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prank wars
It's an idiotic idea that only freshman could come up with. They couldn't wait another 3 years for their Senior Prank, so they started the Freshmen Prank Wars.
A different prank every day for a whole 5 days.
Except when you have the evil mastermind of Farkle Minkus and the policing of the deadly saint Riley Matthews, it amounts to simple "safe" pranks such as poking holes in water bottles, highlighting the outside of pencils, putting whoopie cushions underneath the chairs, and locking the classroom doors when the teachers walk out, and perhaps the most daring-spit balls.
But it's okay, because it really just means that it leaves Maya Hart and Lucas Friar to get down to the real business.
And although they'll deny it later on, they enjoy every single minute of it, together.
Maybe a little too much.
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There was an unspoken allegiance between them from the moment the prank idea had formed on Sunday. Farkle and Riley had needed to go through the formalities and write a list of who was on what team.
Friar and Hart wrote nothing, said nothing: their coordination was beyond that.
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Monday
The first day of the week; they figured they'd start out light. No point in getting themselves out of the game before it even started. They didn't even plan it out; it was the natural typical high school route to take. They just knew. So, naturally, they started the first day of prank wars with toilet paper.
They showed up to school early that morning, the time decided upon the night before in a single text. "7 o'clock, Ranger Rick." -That was all she had to send. And they had both shown up 7 o'clock sharp, matching black war paint on their cheeks, black bandana on Lucas's forehead paired with Maya's leather jacket. They arrived at school at more or less the same time-they looked each other up and down, gave each other a short nod, and set off to work. That's just how good they were. Hart had the key to Matthews' classroom but they were in this all or nothing-so she let Friar have his fun and pick the lock. (She wouldn't admit it, but she was slightly impressed. They were in in less than a minute.)
When they were done, the entire classroom had been TP'd. They hadn't spoken the entire time because they didn't need to. They fueled their reckless abandonment into the toilet papers flung across the classroom (and at one point, they played a silent game of catch that resulted in a single roll of toilet paper sprawled to and fro Mr. Matthews' desk.) They found comfort in each other's company - something about the way they could communicate without ever saying a word to each other. That was the thing Friar and Hart had that the rest didn't.
When they were done, they stood at the door of the classroom and admired their work. He turned to her but she was still basking in the glory of the ruined classroom. He found himself lost in the oceans of her eyes until she turned to him, snapping him back to reality.
"Well, Huckleberry? What'd'ya think?"
"It's alright," he shrugged it off, trying (and failing) to conceal his smirk.
She cocked her eyebrow at him and tossed him the measly cardboard remains of the toilet paper. "What? Think you can do better?"
"Oh, no, I'm sure I can do worse and you can make fun of me," he conceded, glancing around the room and gesturing at the mess.
Her eyes rolled up, irritated at his behavior. His smirk grew bigger in response.
"You're not playing this right," she said.
"Well," he walked to the door and held it open for her, "that's certainly not my intention," he said.
As she walked through it, he came closer, lifted the cardboard roll up, and tipped it in an imaginary salute, "ma'am."
"Oohhh," Maya shuddered as the door quietly shut.
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Tuesday
They came to school without really knowing what they were doing. Neither of them had gotten their allowances yet so they had decided to work with what they had.
What better way to start off a Tuesday than with an upside down classroom?
(Okay, Maya knew it was lame, but Lucas insisted it was popular in Texas. She said yes only because it meant that she got to choose the next prank.)
"You can do the honors," Lucas taunted as they approached the door, much to Maya's bemusement.
"What's the matter, did the Icky Little Bucky McBoingBoing forget how to pick the lock?"
He only rolled her eyes at her, choosing not to respond.
She opened the door with a soft click and they walked in together.
She raised her eyebrows at him, then said, "Well, if we're gonna do this, we better do it good."
They didn't destroy the desks (as reckless and carefree as they were together, they weren't stupid) but they arranged them in a formation that only artists such as Friar and Hart could have ever come up with. (It would take Janitor Harley a full day to disarrange the complex entanglement of wooden surfaces and metal legs.)
What today had that the previous day didn't was conventional communication. It didn't require much communication or even cooperation to TP a classroom but it was certainly required when forming an intricate sculpture of desks.
"Should I put this desk over here?"
"Nah, the weight of it will be too much. Put it right on top of that one over there."
"Good catch, Clutterbucket."
"Woah there, cowboy, where ya goin with that desk? It belongs right here."
Little interactions like those started to bring positivity and sincerity into their previously comical, carefree game.
They had their backs turned to each other, each picking up a desk. As they turned around too fast, their desks tangled into each other and suddenly they were a little too close.
"Yo, Ranger Rick, you mind backing up a few spaces?"
"Not at all, ma'am," he said.
They both acted unfazed by their proximity but neither could stop the blood creeping into their cheeks and neither could forget the way their eyes lingered.
The banter had long been embedded into their game-but suddenly the flirting pushed its way through.
And maybe that cooperation was the first time that their little game started slipping into a reality.
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Wednesday
It was hump day, if you considered solo cups filled with flour to be "humps."
Maya had insisted on this idea. It had been painstaking work for Lucas to buy who knows how many cups and pour the flour into them while Maya sat with her legs crossed over the kitchen table, eating the cookies his mother had made with the leftover flour, but then again it was Maya who organized them into the classroom and set them up as a perfect trap.
He didn't understand the joy behind this particular prank, at least not at first.
Then he saw the way Maya's face lit up every time a plume of flour went up in the air and over someone's face, and suddenly, he found himself wishing they could do this prank again.
(He almost brought it up-but then he remembered it was all just a game. This wasn't real, it was not real, he kept reminding himself. So why did it feel like it was?)
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Thursday
It was a slow day. Everyone just wanted Friday to happen.
They were excited for tomorrow-it was the last day of the Prank Wars, and they were going out with a bang. It was the day that the prank wars would ensue (and finish) during class. Students running in and out-this was the real day of war. It had been planned out between all the students of Cory Matthews' history class. All that was left was to wait. And clean up the various spots of flour scattered around the whole classroom, and the odd spots here and there around the hallway.
Janitor Harley had had enough and he demanded that the teenagers help clean up. So Friar and Hart put their pranking business on hold to make room for the cleaning business. Maya was sure that the smell of flour would never escape her. (She also had trouble ridding herself of how adorable Lucas looked in his janitor outfit—Yuck, what was she saying?)
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FRIDAY
The games had begun four days ago and it was about to end—with a bang.
The clock was ticking. Everyone was on edge. Maya's arms were crossed, her foot tapping furiously against the floor. Lucas had a stony face that made it clear he was not to be trifled with. Riley squinted, attempting (and failing greatly) to look intimidating to those around her. By now, even Mr. Matthews knew what was coming. He mumbled an excuse about wanting to let "the lesson run its course" and he slipped out of the classroom without another word. There was a dead silence—until the hour hand struck 1 and Farkle screamed, "PRANK WAAAARRS!"
Chaos ensued.
The class was divided into two groups: those that sided with Farkle and Riley, (a cute little sheet of paper with an organized list, headed in bold letters with "Rileytown") and those that were a part of "Mayaville" (although they were collectively and colloquially referred to as Friar and Hart).
Rileytown set up their base in the Matthews' classroom. They got around to doing little things such as "folding their hands" and god knows what else.
Meanwhile, back at Mayaville, Maya and Lucas were arguing out in the hallway. The rest of the group was gathered around, hyped up and ready to obey at a moment's notice. If only their two leaders could agree on something.
"I'm telling you, we need to get inside there. We need spies," Maya insisted.
"Why don't I go in there? We can capture her," Lucas reasoned.
Maya took a step closer to him, her face inches away from his, and replied fiercely, "because I don't want you anywhere near her."""Whatever makes you happy, ma'am," he tipped his hat in mock obedience.
She clenched her fist in frustration then turned her back to him, facing the rest of the group.
"ARE YOU GUYS READY TO KICK SOME BUTT?"
"YEAH" the crowd roared.
"WE'RE GONNA GO IN THERE, AND WE'RE GONNA CAPTURE RILEY AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE OVER THE REST OF THE SCHOOL."
The crowd cheered and made their way to the door, but Lucas interrupted.
"WAIT! We're gonna need to get something to capture her with. There's a net in the janitor's closet, we're gonna have to use that."
The crowd dispersed and Lucas and Maya were left on their own.
Lucas turned slowly around to face Maya. "Looks like you took my advice after all. Pretty good for a short stack of pancakes."
She pushed him, a little too hard, and he ended up against the lockers.
"What's the matter Ranger Roy, are you gonna pull your badge out on me?" She said menacingly.
"No," he said airily, "I'm just saying you're not so big and bad on your own."
She walked closer to him, effectively pinning him down, and staring at him dead in the eye.
"Are you questioning my leadership, Hopalong?"
He stared right back at her. "I'd like you to call me Mad Dog."
He suddenly became aware of their proximity was too much and found himself mesmerized at the way she was biting her lip, the twinkle in her eye, and her hands chained to his wrists.
There was a moment of frustration and dead silence-then their lips were crashing furiously over another.
After what seemed like an eternity, the oncoming footsteps and various war cries jolted the two back to reality.
"WE GOT THE NET," they screamed.
But they didn't need it. For Riley Matthews had been staring through the very visible classroom window, right out into the hallway. She had the perfect view of her best friend and her crush kissing. And so she walked out of the classroom, into the now dead silence of Mayaville, and strode right up to her best friend.
"I surrender," she said softly.
Looks like the Prank Wars were over.
a/n: hope you all enjoyed! this was supposed to be a history class drabble but it got a little away from me. fairly pleased with how it turned out. as always, i'll try to update whenever inspiration strikes me. thanks to all those who have waited, and leave some love in the reviews! :3
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