Nathan
"C´mon! Let's get this barricade in its place!" says nor low or loud Grover, who´s leading the defenses preparation. He, Lenny, Carolina, Robert and I are pushing our barricade made out of wooden planks, some concrete blocks and a lot of nails and tape.
When the Commander was noticed about the incoming horde of Copper Ones, she ordered the immediate preparation of our defenses. I thought she would get really mad at us, but it seems she decided to postpone the scolding and prepare for the creatures arrival. While we are here setting all up, Jodie, Kaori, Jack, Tristan and the Commander herself are outside, getting ready the outer defenses, which consists, mostly, in moving cars in order to stop or at least slow down the advance of the horde.
There's like two minutes to midnight, and the moonlight makes everything at the school look both darker and mysterious. But that doesn't matter: a disheartening number of copperfaces is approaching, and we must be ready when they come. When the Commander gave the order, more than one questioned it. They said it would be better to pack all we could and escape from the place. But of course, the Commander persuasion and logic mitigated every other opinion except from stand and fight. And I agreed with that: we spent too many time fortifying this school, our school, for that just by the view of some Copper Ones abandon it and run away.
Finally, we put the barricade in its place, just where the principal ladder ends. Robert and I jump across and the other ones passed us two-thirds of the spikes, so when the Commander group returns they will have a clean way to the safety of the fortress. After doing that, Carolina and Lenny joined us and we four go outside to move cars. Foreseeing a situation like this one, the Commander made mark off the street with lines, indicating were we should put the cars. I open the door of a green one (we had unlocked all doors of the cars near our place) and turn the steering wheel as the rest pushes it to one of the lines. We just have finishing putting the first half of the cars in its place when the Commander's group arrived.
"Youngsters! Go up, help finishing the preparations and take some rest." orders the Commander, with firm voice. Jodie, Lenny and I were going, seeing this she hawks kinda loud. Lenny notices, and stays with the Commander. "Now let's carry on moving the cars."
As we go to the central yard, I notice that, in the roof, the upper catapults are being installed. Grover comes from the main hall.
"Commander sent ya right?" Jodie and I nod "Good. You two go helping with the roof catapults, and tell the brothers to help down here. When you finish, come back here."
At the time we get to the roof, Mary, Susan and Edmond had already finished setting up the left catapult and are just starting with the one at the right side of the school. We sent Susan and Edmond down, and help Mary with the -mainly wooden- construction. Since her is kind of an expert with the catapults, it does not take too much time. We raise the planks, recessed and tie them with rope. Put the swing arm and the spoon together, and then the counterweight, which consists in sharp junk, and we are done. Now we finished, the three of us go down, tired, but ready to keep helping.
When we get to the yard, the Commander is talking to Kaori, Edmond, Carolina and Robert. She finishes with them, and they go to the armory. She sees us coming.
"The catapults are ready, Commander." Says Mary. She nods.
"Very well. You go to the post, bring here the bag with all the weapons, gear up, and then join the bushwhackers." Mary nods and starts running towards the post. "Nathan, Jodie: go to kitchen, grab all the crates and put them in the van."
"Why if we…"
"There's no time kids, go!" says the Commander, and left us.
We both go to the kitchen, find six crates with our canned food and many water bottles. Each grab one and carries them to the garage, I open the back door of the van and put the crates inside. After two more travels from the kitchen, we're done. They really weren't that heavy, but anyways I am feeling exhausted. And judging Jodie's face, I bet she is the same way.
Once more, Grover catches us in the yard. He rapidly examines us with his look.
"For Pan's beard! You sure look tired. C'mon, go take some sleep." Jodie was about to complain, but the satyr raise his hand and says "Nah ah. You two have worked well tonight, and tomorrow we need you both at full energy. Hurry up; take advantage of the few hours of night that you still have. See ya in the morning." says, and go running to the walls, probably to play his flute to make the vines grow.
Jodie sighs.
"Well, "see ya in the morning"."
"Yeah."
We high five and go to our own rooms. In mine, Jack is sleeping, sprawled over his bed sheets, and with a leg outside. I circle the pile of chairs and desks, jump in my bed, cover myself and close my eyes. Luckily, I get asleep really fast.