“Wait.” I said, pulling away from him.

“Shit! Should I have taken it slower?” He asked.

“No. It’s just, I’m covered in paint. I need to take a shower at least.” I said.

“There’s a shower in there.” Connor pointed to the bathroom. Before I left, I grabbed a water bottle I had left earlier and brought it with me.

“Then I will be right back.” I said. I walked into the bathroom, giving my ass a small shake for Connor. As I entered, I took a quick shower but also grabbed a water bottle I found and cleaned myself out. Once I felt entirely cleaned, I exited the bathroom.

On one of the beds was Connor, who had stripped down to just his boxers. His costume was next to mine, a bundle of mess. He was laid back on the bed and staring at me.

“Come here.” He said. I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Connor. I-”

“Shush.” He told me. “I don’t want to hear anything.”

“But what about the others?” I asked. Connor looked down from the loft, and so did I. Archie was asleep and Dorian was passed out on top of him. Percy was slumped in a chair, and Tavia was snoring with an apple in her mouth.

“I think we’ll be fine.” He said. “Now come up here. I want to feel you.” He said.

I climbed onto the bed and laid back with Connor.

“Are we going to do what I think we’re going to do?” I asked.

“Do you want to?” He asked.

“I- err- yes.” I muttered.

“Say it louder, baby. I need your official consent.”

“Yes, Connor. I want you to be my first.” I said. Connor’s hand landed on my bare thigh.

“Okay. I’ll be gentle.” He said.

“Is this your first?” I asked him.

“No, not really. For a guy, yeah. But, how different could it be?” He said.

“I guess we’re both going to have to take this slow.” I said.

“Guess so.” He replied. I leaned into him and began making out with him. I climbed over and straddled his lap, kissing him. My hands crawled down to touch his hard chest, feeling every crevice of his skin.

Connor’s hand made their way to my behind, fondling and tightly grabbing them. A moan escaped from my lips as Connor began to bite on my neck.

“Calm down, Connor! I’m only for you!” I said.

“Sorry, Vinny. You’re just too delicious.” He replied. He hooked his fingers on my boxers and slowly started to pull them down. I kicked them off and stood up, pulling his off too.

“Wait. We don’t have lube.” I said.

“Oh, well, we have this.” Connor said, grabbing a bottle of lotion from where Percy sleeps at.

“Would that work?” I asked.

“Has to.” Connor replied.

“Then take me, Connor. Make me yours.” I said. Connor walked over to me and picked me up.

“Your wish is my command.”

He carried me off to the bed and the two of us laid together and slept together. It was one of the most magical moments in my life and I know that Connor being my first made it all the better. Every touch was questioned if I was fine with it. We must have spent hours together, and eventually, we grew tired and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

When I began to wake up, I could feel a pounding headache. Then my bottom began to hurt. I looked down and saw that Connor was hugging me while he snored lightly. There was no one else in the bed area, so most likely everyone was still asleep.

“Connor! Connor!” I whispered to him.

“Mmmhh! No!” He muttered into my hair.

“Get up! We need to clean up!” I said.

“But you smell so good.” Connor muttered. I could hear a pair of footsteps walking up the stairs.

“Connor!” I shook him.

Tavia entered the area. “Why does it smell like cherry blossoms here?!” She announced. She then turned to us and saw as we covered ourselves in a blanket. “Ohhhhhh!”

“Uh, can we have a moment?” I asked her.

“Sure.” Tavia said. She took a stool and sat down, watching us.

“Alone.” I added.

Tavia groaned. “I just want to watch two guys fuck! Is that too much to ask for?” She asked as she walked down the steps. I pushed Connor away as we scrambled to find something to wear. I ended up painfully putting on one of Connor’s sweaters and some shorts. Connor managed to find himself some sweats and a tank top.

“I’m too scared to go down there.” I said.

“Well, someone probably heard us last night. Just face the music.” Connor said. “Besides, it’s nothing to feel wrong about. It’s just human nature.”

“Alright then. But I’m starving so I guess I have to go down.”

“I’ll wake up Dorian and Archie to make something. Unless they’re too hungover, then I guess we’ll have some candy for breakfast.”

I stepped into the bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth. Connor decided to interrupt my private session and join me. Despite us having sex the night before, being in the bathroom together felt strange.

When the two of us came out of the bathroom, the sound of whistling came from the kitchen area. Connor and I exchanged a look until we walked down. In a complete 180, the rest of the group were all seated at the table and were all ready for lunch. Archie, who had been the one whistling, set a stack of pancakes on the table. Dorian brought over the maple syrup. Everyone had also changed out of their costumes and into casual attire.

“Good morning!” Percy said.

“Morning?” I replied.

“Sit! We’re having breakfast.” Tavia said. The only two seats were next to each other, for me and Connor. We took our seats and the plate of pancakes began to be passed around. When the plate reached me, I noticed the pancakes were shaped like penises.

“Okay. What’s going on?” I asked the table.

“Congrats!” Everyone except Connor yelled.

“Huh?” I asked.

“You and Connor finally tied the knot! You two fucked!” Percy excitedly said.

“This feels a bit weird…” Connor said.

“It’s not weird! We’re just so happy that you two finally did it after weeks of sexual tension!” Percy said.

“So in the time Connor and I were in the bathroom, you all managed to change out of your costumes, sober up, clean this place, and make breakfast?” I said.

“Exactly! It did help that Dorian woke up when you guys were on your… which round was it, Dorian?” Tavia asked the shy girl. Dorian held up three fingers. “Yeah, third round!”

“Wow. So you guys made a special breakfast because Connor and I had sex? That’s… fun.” I smiled.

“Great! Now, do you want maple syrup or icing that’s meant to look like-”

I cut Percy off. “I’ll stick with the syrup.” I said.

Breakfast was quick, seeing as how all of us were hungover and needed something in our stomachs. Once the table was cleared and all of us were full, we sat in the lounge area, with me sitting next to Connor.

“We have dirt on half of the student council. But we still haven’t gotten anything on the biggest fish.” I said.

“I’m sure Sarah has something deeply hidden. Time will tell when that will come to light.” Percy said.

“At least we know that Milton is on our side.” Connor said.

Tavia took a sip of her tea. “Mm. I still can’t believe that he has a kid. Poor guy. I know he’s still a shitty person who abuses his power, but he himself has been abused by that same power. The guy is supposed to marry some old hag! That’s not okay.” She said.

“I at least warned him to stay away from anything that might incriminate him. If he wants to keep seeing his son, then he’ll stay away and won’t interfere with our plans. Otherwise, he goes down with the ship too.” I said.

“Can’t believe you were able to come up with that on the spot! Had it been me, I would have quickly blown our cover.” Percy said.

“It’s all about pulling on people’s deepest desires. I could based it on how Milton reacted to his son that he dearly loves him. So, I played that card and used it as leverage.” I explained.

“Normally, that would be a red flag for anyone.” Connor said.

“But you still like me.” I told him.

“That’s true.” He replied.

“Ugh! That’s so adorable!” Tavia said.

“So, have you guys filled out your college applications?” Percy asked.

“Yup! I’m betting on MIT.” Connor said.

“I’m praying for Columbia.” Tavia said.

“I just applied everywhere. I’m not sure if I’m even getting somewhere good.” I said.

“Come on, Vinny. You’re on the student council. You’re for sure getting in somewhere. And you’ll probably get your tuition paid for entirely. Your future is set.” Connor told me.

“And after we destroy this abusive power, will we all continue to be friends after?” I asked.

“Of course! Even without our nefarious plans, y’all are some of the most entertaining and interesting people.” Tavia said.

“We should meet up on the anniversary of the day we expose everything and just have a glass of champagne!” Percy said.

Connor placed his hand over my shoulder. “Then that settles it. We’ll meet every year and continue to be friends.”

“I’m so glad I transferred here.” I muttered.

“And now we have to plan for Thanksgiving!” Tavia announced.

“Oh God…” Archie muttered.

Tavia quickly stood up. “Now, I was thinking we go with a traditional feast! Dorian and Archie make the turkey, because they cook the best! I’ll make mashed potatoes! Percy… eh, you can just sit so you don’t ruin anything.”

Percy tried defending himself. “Wait! I want to-”

“Hush, Percival! And Connor and Vinny! Since you two are basically dating, you can bring dessert. Everyone understand?” She asked.

“How are we supposed to-” I tried saying.

“Perfetto! Dorian, we need decorations.” Tavia said. We all just went along with whatever she said.

Afterall, Thanksgiving is coming. It’s time we all give thanks to the things in life that we love. And I have a few things in mind I want to thank.

15: Potluck

CHAPTER 15: POTLUCK

Connor Devonshire

“Everyone, gather in! We need a picture!” Tavia said.

“Can we just eat please?!” Percy whined.

“No! We need memories!” Tavia yelled. We just went with the flow and stood in front of the wall that had the Auburn Nights seal on it. Tavia set her phone on a tripod and quickly ran over. “Smile, bitches!” She said. I quickly plastered on a smile and hugged my Vinny close to me. 

Finally, once the photos were taken, we were finally able to sit down and eat our food.

“We should give thanks to something that we cherish. Who wants to go first?” Tavia asked. Percy groaned but quickly stood up.

“I’ll go.” He muttered. “I’m thankful for this food that we all worked on together. Though, it would taste better if we were allowed to just eat it!” He said, giving a glare to Tavia. She flipped him off before she stood up as Percy sat down.

“I’m thankful for all of you, of course. I’m also thankful that I was able to find a good outfit for tonight.” She said and took her seat.

Archie didn’t stand up but helped up his glass. “I’m thankful for being here with you guys.” He said in his soft voice. 

Next was Dorian. “Thank you guys for not leaving me…” She said. She lowered her head as Archie rubbed his hand on her back. We all gave her a smile.

Next was me. “Shit! Uh, I’m thankful for still being alive. And… I’m thankful for you all! All of you guys are so special to me. Especially Vinny, my uh– boyfriend.” I said. Vinny winked at me and held my hand on the table. “So… thank you guys. For all the stupid shit we have and will get into.”

“Oh, I’m the last?” Vinny asked. He stood up with a proud smile on his face. “Well, I’m not one for speeches.”

“You kind of are.” Percy retorted.

“Anyways… I’m thankful for you guys, of course. If I never met you guys, I probably wouldn’t be in this very room, sharing a meal with you all. I also wouldn’t be on the student council if you guys didn’t help. I’m also thankful for Connor, my boyfriend. Oh, and my mom, who sacrificed so much to have me go here and raised me as a single mom.” Vinny ended his speech.

“Now can we eat?” Percy asked.

“Sure.” Tavia replied.

One thing I noticed about our speeches is that Vinny is the only one who mentioned a family member. 

After we finished dinner, all of us sat back and relaxed with our bellies full. 

“Hey, Connor! If we all go to sleep, are you and Vinny going to fuck again?” Tavia asked.

“Wha–? Why would you ask that?” I said.

“It’s just a question. But I brought some earplugs so I won’t have to hear Vinny’s whimpers.” She said, holding out a pair of ear plugs.

“Ooh! Can I borrow some?” Percy asked her.

“We aren’t that loud! Are we?” Vinny asked as his face began to turn red.

“You are pretty… vocal.” I remarked. I watched as Vinny’s face slowly turned more red. “But it’s not a bad thing! I like how loud you are.”

“We should just fuck as loud as we can tonight. You know, stick it to ‘em.” Vinny whispered in my ear. 

I placed a kiss on Vinny’s lips. “It’s a promise.”

When the night came and everyone went to bed, I was cuddled up beside Vinny, watching the glow stars that Percy placed on the ceiling a few months back. I played with his hair while Vinny’s fingers ran over my chest, touching my skin in circles. 

“I wished I’d met you sooner.” I told him.

“Hmm.” He let out a soft grunt. “I still would’ve been infatuated with you.”

“The holidays are coming up.” I said.

“Do you have any plans?” He asked.

“Just going back to my parents for the break but avoiding them as much as possible.” I said. “You?” I asked.

“Going back to Wisconsin. With the money that I’ve been given as part of my salary, I plan on buying a few gifts for my mom and friends that I haven’t seen.”

“Oh. Well, I hope you and your mom have a great break.” I said. Vinny adjusted his body to look up at me, placing his chin on my pecs.

“What’s the reason you despise your parents? You told me about your dad and his expectations. But is there something else?” Vinny asked.

“It’ll take days and nights to explain it fully, but I’ll give you one story that perfectly embodies my father. It was when I was 10 years old on a cloudy day sometime during early spring. Our father took me and my brothers out into the forest with guns in hand for some game hunting. It’s a favorite tradition of my father’s to go into the woods and kill all types of animals he sees.

“During this time, I had just watched several Disney movies such as Snow White and Bambi, and thus, any animal I saw I felt like it had feelings. Still, I followed my father and brothers into the woods with my own gun in arms. And it wouldn’t take long until we encountered our first innocent victims.

“Father had found a breeding ground of pheasants. He picked up a large stone and told us ‘Aim your arms!’. With a large launch, he threw the stone at the birds and they all flew away. The next I remember were the sounds of gunshots echoing through the woods. My brothers and dad had all shot at least three birds.

“But since I didn’t shoot my gun, I became the center of teasing. And my dad vowed he would make me shoot something. We continued our hunting time getting deeper into the woods. My oldest brother, Isaac, managed to shoot a doe and my other brother, Horace, shot three mallards. 

“While on our way back, my father stopped me and told me that I wasn’t allowed to enter the home unless I shot something. We were right at the edge of the woods, the home in view point. Father then pointed at a small rabbit chewing on some grass and whispered in my ear ‘Go on, shoot it! Be a man.’ With him and my brothers continuing to yell at me, I held up my gun.

“I can still hear the gunshot ringing through my ears. I’ve only had a few lessons before that, and after that, I never wanted to pick up a gun again. The next thing I saw was the rabbit’s body getting jumped and blood pouring out. My father patted my back and said we were celebrating that night. While he and my brothers walked back to the house, I was still in shock.

“I don’t remember exactly what happened afterwards. All I know is that I found a box and blanket and put the rabbit inside. He, I named him Snowball, was still alive. But I knew his time was running out. I held him close in his final moments until his last breath. And I buried him. So while my family was enjoying burboun in the green room, I was burying a rabbit I killed. 

“I never went out hunting after that. I found ways to avoid them. Still, I felt like a murderer and couldn’t look at myself for a long time in the mirror. And I never brought this up to my father because all he would tell me was to man up. So, I kept it in and never told anyone, until today. I often think about that rabbit and imagine if he had any children or siblings. Despite how miniscule he was to this earth, that doesn’t make his death any less significant to the world.” 

I hadn’t realized I had been crying while telling the story. I only noticed when Vinny handed me a tissue and helped wipe away some tears that escaped my eyes. Vinny then hugged me close and leaned his head on my chest.

“I’m so so sorry, Connor.” He said. “I can’t imagine ever going through something like that. Or how much something like that would traumatize you.” Vinny hugged me close. 

“It’s not your fault. I’ve never gotten over it, but I’ve healed. And that’s what matters.” I replied.

“Still, why would your father make you do something like that? It’s heartless to make a young kid shoot an animal.”

I sighed. “That’s just how my father is. A man’s-man. There are more examples like those. Like the time I was complaining because he made us camp in the woods during winter. So he took off all my clothes and threw me into a frozen lake. And then he only gave me a blanket to warm me up. My brothers had to get hot charcoal inside towels and rub them all over me to warm me up.”

“Oh God!” Vinny gasped out. 

“Another time, he spent an entire year waking us up as soon as the sun rose and start training. I was only 8 at the time. He eventually stopped when my mom told him that he was going too far. Still, he did it during the summer every year.”

“And your mom? Did she ever stop you dad?” Vinny asked.

“I wish I could say that she did something to stop my dad. But she rarely ever did. She just spent her time drinking and barely doing housewife things. Honestly, if being a housewife was a paying job, she would have been fired ages ago. She only ever stood up to my father when she could see that we were visibly distressed. Either way, she never interfered.” I explained.

“I’m sorry. So is that why you didn’t thank them during dinner? Because of your strained relationship with them?” Vinny asked.

“Mhm. All of us do. Percy’s parents are too busy for him. Archie’s had impossibly high expectations of him. Octavia’s were selfish. And Dorian’s… just know that she had it worse than any of us.”

“It’s fine. You don’t have to elaborate.” Vinny told me.

“Despite how settled for life all of us are, we all just want one thing. To feel the love that a parent can only give. We’re all sort of jealous of you.” I said.

“Why? I don’t have much.” He said.

“Because, even though you don’t have a lot of money, you have happiness and you can find joy in the most random times. You have a mom that actually loves you, a job that you’re great at. You’ve shown a good work ethic, more than most of these rich assholes who go here. Which means that after college, you’ll quickly manage on your own feet.” I said to him.

“That’s not true!” Vinny replied. “You’re focusing on all the good things about me and bad things about yourself. I have my moments and so do you.” He said, his arms hugging my waist.

“Elaborate?” I asked.

Vincent took a deep breath. “Well, I’m not as informed about this culture as you guys. I once wore my shoes double knotted and some of the student council scoffed at me and refused to speak to me. It wasn’t until Natalia told me that double knotting is a taboo thing for wealthy people. Also, I’m always on edge. With sneaking around to find secrets, to being in the public eye, and having a position in the most prestigious academy, I’m constantly worried if I’m doing a good job.”

“So what about me? You said I have my moments.” I said.

“To start off with, you’re always so relaxed. It amazes me how you and the others can remain calm in the most stressful of times. You also are so compassionate. I’ve seen my fair share of rich jerks, but you aren’t one of them. Despite your upbringing, you kept the good parts that make you stand out. And, not to mention, you’re a hell of a boyfriend. My heart flourishes whenever I see you. You always find ways to calm me down or make me happy on a bad day. You aren’t useless like you claim you are. So stop doubting yourself.” Vincent said. 

I hugged Vinny close and placed my head in the crevice of his neck. I took in his smell and forced myself not to cry on him. 

“That’s the best thing anyone has ever said to me.” I muttered. 

“That fact that no one has said it yet just shows how blind the world is.”

“Thank you, Vinny. You really opened my eyes to everything.” I said to him.

Vinny looked up at me with his large amber eyes. My fingers came up to touch the small scar on his eyebrow that bisected his eyebrow at the tail. 

“What’s the story of this?” I asked.

“Oh God! I don’t want to tell you!” Vinny said, covering his face.

“I just told you that I buried a rabbit and the abuse my father put me through. I’m sure this won’t be as bad,” I reminded him of our conversation.

“Fine!” He groaned. “I slipped.”

“That’s it? Come on! I know there’s more!” I kept poking him, making him try and tell me more. He was giggling as my fingers tickled his skin.

“Okay! Okay!” He panted out. I stopped tickling him and let Vinny catch his breath. “I slipped because I wore my mom’s high heels.” He said. I kept staring at him, my face telling him to explain more. “I found my mom’s heels and put them on. I also put on one of her sparkly red dresses. I showed my mom and she found it hilarious. I did small poses and she took a few pictures of me.” He explained, his face turning more red.

“I’ve got to see those pictures!.” I said.

“Never! But I’m not done! I wanted to embrace my true feminine side. So I went to my mom’s room and tried to get her makeup. I hopped onto the ottoman, still with heels on, and tried to grab her brushes. My foot slipped and I crashed face first on the corner of the table and fell.”

I bursted out laughing and clutched my stomach. Vinny pouted and didn’t want to look at me. 

“It’s not funny! I had to get stitches!” Vinny said.

“Did your mom take you to the ER in the dress?” I asked between breaths. 

“No! She removed it!” Vinny replied.

“It sounds like something that you would do.” I chuckled.

“No it’s not! Is it?” He asked.

“Yes!” Tavia yelled from the bottom floor. 

“See? She agrees!” I told Vinny. 

Vinny faced away from me. 

“Aww, come on! Are you upset?” I asked, spooning behind him and caging him in my arms to my chest. Vinny’s bare back touched my chest. 

“It’s actually pretty funny.” He muttered.

“At least you have some fun memories.” I said.

“I want to create some fun memories with you. All of you guys. So we can have something to look back on when we’re grown up.” Vinny said.

“Well, we’ve had Halloween, Thanksgiving, and random moments in between.” I said.

Vinny was silent for a long time. “Let’s do secret Santa!” He said.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“You don’t know what that is?” He asked, with shock in his voice.

“No.” I replied. 

“It’s when a group of people choose a random name, but they don’t say who, and they get that person a gift they think they would like. It’s something my friends and I used to do in Wisconsin.” Vinny explained.

“That sounds like something we should do. Yeah! We’ll tell the group tomorrow if we can do it.” I said.

“This should be fun.” Vinny said. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“You tired?” I asked.

“N-No.” He muttered in a groggy voice.

“Yes, you are. Come on. Sleep time.” I said, scotting over to give Vinny more sleeping room. 

“Hug me, Connor. And don’t let go of me.” He said in a soft voice.

“I’m never letting go.” I replied to him. He cuddled into my chest, placing his head on my pecs. After a few minutes of silence, I heard him snoring. 

What a wonderful night.

“Goodnight, Tavia!” I said in a louder voice.

“Night, Connor!” She replied. 

I turned myself towards Vinny and we both hugged each other. I closed my eyes as my face fell onto his soft hair, smelling his cinnamon roll scented hair. This man has me in a chokehold and he doesn’t even know. 

My eyes shut and I fell into a dream. I was then jolted awake by Vinny, he was looking down at me. His hair was messy and he had eyes that were still tired.

“Good morning, sleepy head.” He said.

“Morning.” I replied, sitting up. I turned and saw that Percy’s bed was made. I could also hear some chatter and clinking of utensils and plates down below.

“Get up and brush your teeth. We’re having breakfast.” Vinny said. “Unless you’re still stuffed from last night.” 

“I could definitely eat.” I said.

“Then hurry up so we can tell the group about our plans for Christmas!” He said. I saw him put on my sweater and some socks and march downstairs.

After a quick change and morning routine, I joined the others at the dining room table. Everyone was eating and chattering with each other. There was a seat left empty for me next to Vinny.

“Vinny isn’t limping so I’m guessing you two had an early night.” Percy said.

“You say the most out of pocket things, Percival.” I replied.

“Connor. Why don’t you tell the guys what we want to do for Christmas?” Vinny nudged my shoulder. 

“Right. You guys want to do Secret Santa?” I asked. Everyone had confused looks on their faces. I proceeded to explain the concept. “Does that sound fun?” I asked.

“Hell yeah.” Dorian muttered.

“What she said.” Archie replied.

“If they’re into it, so am I.” Percy said.

“A nice way to mix things up.” Tavia said. 

“Vinny, go get a paper and pen. This is the first Secret Santa of our group.” I said. Vinny stood up and kissed me on the cheek as he searched for the things we’ll need. 

“What’s the money limit? I assume there’ll be one.” Tavia said.

“Since Secret Santa is mainly about giving someone something meaningful and not expensive, the limit will be $50.” Vinny said as he returned with a paper, empty cup, and pen.

“Wha– What am I supposed to get with $50? A t-shirt?” Percy asked.

“You’ll figure it out.” Vinny said. He ripped the paper into small pieces and handed one to each of us. “Write your name and then fold it up and place it into the cup.”

Everyone wrote their names and placed it into the cup. 

“Now I’ll raffle them. Then you’ll each choose one paper. If you get your name, you can either say it and you’ll get a new one, or stay quiet about it and get yourself something. And the most important thing, don’t tell anyone who you got!” Vinny advised us all.

As we each grabbed a name, we wondered who we got.

“And… open!” Vinny said.

 I put my hands under the table and unfolded the paper. And I got…

Vincent.

Vincent…

My own boyfriend! That means I’ll be getting him two gifts! One as boyfriends, and the other as a Secret Santa! Though, I’m not complaining.

I just wonder who Vinny got. Hopefully it’s me. 

16: Failure

CHAPTER 16: FAILURE

Vincent Florence

Well, I got Archie. That makes my hunt even harder because I know very little about him. He isn’t much of a talker, just like Dorian. The most I know about him is that he loves to watch people fight and doesn’t like his parents.

Over the following days, I kept track of small details that Archie does. He wipes his glasses several times a day. I also noticed that Archie doesn’t like it when his sweaters are covered in lint. There have been times when he’ll fixate on his sweater and pick off lint.

So in the end, I got a glasses cleaning kit, a lint roller, and a few other trinkets that sound fun. I wrapped it in a large box and was ready for Christmas.

Meanwhile, I walked by Milton Livington. He signaled for me to move over to the side into a small hallway.

“Here, I found this for you.” Milton handed me another manila folder.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s about the Carringtons.” He whispered. I tucked the folder into my book bag. “And then there’s this. It’s not much to go off on, but there is something about the Remingtons.” Milton handed me a small envelope.

“Thank you.” I said.

“I was never here.” Milton said as he slipped out of the hallway and walked away from our spot. Good to know that he’s still keeping his end of his deal. Meanwhile, I’ve now gotten two more secrets. Only two families to go.

Tavia and Dorian had called me a few days before the party to help set up decorations. Because it’s impossible to bring in a physical pine tree into the common room, we opted for a plastic one that lights up.

“I have a question.” I said.

“Yeah?” Tavia asked, wrapping some streamers around her breasts.

“Who restocks the food? Someone is always cooking something here.” I said.

“Archie does. He spends the most time here, so he’ll come in on Sunday nights and restock food that he buys from the kitchen.”

“He must really love this place.” I remarked.

“It’s essentially his home. It’s kind of all of our homes. Including you.” Tavia replied.

I knew this place was important to everyone. But I never knew it was that important to them. They already have strained relationships with their parents. This is the only place where they can feel like a family.

While the rest of the group was busy complementing each other’s ugly sweaters, I sat on a stool and kept thinking about the new pieces of information about the student council I received. After this, there will only be two people left to go, which are the Kensingtons and Barringtons.

The Kensingtons, according to a quick Google search, are leading scientists who have revolutionized several sects of the science community. They often fund projects that involve experimental drugs and cures for diseases. The Barringtons own Barrington Law and Associates. This company owns several other law firms. They’re also known for representing several high profile clientales, such as the Blackburns and the Lexingtons.

This means that it might be a bit more difficult to get something on Sarah’s family, since I assume that they’ll be more protective with their secrets. However, I have a nagging feeling that something is going to happen soon…

“Can we open the presents now? I want to see what I got!” Percy whined.

“Oh my God! Can you shut up already?!” Tavia replied.

“Bitch!” Percy said. He was going to flip her off but decided it wasn’t worth it.

“So, who did you get?” Connor asked me.

“I can’t tell you that.” I whispered back. “That’s the ‘secret’ part.”

“Well, whoever you got sure is a lucky bastard.” Connor remarked and kissed my forehead.

“Now?” Percy asked.

“No.” Tavia replied.

“How about now?” He asked.

“I said no!” Tavia groaned.

“Let’s ask Dorian then! Hey, Dorian! Should we open the presents now?” Percy asked the quiet girl who sat with Archie and tried to lick a candy cane. Prying eyes were watching her as she remained shocked.

Slowly, Dorian nodded in approval.

“Then it’s official! We’ll open presents now!” Percy eagerly announced. Tavia looked defeated but still had a small smile on her face. “Everyone! Gather around the tree!”

I pulled up a stool and sat next to Connor at the edge.

“Can I go first?” Connor asked. I nodded. Connor stood up and picked up a large box. The wrapping paper was a bright yellow with small panda drawings all over it. It was topped with a baby blue bow. He walked over to me and held it out for me.

“Oh shit!” I muttered.

“I got you…” Connor said. I grabbed the box from his hands.

“Thank you.” I muttered. Connor’s face turned red as he took his seat.

“Open it.” He told me. I obliged and carefully removed the wrapping paper, despite Percy telling me to just rip it off.

Inside the box was a large stuffed capybara plush. There was also a mug with a photo of both Connor and I. Scattered around were also some bags of candy and a note for me.

“This is amazing!” I said. I set the box down and jumped into a hug with Connor. “Thank you! Thank you!” I peppered his face with kisses.

“Okay! Okay! I get it!” Connor chuckled. “It’s your turn.” He smiled at me expectantly. I walked over to the tree and grabbed the box that had a forest-green wrapping paper. I then skipped Connor, who gave a small frown, and handed it to Archibald Marlowe.

“Merry Christmas, Archie.” I said. He was shocked but then smiled and gently took the box from me. He opened it by carefully removing the wrapping paper and opened the cardboard box underneath.

He pulled out the glasses cleaning kit and a bright smile came upon his face quickly. He jumped a bit in his seat and then pulled out the rest of the things. His bright face made this whole experience worth it.

“Thank you!” He said in a chipper voice. The next thing he did shocked me. He gave me a hug, planting his face in my chest and wrapping his arms around me tightly. This is the most expression he’s ever shown to anyone.

“You’re welcome, Archie. I’m glad you enjoy it.” I patted his back. He let go of me and I saw him wipe a few tears off his face. I pretended not to notice and went back to my seat while Archie kept taking pictures of his gifts.

The next gifts went by quickly. Archie got Percy and gave him some good quality men’s care products. Percy got Dorian and gave her an art set. And Dorian got Connor, and she gave him a picture album book and some workout essentials.

Percy piped up. “What! Does that mean that Tavia got…”

Tavia pulled out the largest box from under the tree. “That’s right, bee-atches! I got myself!” She said. Tavia eagerly pulled off the purple wrapping paper and opened her box.

“Please tell me you didn’t pass the maximum budget?” I asked.

“Too late.” She said. She proceeded to pull out several items from the box. These included a fur coat, a pearl necklace, some winter ear muffs, and some lacy bras.

“This is such Octavia-behavior.” Connor said.

“Relax. I got some things for you guys too. You know those mugs where you just add the wet ingredients to make brownies? Guess who got some for you all!?” She pulled out some jar with brownie mix inside and gave one to each of us.

“This is nice. Thanks, Tavia.” Percy said.

“No problem.” She said, putting on her fur coat and snuggling herself into it.

“Let’s make brownies!” Percy said.

While I was eating my brownie, Archie sat next to me on the couch. His glasses were cleaner now. His fingers were fiddling with the spoon of his brownie jar, like he was getting the courage to say something.

“Sorry for crying.” He muttered.

“Oh, I didn’t notice.” I replied.

“I know you did.” He said. “I just got emotional.”

“Why?” I asked. He bit his lip and took a deep breath in.

“Because I’ve never really gotten gifts before.” He said.

“Did your parents not get you any?” I asked.

Archie shook his head. “No. They don’t do anything for me.” He replied.

“Wow. I’m sorry for that. I can’t believe they would ignore such an important day and their kid.” I said.

“They barely recognize me as a kid.” He leaned in closer. “Truth is, they only had me for an experiment.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“My dad is a child psychologist and my mom works as a professor for an academy for gifted kids. They came up with a theory that if a kid is introduced to an immense amount of knowledge at a young age, when they absorb things easier, they’ll grow into geniuses.”

“You were made just for an experiment…” I said.

“Exactly. They didn’t even have sex when they made me. They did it using insemination at a clinic. On the day of my birth, Beethoven and Franz Liszt were blasting in the maternity ward. Rather than be raised with cartoons and children TV shows like PBS Kids, my parents showed me Harvard lecture videos and surgery training tapes.”

“Holy shit…” I muttered.

“My whole life was planned out. I had to read a certain amount of words every day. I learned Latin and Sumerian at 8. Who even speaks those languages anymore?!” Archie was getting riled up. I rubbed his back to calm him down. “They also did late night study sessions with me. But it wasn’t like your average late night session where you stay up and eventually sleep after a few hours. No, it was worse.

“These were on the weekends. What they would do is sit me at a desk and read everything. Solve everything. Comprehend everything. But the part that made it hellish was the drugs. My father used IV drips and hooked them onto my arm to provide energy for me to keep studying. This went through the entire night. Sometimes, my parents would walk in and check up on me.

“When the morning came, they would check all my work and have it corrected. Then I was forced to correct my mistakes. And then afterwards, I could finally go to sleep. But because of the drugs I was given, I didn’t have the capacity to do so. And I would remain awake for several more hours until the effects wore off. Then sleep would finally take over.”

A sad frown came up on his face. “So how did you end up here at Auburn? Surely your parents would have sent you to some Ivy by now.” I asked.

“I passed out during school one day and was taken to the nurse. When she saw the IV marks, she called the police and CPS. At the hospital, my parents were threatened with taking me away. They paid off several people to keep them silent about everything. But they didn’t just want to drop me after all their hard work. So, they sent me here. Where I can continue my studies at a top ranked academy.”

“And so they gave you up. And they never gave you a present.” I said.

“Exactly. Not only did you get me a gift, but it was a thoughtful one.” His frown turned into a somber smile.

“A failed experiment in their eyes. But you turned out better than what they wanted.” I told him.

“Thanks. That means a lot to me. But I’m just the first.” He said.

“There’s more?” I asked in shock.

“When I came here, which was when I was 13, my parents decided to continue their experiment. From what I can determine, they had another insemination and had triplets. All of them are being raised just like I was. But this time, each of them is focused on one thing.

“The first is Harley, who is being forced to learn literature. Then there’s Tristan, forced to learn musical instruments. And then the youngest, Lawson, who is forced to learn calculus. I just pray that one day, they’ll be able to escape that place and I can finally meet them.

“Despite them being my brothers, I have never seen them or even talked to them. Every year when school gets out, or during winter breaks, I go to an aunt’s house. She’s essentially my mother, a woman who actually cares for me. But she doesn’t have much. She receives a small check once a month for expenses from my parents.

“Everyday, though, I still feel like a failure because I failed my parents. I want to make them proud but I also don’t want to entertain them because of how they used me.”

Archie leaned his head on my shoulder. This is the most he’s ever spoken. I’m pretty sure he’s never spoken this much to Connor or Percy. But I think Dorian more. It’s a privilege to know his story.

“I don’t think you’re a failure. You’re ranked one of the highest in the school. The group comes to you for help with assignments. And you’re overall a great friend.” I patted his back.

“If you say so. You know, there’s a clause in the student council rulebook that states that the words of any member is the highest in the academy. You saying that means that it’s official.” He said.

“If only I could knight people. I’d make you Sir Archibald Marlowe. That would impress Dorian.” I teased him.

His face flushed red and he turned to look at Dorian, who had a whipped cream mustache on her face from the hot chocolate. “You know about that?” He asked.

“Everyone knows you two like each other. Just ask her out. The worst she can say is no.” I said.

“The worst she can say is nothing. Dorian has a habit of clamming up when things get uncomfortable. It would be my greatest honor to court her, but to approach a lady like that requires a true gentleman.”

“And that gentleman is you.” I reminded him. “Just take her somewhere private and ask her politely. That girl is fawning for you.”

“You’re right!” Archie said. “I’m going to ask her out.” He said.

“Attaboy! Now get her, tiger!” I said. The both of us stood up as Archie gave me a hug and thanked me for everything. He skipped towards Dorian and talked with her.

Connor came up to me and hugged my waist to him.

“What did you two talk about? It looked like a deep conversation.” Connor said.

“Uh, just– stuff.” I replied.

“He told you about his parents, huh?” Connor said.

“He did. I feel sorry for that guy. Imagine being born just for an experiment? Getting no love or affection at all.”

“Well, that’s how most of us are born into. Our parents don’t exactly want us because they wanted to raise kids. They see us as an investment for their futures. Clay that they can mold into their perfect mini-mees that will do and act like they are.” Connor explained.

“I hope you and the others can marry into a family that will make up for the one you lost.” I told Connor.

“I think we’re all fine. But a family wouldn’t be so bad.” Connor teased me by placing his fingers on my shoulder.

“Bad boy!” I said, slapping his hand away from me.

“But it’s Christmas. And I got you a gift.” Connor held a small box in his other hand and handed it to me. I opened it and saw a small gold necklace with a locket in the middle. “I know it’s cliche, but I figured that a locket like this could be the start of something special for our relationship.” Connor said.

I opened the small gold heart locket and inside was a small picture of me and Connor on Thanksgiving a few weeks ago. The two of us were smiling with the most happiest of grins.

“How wonderful!” I said, jumping into his arms. “It’s absolutely perfect!”

“Hey, Vinny. Guess what we’re under?” Connor said. I looked up and saw hanging from the wooden mantle was a bundle of mistletoe. I looked down as Connor gave me a smirk.

“You know what to do.” I said. He brought his hands up and cupped my face and brought my face into his. Our lips met and we exchanged a heated kiss under the mistletoe.

We split apart with our faces red. I turned over to Archie and saw him and Dorian holding hands and whispering into each other’s ears and giggling like children.

“Ugh! Everyone is in love!” Tavia said.

Percy, who stood next to her, turned away from Octavia and sipped his eggnog.

“Uh, Tavia?” Archie said to her. Archie pointed up as another bouquet of mistletoe hung atop of both Octavia and Percy. Percy’s eye widened as he witnessed the mistletoe.

“Oh God…” Tavia muttered.

“Well, rules are rules… heh,” Percy said. He set his glass down as Tavia grabbed a peppermint candy and quickly chewed it.

Everyone watched as Percy and Tavia turned to each other but refused to look at one another. Percy’s red face contrasted against his blonde hair and Tavia twirled her hair between her fingers.

“Just kiss already!” Connor yelled. Percy jumped and puckered his lips and closed his eyes. Tavia did the same and the two leaned in closer. Archie pulled out his phone to record as the two leaned in closed.

There was complete silence as they landed a quick peck on the lips. It was followed by the two yelling and running away from each other. Tavia went over to the sink and ran her lips under cold water while Percy went to the trash bin and started gagging.

“Now you two are being over dramatic.” Connor said.

“You try kissing that woman!” Percy retorted.

“I can’t believe I touched his lips!” Tavia shouted.

All the while this chaos ensued, Archie and Dorian sat close to each other and rubbed their noses together. Dorian had one of the biggest smiles on her face. She truly looked happy and her smile was genuine. She planted a kiss on Archie’s cheek as she went to hug him and place her face on Archie’s shoulder and neck.

Archie gave me a thumbs up and smiled at me. I gave him a smile in return. Good to see that at least one happy couple came about from this ceremonious function.

“I have a gift!” I announced to the room. All the madness stopped as everyone came towards me.

“Is it an espresso machine?” Tavia asked.

“Or an orange juice maker?” Percy asked.

“Even better!” I said, lifting a pillow on the couch.

“Oh, a ball pit for the common room!” Tavia said.

“No, this!” I said, pulled out the envelope that Milton gave me earlier. “There’s more dirt on the Remingtons and Carringtons.” I said.

“Then open it!” Percy said. I opened it and set out the papers on the coffee table. We all spent a bit of time reading the documents and going through everything.

“So we know that the Remingtons deal with real estate. According to this, they’ve been specifically targeting low income neighborhoods and building luxury apartments nearby to raise the prices of rent nearby.” Connor explained.

“And according to this, the Carringtons have been creating puppet banks and making sketchy clauses in them. They’ll then tamper with the company and run off with everyone’s money, using their connection with Congress to be bought out. Meanwhile, everyone else who had money in there loses out on their savings.” Percy said.

“Then that’s two more on the docket. Only two families remain.” I said.

“I’ll pin this on the board.” Archie said. He went to the corner of the common room where all the stationary supplies are at and rolled out the board that we made for the student council.

“This was a great gift, Vinny. Good job!” Percy said.

“I have another gift to give you.” Connor whispered in my ear.

“What is it?” I asked. Connor pushed himself forward as I felt his length rubbing on my back. “Oh God…” I groaned.

“That’s not all. How about this time, you take the lead.” He whispered in my ear.

“You mean it?” I asked.

“Of course. Just let me go prep and we’ll do everything we want tonight.” He said.

“What about the others? Won’t they hear us?” I asked.

“Let them hear. I want them to hear how much my boyfriend can please me.” Connor said. He gave my waist a squeeze until he let go and left for the bathroom.

When the lights finally turned off and everyone (we assumed) fell asleep, Connor and I fell into our lustrous ways and went off into the night. I wish I could say we behaved properly. But these sorts of times tend to bring out our most animalistic urges.

On the final day of class, I was packing a small suitcase in the tower, getting ready for my mom to come pick me up and take me to Wisconsin, where I’ll be spending Christmas and New Years.

A knock on my door snapped me out of my humming. On the other side of the door was Natalia. I ushered her into my room as she stood in the middle of the carpet.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“It’s nothing too big. But I saw Ms. Barrington’s bank history. It was on her desk and I caught a glimpse of something.” She said.

“Like what?” I asked.

“It’s a lot. Whatever she’s planning is worth in the millions. I saw thousands of bottles of champagne, several exotic dancers, and some clothes. That’s all the bank statement said but I’m sure there’s more.” She said.

“Thank you, Natalia.” I said. “I’ll keep this in mind.” She nodded and turned to walk back out my room. “Have a great Christmas.” I told her.

“Thanks. You too, Vincent.” She said, and left the room.

I stood in the center of my room with a suitcase in hand. Who knows what’s going to happen soon? As much as I wanted to ponder everything, my mom began to call my phone, meaning she was here.

And as I left the academy walls, I knew that when I make my return, this place will be a lot darker.

17: Wisconsin

CHAPTER 17:

WISCONSIN

Vincent Florence

Snow poured outside and landed on the ground below, greeting an ivory blanket. Luckily, the inside was warm. And I was bundled in my old room with a blanket and some hot chocolate, watching The Grinch on my laptop.

“Vinny.” Mom barged into my room. “Your old friends are here.” She said.

“Cooper and Janet?” I asked.

“Yep. They’re here. Go hang out with them.” Mom said. “They’ve missed you since you left.”

“Okay. Let me get changed. Tell them I’ll be right out!” I said. Mom walked back out as I scrambled to find something to wear for the snow. 

When I walked into the living room, there were my two old friends. Cooper stood up and smiled at me while Janet jumped up and ran over to me and hugged me.

“Vinny!” She squealed. “We fucking missed you!” She said.

“I missed you guys too.” I replied. She let go as Cooper came over and gave me a handshake and then a hug. 

“Come on! Let’s go into the snow!” Janet said. We all exited the place and joined the outside. The snow crunched under our boots and our warm breath created a white mist from our mouths. 

After a bit of silence, Janet turned to me.

“Hey, Coop. Is it me, or does Vinny look more… poshy.” She said.

“Yeah, he kinda does.” Cooper replied, the two of them looking at me. 

“What does that mean?” I asked with a chuckle.

“You know, you’re more shaved. You used to go weeks without shaving ‘cause you wanted a beard so badly. But now, it’s smooth. And your hair is more wavy.” Janet touched my hair.

“Plus, your outfit is more matching. You used to just put on whatever you found. Now, everything matches.” Coop looked at my clothes.

“Well, that tends to happen when you hang out with rich people.” I said. We walked until we reached the playground. All of us sat on the swings, ignoring our asses freezing from the cold seats. 

“Tell us how Auburn is. Is it really frightening as you told us?” Janet asked.

“Sort of. Once you get the hang of everything, it’s easier to walk through the halls.” I said.

“And how is it like being on the student council? I assume being around the creme de la creme is somewhat exhausting.” Coop said.

I sighed deeply. “It’s impossible to explain. But they’re just as bad as you can imagine rich people to be.” I said.

“Everyone at school thinks it was so brave of you to go against the student council. You dominated power as soon as you arrived on campus. That’s some big balls shit.” Coop said.

“How do you guys know about that?” I asked.

“The newspaper. Your school publishes the newspaper on their website and we’ve been reading all the articles about you. You created the Halloween and Great Thanksgiving Feast. And you were voted the most liked student council member.” Janet explained.

“I didn’t know that my achievements would extend as far as here.” I muttered.

“‘Cause you represent us, in a way. A low income kid who got accepted in Auburn and is on the spot along with the most powerful families is a great flex!” Coop said.

“Thanks, but sometimes it feels like I’m just as bad as them.” I said.

“Why?” Janet asked.

“Because…” I thought but decided not to bring up the plans. “Nevermind. So what about you guys? Anything changed?” I asked.

“Mmm, ooh! Ellie started dating Topher! They started dating in September and are still going strong!” Janet told me.

“The football team is doing pretty good.” Coop said. “They might make it to the championships.” 

“And Jeffrey?” I asked. 

The two became quiet and glanced at each other. 

“Don’t get mad.” Janet said. “But after you left, he sort of started dating Aiden.” She said.

I stayed quiet. When I was here in Wisconsin, there was a guy named Jeffrey, Jeff as he preferred, who used to flirt with me. I rarely reciprocated his advances because I assumed he was another straight guy who did this for an ego boost. 

But sometime during junior year, his flirtations got more intense, to the point where I began to think that he maybe was into me. I eventually asked him out during the summer before senior year, thinking that he did like me. Instead, he humiliated me and called me pathetic for thinking our feelings were mutual.

The weeks following was him doing everything he could to humiliate me and criticize me online. Part of me prayed that I would get into Auburn Brights Academy so I didn’t have to face everyone when school started. Luckily, I got accepted and left for New England, leaving this place behind.

And now, I’m finding out that Jeff was indeed into men. And worst of all, he began dating the twink that everyone knows spends too much time in the baseball locker room after practice.

But… I didn’t care. Yeah, Jeff was a guy who might have broken me a bit. But since then, I’ve picked up the pieces of myself and found a guy much much better.

“I’m happy that he discovered himself.” I said.

“You sure you aren’t mad?” Janet asked.

“No, I’m not. I’ve moved on and found someone else. Whatever Jeff and Aiden have, I’m sure it must be good that he was willing to come out for him.” I replied.

“Do you want to talk to him?” Coop asked.

“Hmm. Maybe.” I said. 

“‘Cause ever since Jeff found out you were coming back, he’s been asking– begging– for us to tell you that he wants to talk to you.” Coop said. He pulled out his phone and showed me a message conversation on Instagram of him and Jeff texting back and forth.

Jeff would ask when I was coming, with Coop replying with a vague answer. Jeff would also ask if Coop can convince me to talk to him. Based on Jeff’s texts, he sounds desperate.

“I’m up to talk to him.” I replied.

“I’ll let him know.” Coop said and typed away. 

“So…” Janet moved closer to me. “Wanna tell us about this new guy you mentioned.” She said.

“Oh my God! He’s literally perfect! He’s so fucking hot! And he’s smart too! You know what? I’ll just show you.” I said. I pulled up a picture of Connor and showed them both.

“Shit! Are you dating Henry Cavill?” Janet asked.

“I guess buff guys are your type.” Coop replied.

“His name is Connor. We’ve been dating since early September.” I bragged about my boyfriend.

“And have you two…?” Janet made a suggestive signal with her hands.

“I don’t feel comfortable telling you guys that!” I replied.

“That means that they have.” Coop told Janet.

“No fair! I was supposed to be the one to lose my v-card first!” Janet pouted. We all laughed but were interrupted when the sound of something crashing came from the sidewalk. 

On the floor was the guy that broke me… Jeff. He rubbed his head while his bike was near him. He must’ve quickly biked here. 

“Is that Jeff? Holy shit!” Janet said. Jeff fixed himself and stood up. He only wore sweats and a basic hoodie. Probably rushed here after Coop told him that I agreed to his conversation. He left his bike on the floor and walked over to us at the swings.

“Hey, Coop. Janet.” Jeff greeted my two friends. Janet scoffed and turned to look at the dumpster bin while Coop just nodded his head. Jeff then turned to me. His brown eyes once again brought me back to those years when he flirted with me.

I used to dream of those eyes at night. His brown curly hair was trimmed neatly on his head. And he now grew a small beard on his face. And based on Jeff’s reaction to seeing me, I think he’s entranced by me. 

“Hey, Vincent.” Jeff said.

“Jeff.” I replied. 

“We’ll give you two some space to talk.” Janet said. She grabbed Coop by the hoodie and pulled him away as the two walked several feet from us.

“Can I?” Jeff pointed at the empty swing next to me.

“I don’t own the park.” I said. Jeff hesitantly took a seat. We swung in our chairs a bit, my foot digging into the snow and mulch of the playground below.

“I’m sorry.” Jeff said. I turned to him as Jeff played with his fingers.

“For what?” I asked. If he’s truly sorry, he’ll admit to everything that he did.

“I’m sorry for leading you on. And tricking you into thinking that I was into you. And for humiliating you and saying all those nasty words to you.” He said.

“Do you understand the shit that I went through when you did that? I couldn’t even leave my room! I was scared because I was expecting someone to throw a brick at my window! Especially now, with everything going on! You put me in danger, Jeff!” I snapped at him. 

Jeff lowered his head in shame. “I truly am sorry.” He muttered. 

“What I want to know is, why? Why did you flirt with me? Why did tease me so flirtatiously? Did you get a kick out of it? Did you like the attention? I heard that you’re dating Aiden now. So that means that maybe it was authentic.” I said.

“The truth is, I did like you. A lot. I flirted with you because I was hoping that maybe I could ‘get it out of my system’ or something. But when my feelings got stronger, I knew I needed to stop it. And when you asked me out, I shut down and reverted to my hatred.”  He explained.

“So you knew you liked me. And when I asked you out, after years of teasing, you reject me and exposed me online?” I asked.

“I know it sounds shitty, because it is. And whatever excuse I come up with will never forgive that. I just hated myself and the fact that you were so… so confident about yourself. I responded the way I did because it was a huge change.” Jeff said.

I calmed down and breathed in and out. “I know that feeling. Thinking that you like women only to realize that you like men. It changed everything about you. How will you find a partner? If you’ll ever become the victim of a hate crime. The fact that billions of people on the earth would gladly stone you to death. So I know that fear. I went through it.” I said.

Jeff lifted his head and turned to me. “I know I don’t deserve forgiveness and that should be something you need to do on your own time. But I am really sorry. If I could go back, I would change everything. Instead of snapping, I’d take some time to think it over.”

“I can see that you’ve been thinking about this.” I said.

“After you left for Auburn, I saw how toxic I was and went to therapy. It’s definitely been eye-opening for me.” 

“I’m glad that you’re changing. Keep progressing and you’ll see change in not yourself, but how others view you.” I told him.

“Thank you, Vincent.” He said. “Could there ever be an opportunity for us to try again?” He asked.

“No, Jeff. I know that you changed, but I have someone that I’m dating and that I like. And you have Aiden. Just use us as a learning opportunity. And from there, you’ll grow into the best boyfriend that anyone could ask for.” I said.

“You have a boyfriend? I hope he treats you right. You deserve a guy that will care for you.” Jeff said.

“And you deserve someone like that too. Not to shit talk, but Aiden isn’t exactly boyfriend material.” I said to him.

“Yeah, I noticed that quickly. After this convo, I plan on breaking up with him.” He said.

“You’ll find someone, Jeff. And when you do, don’t run away.” I said. 

“I promise.” Jeff replied. We stood up and gave each other a tight hug. It seems that my anger and resentment that I once held for Jeff disappeared with this conversation. I’m thankful that I had this talk with him.

“Goodbye, Jeff.” I waved at him.

“Goodbye, Vincent! Good luck at Auburn!” Jeff said. He hopped onto his bike and pedaled away. 

“I thought I was going to see blood and guts. But, this is a better outcome.” Janet said. 

“Nah. Jeff’s just a stupid, confused guy. He’ll figure everything out eventually.” I replied. “Now, who wants to talk shit about our classmates?” I asked.

“If only you knew!” Janet said. 

The snow began to pick up and I knew that the day had to come to an end. I waved goodbye to my friends and walked back home, with the promise that I’ll see them again soon and we’ll meet up before I return to Auburn.

I passed by the woods and felt something watching me from the treeline. I turned and saw a figure standing there, watching me. Carefully, I stepped closer to the tree line and saw a person in a suit wearing a snowy owl head. 

First a deer, now an owl. 

“HEY!” I yelled. I ran towards the tree, determined to get to the end of this. But the figure sprinted into the woods. However, due to how dense the forest was and the fact that a blizzard was incoming, I had to leave and return home.

As soon as I got home, I locked the door and ran all over the house, shutting all the blinds.

“What’s going on?” Mom asked, emerging from the kitchen.

“Nothing. It’s just getting cold. We should close everything up.” I replied.

“Hmm. Go get changed and come eat lunch. It’s no Michelin star meal that you’ve gotten used to, but it’s homemade at least.” She said.

“Mom, I’ll always pick your food over anything else.” I reminded her.

“Good to know that you haven’t gone full snobby.” She chuckled, receding back into the kitchen. 

After lunch, I went to my room and FaceTimed my loving boyfriend.

“Hey, Vinny!” Connor’s handsome face came into view. Behind him was the opposite of my current state. It was sunny and behind him was an ocean.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“Greece. My father brought me and my other brother here.” He said. “Look, I’m wearing a toga! He moved his camera down to show his toga. Part of his chest was revealed and the toga looked sloppily placed on.

“Fun. It’s cold where I’m at.” I opened my blinds and showed the outside to him.

“I wish you were here. You would’ve loved Greece. I’m learning so much here!” Connor said.

“Yeah? Well, I can see that the one thing you haven’t learned is how to put on sunscreen.” I replied.

“I’ll be fine. So how’s Wisconsin? You having fun?” He asked.

“I am! I hung out with my friends today and now I’m in here in my room.” 

“Nice! I can’t wait until we go back to school. My sweet Hyacinth.” Connor said.

“What did you call me?” I asked.

“Hyacinth. Apollo’s lover. The two fell in love with each other. You’re Hyacinth. And I’m Apollo.” He explained.

“I don’t think that’s a good analogy for our relationship.” I said.

“Why not? I think it’s sweet.” He said.

“Connor, Hyacinth dies.” I told him.

His face turned sour. “Shit, I may have zoned out during that part of the tour. Well, how about Dionysus and Ampelos?” Connor asked.

I shook my head. “Mmm, no. Sorry, babe.” I said.

“Who cares?! We’ll make our own legend.” Connor said.

“Connor. I miss your touch. I need you!” I said.

“Even though we’re thousands of miles away, I’d want nothing more than to reach out and touch you.” 

“Connor, do you want to have phone sex?” I asked him.

“Why not?” He replied. He walked a bit until he entered what I assumed was his room. He held the phone up and showed me as he loosened his toga and it fell into a mess at his feet. He was going commando, wearing nothing underneath.

“Were you planning this?” I asked him.

“Maybe…” He said. “I just knew that I wanted to do something with you on the call. Now shut up and take your clothes off.” He commanded me.

I stood up and locked my door. I set my phone on my desk and gave him a strip show. He watched intently and took screen shots of me.

“There?” I asked, showing him my body.

“Perfect.” He replied.

“I can’t wait until I’m able to touch that body of yours!” I moaned.

“Fuck yeah, Vinny! God, you’re so fucking hot!” He said.

I jerked off faster while I kept sweet talking to Connor. When we finished, I grabbed some tissues and cleaned myself up.

“We should do that more.” I panted.

“Definitely. We have all of winter break to do this.” Connor said. 

“Then we’ll finally be able to do it to each other.” 

My doorknob turned and my door opened.

“VINCENT!” Mom yelled as she barged in. 

“MOM!” I yelled. I covered myself quickly with my hands. Connor, sadly, had his entire body out on display for my mom to see. Which means that not only did my mom see me naked, but also Connor.

“I’ll just–”

“Get out!” I yelled at my mom. She quickly exited the room and closed the door behind her. 

I inspected the doorknob. Because of how old this house is, it makes sense that it would eventually break.

“Did she see anything?” Connor asked.

“I know she did.” I groaned out. “I have to go, Connor. I’ll text you later.” I said.

“Okay. Bye, Vinny.” 

“Bye, Connor.” I hung up and quickly changed into something less… revealing. After a few minutes of hyping myself up, I exited my room and saw my mom sitting on the couch.

She was quiet until she spoke up. “Listen, I know you’re a teen and you have hormones and stuff. Just… don’t be too… crazy.” Mom said.

“You don’t have a problem that I was doing that?” I asked mom.

“Vinny, I was a young girl. You would not believe the things I got up to as a teen. Want to know the story of your conception?” She asked me.

“No, I’d rather not hear.” I replied.

“It was Martin Luther King Jr. Day…”

“Nope! I’m leaving!” I said, returning to my room.

“At least move your dresser in front of your door!” Mom yelled. 

Despite this very awkward atmosphere, at least my mom didn’t freak out or yell at me. She truly is a good mother. 

Winter break is only for three more weeks. I’ll survive this and then return home to Auburn with the rest of my friends.

18: Cipher

CHAPTER 18:

CIPHER

Vincent Florence

When I returned to Auburn after my break, I was able to catch up with all my friends. I spoke to Archie and Dorian, who could not stop holding hands. Apparently, Dorian spent the break with Archie (for unknown reasons) and the two got to know each other more. Tavia went to Barbados with a family friend. Percy attended a few Christmas parties, hosted by several politicians. And Connor was in Greece.

Overall, I would say that we had a good break. No one died or anything of that sort. I also got to meet my old friends and catch up with them.

I quickly settled back into the Student Council tower and unpacked my clothes and returned to my duties. Back to reading people’s concerns and addressing them. Though, the job is entertaining at points. And I don’t have to attend many classes.

My phone began ringing as I made my way back to the tower.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Hey, Vincent. It’s me Milton.” Milton quickly spoke into the phone.

“Milton? How did you get my-”

“I don’t have much time! Listen, when you walk into your room, don’t freak out and remain calm! He won’t hurt you and if you attack, he’s authorized to attack back!” Milton quickly said.

“What are you talking abou-” Milton hung up the phone. I hopped into the elevator and went to my floor.

My heart rate began to pick up as I began to anticipate Milton’s warning. He didn’t give much information. Just told me to remain calm and don’t attack. That’s easy for someone to say when they literally don’t have some mysterious figure in their room, awaiting their arrival.

I noticed that my front door was open, the light was green, meaning that someone used a key card to get in. Carefully, I entered my room. There was nothing in here.

My bathroom door opened and a figure stepped out. The figure had a black robe that extended down to the floor, leaving the rest of his body covered. The robe also had a black hood that covered most of his head. The only thing visible besides black was a red mask on his face that showed nothing behind them, not even their eyes.

I stopped breathing and stepped back as the figure walked towards me. Behind the eyes of the mask was nothing but a pitch black void.

“Vincent Florence.” The voice spoke in a deep growl. There must be a voice distortion machine in that mask since the voice was lower pitched.

After walking back, my foot hit the leg of a chair and I fell back, the figure standing over me. They looked down at me with nothing in their eyes.

“Your presence has been requested.” The distorted voice said. Their cloak opened up a little as a pale hand came out, holding an envelope in hand. They held it out to me. After getting the courage, I stood up and cautiously accepted the envelope.

“What is this?” I asked in a shaky voice.

“Your arrival is mandatory.” They said after ignoring my question. “Failure to present results in termination.”

“Termination of what?!” I asked.

The figure just stared at me until they began to walk away from me and towards my door.

“Hey! Who are you?! Why were you in my room and who gave you access?!” I shouted at the figure. I quickly walked towards the figure until their robe opened up again and they held a shotgun in their hand, pointing it at me.

“I am authorized to incapacitate anyone who interferes with my objectives.” The voice said. I stepped back while the figure lowered their gun. “Do not follow me. Remain in your room until noon.”

And with that, the dark-cloaked figure left my room and locked the door.

I pulled out my phone and found Milton’s phone number in my recent calls. I gave him a call and awaited his response.

“Vincent-”

“What the hell is going on, Milton!? Who was just in my room?! Why did they have a gun?! And what the hell am I supposed to go to!? Explain this!” I quickly yelled.

“Just calm down. Look, I can’t say much because it’s a private matter. All you need to know is that, if you decide to talk about it to anyone, lock away all your phones. They’ll hear what you’re saying.”

“So why am I invited to this? Is this something by Sarah?” I asked.

“It is. I gave up my position for you. I know that this will help with your investigation. I’m taking your advice and staying far away from that. You, however, will be at the center of everything. So… use your resources wisely!” Milton whispered.

“Alright then. I’ll do my best.” I said. Milton didn’t say more and hung up right after that.

The hell do I do now?

Luckily, I joined a group whose sole purpose is to figure out these types of problems. And I sent a quick vague text to the Auburn Nights group chat, asking for an urgent meeting. However, I’m stuck here for a few hours, at least according to Mr. Black Cloak.

Once my luggage was unpacked and my clothes were back in their closets and I did a quick check on my student portal, enough time had passed for noon to reach.

As I walked towards the north-west wing, the defunct section of the academy, I made sure no one was following me. Through the passages and into the locker, I reached the common room.

“Vinny! We got your message! What’s going on?” Tavia asked. I searched around the room and found a metal box with pens and pencil inside.

“Is this copper?” I asked.

“Y-Yes.” Percy said. I dumped out all the contents onto the table and went to the group.

“Put your phones, earphones, smart watches, anything in here!” I said. No one questioned me and everyone removed their devices and put them into the copper box. I then sealed it shut. “Anyone have anything else, like a laptop or tablet?” I asked.

“Vinny. Are you okay?” Connor asked.

“Just do what I’m saying!” I said. Dorian and Percy handed me their remaining devices. After a final check, I went into the bathroom, placed the things on the toilet seat, and turned on the shower and sink to drown out the noises.

“Are you in danger? Do I need to call Witness Protection?” Percy asked me.

“No. When I came back, some person was in my room. They had a black cloak around their entire body. Their voice was distorted and they were telling me that I was invited to something.” I explained, pulling out the black envelope.

“Did they give you this?” Connor asked.

“They did. They said that my attendance was mandatory. And I think that they implied that I would be killed if I was to be absent.”

“Fuck! Does Milton know about this?” Tavia asked.

“He claimed that he gave up his spot for me, whatever that means. He also said that we can use this moment for our plans.”

“Did he also tell you to lock our electronics in the bathroom with the water on?” Percy asked.

“Uh, well, no. But he did tell me that they’re listening. Who? I have no idea. But we need to focus on this!” I pointed at the black envelope.

“Then open it.” Archie said. I looked and saw that the envelope was sealed with a red wax seal. The seal was the design of four horses, all running in a circle. Once the seal was ripped, a parchment paper landed on the floor.

After picking it back up, there was writing on the text. The letters were not written in ink, but looked like it was burnt onto the paper.

“What does it say?” Tavia asked.

“I don’t know…” I replied.

“What? How?” She asked. I showed the group the text.

“It’s all jumbles of letters.” I said.

“It looks like an encryption of some sort.” Archie said.

“Would you be able to solve it?” Connor asked him.

“I did sudokus at the age of 5, I think I got this.” Archie replied. Percy grabbed a pen and paper and we all went to the table where Archie wrote everything down.

“Anything?” I asked after a few minutes.

“It’s a Caesar cipher. It involves moving the letters on the alphabet by a certain amount and using the new definitions when writing a new one. However, so far, 3-5 haven’t worked.” Archie explained.

“There must be a better hint.” I said.

“Try seven.” Dorian said.

“Why?” Tavia asked.

“Did anyone else see the seal?” She asked in her usual soft voice. “Those are the four horsemen of the apocalypse. They’re the first four seals broken during the second coming of Christ.” She explained.

“So seven, then. It has to be.” Tavia said. Archie used seven and shifted the alphabet seven spaces. First forwards, but nothing was found. Then Archie used seven in reverse.

“So?” Percy asked.

“Nothing! There’s nothing! I can try the other numbers. But it’s going to take a long time.” Archie said, getting flustered.

“We’ll try to think of something else.” Connor said. “We should use this time to reflect on what we know so far.”

Reflect!

“Archie!” I slammed my hands on the table. “Is it possible that the encryption is backwards?” I asked.

“That could be a good reason!” Archie said. He went to work and reversed the encryption.

vuylmuP loA vA ltvjslD

“Okay, the new phrase is… Dlsjvtl Av Aol Pumlyuv.” Archie said.

“Now try the seven spaces. Forward and backwards!” I said.

“Nothing on the forward.” Archie said. As he wrote, his eyes furrowed. “I got it!” He said.

“And? What does it say?” Tavia asked. We were all hyped on adrenaline, wanting to figure out what this puzzle that we’ve worked on says.

“It says, Welcome To The Inferno.” Archie spoke.

“Inferno? Like Dante’s?” Connor asked.

“Possibly. Now that we know that it’s backwards and then seven, let’s do the rest of the letter.” Percy said.

The following 30 minutes consisted of everyone being assigned a section of the text and decoding it. With the guidance of our encryption master, Archibald Marlowe, we solved the text and finally pieced it together. And I was given the honor to read it.

“Welcome to the Inferno.

“Your attendance is wanted at the Eclipse Ball. Your admission is for you and a guest only.

“Dress code is abstract. So long as it hides your identity, it’s acceptable.

“The event will begin on March 1st. No matter your location, there will be transportation provided.

“On that night, all your deepest desires will come out to play.

“We all expect you there, either willingly or against your will.

“From, The Barringtons.”

I finished reading off the invitation. The room stayed quiet.

“Shit!” Percy muttered.

“Hmm? Is something wrong?” Tavia asked him.

“I think I know what this is.” Percy said. “I’ve heard whispers of something called the Eclipse Ball by a few high level politicians. I think their motto is something like ‘Even the brightest have their darkest’ or something like that.”

“What goes on during this ball?” I asked.

Percy shivered. “I-I don’t want to say.” He whispered.

“We need to know so we’re prepared. It’s a matter of life and death.” I said.

“Fine!” Percy let out a grunt. “It’s gruesome. I’ve heard that there are things involving sex, violence, animals, minors, even all of them together. The guy that I overheard talking about mentioned that there are places where you eat food off of people’s bodies. Servants are not considered people. Anything goes in that place.”

“Are we going to be killed by talking about this?” Dorian asked.

“I hope not.” Tavia rubbed the girl’s back. “Listen, this is obviously some fucked up shit. But this can be helpful for us. Imagine the amount of celebrities, politicians, business people that will be at this thing? Not only will we have dirt on the student council, but every powerful person in the world!”

“You’re right.” I said. “We need to get a camera in. Something that can be used to record everything.”

“And you’ll need to take someone else. This sounds like it’s going to be a lot. You’ll need someone who can protect both you and themselves.” Percy spoke. All of us turned to Connor.

“Me? But I don’t want to go! Did you guys not hear Percy?” Connor pleaded.

“Connor, you’re the strongest of us. You have the most courage and are quick on your feet.” Tavia said.

“Can you please come with me?” I asked my boyfriend. My words rang to him and he calmed down, looking me in the eye.

“Sure. I’ll go with you.” He told me. “I’ll be by your side the entire time and make sure you don’t end up with your blood being drunk by old people.”

“What about you, Vinny?” Tavia asked me, placing her hand on my shoulder. “Are you up for this sort of thing? Who knows what malicious things you’ll encounter down there.”

“I think I can do this. I have a strong stomach! But I will draw the line at animals and children.” I said.

“Great! Now we just need to give you guys costumes.” Percy said.

“It should be an outfit where we can hide cameras on them without them being too obvious.” I said.

Brainstorming began to happen as we spent days trying to figure out a great idea for a costume. There were several scrapped ideas and none were able to make the cut of being able to conceal our identity and have a hidden camera in it.

After days of research of finding the most abstract thing, we came up with two.

“A peacock and a Biblically accurate angel?” Octavia asked.

“Exactly! The peacock’s feathers look like eyes and we can hide cameras in them. The angel also has several eyes. It’s genius!” Percy said.

“And who is going to design this? If you remember, we aren’t exactly fashion designers.” Tavia asked.

“And what about installing the cameras? Those require computation beyond our capabilities.” Connor said.

“I know a guy.” Both me and Percy said at the same time.

“Elliot from the Robotics club.” Percy said.

“Charlie from the Fashion club.” I said.

“Then we’ll need to talk to those two. But they can’t know our exact intentions. If they ask what it’s for, lie that it’s for some party and we’re looking for someone. Should we make the cameras live so we can talk to both you and Connor?” Tavia asked.

“Definitely. That way, you guys can communicate with us while we’re in the belly of the beast.” I said.

“Who’s wearing which costume? We need to know before we get them fitted?” Archie asked.

“Peacock!” I quickly yelled. Connor gave me a glare.

“I guess I’ll be the angel…” He sighed.

“I knew I could trust you!” I kissed him on the cheek. “Promise you’ll protect me?” I asked.

“I will, Vinny. No one will lay a finger on you.” He replied.

“This is cute and all, but we have under two months to come up with a game plan on how we’re going to tackle this monster.” Tavia said.

Percy hit Tavia with his elbow. “Give them a moment! They love each other!”

“Well, love is a strong word!” I said.

“It’s perfect.” Connor said.

“Connor?” I asked.

“Vinny, I love-”

I placed my hand on his mouth quickly to stop him from talking. “Connor. Don’t you dare say that! Not right now!” I glared at him.

Connor put his hands up in surrender. “Very well. I won’t say it… yet.”

Using my special perks with Charlie, who designed my Corpse Bride costume a few months back, I was able to get him to agree on making two costumes. In exchange, he asked for some authentic cashmere wool. Meanwhile, Percy called up Elliot from the Robotics club and managed to get him to agree to work with us.

We spent two days a week working on the costumes. Elliot and Charlie would work on the costumes together. Charlie made the costume while Elliot put in the necessary machines for the cameras.

In the end, the results were better than any one of us could have expected. Charlie also insisted we use face paint to conceal our appearances more.

“I feel weird.” Connor said.

“Hush, baby!” I said to him. “We look dashing!”

“But you look pretty. I look… weird.”

“That’s kind of the point.”

“Hey! You two! You better not be fucking up my work!” Charlie yelled from the other side of the curtain.

“You two ready to show us your costumes?” Tavia asked.

“Ready!” I yelled in reply.

The velvet curtains opened up, exposing costumes to the group.

“Shit! It’s perfect!” Percy said.

For my costume, I was meant to resemble a peacock. My entire body was covered in peacock feathers. The top of my head was meant to look like a peacock that has his feathers opened up. I also wore a helmet that looked like the head of the bird. Behind me was a 2-foot train of long synthetic feathers.

Meanwhile, Connor’s outfit was more complex. His was a combination of two types of angels, thrones and seraphims. His body was covered in large wings, two in the front and two in the back that covered his entire body. His head was much different. A ring was placed over his eyes that wrapped around his head, with other fake eyes around it. There were other rings on the outside that also had eyes covering them.

“It’s amazing!” Tavia squealed.

“We know what it looks like. Now do the cameras work?” I asked.

“I’m on it!” Elliot yelled. He turned on his monitors and opened up several files. After a quick loading screen, his monitors began to display viewpoints of the cameras located all over our costumes.

“Guys. Check if the quality is okay.” I said.

“Looks good to me.” Percy replied.

“In total, there are 64 cameras, 32 on each.” Elliot stood up and walked to me and Connor. “Connor’s has his on his rings on his head and a few on his wings. Vinny, yours are located on your feather head and some feathers on your body. This way, if your arms cover one, there’s more that will catch everything.” He explained.

“What about distance?” I asked.

“These micro cameras are similar to the ones NASA puts in their space crafts. Trust me, the footage will be pristine.” Elliot explained.

“Then everything is set.” I said.

“Indeed.” Connor replied.

We all gave each other a knowing look, excluding Charlie and Elliot. They still think that we’re planning on crashing a party.

“I’ll give you guys these monitors so you can do your business.” Elliot said. “I’ll show you guys how to start everything up when the time comes.”

“Thank you, Charlie and Elliot. You two are amazing for being able to pull this off.” I thanked the two.

“Anything for you, Vinny!” Charlie said, blowing me a kiss.

“You owe me one, Percival.” Elliot told Percy.

Costumes are ready. Cameras in place. And the plan is all coming together.

Now, all we have to do is wait for the day to come.

March 1st, the scariest day of our lives.

---

major triggering warning for the next chapter. the following three chapters in no way impact the major plot of this story and are just in place for shock value. if you are sensitive to triggering content, including fornication, violence, and blasphemous usage of religion/ religious symbols, please ignore the next three chapters.

thank you.

19: Blockhouse | MATURE

warning: the following content contains graphic depictions of several acts.

this will be a three part chapter series. the following chapter will contain the following: sexual acts, forced sexual acts, usage of bodily fluids, possible animal abuse, allusion to pedophilia, blasphemous depictions of religious figures, anti-Christian rhetoric, defacement of cultural art, anti-patriotic symbolism, masochism and sadism, and more.

any figures, events, or locations are coincidental and are used for the sole purpose of entertainment for this story (please don’t kill me).

this chapter does not reflect any institutions that may be similar in any way.

once again, the following three chapters contribute

nothing

to the overall story and are just for shock value!

this is your last warning. please skip the next three chapters if any of the above mentioned may trigger you. thank you.

---

CHAPTER 19:

BLOCKHOUSE

Vincent Florence

“All positions clear?” Tavia asked from my earpiece.

“Ready.” The group said, except for me and Connor.

“Connor, Vinny, look at each other to signal confirmation.” She said. I turned to Connor, looking at his outfit. “Thank you.” Tavia said.

Both me and Connor stood near the outside walls of the school, resting along the stone wall that barricaded the academy. It was currently 10:00 pm, and the sun had already set. Night was here.

“Cameras are clear. Microphones work. We’re set. Just hang on, you two.” Percy said.

I shivered in the cold, since my outfit doesn’t have sleeves. Connor, on the hand, was covered in his winged outfit. A set of headlights emerged from the edge of the woods and drove up the gravel path towards us. The vehicle was a large truck, not a limo like we were expecting.

“Guys! A car is coming!” Percy said. “Get ready.”

The truck pulled up next to us. I saw it had a logo of a grocery company. ‘Anubis Food Company’ the bright letters said. Both Connor and I waited at the back of the truck and two cloaked individuals with red masks came out from the back. They quickly installed a set of ladders and stood at the sides of it.

“Vincent Florence?” A distorted voice asked.

“That’s me.” I replied.

“And is this your guest?” They asked. I nodded. “Step in.” They said. We obeyed and climbed up the steps into the back of truck, entering inside.

“Turn to each other if you feel safe.” Tavia said in my ear. Both Connor and I turned to each other.

The cloaked men, one wearing a shocked red face and the other a smiling face , closed the doors behind us and left us in the dark. There was nowhere to sit, so we were forced to stand as the truck drove and tousled us around. I held onto the walls to not fall down.

After what felt like an hour of driving, the car slowed down.

“You guys are somewhere in Pennsylvania.” Percy said.

The doors to the truck opened again and the cloaked men assembled the stairs again. Then, two more men, wearing butler suits and horses’ heads, walked into the truck and approached us.

“Come with us.” A male voice said. We followed them and stepped out of the truck and outside.

The night was still dark. Around us was a forest with a dirt path that led out from here and out. There seemed to be nothing around here. But as we walked further into the woods, a series of red lamps created a walkway. In a small clearing was a single block house that looked like it couldn’t even fit 10 people.

But when we entered, we noticed that there was a ramp that led downwards to an underground area.

“Ticket, please.” A deep voice asked. I turned and saw a large man with a bucket head, a slit for his eyes, holding his hand out. I reached into my pockets and handed him my invitation. “Is this your plus one?” He asked me.

I nodded in response. I witnessed as the man ripped up my ticket and proceeded to chew and swallow the remaining paper. He flipped a lever and a loud heavy door opened to the underground area.

There were metal detectors on the sides of the door. We stopped and informed someone that our costume had metal.

“It’s checking for other things.” The guy said. I began to panic, worrying that they’ll see all the wires we have in our costumes. Connor also began to worry.

“Guys!” Percy said. “Charlie said that everything is covered in stainless steel. Unless they have some crazy detectors, you guys are safe.” Percy informed us.

I calmed down a little and my stress went away as we walked through with no worries. One of the horse-headed men stepped in front of us.

“Reminder. Everything down there is not to be shared with anyone. The punishment is execution.” The guy let out a giggle. “So don’t go running and telling people what you saw. Understand?” He asked.

“Yes sir.” Me and Connor replied.

“Excellent. Onward.” He began to march down. We followed as the walkway descended deeper, with only the glow of lights illuminating our way.

Then, the sound of drums could be heard. The loud beating took some time to get used to as my ears shivered from the shaking. I wanted to remove my headpiece so badly but my friends helped me through.

‘Abandon all hope ye who enter here’ the sign said as we walked through a final passageway. Another set of large red doors opened and as soon as we entered, they closed behind us.

In front of us was a large ballroom. Upon closer inspection, most of the people were dancing with mannequins, with one guy kissing one. In one corner of the room was a large pile of mannequins for people’s use. A soft melodic music played through speakers.

“The fuck?” I heard Tavia mutter.

Both Connor and I walked on the side of the ballroom, keeping out of the way of people. We reached the side where the pile of mannequins were at. I decided to inspect and bent down to look at them. To my horror, one of them opened their eyes.

“Jesus! They’re not fake! They’re real people!” Percy gasped out. Now that I see it, these mannequins are too life-like. They’re acting like inanimate objects.

But we reached another set of doors. This one opened for us and Connor and I stepped through. The drumming sound returned, but it was much lower.

As I looked around, I saw a naked woman next to a younger guy. The two watched a giant egg painted as the world. The world egg was moving around as a guy was trying to break through the shells.

In another corner was a naked man, laying back on several women, creating a makeshift table for him. In his hands was a single apple with a bite and coiled around the man’s neck was a snake.

“Hey baby.” A woman said, walking up to Connor.

“I’m not interested.” Connor replied.

“Do you want someone… younger?” She asked.

“How old are you?” Connor asked the woman.

“19, if you want. But I can go lower.” She said. I shivered in disgust and wanted to throw up.

“I’m okay.” Connor said. The woman pouted and walked away to an older gentleman. The older gentleman was sniffing a drug off the breasts of another woman while a guy was fellating him.

“Let’s leave this place.” I whispered to Connor. He agreed. As we walked, I saw a woman grabbing the hands of a servant and forcing it into her privates. The servant did nothing and just allowed themselves to be used.

As we left the room and entered a hallway, we saw a man wearing a black suit with skeleton drawings on it. He danced around in the hallway and sang to himself.

The random man was singing a nursery rhyme in a weird high-pitched voice. The guy dropped to the ground and rolled around while manically laughing. Foam came from his mouth. He quickly turned to us, his eyes bloodshot red. “Fresh meat!” He shouted and began to spider crawl towards us.

Connor and I quickly stepped back. The guy crawled to us but was hit in the head by another guy who appeared from nowhere. This new guy was dressed in a red suit and held a baseball bat.

“Thank you!” Connor thanked the guy. Red suit guy did nothing but just kneeled behind the skeleton guy and pulled off his pants. Red suit guy then unbuttoned his pants and pulled out his dick, rubbing himself off.

He turned to us and stared at us. “Run!” He yelled, red liquid spilling out of his mouth. That’s exactly what we did and quickly exited through the hallway and into a new room.

This room was more full, as patrons wallowed through the floors.

“I’m gonna get you!” A woman’s voice yelled out. An obese woman ran through the crowd, chasing someone. Emerging through the legs of the people was a dwarf, dressed as a baby with a binky in his mouth. The people split and allowed the chasing woman to get to her victim.

We continued to walk and saw a large fountain full of a dark liquid. Patrons who held glasses bent down, scooped some, and drank it. In the middle of the fountain was a guy with grapes bunched in his head. He rolled around in, what I assume to be, wine.

“Excuse me.” Someone called out. I moved out the way as a guy in a tuxedo and a fake head of JFK walked through. He held onto a woman, who was blonde and wore a nude dress. “Bitch! Don’t fight back!” JFK guy said. He turned around and punched the blonde woman in the face. The woman made eye contact with me, her entire face covered in bruises.

“Yes, Mr. President!” The blonde woman muttered. She quickly turned away, stood back up and walked to her partner.

“This is too crazy.” Connor told me.

“I agree, let’s keep moving.” I said. The next room, this time we had to descend some stairs, had people tied up in every position possible. One woman had her legs opened as she allowed men to enter her. And she did not protest but had a euphoric smile on her face.

Meanwhile, there were moaning sounds in one corner of the room. I went over to see and saw a bed and two people having sex on there.

“Oh, fuck yeah!” The woman yelled. She was dressed in a light blue cloak but her breasts were out. Behind her, slamming into her, was a man wearing a white cloak and had a large white beard. Next to them, sitting in a chair, was a guy who was tied up and gagged. “You could never do this to me, Joseph!” The woman moaned out.

“I’m gonna be sick!” Tavia yelled from the earpiece.

I turned away and saw Connor being offered something. On the tray that a woman held was a collection of different types of drugs.

“Care for one?” She asked.

“No thank you.” Connor replied.

The room led into another. This place was more hectic and naked or nearly naked people mingled around. The sounds of moaning were everywhere. In the center of the room, on a pedestal, was a woman who was laying back. A crowd in front of her cheered as the woman began to urinate on them.

In another corner of the room was a gangbang. A woman dressed as Lady Liberty was being used by a guy with a Vietnamese flag. Behind that guy, waiting their turn, were other people who wore flags. I counted Afghanistan, Mexico, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia. Holding Lady Liberty down was a guy wearing a Chinese flag.

Connor didn’t want to be here anymore, so we left. We encountered a group of guys all moaning and jerking off in a circle.

“Ey! Come join us!” One of the guys yelled. They made space as we walked towards the group. All of them were jerking off onto a Mona Lisa painting.

“Is it a fake?” Tavia asked.

“It’s not!” Dorian said into the microphone. “I remember my dad telling me that the one in The Louvre is a fake. This is the real one!” She said. Just then, a guy grunted as he finished onto the painting.

“Actually, we have to be somewhere.” I said, grabbing Connor by the hand and dragging him away. “Do you want to leave?” I asked him.

“No. We need to do this.” He said.

“If you say so.” I replied, and continued with our journey. We passed a woman who had four people on leashes as she kicked them around.

A girly voice sang ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ in the next room. A girl wore a lolita doll outfit. Prancing around her was a grown man, wearing a lamb outfit.

“Does baby want milk?” I heard a voice from behind me call out. Behind me was a fat, naked old guy wearing a large bib on his shirt.

“Yes mommy!” He said in a high pitched voice. The women presented him with a large bottle full of (I hope) milk. And he eagerly began to drink it.

When we wanted to walk into the next, there was a priest who splashed water on us. As he blessed us, a loud gut-wrenching scream could be heard from the other side. The priests looked at me, as he wore a gold mask upon his face.

“Good luck.” He said. We entered the new room and saw a guy was tied down to a chair. A person was making small cuts on his arms and body. When a new cut was made, the guy would scream but moan in pleasure when blood poured out. He was obviously turned on by this.

A woman walked by me, she was wearing a bathing suit with the outlines highlighted by neon lights.

Based on the chair guy, I didn’t look around much. Instead, I left that job for my friends to view. I’ve already seen enough. But I did hear the cock of a gun and a guy pleading for someone to shoot them.

Thankfully, the next room was more relaxed. It was mainly people in costumes dancing to some distorted and reversed song. Connor went to find some drinks while I stood and watched.

“Vincent?” A voice called me. I turned and out of all the people, saw Thomasina Norrington walking towards me. She wore two curtains on her sides, exposing her body in the middle.

“Thomasina.” I said.

“I shouldn’t be surprised. Milton did give up his seat for you today.” She said.

“You knew?” I asked.

“There’s a council that meets every year to decide the guest list. Milton said he couldn’t make it, which is a bummer. But he offered his ticket to you of all people.” She explained.

“Either way, I was forced to come. Is the death threat an actual threat or just a scare tactic?” I asked

“It’s better not to find out.” She replied.

Connor quickly came back and handed me a water bottle. He stared at Thomasina while she watched Connor’s outfit.

“Hmm. Interesting.” She said.

A woman walked by with two dolls on her head. Her hands lightly rubbed onto Thomasina’s breats.

“How many more rooms are there?” I asked her.

“You’ve got three more to go until you reach the belly.” She replied.

“Does this happen every year?” I asked, making sure to lean in my microphone.

“Every year. Once a night every year we do this.” A guy who had a cornucopia on the side of his head and his face painted to look like fruits walked up to Thomasina and tapped her shoulder. He whispered something in her ear. “I have to go.” She said.

“Alright. I’ll see you back at school.” I said.

“Hmm.” She replied.

“Wait!” I called out. She turned around. “Where’s Sarah?” I asked.

“If you wish to seek The Mystery , you must journey deeper.” Is all she said until she left through the crowd.

“Well that was helpful.” Connor sarcastically said.

“We’ll have to keep going down.” I said.

“I didn’t expect less.” He replied. We drank our water quickly and continued to the next floor.

The next floor had a cage where a lion was placed inside. As soon as we entered, it began to growl at us.

“No! Bad kitty!” A guy yelled. We turned and saw a man dressed as a ringleader who held a whip in his hands. He raised it and the lion stopped growling but stared at us. “Don’t mind him,” The ringleader said. “He’s hungry. If you find any Christians, let us know.” He winked at us.

“Will do.” I replied, not ever planning on returning.

A woman was throwing up in a bucket. After she finished, she threw it onto another woman who serenaded in the fluids. This caused a bystander to gag and throw up on the woman, which only drove her more wild.

“Oh God!” Archie yelled.

“Poor thing.” Percy said.

“Listen, we have Thomasina on camera now. She’s definitely going down. And I know she’ll be willing to rat out others.” Tavia said.

“Holy shit! Who’s that up ahead?” Percy asked. In the next room, which had flowers hanging on every wall, was a figure in the middle of the room.

“Is that…” Tavia said. As I got closer, the woman was dancing alone in the middle of the room. Her entire outfit came from her hair. She had an incredibly long brown ponytail that wrapped around her chest and bottom and ended with a tail at her back.

“That’s Cathleen Edington! She’s another branch family member!” Percy said.

“I guess that’s another name!” Tavia said.

I didn’t want to bother the woman dancing so I stepped aside towards the wall with huge sunflowers. As she danced, she moved elegantly and raised her legs in a graceful manner. She then stopped and turned to me, her green eyes watching me.

Suddenly, several hands began to grab both Connor and I. I looked behind me and realized that the sunflowers had faces on them, and they were all looking at us. We wrestled until I managed to break free, with Connor following close. We jolted out of there. I turned and saw that Cathleen was watching us. Dozens of people came out from the walls, all of them wearing green suits with leaves on them and their heads painted to look like flowers.

“Shit! At least 6 cameras got destroyed from that!” Percy said. “Don’t worry, guys! We can still see things.”

There was one final room we had to cross through. As soon as we stepped near that area, organ music could be heard. In front of us stood two large doors. They opened and we stepped inside.

The inside was similar to a church, with large windows and rows of pews that lined from the back to the front. The stained glass windows on the outside were pitch black. Throughout the pews were several patrons who were spread all over the pews.

Some sat with others and were kissing while others engaged in sexual activities. All of them wore dark red cloaks with masks that covered their faces. Some didn’t remove their masks but still engaged in activities with each other.

At the altar stood a pope, with one side of him white and gold and the other red and scorched. The organ music came from a pianist who wore a burnt American flag on his back with brown stains on it.

Behind the pope and at the end of the church was a blue brick wall with golden creatures engraved on them. In the middle of the large blue wall was the next set of doors. Before we could enter, the pope, who had been reciting a passage from Revelations, stepped in front of us.

“State your business!” He commanded in a deep voice.

“We want to get to the other side!” I replied. There was a strong gust of wind that almost pushed me back. The lights in the back turned off, leaving the altar the only part to be lit up. The pope reached for a gold chalice and walked over to me and Connor.

He dipped his fingers into the chalice and his fingers were now covered in a black dust. He reached his hands forward. I leaned my head back in instinct.

“To reach what you desire, you must bear the mark of the beast!” The pope said. I leaned my head forward as he drew something using the ashes. He did the same to Connor and finally, the doors opened. “You may proceed.”

I turned to Connor and saw that ‘666’ had been written on his forehead, which means it was written on mine as well. Upon closer look at the wall, I saw that the carvings were of lions, dragons, and bulls. The Ishtar Gates…

In the dark hallway, we took a moment to relax before we entered the final realm of this hellish hole.

“You guys just bore the mark of the beast.” Dorian said. “Whatever is beyond their is not meant to be seen by the eyes of God.”

The dark hallway was only illuminated by a small string that had small lights on them. We could hear a loud chanting up ahead. When we approached some metal doors, there were two demons guarding it with swords in their hands. They gave us a look, noticed the mark, and both turned on levers to let us in.

We were faced with a balcony. When we looked down, we saw on the ground floor as hundreds of patrons all danced together in a large blend of bodies. Some were clothed, others were not. But they all bore the mark of the beast on their foreheads in black ash.

On both sides of us were a set of stairs that descended into the party below.

I grabbed a hold of Connor’s hand. He stood in shock and didn’t want to move.

“Connor. We can do this!” I told him.

“I’ve seen some despicable things in my life, Vinny. But this takes the prize.” He said quiety. He turned to me. “There is no God here. In this place.” He muttered.

“Look, we still have each other! We’ll be fine! We’ll just get some more evidence and then we’ll leave. But you have to make it through.” I said.

“Do you promise?” He asked.

“I do, Connor. The only way up is to go down.” I told him.

“Then let’s get there.” He replied.

We descended the staircase together, holding hands. As soon as we stepped off the last step, the surrealism of everything hit me like a ton of stones. This is the moment I knew that everything good that I’ve ever had in my life would never amount to the evil that I’ve witnessed on this night.

No matter what happens tonight, at least I feel comfortable that this will all come to light eventually. Everyone will know what these people get up to. The light of the heavens will face upon the hell that has been hidden for so long.

We are now in the belly of the beast. Where Satan herself resides.

---

what the fuck did i just write?

20: Babylon | MATURE

once again, trigger warning. heavy on the Christian metaphors here.

good luck my babes <3

---

CHAPTER 20:

BABYLON

Connor Devonshire

As much as I didn’t want to be here, I was already too deep. And thus, I needed to continue with this. Otherwise, all the psychological torture that I endured in the past hours will have been for nothing. 

“Should we split up?” I asked Vinny. 

“Yeah! We’ll cover more ground!” He shouted due to the music that blared from the speakers.

“I’ll take the left, you take the right.” I said. Vinny nodded. He gave me a hug before leaving me to endure this myself. 

In front of me was a sea of people who danced with one another. Seas of people grinded on one another and kissed whoever stood on their right or left. Women exchanged pills between their tongues and men egged on women to touch one another.

There were several marble pillars on the sides of the dance hall. Atop each pillar was a throne with a person sitting on it. They held chalices in their hands and drank from them. I counted six in total, three on one side and three on the other, all spaced out on the sides of the hall. 

But what piqued my curiosity was the back of the hall. What normally would be something of a stage was instead a large velvet curtain that concealed whatever was behind. 

“You think they have a surprise later?” Tavia asked from my earpiece.

“Ooh! Maybe they brought back Tupac or MJ from the dead!” Percy replied. 

I ducked quickly as two buff men with a woman tied to a stick and hung down passed by me. The woman had an apple in her mouth and her skin looked to be glazed with some sauce. 

As I walked through the people, I kept seeing the mark of the beat on everyone’s forehead. It’s essentially a black ticket for this place. 

There was a door on the walls that I wanted to explore. Upon stepping in, there seemed to be a wedding occurring. But in this case, the groom was in a wedding dress and the bride in a tuxedo. Above them was a canopy of flowers, however, the flowers were wilted and buzzing with flies.

So that’s a no.

Next door. There was a screening of a movie. The room was shaped like a theater. On the screen was a montage of Vietnam and Cambodian war footage. Behind it was an audio of President Nixon speaking. That’s when I realized I was listening to the 18 missing minutes. 

Back outside, I decided to join the dance floor and look around at the individuals who immersed themselves with the body. 

After bumping into a guy dressed and painted as a dead mariachi, I found a circle where everyone was cheering someone on. In the middle of the circle was a man who was bedazzled with crystals on his body. Two women shone flashlights on his body, creating specs of lights onto the patrons around. 

A creaking sound resonated from above. I looked up and saw, hanging from the ceiling, chains that held round yellow globes in the shape of suns and stars. On some swung people who twirled around while they basked the oil that dripped onto their bodies from glass bottles they held.

“Hey! Connor!” Percy spoke to me. “Any chance you could reach the front where that large curtain is at?” He asked.

I obeyed and walked through the crowd until I reached the front. There was a metal gate that held everyone away from the main stage. In front of the stage, elevated a few feet below, was an orchestra. They eagerly played music, some with bloodshot eyes and white powder on their noses.

The large red velvet curtain extended from the top of the ceiling towards the floor. Whatever was back there must be the beast . 

There was a waitress who held a tray full of drugs as she walked by. She had a sad look on her face as she avoided and dodged the people dancing around her. Against my better judgment, I walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Excuse me.” I asked. She turned around and gave me a smile.

“Would you like something, sir?” She asked.

“Yes, are you okay?” I asked. 

She was obviously taken aback. “I- Is there anything I can help you with?” She asked, her smile lowering a bit on the corner of her lips.

“I just want to know if you’re okay.” I said. Her eyes began to swell up with tears. 

“Quick! Take her somewhere private!” Octavia said. I grabbed the woman by the arm and tugged her through the crowd. 

We entered a room where there was a guy masturbating to two women having sex.

“Get out!” I yelled. They all turned to me and quickly exited the room. Once they left, I closed and locked the door behind me. 

The woman broke down crying as she collapsed onto the floor. I bent down and held her shoulders as she cried out. 

“I want to go home.” She cried out.

“Are you here against your will?” I asked her.

She nodded. “It’s some debts that I have from the Covington family. They offered to remove my debts if I served at this event!” 

The woman wiped her tears away and took a few deep breaths. There was still some tears that fell from her eyes, but she maintained her composure quickly. 

“I should get back to work.” She muttered sadly.

“Wait!” I called to her. She looked up at me. “What have you seen tonight?” I asked.

“Every horrible thing you can imagine.” She muttered. “I don’t know how I’m going to live after this.”

“Are you the only one that’s working here because of their debts?” I asked.

“Pretty much every server you see here has loans to pay off. Even if we are here willingly, it doesn’t mean that we asked for it in the first place.” She said.

“Poor thing.” Tavia said.

“Ask if she’s willing to possibly testify or make some statement.” Percy said.

“Idiot!” Tavia said. “That could reveal the plans to her! She may be suffering, but she’s still under a contract! How would we even trust her?” 

“I trust her.” Archie said.

“Fine! Tell her, Connor!” Tavia said.

“Listen,” I said. “How much debt do you have?” I asked.

“Well, I have student loans. And I took out another loan for a business idea that failed.” She said. 

“I can help you.” I said. “Your loans will be paid off completely if you’re willing to possibly make a statement against this whole thing. You’ll help to take down this hellish event and be a witness to this madness.” I explained.

“No! No way! I can’t do that! They’ll have me killed!” She said.

“Tell her that we’ll offer her sanctuary!” Tavia said.

“But where?” Archie asked.

“I could probably ask my dad. He’s worked with people who are whistleblowers. We can get her and her family setup in Slovenia or Croatia.” Percy replied.

“Tell her that, Connor!” Tavia told me.

I placed my hands on her hands. “Listen, we can offer you and your family residency out of the country. No matter what, you’ll always be safe and we’ll make sure that your voice isn’t suppressed by anyone.” I spoke to her in a soft and gentle manner.

“A single witness won’t be enough. You’ll need more.” She said.

“How many other people are willing to speak out?” I asked.

“I can think of 4 others. Two other servants, one of those sun-dancers hanging from the ceiling, and the valet guy from the front. I’m sure they’ll be able to speak out.” 

“So five. That is certainly enough.” I said.

“Percy, could we offer those five sanctuaries?” Tavia asked.

“I’ll have to spread them around. Keeping them in one place is a dangerous move, in case they manage to find them and take them all out in one go. But I can definitely make do.” Percy said.

“Then we’ll do that! Have the witnesses make statements and when we release this footage, they’ll come forward too.” Octavia explained.

“Tell her that, Connor.” Percy said.

I explained to the woman what I was told. She seemed to be a bit hesitant but agreed to help us. And she’ll also track down the other four and explain to them the idea. 

“I never got your name.” I said. 

“Angela Lester.” She said.

“Well, Angela, I don’t think you know how much of a colossal help you’re going to be.” I pulled out a small notepad and pen that I brought with me to take some notes down. I haven’t used it on the account that this whole night has been too much to even write down. Plus, it wouldn’t make sense since I have cameras that record everything.

Using the notepad, I wrote down a decoy phone number that we established earlier in case of such situations. This phone number belongs to someone in Siberia, who’ll receive a message and will forward it to us.

“Call this number when there’s a signal. You’ll know it when you see it. We’ll get back to you and set everything into motion.” I said, handing her the paper. Said signal is yet to be determined. But we’ll make sure that it’s something that she’ll be able to understand.

She took it and folded it, placing it into her breast. 

“Thank you, sir.” She said. 

“No problem. Just get through the night and you’ll see the light at the end.” I said.

“I just hope you do it quickly before they set everything into motion…” Angela said. 

“What do you mean?” I asked her, the atmosphere dropping in the room.

“You don’t know?” She asked. “I thought you would have known since you’re a guest.” 

“Angela, tell me what they’re going to do?” I urgently asked her.

“They’re going to take over everything.” She said. I gave her a look, demanding more. “You know how we had the recent elections and the conservative party gained majority control in Congress? Well, most of those new Congress members are backed by the Barringtons and their posse of rich donors.”

“Are you saying that they put puppets into the government?” I asked.

“It’s why I’ve heard. Some of the rich people, like Terence Herrington and Felicity Remington, have been talking about that. Their goal is to take as much control of Congress and input their influence.”

“Well, they didn’t take some states like California and Oregon and New York. The liberal party still has some control.” I replied.

“Right. But have you heard of the rise in gang violence in those states? That’s because the branch families have been supplying weapons to local gangs and offering incentives such as money to people who bring down housing costs. And have you heard of Blackstone Island?” She asked.

I shook my head but Percy quickly spoke into my ear. “It’s an island with a nuclear power plant.” 

“It’s somewhere off the coast of New York. They have a nuclear power plant. Their plan is to possibly tamper with that facility and cause a nuclear radiation accident, which will force people to leave their homes.” Angela explained.

“So what’s behind the curtain?” I asked.

“The future presidential nominee for the new country.” She said. “Everything that has happened in the past few years. The massacres, the death toll rising, states removing civil rights, it’s not a coincidence. They’re planting their flags and we were all blind to it.” 

“This is– This is some scary shit.” I muttered.

“Their next plan is to do something with Nevada and Colorado. They’re planning on banning all gambling so Nevada’s economy goes into ruins and for Colorado, I heard they want to do a remake of Bear Mountain University.” She said.

“Thank you for all of this information, Angela. You’ve really given us more to work on.” I told her.

“Of course. I want a better future for my children and nieces and nephews. If this is what it takes, I’ll tell you everything I hear.” She said. I gave her a hug and told her to not give up. She left the room first while I waited for a bit. Once a few minutes passed, I entered back into the main party hall. 

“Make way!” A guy yelled. He was running through while other men, all wearing shirts with Greek symbols on them, ran in a line and chased each around. I stepped to the side and watched as a few bumped into people who didn’t make way. 

As I walked around, I encountered more debauchery. Every place I turned to, there was someone fucking someone or something. Or maybe people drinking and eating unknown objects that were or were not edible. 

Peace was not an idea here. There is no such thing as calm and collected. Only chaos reigned over the kingdom here.

“Connor? You there?” Percy called for me. I bowed my head. “Vinny wants to meet up. He says he’s at the table where a giant red balloon is floating at.” 

I looked around and saw a giant red balloon that was floating at the edge of the dancefloor. As I reached over there, I saw that the string of the balloon was tied to man’s balls. And standing next to that guy was a man dressed in peacock feathers that extended from his body, down his legs, and created a beautiful train behind him.

“Connor!” Vinny said, turning around. He ran over to me and we hugged each other. “I missed you!” He said.

“I missed you too.” I replied. “I just found out some crazy things.”

“All I saw was some hectic things. I caught some politicians on camera doing things.” Vinny said.

“And I found out the endgame of the whole Barrington family. I don’t want to say much…” I leaned into his ear. “But it involves a government takeover.”

“We’ll lay everything out later when we get back. But for now, I want to know what’s behind that curtain.” He said, turning to the velvet curtains that have not opened. 

“Give it time. Someone told me that behind there is a future president.” I told him.

“Do you think it’s Sarah?” Vinny asked.

“Possibly.” I replied.

Both of us stood around and just watched people walk by or dance together. People seemed to be having fun, not knowing that if they did this above, they would be scrutinized. Everyone seems to be so unaware of their sins, that it makes me wonder if we ourselves are aware of our own.

In the end, these people are human, just like me and everyone else. The only difference is they get to have an opportunity to do the things that others imagine doing. We all have dark thoughts in our heads but never act on them. But here, you can. 

The orchestra playing the music stopped. Only the chatters and moans and cheers of people could be heard. Once everyone realized that the music stopped, the room quieted. 

The entire room then turned dark, all the lights turning off. On the walls, hanging near the ceiling, were large TVs that began to turn on. They had a quick countdown until the screen showed an American flag waving.

The Star Spangled Banner song was playing in the background. First, it was sweet, until the footage changed. The footage changed to videos taken during the Great Depression.

Then it changed to WW2 footage, with soldiers getting gutted on the beaches of France. Next was footage of the Korean and Vietnam War. There were American soldiers posing with women who looked to be enslaved. Next was footage of JFK’s assassination, as the president’s brains were blown out and Jacqueline Kennedy reached back to grab pieces of her husband’s head.

Next was MLK’s assassination, which I didn’t know there was. You could clearly see the civil rights leader looking out from the motel as a gunman shot him and he collapsed onto the floor. The footage then changed to the streets of New York during the AIDs crisis, as young men lined the streets covered in blisters. The cameraman kicked them in the faces and yelled slurs at them

The planes hitting the World Trade Center towers were shown when they collapsed. Following that was troops being deployed to the middle east. The following 5 minutes was war footage, with bombings of cities and snipers shooting innocent children on the streets. 

The Capitol Insurrection was shown as groups of people stormed the hallowed building. Footage of them breaking windows and assembling a noose for the former vice-president. And the finale was news coverage of the tragedy in Chicago.

The video ended as people clapped and called it an American classic for the theaters. Drums played as spotlights shown onto the curtains. The curtains began to open up, splitting open. 

The spotlights were facing the bottom. I noticed ice was on the stage. There was a large pedestal. The spotlights began to move upwards until they reached the top.

The lights above were then turned on, blinding everyone temporarily. 

When the lights dimmed, sitting at the top of the pedestal on a red throne, was Sarah Barrington herself. 

Sarah had a smirk on her face. She knew that tonight, it was all about her. Because it was.

21: Whore | MATURE

CHAPTER 21:

WHORE

Vincent Florence

When the curtains opened, introducing Sarah Barrington to us, I knew my suspicions were correct that she was the star of tonight. During my odyssey around the dance hall, all signs pointed to Ms. Barrington being the star. Her family’s influence, her high ego, and the fact that she always believes she’s above everyone.

Sarah Barrington sat upon a throne  that was a reddish color. But upon closer look, it wasn’t a throne she sat upon, but rather what looked like a giant beast.

On her left side was the head– or heads– of the beast. The beast had seven heads: one had four horns and the other six a single horn for a total of 10 horns. On each horn was a single golden crown.

Sarah herself wore a dark red an purple robe. Her body was covered in jewels and pearls that hung from her neck. In her hand was a large golden chalice that was also covered in jewels. 

The screens on the TV zoomed into Sarah herself, showing her smug look as she smiled at the crowd. She took a sip from her chalice, a red liquid spilling on the side of her lips. But the most captivating part was what was written on her forehead.

‘MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH’

A microphone could be heard turning on. On the ground, where the layer of ice was at, was a small pedestal where a guy stood. 

“That’s Gideon Barrington!” Percy said. “Sarah’s father!”

Gideon tapped the microphone and the crowd shushed. 

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. As you can see, my beautiful daughter is on this stage to claim her future throne. We have had a successful election, funding hundreds of nominees and gaining control of Congress! Our work isn’t finished. Once we ratify the Constitution and lower the presidential age, my sweet daughter will reign over this country and get it back to what it once was.” Gideon said in his speech.

I leaned over to Connor. “What does he mean to get this country back to what it was?” I asked.

“I have no idea nor do I want to find out.” Connor replied. 

“Tonight is not just a celebration for my daughter, but all of us. Tonight, we can explore our deepest urges away from the eyes of those who would never understand.”

A woman walked by holding trays of something. People grabbed one and held them in their hands. She came to us with the tray in her hands. On it were smaller chalices, but less extravagant than the one Sarah held.

“We shall toast to us, a future that America can overjoy in!” Gideon said, raising a golden chalice. I grabbed a chalice and smelled the liquid.

“What is it?” Connor asked me.

“I don’t know.” I replied.

“Let us drink the blood of martyrs and get drunk upon their sweet aroma! Inside we shall savor the abominations and all the wicked in the world.” Gideon announced. He raised his… glass… and cheered us all.

Everyone drank their shot. I turned to Connor, who stuck his tongue into the cup and tasted the red liquid. His face went from suspecting to quickly turning into a light satisfied grin.

“It’s wine.” He said. 

“You sure?” I asked.

“Pinot noir. My mom’s favorite. I know this taste from anywhere.” Connor said. 

“I don’t plan on drinking.” I said, reaching under the table and dumped out the wine onto the floor. Connor did the same and we set the chalices on the table in front of us. 

I turned back to Sarah as she took a large sip from her cup. Now that I look at it, her beast throne was placed upon a large tower. It began from the bottom, emerging from the ice. The tower led up and got thinner as it reached the top. 

“Hey, Dorian!” I said into my microphone. “Any idea what that is?” I asked.

“The Tower of Babel. It was destroyed in the Bible by God. I’m guessing here, she managed to reach heaven and take her throne.” Dorian said.

“And the writing on her forehead?” I asked.

“She’s The Whore of Babylon. A figure that appears during the end times and represents all evil in the world.” Dorian said. 

“She’s going to kill us all.” Percy muttered.

“I don’t know about that. You might be overreacting.” Tavia said. 

“Is there any way to leave?” I asked Connor, ignoring our friends arguing with each other. 

“I haven’t heard of anything yet. We should ask around.” Connor replied.

As we passed by a roulette table, we overheard a conversation occurring between two men. Two older men sat at a round table with a crowd gathered around them. One of the men was dressed as a jester while another had fishnets on his almost naked body.

“I’m telling you, Benson, you should really withdraw right now.” The first guy said, the one dressed in fishnets.

“Ha!” Benson, who I assume is the jester, chuckled out loud. “Is this your way of telling me you have a bad hand, Clarkin? No way am I backing out!” 

Percy quickly spoke to me, telling me to oversee this match. According to him, the match is between Sanders Benson and Wallace Clarkin, two businessmen that are located in the midwest.

Along with other people, this gamble was something of a high regard. People watched on as the two men stacked chips upon chips in the middle of the table. The only thing that they seemed to be betting on was a single napkin neatly folded.

“You know what? All in!” Sanders said.

“You sure?” Clarkin asked, giving his opponent a skeptical look. 

“I’m sure, right, sweetie?” Sanders placed his hand on a younger woman next to him.

“That’s not his wife.” Percy said.

“If you say so…” Clarkin said. “All in!” He pushed all his chips forward. Now it was a final showdown between the two successful men over a napkin.

“Two pairs!” Sanders said, showing his five card hand. There were two pairs, 2 10’s and 2 3’s. “Let’s see it, Clarkin!”

Wallace Clarkin, with a nonchalant poker-face, revealed his deck. 

“Royal flush!” Sanders yelled in shock, seeing his opponents hand. 

The dealer, who was watching the game with a stoic face, raised a hand and signaled Clarkin. “Royal flush trumps two pairs. That means that Wallace Clarkin is the winner of this gamble.”

Sanders Benson broke down crying while all the chips and napkin were slid to Wallace’s side of the table. The younger woman who sat next to Sanders got up and grabbed her drink, walking away from him.

“What’s wrong, Sanders? I told you to back out and you didn’t heed my warning.” Wallace said. He stood up as a servant placed his chips into a box. “Don’t worry, Pomona Food Inc. will be in great hands!” 

Wallace held up the napkin and showed it to his defeated opponent. Upon a closer look, it was a quick contract where the winner will acquire the other’s company during a gambler. It was a legit contract. There was an offer, which was a large sum of money; a consideration, the company; and acceptance, signed by both men. 

Another interesting part of the contract was under both signatures. There was a bloody fingerprint. When I looked at Sanders and Clarkin, I noticed both of their right pointer fingers covered in a small bandage. 

A blood contract.

Mr. Wallace walked away as Mr. Sanders sobbed on the table. No one seemed to care that he had just lost a multi-million dollar company over a game of cards. Instead, someone stole his drink and danced away.

“Heartless…” Connor muttered. “I’d rather shoot myself in the face than give my company away so foolishly.”

“Let’s go before we witness a suicide.” I said.

My foot stepped on something. When I looked down, I saw it was a hand. I shouted an apology but the person just gave me a thumbs up. 

I was quick to spot Audrey Lorie Wilmington grinding herself against a large guy. The guy chuckled as he took swings at a bottle of champagne he held in his hands. 

“That’s something you don’t see everyday.” I said. Audrey is one of the more reserved members of the council. 

“Holy shit! That’s a fucking water monitor lizard!” Percy said. Both Connor and I turned around and saw a man walking a large lizard by a fuzzy leash. The lizard crawled on the floor as people touched it and made their way for the creature.

“We definitely need to get out of here now.” Connor said. 

There was a large security guard somewhere in the corner of the room. We approached him and managed to get his attention.

“Speak!” The guy yelled.

“We are looking for an exit!” Connor yelled.

“Are you two planning on leaving?” The guard asked.

“Yes.” I replied.

The guard pulled out a walkie talkie and muttered a few words into the microphone.

“Come on, then.” He finally said. He walked through us and ventured back into the crowd that was dancing away. 

The guard pushed people out of the way and made room for us to walk through. When we reached the front of the room, where the orchestra was at, I was confused since the exit was the other way.

I watched as the guard spoke to a musician in the orchestra. This man played a simple guitar, but at an incredible speed. His outfit was different from the others. Instead of a white tie, his was a navy blue striped suit with a tie and underneath a white button up. But most intriguing was his similar navy blue fedora on his head. 

The man gave us a look up and down. He grinned when he saw our forehead, the mark of the beast. 

“Right this way.” He said. He stood up and stepped aside, removing his chair and the carpet underneath. 

A wooden trapdoor was underneath. The guard opened it and the light barely allowed visibility as all that was seen was a wooden ladder that went deeper. 

“Go ahead…” The guard said. I stepped forward and adjusted my outfit to fit inside. Luckily, the cameras on me have night vision and the group can warn me of what lies underneath.

Before I stepped in, I turned around and looked around at the whole dance floor, as everyone committed the most amount of sin that I’ve ever seen. People dove into the crowd and others eagerly sat back and witnessed this madness.

I looked up and watched one of the large pillars with a throne on top. One of the people on the thrones with a dark mask also drank from a gold cup. Their mask was a deep crimson red. Even if I couldn’t see his eyes, I knew he was watching me. He held up his chalice and held it to me, taking a sip from it.

The dark abyss doesn’t seem so frightening anymore.

As I climbed down, my friends kept talking to me. “Keep going, guys. There’s land in a few feet!” Tavia said. 

She was right, as I managed to land on concrete and step into it. I then stepped to the side as Connor landed. Then was the guard, who grunted heavily and stomped somewhere off. A loud switch-like noise echoed and a few lights turned on. 

Ahead of us was a simple cart sitting on a rail that went forward into a dark tunnel.

“This is your way out.” The guard said. The door to the cart opened up. With no other options, we all entered and the door was shut. 

The cart began to move into the tunnel. The front was a small window. On our left was an even larger window. Then the back and right side was just a metal wall. The cart then began to move upwards the track and we started to elevate. 

The left window that originally showed us a blank tunnel turned into another window as we looked into the dance floor. The windows seem to be located on the higher parts of the room. We felt like God, watching everyone.

The view then changed to the church where we bore the mark of the beast. The dark windows that I assumed looked into darkness were peepholes for us to look into. 

We seemed to be following the same path as we ascended upwards, passing through the several levels that we originally passed through. 

There were a few rooms that we hadn’t seen beforehand. One room was a boxing ring as two bloody men attacked each other while the crowd cheered them on. 

Another hidden room was a Greek style room with pillars. Unlike the other rooms which were hectic, this one was calm as people lazed around and sat back, wearing robes or nothing at all. 

The final look was into the ballroom with the real mannequins. Only this time, some patrons were outwardly having sex with the mannequins. 

With a loud screech, the cart stopped as we ended at a small station with gray walls and nothing but a hanging light from the ceiling. 

“Your exit is nigh.” The guard said. 

Another man came and opened the door for us and let both Connor and I out. We proceeded to walk onto the small platform and saw a set of stairs that led up. Once up, we emerged from what seemed to be the storm bunker of the blockhouse that we originally came from. 

As soon as we stepped out, I inhaled a deep breath of fresh air, letting the sacred oxygen enter into every corner of my lungs. Never have I been more glad to breathe air. It feels like the things that I witnessed down there have begun to wash away. 

But the trip isn’t over yet. We still have to get home before we can really relax. We’re still in the middle of nowhere.

Three stone statues stood in front of us. A leopard, a lion, and wolf. 

“Name, please.” The new guy asked us. 

“Vincent Florence.” I replied.

The guy muttered my name into a radio and then silence. I looked up and saw the beautiful stars that shone in the night sky. I turned to Connor and saw the reflection of the stars in his eyes.

“Beautiful, huh?” Connor asked.

“Indeed.” I replied.

The horn of a truck snapped us out of our thoughts. The guy waved his hands and signaled the truck towards us. The same truck that brought us here, which said Anubis Food Co., drove over to us. 

“Going back to the academy?” The driver asked.

“Yes.” I replied.

The back was opened and the stairs were assembled for us again. We hopped on and Connor held my hand. 

On the drive home, both of us didn’t say a word, worried that we were going to be spied on. So we just stood in the back of a truck, swaying back and forth as the vehicle turned. 

“You guys are almost back! Stay strong!” Percy said.

“You have no idea what jackpot we hit, guys!” Tavia said. 

Their encouragement brought a smile on my face, knowing that they too saw everything but still are helping us. 

The truck stopped, almost knocking us both off our feet. Quickly as we arrived, the men let us out and they began to drive away from the academy grounds and enter back into the forest.

And that was the last I ever saw that truck. 

When I turned to Connor, I hugged him close and to me, putting my arms around him. I held him tight and snuggled into the feathers of his costume.

“I fucking love you.” I said loudly. 

“What?” Connor asked. 

I looked up at him, staring at him in his blue eyes. 

I know exactly what I said.

But rather than reiterate my words of endearment, my body gave out and I collapsed onto the ground. Connor just barely managed to hold onto me. He removed my head piece and picked me up in his arms.

I felt Connor walking quickly until several voices could be heard.

“Is he okay?” I heard Tavia asked.

“I think he’s exhausted!” Connor replied.

“Take him to the common room! Dorian will tend to him! You too! You’ll need help too!” She told Connor.

“Got it!” Connor said. 

I opened my eyes and saw Connor running while holding me. He looked down at me and smiled at me. 

A smile was returned and then I closed my eyes, falling into a deeply needed sleep. 

---

the beast throne that sarah sat upon is a horned beast that ‘the whore of babylon’ rides on in Revelations.

22: Doomsday

CHAPTER 22:

DOOMSDAY

Vincent Florence

My memories of the past blasted through me in a quick, luminous flash. Almost as if I was on the verge of death and I relived the past few hours. But as quick as they came, it quickly faded. And all that I could see, feel- and for some reason hear- darkness.

The best part of this darkness was the peace and quiet. I haven’t had such lustrous sleep since, well, since before I was born. It was a much needed slumber that I have put off for nearly two decades.

Just like most good things, this peace had to come to an end. And slowly, I opened my eyes to return to the conscious world. This wicked, nefarious world.

I slowly fully opened my eyes and looked to the ceiling. Above me was a wooden ceiling, dark oak, I think. And then my sense of touch came in. My hands, arms, legs, and feet felt something soft. And fuzzy.

‘A blanket.’ I thought to myself.

A grunt escaped my lips. I stretched my arms and legs to relieve my fatigue. And I sat up slowly. I looked around to where I was at. The pieces came together and I saw that I was back in the Auburn Nights dormitory. Currently, I was in the beds on the loft.

The entire room was dark, with a few lamps turned on near me. After getting enough strength, my feet landed on the cold floor. Luckily, someone left slippers for me. Then I scanned around and found a large sweater that I put on.

One thing that I just realized was how quiet the common room was. If I was here, then someone else should be here too with me. I tiptoed down the stairs and entered the ground floor.

The lights for the kitchen were on. On the counter was a glass of water and a small packet. I lifted the note next to the glass of water and read it.

Dear Vinny,

If you wake up while we’re gone, please drink this. Open the packet and pour it into the water and drink it quickly! We’re out getting some food. We’ll see you soon!

-Connor

Connor… Connor. Yeah, Connor. My boyfriend.

I followed the instructions on the note. Before I drank it, I checked the glass. It was clear, no fizziness, and no weird smell. So it’s not poison. After drinking the water with the packet, which was most likely some vitamins, I went over to turn on the lights for the common.

There was nothing new about the common room. It was all the same. Just as I remembered it. Except for the corner of the common room. There lies a large table filled with several computers and equipment. Next to the tables are the costumes that Connor and I wore for the event.

I guess something did change.

There was a loud bang from where the entrance was. I jolted and stepped back as the large wooden door opened and my friends all came in. As soon as they entered, they all stopped and stared at me.

“Hey, guys.” I muttered. Connor pushed through them and quickly dropped his bags and ran over to me.

“Vinny!” He yelled. He ran over to me and quickly picked me up and spun me around.

“Put me down!” I chuckled. But in reality, I didn’t want him to put me down. I want him to hold me for as long as possible.

“When did you wake up? Are you okay? Nothing hurts, right?” Connor asked, setting me back down and inspecting every part of my body.

“I’m okay. I woke up a few minutes before you guys came.” I said. The rest of the group walked over to us.

“Glad to see you’re doing better.” Percy said, hugging me and patting my back.

“Ooh! I missed you!” Tavia jumped into my arms and almost crushed me in a hug.

“Welcome back.” Archie said, giving me a small handshake.

Dorian was last. She looked down but when she looked up, her eyes were full of tears. And in a quick move, she hugged me.

“I missed you.” Dorian muttered. I carefully placed my hands behind her back and hugged her.

“I missed you too.” I muttered.

“We have lots to catch up on!” Percy said.

“Let us fix some lunch and we’ll discuss everything.” Tavia said. Connor escorted me to the couches while everyone else was busy cooking.

As soon as I sat down, I leaned over to kiss Connor. I just needed to feel him. After having felt like I haven’t seen him in years, it’s reassuring to be able to just kiss him randomly.

“How long was I out?” I asked.

“A whole day. You were pretty exhausted after… everything. Luckily, you were just dehydrated. Makes sense, since that place didn’t exactly have any water.”

“But they definitely needed holy water.” I mumbled. “So I passed out?”

“Yeah. As soon as we arrived back on campus, you told me that… nevermind. But you did pass out. The group was already waiting for us so they took you here.” Connor explained.

“What did I tell you?” I asked.

The small conversation I had with Connor was suddenly brought back. I confessed to him that I loved him.

“Shit!” I groaned.

“It’s okay! Look, I love you too, Vinny. Really! I’m fine with it!” Connor said.

“I just wish I could’ve told you at a better time. Not after witnessing such horrible things earlier that night.”

“If it’s any consolation, I felt that it was a good time. I needed a reminder that the world wasn’t so bad.”

“Then let me say it again.” I said.

“Fine. I’ll let you say it again.”

“I love you, Connor Devonshire.” I told him. Connor blushed and turned away.

“Even after telling it to me again, I still get goosebumps.”

“But you know, it doesn’t feel as right if it’s only coming from one person.” I said, pulling my hand up to his hair. I grabbed a few locks and twirled them on my finger slowly.

“I was planning on doing that.” Connor cleared his throat. “I love you too, Vinny.”

“Are you guys going to get married now?” Tavia said as she skipped into the living area and planted herself on the couch adjacent to us. She watched us with intriguing eyes, enjoying Connor and I’s proclamation of love.

“Give it a few years,” Connor said. “Then we’ll see.”

I tried speaking up. “Woah! Hold on! I don’t think that-”

Tavia cut me off. “Can I be a bridesmaid? And what color are we thinking?” She asked.

“Maybe something blue. Or a forest green.” Connor replied.

“Are you two done?” Percy asked, walking in on Connor and Tavia talking. Percy wore an apron, something he never wears.

“Yeah, we’re done.” Tavia said.

“Then come and help me!” Percy tugged on the girl’s sweater sleeve and pulled her into the kitchen.

“What was that about?” I asked Connor.

“A while back, before you came here, Tavia and I made a deal that she would help plan my future wedding. So when she found out that the two of us were dating, she began to get into the whole wedding thing.” He explained.

“I hope this deal goes both ways.”

“It does. She’ll help with my wedding, I’ll help with hers.”

Percy, Tavia, and Dorian all walked towards the coffee table with bowls and plates in hand.

“Lunch is ready!” Tavia announced. Archie followed with a pitcher of sweet tea and cups.

“Finally. Now can you guys tell me what’s been going on since the party?” I asked. Connor handed me a plate and began to serve me food.

“To sum it up, after you passed out and brought you here, we were sort of in a state of limbo.” Percy explained. “We kinda just stood around and became more confused about everything.”

Tavia set her plate down. “But we knew that the first thing we had to focus on was you. Luckily, Archie knows a bit about medicine. You were mainly dehydrated and exhausted. So was Connor. And you guys had some bruises and scratches on your body. We think it’s from the costumes, but you guys could’ve gotten them from the party too by some people.”

“But just in case, Archie disinfected them.” Connor told me.

“And what about the footage? I assume it’s still there.” I said.

“Yup! Every hour of footage has been saved. We each own a copy and have hidden them in our own special places. Just in case anyone tries to destroy one, we’ll have a few more.” Percy said. “It was Elliot’s idea.”

“Have you guys… watched the footage?” I asked.

“We saw enough, in my opinion,” Tavia muttered. “But we know we’re going to have to go back and piece everything together. We’ll need to compile a list of all the people that attended and create a list.”

“While you and Connor were down there, all of us jotted down some people that we saw. We just didn’t tell you guys because we didn’t want to interrupt.” Percy said.

“How many names so far?” I asked the group.

“117 people.” Archie said. “Politicians, celebrities, socialites, business men, and even religious leaders.”

“But most importantly, we have shit on Sarah Barrington.” Connor added.

“That’s the most crucial part.” I said.

“And what was that thing about taking over the government? Are they insane?” Percy said, getting irritated.

“It seems like they want to establish their own version of Gilead.” Tavia said.

“You don’t think their plan could work…” Dorian muttered.

“I… don’t know.” I said. “The past elections have shown an increase in extremists elected into Congress. Not to mention, it seems that every year, they’re finding new groups to attack and blame everything on.”

“Yeah. Remember when it was trans people? Then it moved on to immigrants. Then Jews and Arabs. And what are they focusing on right now?” Connor asked the group.

“Science.” I answered. “I saw a few weeks ago that some Christian groups tried to attack a group of scientists after they said that the existence of God was ‘unlikely’.”

“I remember that.” Percy said.

“And it’s not an isolated case. Scientists have been under scrutiny in this country for a while now. There’s people burning books and refusing to go to the hospital, believing that they’re being injected with toxins.” Connor explained.

“Could it be possible that the Barringtons are behind this new extreme ideology? I mean, it would make sense. How else do you get people to support you? You point to another group and say they’re the ones destroying everything. Then they’ll turn to you for support, thinking that you’re the solution.” Tavia explained.

“And who are the ones that are easily persuaded? The ones that can’t think for themselves. Why else do you think that most of these extremists live in states with the worst education?” I said.

“Do you guys remember 2024?” Percy asked.

“We were 14 at the time.” Tavia said.

“Yeah. I remember overhearing my dad talking about some groups that have been showing up in the past years. Many of these were far-right groups. Anyways, I remember hearing my dad say that there was a group that tried to attack Congress.” Percy told us.

“The Memorial Day Scare.” I pointed out. Percy nodded his head.

“I remember that!” Connor said. “Congress was evacuated when there was a bomb threat. DC literally went into martial law. But they said that it was Islamic terrorists that made the threat. Not a domestic terrorist group.”

“That’s what everyone believed. But my dad got into contact with some Congress members who spoke about that day. Apparently, when the scare happened, at least one third of Congress was absent that day, almost like they knew. And the extremists that were there did not seem to care. They even wore some type of pins.” Percy spoke with a small quiver in his voice.

“Wait!” I blurted out. “Wasn’t the pin like… the seal of the United States? But instead of the eagle holding an olive branch and arrows, it held…”

Connor finished my sentence. “Arrows and a crucifix.”

“So I guess we really do have to worry.” Tavia said.

“Exactly. No more fear mongering. We’re now in the 11th hour, seconds before Doomsday.” Percy said. “Once they get control of Congress and the Executive office, it’s done. They already have a 7-2 majority in the Supreme Court.”

“They could literally do whatever they want. Make it so they have all the power. Redraw congressional districts however they want. Pass laws that would prevent others having power. America would become even more divided.” I said. I felt my hands begin to sweat. Just when I thought my nightmare was over, it only led to an even bigger one.

Only this time, it doesn’t seem like a nightmare. That’s what makes this more terrifying.

“Guys, we just got lucky this time. But the presidential race was really close. Luckily, President Cameron Hopkins managed to win the election. But if you look at the graphs, it was too close.” Tavia explained.

“Which means that our plans have to be done quickly and as soon as possible before the mid-terms.” I loudly said.

“Don’t panic, Vinny. Everything is going to plan. At least now, we can move onto the next phase.” Percy said.

“Huh?” I asked. Next phase?

“You did a great job, Vinny. Before you joined the group, while we didn’t have an exact plan on how to acquire the secrets, we knew how we wanted to expose them.” Connor said to me.

“So you guys had another plan but didn’t tell me?” I asked.

“Yeah. We should have told you a long time ago, but you’ve already done so much for this group. Which is why we want you to just relax for this next part.” Connor said.

“You put your ass on the line, Vinny.” Percy told me. “You joined the student council, became isolated from us, had to endure the council, and even attended that fucked up party. You need a break.”

“No!” I shouted. “I’ve come all this way! I’m not going to drop out halfway! I want to be a part of this until the end!”

“But Vinny,” Connor said. “Are you sure? You don’t have to. We can do all of this ourselves.”

“Nu-uh! I’m doing this! And none of you can change my mind! Besides,” I paused and looked at all of them. “You guys plan on exposing these secrets. And you guys need to appeal to the biggest group.”

“Let me guess, middle and lower class teens.” Percy said.

“Exactly. And who knows more about them than me?” I asked the group.

Conner let out a loud sigh. “I knew bringing him in was a good idea.” Connor said.

“Fine. We’ll let you join. Seeing as how you have knowledge, you’ll get to participate.” Percy said.

“This is gonna be fun!” I said.

“So how exactly are we going to get the word out? It’s not like we can go out into the streets and just shout everything we know. We’ll look crazy and get locked up in some ward. And we can’t post them on social media because they’ll get taken down and we’ll be tracked.” Percy said.

“How about we eat first?” Tavia said.

“We should eat something. You’re probably starving, Vinny.” Connor said.

“Nah, I’m good.” I said. Then I felt my stomach clench.

“Guess not.” Connor muttered. I picked up my plate and began eating. It felt like it had been months since I’ve had a good meal. My diet in the past few days was mainly caffeine candies to prepare myself for the party and a single sip of wine at the party.

Finally, the chance to eat was a relaxing moment. I had everything I needed in life. Food, comfort, friends. It was just perfect.

After we finished lunch, I felt tired and needed to sleep. Even though I woke up only a few hours prior, it wasn’t enough. Maybe because it felt like that sleep was a catch up. Something that I’ve put off for a while. A nice deep sleep.

Now, I just want a simple post-lunch nap.

“Wait!” I called for Connor after helping me up the stairs and into bed. “Can you lay with me?” I asked.

“Okay. Sure.” Connor replied. He changed out of his sweater and hopped into bed with me, just wearing his boxers. “Mm, cozy.” He said as he snuggled into my chest.

“How are you doing?” I asked him.

“Hmm?”

“After the party.” I said.

“I’m doing okay. Honestly, I sometimes get random flashes about some of the darker things. Part of me wishes I never went. But I wasn’t alone the whole time.” Conner kissed my cheek.

“I haven’t really thought about any of it.”

“Trust me, it’s gonna come in soon.” Connor said, his fingers tracing my chest. “I’m guessing we need therapy.”

“Probably. But we should hold it off until after the exposure. Otherwise, our therapists will see us as crazy.”

“The only thing I’m crazy about is you.” Connor said as he traced kisses on my arm.

“Pull yourself together, Devonshire.” I giggled as his kisses tickled me.

“I’ve just missed you, Vinny. You were out for a whole day. But even that felt like too long. And now you’re awake, next to me. So excuse me, Vinny. I’m just attached.” Connor said. He placed his head on my chest while I touched his hair.

“Sleep, Connor. You’ve done your job. I’m safe now.” I muttered. Conner let out a small grunt which was soon followed by a small snore.

After a while, I felt myself begin to drift into sleep. This time, my sleep went by quickly. I was awoken by my phone ringing next to me on the nightstand.

As I reached over and tried not waking up Connor, who was still asleep in my arms, I checked who was interrupting my call. I also quickly noticed that it was 5 pm.

The number calling was a random number. But I still answered it.

“Hello?” I asked, making my voice sound like I hadn’t just woken up.

“Vincent Florence.” A voice spoke. It was an older female’s voice.

“Who is this?” I asked.

“That’s no way to talk to your headmistress!” The voice said with a chuckle. I quickly knew who it was.

“Sorry, Headmistress Avianna!” I sat up. This caused Connor to roll off the bed and land with a thud.

“Hope everything sounds okay and your end.” Headmistress Avianna said.

“Everything’s okay! I swear! Uh, what can I help you with at this time?” I asked.

“Could you come to my office tomorrow? I need to talk to you about something rather private.” She said.

“At what time, ma’am?” I said.

“Anytime is good. My office will be open from 9 to 7.” She said.

“Okay, ma’am. I’ll be there tomorrow.” I replied.

“Good. Have a good night, Vincent.” She said. Before I could say bye, she hung up. Connor recovered from his fall and sat on the bed next to me.

“What did she want?” Connor asked me.

“She wants me to come to her office tomorrow.” I replied.

“Do you think it’s about the party? Do you think she was in on it?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.” I said.

Connor pouted on the bed. I knew that this was his way of telling me that he needed kisses, which I was happy to give. He kissed me back and smirked, knowing he got his way.

23: Veritas

CHAPTER 23:

VERITAS

Vincent Florence

Headmistress Avianna Clemont’s office is located on the second tallest tower in the academy. And it’s located on the southern wing of the school, opposite from the student council tower. Essentially, the student council is higher than the headmistress herself.

From what I can comprehend, the student council focuses on making the atmosphere of the school better. Meanwhile, the headmistress does all the managerial duties. For example, the student council will vote to raise funding for a club. The headmistress will sign off on it and contact people to buy materials.

The headmistress also ensures that the learning program is up to date. Whether it’s lesson plans, or making sure we have the right books, it’s all up to her. Afterall, she’s in charge of Auburn Brights Academy, the most prestigious academy in the world. There’s so much weight on her shoulders.

Right before I could knock on the headmistress’ door, it opened on its own.

“Come in!” Headmistress Avianna called out. As the door opened all the way, I stepped into the office.

The grand office had walls covered in bookshelves and baroque paintings hung on the walls. In the center of the wall ahead of me was a grand desk. There sat the headmistress.

Avianna Clemont had light gray hair, with streaks of white. Despite her age and hair, she still looked young, with no wrinkles on her face or major signs of aging. In fact, I’d say that she looks younger than many 30 year olds I’ve seen.

“You asked for me, ma’am.” I said, fully stepping into the room.

Avianna looked up, piercing me with her sly eyes. “Yes, come in!” She signaled for me to walk up to her desk. As soon as I approached, I noticed she was wearing small reading glasses that were perched on the bridge of her nose.

I stood in front of her desk, waiting for her to look up and acknowledge me. After she finished writing something with her pen and let out a huff, she finally looked up.

“You’re probably wondering why you’re here.” She said. I nodded. “Why don’t you sit.” She said. I agreed and sat on one of the two seats in front of her desk.

“Am I in trouble?” I asked.

“Oh, goodness no!” She chuckled a bit at this. “It’s been a long time since we’ve talked. I remember when I first met you. You were just a small sprout, waiting to grow.” She said.

“Uh…” I stuttered out. I have no idea where this was going. But at least I know that I didn’t do anything wrong.

“And now here you are, on the student council. I knew I made the right call to select you to be the recipient for the first scholarship.” Headmistress said.

“I thought the student council picked me.”

“The student council, mainly Thomasina Norrington, established the scholarship program as a way to appeal to the public. By offering a low-income student a chance to attend a prestigious academy could shed a better light on this place.”

“So I’m here for a publicity stunt?” I asked.

“I don’t want to sugar-coat things, but yes. You’re here for a publicity stunt.” She stood up from her seat and walked over to a large window. This window was facing the student council tower. “The council thought that by introducing a low-income student, it would sort of boost the reputation of them.”

“And did it work?”

She sighed. “It did. But what they didn’t anticipate was for this scholarship student to completely defy all their expectations. You made a name for yourself, and angered the council, when you got on the council. Hell, I and other headmasters from other academies did not see this coming.” Headmistress Avianna said with a slight hint of excitement in her voice.

“You and the other headmasters?” I asked.

“Precisely.” She turned around, flashing me a smile. “You see that picture on my desk?” She asked.

On her desk was a framed photo. I looked at it and saw it was an old photo. The photo had 5 people in it. Two women, three men. One of the women was Headmistress Avianna. She still retained her sly fox-like eyes. Only this time, her hair was a dark black color. The other people were similar in age, all young people. And they posed in front of the steps of a building.

“Those are my college friends. We all went to Princeton and founded the Prince of Night club.” Avianna said.

“What did you guys do in this club?” I asked.

“It was a small social club. We mainly discussed matters of politics, gossip, and discourse on religion and literature. Every one of those people you see there are headmasters of their own schools.” She explained. “And they all betted on whether or not you would make a big splash when you arrived at this academy.”

“And what did you bet on?” I asked.

She took a pause. “Against you.” She replied. “But honestly, Vincent, that just makes you more impressive. You defied expectations of this high-class society, the council, and even me. You’re just full of surprises.”

“Normally, I would be offended by such things. But I’m not.” I said.

“Take it as a compliment. It’s better to be imperfect in the mold, than to be like the rest.” She placed her hand on my shoulder and rubbed it.

“Thank you, ma’am.” I said. Avianna returned to her seat at her grand chair.

“Now, I called you here for a different reason. Which schools did you apply to?” She asked.

“The usual. The high-ranking UCs, The Seven Sisters, Stanford, and the Ivies. But I don’t have high expectations.” I replied.

Avianna rummaged through a drawer compartment until she pulled out a crimson folder.

“Never set your sights down.” She said. “I think you’re gonna like this.” She handed me the crimson folder. I accepted it and read the word ‘Harvard’ on the front in a white serif font.

No-fucking-way .

I opened the folder and there was a letter. I picked it up and read it. It was an early acceptance into Harvard University.

“Holy shit!” I yelled. “Excuse me.” I apologized quickly.

Avianna just chuckled with amusement. “Don’t apologize. It’s a huge deal. Were you not expecting this?”

“I was told that all student council members have reserved spots in the highest Ivies. I just wasn’t expecting myself to get in because I’m low-income.” I said, still staring at my acceptance letter.

“You should know by now that schools are starting to not care about how much money future alumni make.”

“I know. But still… Harvard.”

“I hope you’ll accept their admission. You deserve it.” She said.

“Thank you, ma’am! Truly! I won’t let you down!”

“I know you won’t. Now you can head off to your duties. I’ve got some paperwork.” Headmistress said.

I stood up and walked over to the door. It opened slowly. But right before I stepped out, I had to ask her something.

“Out of all applicants, why me?” I asked.

She looked up and was caught off guard. “Because, you’re smart. Your thesis was perfectly crafted. You’re big into social issues. You were a perfect match.” She said. “But also, a poor kid who comes from a small town in Wisconsin, who was raised by a single mother. And to top it all, he’s gay. That would’ve made a huge splash.”

“How did you know?” I asked.

“I know about your relationship with Mr. Devonshire. Heir to the Devonshire Fortune and previously the most eligible bachelor. You certainly have it all. The status, the dream school, the dream man. I just hope you don’t do anything stupid to lose it all.” She said with a warning tone.

“I- I won’t.” I said. I quickly got out of that room and walked back to the elevator that took me back to the ground floor.

My acceptance letter was in my hands. I looked down at it and just awed at the crimson color and seal of the school on the top left page. THEE Harvard!

I knew I had to show this off! So I quickly made my way through the halls. Before I could turn the corner and enter the north-west hallway, I bumped into someone.

“Sorry!” I quickly said. I looked up and saw I had bumped into Milton Livington.

“Vincent.” Milton said. He still had that scowl on his face that everyone knows him by.

“Hey, Milton. How are you?” I asked.

“We don’t have to pretend to be friends. We’re just helping one another.” Milton said. He walked past me. But before he walked further, he stopped and turned around. “Thank you.” He muttered.

“For what?” I asked.

“For warning me. I heard of the things that went on during the party. I just want to thank you for giving me a heads up.” He said in the most caring voice I’ve ever heard come from Milton.

“No problem.” I said. “Uh, if I may ask. What did you do during that Wednesday night?” I asked.

“I was with my son and lover.” He said.

“Awe, how cute-”

“I’m leaving now!” Milton quickly turned away and walked down the hall to wherever he needed to be.

While I waited for the others to finish their classes, I grabbed a crimson colored sweater that Connor has and wrote the word ‘Harvard’ on a piece of paper and taped it on. Since I don’t have an official Harvard sweater, this will have to do.

The entire group piled in while I waited at the top of the loft.

“Where’s Vinny?” Tavia asked.

“I heard he was meeting the headmistress.” Connor replied.

I held my acceptance letter in hand and slowly began to descend the stairs. As soon as I reached the bottom, I made a display of myself.

“Guess what, guys?!” I announced.

“You finally convinced Connor to bottom?” Tavia asked.

“Uh, what?!” I asked.

“I already did, Tavia!” Connor said.

“No shit?! Really? When? Was he big enough to reach your prostate?” Percy asked.

“I wish I had a prostate. I’d just shove things in there 24/7.” Tavia muttered.

“You have something down there too.” Percy said.

“GUYS!” I yelled. They all turned to me.

Archie pointed at my sweater. “Harvard!” He said.

“No way!” Tavia muttered.

“Vinny! Are you playing a prank on us?” Connor asked.

“Nope!” I smiled and opened the folder to show my acceptance letter.

“Bitch!” Tavia said. She ran towards me and looked at the letter. “It’s legit!”

“Congrats, Vinny!” Percy patted my back.

“Thanks. I just found out today.” I said. Connor approached me, his eyes looking at the paper that I taped on my sweater. He smirked at this.

“Crimson looks good on you.” He said.

“I know.” I replied.

“Why don’t we celebrate?” Tavia said.

“Didn’t we just celebrate yesterday?” Archie asked.

“This is celebratory worthy!” Tavia replied. “I’ll go get the cider!” She skipped over to a cabinet.

Connor took the letter from me and read the words. “Are you going to accept it?” He asked.

“Of course I am. Who wouldn’t accept going to Harvard?”

“So what about payment and tuition?”

“I forgot to mention! But all student council members can apply to get their college tuition paid for if they want to. Most of the council rejected it. But I put in an application. Not only is my tuition getting paid for, but I’ll also get a spending allowance.” I explained.

“Really? That’s amazing.” Connor said. “I’m really proud of you, Vinny. You deserve this.” He placed his hand on my shoulder.

“So where are you going? I want us to still date after this.” I said.

“I’m expecting on MIT. If I get in, we’ll both go to college in the same city.” He said. There was a small excitement in his eyes, probably imagining what our lives would be like if we both attended school in the same city.

“We could meet up during our free time.” I said.

“What’s this?” Connor said, pointing to a small flap that’s located in the Harvard folder. As I looked closer, I saw that it was an additional compartment. After opening it, a small letter came out. Only this letter was a navy blue with white font.

“The Echelon Club.” I said, reading the first line.

“What is it?” Connor asked. I read the entire letter until it ended with a small send off and the Harvard seal stamped at the bottom.

“It says that The Echelon Club is a small group that is made up of several people of interest who will be attending Harvard.” I said.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.” Connor said.

“I have…” Dorian said. She walked up to us and gently grabbed The Echelon Club letter from my hands. “The Echelon Club has been around for over 200 years. It’s composed of students that show high promise and people that would highly benefit the future of America.” She explained.

“So, the best of the best?” Connor asked.

“Exactly.” She said. “Many influential people have been a part of this club. People like Barack Obama, Michael Lexington, Mark Zuckerburg.”

“Holy shit, Vinny. You got into the most exclusive school and got invited into the most exclusive club.” Connor said.

The others were done with making a quick festive lunch. All of us gathered at the large table that sat near the kitchen. I explained my prior encounter with Milton to the group.

“Not going to lie, Milton doesn’t seem like such a bad guy.” Tavia said.

“I mean, he’s still an asshole who abuses his power. But he isn’t committing crimes against humanity like the others.” Percy replied.

“He’s so dreamy…” Tavia said, bashing her eyelashes.

“He has a fiance, err- a fiance and mistress.” Connor told the dreaming girl.

“Damn.” Tavia groaned. Dorian rubbed her back to comfort her. Meanwhile, Percy had a jealous stare. He saw me looking at him and he quickly turned away from me.

“You’re still wearing the ‘Harvard’ sweater.” Connor told me.

“Oh, I am. I’m gonna have to buy an official one soon.” I replied.

Right as we were getting into a conversation, Archie stood up and showed us his iPad.

“What is it?” Percy asked.

“Read it.” Archie said. He slid the iPad to Percy while the rest of us huddled around him to read the article.

Clarkin Produce to acquire Pomona Food Inc. in a major merger, creating the largest produce company in the US.

Clarkin…

“Wait. What is this?” Connor asked.

“Clarkin. As in Wallace Clarkin. And Pomona Food Inc, owned by Sanders Benson.” Archie said. “At the party. Those two guys who gambled their companies on a game of poker and a napkin contract.”

“Right!” Tavia said.

“I remember now. Wallace Clarkin won the other company during a gamble.” I said.

“I wonder how many other people know that this merger was betted on a napkin.” Connor said.

“This just proves that everything that happened that night isn’t just a single night thing. The effects of that night are still being felt.” I muttered.

“We can only sit back for now.” Connor assured me.

Still, the pit in my stomach grew bigger. Am I really going to work on exposing some of the most powerful people in the world? What if I go missing? Or get killed? Or worse, the people that I love get hurt because of me.

A guilty conscience, however, is not enough to make me back out. I said I wanted to see the student council fall. And that’s still my number one goal.

But at the moment, everything in my life is perfect. I don’t want to disrupt this serene time in my life.

24: Crazy

a/n: for anyone wondering, this story takes place during late 2027 (from chapter 1- chapter

17. and early 2028 (chapter 18 and ongoing). hope this clears up any confusion <3

CHAPTER 24:

CRAZY

Connor Devonshire

Once I reached my dorm, my phone began ringing. As I checked, I saw that my oldest brother of five, Isaac, was calling me on the phone. Isaac is an interesting story. He’s the oldest, which means that he gets first dibs on the company. But despite it all, my father still sees him as a failure. This most likely stems from Isaac not wanting to partake in a sleazy deal a few years back. 

At least Isaac is the better one off. The rest of my brothers have their own problems. However, out of all of them, my father has placed all his expectations on me. He wants me to take over the company, while Isaac will be demoted to a lower position.

“Isaac!” I eagerly said.

“How’s my baby brother?” Isaac asked.

“I’m not a baby, Isaac.”

“That’s what you believe. But the others would beg to differ.” He snarkily replied.

“Yeah yeah, why are you calling me? Do you need something?” I asked.

“Nu-uh.” He said. “Okay, just a small favor.” 

“Sure.” I replied. 

“Can you help me preorder the new Birkin bag that’s coming out soon?” He asked.

“Why don’t you do it? I’m busy.” I said.

“I have a meeting with an engineer from LA for some new designs. I’ll be busy and I need this really badly!” He begged.

“Fine.” I sighed. “Send me the link and I’ll see what I can do.” I relented and gave in. 

“Thank you thank you! I’ll repay you one day!”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Is that all?” 

“Yeah. I’m doing pretty good. Claus is almost 8 months sober! So that’s good! Horace and his wife are doing well in Barbados. And Sterling is studying for his finals at Stanford.” He explained.

“That’s good. I’ll call them later.” I received a text from Vinny, letting me know that he was on his way to my dorm. “I have to go.”

“To whom, you’re boyfriend?” He teasingly asked.

“Wha– I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I stuttered. 

“Come on, Connot. I heard you virtually jacking off with him on the phone while we were in Greece. I know that you’re dating a guy.” Isaac said. “Listen, I’m fine with it. I’m not sure about dad, though.”

“Well, would he be more lenient if he found out he’s from a lower class?” I asked, theoretically.

“Connor… you saw what happened with Horace. Father doesn’t even acknowledge his existence. Don’t tell me it’s the scholarship student that everyone was raging about! Dad’ll be furious!” Isaac said.

“Calm down, Isaac! Would it make you feel better if I told you he was on the student council?” I asked.

“Uh–”

“Or that he just got an early acceptance in Harvard! Would you think that dad would accept that?” I asked.

“He… probably would. So long as he is successful. But what about the fact that he’s a guy? You know how much a machismo father is.”

I chuckled. “Isaac. What could possibly be more manly… than TWO MEN?” 

“You’re right!” He laughed. “I’ll hang up now. Go be with your lover.” He chuckled and quickly hung up the phone. 

Afterwards, I quickly pulled out my phone and began to call Vinny. He picked up and sounded out of breath.

“Are you running, my love?” I asked.

“Ye-ah!” He must’ve stopped because he was panting hard. “I’m on my way to see you right now. I had some—” His voice became softer. “I have some ideas that I want to share with you.”

“Perfect. I’ll be here when you’re ready.” I replied.

“Of course! And I’m bringing over some things for Archie’s party– OOF!” I heard Vinny grunt loudly. “Sarah? What are you–?” I then heard him seer in pain. 

“Listen here, Vincent!” I heard Sarah’s shrill voice speak. “I know you’re planning on doing something. Don’t think I’m an idiot. I’ve been watching you and your boyfriend, Connor, and your rest of your bandits. Just know that whatever you plan on doing, I will put a stop to it!” 

“Wha– What are you talking about?” Vinny replied, playing dumb. 

“You can try to fool me all you want to. But I know that something is being plotted. So go ahead. Tell everyone what you saw that night. However, the moment you open your mouth, your entire life will be ruined.” She said in a wery tone. 

“If I tell anyone about what I saw, wouldn’t that incriminate me too?” Vinny said. 

Sarah let out a huff in desperation. “Either way. Even if you have footage of the entire night, who’s going to believe the words of some crazy kid? Cause the public sure wouldn’t.”

“I’m not crazy and everyone will see that!” Vinny retorted. By this point I had already pulled out my spare phone and began to record the conversation. 

“Are you certain of that?” Sarah said. I heard the rustling of paper. “Why don’t you look at this?”

“What is this?” Vinny asked.

“It’s a background check. You know, it’s easy to figure out your lineage when you know where someone was born. And as you can see, your father, Neil Williamson, has a family history of drug abuse and psychiatric help.”

“What does this have to do with me? I’ve never done any of those things!” Vinny said.

“Hm, no, you haven’t. But imagine when you release all that information you have and then it gets out that your father’s half of the family is clinically insane. Then who’s going to believe you? No one. All they’ll see is a poor kid who’s jealous of what he can never get.” She said. 

“Uh..” Vinny stuttered out. By this point, I had put my coat on and was getting ready to look for him.

“And if you think your friends are going to do the talking, do you really think they would give up their fortunes just to bring down a few people. After all, I’m sure they just see you as collateral damage in their rebellious phase.” She chuckled. “Classic woke rich kids. Thinking they’re better than their parents just because they know better. But in the end, they’ll still benefit from the cycle.” 

Vinny shuddered, most likely from the tension and nerves of being cornered. And he also seems to be speechless. Normally, he would have some witty comeback. However, it doesn’t seem like it’s his moment.

“I’ll be leaving now. And I hope I don’t hear a single word from you. Just close your mouth and continue on with your life. Because if I even hear a single word about anything, not only will I make sure that Harvard acceptance goes away, but so will everything you love.” Sarah said in her usual condescending tone. “Goodbye, Vincent.”

I could then hear the sound of her walking away. As soon as I stepped onto the first floor and walked around the south wing hallway, I spotted Vinny slumped over on the wall and just clutching his arm.

“Vinny!” I said. He turned over and a short smile came on his face. “I heard everything! Are you okay?” I urgently asked.

“Ahh.” He groaned. I turned to his left hand that clutched his right shoulder. 

“Let me see!” I said. He pried his hand off and his shirt had some holes in it. When I carefully exposed his shoulder, I saw five red nail marks. “Did she do this to you?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Vinny said. “As soon as she slammed me into the wall, her nails dug into my skin.” He said with a slight shiver in his voice.

“Let’s get you to the nurse right now! Come on!” I said, beginning to pull on his left arm, the one that wasn’t injured. 

“Just go slow.” He said. 

“How are you so calm about this? She assaulted you!” I told him. 

“Heh, I’m fine. I was expecting this for some time.” Vinny said. “Let’s just get this bandaged up and then set up for Archie’s birthday.” 

“Should we tell the others what happened?” I asked. 

“Just about what Sarah said. If we tell them that she injured me, they’ll go crazy. And after what Sarah told me, we’ll need to approach this more cautiously.” Vinny said. 

“For sure. We have the recording! We can use that as evidence that Sarah has a vendetta against you.” 

While we waited for the nurse to finish patching Vinny’s wounds, he kept staring at a piece of paper in his hands. He didn’t talk, just stared and had a somber look on his face.

“Are you okay?” I asked, taking a seat next to him.

“She brought up my dad.” Vinny muttered.

“Let me guess: You didn’t know about any of what Sarah told you about your dad.” I replied.

“I knew that he had issues and that it was driving him to abandon us. But I didn’t know it was this bad.” Vinny held out the paper to me for me to read.

I gently took the paper and read over the document. Niel Williamson. A US veteran who came back from deployment. He settled in a small town in Wisconsin where he would meet Vinny’s mother. But as soon as she gave birth, he relapsed and left that town. Since then, over the course of nearly two decades, he’s been arrested for petty theft and burglary. The most recent activity of his is an admission in a rehabilitation center in Louisiana. 

Meanwhile, there were people of similar last names who were Neil’s family members. Others had similar issues, such as drug abuse, mental illnesses, and crimes. Of all of the family members, the worst one was a woman, Neil’s second second cousin, who murdered her husband and two kids. Which means that Vincent’s half of his family is insane.

“I’m not crazy, right?” Vinny asked me.

“Hopefully crazy for me.” I said.

“I’m serious, Connor. Am I crazy? Afterall, I’ve done crazy things since I’ve gotten here. I’ve spoken against the council, went to that insane ball, and have put my life on the line. All to take down a couple of teens. So… maybe I am crazy.” 

“I don’t think you’re crazy. You’ve done crazy things. But being crazy and doing crazy things are different.” I said.

“How many more times are you going to say crazy?” He asked with a chuckle in his voice.

“Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy…” I chanted. Vinny put his hand over my mouth to shut me up. “Sorry.” I said when he removed his hand.

“Don’t sweat it.” He said. “I’ll ask my mom about this later. She’s never told me anything about my dad. So I guess it’s time I have an uncomfortable conversation with them.”

“Are you ready?” I asked. 

“Yup. Let’s go.” He let out a small grunt as he stood up. “You coming?” He asked with a huge smile on his face. 

“Of course.” I said. 

After making our way through the academy and back into the Auburn Nights, both Vinny and I were now ready for Archie’s party. But as soon as we walked in, we were greeted to a sight of Archie, reclining in a chair, and Percy fanning him with a large palm leaf.

“Faster.” Archie said. Percy obliged and began to fan faster. 

“What’s going on?” I asked. 

“Archie is making me his slave.” Percy said. 

“Ah, okay…” I turned to Vinny with a confused look. 

“Can I borrow him?” Vinny asked with a smirk on his face.

“Dude!” Percy said. “I’m already struggling here! Help a friend out!” 

“Nah, I’m good. I’m just going to help Dorian and Tavia to set up for everything.” Vinny walked over to the kitchen and set the bag of food down. Meanwhile, I walked over to the birthday boy who was reclining back in his seat of honor. 

“Happy birthday, Archie.” I said. 

“Thank you.” He muttered. 

“So, how did you manage to make this happen?” I asked, signaling to Percy and his palm leaf.

“Percy said earlier that he was willing to do anything for me today. Figured I might as well take advantage of that.” Archie smirked at the blonde boy who was fanning him. 

“Can I take a break?” Percy asked in desperation. 

“Nu-uh.” Archie muttered.

“I’ll take over.” I said. “Give me the palm leaf. Percy, go get some refreshments for yourself.” I said to the tired boy.

“You’re a lifesaver!” Percy said, handing me the palm leaf and leaving over to the kitchen to disturb Tavia. I began my new job, cooling down the birthday boy.

“Are you sure that Dorian is okay with us not celebrating her birthday? It was last week.” I asked Archie.

“Yeah. She doesn’t like celebrating or even acknowledging it. It’s best not to bring it up.” Archie said. 

“If that’s what she wants.” I muttered. 

“You asking Vinny out?” Archie asked.

“What for?”

“The prom, dumb-dumb.” He said. 

“Prom? It’s coming up?”

“Yeah?” He sat up and turned to me. “It’s in a month but everyone is already getting their outfits fitted.”

“Damn. I guess it just slipped my mind. I’ll need to do a promposal and begin to pick my outfit. Would I look good in a British or Italian cut?” I asked.

“You could go naked for all I care. As long as it impresses the right person.” He smirked. 

“I assume you’re going to ask Dorian.”

“Of course.”

“Then that just leaves Tavia and Percy. I wonder if Percy is going to ask her out on a date or just as friends.” I said.

“All I know is that they’re going to be so awkward seeing them be together. I’m definitely going to take pictures.”

“Hey! Birthday boy!” Tavia yelled. “Come over! We’ve got everything ready!” 

The table was set so Archie sat at the head of the table. His seat was adorned with flowers and drawings that Dorian hand-drew. 

“What’s your wish, Archie?” Percy asked.

“You can’t ask him that!” Tavia said. 

“Let’s first let him blow out his candle.” Vinny told the group. 

Archie, with the biggest grin on his face, sat as we all sang him happy birthday. He then blew out his candles on his cake while the rest of us cheered him on. 

“Now can we know your wish?” Percy once again asked.

“No.” Archie said. 

With the cake cut, I knew that I had to begin to plot the perfect promposal. I turned to Vinny, who was smiling perfectly and laughing. Even though prior, he was cornered by the student council president herself, where she injured him. And to top it off, she informed Vinny of some unknown information regarding his father and his side of the family. So to see him smiling with glee next to me, it just amazes me how he is willing to push his feelings aside for someone else’s happiness.

I’ve said it before, I assume, but Vinny amazes me. A boy who came from nothing who managed to make a name for himself. But what exactly has he been sacrificing? His own well being? Or his safety? And Vinny himself knows the dangers of this all. 

Perhaps Vinny likes the thrill of it all. Maybe he thrives from knowing that he alone is a reason for such chaos that is occurring and will be occurring in the academy. But no one can know for sure. Not even I can truly know how the mind of Vincent Florence works.

He truly is an enigma. A puzzle that is yet to be solved. 

So, knowing this, my promposal has to be extravagant. Perhaps I can hire an entire orchestra to play his favorite song. Or we can take a weekend trip to Paris where I’ll ask him out atop of the Eiffel Tower.

Or you can just ask him like a normal person.

Maybe going basic for this could be the key.

“Vinny.” I said, turning to him. 

“Yes, my love?” He replied, turning to face me.

“Want to go to prom with me?” I asked.

His cheeks flushed red. “Of course. I’ll go to the prom with you.” He said.

“Awesome!” I cheered. “We’re gonna find ourselves the best suits and we’re gonna be the hottest couple there.”

“We already are.” Vinny said. 

“I know that’s right.” Tavia yelled. 

“I was thinking…” Vinny began saying. “Should we start the exposing phase on prom night?” He asked.

“As in, releasing some of the information we have? You do realize that we’ve only had a small plan so far.” Percy said. “Even if we wanted to, how would we know that the council won’t intervene?”

“We don’t. But I’ve been watching the student council and their behavior since I first moved into the tower. And I know that they wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to drink and spoil in substances.” Vinny explained.

“So, let me understand what you’re saying.” Tavia said. “We should release some of the information on prom night because the student council will be too wasted or high to do anything about it?” She asked.

“Precisely. I know it sounds like a gamble. However, prom night just seems like a good idea to do it on. Everyone will be distracted so the real shock won’t set in until the next day.” Vinny said. 

“Even if we do it, which we aren’t sure, won’t the council and Sarah herself quickly know that it was us who did it? She could easily draw A to B and see that we were the ones who released those secrets.” Tavia interjected.

“To start with, there weren’t any cameras in the event. If I recall, there weren’t any cameras anywhere. As to who to shift the blame to, there were many people that night. And perhaps we could try to get an alibi for that night. Percy!” Vinny called out. “Do you think you can get us a meeting with Elliot?” 

“Yeah, sure.” Percy said. 

“We’ll find a way to make ourselves seen during prom. Pose with as many people and take pictures everywhere. Talk to the teachers attending. Anything to make sure we were there. Then when the night gets to a close, we’ll make our ways to our rooms. To make it more believable, we should each go with another person.

“I’ll go with Connor to his room. Dorian, you should go to Archie’s room. And Percy and Tavia, you two should also be together. This is when we’ll use Elliot. When we expose the secrets, he can create a firewall to protect our location.” Vinny explained his plan to us.

“There’s a few plot holes in that, Vinny.” Tavia said.

“Luckily, prom is a long time until then. Which means that we can polish the operation more in depth. It sounds like a difficult challenge. But I really do think that prom night is the best night to start this off.” Vinny added.

The room became quiet with everyone thinking about the idea. Personally, we’re bound to release this all. Might as well take advantage of that night. 

“The question is, what are we releasing?” I asked.

“Just the basic information. The Clarkin-Napkin deal. Any affairs or corporate scams. We’ll hold off on any major things until a later date.” Vinny explained. “For now, just the tame things.” 

“Is everyone okay with this?” Percy asked the group. No one objected. “Then it’s settled. Prom night will be full of punch, dresses, and secrets.” 

“Sounds like my kind of date.” Tavia said. 

“Indeed it does.” Vinny muttered with a small smirk on his lips.

25: Affair

CHAPTER 25:

AFFAIR

Vincent Florence

There is no easy way to ask someone about a person who hurt them in their past. Opening a wound can cause a floodgate of unwanted and forgotten feelings to resurface. And thus, it took me an immense amount of effort to even get the courage to ask my mom about my father. 

I was raised by a single mother. And that’s all I needed in my life. Even at a young age, I never asked about my dad. It’s just one of those things that, if you don’t have one, nor never grew up with one, there is no point in asking. 

My single mom was all I needed. She worked jobs, came to my award shows, showed me how to ride a bike, and was there during my first heartbreak. And a lack of a father figure did not impair me. Honestly I would say that I was taught to be a loyal person, a trait my dad was never around to teach me. 

And thus, after the third ring, my mom picked up and I knew that a difficult conversation was going to be had. 

“Vinny,” My mom cheerily said into the phone. “How are you?” She asked.

“Good, good.” I said.

“Great! Your friends came by yesterday. They gave me a ‘My Son Is Going To Harvard’ bumper sticker.” My mom said, a slight chuckle in her voice.

“Yeah, they told me they were going to do that. But I have to ask you something important, mom.” I said, my voice sounding less excited than usual.

“Oh no. Is it about tuition? I could ask for some donations of you need help–” 

I cut my mom off. “No. Tuition is being taken care of by the school. It’s– It’s about dad.” My mom’s line went silent. “Mom?” I asked.

“Do you really want to know?” She asked.

“Yes, mom. I’m old enough to know.” I said. I opted to not inform her that I already knew about him thanks to Ms. Stick-Up-Her-Ass Barrington. 

“Your father was… an interesting person.” Mom said. She let out a grunt, meaning she was sitting down on the couch.

“Interesting how?” I asked.

“Your dad was an unexpected person. One day, he would be caring and sweet to me. He’d give me massages and cook my favorite meal. But then the next, he would be cold and ruthless. Pushing me into walls or yelling at me. So I always lived on edge around him.” She said.

“Did you ever think about leaving? You didn’t have to deal with that.” I replied. 

“It’s easier said than done. But I did think about leaving all the time. However, that’s when I found out I was pregnant. Even if I wanted to leave, I was now tied to this man one way or another.” 

“Let me guess,” I said. “Once he found out you were pregnant, he promised he’d change.”

“He said that. He’d look for a good paying job. He began to see a psychiatrist and even got medicated. And a few days after you were born, I guess he forgot to take his meds due to all the stress. And he had a psychotic breakdown.” She said with a quiver in her voice.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” I asked, feeling a weight on my shoulder forcing me to slouch in my chair. 

“It was either you or me…” She muttered. “He charged at me and I had to stop him by throwing myself at him. He tried to come at me with a knife but I kicked him out the house.” 

My mom took a short moment to regain her breath. I sat quietly, awaiting for her to continue her story.

“Later that night, he robbed a friend that owed him money. And by the next morning, he was gone. Out of town.” 

“Did you ever meet his family?” I asked. 

“I only ever talked to his sister, Miriam. I would call her the most sane, but that family is entirely crazy. Your dad rarely talked to Miriam because he claimed she was trying to change him. In reality, she was trying to make sure he became a good father. But after he left town, is when I began to get closer to her.

“She herself didn’t know where your father ran off to. Eventually, he ended up back in Arkansas, where his family is from. She met him and scolded him. And she tried to get him to return. But a broken person cannot be fixed, and your dad stole some more money and burnt a few more bridges and left for Louisiana.” My mom described the anecdote of my dad.

“So… how is he now?” I asked.

“The last I heard from her, she relayed to me that he had checked into a rehab facility. Miriam and I lost contact because she ended up having an episode and was taken to a hospital.” My mom said. “I’m sorry, Vinny. But I don’t know any more.”

“It’s okay, mom.” I assured her. “That’s all I needed to know.” 

“And if you’re wondering how we met, I joined a program that helps veterans after coming home. Your father charmed me and got me to fall for him. We never married because he didn’t want there to be any government records about him, so that’s why he was able to leave so easily.” She explained.

“Would you be okay if I were to track him down and meet him?” I asked.

“If that’s what you want to do, it’s fine. You have the right to know who your dad is. But just know that I want no part or to know any information about him.” My mom said flat out.

“Understood. I won’t have you relive that.” I replied.

“I’m happy that you asked me about your dad. I felt like I was holding onto a part of you for so long. But as soon as you asked me, it felt like I could finally tell someone.”

“This was a good talk, mom.” I said. “If you ever need help with something, just call me or Connor and we’ll help.” 

“You know I will, Vinny.” She said.

“Bye, mom. I have to go.” I said.

“Go and do your executive duties. I’ll talk to you later.” She said. We exchanged farewells and hung up. 

Something about finding out about my dad has made me feel a bit more… complete? Now that the missing puzzle in my life has been placed, the questions I once had have been answered. But with those mysteries ending, new ones have arisen. 

And that is, the identity of my father. I know his name, his history, his family’s history, and where he is. While part of me wants to meet him, the other part wants to leave my life as is. But… who wouldn’t want to find out more about their other half?

My phone let out a small ding. When I checked, it was a text from Dorian. As I read her message, she asked if I could come see her in her room. When I asked if I should bring anyone, she declined.

After reaching the girls halls, where all the girl’s dormitories were at, and searching for Dorian’s room, I found it at the end of the hall. As soon as I began to knock on the door, it opened and a shy Dorian peaked her head out. 

“Dorian?” I asked. “You called for me?” 

She nodded her head and opened the door fully. She wore a gray robe that covered her entire body. 

“C-Come in.” She stuttered, stepping aside to let me in. As I entered her room, it was similar in size to my old room. But Dorian’s walls were full of pictures. When I got a closer look at them, I realized that they were all photos taken during our group’s times together.

One picture that caught my eye was a group photo of us on the first day of election. I looked so nervous and terrified but everyone else had huge smiles on their faces. I forgot that they’re the ones who gave me courage that day.

“So, Dorian. Did you need something?” I asked. I stood next to the window while she stood next to the door. I made sure to put some distance between us. 

“Y-You’re close to Archie…” She muttered. I nodded. “Prom is coming up. Since you… know Archie, I need your opinion.” She said.

“If this is about your outfit, I’m sure that Archie is going to like it, no matter what.” I assured her.

“Still. I need the opinion of someone who’s friends with him.” She muttered.

“Then show me.” I said. Her eyes widened. “Let’s see what you have.”

“Okay.” She said. She removed her robe and showed me an elegant champagne colored dress. The straps of the dress clung onto her shoulder perfectly, while the slight ruffles of the dress neatly bunched just under her knees.

“It’s absolutely gorgeous.” I said.

“Really?” She asked, her face beaming with pride.

“Of course. Champagne is Archie’s favorite color.” I said. 

“Would he love me in this?” She asked.

“Honey, you could wear a quilt of random fabrics and he’d still love you.” I said. Her face turned red and she looked away.

“Thank you, Vinny.” She muttered. “It means a lot.”

“No problem. If you need help with anything, maybe a touch up or something like that, ask Charlie Brewer that I sent you.” I told her.

“Got it.” She said. 

“Is that all?” I asked. 

“Y-Yes.” She muttered. 

“Then I’ll be leaving now. But just remember, Dorian. Don’t just dress for Archie. Do it for yourself. On prom night, you’re the queen of the night.” I told the girl. 

She nodded with a smile on her face. Before I turned to the door, I caught a glimpse of her back from the mirror behind her. Her back was covered in large gash marks. They almost looked like stretch marks, only vertical. They almost resemble scratches…

“Juliet’s rose.” Dorian said.

“What?” I asked.

“Connor’s favorite flower is a Juliet’s rose. He told me a few years ago that he liked them.”

“Got it.” I said. “Juliet’s rose.” Dorian nodded.  Stepped out of her dorm room and closed the door behind me. 

This was a good talk.

Dorian already has her prom dress ready. And I’m sure that Connor and the rest of the group have their outfits ready. It seems that almost every senior has their clothes ready, even though graduation isn’t until a month. 

Which only means that I need to get a move on and find something. Luckily, I know a guy who can help me. 

Before I turned the corner to enter the hall, where the Fashion club was located, I heard a loud hush. My body quickly stopped and peaked my head over the wall. 

“Shush it, Kensington!” Gilbert Carrington, student council treasurer quietly but firmly said to the other guy.

“Or what? You’re going to hit me? Do it and I’ll tell her.” Benedict Kensington, student council secretary spat back. 

Gilbert’s fist clenched but then he loosened his grip. His green eyes went from anger to more wide. 

“Sorry, Ben. I’m just… stressed.” Gilbert said.

“It’s fine, Gil. You know my room is always open for you.” Benedict said. He patted Gilbert’s hair, touching his black wavy hair. 

“You know I can only go when she’s busy, Ben.” 

“You’re making it sound like I want you in my bed 24/7. I just want you to at least say something.” Benedict said. “When are you going to tell her?” He asked Gilbert.

“I can’t do that, Benedict!” Gilbert loudly said. By this point, I had pulled out my phone and began to record their interaction from far away. Luckily, from my view point, I can easily record both of them and pick up their voices.

“You can’t tell Margaret Remington that her own boyfriend is screwing another man?! And that man happens to be on the student council? Seriously, Gil?” Benedict said. 

“Ben…” Gilbert muttered. “I love her, but I love you too.” 

“If you loved me like you said you do, then you’d tell Margaret the truth. I hate sneaking around all the time.” Benedict said.

So, from what I can understand, Gilbert is in a secret relationship with Margaret Remington. However, Gilbert is also having an affair with Benedict. There’s too many layers for this, and unnecessarily complicated. 

“Just give me time, Ben. I’ll think of something.” Gilbert said.

“Fine. But I’m going to be giving you until prom night. If you don’t leave her, then we’re done.” Benedict said.

“I understand.” The other boy replied. The two exchanged quick and sensual touches, meanwhile I caught it all on camera. They ended their exchange with a deep tongue kiss. 

What the fuck is going on in this academy?

“I have to go. See you later.” Benedict said.

“Sure. Bye.” Gilbert replied. 

Benedict began to walk in my direction. Quickly, I stopped recording and put my phone away. Then I looked around and saw a broom closet. I entered it and closed the door behind me carefully. The sound of footsteps approached quickly, then echoed away. 

Once I felt that the coast was clear, I exited the supply closet and left wherever I was going. Which was the Fashion club. During my fitting, I received a text from Connor to meet up in ‘The Chamber of Secrets’, a code word we created for the Auburn Nights common room.

As soon as I entered the common room, Percy walked up to me and led me to the dining table.

“I got the text. Did someone die?” I asked.

“No, not all.” Percy said. “We just wanted to go over the plans for prom night.”

“We have until a month for prom.” I said. Going over plans is a good idea, and we are going to be doing something risky that night. It is a good idea to go over the plan multiple times. 

“On prom night, Elliot will be in his room, watching the cameras and focusing on us. Once we reach midnight and after the king and queen are announced and the student council is drunk or high, we’ll leave the event.” Percy explained.

“Then this is when we’ll return to our rooms in pairs.” Connor said. “I’ll go with Vinny to mine. Percy and Tavia, you two go together, and Dorian and Archie together.”

“This is when Elliot will do his work. He’ll tamper with the cameras and the internet connectivity. This will add a layer of protection when we release the information.” Percy said.

“So I’m assuming Elliot knows somewhat about our plan?” I asked. 

“He knows that we’re going to release something, but isn’t aware of what it is.” Connor assured me. 

“And when will we post the things?” Tavia asked.

“Elliot will give me a text when the council returns to their towers. I’m assuming that they’ll quickly fall asleep and then we can post the things. But this means that it will be a long night and we might have to stay up until dawn.” Percy said. 

“Can I bring a pipe?” Tavia asked.

“Might as well do coke…” Connor said.

“No drugs.” I said. “We’ll do nap shifts so everyone can get a chance to recharge. Then when the time comes, we’ll all be a little well rested.”

“Are we done now? Because I’ve got astronomy homework.” Tavia said.

“Yes, we’re done. Archie and I will keep watching the footage from that night and try to spot some more people.” Percy said.

“Wait!” I announced, pulling out my phone. “You guys wanna see something?” I asked.

“Did someone die?” Tavia asked.

“No, but just listen.” I pulled out the video and began to play the recording I got earlier of Benedict and Gilbert. 

Everyone listened as the two guys from earlier exposed their secret love affair. And they all gasped when they ended their conversation with a sensual kiss. 

“Called it!” Connor said.

“Whatever…” Archie muttered, pulling out his wallet and handing Connor a $100 bill.

“What’s going on?” Octavia asked.

“A while back, Archie and I bet that Benedict was gay.” Connor explained. “Arch claimed that he was straight. But I begged to differ.”

“What gave it away?” I asked Connor.

“No guy would ever become a secretary.” Connor replied.

“Should we add this to the pile?” I asked.

“Of course! Are we idiots? This is amazing, Vinny!” Percy said. 

Connor walked up next to me and grabbed my hand. 

“You fucking genius.” He patted my head. 

“It was just luck. Anyone of us could’ve been there.” I replied. Connor rolled his eyes and let out a small chuckle. 

“Don’t push yourself down, Vinny. You’re amazing. Please remember that.” Connor said to me.

I turned to face him and just smiled at him. If he thinks I’m amazing, then I am. Connor knows me best.

26: Schism

CHAPTER 26:

SCHISM

Vincent Florence

Prom night, every high schoolers most magical night. A sign of an ending year before they’re swept away to college. For an ordinary person, it would be a night to dance and possibly get drunk and lucky. But for us, Auburn Nights, we’re just counting down the time until we can reveal daunting secrets.

Connor escorted me the night of the dance to the grand hall, where the event was to take place. I have never before seen someone more handsome than Connor. His perfectly tailored suit had to have taken months to be fitted and stitched perfectly.

I got Connor a custom corsage with the Juliet’s Rose that Dorian told me about. He was in love with it and showed it off to every unfortunate person that passed by him.

The grand hall was perfect for the occasion. I had known about the plans, since the Student Council had to review all the plans by the leadership committee and add our own touches. The Student Council decided to add a separate seating area and snack bar for themselves. I have my own seat reserved. The rest will be in the normal seating area.

There were already hundreds of students here. It must have been at least half of our class here by this point. I met up with my friends, who had already taken their pictures.

“Holy shit!” Tavia said. “You two have got to be the hottest couple here.”

“What about me?” Percy asked.

“Have you ever seen a picture of a rat wearing a suit?” She asked him. Percy’s face flushed red, and he walked away to bother Archie.

“How come you aren’t entering your name for Prom King?” Connor asked me.

“I’ve never been a fan of superlatives or those types of titles. People who have titles like ‘Most Funniest’ or ‘Prom King’ tend to make it their only personality after high school.” I replied.

“Fair enough.” Connor said. “But I think you’d make a great king.”

“Why don’t you get me something to drink?” I asked him. Connor obliged and left to get me something.

Tavia placed her arm around my shoulder. “You really know how to pick them.” She said. I turned and admired her tight fitting pink dress. Her hair was curled to one side and had some pearls embedded in them.

“I got lucky, I guess.”

“Seems like you both got lucky.” She remarked. “Listen, I have to talk to you about something.” She said.

“Yeah, anything.” I replied.

“The plan later tonight is for us to expose some secrets about non-important people. But I was thinking, why don’t we just expose most of the secrets now?” She asked.

“Elaborate.” I told her, wanting to hear more of her plan.

“Why are we going to wait for weeks to expose all these secrets, when we can do them all tonight? It’ll be much easier to just put them all out there.” She whispered to me. I turned to her, seeing if she was pulling on my leg.

“I- I would like to do that. But what about the others? Are they going to want to do that?” I asked.

She sighed. “Connor, Percy, and Dorian don’t want to. I hypothetically asked them separately, and they all said that it’s too dangerous. But me and Archie are on board. So… are you?” She asked.

I thought about it, went through all possible scenarios. There’s a high chance that tonight, when we reveal all those secrets, Sarah and whoever works for her will quickly go to blame and silence us. Afterall, I have been a thorn in her side since the day I arrived on this campus.

And when those skeletons are out of the closets, we’ll all be in danger of getting hurt or worse. So it sounds like a better idea to just expose them all at once. Otherwise, should we go missing, who will be there to launch the final attack in a few weeks? Sure, we can ask someone like Elliot, or the Headmistress.

The Headmistress. Where does she lie in all this? Madam mostly keeps to herself in her tower, only coming down for announcements. I haven’t found any connections between her and whatever plot is brewing here. But those strings could be hidden.

It’s too dangerous to wait. Especially when our lives, and the life of this nation, is on the brink of collapse. The future of what we call democracy is in the hands of a band of misfit teens. We cannot wait.

“I’m in!” I replied.

“It’s a split. But I have this.” She showed me a file on her phone. “Right before we release the data, I’ll add this quickly. It’ll be hidden, so the others won’t see it.”

“Do it.” I said. “Let’s take these sons of bitches down.” I said.

“What are you two whispering about?” Connor asked, returning with two glass cups in his hands.

“Oh, uh…” I stuttered.

“Vinny was asking me if he could borrow my lingerie.” Tavia quickly replied.

“Uh, yeah! I was.” I quickly said.

“Please do. I’ve wanted to see Vinny in a g-string but he won’t do it for me.” Connor said. He set the cups on the table next to us. “Dance with me, Vinny.” He held his hand out to me.

“Of course.” I replied, Connor held out his hand and bowed to me. I bowed back and grabbed his hand. We walked onto the dance floor, where other people were slow-dancing to the music.

My escort held me gently, his hands grabbing me in the right way he knows how to touch me.

“Are you excited for tonight?” He asked.

“Hell yeah.” I replied. But there was a weird ping in the back of my mind, knowing that Tavia, Archie, and I were going to go behind the group’s back. This is no doubt going to cause a schism. The group might become fractured.

And how will Connor react to my betrayal? Our relationship will be tested, but I just hope that he understands where I’m coming from.

“Vinny?” He asked. I looked up at him. “Lost you there for a moment, honey.”

“Sorry, I was thinking about something.” I said.

“Like?”

“If Gilbert is going to choose Benedict or Margaret.” I replied.

“That’s right. Benedict’s ultimatum is tonight. I guess we’ll see.” Connor gave me a twirl and tilted me back, making sure to make a huge scene of us together.

As the night went on, most of my time was spent with my friends. Some time during the Headmistresses commencement speech, I sat in the reserved section with the rest of the council.

I watched Benedict as he twirled his fingers. His eyes kept watching Gilbert, probably trying to figure out what his final decision will be. Meanwhile, Sarah was too into herself, a prideful smile on her face.

A sniffing sound snapped me out of my observing stare. I turned around and saw Thomasina Norrington, Student Council Public Relations, and Preston Worthington, Student Council Vice-President, sniffing a white powder. Just for safety measures, I captured a quick video of them, sniffing and giggling.

After the long speech was over, I returned to the common area and met up with my friends. They each wanted to go vote for a prom king and queen. I agreed and just stood to the side. They grabbed a ballot and each checked off a name.

Later on, it was time to announce the winners of the ballot. This feels similar…

Landon St. Clair, leader of the Leadership Club, walked on stage.

“What a wonderful night it has been for us all. Before we reveal the winners, I want to give a thanks to the Student Council for their great work in helping for this year’s prom. And the efforts of the Leadership Club, who put their sweat, blood, and tears into making this magical night for us.

“Now, we’ve had quite an eventful year. I’m sure we all know about the newest addition to our school and the changes he’s made. But I’m losing track, back to the winners.” Landon snapped his fingers and two people walked on stage with an envelope in their hands.

Landon St. Clair opened the first envelope.

“You Prom Queen is… Sarah Barrington!” He announced. There was a loud clap from the audience. Sarah descended from her reserved spot and walked to the stage, where she was adorned with a sash and authentic-looking crown.

I turned to my friends, who lightly clapped but looked like they just wanted this to be over.

“And now, you Prom King is…” He opened the next envelope. “Vincent Florence!” He announced.

Disbelief, that’s what I thought. I turned to my friends as they clapped and cheered. Connor gave me a wink. They have something to do with this. The crowd made way for me to enter the stage. A crown and sash were placed on me.

“Ladies and gentlemen, here are your Prom King and Queen. As is customary, the two will dance together.” Landon said. I turned to Sarah, still basking in her glory.

The dance floor cleared. I held out my hand for Sarah. She grabbed it, her sharp nails digging into my palm. I escorted her to the center of the floor, placing my hand on her hip and the other grabbing her hand.

I finally got a good look at her eyes. Her pupils were dilated, and I noticed a bit of white substance on her nostrils. She seemed to be out of her mind, but her sharp gaze was on me.

“You know, Vincent, you’re a pain in the ass.” She muttered.

“Let’s not pretend that we like each other, Sarah. I’m just doing this for the students.” I replied.

“Just you wait, Vincent. Life as you know it will change.”

“I know all about your plan Ms. Whore of Babylon. But you underestimate the public. You aren’t getting away with this.” I whispered.

“We’ll see…” She said. I gave her a twirl, only because I didn’t want to see her face, even for a few seconds.

Luckily, we were done, and the rest of the couples around came onto the dance floor and danced with each other. Both Sarah and I let each other go quickly. She walked away, not before stepping on my foot. I watched as she marched over to return to her seat.

“Here.” I heard Connor said. I turned and saw him holding out a small bottle of hand sanitizer. I used it and cleansed my hand.

I looked around and saw Gilbert Carrington walking to the reserved spot. Benedict Kensington and Margaret Remington were sitting together. Benedict had an awaiting look, waiting to see what his lover would choose.

Gilbert chose Margaret. He extended a hand to her and she grabbed it and the two joined the dance floor and shared a deep kiss. Meanwhile, Benedict stood up from his seat and ran out of the hall, tears in his eyes.

“I think it’s time we call it a night.” I said to Connor.

“Yeah? Let’s get the others.” He said. I finally saw my friends and they all congratulated me. Archie put on my crown and Dorian kissed his cheek.

“So, what the hell happened?” I asked the group. “How did I win Prom King?” I asked.

“Right…” Tavia said. She opened her handbag and pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to me.

The paper, which I knew was the ballot, had different names in two categories. The first half of the page had the title ‘Prom Queen’ and there were many names underneath with check boxes. The same was for the other half, only it was for Prom King.

But at the bottom of the page, just barely printed out, was my name with a check box. Just like my Student Council ballot, when my name was just barely cut off and visible.

“We may have asked the Leadership Club to put it in.” Percy said.

“And we may have told everyone to look for your name.” Tavia said.

“But just know that you won because people voted for you.” Connor added. “It wasn’t like the last election where there was only one option. You won amongst the other contenders.”

“At least I got a crown out of it.” I said.

“Pretty sure it’s made from blood diamonds from Africa.” Tavia muttered.

“Oop…” Archie said.

“Percy, have you texted Elliot that we’re leaving?” Connor asked Percy.

“Yes, I have. He’s on standby.” Percy replied.

“This is where we leave. Archie, Dorian, you two will leave first. Then Percy and Tavia, you two leave after a few minutes. Then it’ll be us.” I explained.

The plan went ahead. We said goodbye to Dorian and Archie as they left the grand hall. Then it was followed by Percy and Tavia. Before Tavia left, she assured me that her plans are in order and she’s ready to post it.

Connor and I left the hall, right as the prom was dying down. The only people left were drunk students, the cleaning crew, and the musicians. Most of the council was gone, Sarah having made her exit earlier.

As Connor and I walked past a door, I heard some sniffling in a closet. I stopped Connor, the guy busy fondling and trying to kiss me. I shushed him and pressed my ear on the door.

The door creaked open. On the other side was Benedict Kensington.

“What do you want, Florence!” He snapped at me, trying to shut the door. I placed my foot on the gap, stopping him.

“You okay?” I asked. Benedict didn’t look at me, just stared down and wiped tears.

“Why do you care? Just go!” He said. I know exactly why he’s crying. But I can’t tell him, or he’ll know that I eavesdropped on him and Gilbert a while back.

“Whatever’s bothering you, just know that there’s a better future tomorrow. Don’t let this ruin your night.” I said, removing my foot from the gap.

I turned back to Connor and signaled for us to leave.

“Wait!” I heard Benedict say. I turned and saw he had exited the closet. His suit was slightly tattered, but he still looked handsome. “Thank you.” He mumbled.

“For what?” I asked.

“For what you said, even though I yelled at you.” He sniffled and wiped his eyes.

“We may not like each other, but you’re still human. You should go get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a better day.” I said. He nodded solemnly and began to strut slowly down the hall.

“Poor thing.” Connor said. “Why didn’t you just ignore him?”

“Because I was once in his position, liking a guy who was too afraid to understand himself. It’s a moment that almost every guy like us goes through. It’s best to give him words of encouragement.” I replied.

“Even in the face of your enemies, you show mercy.” He said.

“Well, most of my enemies.”

“Shall we head back to my room? There’s a bed that needs some sleeping in.” Connor said in my ear.

“Fine.” I rolled my eyes, taking Connor to his room.

Once inside his room, I sent a text to the group chat that we arrived. Connor and I sat on his bed and watched a movie until we received the message that the information had been posted.

By that point, I just wanted to fall asleep. So I slept in the arms of my lover and drifted into a deep nap.

The next morning when I woke up, Connor wasn’t here. This is odd because Connor doesn’t leave my bedside unless he leaves me a note.

My phone rang. It was a call from Natalia.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Vincent! Have you seen the news?!” She quickly asked.

“No, what’s going on?” I asked, fully waking up.

“Check the news!” She said. “I don’t know if you did this, but shit’s going down!” She said.

“I’ll call you back, Natalia. Let me see.” I replied and hung up.

Immediately, there were several news articles. Many of these were high ranking officials being placed under investigations. Headlines reading ‘Filing for Divorce’ or ‘Stepping Down from Office’ or ‘Has Not Made Any Comments Admits Allegations’.

I read over a dozen articles, all of them using the pictures that we captured that night. My breathing began to pick up. My phone then began ringing from a random number.

“Hello?” I asked in a shaky voice.

“Vincent.” Milton muttered.

“Milton! I- I don’t- how bad is it?” I asked.

“Not good. As of today, Benedict Kensington, Audrey Wilmington, and Thomasina Norrington have stepped down from the Student Council. And Sarah is beyond pissed.”

“Does she suspect me?” I asked.

“I think so. But she’s mainly focused on the fact that there are reporters outside the gates.” He said. I looked out the window and saw that the front gates were swarmed by people with microphones and cameras. News vans were driving from the forest and entering the perimeter of the grounds.

“Oh, God !” I muttered.

“The Headmistress is placing the school into lockdown until further notice.” Milton said. “Whatever you do, stay away from anyone on the council. The ones that stepped down have gone to their homes in different states. But the rest are roaming the halls, angry.” He warned me.

“Got it.” I said. Milton then hung up. More articles came in about the supposed ‘Midnight Ball’ where the most powerful people hung out.

A name that kept appearing was ‘Auburn Brights Academy,’ as many articles theorized that this place is the epicenter for all this madness. That would explain why there’s a large amount of reporters outside. I could even hear helicopters.

By this point, I had fully woken up and had gotten dressed. Tavia began to call me.

“Tavia. What’s going on? Where are you?” I asked.

“Vinny, you need to get here.” Is all she said. I made my way to the Auburn Nights common room, making sure that no one followed me.

As soon as I reached the inside, the atmosphere felt off. I would have imagined that this palace would be more exciting. The decorations that we wanted to put up for this day were all still in their packages.

Everyone sat on the couch and didn’t talk. I approached and greeted everyone, but it was silent. When I greeted Connor, he didn’t say anything. I sat next to him on the couch, but he scooted away.

“Guys. What’s going on?” I asked.

“Gee, I don’t fucking know!” Percy said. “Maybe it’s that fact that some people here went behind the group’s back and didn’t obey orders!”

“I’m assuming you know.” I said.

“You’re damn right I fucking now!” Percy snapped. “There’s a reason we said we were going to do this in stages!”

“If you can just hear me out.” I said.

“Have you seen what’s going on? Everything is going to shit! My dad is saying that Congress is on the verge of breaking down!” Percy shouted. I turned to Connor.

“Connor! Please talk to me!” I begged.

“Seriously?” He said, turning around to face me with a glare. “You betrayed us, you betrayed me! Just for your selfish reasons.”

“It’s not selfish!” Tavia said. “We did it because we knew that we had to get this out now! We can’t wait for long!”

“I’d recommend you shut your mouth, Octavia!” Percy said. “I know that this was your idea! And when we argued against your idea, you went and got Vinny on your side and did it your own way!”

“Let’s not argue.” Dorian said.

“What if something happens to us! Milton called me earlier and said that it’s chaos! And Sarah might be on my ass now!” I said.

“Then we should’ve talked about it as a group!” Connor snapped. “Or at the very least, respect the boundaries we set in place. Our plan was intentional, to prevent the maelstrom that we knew would arise from all this!”

There was just arguing back and forth as the clear divisions in our group formed. It was shocking that Archie, who remained quiet, joined mine and Octavia’s side and even argued with Dorian over the ethical reasons for our ‘backstabbing’.

“I want to be mad! I really do!” Percy said. “But right now, I have to put all my attention on this mess that you three created!” He singled us.

“Let’s end this discussion right now.” Archie said. “Let’s calm down.”

“Easy for you to say.” Dorian replied. Archie’s eyes turned sad, seeing Dorian reply like that to him.

Even the common room became divided, as one side had me, Tavia, and Archie. The other side had the other half of the group. The entire room was silent.

“Did we do a good thing?” I asked.

“I- I don’t know.” Archie replied.

“Look, we can’t dwell on whether or not what we did was wrong. What’s done is done.” Tavia pulled out her phone. “Look.” She said, showing me an article.

I read the article, a powerful company owner getting deposed. I recognized his face, belonging to a guy that was going to rape another guy after knocking him out during the party.

“We may have done something horrible, but in the long run, our efforts have begun to punish these ne’er-do-wells.” Tavia explained.

“But Connor’s mad at me…” I muttered.

“I know he is.” Tavia hugged my side. “Hopefully they’ll see our side.”

Archie sat on a stool and kept scrolling through his phone. He showed me another article, this one more important. In it, the Department of Justice announced it’s starting an investigation regarding the pictures that were leaked.

“Imagine we get deposed.” Archie said.

“I hope not.” I replied.

“Honestly, we might. It’s just a matter if they figure out we were behind it.” Tavia said.

I turned over to Connor’s side. He made eye contact with me. Despite his anger, I could still see a bit of love that he holds dearly to me. We’re both currently not on the same side. But regardless, we’ll both get through this somehow.

27: Gomorrah

CHAPTER 27:

GOMORRAH

Connor Devonshire

The situation at Auburn has been stagnant for the past few days. The lockdown is still ongoing, as more and more reporters show up outside the gates. Some have even begun camping out. They’ll harass parents coming in, food caterers, even the janitors who clean the halls. No one is safe from their persistence.

Speaking of parents coming to the school, as of today, five days after the bomb went off, at least 20 students have left Auburn Brights Academy. It seems that this school’s once prestigious reputation had been tainted. 

And the news hasn’t died down either. Since then, more and more people who attended the party have been questioned. Now being called ‘MidnightGate’ on social media, this event has caused stirs in not just America, but in multiple other countries. Apparently, the party also had foreign officials who were invited.

Most of the former attendees have gone into hiding, after stepping down from their jobs. The few that have made statements have only added fuel to the fire. 

All in all, this entire situation is shit. 

But the worst part about this, is that Vinny betrayed my trust. To think, that night, when he fell asleep in my arms, he was lying about agreeing with the plan. No, he went behind our backs and formed a coup with Octavia and Archie. 

This entire mess wouldn’t be as bad as it is right now if we had stuck to the original plan, which was to roll out the information in waves. Give time in between for everything to settle. Then strike lightning again.

Also, part of the plan was to get some of the attendees to rat out on other attendees. Had our plan gone through, we would’ve seen some of them expose themselves. Then our work would be done.

On my bedside table is a framed picture of our entire group. It was taken on Thanksgiving, when we had our potluck. All of us had the biggest smiles on our faces. We were just kids who wanted to explore the world.

Why can’t we just be simple? I want a simple life. Not this.

But then… There’s the schism. Tavia has sometimes shown to be a loose cannon, going her own way. I should’ve expected this, honestly. Archie is a bit shocking, since he prefers to keep things under control. But Vinny. The man that I trusted.

I haven’t been able to talk to Vinny since the day of the confrontation. I’ve had online classes while Vinny is busy in the tower. From the little information that Archie relays, things in the tower are hectic.

Vinny spends most of his time alone in his room. He’s since taken on the role of public relations, since Thomasina Norrington has stepped down. 

Since my older brother, Isaac, runs the company and is involved in a few high-class groups, he’s also aware of some drama going on. According to Isaac, some people from the party tried to flee the country but were stopped at the airport.

Throughout this all, I still want Vinny by my side. Despite the shitty thing he did, I still love him. I don’t believe that this will end us, but it will take a while for us to get back together.

Percy began calling me while I was still thinking.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Hey, have you seen this article?” He asked.

“I’ve been reading hundreds of articles.” I replied.

“Right. It’s a report from New York. Apparently, they’re doing an investigation on where the pictures came from.” Percy explained.

“They aren’t going to find out, right?” I asked.

“Elliot’s firewalls are good. But I’m pretty sure they’re going to get help from the government to find us.” 

“I guess we should tell the others about this.” I said. 

“Yeah…” Percy muttered. “We’re still not on speaking terms?”

“Honestly, I was waiting for them to apologize. But it seems that they’re holding their ground on this.” 

“I’m still not going to apologize.” Percy said. “What they did is fucked up and we shouldn’t give in to them.” Percy said.

“Me too. Should we get some food later?” I asked.

“Not today. I heard from a security guard that some reporters snuck onto the school grounds. They got them, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.” 

“That makes sense. Goodbye, Percy.” I said and hung up the phone. 

Ever since the lockdown, we’ve had the option to have food delivered to our rooms. So I ordered some dinner and then was escorted to take a shower, a new system implemented amidst the current climate. 

At night, I was trying to sleep but I could hear the sound of news vans honking their horns outside. This is when my phone began ringing.

Odd. Who would call me at this time? I checked and saw that it was Vinny who was calling. Despite us not talking, I know that if he was calling me at night, it’s something urgent.

“Hello? Vinny?” I asked.

A ragged breath was on the other side. “Connor?” He whispered. 

“Yes?”

“I think I’m being followed…” He once again whispered. 

“Are you sure?” I asked, sitting up on my bed and looking around for my shoes.

“Yes. I hear some footsteps following me. Please help me!” He said. The fright in his voice broke me. 

“I’ll be there! Where are you?” I asked.

“Near the Sigmund Auburn statue, the roofed veranda.” He muttered. 

“I’ll be there! Keep an eye around!” I said before hanging up and quickly leaving my room. I quickly ran to the first floor and made my way through the maze of hallways until I reached the inner courtyard of the school. 

Vinny was in the roofed veranda, a shaded area that becomes darker at night. And the moon wasn’t casting its glow tonight. Everything was just darker. Inside the veranda were a few pillars. Vinny was at one end, huddled in a corner. I watched as a dark figure began to walk towards him. I could vaguely see them reaching into their pockets.

“Vinny!” I yelled as I lunged forward and tackled the guy into the ground. I could hear Vinny yelling. 

“Connor! Shit!” He yelled. His footsteps receded. He returned but with another pair of footsteps following him. I had the guy pinned down, placing my knee on his back and my two hands pinning his wrists down. 

“Let him go.” A guy said. I looked behind me and saw Vinny standing with a security guard who was holding a flashlight. I noticed that he wasn’t a security guard. He was an Arch, one of Milton’s high-ranking men.

“Connor. It’s okay. Backup is on its way.” Vinny assured me. I got off the man, meanwhile the Arch managed to get the guy down and shined his light on who he was.

“Who are you?” The Arch asked the guy, his nose bleeding and his face covered in dirt.

“Chill, Gawd!” He spat out. 

“Why are you on private property? Answer!” The Arch yelled. 

“I just wanted a good story! Jesus!” The guy yelled. I reached into his pocket and pulled out a dictaphone. 

“Seriously? You committed a crime to interview a minor?” The Arch said. By now, several other Archs entered the veranda and all had their lights on. I walked over to Vinny and hugged him close.

“Were you hurt?” I asked him. Vinny held onto my arm.

“N-No.” He replied. 

“Vincent.” A voice said. We both turned and saw Milton Livington walking towards us. “Are you okay? I cam as soon as I heard what happened.”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Vinny replied. 

“These guys have been finding new ways to get in. I’ll increase security. For now, you two should get out of here and return to your dorms.” He advised us. 

“Thank you, Milton.” I said. “Come on, Vinny.” I said. Vinny held onto me tightly as I walked him back into the courtyard. Outside, many of the lights were now turned on, lighting up the place. 

I slowly walked Vinny onto the stone path and escorted him towards the entrance of the building. 

“What were you doing out in the dark? Especially now?” I asked, breaking the silence between us.

“I was wasting time.” He replied in a soft voice. God, how much I fucking missed his voice. 

“For what?” I asked.

“So I can sleep.” He said. I stopped him and tilted his head up to look at me. He had eye bags and looked completely exhausted. 

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” I asked.

“I’m scared to sleep in the tower.” He replied.

“Why didn’t you ask any of us?”

“I’m not on good terms with Percy. Boys aren’t allowed in the girl’s dormitory halls. I can’t ask Archie because I felt like he’s already done too much by siding with me. The Auburn Nights common room is too lonely, being so far from everyone. And I didn’t want to ask you because I betrayed you.” He said. 

I pulled him close and hugged him, placing my chin on his head. “Don’t ever be afraid to ask me for something. It doesn’t matter how much I hate you, I still love you.” I said. 

“But I hurt you. I hurt the group!” He gripped my shirt tightly.

“You did. But it doesn’t make you a bad person. You at least deserve to have a good night’s rest.”  I told him. He sniffled and wiped his face with his sweater sleeve. 

“Would you ever forgive me for what I did?” He asked.

“Not yet. But I’m not throwing you away. Just stay there and I’ll be ready for you.” I replied. He hugged me again and I felt his body go limp. “Sleep in my bed.”

“Really?” He asked.

“Of course. Sleep in my bed every night. You’ll never have to sleep alone, darling.” 

“Okay.” He said. I slowly walked him back to my room. I greeted the Archs who were now stationed at every entrance and exit of every hallway. Once we were back in my room, I let him in and locked the door behind me.

“Wait. I don’t have anything to sleep in.” He said.

“There’s nothing that I haven’t seen, Vinny. But don’t worry, I won’t do anything.” I said. 

“Okay.” He said. After he was done changing, we both slipped into bed. Before I fell asleep, for some reason tonight it was easier to sleep, Vinnty hugged me and put his face in my chest. 

Tonight had to have been the best night since everything went down. I didn’t know how much I needed this, until my Vinny was in my bed. And it seemed that everything wrong with us was erased from us. 

The next day, during announcements, Headmistress Clemont announced an increase in security and a mandatory curfew for all students. The chaos outside was not dying down, but getting worse. 

All students were also told to walk in pairs so no one is alone. 

‘Enough is enough’ I thought to myself. This is ridiculous. I texted the whole group to put our shit aside and come together. Everyone was instructed to meet at the Auburn Nights common room at this instant.

Of course, everyone was tired and exhausted. But as soon as I explained what happened to Vinny last night, they all became awake and began to ask him if he’s okay.

“Guys, I’m fine.” Vinny said. 

“That fact a guy was able to sneak in and stalk you like that isn’t a good thing. What if a person with worse intentions got in?” Percy said. 

“But why is Auburn being targeted? We never posted anything about this place in the exposé.” Tavia said. 

“It could be that this place is a mixing ground for all the rich kids.” Vinny interjected. “Afterall, Auburn Brights is where the kids of powerful people go. It would make sense for the public to come here and try to see if we know anything. It also doesn’t help that the exposé included members of the branch families. And the majority of the council here is from those branch families.”

“Any news on the efforts to find the person who exposed it?” Archie asked.

“No news yet.” Percy said. “But #Whistleblower has been trending on every platform. People have their theories, though.”

“Such as?” Tavia asked.

“Some say it’s a jealous member of the high-ranking class who had some issues with the attendees. Others think that it’s an ‘Eat The Rich’ supporter who got in. And others say it’s probably Anonymous or even some communist.” Percy explained.

“Which one do we fall into?” Vinny asked.

“None. We’re just kids.” I replied. 

The room became silent once again. That’s right, we’re in a schism. 

DING!

A timer went off. Archie got up and skipped over to the stove. He opened the oven and pulled out a tray.

“I made pound cake for us.”: He muttered as he popped it open from its tin to let it cool. “Shall we eat?” He asked.

I guess we could have some breakfast…

“Elephant in the room…” Percy said.

“We should apologize first.” Vinny said, speaking up for himself, Tavia, and Archie. “We know that it was wrong of us to go behind the group’s back and do this without consulting you guys. We made a decision that we thought would benefit us, but hurt the group and divided us.”

“And I should’ve respected your boundaries when I first broached this topic but your guys were adamant against it.” Tavia said. “I crossed several lines and then went to indoctrinate Vinny onto my side for support.”

Archie didn’t have much to do with this. Tavia did the plan, Vinny gave the go-ahead, but all Archie did was support it. So he muttered a few words but did express his guilt. 

“Well, I’m sorry.” I said. “I should’ve seen this from your side and understood where you guys were coming from. I understand that this was a problem we might have to encounter soon, if we’re found.”

“I’ve been thinking about it. Based on exposing the secrets all at once, I can only imagine what would have happened if only a portion was released.” Percy said.

“I think it was a good move.” Dorian said, speaking her first words in a few days. “Imagine if we only exposed a few people? The rest of the other attendees would have taken the first flight out of the country.”

“That’s a good point, Dorian.” Percy said. “Let’s just end this schism. In the end, no matter what happened, at least we did our job.”

“Wait, what was the main job again? I forgot.” Tavia said.

“Taking down the student council. Remember? That’s why we did this whole thing. Shall we do a recap?” He asked. Percy stood up and walked over to the drawing board where we sketched every part of our plan. 

He showed us the lines and pictures we drew. There were printed pictures of every council member pinned on the board.

“So we know that Milton Livington is on our side.” Percy moved his picture off the board. 

“Don’t forget; Benedict Kensington, Audrey Wilmington, and Thomasina Norrington have stepped down from their roles.” Tavia said. Percy grabbed some red tape and made a large red ‘X’ over their pictures.

“We have four left. I think we can take down Gilbert and Margaret by exposing their secret relationship.” Vinny said. 

“Are you sure?” Tavia asked. “How would that eliminate them both?”

“GIlbert will be humiliated that he was having an affair with Benedict. Margaret will also be humiliated for unknowingly being a beard for him.” Vinny explained.

“And the rest? We’ve still got Preston and Sarah.” Percy said.

“Remember those secrets we gathered on the council before the party? I think it’s time we use those for the final blow. And on top of that, reveal that Sarah is wanting to become the next president.”

“Perfect. I’ll text Elliot for his help.” Percy pulled out his phone and began to call someone, stepping away from us.

“And the rest of us? What do we do?” I asked.

“Stay alive.” Vinny said. “And pray that our identities aren’t figured out.” 

The plan went into motion quickly. Within a few hours, we had everything set and ready and the final batch of secrets were sent out for the public. The effects were quickly seen as more news stories began to come out.

That night, we all slept better. I had Vinny in my bed, hugging him close to me.

A few more days passed by. Just as we predicted, Gilbert was shunned by his family for his affair and same-sex relationship. According to Vinny, who was eavesdropping on their phone calls, he was cut off.

The next day, he had moved out of the tower and was gone. As for Margaret, she was humiliated and did not show her face. I almost felt bad for her, but I remembered that she is working with her family to cause an accident in one of their buildings and take insurance. 

How the mighty have fallen. The Student Council, a group composed of the best of the best has since fallen and has shown it’s soft under belly. 9 members, now down to 4. But two of those are barely hanging on, their reputations damaged but their money still coming in. 

From what I can hear from other students, they couldn’t care less about the Student Council. Many of them are finding enjoyment in their downfall. 

A huge question people have is regarding Vincent Florence. He seems to be the only council member that has remained untouched. There are theories. Some say that Vinny is friends with the exposer, or he himself is the exposer. But most believe that, because of Vinny’s low-class status, he doesn’t have anything to hide. 

Still, security has increased for the tower, to protect the remaining council. 

Classes have started to slowly open up. Teachers were back in class and teaching. However, graduation has been postponed, at least until a few more tweaks are patched. 

My brother called a few days later. 

“Yeah?” I asked.

“How are things in Gomorrah?” Isaac asked.

“Ha-ha, very funny.” I said sarcastically.

“Sorry. I had to. Everything okay with your boyfriend?” He asked.

“Yeah? Why?” I asked.

“I’ve been seeing his name a lot in articles. They’re saying he might be behind some conspiracies.”

“Why would they assume that?” 

“He’s part of the council and has not been affected. Don’t worry, I’ve been talking to some reporter friends who are publishing articles that are saying otherwise. Don’t forget, Connor. Vincent is in the public’s eye. He’s going to be a person of interest.” Isaac warned me.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine.” I said. 

But I spoke too soon. I should’ve known that we weren’t out of the woods yet.

I was in class when the speaker came on. The past few announcements have mainly been from the Headmistress or Vinny, who has taken over Thomasina’s job since her departure. 

“Attention student.” Headmistress Aviana said in a plain voice. “Will the following students please come to the main office: Dorian Arthfael, Octavia Hawthorne, Connor Devonshire, Archibald Marlowe, Percival Genevieve III, and Vincent Florence.”

The announcement ended. I could feel eyes on me as I packed my book away. The door opened and two high-ranking Archs walked in to escort me. 

I ran into Tavia, who was also being escorted to the head office. I’d only been in the Headmistress’ office once, which was when my dad wanted me to get my own gym class. It was just as grand as I remembered. 

Inside the office was Archie, Dorian, and Percy already waiting. The room was surrounded by other men. Headmistress sat in her seat and just watched us walk in and stand in front of her office. 

A few minutes later, Vinny came in and apologized for being late. 

We all glanced at each other, wondering what was going on. We were probably wondering if we were caught and if we’re going to be executed for our crimes. 

Headmistress had a cold expression, but she always had that look on her face. She lifted a few manila folders on her desk and held them up.

“Vinny, I thought I told you I didn’t want you getting into any trouble.” She said. Vinny lowered his head.

Oh shit! She knows! She knows what we did.

28: Conspiracy

CHAPTER 28:

CONSPIRACY

Vincent Florence

The moment the announcement went out, calling for my presence, I began to panic. It was as if I knew I was caught. So I hid away, and tried to see if anything was wrong. It wasn’t like there was an army here to take us away. Therefore, I should be fine…

Hence why I arrived late to the office.

All of us stood in front of the Headmistress’ desk, with other men around the room. She looked up and her eyes pierced me.

“Vinny, I thought I told you I didn’t want you getting into any trouble.” She said to me. I lowered my head in guilt, remembering our conversation from the day I got my early Harvard acceptance.

I simply didn’t say anything, just looked at the shag carpet below me. 

“I called you all in here regarding a certain investigation that has been ongoing.” She stood up from her seat and walked in front of her desk, sitting on it. “I’m sure you all know what’s been going on, in light of a recent exposé.”

All of us didn’t reply, just nodded our heads. We felt like children who were caught trying to break open the teacher’s candy jar.

“As you know, the Department of Justice, along with other governmental departments, have been working to track down where these leaked information came from and who leaked them. So imagine my surprise when a friend from the DoJ calls me and tells me that the origin of the exposé came from this very ground.” Headmistress Clemont explained. 

She turned to us and watched our expression. We had prepared for something like this and made sure we kept our composure and put on a poker face. I wasn’t sure if our disguise was working, but she didn’t seem to detect anything.

“Excuse me, ma’am.” I said, raising my hand.

“Yes, Mr. Florence.” The Headmistress said. 

“So why are we here? Did the tracking specifically say it was us or is this just a witch hunt?” I asked.

“Good question.” She said. “I don’t have definitive proof, but something tells me that you all have a part in this.”

“So the basis of your accusation is based on what, vibes?” I asked. Tavia covered her mouth and let out a small chortle.

“You seem to be defending yourself and your friends a lot, Vincent. Could this be a guilty conscience that is outweighing you?”

“If you were placed on the stand and accused of a heinous crime, wouldn’t you pull out every card and defense you have?” I asked back. 

“Very well.” She said. She reached behind her, on her desk, and pulled out a few papers. “Before you’re let go, please sign these papers.” She said.

“I would like to consult a lawyer.” Connor spoke. 

“If you wish. But this paper just simply states that the secrets being exposed have nothing to do with you. Sign it and you’ll be on your merry way.” She placed the papers on her desk and set out a pen. 

Connor did just what he said. He called his lawyer on speed dial and the two talked about the contract over the phone. We all listened and concluded that we’ll sign it to protect ourselves. One by one, we approached her desk and signed our names. 

Once we were done, the Headmistress had a smile on her face. “Well, this meeting is adjourned. I’m sure you all have classes and duties to get to.” She said.

The doors behind us opened after they had shut us out of the rest of the academy. We took a few steps but were stopped when the Headmistress called out to us.

“By the way! Just know that the DoJ will still continue their investigation and track down the culprit behind this. This paper may say you’re innocent, but they are the supreme law of the land. And if they suspect foul play on your part, there’s nothing I can do to help.” She warned us. 

“Understood, ma’am.” We each replied, finally being allowed out of the tower. We didn’t speak at all, just went on with our days. As of now, we can’t speak about anything incriminating in the halls of the academy.

Something you can count on humans to do is gossip. Word spread quickly about the six people who were taken to the Headmistress’ office. It also didn’t help that some of the Archs who were there in the office may have told everyone about our questioning. 

I noticed this first hand when, a few hours later, I walked into the Ivy Hall and could feel the whispers and stares of everyone. I know that I’m in the public eye. But it’s one thing to have people talk good things about you. It’s another when you’re suspected of a crime.

The reality set in when I was reconvened with my friend in the common room. 

“What if we do get caught and get sent to jail?” I asked the group.

“This has really spiraled too far. What did we get ourselves into?” Percy said. “My dad’s gonna kill me.”

“We need hope, right?” Tavia said. But then she groaned. “Fuck! They already suspect us! I thought Elliot’s barrier was going to protect us!”

“Guys! Elliot is smart, but don’t forget he’s a highschooler like us. The other side has literal military-grade computers! Our problem was that we counted our chickens before they hatched! We should’ve expected this.” Connor said. 

“I need water!” Tavia stood up and stomped to the kitchen.

“This entire time, we were worried that the branch families were going to hunt us down. But a variable we forgot to factor in was the literal US government getting involved. Of course the branch families and the other people we took down are going to be too busy with their reputation and money!” I said. 

“So what? We give up? Hand ourselves in? Sacrifice ourselves and become martyrs?” Archie asked.

“It doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Percy said. 

“No, we’re going to stay quiet and wait out the storm. There’s still a chance that we won’t get caught.” Connor said. “But if we know that the ship is sinking, the world should know that we did it.”

“Then a Plan B. We’ll create something that will expose ourselves as the masterminds behind this whole operation. In the case that we’re on the verge of being arrested or taken out, we’ll release that video for everyone to see.” I explained to the group. 

Connor’s phone began ringing. He saw the random number but still answered it. 

“Hello?” He asked, putting it on speaker. Tavia had returned and sat next to us. 

“Is this Connor?” A female voice asked.

“This is him.” Connor said. 

“This is Angela Lester. We met at the party.” The woman said. Connor’s eyes furrowed until his eyes widened. 

“Angela! You were a server that night!” Connor said. 

“Yes, that’s me! I wanted to contact you earlier but I think I’m being watched.” She said. “I never forgot your promise. And I’m here to claim that promise.” Connor turned to Percy, who gave a nod of approval.

“Anything, Angela.” Connor said.

“I, along with the others, are willing to come forward with our stories. But we’ll need asylum outside the US.” She said.

“Excellent. Let me know where you are and we’ll do everything to get you and your families out of here. Then you can make your statements. Just know that you’re going to piss a lot of people off.” Connor explained.

“I’ll send the contact information of the others who are willing to come forward. We’re trusting in you to do right by this.” Angela said. 

“You have my word.” Connor said. The conversation ended quickly. Percy explained that he’s able to provide asylum to only three of them.

“Well, what about the others? They need a place to stay.” Tavia said. 

“And it’s a horrible move to add more than one family in a single home.” Percy said. 

“I’ve got this.” Connor said.

“How?” I asked.

“Let’s just say, someone owes me a favor.” He replied and began to quickly dial someone.

“Yeah, bro?” A voice said.

“Isaac.” Connor said, referring to his oldest brother. “Remember that favor you said you were going to give me after helping you with your Birkin bag purchase?” He asked.

“Let me guess, you want to cash out?”

“Exactly. Do you think you can buy three houses in random countries?” Connor asked.

“Connor, what the hell are you up to? Are you involved in all of this? Please tell me you aren’t!” His brother said.

“Just do it, Isaac. I never ask anything from you. Well, do this for me, no questions asked. But just trust me on this.” Connor said into the phone. 

There was a large sigh on the other end. “Fine. I’ll do it. But I better not get indicted for some conspiracy shit.” Isaac said.

“Thank you, Isaac!” Connor said. He ended his phone call with his brother right then. “Well, that solves that problem.”

“Okay. From now on, if anyone has any favors they are owed, just say it because we could use a miracle or two.” Percy said. Percy informed us that he was going to get everything ready for the witnesses to come forward. 

By this point, the rest of us wanted to take a break from this calamity. For the past few days, all of us have been on edge, wondering when we’ll need to call a lawyer or say our final goodbyes to our families. 

Connor suggested the idea of using the pool. No one would be there during this time, and he has a masterkey to get into the gymnasium. 

So, the pool we went. I began to receive a phone call from Natalia. 

“Hello?” I asked.

“Mr. Vincent. I have an update about Ms. Barrington.” She said.

“Yes? How is she?” I asked.

“It seems that Ms. Barrington might leave the school. As I was delivering the last of her laundry today, there were men packing up her furniture. Her room is mostly empty.” Natalia said.

“She might be leaving. But we should keep an open eye for this.” I said.

“Understood. I’ll keep tabs on her. Goodbye, Vincent.” She said and quickly hung up. Nice to see that Natalia, who is still helping out, is putting her life on the line. 

A late afternoon swim in the pool is exactly what we all needed. Percy and Connor both swam in the deep water while Tavia, Archie, and I were either in the shallow end or dangling our legs in the deep end. The other boys made an effort to splash us and get us in the water. Dorian didn’t want to get in the water at all, choosing to keep her clothes on and sit on the side. 

I needed a break so I went to the chairs and sat next to Dorian.

“Everything okay?” I asked her. She nodded. “You don’t want to get in? The water’s fine.”

She nodded her head. 

“Archie looks like he’s having fun.” I remarked. Archie had his hands on the edge of the pool and was kicking his feet, Tavia next to him helping him how to swim.

“Yeah. He does.” Dorian said. 

“How do you feel about all this? You haven’t really said anything.” 

“I have nothing to lose.” Dorian replied. 

“Family?” I asked. Dorian shook her head. 

“Can you keep a secret?” She asked me. I nodded quickly. “I’m– I’m trans.” She muttered in the quietest tone possible. It was barely audible, but I managed to pick it up.

“Really?” I asked. Dorian nodded. “Do the others know?” 

“Yeah. They promised not to tell anyone unless I gave permission or I told them to.” 

It was back to silence between us. The most I know about Dorian is her birthday, she doesn’t like being touched by people, especially men, and that she adores Archie. Dorian telling me this secret is huge, and that means she trusts me.

“When did you know that you were trans?” I asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.” 

“Not at all. When I was 10. I didn’t like wearing boy clothes, so I wore my mom’s.” She said. Mom?

“So, what happened? You’re here now, in Auburn. I imagine your parents must have casted you here for a reason.” 

She inhaled a deep breath. “My dad wasn’t accepting of me. When I told him I wasn’t a boy, he…” Her breath shuddered. 

“You don’t have to tell me, Dorian. It’s fine.” I told her. 

“No, I have to face it.” She said. “My dad said that if I wanted to be a girl, then I was going to be treated as one.” She grabbed her arms and clutched onto herself.

“Don’t tell me he…”

“He did.” She lightly cried into her sweater sleeves. “I don’t know what was worse: My dad inviting others to join, or my mom not stopping him.” 

“And how did you get out?” I asked.

“My grandparents discovered what was happening and stopped it. They took me in and let me be who I want.” Dorian said.

I wasn’t sure what to do. I carefully put my hand on her shoulder. Dorian didn’t jump at my touch, embracing it instead. I let her cry as she broke down the walls she’s put up for so long. 

After she got her crying under control, she wiped her tears a final time. “Sorry.” She muttered.

“Don’t be.” I replied.

“I haven’t seen my parents in years. Still, I spend the holidays and summers away from them. My grandparents died a few years back and left everything to me. They disowned my mom and dad.”

“You’ve been through so much, Dorian. I’m proud of you.” I said. 

“Thank you.” She replied. “Maybe I will get in the pool.” 

“If you want. We’ll make sure not to splash you.” I said. I heard Connor and Percy holler out loud. “Well, I certainly won’t splash you.” I added. 

Dorian ended up on the poolside with us. She had her legs in the water and swayed them back and forth. After learning about her past, things start to make sense. Why Dorian isn’t sentimental about family. Or why she doesn’t allow people to touch her. It could also explain her scars I saw on her back when she invited me to her room that one time. 

I’m no psychologist, nor can I make inferences about her past. But I can at least understand and see her side a bit more.

“Vinny! Join me!” Connor shouted.

“Uh, no thank you.” I said. Connor had a smirk on his face, but I didn’t think much of it. I went back to talking to Tavia.

That’s when I felt a pair of hands on my ankles, gripping me tightly. I looked into the pool and saw Connor held onto me. He had a smirk on his face.

“No! Don’t! Connor–!” I shrieked as I was pulled into the water. I flailed around, trying to come up. Connor grabbed my body and lifted me up. I took a deep inhale of air. “You asshole!” I smacked the back of Connor’s head.

“Sorry, my love. I needed you to get wet with me!” He said. 

“You should’ve gone easier on me instead of jumping in.” I replied.

“You two make it so easy…” Tavia chuckled. 

“Come swim with me, Vinny.” Connor grabbed my hand and began to lead me into the shallow end. I began to tiptoe as we approached the deeper end until I had to paddle in the water. 

“Don’t let me drown.” I said.

“I won’t. But it’ll be a good excuse to kiss you.” He replied. I stopped swimming and just stared at him blankly. 

None of us were sure when we were going to have another moment like. A time when we can still be teens and do teen things. These are the days before our lives change. 

Tavia brought out her camera, amidst the groans of Percy, and snapped several photos of us as we played in the water. 

“Okay guys! One more group photo!” She said. 

“We’ve already done so many!” Percy groaned.

“I know!” Tavia said. “But this is the one that’s going to be in news articles when we’re arrested! So smile!” She set up the camera on a bench and told us all to pose. And we did. 

If we’re going to be tomorrow’s headline, then we better look amazing in it. 

The investigation continued from then, as the world asked one question:

Who is the whistleblower? 

The student body’s speculation on who it was continued. I even discovered forums created by students where they voted on polls as to who was the culprit. I think you can guess who is the most suspected person.

I went from being a person for the people, to being criticized by those people. 

The day that everything changed when I received a frantic phone call from Percy. Everyone hopped on the group call to see what was going on.

“Percy. Everything okay?” Connor asked.

“Guys! Elliot croaked!” Percy said frantically. He looked out of his window. 

“What?” Tavia asked.

“Elliot! He confessed that we were behind it! They’re coming for us!” Percy said. 

“Calm down! I’m sure this is a misunderstanding.” Connor said. 

But we knew it was real when we heard shouting on Percy’s side of the call. And in a quick moment, he fell on the ground as men in army uniform handcuffed him. 

The next to fall was Archie, who faced the same faith. Dorian was quick to surrender, probably because she didn’t want to be forcefully handled. Tavia put up a fight, but she fell. And Connor, before he was taken down, told me to sit tight and not to panic. And that he will take care of me.

I cried as I saw him get tackled on the floor before the call ended. I looked outside of my window at the tower and saw groups of men making their way to the tower. I knew this was the time. We had been caught red-handed. 

I found the video that our group made where we confessed to our doings and posted it on every social media I had. I had the posts pre-made just in case. 

Then I waited at the board room where I had my first meeting. Sarah Barrington burst into the room and quickly ran to me.

“You bitch!” She yelled as she jumped on top of me and began to slap my face. I tried to push her off but, despite her smaller size, she overpowered me. 

The door to the boardroom opened and men demanded for Sarah to get off. While I shielded my face, I saw Natalia by the side taking pictures. Knowing her, she might use that for our advantage. 

Sarah was ultimately pulled off me. As soon as she was gone, handcuffs were placed on my wrists. 

“Vincent Florence. You are hereby under arrest for conspiracy and endangering the safety of the country.” The guy said. How was I endangering the safety of society? My basic rights were read and I was escorted out. 

I turned to Natalia, who was still in the room, and she gave me a wink. 

I watched as another group of men went up the elevator. They held empty boxes, most likely to raid my belongings. 

The shrieks of Sarah could still be heard. She must be having a breakdown of some sort. But, how did she not see this? It was clear as day that I am guilty. 

So, here I was. Being escorted out of the tower with handcuffs on me. Seeing as every student watched, seeing their Student Council Student Relations being arrested for a crime. 

Just as if this wasn’t crazy enough, students began to point at the tower. Cries and bells rang around. I turned and saw what everyone was staring at. 

On the top floor of the tower, coming from a broken window, was black smoke escaping into the atmosphere. The men arresting me quickly instructed every student to exit the quad and evacuate into the fields or anywhere far from the tower. The men also escorted me into the main building.

From here, I watched as the tower began to burn. I couldn’t tell if anyone escaped. I hoped at least Natalia managed to escape, and any remaining student council members. 

The tower burned ablaze and quickly began to crack. One minute, the tower was standing high and mighty. The next, it had fallen back and was no longer there. 

The end of an era.

I was brought back to reality when the men tugged me and escorted me through the halls and out into the entrance courtyard. Reporters gathered outside as they took pictures of me. My bloody nose, my slightly messy hair, a loose tie. 

Not my best moment. It’s not everyday you get arrested by the federal government for exposing several high-profile people and possibly causing the collapse of the economy. 

And yet, here we are.

29: Washington

CHAPTER 29:

WASHINGTON

Vincent Florence

It has been at least 12 hours since I was last taken from the academy. I was placed in a large dark van, my friends nowhere in sight, and driven to what I can assume is the Capitol. All I was told was that my mom would be called. But I’ve been in this concrete room, sitting on a chair and my hand handcuffed to the table, waiting for someone.

Across from me was a mirror that reflected my disheveled look. My nose hadn’t been fixed after Sarah Barrington assaulted me. The dry blood on my face felt strange. If I could just be given a damp rag to wipe it off…

I know that on the other side of that mirror are people monitoring me. They’re probably waiting to see if I’ll crack and expose myself. But I vow that if anyone is going down, it’ll be me. I’ll take the blame for this.

“Let me see my damn son!” I heard yelling on the other side of the door.

“Ma’am! Wait!” I heard a guy yelling.

“Open this damn door!” The woman replied. There was silence until the lock unlatched and the door was opened.

Standing on the other side was my mom. Her eyes were puffy and red. She still had on an apron that she uses when she cleans. Her hair was in messy curls. As soon as she saw me, she ran to me and hugged me.

“Oh, my Vinny!” She cried. She pulled away and held my face in her hands. “Did they hurt you?” She asked.

“Mom!” I said, ignoring her question. I just wanted to see a familiar face. And here she is. My own mother. I hugged her tightly and just cried in her arms.

“Don’t worry, Vinny. I’m gonna get you out of here!” She said. “Just hang on tight!”

My mom held me for what seemed like an eternity. After a while, she let go and sat right next to me.

“How did you get here?” I asked her.

“I was watching the news when I saw you being escorted out and dropped everything I was doing. I was driving down the highway, on my way here, when I got a phone call from a random number. Your boyfriend, Connor, asked someone to come get me and take me to see you.” Mom explained.

“Connor is behind this?” I asked.

“Yes.” She nodded. “Have you eaten?” She asked. Her fingers touched my nose and the dried blood.

“No, I haven’t.” I said.

“I’m calling some people to help for a lawyer.” Mom said.

There was a knock on the door. When it opened, a man walked in, wearing a suit and holding a briefcase in his hands. His hair, slicked back, his beard, neatly trimmed. A man who exudes great professionalism.

“You must be Vincent, right?” He asked. I nodded. “Mr. Connor Devonshire sent me to represent you.” He said.

“Oh, thank God!” Mom sighed. “Can you get him out of here? He’s been here for half a day!”

“Of course I can.” The lawyer replied. He walked over to the mirror and knocked on it harshly. “I know you’re there! I would greatly appreciate it if you let my client go!” The lawyer yelled. There was silence until footsteps came from the hallway.

A man with a group of other men walked into the room. “We can’t do that. This young man is a suspect in our ongoing investigation.” The main man said.

“My client has been kept here with no contact with anyone, no food or water, is obviously injured, and stripped of his basic human rights!” My lawyer said.

“We have strong suspicions that Mr. Florence and his friends are behind the recent controversies.” The guy said.

“How would your boss like to hear that you deprived a minor of his basic rights?” My lawyer asked. The men didn’t say anything. “Mr. Florence still retains his constitutional rights.”

The group of men muttered to each other until the main one snapped his fingers. A guard walked in and unlocked my handcuffs.

“You’re free to go, Mr. Florence.” The guy said with a scowl on his face. “But don’t think we’re done with you.” He turned and left, followed by his group.

I touched my wrist, feeling the indents that the cuffs caused on my wrist and the red lines.

“Guess we should get you out of here.” My lawyer said. “You guys hungry?” He asked me and my mom. My nodded yes for us.

We walked out of the interrogation room and walked down the hall, passing several other rooms. I began to wonder if my friends were in any of those rooms. I also passed by several other people. I’m guessing they knew who I was because they stared like I was a dead person brought back to life.

“Mr. Florence,” My lawyer said. “There’s going to be reporters outside. Don’t answer any questions, nor should you make any reaction. That goes for you too, Ms. Florence.” He said.

“Where are we going after this?” I asked.

“A hotel nearby. Mr. Isaac Devonshire has rented a suite for you two nearby. It’ll be guarded by men to protect you.” Before we went outside the doors, my lawyer turned to me. “From here on out, you are enemy number one for many powerful people.” He warned me.

Two guards opened the front door, a blast of sunlight hitting my face. When my eyes adjusted to the bright light, I realized it wasn’t sun, it was camera flashes.

“Hold tight!” My mom said, holding onto my hand. A guard escorted us through the crowd, my lawyer leading us, while reporters shoved their cameras and microphones in my faces.

“Vincent! Are you the one behind all of this?!” One asked.

“Did you do this because you’re behind the ‘Eat The Rich’ movement?”

“Were you hired by the Russian government to sabotage the US?”

I ignored all these questions, just walking towards the front. In the distance was a car parked. The lawyer got in and then escorted my mom.

“Do you feel guilty about ruining your friends’ lives?” A question was asked. I stopped for a moment, but chose not to say anything. Instead, I got in the car and the driver bolted out of there.

Now I’m wondering: Did I ruin my friends’ lives? Did my actions cause all of this? My friends all come from money. What if they lose everything because of what I did?

I had been thinking for so long that I didn’t realize we came to the hotel. Once again, like sharks in bloody water, the reporters were outside the hotel. How did they even know I was going to be here? Nevertheless, we made it inside and were patted down, just in case a reporter tried to sneak a camera in us.

The room Isaac got for me was on the top floor, high enough from the reporters and so no one could sneak into my window.

“I bet you have a lot of questions. So, ask away.” The lawyer said.

“When can I eat?” I asked.

“I’ll order something for you, Vinny!” Mom said, walking away. I sat on a chair and just stared at the floor.

“I know this is all stressful. You’ve been through a lot in the past day.” My lawyer said.

“First of all, who are you?” I asked.

“Malik Waters. I’m the Devonshire’s lawyer. Well, one of them. I was called by Connor to assist you.” He replied.

“Malik…” I muttered. “Where’s Connor? And Archie? And Percy? Tavia! Dorian!” I said.

“Relax, Vincent. Your friends were let out three hours after arriving. The reason you were here for so long was because you didn’t have a guardian with you. You also didn’t have a lawyer to threaten those assholes. Hence, Connor’s request.” He replied.

“Are my friends here in…” I looked outside the window and saw the Washington monument in the distance. “Are they also in DC?” I asked.

“They are. Due to the investigation, all of you are to remain here in DC until a verdict is found. You’re also not allowed contact between each other. Maybe a phone call, but that will be recorded.” Malik replied.

“Right.” I mumbled. “So, I am guilty.” I said.

“I know. I saw the video. It’s my job to be up to speed.” Malik said.

“Which means that this whole case is a bust. I might as well tell them to throw me in Guantanamo Bay.”

“Nonsense.” Malik said.

“So what’s the plan? Gaslight the entire world that the video we made was an illusion?” I asked.

“You seem to forget that the justice system in the US is broken.” He said. Huh? “Therefore, just because you’re guilty, doesn’t mean that you’re guilty .”

“I don’t understand.” I said.

“Yes, you did admit that you were behind the downfall of many people and companies. But we can show the world that your actions help rid the world of parasites that are siphoning the wealth to themselves. You did a horrible thing, but for the right reasons.” Malik explained.

“Ohhhh… so, paint myself as a vigilante, not a criminal.” I said. Malik nodded.

“First, you should eat, take a shower, and get some sleep. You’ve had a stressful day so far.” Malik stood up and walked to the door that leads into the living room. “Don’t worry, I’m going to get you out of this.” He said.

After he was gone, I looked around the room and saw that there was a suitcase. When I checked it, there were some of my clothes in there. I walked out of the room and saw my mom with a housekeeper, pulling in a cart of food.

“Thank God!” I groaned.

“Wait!” Malik said. “You.” He pointed to the housekeeper. Malik opened the food and grabbed a spoon, feeding a bit of the food to the housekeeper. The housekeeper ate it and then nothing happened.

“What was that for?” Mom asked.

“You can never be too safe.” Malik replied, dismissing the housekeeper. Still, whenever I wanted to eat something, mom or Malik tried the first bite. Luckily, nothing was poisoned.

This day has been draining. I had a nice meal, a long shower, and collapsed into bed. I thought I wasn’t going to be able to sleep, seeing as how I began to get paranoid that someone will get into my room and execute me.

One thing that I didn’t have was my phone. I couldn’t call any of my friends. I couldn’t check the news. I couldn’t even check my email and see if Harvard had rescinded my acceptance.

I only got five hours of sleep. But I’ve had less before. That morning, I joined mom in the kitchen, as she drank coffee and ate food that she ordered.

“How was your night?” Mom asked.

“Okay.” I said. Mom didn’t interject. She knows that it’ll be impossible for me to get a good night’s sleep. Especially during this time.

“Let’s take your mind off this. Wanna watch a movie?” Mom asked. I agreed and we sat on the couch.

As soon as she turned on the TV, I saw a news report. The thing that caught my attention was the large picture of our friend group on screen.

“Since the arrests, the headmaster of Auburn Brights Academy has remained silent on the matter. Avianna Clemont has been theorized to possibly be involved in what people are calling MidnightGate.” The female reporter said.

“Since the exposé, the entire world has stopped and waited to see who the whistleblower was. Yesterday morning, six individuals who attended the prestigious Auburn Brights Academy were arrested in connection to the incident. All six have since been released, with a trial to be set.” The male reporter said.

I looked down at my hand and saw I had unknowingly taken the remote control from my mom so she didn’t change it.

“Vinny…” Mom said softly, rubbing my back.

“How is it back in Wisconsin?” I asked.

“Do you really want to know?” Mom asked. I nodded. “It’s good.” She said. I looked up at her in shock.

“How?” I asked.

“They’re calling you and your friends heroes. You sacrificed your safety and brought to light what these people are doing. You may be hated by the 1%. But the rest 99% are behind your back.”

“I-” I stuttered.

“She’s right.” Malik said, walking into the suite. “Almost every post under #VincentFlorence has been nothing but positive. There’s even a charity being raised to pay your bond.” Malik showed me a website where people were raising money for me.

“Shit!” I said. “All for me?” I asked.

“You are now the people’s person. So even if you’re put away, your actions won’t go unnoticed.” Malik told me.

“Can I call Connor?” I asked.

“Let me go see what I can do.” Malik pulled out his phone and began to call someone.

There was a small giddy feeling in my stomach. I’ll finally get to talk to Connor, whom I haven’t seen in almost an entire day. There is so much I want to say to him. But I know that our conversation will be recorded.

Malik entered the room and handed me his phone.

“It’s him.” He said. I took the phone and placed it next to my ear. Malik and my mom left the room to give me space.

“Hello?” I said.

“Vinny!” Connor said. I almost cried at the moment. At least I know he’s still alive.

“Connor! Thank-fucking-God!” I sighed. “I thought they had gotten to you.”

“I’m a Devonshire, Vinny. I may not be a Barrington or Wilmington, but I still have some power.”

“God I fucking miss you! Are we ever going to get out of this?” I asked.

“I don’t know. But I’m crossing my fingers that we will.” Connor stopped talking. He took a few seconds. “Hey, Vinny. Remember my cousin that needed my help ? Remember?” He asked.

“Uh, no. I don’t.” I said.

“Her name was Angelica…” He said.

Angela Lester!

“Yeah! Wasn’t she moving ? How are her and her family ? I hope they’re settling in great.” I said. Angelica is a code name for Angela Lester. And her family are the rest of the witnesses that will be coming forward soon.

“They’re settling in great! I think they’ll launch their business soon.” Connor said.

“That’s good! And how is the rest of our group?” I asked.

“They’re all split in different hotels. Tavia is with her parents, who are not caring that she might be arrested. Percy is in his dad’s apartment near the Capitol. Archie is somewhere a few blocks from me. And I think Dorian is down the street from you.”

“How are they doing with all this?”

Connor sighed. “Okay, I guess. We’re all just waiting to see what happens.” He said.

“Did you see that they’re calling me a hero?” I said.

“I saw that. You’re essentially a celebrity now. If we get out, you should totally have your own TV show.”

“Nah. If we get out, I’m just gonna lay low.”

“What about Harvard?” He asked.

“I don’t think I’ll be attending after this. What school is going to want me as their student?”

“I’m sure someone at Harvard will agree with your stance on this.” Connor said.

At least there’s a bit of hope…

The phone call ended soon. Malik came back into the room and took back his phone. Mom then returned and sat next to me.

“So what’s next, Mr. Waters? Where do we go from here?” Mom asked Malik.

“As of right now, the DoJ is raiding the academy and looking for incriminating evidence. All of your friend’s possessions were taken. They only managed to grab a few of yours, before the tower burned down. From there, a proper investigation will occur, in which you all will be subpoenaed to testify in front of a jury.” Malik explained.

“And if I win?” I asked.

“You’ll be acquitted of all charges and set free.”

“And if I don’t?” I then asked.

“You’re looking at a life sentence.” Malik said. I felt mom’s fist tighten on my shirt.

“I’ll be fine.” I said. But I know that I probably won’t.

At the moment, I just want to sleep and get away from this. A headache began to come in, putting a disgusting pressure on my brain. I couldn’t think of anything.

“Vinny. Are you okay?” Mom asked me.

“Just a headache.” I replied.

“Let me get you something.” She went to a table and grabbed her purse. She pulled out a small packet of over-the-counter pills and gave me one to help my headache.

“I’ll need to leave and gather my evidence for a while.” Malik said. “When I come back, which should be in three or four hours, we’ll come up with a game plan.”

“Wait! What about my friends? Are you going to meet with their lawyers?” I asked.

Malik gave me a sympathetic glance. “For now, my main priority is you. It is my job to get you out of this.”

“If you think I’m going to throw my friends under the bus, you’ve got the wrong idea!” I told him.

“I understand, Vincent. But-”

“No!” I sternly said. “If you try to make them entirely guilty, I’ll plead mea culpa!”

My lawyer just sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Fine. I’ll get you out of this without any collateral damage.” Malik began to receive a phone call. “That’s from the firm. They need me back.”

Malik grabbed his briefcase and walked, grabbing a biscuit from the tray my mom let out. Before he left, he stopped a picture that my mom had set out of me and her. The picture was taken at a diner, on the day I found out I got accepted into Auburn Brights Academy.

“Don’t forget who you want to come home to.” Malik said, leaving the suite and the door being locked.

My mom held onto my arm and buried her face in a pillow.

“Are you crying, mom?” I asked.

“N-No.” She mumbled through the pillow, letting out a sniffle.

“It’s going to be fine, mom.” I said Though, I myself am not sure about my own words. It might just be blissful ignorance or hope. But hope seems to be what I need most.

I decided to turn on the TV, despite mom telling me that it might not be a good idea. But this TV is the only form of distraction I have at my disposal.

“That was a great story, Eric.” The female reporter said. “And back to the event that is causing a global stir. Ever since the exposé, which exposed several high profile politicians, religious leaders, and business owners, there has been an increase in protests in major cities across the country.”

The news switched to footage of a protest, with many people gathered in an area and chanting for the elites that were caught to be stripped of their titles and wealth. Many also called for the arrests of these officials. Some signs even called for their execution…

“Riots and protests have sprung out in major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Miami.” The reporter narrated over the footage. “However, some cities seem to be divided over this issue.”

The footage then switched to another protest. This one took place in Charleston, where aerial footage showed two sides arguing. One side had the standard signs of demolishing the wealthy. However, the other showed people who were standing up for the elites.

Their signs showed support for many religious and political leaders. Some of their signs even accused the other side of doing these crimes. They blamed their opponents for puppeteering this entire thing to distract the public.

Right. Because they were there…

“The opposing sides in Charleston caused the city to enter a lockdown, with a curfew instated. We encountered a woman who was siding with her district’s representative who was seen at the Midnight Ball.” The reporter said. The footage switched to an interview of an old woman, with the protests going on behind her.

“So how do you feel about the allegations against Representative Jeremiah Franklin?” A reporter asked the woman.

“I think it’s bullshit.” The woman quickly said. “I think it’s a ploy by the left.”

“So do you think the video was fabricated or fake?” The reporter asked.

“Of course it was. No, I think it was some Democrat person but they just put Jeremiah’s face over it to make him look bad.” The woman said.

“And what about the fact that this was all exposed by six teens? Do you think they could’ve made all this up?”

“Teens nowadays are great with technology. They could’ve easily done some editing with the real video. They were probably there on Epstein’s island too.”

That’s insane, because I wasn’t even born when Epstein was alive. These are the people we let vote?

The news returned to the reporters at the station.

“Coming back, this morning, CEO of Lexington Corp. Aleida Lexington has made a statement regarding the controversy surrounding the other branch families.”

The camera switched to a press meeting. A tall beautiful woman with slightly curly brown hair and light tan skin stood in front of a pedestal.

“Thank you for joining me today.” She spoke. “In light of recent controversies, our company will be working to sever ties with the branch families who are involved in all this. We will also be launching an investigation for the other branch families. Should any also have any ties, they too will be banished.” Aleida spoke.

A man then walked up to the podium while Aleida Lexington stepped aside.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience as we work to combat this.” The man said. “Currently, while different branch families are being disposed of, their areas of expertise will remain defunct. Our main company will ensure that these operations will only be shut down for a short while until they can start back up.”

The press conference continued as reporters asked questions and the main family answered. I never thought about the main family. A theory I made was that the Lexingtons were behind the whole debacle, but that the Barringtons were mainly in charge.

This doesn’t mean that the Lexingtons are completely innocent. Only that they were probably oblivious of everything. They’re probably doing damage control and panicking that such an event would happen under their noses.

After the conference ended, the news went to a panel of other reporters who began to discuss everything.

The TV went dark. I turned and saw my mom had turned it off.

“Take some time away from the news, Vinny.” She said.

“Fine.” I replied.

Seeing as how I was stuck here, there wasn’t much to do besides play tic-tac-toe. Our fifth game, which I was currently winning, was interrupted when Malik burst in the room.

Malik was panting and holding several folders in his hands.

“Who’s ready for a trial?!” He asked with a smile on his face.

I can tell you who’s excited for a trial. Not me. Definitely not me.

30: Espionage

CHAPTER 30:

ESPIONAGE

Vincent Florence

Legal talk is boring, and I tried hard not falling asleep. To sum it up, there’s a lot of evidence that we have to prove that our intentions were not malicious. There are also some hidden cards we have hidden up our sleeves to use during trial.

On the day the trial came, my mom helped me pick out the perfect outfit. It was one that I was going to wear for my graduation. But from what Connor has told me, graduation at Auburn has been postponed for the moment.

Still no word regarding my Harvard acceptance.

A special car drove me, my mom, Malik Waters, and a few other people part of his crew to a courthouse. As we pulled up to the front of the course, there were people outside with signs and all were chanting.

“Are they for or against me?” I asked.

“Look at their signs.” Mom told me. I looked closer and saw the signs were all in support of me, as they urged for my exoneration.

The moment I stepped out of the car, flashes of camera lights shone in my face. My ears were assaulted with the chatter of reporters or supporters. It took several security guards to make way for me to quickly enter the courtroom.

Inside the courtroom, there were no cameras allowed. It felt like we were in a dystopian society, where even smiling was prohibited. The courtroom was split in two sides. A long table for the defense, us, and another long table for the prosecutor, them.

“We’re early, so just sit and don’t say anything to anyone.” Malik told me. Mom had to sit in the peanut gallery. But she assured me that I was fine.

A few minutes passed. Octavia and her parents and lawyers walked in. She sat next to me. I gave her a nod and she returned it.

No talking.

Followed by her was Archie and who I assume is his grandma and legal team. Dorian came with just her lawyers. Percy walked in with his crew. The last was Connor.

Connor had changed a bit in the last few days. I could vaguely see dark circles under his eyes and there were a few small pimples on his face. I used to force Connor to have a skin care routine but since I wasn’t there, he didn’t do it. His hair was also styled more professionally. Back then, he would let it loose but it was more organized.

All of us sat at the table, but we didn’t say anything. I did keep my eye on Connor and smiled a bit at him. Before the trial began, a few other people walked in and sat themselves at the prosecutor’s side.

The courtroom was settled, with a judge and jury set in place. There was also a panel of several Congress members. My lawyer told me that the members are made up of different parties.

We first started the trial with a simple rundown of everything that has been gathered and what has been happening in the past few days.

The prosecutor brought forth the charges that we are guilty of. According to him, not only did we damage the safety of the wealthy, but also of the American citizens.

And thus, he brought forth the Espionage Act. And wants us to be found guilty to the full extent.

First was the opening statement from our side. Each of our lawyers came forth and spoke to the jury that we were each guilty, but that we had no ill intentions and that our actions purged the US of sinful people.

Our lawyers argued that charging us with a federal crime would go too far and that we deserve to be given a rightful trial and punishment.

The prosecutors started their opening statement. They argued that we put the American nation in jeopardy. Now, many major businesses and religions are under scrutiny. The prosecutors also brought forth a civil suit, wanting us to pay for the damages.

According to them, the damages range in the billions, an insane amount of money.

Once done, it was time for the trial to begin.

First, some small evidence was brought out regarding the footage posted. The footage was mostly from attendees who didn’t have much to lose but still suffered from the effects. The footage was scanned as our lawyers pointed to what these people were doing.

Archibald Marlowe was called to the stand and sat next to the jury for questioning.

‘Were you forced into this?’, ‘Did you imagine the repercussions this would cause?’, ‘What is your connection to Vincent Florence?’

Archie, despite being incredibly nervous, answered his questions smoothly. Our lawyers asked questions about our intentions and if we knew what we were getting ourselves into. The opposing side tried to ask questions to make Archie look like a person with nefarious intentions. When that didn’t, they tried to get him to pin the entire thing on me.

Not sure why the prosecutors are hellbent on making me the mastermind of this. Either way, it seems that Archie and the rest of the group are not budging and don’t want the blood to be washed off their hands too.

The next person called to the stand was Octavia Hawthorne. Back in Auburn, Tavia would wear outfits that showed her breasts and tight fitting clothes. Today, she dressed in a simple pencil skirt with a blazer and a beautiful hat. Similar to Hillary Clinton, but if Hillary was more into fashion.

Tavia was also questioned heavily. Though, they were more lenient on her questioning. She was asked questions to try to get her to admit that I was the one who orchestrated this entire ordeal. But she never budged and even threw some of the questions on their faces.

Octavia asked them how much the Barringtons were paying them to send a few teens to jail. I’m guessing that these lawyers are paid for by the Barringtons. Her questioning ended. And we were sent to recess.

Due to the severe nature of our case, recess was held inside an auditorium room. Luckily, a food truck was brought in. Mom bought me a salad and drink, something light. I sat at a table in the far end.

“Mind if I sit here?” Someone asked. I looked up and saw Connor smiling at me. I nodded.

“I missed you.” I said to him, wanting so badly to reach out and grab his hands.

“Me too. I just want to hug you tightly.” Connor said.

“Can we sit here too?” Another voice asked. I turned and saw the rest of the group with food in their hands and standing near our table.

“Of course.” I eagerly said, wanting the group to get back together. We made room and once again, the Auburn Nights gang was back together.

“It’s no common room or Ivy Hall, but it’ll do.” Percy said.

“So, how have you guys been?” Tavia asked.

“You mean hearing my name at every news station and knowing that people out there want to kill me? Honestly, pretty okay.” I said.

“Congratulations! You have reached controversial-political-figure level!” Percy cheerily said.

“How’s that working out for your dad?” I asked him.

“I- Yeah. Not a good thing.” Percy said. Archie rubbed his back.

“What was it like being questioned?” I asked Tavia and Archie.

“Scary, not going to lie.” Tavia said. “Honestly, I was more worried about making sure the sketch artist got my good side.”

“Classic Tavia.” Connor said.

“It’s terrifying because who knows if you’ll say the wrong thing. I knew what I was getting myself into, even my lawyer warned me. But still, when you get on that stand, you’ll never know what they’ll ask.” Archie said.

“What should we expect?” I asked him.

“Expect them to make you feel like you’re the villain. But remember deep down, you’re the hero.”

There was a bell that went off. People began to get up and walk back into the courtroom. The rest of us met up with our respective lawyers and family and returned to our seats.

The case continued for the remaining time. It was mainly corporate talk, because of course we’re focusing on them right now, and how they were affected by this. All I could remember from this segment was that tons of money was lost and many workers had to leave their jobs because their bosses were scumbags.

At the end of the day, we all were allowed to leave and return to our hotel rooms. I gave a final goodbye to Connor before he left. He assured me that everything would be okay. But I wasn’t so sure.

That night, I watched the TV as sketches of the court trial came in and were shown.

“At least they got your eyebrow scar.” Mom said when a drawing of me showed up. The painting was me at the table. Even though it was a still picture, I could still feel the emotions that I felt at that exact moment.

Yeah, they got my scar right.

Right before I went to bed that night, I received a phone call from Malik, where I was informed that the next trial was to be televised. This means that thousands, possibly millions, will be watching me. Which means that I need to pick the right outfit for that day.

The second day of the trial was hectic. Inside, there were reporters stationed all over the courtroom. I began to feel sick when I saw several of them pointed at me. The rest of the people came in and the trial was soon underway.

At some point during the trial, the prosecutor called upon some ‘evidence’ that needed to be examined. The doors to the courtroom opened and two men, each rolling in with a large item wrapped in a white cloth. The two large items were placed in front of the judge. When he had the cloth removed, they revealed mine and Connor’s outfits we wore that night.

Flashing lights occurred as photographers snapped photos of the outfits. I turned to Connor, who just lowered his head in shame. Archie began to bite on his lips and turn red in the face.

“The prosecutor would like to call upon a witness.” The Barrington’s lawyer said.

“Your honor,” Both Percy and Archie’s lawyer said at the same time.

“We were not aware of a witness, nor of this evidence.” Archie’s lawyer finished.

“Well, seeing as how this case is of such an extreme extent, I’ll allow it.” The judge said. The doors where the two men came in from opened. And Elliot Davenport walked in.

He gave us a quick glance, before turning away and walking through the room. Elliot greeted the other lawyers before stepping up to the stand, facing the jury.

A bailiff held out a Bible and asked Elliot if he was going to tell the full truth. Elliot replied with a simple, “I do.”

Elliot still didn’t look at us. It wasn’t until he was asked about a certain project that he was asked to do. And he replied that he was tasked to place several cameras all over the body. Several more questions were asked, such as how the machinery worked and what materials were used. In the end, Elliot gave us a quick apologetic glance before looking away.

Our lawyers also pressed the matter, asking Elliot if he was forced to work with us or if he did it obligatory. Elliot replied that it was both his choice but that he owed a favor. Luckily, it seems that the latter questions may have swayed the jury in our favor.

The trial day ended, and we all returned to our hotels. My mom made some tea for me while Malik went through a run down of everything during the trial. I just sat back and stared at the carpet on the floor.

I’m just exhausted. This trial isn’t even halfway done. Yet, I just want to take a long nap. Go on a spa day with my friends or on a road trip.

Still, the third trial day came.

Once again, we were bombarded with cameras at the steps of the courthouse. I ignored all questions, even the ones that struck me such as if I feel guilty about hurting the innocent rich people.

Today was a bit different, as more cameras were placed inside. The trial began, Connor’s lawyers stood up and announced new witnesses for the trial. Despite the prosecutor objecting, the judge allowed it. A large TV was brought into the courtroom for everyone to see.

As soon as the TV was turned on, I saw a woman sitting at a table, an open window behind her blowing her hair. She was looking behind the camera.

“State your name.” A voice behind the camera said.

“Angela Lester.” A woman replied. Angela… the woman who agreed to testify for us.

“What was your relationship with the Barrington family?” The person behind the camera asked.

“The Barringtons loaned me some money. But in return, I was made to become a servant to them and obey their every will.” Angela replied.

“And can you tell me what they asked you to do for the Midnight Ball?” The interviewer asked. Angela took in a deep breath and began to explain her story. Her tape ended after she explained everything. 4 more tapes played through, all of the people explaining how and why they got there the night of the party.

In the end, Connor’s lawyer concluded that our actions helped save these people, and plenty of other people who may have been forced to participate during the event. I sighed in relief, knowing that this will definitely help our case.

The trial had to end early that day, due to the amount of people outside the court house who were on the verge of breaking in. But our lawyers did let us know that the pressure from the people is a good thing for us.

That night, during the news, a segment showed in a news channel, where more servers and waiters came forward with their own horror stories. For now, it seems that this case may go our way.

A week-long break was asked for us to reconvene. During this time, I was allowed outside and went to a park in DC, where I walked with my mom. I did hear the occasional person scream my name and snap a far away picture of me. Though, I was getting used to the camera by this point. It seemed that they had become part of my life now.

Connor talked to me every night. He assured me that we were going to be fine and this case will end eventually.

But our fates were changed when the week-long recess ended. The Barrington’s lawyers wanted to bring up new charges. According to them, our actions exceeded the means of the Espionage Act. And thus, they requested for the full extent of the act.

They asked for the death penalty for us.

I could hear the room drop when they said that. According to them, the judge should assign us the same fate as Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed by the US for conspiracy to commit treason.

I wanted to cry at that point. Even though I knew that no one would ever go for that, anything can happen. I know I’m guilty, but my intentions were for the good.

The trial went on. This time, Dorian was called to the stand. Dorian was pestered for answers by the prosecutors, who used her past to try and break her. She turned to us, and we gave her a nod, and Dorian told the truth. She spoke loudly for the first time I’ve ever met her.

“I am guilty of these crimes. And I do not regret them.” She loudly said into the microphone. Archie had a smile on his face when she said that, obviously proud of her.

In the end, her questioning was ended. And with that, the third trial day came to a close. I watched as Elliot just stood up from the audience and walked out without saying a word to us. But he did give us a wink.

We all exchanged a glance at one another. Maybe Elliot’s coming here was for a bigger reason.

Days passed. I spent all my time just staring at the TV and watching every news coverage that I could see. I even watched Fox News and saw their coverage, just to see what they had to say.

Connor called me the day before the next trial hearing.

“Helloooooo.” I said in a sing-songy voice.

“Wow, even when the country is watching you, you’re still happy to hear from me.” He said.

“Of course I am. You’re my favorite person. I’ll always be happy to see you.” I replied.

“I was talking with Percy and Archie. When this is over, should we take a vacation?” He asked.

“Where to?” I asked.

“Greece?” He said.

“Not sure.”

“Well, think about it. We’ll need time to recover from this.” Connor said. He paused and I heard someone say something to him on the other end. “Right! Has Malik told you yet?” He asked.

“Told me what?”

“About your Harvard admission?”

“No, he hasn’t. He went out to get some documents.” I said.

There was some more muttering on the other line. “I probably shouldn’t tell you, but we asked about you. Harvard said that they’re rescinding your admission.” Connor said.

I felt my world drop at that moment. This was the moment that I knew that I had fallen from grace. A few months ago, I had a high position, attended the best school, was going to attend the best school in the country, had the best friends, and had the best boyfriend. But now, that is all gone from me.

Instead, I’m now stuck inside a hotel room, fighting for my uncertain future. Having to do phone calls with the man I love. I can’t even hug him when I do see him.

“Vinny. Are you okay?” Connor asked.

“I don’t think so.” I replied softly.

“Just hang in there, Vinny. Once this is over, I’m going to give you the biggest hug. And if it makes you feel better, the rest of us were also dropped from our schools of choice. Percy is still crying because he isn’t going to Princeton like his father.” Connor told me.

“That sort of makes me feel better.” I said. I wiped tears from my eyes that I had no idea were falling. “So what’s going to happen tomorrow?” I asked.

“Not sure. The prosecutors have been very quiet and refuse to talk to our lawyers. It seems that they’re banking on us not knowing their next moves. I guess we’ve just got to be prepared for whatever they throw at us.”

“I expected nothing less from the Barrington’s lawyers, honestly…” I replied. I ended my conversation with Connor eventually after saying our final words until the next day.

The fourth trial day has arrived now. Once again, the outside of the courthouse was populated with supporters, who asked for our exoneration. No matter what the outcome of the trial is, at least the people support me.

This time, Archie’s lawyer stood up and called upon a witness to the stand. He called upon Milton Livington to come forward with his story.

Milton Livington, whom I haven’t seen since the day I was arrested, walked into the courthouse. Alongside him was a young woman holding a young child. I knew them to be Milton’s lover and their child.

He was asked to swear on the Bible and then asked general questions, such as his role on the council and his connection to us. Then came the questions.

“So, Mr. Livington, why did you agree to help Mr. Florence and his friends, knowing that it would also result in your family’s demise?” Archie’s lawyer asked.

“I did it to save myself.” Milton replied.

“How so, Mr. Livington? Could you explain to the jury how exactly these people saved you.”

“They exposed my parents’ plan to marry me off. Vincent discovered my son and promised to help me. And in return, all I did was provide evidence to help him.” Milton replied.

“What would have happened if Vincent and his friends never revealed your parents’ plot to marry you off?” The lawyer asked.

“I would have been forced to marry a 40 year old woman as soon as I turned 18.”

Murmurs from the audience broke out. I turned to Milton’s lover and their son. She held onto the child tightly in her arms. The young boy had a pin on his shirt, the pin that Milton sometimes wears around campus.

“And now you’re free with your soon to be wife and son.” The lawyer said. Milton nodded. “No further questions, your honor.” He conceded back to our table.

One of the lawyers from the prosecutor’s side stood up and buttoned his suit up.

“Mr. Milton, your parents own a major company and own tech companies that supply the military with weapons, am I right?” The lawyer asked.

“Yes. My family works on the advancement of weapons for the US military.” Milton replied.

“Which means that, when the time comes, you would take over this business. You’d be set for life and won’t have to worry about struggling with life. But instead, you decided to throw all that away!” The lawyer said.

“Objection, your honor. Relevency!” Dorian’s lawyer said.

“Mr. Hans, please make your point.” The lawyer spoke directly to the prosecutor.

“Very well. Mr. Milton, did you help these bandits, knowing that they too would cause the downfall of your parents and thus, you’d be given reign over the company?” He asked.

“Not at all.” Milton replied. His eyebrows furrowed at the lawyer.

“So, you didn’t know that once those secrets got out, that your parents would hand over their company to you and you’d be in control? And from there, you were allowed to do whatever you desired, including marrying your mistress?” The lawyer said.

“It wasn’t the plan. That is just what transpired. I couldn’t have predicted what would happen the moment they released that information. It was just out of my control.” Milton said. Everyone could see how agitated he was becoming at the moment.

“Then why do I have a chat log between Octavia Hawthorne and Percival Genevieve where they discuss releasing this information to, quote-on-quote, ‘Save Milton from Baba Yaga’? I assume ‘Baba Yaga’ refers to Madam Rochester, whom you were scheduled to be wedded to.” The Hans lawyer said.

Milton’s face became red. “Would you have preferred I be married to that old hag? Is that what you want?!” He snapped.

“Seems to me that you just wanted to take down your parents and inherit their fortunes.” The lawyer said.

“Objection! Badgering the witness!” Dorian’s lawyer said, as she stood up and slammed her hands on the table.

“Mr. Hans. I will hold you in contempt of court.” The judge said.

“Do you hate your parents, Milton?” The lawyer asked.

“Of course I fucking did, you ass!” Milton yelled at the lawyer. The court became silent, as we all heard Milton’s child crying in the arms of his mother. Milton’s fiance stood up and walked out the court while Milton sat with teary eyes.

“No more questions, your honor.” Mr. Hans said, returning to his seat. Milton quickly left the stand and ran out the courtroom, after his family.

I leaned over to Malik. “There’s no way that the jury will buy that, right?” I asked him.

“Dunno. They made sure to make Milton look like a crazy, angry man. Whatever the case may be, this doesn’t make him look good on him and us.” Malik explained to me.

The trial ended that day, and I returned to my hotel room. My mom was quick to go and make some food for me while I went to take a shower.

As I reached for the control to turn on the TV, my mom snatched the remote.

“Not today. You’re gonna sit and enjoy a proper meal.” She said to me.

Malik returned a while later and went to talk to my mom, giving her a rundown of what transpired in court today. Even though Milton did overreact today in court, it shouldn’t impair our goal.

This trial just keeps dragging on. I just want it to end. Honestly, my wish at the moment is for this to be all over and to take a long nap. It doesn’t seem that my wish will come true any time soon.

31: Testimony

CHAPTER 31:

TESTIMONY

Connor Devonshire

Right before the next trial, my mother walked into my hotel room and sat on a nearby chair. She looked at me as I styled my hair in the mirror. 

“Connor, I need to discuss something with you.” She said. 

“I’m busy.” I replied. She’s ignored me for most of my life, only doing the bare minimum. She doesn’t get to just waltz into my life and play the role of mom. 

“Please, Connor. It’s something your father and I have been discussing.” She said. I kept fixing my hair. “It’s about the Florence kid.” 

I stopped fixing my hair and turned to face her. “What about Vincent?” I asked.

“Your father and I were talking. We were thinking that it might be best if you no longer kept in contact with him–”

“Please stop talking!” I angrily said to her. “Since when did you two get to dictate what I do with my life?”

“Listen to me, Connor. We just want what’s best for you.”

“Best for me? When have you ever wanted the best for me? All you ever did was drink and ignore us. It was Isaac, Clause, Sterling, even fucking Horace who raised me! You couldn’t even take the 30 minute drive to school so you sent me to Auburn!” I yelled at her. 

“Just let me do one good thing for you.” Mother muttered.

“You did do one good thing. You sent me to Auburn, where I met my friends and Vincent.” I went to grab my jacket but stopped before I left my room. “Don’t ever fucking ask me to abandon the people I love. I won’t be like you and father.”

I exited my room and walked out. There was a knock on the front door. I opened it and saw my second youngest brother, Sterling, on the other side. 

“Sterling!” I said, letting him in. 

“How’s my baby brother!?” He asked and hugged me, picking me up off the floor. “Wow! Becoming a criminal sure made you look more like an adult. Did you lose weight?” He pinched my cheeks.

“Stop it!” I chuckled. “What are you doing here? Your graduation is soon.” I told him.

“I talked about it with the dean. They’re fine with sending me my diploma through the mail. I wanted to come and support my baby brother while he’s on trial for espionage.” 

“You seem to be liking this attention…” I remarked.

“It was nice. People at Stanford kept coming up to me and asked questions about you. Is it true that you wore a costume with over 20 cameras?” He asked. Sterling made his way to the lounge room and took a seat. 

“50. It doesn’t matter. We have a trial in a few hours. Are you coming?” 

“Of-fucking-course.” Sterling replied. My bedroom door opened and my mother came walking out. She stopped and looked at Sterling.

“Sterling.” She said and nodded. Sterling ignored her and just tapped on his phone. Mother had a defeated look on her face. That tends to happen when you’re an absent parent for your child’s entire life. 

“Am I going to meet your boyfriend?” Sterling asked.

“Maybe.”

“Can’t wait to meet thee Vincent Florence. You should see how it is. I even passed by that God-forsaken campus of UC Berkeley. His face is plastered everywhere. You really picked a good one.” Sterling stood up from the couch. “Where’s your room? I need to get changed.”

“It’s right through there.” I pointed at my door. He left and took a shower. Once he got changed, he stepped back into the lounge room. 

“Horace texted me. He’s wishing you luck. Maybe you can live with him when father disowns you.” He said.

“Ha-ha. Funny.” I said. 

“I’m just saying. Horace seems to be having a fun time in Barbados with his wife selling shell necklaces.” He rubbed my back. My phone rang. Even though my phone was confiscated during the search, my lawyer managed to pull a few strings to get me a new one. When I checked my notification, I smiled. 

“Excellent.” I muttered. 

“What is it?” Sterling asked. 

“Nothing.” I replied, sending what I received to my lawyer. “Come on, we have to go.” I said and stood up. We approached the courthouse, where I was met with several people all wanting a picture of me. 

Once we reached inside, I went through the metal detectors and got patted down. I convened with my lawyer and those others and their lawyers. Our lawyers spoke to each other in legalese while we had small chatter.

“Connor, is that your brother?” Vinny asked, pointing at Sterling.

“Yeah. That’s Sterling.” I replied.

“The one graduating from Stanford, right?” He asked. I nodded. “I guess the handsome genes do run in the family.”

I placed my hand over Vinny’s eyes. “Don’t fall in love with my brother, Vinny.” I said to him. Vinny rolled his eyes and chuckled. 

“I won’t, you big dummy.” He leaned up and fixed a strand of my hair. 

“Ey, you two! Don’t forget we might get executed.” Tavia said. 

“Leave them be, Tavia.” Percy told her. “They’re just in love.”

Our lawyers came to pick us up like parents at a daycare and took us to the table where we had been sitting for the past weeks. The jury and judge entered the room and all waited. The next trial is commencing. 

This time, several boxes were brought in. Upon closer look, I noticed in one of the boxes a digital camera that Tavia owned and used. That’s when I knew that these were our items in these boxes. 

The items were all laid out on a table in the middle of the room. Everything from photos and letters, to jackets and keychains. Even Tavia’s rose toy was on the table. I can only pray for the poor soul that had to touch such a wretched object.  

While new evidence was being presented, I noticed a lack of Vinny’s things. This was when we were informed that all of Vinny’s belongings burned in the tower. The only evidence they had from him was his phone, which he had in his pocket but was confiscated upon his arrest. 

“We would like to call on Connor Devonshire to the stand.” The prosecutors said. I turned to my lawyer, who nudged my back. 

I stood up from my seat and walked across the room to the witness stand. Before I sat, a bailiff walked with a Bible in hand. I placed my left hand on top of the book. “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” He asked. 

“I do.” I replied. The bailiff walked away while I took a seat. I turned to my left and saw the jury sitting and staring at me. 

Stay calm and don’t freak out like Milton.

The prosecutor, whom I remember as Hans, walked out and stepped in front of me. 

“Before we begin, please state your name and what school you attended.” He said. 

“My name is Connor Franklin Richmond Devonshire. I attended Auburn Brights Academy from 2024 and was supposed to graduate this year.” I replied. 

“Well, obviously, that didn’t happen.” Hans said with a smirk. “Now, can you tell me your relationship with each of the other defendants?” 

“Octavia Hawthorne is my close friend. I sometimes confide in her for advice. Percival Genevieve is my best friend. Archibald Marlowe is a great listener and dear friend. Dorian Arthfael provides great comfort when around her. Vincent Florence is my boyfriend and the man I love.” I said. 

“Alright then. Can you tell me your first reaction when you saw Vincent Florence?” Hans asked.

“Precisely. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was walking to my dorm with Archie following me. That’s when I saw Percy, Percival, with a new guy I had never seen before. I knew we were getting a new transfer from a working class. I just didn’t expect him to be hot.”

There were a few chuckled in the jury and audience. 

“So it’s clear that you have a close relationship with Vinny. Did Vinny ever talk about wanting to do something rambunctious or destructive?” Hans asked.

“No. In fact, it was the opposite.” I replied. 

“How so?”

“We, meaning me and the rest excluding Vinny, were the ones that wanted to bring out this destructive plan. Vinny was the nail in the coffin that sealed the plan.” I replied. Hans looked a bit worried. He probably wasn’t expecting me to say that. Almost as if they want to pin all of this on Vinny. 

“Uh, okay. So, Connor, do you enjoy your life?” Hans asked.

“It’s alright, I guess.” I replied. 

“Care to elaborate?” Hans asked.

“Objection, your honor. Relevancy.” My lawyer said.

“I’m getting to the point.” Hans was quick to say.

“Then get to it.” The judge replied. Hans took a deep breath. 

“I just find it hard for a privileged kid, such as yourself, to want to get himself involved in all of this. Did you ever wonder what the repercussions would be, how your family would be hurt from this financially?” 

“I thought of it, of course. But if I had to sacrifice it to expose a few pedos and sodomizers, then so be it.” I replied.

“But could it be possible that you were indoctrinated by someone else, say, a person of a lower class, who wanted you to give up your fortunes?” He asked. 

“Objection, leading question.” Vinny’s lawyer said. 

“I’ll rephrase.” Hans said. “Did anyone force you to do this for their own gain?” He asked. 

“Absolutely not. I knew what I was doing the moment I joined the plan. All Vinny did was join in on the help. You want to blame someone? Look towards your own clients, who are quite literally planning to take over the government in a few years.” I said. 

Hans looked irritated. He went on to ask a few more questions. He also held up some of the items on the table and presented them to me and the jury. All of the belongings were just basic things. 

My questioning ended and I returned to my seat. I let out a huge sigh as soon as I sat down. 

“Any other witnesses?” The judge asked the prosecutors.

I leaned over to my lawyer. “Why are they trying to pin this on Vinny?” 

“Seems to me like someone has a vendetta against him.” My lawyer replied. “They seem to be trying to get you all to admit that this was all Vincent’s plan.” 

“But who would want to do that?” I muttered. The doors to the court room opened.

“We have another special witness.” Hans said. On the other side of the door was the snake of Eden, Macbeth, Brutus, and any horrible people you can think of. 

Ms. Sarah Barrington. 

She walked through the pews wearing an elegant black dress. Her ridiculously large hat contained large feathers that could easily poke one’s eye out. She strided through the middle aisle, a bailiff allowing her to enter and present herself in front of the judge. 

“Sarah Barrington here.” She said. Snake Sarah turned to us and gave us a sinister smile, before she walked to the witness stand. She refused to swear to tell the truth, a red flag.

“Ms. Barrington, how have you been?” Hans asked. Sarah immediately began to cry, letting crocodile tears fall from her face.

“Oh, it’s horrible!” She shrieked. She covered her face with her gloved hands and made loud sobbing noises. 

“I can’t imagine going through such a thing.” Hans said. He reached over to the prosecutor’s table and grabbed a box of tissues, placing them in front of Sarah. She grabbed two and wiped some tears. “Now, Ms. Barrington, can you tell me how you know the defendants?” 

“I don’t. The only one whom I’ve really had any conversation with was Connor a few years back. That was, until Vincent transferred.” Sarah replied. 

“Interesting. And, can you tell me about Vincent?” 

“Honestly, I didn’t care for him. When Thomasina Norrington brought up the idea of allowing a working class student, I thought she was doing cocaine again. But she was serious. We went through the process and the headmistress selected him of all people.” Sarah explained.

“How did it make you feel when Vincent ran for a spot on the student council? Were you caught off guard?” Hans asked.

“Who wouldn’t be? When I heard that… that thing… was running, and he sneakily did it, I felt threatened. The student council is made up of the most powerful families, not working class kids. They have nothing to offer.” Sarah spat. 

“Let’s get on to the aftermath, Ms. Barrington. After Vincent and his group exposed your secrets, what happened to you?” 

Sarah cried a bit and wiped her tears. “It was horrible! My family’s reputation was falling, we began to lose clients, and we were put under investigation! My parent’s home in New Jersey was literally raided!” Sarah said loudly, her face becoming red. “It’s just horrible.” 

“There’s been a lot of discussion online that you were to become the next president and consolidate power. Do you think that the public took that information out of context?”

“It was obviously a joke.” Sarah said, rolling her eyes. “Of course everyone wants to believe that. They’re all just mindless idiots who’ll believe whatever people tell them. Maybe we should have someone to control everything said in the media.”

“Ms. Barrington, this case is regarding whether or not these delinquents endangered the US. Do you believe they did?”

“Yes.” Sarah replied.

“Can you elaborate?” Hans asked.

“For one, our company was in the works of creating a deal that would have changed the transportation method in Central America.” Sarah replied. 

Percy’s lawyer stood up. “Your honor, everyone knows that the current deal is in hot water after several members of the Panamanian parliament, who opposed this new deal, were found dead in their home.”

“That has no relevance to this case.” One of the Barrington’s lawyers spoke up and angrily pointed to Percy’s lawyer. 

“I believe it does. Doesn’t it seem suspicious that those same government officials were going to have a meeting with the Panama president to stop the project? And they all just so happened to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning the day before.” Percy’s lawyer added. 

Knowing Percy and his father’s profession, I can imagine that Mr. Genevieve used his connections to dig up dirt on the Barringtons. 

“Since this matter is regarding not only the safety of the US, but other foreign affairs, I’ll allow the Panama deal to be entered into the record.” The judge said. Sarah gave the judge the nastiest glare, even worse than the ones she used to give Vinny. 

Hans clenched his fists but relaxed quickly. “Sarah, can you tell me if you ever felt threatened around Vincent Florence?”

“Always. You never know with people like him. Vincent is bigger than me and could easily hurt me if he wanted to. That’s why I kept my distance from him.” Sarah replied. Vinny bit his lip. He’s probably worried that her testimony won’t make him look good. 

“We’d like to object to that.” Vinny’s lawyer stood up. 

“With what? Isn’t it pretty clear that Vincent can easily overpower Sarah Barrington and cause her harm?” Hans asked. Vinny’s lawyer grabbed an envelope and held it up. 

“Here I have evidence that, despite my client’s size, Sarah Barrington has always been the aggressor.” He handed the folder to the bailiff, who then handed it to the judge. The judge looked at them, then allowed copies to be handed out to the jury. 

Vinny’s lawyer, Malik, then held up the photo. It was a picture of Vinny’s shoulder with puncture marks. I knew this moment to be when Sarah cornered Vinny and threatened to expose his father’s dark past. It was when I helped him to the nurse’s office and got him fixed up. It was also when I discovered about Vinny’s dad and his past. 

“That evidence is inadmissible and there is no way to prove that Sarah Barrington was the culprit of the attack.” The prosecutor’s lawyer said. 

“According to a report done by the nurse, who treated Mr. Florence that day, the marks are similar to puncture marks. I also have text messages between Connor Devonshire and Percy Genevieve where the two discussed Mr. Devonshire overhearing Sarah Barrington assaulting Vincent.” Malik said. 

“Is this true, Ms. Barrington?” The judge asked Sarah. Sarah bit her lip and turned to her lawyers. Her lawyers looked confused.

“If that isn’t enough evidence that Sarah Barrington is the aggressor, there’s also this video.” Malik held up a remote and turned on a TV that was rolled into the room. 

The TV turned on and video began playing. The video was filmed on a phone, and there was loud shouting. The camera moved around until it landed onto the floor of somewhere that looked like the inside of the tower. Vinny was pinned down while Sarah was on top of him, slapping and punching his face repeatedly. Men in the background who looked like the ones that arrested us were demanding for Sarah to get away from Vinny. 

The final moments of the video ended when Sarah was pulled off of Vinny and he was handcuffed. Then, the video ended. 

“That video was submitted by Natalia Hollick, who was a former maid that worked under Sarah Barrington. Natalia Hollick submitted that video on the day Vincent was arrested.” Malik explained. 

“Wha– I can explain!” Sarah said.

“Please do.” Malik replied. Sarah sat and stumbled in her own words. For the first time, the treacherous evil queen was left speechless. 

Hans walked over to their table and whispered with his other lawyers. In the end, Hans had a defeated look and faced the judge. “We have no more questions, your honor.” He said. 

Sarah was excused and left from the stand. I turned to our group and we both exchanged a knowing look. We knew that the jury was going to sway in our favor. 

All that was left was Vinny’s testimony. And one that’s done, we can end this part of our lives and finally be normal kids. Though, it seems that we’ll never be normal again.

32: Verdict

CHAPTER 32:

VERDICT

Vincent Florence

The final trial began now. And on this day, it is my turn to give my testimony as to what went down that chaotic night. Of course, Malik and my mom prepared me for any questions I will be given. 

Malik proposed that for me, the prosecutors may pull out all the stops. It seems that they’re hellbent on making me take the majority of the fall for this fiasco. Whether it’s because I’m lower class, or because Sarah has a personal vendetta against me and blames me for everything going on in her life, who knows? But I will not fall without a fight.

Time stood still as soon as I was called up on the stand. I felt like the whole world was watching me as I stepped to the witness stand, where I was sworn in. For a moment, all I could hear was a ringing in my ear while I stared at the glass of water next to my hand. 

“Mr. Florence!” I heard someone call.

“I’m sorry.” I replied, looking up to see Malik standing in front of me. 

“Is everything okay? Will you be fit to answer today?” Malik asked.

“I’ll be fine.” I replied. That seemed to satisfy him and the rest of the court. My mom, who sat in the audience, gave me a reassuring smile. 

“Perfect. Please state your name and what school you attend.” Malik said. 

“My name is Vincent Florence. I attend, or attended, Auburn Brights Academy. I only just transferred for my senior year.” I answered.

“From my understanding, you applied for the Auburn Lottery, which selected one lucky student who also met the qualifications, to attend the academy. And you applied and got accepted. Is that correct?” Malik asked.

“Yes,” I leaned into the microphone. “That’s correct.”

“Can you give me a rundown as to how your first few days at Auburn were like? The emotions, anxiety, or thoughts you had during those weeks.”

“Objection! Relevance!” One of the prosecutor’s lawyers said. The judge dismissed their objection and allowed me to answer. 

“The first few weeks were a chimera of mixed feelings. There was an overwhelming sensation that I was not welcomed, and that I did not belong. But I also had friends that welcomed me with open arms. Thanks to them, I was able to find my people.” 

“Speaking of your friends, can you explain your relationship with all of them?” Malik asked.

“Connor is my boyfriend. We started dating midway during the first semester. Percy, Percival, is a close friend. He was the one that first showed me around campus on my first day. Tavia is a person I can confide with. She may be extreme at times, but can be a good companion. Archibald is both quiet but has been known to be devious at times. And Dorian has a presence that makes you feel calm, like she takes your worries away.” I explained.

“Could you explain to me what Auburn Nights is?” Malik asked.

“Auburn Nights is a sort of club. I am not familiar with the exact history of it, but it was set up as a societal club for discussing literature, politics, and current events. Nowadays, we use it as a meeting place where people like us can come together.”

“What do you mean by people like us?” He asked. 

“Just people who didn’t want to fall into molds that were assigned to us at birth. In Auburn Nights, we weren’t the sons of politicians, the future heirs to conglomerates, or destined to be valedictorians. We were just teens.” I said. 

“Interesting. Do you admit guilt that you and your friends conspired to take down the student council?” Malik asked. I turned to my friends, who all had stoic faces. 

“Yes, we did.” I replied.

“Can you explain how you managed to do that?” Malik said. 

“I had discovered a booklet in the library about the basics of the Auburn government system. I noticed that it stated there needed to be 9 members on the council, but at that moment, there were only 8. That’s when I brought this up to my friends and we devised a plan to place one of us under that missing title.”

“Which happened to be you, correct?” Malik added.

“Yes. I put my name in because I knew that I didn’t have anything to lose. We also made sure to fill out my name right before the deadline. Therefore, we won’t do anything against the rules, but also to make sure no one on the council tries to place their own puppet.”

“So, you got into the council. What happened next?” Malik asked.

“I got to work. I connected with the student body and asked them what they wanted fixed. But I also did what the plan was in the beginning, which was to collect intel on the council.” 

“Did you ever imagine you’d end up at the Midnight Ball?” My lawyer asked.

“No. We just thought that we would collect dirt on the council. But then this opportunity presented itself. If we were going to knock down a few other rich people, we might as well.” I said. 

“Can you explain what happened that night?” Malik told me. I obliged and explained what I saw that night. Some of the memories were a little fuzzy, but I was able to describe what I witnessed that night. 

The court room was silent. All I heard was the rustling of papers from the Barrington’s lawyers as they shuffled around. They were probably in a state of panic, because of how I was able to describe everything. 

My lawyer walked over to the defense table and grabbed a remote. He played a video on the screen. My ears picked up on the familiar bang of drums. When I leaned over to my right, I saw the body-can footage of that night playing on TV.

“Is this what you saw that night?” Malik asked me. I watched the scene when Connor and I first entered, where people danced with “mannequins”. Footage on the TV kept showing clips of that night. It ended with the speech Sarah’s father gave, where he proclaimed a new America. 

Once again, silence in the court. 

I turned to the jury, who all had disgusted looks on their faces. One man lowered his head and just sighed, loud enough for me to hear. They definitely know that what they just saw on camera was nothing short but diabolical. 

Malik returned next to the witness stand and casually leaned against the podium. 

“As you can see, my client had no intention of harming the country. On the contrary, his actions led to these despicable individuals to be caught.” Malik opened a folder in his hands. 

My lawyer proceeded to pull out several papers and handed one to each of the 12 jury members. 

“What are you presenting to the jury, Mr. Waters?” The judge asked. 

“I am handing out several papers that show different attendees that night of the party and their crimes they committed.” Malik said. “Jury number 7, could you please explain what your person did.” 

Everyone turned to the jury, as a young woman with shoulder length hair and purple glasses stood up. She held out her paper and opened her mouth.

“Jonathan Allington. Charged with possession of illegal substances, illegal firearms, engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor.” The jury member said. 

“Fun fact, the illegal firearms charge was added after his home in Tennessee was searched when Vincent and his friends released those secrets.” Malik added. “You’d be surprised by how many crimes were piled on. Tax evasion, trying to start a coup in Ecuador, paying several politicians behind closed doors. Make sense why over a dozen Congress members were also forced to step down.” 

I turned to my friends, all of whom no longer had long faces. There seemed to be a bit of happiness behind their eyes. 

“As you can see, my client did not ignorantly tamper with the country for jealousy over the wealthy. He and his friends had a single goal in mind: To purge this country of unlawful humans who will only cause more destruction.” Malik said. “No matter your verdict, I hope you all remember that the people in charge of your banks, housing, law, and day-to-day activities will now be under the command of proper human beings.” 

Malik, with a smile on his face and winking at me, returned to his seat and sat down. He immediately started drinking from his water glass. Meanwhile, the prosecutors scrambled around at their table. 

Now that I think about it, I haven’t heard a word from certain people. For example: Aviana Clemont. The headmistress of Auburn Brights Academy. From what Percy has told us, she’s been MIA since everything went down. Still no word if the next school year will happen or if Auburn will be shut down. 

I also haven’t heard from Natalia, my co-conspirator while I served my time on the student council. I know that she has to be alive, because the video she recorded was used in court. Therefore, she must be somewhere out there. I just hope she’s safe.

“Would the prosecutor wish to refute?” The judge asked. 

“Yes, your honor.” Hans, the lawyer we all like to make fun of for his nose hair, stood up. “Vincent, can you tell me who Neil Williamson is?” He asked me. 

I turned to my mom, who gave me a panicked look. That name, that damn name. I knew this moment was going to come eventually. And I knew that they were going to ask me about my father. But still, I was caught off guard.

“Mr. Florence, please answer the question.” The judge muttered to me. 

“Yes. He’s my father.” I replied. 

“Do you know the history of your father?” Hans asked. 

“I know some.” I said. “I know that he isn’t a sane person. I also know he was stationed in Afghanistan for a few years before coming back to the US, where he met my mother.” I answered.

“According to this document from Westview Mental Health Institution in Louisiana, your father admitted himself in 2012 for a drug addiction and violent tendencies. Based on you being born in 2010, I can assume this was 2 years after your birth.” Hans said. “Do you know what happened between those two years from your birth until your father’s admittance into the institution?” He asked me.

My mom gave me a nod. “I don’t know much. All I know is that my father tried to attack my mom after I was born and he ran away. He ended up in Arkansas, where his family lives, and spent a while there. Then he burnt a few more bridges and left Louisiana, where my mom abruptly lost contact with him and his sister.” I explained.

“Your family is no stranger to psychotic behavior.” Hans said.

“Relevance!” Malik yelled. 

“I’m getting to the point.” Hans gave a glare to my lawyer before turning back. “Tell me, are you aware of Howard Williamson?” 

“No.” I replied. “But judging by the last name, I can assume he’s a relative.” 

“Correct. You’re great grandfather to be exact. According to these records, Howard Williamson was in the first World War. However, he was dishonorably discharged due to ‘harmful behaviors towards himself and his fellow patriots’.” 

“Is there a question, your honor?” I asked the judge. The judge was taken aback but adjusted his glasses. 

“The witness is right. There needs to be a question. Otherwise, all you are spewing is hearsay.” The judge told the prosecutor. 

“Fine, I’ll skip through.” Hans said. “Your entire family from your father’s side is riddled with mental illnesses. Wouldn’t that mean that you could have possibly inherited some of these issues?” He asked.

“Even if I did, why does that matter? My family’s issues have nothing to do with me.” I said.

“Let’s just say, hypothetically, that a boy from a low-income household wanted to execute his revenge on the elite, whom he blames for his family’s misfortunes. It was the rich that caused wars and sent your family to suffer. It was the rich that stole from the poor, and by default, made you and your family struggle. It was the rich that ignored your father’s mental health struggles, who pushed him aside and left him to fend for himself–”

“Do you have a question? Or are you busting my balls?” I snapped.

“It just seems that you and your family have a history of being taken advantage of by the elite. Perhaps that anger and jealousy led to what your friends did.” Hans said.

“Objection! Improper character evidence! My client’s family history has no relevance to this case and should not be used as a basis for Mr. Florence’s reasoning.” Malik shouted.

“My question…” Hans loudly said. “Did you do all this for revenge?” He asked.

I glared at Hans. The nerve of him to ask me such a redundant question. I haven’t ever met anyone from my father’s side. I never knew about the struggles and difficulties they’ve had. For him to ask me that I would ever do such a thing enraged me.

“No. I did not do this for revenge.” I simply replied.

“Are you sure?” Hans asked. “Have you gotten checked for any illnesses? Maybe you too might have some loose screws.” 

There were gasps in the courthouse. The judge banged his gavel harshly to silence the court. The judge gave the prosecutor one last warning before he would be dropped from the case. 

“The only thing I have is stress from you.” I replied. “Tell me, Hans. How much are the Barringtons paying you to bring up my family history?” I asked him.

“I’m just bringing up evidence that may relate to this case.” Hans replied, flipping through some documents. I turned to Malik and nodded at him.

“I’d like to bring forward some evidence that can easily dispel this.” Malik said. 

“You can’t do that!” Hans pouted, mimicking a child. 

“You brought up my client’s father, whom he’s never met before.” Malik replied. He turned to the judge, who just gave a small nod of approval. 

Hate to say it, but it looks like the judge may be on our side. It most likely be because in general, the prosecutors have been shown to be grasping at straws during this whole trial. They’ll find a way to get us to fall. 

The TV was turned on. It was a black screen, but there was a time bar at the bottom, showing that it was a video playing. 

“Listen here, Vincent. I know you’re planning on doing something. Don’t think I’m an idiot. I’ve been watching you and your boyfriend, Connor, and your rest of your bandits. Just know that whatever you plan on doing, I will put a stop to it!” 

I immediately recognized the voice as belonging to Sarah Barrington. And the dialogue is from the day she threatened to use my family’s history against me in court. I knew she was going to use my father against me. That’s why before this trial began, I called Connor, who recorded the conversation, to send it to my lawyer for evidence. 

This is the final nail in the coffin to end this witch hunt. 

“… So go ahead. Tell everyone what you saw that night. However, the moment you open your mouth, your entire life will be ruined.” Sarah continued her speech, where she threatened to use my family’s history and the fact that my friends won’t be willing to take the fall with me.

Well, she was definitely wrong about that last part. 

Once the recording ended, the courtroom was once again quiet. Malik turned off the TV and turned to the jury. 

“This whole trial… it isn’t because a CEO was forced to step down from his company. Or because a congressman is no longer on the ballot.” Malik said. He then turned to me and pointed at me. “It’s because this young man, a poor kid who didn’t have anything handed to him, was able to dismantle a fragile system.

“The works of Vincent Florence, along with his friends and other people, were able to find the flaws and uncover the secrets that have plagued our society. If it wasn’t for them, we would still be under the control of horrible, dangerous human beings. Don’t take their actions as rebellious against the country, but rather as a blessing. Thank you.” Malik ended his speech. 

Malik returned to his seat. I turned to my friend, all of whom had grins on their faces. 

The trial came to an end, and so did the entire case. All of us were forced back into our rooms with no contact with anyone in the outside world. The only people I talked to for the following week was my mom, Malik, and the bellboy who greeted me whenever he brought over food. 

As per the advice of my mom, I didn’t focus too much on the news. Just occasionally watched some segments that discussed what went down in court. I also watched the aftermath of our actions, as more and more dominos fell.

I also began to plan for my future. Before, I was able to easily say that I was going to Harvard and getting a degree in something. Now, I’m not so sure. After thinking about it for a long time, I came to the conclusion that I should either change my name and move to a small town and become a carpenter, or move out of the country. It’s probably for the best that I sever all ties with my friend and Connor. 

Connor, my beloved. Who knows what the future has in store for us. When we were arrested and put on trial, it was technically Connor’s way of coming out to his parents. He informed me that his father had not said if he approves or not. Connor doesn’t even know if he was disowned and disinherited from the will. If he is, he can come with me and we’ll start a new life together. The same goes for all my friends. We’ll buy a large house somewhere in upstate Montana and just live our lives out, looking away from our past selves.

Stop making scenarios in your head! You’re going to be fine!

Truth is, I’ll never know what’s going to be in store for me. After all this, I’ll take a while to get my life in order. Then I’ll come to a conclusion to this chapter of my life. 

After a week had passed, where the jury spent that time deliberating on the conviction, we all reconvened in the court.

I sat nervously alongside my friends and lawyer. The jury entered the room and took their seats. We all rose for the honorable judge, as he walked in and took his seat on the top. 

“Has the jury come to a verdict?” The judge asked.

“Yes, your honor.” Jury member number one stood up. He handed the bailiff a folded paper, who then handed it to the judge. The judge then asked each jury member if the verdict is the conclusion they all came to. Every single one confirmed yes. The judge then handed the paper back, who was then given to the first jury member.

“Will the defendants rise?” The bailiff announced. We stood up from our seats. I can feel the audience, the cameras, and by default, the entire world watching us. 

The jury member spoke. “On charges of endangering American society, we, the jury, find the defendants… not guilty!” He said. 

Several members in the audience cheered. I turned to my friend. Dorian began to cry. Connor smiled at me. But we weren’t done yet. 

“On the charges of plotting against the government, we, the jury, find the defendants… not guilty!” 

Another round of cheers and applause. I turned around and saw my mom also crying and wiping tears. She mouth a ‘It’s okay.’ to me

“On the charges of espionage under the Espionage Act of 1917, we the jury find the defendants… not guilty!” 

My legs began to feel weak. I had been holding so much weight on my shoulder, that now that it has been removed, I forgot what it’s like to live without it. 

While the courtroom was celebrating, the prosecutor’s table was gloomy. The lawyers on that table were all looking down at their laps. 

“And finally, on the 184 charges of conspiracy, we, the jury, find the defendants not guilty on all counts!” 

While the courtroom cheered, I took a seat on my chair and just stared forward. Malik asked if I was okay, to which I replied ‘All is well’. But once I got my emotions in check, I looked up and saw Connor standing next to me.

“Now can I finally hug you?” He asked. It was like a rush of adrenaline came into me. Because the moment he said those words, I jumped off my table and into his arms. I peppered his face with kisses, not caring that America was watching me love my boyfriend. 

“Can I get some of that too?” Percy asked. Tavia slapped his head. The entirety of our group came together, as we hugged each other with our heads touching one another in the center. 

We stayed in the position for a while, just giggling like children and gawking at our verdicts. This will be a story that we’ll tell our children when we’re older. 

As we split apart, I walked over to my mom and she cried into my arms. 

“Mom?” I asked. She looked up with her teary eyes. “You okay?” I asked her. 

“Yes, my Vinny!” She said. 

Now was the final part. The courtroom had already cleared. We exited the courthouse. As soon as we stepped onto the steps, we were bombarded with reporters, all placing their cameras and microphones in our faces. 

Malik was able to squeeze through and took reign over the interview.

“We’re very pleased with the results of today. I’m thankful that the jury was able to see the good intentions that Vincent Florence and his friends had.” Malik said. He answered a few more questions until a question was directed at me. 

“And you, Vincent Florence? What do you plan on doing now that you’re a free man?” A reporter asked. I stood thinking for a while until I leaned into his microphone.

“I’m going to take a nap.” I replied. 

“You heard the man.” Malik said. He was able to part the crowd and made us reach the car. When we got in, I loosened my tie and leaned back in my seat. 

Once we reached the hotel, which was also full of reporters, I sat on the couch. Mom began to get to work and make me dinner. Malik walked in a while later. He began to collect some legal documents around the suite and place them in his suitcase. When he was done, I stood up and held out my hand.

“Guess we’re done…” I said. Malik looked at my hand but instead gave me a hug.

“Well, I am your boyfriend’s lawyer. You’ll probably see me in the future if you ever get into another scandal.” Malik replied.

“Well then, hopefully it won’t be any time soon.” I said. Malik then ruffled my hair.

“You’re a good kid, Vincent. I know you’ll do great things in the future. Just hang in there. Things will get better for you.”

“Goodbye, Malik.” I said. 

“Farewell, my favorite client. I can finally brag to those stuck-up New York lawyers that I defended a national criminal.” He said. As he turned, my mom walked up to him and handed Malik a container of food. 

“If we can’t pay you, then take this for the road.” She said. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Florence.” He replied.

“Oh, please. Call me Elizabeth.” Mom replied. Both mom and Malik blushed. 

“Gotta go! Gotta fill out some more paperwork!” Malik walked to the front door. “Until then! Waters, out!” He said as he walked out. 

“What a kind man.” Mom said. 

“Ew, mom! Do you like him?” I asked her. 

“I’m only in my early 40s. I’m allowed to flirt with men.” Mom replied. I chose to not hear that last part. 

Mom returned to make me a plate of food. When I turned on the TV, I skipped the news and went to watch some cartoons. Mom brought me a plate of food and she sat next to me. 

“So, what now?” Mom asked. 

“We go home.” I replied. Mom kissed my head and hugged me close to her. 

“Then we’ll go home.” 

I eventually fell asleep on that couch, and had the best sleep ever. But it will never top the first time I slept with Connor. 

Eventually, it was time for us to move out of the suite and return to Wisconsin. I packed my essentials, and also asked my bellboy friend to bring me some of their shampoo bottles. A car waited for us to take us back home. 

As we drove, I looked at the National Mall, aweing at the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. That’s when I decided that my goal was to return to this place and make a bigger change for people like me. 

For now, I leaned my head on my mom’s shoulder and slowly closed my eyes. This time, instead of nightmares that woke me up, I had a peaceful dream. And in this dream, I took control of my life and created it myself. 

I’ll think about the world when I wake up. A nice nap in my childhood bedroom is currently worth more than a million dollars to me.

33: Auburn

CHAPTER 33:

AUBURN

Vincent Florence

“Vinny?” My mom asked, peeking her head into my room.

“Yeah?” I asked, sitting up to see her with her apron on.

“Did you forget?” She said. I stared at her confusingly. “It’s your birthday. You’re officially 18.”

I grabbed my phone, a new one I had bought recently after my previous one was destroyed in the fire, and checked the date. June 19. Yep, it’s my birthday.

“Wanna do anything today?”

I let out a small hum. “Nah. I think I’m going to just take a walk right now.” I replied. Mom nodded and left my room.

After I returned to Wisconsin, my life had sort of remained in a state of limbo. After I was vindicated of my crimes and was no longer under the constant watch of the government, my life needed a bit more adjusting.

When I returned home, the home had been in a state of chaos. My mom was so occupied with the trial that she forgot to ask someone to check up on the house. So that meant that there was dust everywhere, the food had gotten moldy, and the foliage outside was messy. Not only that, but the front of our house had been ground zero for a protest, where people came in support of me.

My mom and I were informed that, due to the nature of the trial, the Secret Service would be patrolling the area and ensuring our safety. So far, I haven’t had any major problems. Besides the occasional person who wants a selfie with me or an eager person recording me.

As for the rest of my friends, they’ve each been doing their own things…

Dorian was able to come forward about her father’s past and what happened to her in her youth. This opened an investigation, which is still ongoing. I did let her know that I am rooting for her and hoping that she gets the justice that’s been overdue.

Archie, after the trial, went to move to his granparent’s home. Here, he mainly hunkered down and remained in silence. I’ve spoken to Archie, and he’s expressed interest in playing with Legos. At least he’s enjoying his time. Archie has also been by Dorian’s side during her trial.

Octavia’s parents were a little disappointed that she brought national attention to herself. For a while, they ignored her presence. But at some point, they began to come around and realized how they had treated their only daughter. Their relationship is still broken, but there seems to be a bit of a bond forming.

Percy’s parents had a different reaction. Rather than be angry at his actions, Percy’s father was prideful. Percy’s father would constantly brag about what his son achieved and the efforts he made. At least they’re happy. From the phone calls I’ve had with Percy, it seems that he might follow in his father’s footsteps, as a senator.

As for Connor… Being my boyfriend, we text constantly and call each other. I met his mother and father through FaceTime. His father is still a little uncomfortable that his future heir is dating a man, but he seems to have relaxed after going through an epiphany where he realized how he treated his children. So far, Connor and his oldest brother, Isaac, have slowly begun to have a relationship. The rest of his brothers have not had the opportunity to do so.

I thought all legal trouble was going to end the moment the verdict was read. But a few days after I returned to Wisconsin, I was served with a class action lawsuit. All of us were being sued by many of the “victims” who were exposed.

But thankfully, the case was thrown out quickly. I guess the courts saw that a bunch of teens being sued by criminals was not trial worthy. We were actually awarded compensation for emotional damages and my legal fees paid for.

At least I got another chance to see Malik.

The money that was raised by people to pay my legal fees was given to me. I used that money to fix up the house. I also used some of it to pay off my mom’s debts. And for the remaining money, which was most of it, I gave it to several foundations.

It’s my birthday today. I had completely forgotten. I spend most of my days indoors to avoid the public.

Eventually, I got up, showered, and ate breakfast. Once done, I hung out with my childhood friends, Coop and Janet. After I returned from DC, they were quick to visit me and hugged/scolded me. It was nice to catch up with them.

In the middle of the day, I received a phone call from Connor.

“Hello?” I said.

“Happy birthday, Vinny!” I heard Connor eagerly say. “Sorry this took too long. I had an emergency earlier.”

“At least you remembered.” I said.

“If it wasn’t for everything that happened, I would’ve thrown you the biggest party. We would have gone somewhere romantic and I would have showered you with every expensive gift.”

“Or, you can just make me dinner.” I replied.

“I sometimes forget that you like simplicity. Oh! By the way: Did you get the email?” He asked.

“What email?” I asked back.

“It’s from Auburn. They want to throw us a special graduation for the six of us, since we didn’t get to have one.”

I checked my email. Sure enough, it was there, hidden between an email from CNN asking for an interview and another to upgrade my Spotify subscription. Sure enough, the email outlines that a small ceremony was being held for the six of us, who were unable to graduate on time.

“Are you going?” I heard Connor ask.

“Hmm…” I sighed. “Sure.” I replied.

“Or do you want to skip it and hang out together that day?”

“Nah. Let’s just get it out of the way. Anything to see the group together again.” I replied.

“Alrighty then. I’ll call you later. Talk to you soon. I love you, Vinny.”

“I love you too, Connor. Bye-bye!”

I just laid back in my bed and stared at my ceiling. Just one more time. I’ll step into those hallowed academy halls one more time. And then I’ll leave.

This led to the ceremony. It was hosted in the auditorium, where I had won my campaign to join the student council. When I crossed the stage, the emotions I felt that election day returned. I could hear the cheers of my mom, friends, their family’s, and even the staff who joined. I gave a small speech, where I thanked everyone.

For the first time in a while, I saw the headmistress. She looked the same. She shook my hand and winked at me. I didn’t dwell on why she hid herself for so long. I was just here to get my diploma and get out.

After the ceremony, Octavia had an idea.

“Why don’t we visit the Auburn Nights hall one final time?”

“I’m down.” Percy replied. The rest of the group agreed. “You, Vinny?” He asked me.

“Let’s do it.” I said. Connor placed his arm over me. We told our family’s that we were going to walk along the halls one final time before we left. But in reality, we walked through the similar halls and into the derelict north-west wing of the school.

I saw first hand the damage left over from the coucil tower. The rubble and charred remains were mostly cleaned up. All that remained was a few bricks from the foundation and some soot marks on the pavement. Glad to see that the tower was finally gone.

Through the dirty halls, into the abandoned locker, and past the large wooden door, we finally came across the Auburn Nights common hall.

“No way! It still looks the same!” Percy said. Archie ran over to a chair and picked up his sweater.

“It’s still here!” He said, holding his sweater up.

“Wait!” I said. “I’m confused about something.”

“What is it?” Connor asked.

“If everything is still in place, then how did they get our costumes and equipment we used?” I said. Our group resonated with my comment and we all rushed to the corner of the hall where we checked for clues.

“It doesn’t look like it was removed forcibly. It’s almost like whoever took it, did it gently and in no rush.” Percy said.

“But who else knows about this place?” Tavia asked.

“You think it was Elliot?” Dorian asked.

“He is the closest suspect. He was the one that snitched on us.” I replied.

Nevertheless, we didn’t dwell on it. In the end, we were caught but found innocent. Instead, we took this time to reminisce on memories we had of this place.

“This is where Vinny and I had our first time together!” Connor pointed to the bed we did it on.

“Connor! What the fuck?” I said. Everyone was amused, with Archie taking pictures of the site.

“And this is where I bottomed for Vinny.” Connor pointed to the adjacent bed. I rolled my eyes, but was still able to smell the cherry blossom lotion from that night.

“This is where Vinny told us about the booklet he found.” Percy said, pointing to the table where we sat on the day I showed them that book. It’s where the plan to place me on the council came from.

“Archie. Isn’t that where you and Dorian first made out?” I asked, as I pointed to the chair next to the kitchen. Both Archie and Dorian blushed and looked away.

Right as we were looking into the broom closet where Percy was showing us his chewed gum collection, the lights of the common hall turned off. We scrambled around and used our phones to light our way to the fuse box. Archie tampered with it, but nothing happened.

Finally, the lights came back on. We sighed in relief until Dorian let out a gasp. We turned to what she was pointing at. All of us jolted back, hitting our backs on the brick wall behind us, as we bare witness to the figures in front of us.

Five figures stood there. All wore black cloaks that covered their bodies. I couldn’t even see their shoes. But what struck me was what they wore on their heads. All of them wore different animal heads. One was a deer, a fox, a rabbit, an owl, and a lion.

“Oh, God.” I muttered, recognizing the deer and owl heads. The deer I saw on the day I was elected onto the student council. And the owl I saw back in Wisconsin.

“Who are they?” Tavia asked. “And why are they standing there?”

“I-I don’t know!” I replied. Dorian snuck behind us and shielded herself. “Who are you?!” I yelled. I heard an animalistic noise coming from one of them.

The fox head kept making animalistic noises, like gurgling sounds but more distorted.

“Oh, Davis! Did you not take the Nyquil I gave you?!” The deer mask person nudged the fox masked person. The voice of the deer mask was also distorted.

“I was busy, Scarlett!” The fox replied. I turned and saw the lion mask shaking their head, almost like they were disappointed.

“Can we just take these things off?” Owl mask asked.

“Fine.” The lion mask replied.

In a quick moment, all the cloaked people removed their masks. They revealed their faces, of people in their early 50 or later 40s. But the person who caught me off guard to be amongst the crowd was Avianna Clemont, the person behind the lion mask.

“Headmistress?” I called out. Headmistress was fixing her hair as she turned to me. I began to walk closer to her.

“I can’t breathe in those damn things.” Avianna said. She finally turned to us and stared us down.

“Ooh! Scarlett, Look! They still kept the carpets that you hated!” One of the men said.

“Guess even the new generation has no taste.” The woman, whom I assume was Scarlett, replied.

“Can someone explain what’s going on?!” I yelled. The five people stopped and turned to us.

“Right, we should explain.” Avianna said. The five people removed their black cloaks, revealing casual attire underneath. Except for Avianna, who wore her black elegant dress from the ceremony.

Avianna led us to the couches, where we all sat. Us, the younger ones, sat on one side. While the other was occupied with the mysterious people who came in here.

Who are they? Why do they have animal heads? Why did one of them follow me to my home in Wisconsin? What is the headmistress’ connection? And how do they know about this common hall? So many questions.

“Let’s just lay it all out.” Avianna said. “We are the former members of the Auburn Nights.”

“Huh?!” Connor said.

“Wait, you? You were in Auburn Nights?” Tavia asked.

“Precisely.” Avianna said. “But not just me, all of us.” She signaled to the rest of her people. Immediately, the rest of us began to bombard her with questions. We overlapped one another until Avianna clapped her hands to silence us.

“I have a question!” I said. Avianna gave me the go-ahead. “Were you guys the ones that have been spying on me?” I asked.

“On the day of your election, yes!” The woman, Scarlett, said. “We all wore the same mask for funsies.” She giggled.

“But in Wisconsin, that was me.” The man with the owl head on his lap said. “Roman Whitehall. Headmaster of Pinewood Institute.”

“Why were you in my hometown?” I asked.

“Because I know everything about you.” He gave me a stern look. Then it changed to a goofy smile. “Nah, I’m just messing with you. My family actually lives nearby. Avianna just wanted me to give you a little scare. She’s a bit cruel.” He nudged our headmaster.

“While we’re at it, let’s introduce ourselves.” The man who wore the fox head said. “Davis Renaud. Headmaster of Trinity School of Fine Arts.”

“Porter Mumford.” The man who bore the rabbit mask said. “Headmaster of Summerfield School for Boys.”

“Scarlett Keaton.” The woman with the deer mask said. “Headmistress of Rutherford School for Girls.”

“And you already know me.” Our headmistress said. “Sorry if we caused any paranoia amongst you guys.”

“And you two,” Porter said to Percy and Tavia. “I truly didn’t mean to walk in on you two doing the deed. My apologies!”

We all turned to Tavia and Percy, who stood stone still.

“Are you two a thing?” Connor asked them.

“Uhh…” Percy stuttered.

“Yup!” Archie said, pulling out his phone and showing us all a video of the two of them making out in the supply closet Percy was showing us earlier.

“No-fucking-way!” I said. “Why didn’t you guys tell us?”

“Because I didn’t want you guys to know that I’m dating this dumbass!” Tavia said.

“This ‘dumbass’ is the person you come crying to whenever you watch a sad dog video! Or one of those soldiers coming home videos!” Percy replied. The two began to bicker. That’s when we all realized that we should’ve expected this to happen.

“Anyways, I’m sure you have more questions.” Avianna said while also interrupting Tavia and Percy’s argument.

“What is the story of you all?” Connor asked.

“We were like you guys in our time.” Davis said. “We discovered Auburn Nights by accident when Scarlett ran in here because Victor Skeffington was chasing her. From then on, it became a secret hiding place.”

“How long did you know that we were occupying this place?” I asked Avianna.

“I had my suspicions before you arrived on campus. But it was confirmed on the first voting day when I noticed your Auburn Nights pin under your vest.”

“It’s so nice that you guys still use the pin I designed!” Davis said.

“So why didn’t you ever say anything?” Percy asked.

“Because I know that this place is a private place for juveniles who feel out of place. I didn’t want you guys to have the feeling that I knew where you guys were and that I would pop out at any moment. This was your place. And I was not to intrude.” She replied.

“Thanks for the privacy.” I said. “And did you know that we were behind the exposé?”

“Obviously. It was a matter of connecting the dots. To any normal person, they would’ve had suspicions but nothing more. We, however, knew exactly what was going on.” Avianna said.

“Hold up! So what was that document you made us sign? If you knew we had something to do with it, why the contract?” Percy asked.

“The document said that you guys had nothing to do with the secrets. And if I recall, I didn’t see either of you children doing drugs or having sex with anyone, or anything for that matter. You guys exposed the secrets, but weren’t in the secrets.” She winked.

“Ah, I get it. You purposefully worded the document like that to trick us.” I said. Avianna nodded with pride.

“Still, your faces that day were hilarious. It was easy to spot the lies because I knew all along.” She said. “That wasn’t even the trickiest part. The worst part was getting the costumes and equipment out of here. That, and convincing Elliot to rat you guys out.” She casually said.

“What?” All of us said at the same time.

“Oh, right! I forgot to mention. Elliot didn’t crack from pressure. Once I figured that you used Elliot’s expertise, I simply let him know that I needed him to reveal everything. In return, my friend at the DoJ would ensure that he wouldn’t be charged with anything.” Avianna explained.

“That’s why Elliot gave us that wink.” Archie said. “It was his way of sending us a message that everything was being taken care of.”

“Wait wait wait!” I said. “Let me get this straight. You knew we were here, plotting to dethrone the elite, didn’t stop us, then had us arrested, and are now casually playing it off like it was nothing?!” I angrily asked.

“Calm down, Vincent. From the moment you stepped on campus, I knew that you were going to cause trouble. I just watched from the sides and never intervened, until now.” She said.

I calmed down. “You still have some more explaining to do.” I said. Avianna and the others were glad to answer our questions. And questions we have.

At the end, it was finally time to say goodbye to the Auburn Nights. I’m going to miss this place more than the actual school. Before we left, Avianna showed us a part under a carpet where people carved their names. I used the edge of my Auburn Nights pin and carved my name onto the hardwood floor. We all wrote ‘Class of 2028’ underneath our names.

“Campus is closing soon. We should leave.” Avianna said. We stood up and covered the floor with the carpet. I grabbed Connor’s hand and kissed him on the cheek.

“I’m going to miss this place.” He said.

“Me too. Maybe we can sneak in here one day.” I said. “Are you ever going to fix the north-west wing?” I asked our former headmistress.

“No. It’s broken for a reason. So that no one ever finds this place.” She winked. Our group gave one final glance to the Auburn Nights common room. All the memories and shenanigans we got into at this place, those are times we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

We fell in love here. We cried and argued. Committed literal crimes here. But despite the ugly and bad, is it bad to say that I’ll miss it?

The lights were turned off, and the final door was finally closed upon the chamber that was kept so secret. As we walked back to our parents, scouring the halls one final time, I turned over to the charred remains of the tower.

“Headmistress!” I called out. She turned to me.

“Yes, Vincent?” She asked.

“What’s going to happen to that spot?” I asked, pointing to the former tower.

“I don’t know. Maybe just a scooter parking lot.” She replied. She saw my disgusted face. “I’m just messing with you. We plan on building a center that will work on handing out more scholarships. What do you think of the name ‘Florence Hall’?” She asked.

“Why named after me?” I asked. “I mean, I appreciate the gesture. But why me? I’m sure I caused you enough headaches for a lifetime.”

“Because you deserve it. You showed me the great potential that is yet to be untapped. Who knows how many other Vincents there are out there. The hall will review even more low-income students and bring them on campus. We plan on starting small, maybe 30 kids. But over time, we’ll add more and more.” She explained.

“And the other students and their parents? I’m sure they won’t enjoy sharing their space and having their money being used to pay for other kids.” I retorted.

“They either stick with the program or move aside. It’s time for this academy to truly become something new and reinvent itself.”

“And the student council? Where will they sleep?” I asked.

“For too many decades, the council has tried to establish their superiority over the headmaster. Which is why, from now on, the council will be located under my office.” She said. I looked out the window and saw the headmaster’s tower, now considered the tallest tower.

“I hope there’s going to be some reforms on the council.” Connor remarked, walking from behind us.

“I can assure you there will be major reforms. Starting with no power plays. Too many former members used their influence to persuade votes. No longer will that be a thing.” Avianna then turned to me. “And don’t worry, Vincent. Student Relations will still remain. I’m actually thinking of moving student relations up the hierarchy. Right on match with the secretary.”

“These are great changes, headmistress. But can I also ask for one more thing?”

“Sure thing.” She replied.

“New sheets for the beds. Please! It was like touching a shark’s skin.” I begged. Avianna just chuckled but assured me that the new students will receive new sheets.

Avianna and her group left for the tower while the rest of us returned to our parents. My mom quickly ran over and hugged me.

“Ready to go?” She asked me.

“Just one more thing.” I said. I walked over to my group and we all shared a group up. “Let’s take that trip to Greece.” I told them.

“I’m down.” Percy said.

“Me too.” Tavia replied. Archie and Dorian both nodded, also agreeing.

“Great! I’ll make the reservations. When are you guys free?” Connor asked.

“Well, we aren’t going to college. So… any time.” I replied.

“Right.” Connor kissed my cheek. “I’ll do it as soon as possible.” Right on cue, multiple of my friends’ families honked their car horns.

“Guess this is goodbye.” Tavia muttered.

“Don’t fret. We’ll see each other again soon.” Percy lightly kissed her hand.

We all said goodbye to one another. Dorian and Archie went together as they entered a car and were gone. Tavia joined her parents, who didn’t say anything and just drove her away from campus. Percy was tightly hugged by his father and the two entered a fancy car and left.

Then it was Connor.

“Thank you, Vinny. For being a part of this crazy journey.” He told me.

“When I came to Auburn, I didn’t expect much. But then I met you, and you became all I needed.” I said. Connor had tears in his eyes and leaned in to hug me.

“Promise you’ll call.” He muttered.

“I promise.” I said. He pulled away. I placed my hand on his face. “I love you, Connor Devonshire.”

“I love you too, Vincent Florence.” He replied. I leaned up and gave him the biggest kiss on the lips. It’s not a goodbye, but it feels like one. He finally let go and rubbed my head. “Until then…” He said. He solemnly let go of my hand and walked back to his parents.

His father gave me a simple nod. I replied the gesture. As Connor got in his car, he rolled down the window and waved at me. I waved for as long as I could until he disappeared into the line of trees.

“Ready to go?” Mom asked. She handed me a handkerchief, which I used to wipe my tears.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” I replied. I walked with my mom to her beaten up Toyota car.

As soon as she turned the car on, there was that irking humming noise that always worries me. I sat in the passenger seat and my mom began to drive out of campus.

I turned and looked at the Auburn Brights Academy, the prestigious academy known for its rich students and elite alumni. Where the future of the kids here are set in stone. However, mine is yet to be determined as I move forward with no clear path.

In the headmaster’s tower, I saw five cloaked figures with their masks. The lion mask, Avianna Clemont, waved at me. I waved back, no longer fearing those figures.

Mom kept driving until she finally left the grounds and into the woods.

“You know, you kinda broke your promise.” She said.

“What?” I asked. She didn’t take her eyes off the road.

“You swore you weren’t going to get involved in anything. And last I checked, you did.” She said.

I blushed. “Sorry, mom.” I replied.

“It’s fine. We all do stupid things in high school. Of course, mine was clogging all the toilets with my tests after my physics teacher failed me. Yours was on a federal and international level. But still, it was high school.” Mom said. She patted my hair and kept driving.

Here I sat, not sure what to do.

My diploma sat on my lap while I sat in my mom’s old Toyota car. With the humming of the car, and the breeze flowing through my ears, there was a sense that everything will be alright in my life.

It’s going to be a long drive to Wisconsin. Maybe in those hours, I can figure out my life. Or maybe not. I have a lifetime to figure out what to do with my life.

Until then, Auburn Brights Academy. You damn cursed school. For all your faults and what you represent. But also, thank you, for the great people that can be found.

I slowly closed my eyes and felt myself drift off into a sleep. I leaned back and just tried to dream of something nice for once.

---

don’t leave yet! check out the last chapter!

<3

34: Farewell

CHAPTER 34:

FAREWELL

Vincent Florence

It’s been over a year since I left the courthouse, declared an innocent man. After I received my diploma from Auburn, our group stuck to our deal and went on a trip to Greece. Luckily, Connor knew much about what places to visit. Overall, it was a much needed trip to get away from everything we lived through. 

I returned to Wisconsin with no idea on what to do with my life. But we needed money, so I agreed to do a few interviews with different news stations and radios. I told my side. I described everything I went through. It seems that my voice has resonated with others because I’m always getting emailed and messaged by other people who are using my words for encouragement. 

The following months were slow. I still talked to my friends, especially Connor, everyday. Connor visited me several times and even slept in my room. I’ve only fallen in love with this man more and more. He was with me through everything, so I know our love is strong.

In the fall, I decided to try my luck again and apply to Harvard, the school I was going to attend. Luckily, it seems that my reputation is highly desired, and thus, I was accepted into the school. Connor was also accepted into his school, MIT, which means that the two of us will be going to college in the same city. 

My other friends also had their own forms of luck. Percy got into his father’s alumni, Princeton. Tavia is going to Rice University. Dorian and Archie chose a different path. Dorian won her case against her father and her other tormentors. But even with those men in jail, she was still “broken” (she never was). So she and Archie decided to use their money and move to Barbados, following the footsteps of Connor’s other brother. There, they established a small bar that they run together. We visited them in the summer of 2029, right before we went off to college.

Regarding the student council. Pretty much, almost all the former members were arrested and tried for their crimes. Ironic that we were almost charged for endangering the country, when these accusers were the committees of those crimes. 

The ones who got the worst sentence were the Barringtons. Sarah won’t be a bother to us anymore. The same can also be said to the other patrons of that night. 

The only one who got off scott free was Milton Livington. Now that his parents and his arranged wife were thrown in prison, he inherited his father’s company. From here, he married the love of his life and is now raising their kid. I constantly receive updates from Milton and was even asked to be his son’s Godfather. 

Natalia, the woman who helped me in the tower, also got her happy ending. Now that she was debt free, and using the money that people raised for her once they discovered her predicaments, she was able to move far away with her family and begin a new life. Now, she and her family own a small farm in Idaho, where they spend their days tending to their crops and animals. 

Angela, and the other witnesses who testified in court, all decided to remain out of the country. They worried for their lives, which was understandable. Each of them were given a settlement and have gone off the radar. I just hope each of them are doing great in their lives. 

As for me? Like I said, I got back into Harvard and went in the fall of 2029. I gave my mom, a woman that I’ve essentially been torturing for the past year, the biggest hug and let her know that I’ll keep sending her checks. 

My childhood friends, Coop and Janet, were also there to send me off. They would both go to California to attend their own schools. 

My first few weeks at Harvard were a bit difficult. Not because of the overwhelming sensation of living in a new city, away from everyone I know, but because of the people who were always asking me questions. The amount of times people would go up to me with their phones out, asking me insane questions, it almost made me drop out. 

But from past experiences, I knew I could face anything. 

And I wasn’t alone in Cambridge. For down the street from me was Connor Devonshire at MIT. Connor was also facing a similar predicament, we all were. Luckily, Connor was able to at least get security. 

Connor and I met every two days, at least, and would be together. Either I would be in his dorm, or he would be in mine. 

On one particular day, I took the bus to his campus and went to his dorm. When I got inside, I got to work and began to fix his room. 

I put rose petals on the bed, lit up a few scented candles, and dimmed the lights in his room. That’s because today is our two-year anniversary. Which explains why I’m laying on his bed, wearing absolutely nothing underneath. 

After a few minutes, I heard his front door open. 

“I get that, but it’s still fucking confusing! Can’t the font just be Lora or Cinzel? Sans serif mostly looks the same!” Connor said. He completely missed me and threw his backpack on the bed. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll ask Nicholas if he would want to do that.” 

“Uhh, Connor?” I called out to him. Connor was still removing his clothes and talking on the phone. 

“Wait.” Connor stopped and looked up. His eyes met me. I raised an eyebrow at him. “Can I call you back?” He quickly hung up the phone. In an instant, Connor jumped on the bed and began to make out with me.

“What took you so long?” I asked in between kisses. Connor stopped and sat up to remove his shirt.

“My design professor is already giving us a project.” He stood up to remove his pants. “I was just caught up in the moment.” Once he was down to his trousers, he scanned the room and looked at my decorations.

His eyes bulged and he grabbed his phone from his desk. As soon as he saw the date, he quickly jumped back in bed and began to quickly make out with me. 

“Shit, Vinny. I didn’t mean to forget our anniversary.” He apologized. I just giggled and rubbed his hard back. 

“There’s different ways you can make it up to me.” I replied mischievously. 

Connor trailed his hand down my body until he reached my waist. 

“I’m gonna fucking enjoy this.” Connor leaned his head down my body and began to lick my chest. I leaned my head back, placing my right hand on his head and grabbing his hair tightly. 

“Fuck, Connor!” I panted out. 

“Keep saying my name. I want you to scream it for the whole school.” Connor said as his tongue trailed lower. 

His hand was placed on my pec, and the other holding my back. I made him switch positions, so he was against his pillows. Meanwhile, I straddled his lap. My hands hooked on both sides of his neck and pulled him close. Connor’s arms once again returned to my chest and on my back.

“Did you prep?” Connor asked.

“Mhm.” I replied. Connor reached over to his desk and grabbed a bottle of lube. He used it and slowled helped me lower onto him. 

“Is this okay?” He asked once he was in.

“Mh! Yeah, it’s– okay!” I grunted out. Connor thrusted up. I felt impaled on him and completely full. Connor kept thrusting up. His other hand went to hold my back. I steadied myself on his neck, holding on for my life. 

“Can I go fast?” Connor asked between grunts. I looked down at his blue eyes. 

“Please do.” I whimpered out. As soon as those words left my mouth, he quickly went in and out. I saw stars and almost felt an out of body experience. 

Despite the underlying pain that always accompanies this, the pleasure is just too much. Not to mention, Connor is always diligent about my experience. If I ever need him to stop, he agrees. And if I want him to please me more, all it takes is a little begging. 

The both of us climaxed and took a few seconds to catch our breaths. I got off his lap and laid down next to him. 

“Were you clenching on it?” Connor asked, still catching his breath.

“Yeah. Wanted to see if you would notice.” I replied. Connor turned his side, laying his head on his hand which flexed his bicep. 

“Any other tricks you want to show me?” He asked.

“Maybe some other time.” I planted a kiss on his lips. “We have a reservation at Red House at 9.” I told him.

“Can’t we just stay in bed all night. I want to see what other tricks you have in store for me.” He said. 

“We have time for a few more rounds. But I’m saving the best for last.” I said. Connor sighed and smiled at me. 

“What would my life be like if you weren’t in it?” He brought his finger to my hair and pushed some of it behind my ear. 

“Probably worse, I’d imagine.” I replied. 

“So much shit has happened since you’ve come into my life. Is it bad to say that it was worth it?” He asked. 

“Well, we both survived a lot and made it to the end. I’d say it was worth it indeed.” I replied. 

“Never imagine I’d find myself falling in love with a guy, let alone of lower class. I guess you showed me that we were more alike than we’d imagine.” Connor said. 

“I wonder what it’s like in Auburn right now. You think they really made those changes that Avianna told us?” 

“Maybe. Who knows. There’s a lot that school needs fixing. And it’s going to take years for it to be fixed entirely.”

“Avianna wants me to come in and be a guest speaker one day. I kind of want to do it, just to revisit that campus.” 

“Then do it.” Connor told me.

“Me? Why? I have nothing to offer to those students.” 

“You do, my Vinny. You can give them hope and courage. You’re a walking example that, even if you lose everything, you can still come out okay on the other side. You, Vinny, are the bravest person I know.” Connor said. I kissed his cheek.

“Maybe some time.” I replied. Connor’s phone began ringing. He reached over to his desk and picked up the call.

“What?” He answered.

“Oh, your voice is raspy. Did you and Vinny just finish fucking?” I heard Tavia say. 

“What?” I asked. Connor placed his hand over my mouth to quiet me.

“Yeah, we did. Why are you calling?” Connor asked.

“Just to check in. I saw a video on my feed of you two at a frozen yogurt shop. What do you think of the name ‘Conny’ or ‘Vinnor’?” She asked. I made a disgusted face.

“None, please.” Connor replied for both of us. 

“Thought so. You two are like, thee couple right now. Every gay guy is probably wishing they had a relationship like you two.” Tavia said. I pulled up to Connor and began to poke his nipple. 

“Uh, I’m sure they don’t want what we want.” Connor said. He grabbed my wrist tightly. “Stop.” He said. I blushed, because I like irritating him and getting him to use his stern voice.

“No…” I replied. He rolled his eyes and continued to let me poke him while he continued to talk to Tavia. The phone was passed to me and I also talked to her. She gave a goodbye afterwards and wished us a great anniversary.

“Dorian and Archie want us to visit them soon.” Connor told me as I got up and tried not to collapse on the floor.

“I’m up for that. I still miss them.” I replied. 

“I’m going to ask you something and I don’t want you to freak out.” Connor said. I turned and raised an eyebrow at him.

“It better not be…”

“It’s not.” He said. “My father wants you and your mom to join us for dinner during Thanksgiving. We’ll pay for the airfare and accommodate everything. Just bring you and your mom.” He said. 

“I-I don’t know. Is your father still awkward about us?” I asked.

“Not really. I mean, he’s not against it. But if he wants to have dinner, that’s a good sign.”  He said. Connor got off the bed and walked over to me, hugging me from behind. 

“Are you ever going to propose to me?” I jokingly asked. I turned and saw Connor blushing and looking away.

“Uh, I mean, not right now.” He coughed loudly. “But– shit!” He muttered.

“Relax, Connor. I’m just messing with you. It’s too early to think about that right now.” I told him. He relaxed and grabbed my hand, leading me to the bed. 

“I love you, Vincent. I know one day, we’ll definitely get married.” He kissed my hands. 

“Where do we go after we finish college?” I asked. 

“Wherever we want. But preferably the north east. I still have to run my father’s company.” He replied. 

“Are you going to help Horace after your father disowned him?” I asked him. 

“I want to. But you know my father, he’s stubborn. Also Claus. He’s been over three years sober, but father still treats him like an addict.” 

“I want to meet them one day.” I said. 

“If you want to, yeah. But we’ll have to do it without my parents knowing.” He said. I leaned my head on his shoulder.

“I think I want to meet my dad. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, I just want to see who the man that brought me into the world looks like. Ya’know? Like, I just want to see him once. If we can form some sort of relationship, that’ll be nice.” I said. 

“I’ll help you. Do you also want to meet your dad’s side of the family? Maybe we should start there before meeting your actual dad.” Connor suggested.

“Yeah. That sounds like a plan.” I replied. I went over to the bag I brought and pulled out a candle.

“What’s that for?” Connor asked innocently. “We have enough candles.”

“Silly boy.” I said. I reached over and grabbed a lighter and turned it on. “Ever heard of wax play?” I asked.

“What are they teaching you at that campus, Vincent?” He asked. 

“The usual. But before we begin, do you feel comfortable with trying this?” I asked for his consent.

“I trust you with my life, Vinny. You can try whatever you want with me.” Connor smirked and laid back on the bed. I walked over with the candle and held it over his body. 

“You remember the safe word, right?” I asked.

“Mhm. Auburn.” He replied with the safeword. 

The wax play was an interesting experience. According to Connor, it was both pleasurable but painful. Strangely, both were amazing to him. I’ll definitely add this to the ‘possible’ list for future play. 

“Get dressed, we have dinner soon.”  I said, throwing him a fresh pair of underwear. 

“Just one more round.” Connor begged. 

“Later. For now, we need to get to the restaurant before they give our table away.” 

Connor groaned but got up. 

“Are you sleeping over?” He whispered in my ear. 

“I don’t have class tomorrow, so yeah.” I replied. 

“I have one wish…” He muttered in my ear. 

“Anything.” I replied. Connor brought his hands up and touched my body. He nibbled on my ear and twisted my nipples with his fingers.

“Let me sleep with it inside you tonight.” He muttered. I stopped his hands and turned around. Connor’s face was flushed, his hair messily falling over his blue eyes. 

How can I ever say no to him?

“No.” I told him. 

“Why?” He asked. 

“Because that’s weird.” I replied. Connor signaled to his chest, which still had red marks from the candle wax. 

“And what about what we did with the chocolate sauce and that sleeve with those bumps on it? Or when you wore that bunny outfit and–” I shushed him by kissing him. 

“Don’t mention a single word about the bunny costume.” I warned him. 

“Aye-aye, captain.” He replied. “Get it, cause when I wore that sailor’s outfit one time.” This time, I placed my hand over his mouth. 

“You must not really want to have me tonight.” I told him. Connor relented and agreed not to bring up past fantasies. 

I got dressed quickly, since I had my clothes ready. My boyfriend, on the other hand, struggled to find the right clothes. This happens when your boyfriend only wears sweaters and joggers everyday and nothing else. Luckily, he had a button up and some slacks that were casual enough for the dinner. 

We hopped on the bus and took the trip to the restaurant. Dinner was great. It almost reminded me of the picnic Connor and I had two years ago when he asked me out. 

Connor didn’t want to take the bus back, but instead wanted for us to walk. I was fine with this, because I didn’t want the night to end.

“Oh, Percy texted me. He wishes us to… have a great anniversary.” Connor said. 

“I don’t believe you.” I said. I grabbed Connor’s phone and read the text that Percy sent. “He said he hopes I get… dicked down?” I turned to Connor.

“I have no idea why I lied, honestly.” He said. 

“Send him that photo that Archie took of Percy when he wore a thong.” I handed the phone back to him.

“I will definitely do that.” Connor replied. He typed on his phone then put it away. Then we became silent and just walked. 

We didn’t say anything. We just walked in silence. But a sort of connection was still there. I can reach over and feel him walking beside me. And I know he’s real because when I pinch myself, he’s still there. I truly feel blessed to have this man in my life.

It was a difficult road to get to where we are. I wouldn’t have survived out of it if it wasn’t for Connor and the great friends I made along the way. These are the friends I will have for a lifetime. And we aren’t bonded by mutual trauma, but by a stronger connection.

I think I can confidently say that we all saved each other. 

“I want to love you forever, Connor.” I said, breaking the silence between us.

“Then do it. Doesn’t sound too hard.” Connor replied. “Trust me, loving you is the easiest thing for me. It just comes naturally.” 

We stopped under a lamppost and shared a kiss between us. 

“Let’s get back to your dorm.” I patted his chest.

“Okay.” He replied. “I love you, my Vinny.” He said. 

I tightly held his hand and hooked our fingers together. 

“I love you too, Connor.” I replied. 

Maybe one day I’ll return to Auburn Brights Academy. I’ll revisit the place that ultimately changed my life, in good and bad ways. I’ll look to the future and think about the great people that I’ve met and try to ignore the bad. 

But when a man loves you everyday, and you have a great group of friends and family that adore you as well, maybe moving on won’t be such a hard thing to do. So long as I remember them and what they did for me. 

Farewell, my friends. Until the next time. 

THE END

---

well, this story is over now. this was definitely one of my more… interesting stories to write. it was long, tiring to write, but i made it through. there were so many times i wanted to stop writing, but knew that i had to give these characters the ending they deserve. and you know what? i don’t regret writing this story.

this is been a fun journey. i’m gonna miss these characters deeply. and i hope you all enjoyed this story somewhat, even if it was boring or too long at some point.

this is goodbye! if you enjoyed this read, check out my others!

bye! see you on the next adventure!

♥️