Coding And Corruption
Chapter 20
Preparation
I sighed as I came downstairs. Watching my mom put yet another tray of God knows what kind of snacks on the coffee table.
"Mom", I said, shocked. "Really! You don't need to be doing all this. They're just coming over to help me make flyers, and practice my speech." "Exactly!" My mom said, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "That all sounds like hungry work. You kids need your brain food!"
"Oh honey", my mom said, rushing towards me, arms stretched out for a hug. "You know your father and I couldn't be more proud of you for doing this. For all your accomplishments you've achieved this year. " "I know mom. You and dad both told me about 10,000 times last night", I said, jokingly. I remembered back to the conversation I had had only last night with both of them. Telling them I had decided to run for student council president. Watching the shock on both their faces before they both broke out in smiles. And, of course, asking if my friends could come over to help me with my campaign. To which they agreed.
All of which led us to where we are now. My mom acting like a total freak about everything, and insisting that everything was shipshape. Not that I really minded. I was glad that my parents were so supportive of everything. It would have made things a lot harder if they weren't. "Thank you, mom. For everything. You and dad are great parents. You always have been, you always will be. I looked into her eyes. This was the woman I could once tell everything. If I was going through troubles that my brother wouldn't be able to understand, because he was a boy. My mother was always the best confidant to turn to.
I wanted so desperately to tell her everything. Everything I have been going through in the past few months. All the unbelievable things I had learned. The crazy, messed up shit I had done. But I knew I couldn't. That would put her in danger. Anyone I told would be in immediate danger. But even if I could tell her. How would I even begin? How could I tell my own mother that only three short days ago. I had just murdered someone? With my own two hands! Literally, I pushed her off a roof!
I knew I couldn't tell her anything. But that just made the feeling of wanting to tell her so much stronger. I needed someone! Someone I could really talk to, about my mental health, and how all this shit had really taken a toll on me emotionally. Ayano was an ally, but I needed a friend.
But before I could dwell on the sad state of my situation any longer, we heard a knock at the door. Excitedly, I hurried to answer it. When I pulled Open the door, there stood Amai and hyacinth. "Hey guys, come on in", I said, stepping aside. "Hey, girl. We got all the stuff. Just like we said we would!" Hyacinth exclaimed, coming in with her arms full of markers, glitter pens, glue, and scissors. "We sure did",Amai said, walking through the door with several rolls of construction paper. "Here, let me help you with that", I said, taking a few of the rolls off her hands.
We set the supplies down on the floor. Deciding that that would be the biggest and best space to work. "Well, should we get started", I asked. "Not yet",Amai answered. "We're still waiting on some more people, and I don't want them to miss what I've got planned for your posters." "OK", I said plopping down on the couch. My two best friends followed suit, and we all started munching on hors d'oeuvres. "I'm going to be outback working in the garden since it's so nice out. But you girls come find me if you need anything. If you run out of snacks, there's more in the kitchen, Sakura." "Thanks, mom", I replied.
Just a few moments later, The doorbell rang. I opened it to reveal none other than Budo. Followed by what looked like Some of the Saturday martial arts crew. "Budo? What are you guys doing here? I thought you'd be at school practicing." "We wouldn't miss helping our friend campaign for student body president", The martial arts leader said, in a voice that was warm, but left no room for argument. "All right then. Come on in, everyone."
I was floored. Everyone from the Saturday martial art club meetings was in my living room. Including Ayano, and, even more surprisingly, Jack bully. The big baddie himself. I quirked a questioning eyebrow in his direction. Wondering why he would even bother to show up. When only a few months ago, I had shown him up in a fight I couldn't possibly have one, but somehow managed to. Then it clicked. Of course I won that fight. That was only the beginning of what I could accomplish when fueled by rage.
To think, I thought the glass lightbulbs breaking in Mr. Baldimore's classroom. Was the first time I had ever seen a glimpse of my abilities. But it wasn't. It was just the first Time I had seen it be so extreme. But that fight with bully. That was just a small example.
"I'm only here because Megami's A bitch. She doesn't care about lowlifes like me. We are the scum of the earth to her. We are like bugs that need to be crushed under her shoe. If we can't conform to her way of life. Then we're nothing to her. I want someone decent to be running the school. Someone that gives a shit about all of us. Besides, I got nothing better to do. Also, I see you have snacks." Bully said in response to me staring at him. "Help yourself, dude", I said softly. Very taken aback at Bullie's surprisingly compassionate speech.
"All right you guys, let's get started",Amai said, clapping
her hands, excitedly. We got to work. We measured out how big we wanted the flyers to be. Using a tape measure, not a ruler. Much to my immense relief. Once we got the exact measurements. We proceeded to cut them out of sheets of construction paper in varying colors. Amai Had the brilliant idea to use whatever was left of the paper for decorating it later. Hyacinth used a LabelMaker she brought from home to write Sakura for student body president of this coming school year. Very neatly and carefully on each of the freshly cut flyers.
suddenly, the doorbell rang once again. I was confused. Who else would be coming over? But then I remembered, symphony, Richard. They were set to come over today to. So we could help symphony work on her speech as potential vice president. Quickly, I rushed to answer the door. Sure enough, there they were. Standing together on my doorstep. Almost as one. "Ah, so this is the right address. Lady Sakura speaks the truth", Said Richard. "What?", I asked. "Oh, don't mind him. This one just thought you were trying to trick us by giving a fake address. No one's ever been nice to us like this you see. So forgive us if this seems a little hard to believe", symphony said. "Oh, no problem. This is my house. Come on in. My other friends are here ,too."
I walked back into the living room, the two of them following closely behind me. I could tell they were nervous to meet the others. But if symphony really wanted to become vice president. She needed to get over her fear of meeting new people and potentially being judged. Other wise, she'd never make it. Even with me helping her.
Not that I was entirely convinced I would make it myself. In fact, I was convinced of the opposite. Even with the help and support of my friends and family. I knew the odds were still stacked against me. Megami had it all. She was rich, attractive, far popular than I!
She had everything going for her. She was one of those girls that could get anything she wanted with a flick of the wrist. All she would need to do is sit there and look pretty.
All I was was a murderer. An abused, sick, twisted psychopath. With months of trauma under my belt. Sure, I looked fine on the outside. I looked cool, calm, collected, Put together. But in truth I was none of those things. If I were truly honest with myself. Bettering the school was only part of the reason I was so eager to run for student council president. I also thought, with uncertain optimistic hope, That I could use this as an excuse to distance myself from Baldi. Surely, if he had any sense of reason left in that sick twisted mind of his. He would be able to see that between school, homework, and being student body president. There would be no time left in my schedule for these silly after school sessions any longer, And he would be forced to give up pursuing me. It was foolproof!
"Everyone", I said once we had entered the living room. "This is symphony and her boyfriend Richard. They're here because Symphony wants to run for council alongside me. She's running for the position of vice president. I invited her here so we could help her with her speech, And Richard is here for moral support. " I watched as mostly everyone started cheerfully greeting them, and wishing Symphony luck on running for the election. She blushed, clearly not used to all the well wishes.
"We're working on posters right now, You two. Why don't we help you get started with yours, symphony", I offered. "I get posters to?", She asked, in disbelief. "Of course you do! You're her vice president, right?" Hyacinth asked, Coming over to us with her LabelMaker.
Over the course of the morning. We made several posters and flyers. Some were for me, some were for symphony, and there were even some depicting both of us. Amai had a picture on her phone that she had taken of me at the very beginning of the school year. I was sitting cross legged on the fountain in the middle of our schools courtyard. Decked out in full school uniform and all. Looking happy, lively even. Then I realized, this picture was taken before all this shit started. This was back when I was full of life, and not looking so dead. If I were to take a picture in that exact same spot today. I would look like a shell of my former self.
Regardless, we decided that picture would make an excellent centerpiece for the flyers. With my dad's permission, we used his full-scale color printer to print it out multiple times. We then stuck each picture in the center of my flyers. We then used what was left of the construction paper to decorate them. Ayano was especially skilled at this. To what I'm sure was the surprise of everyone else, she pulled out a small, delicate, ornate looking knife from her backpack, and started to use it to carve intricate designs into the construction paper. Hearts and flowers and Celtic knots.
"She has such an artistically skilled hand for being so deadly. Murder must be another form of art to her. She's so precise, she puts such effort into The carving. Each heart, each flower comes out perfect. Even though she has absolutely no emotional attachment to what she's doing", I thought. "She must just be doing this because I owe her big time.
We worked until around noon. When my mom came in from the garden and suggested we order pizza. Much to the excitement of everyone. We ended up ordering four extremely large pizzas of varying toppings. And several different types of sodas. After we all ate. We started putting together base drafts of speeches for both symphony and myself.
We got quite far along. But it was starting to get dark. Everyone had to start heading home. Symphony and I promised to meet up at least one more time before election day to practice our speeches with each other. She and Richard thanked me, then hugged me, then they two, had to leave.
"I'll hang onto these for you, Sakura."Amai said, gesturing to the flyers. "I'll even get them put up for you." "Are you sure? That's a lot to ask of you", I said. "No trouble at all!"I watched, as she too, Took her leave. About an hour later, after helping my parents clean up the mess we had made from the days events. I flopped onto my bed, thoroughly exhausted. Luckily, tomorrow was only Sunday.