The Horror of Popularity
Chapter 3: Panic Increases
"I don't know what happened," the guard said as he gathered the Dobermans together with their leashes, "they just tore off barely over a minute ago and rushed in here," he told everyone, "I've never had such a problem with the guard dogs before," he said thoughtfully.
"That's because it's not the guard dogs," A.J. spoke up softly, "I saw Lorna whisper something to Trixie and Veronica seconds before the guard dogs rushed in and killed Stewart," he revealed and the unpopular kids faces became even more fearful.
"I only told them not to answer that boy Mr. Keller," Lorna told the security guard, "he teased us and in the Boil Chester Alert that's not allowed," she pointed out.
"We're not allowed to react to teasing," Chad corrected her coldly, "they just get sent off to some comfy safe house for twenty four hours," he said, "they don't even get punished for bothering us."
"Well Stewart wont need a safe house now will he?" Timmy asked pointedly, "is this going to happen to anyone who teases any of you?" he asked seriously, "are we just going to get butchered like this or be more like Boil Kid or Chester who either suffered 'til death or are suffering and on the brink of death?"
"Mr. Keller," Britney said formally, "please tell Mr. Turner that we can't answer that since we're not the ones causing these events to happen."
"Well you sure has hell find yourselves in the middle," Mr. Keller said frankly.
"YEAH!" the unpopular kids cried in unison.
"What's the matter?" the Principal demanded as she hurried in, "Mr. Crocker told me that it was urg..." she continued but stopped when she saw the torn up body of Stewart, "oh my gosh!" she cried, "who did this?" she asked in a scared voice.
The unpopular kids pointed in the direction of the old table. But what was most important wasn't where they were pointing at, but at whom. All fingers were pointed at Lorna.
"I didn't do anything!" Lorna shrieked, "that boy was the one who put himself in danger in the first place by teasing us."
"So you admit to causing this!" the Principal interrupted victoriously.
"NO!" Lorna shouted angrily, "I'm simply saying that I don't see why we must feel guilty about some dumb kid who called Veronica a tease and Trixie a slut before he died," she said honestly.
"So you believe that he deserved to die?" the Principal asked.
"No," Lorna admitted, "but he deserved to be punished and I think that all unpopular kids should be punished if they actually do or try to tease Popular Kids."
"I don't think so," the Principal said coldly, "if you keep your self control and stay under the radar," she said, "then they wont notice you to bother you," she concluded.
"Most of them hate us," Trixie hissed, "it wont matter if we were suddenly as low as they are," she said icily, "they'll still find ways to upset us."
"What did you say to cause the death of this boy?" the Principal asked with false sweetness, "please tell me."
"We didn't do anything," Chad responded emotionlessly, "and we have no idea why the dogs attacked Stewart," he said firmly, "we're telling the truth," he added when he saw that the Principal didn't believe him.
"I think stricter measures need to be taken," Mr. Crocker said suddenly as he entered the lunchroom, "and Lorna Red should be properly interrogated."
"No way!" Ian cried, "we're not leaving Lorna alone with you!"
"I have no choice you guys," Lorna said softly, "they'll just add something else to the Boil Chester Alert and I'm certain that it will make us suffer," she said, "do you think I need interrogation?" she asked looking at the Principal.
"I don't see why not," the Principal said simply, "unless you're guilty of course."
"I'll go then," Lorna said and gave the others dirty looks before they could protest, "lead the way Principal," she said formally and followed the Principal out of the lunchroom.
"Everyone except for the Popular kids leave the lunchroom immediately," Crocker instructed and it was quickly followed, "now you," he said to the Popular kids, will stay with the body until it gets picked up and taken to the morgue," he told them and he and the guard left the lunchroom along with all the staff.
The popular kids sat in shocked silence for nearly five minutes before one of them spoke up.
"I'm out of here," Ian said and headed to the door before anyone could stop him, "it's locked!" he cried when he realized the door wouldn't open, "they've locked us in with the dead kid!"
"I'm not staying in here!" Trixie cried and hurried to check all the other doors in the lunchroom with Veronica, Tad and Chad's assistance.
"They're all locked!" Britney shrieked when the ones who rose returned to sit defeated, "this is inane!" she cried looking around in panic, "I'm claustrophobic!" she added and fainted.
"Britney!" Ian cried and ran to her side, "it's okay Britney," he soothed, "at least we still have the vents and A.C. even though all the windows are locked," he said to his still unconscious cousin.
As if some evil omen was just waiting for him to say it suddenly the A.C. stopped working. Then the vents suddenly were sealed shut by thin sheets of metal and slowly the room started to get warmer and warmer.
(One Hour Later)
"I'm going to throw up," Tad said his face looking very sickly, "the place reeks of that kid's corpse!" he cried and buried his head back into Chad's lap.
The Popular kids stuck in the canteen had used pieces of Ian's Football T-shirt and marina (which he volunteered 15 minutes after the place started to heat up) to make into pieces of cloth to cover their mouths and noses. Britney had been conscious nearly fifty minutes before, but she clung to Ian like a life jacket while everyone else got more and more nauseous from the strong stench exuding from the ripped up dead body. The cloths over their mouths barely helped and the girls used all their perfumes to no avail. The air only became harder to breathe and in some ways made the smell even worse.
Then Tad threw up. Right on Chad.
"Disgusting Dude!" Chad cried angrily, "why didn't you turn your head!" he demanded, "at least you would've thrown up on my shoes and not on my pants and crotch!"
Tad moaned pitifully but turned his head in the opposite direction but in two minutes he was sitting up and rested his head in his own lap.
Kiva quickly wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to Veronica.
"Kiva wrote 'Isn't Tad uncomfortable like that?'" Veronica told them, "'maybe Chad was a little hard on him.'"
"Hard on him!" Chad cried furiously, "I reek now thanks to him!" he shouted and pointed at his own pants.
"Well you wont have to reek anymore," Tad snapped wearily but cuttingly, "I'll be at that table over there," he said sharply pointing at a table near to the locked lunchroom door, "no one will reek if I vomit there," he muttered and slowly staggered off with his backpack.
"Tad wait!" Veronica cried with worry but Tad simply flashed a hand after her and walked (more like stumbled) over to the desk he had chosen.
"I think I'm going to move too," Ian said and carried Britney in his arms as he moved four tables down from where he was sitting before.
Kiva got up to follow him, but before she did she turned to Chad and showed him her middle finger. Then she mouthed the word 'jerk' and stormed off to sit right across from Ian and Britney.
"Are you guys going to hate on me too?" Chad asked Trixie and Veronica coldly.
"Of course not!" Veronica cried incredulously.
"But we have to move!" Trixie cried, "no offense Chad but you currently reek!" she cried bluntly and hurried off to the table all the way at the top row, "Veronica!" she cried when her friend didn't immediately follow her.
"Sorry," Veronica whispered to Chad and hurried after Veronica.
"I might as well clean myself up," Chad muttered and went into his bag for his soccer uniform, the only other clothes that he had with him.
(2 Hours and 20 Minutes Later)
Tad moaned. Everyone except Ian and Chad had thrown up at least once. They would've used their cell phones if at first period Mr. Crocker hadn't told them that no students were allowed to have cell phones and every student (popular & unpopular) had to empty their bags and their cell phones were confiscated until the respectful owner returned for it with their parents.
Tad felt someone sit beside him. He knew who it was and he wasn't going to talk to him.
"You look like you might have a fever," Chad said simply.
"When did you guess Einstein?" Tad asked sarcastically, "I'm going straight to the showers when we get out of here," he mumbled and still refused to look at Chad.
Just then the lunchroom door opened and in walked in Lorna. But she wasn't wearing her white Ribbon twirling outfit but a pair of sweats and she was shivering and looked rather pale despite her dark skin.
"They s...s.. sa...say t..th..tha..that w..w..we c..ca...can g..g..ggg...go," Lorna chattered as she looked at them with red rimmed eyes.
"What did they do to you?!" Ian demanded angrily, "I swear that I'll get..." he ranted but was interrupted.
"I'll be careful what I say if I were you," a voice said sharply, "Ian."
"DAD?" Ian asked in shock, "what are you doing here!"
"Helping to find out the cause of all this mess," Me. Richard Richton said formally, "damn this place reeks!" he cried, "follow me outside," he instructed and they all obeyed.
"You're going to fight this aren't you Dad?" Ian asked his father, "they can't do this..."
"They can do whatever they want in a situation like this," Mr. Richton told Ian firmly, "it's like what I told you when there is a war," he continued, "casualties might come but we will win!"
"CASUALTIES!" Britney shrieked angrily, "Uncle Richard you can't possibly think of sacrificing children in a situation like this!" she shouted, "and this is not a WAR!" she added.
"It is to me," Mr. Richton spat, "I'll be damned if I let innocent children die because a small bunch has caused bad things to start to happen to them!" he cried in fury and pointed at them, "now Ian," he said seriously and turned to his shocked son, "what did you guys do to cause this stuff to happen?"
"We didn't do any...!" Lorna cried but was interrupted by a furious Mr. Richton.
"Silence Witch!" Mr. Richton cried and pointed at Lorna, "the Principal told me what that smart boy A.J. revealed happened to that unfortunate boy named Stuart!" he told her, "there'll be more interrogations for you yet," he hissed and Lorna stepped back her face looking very upset and her eyes filled with tears,
"Lorna's not a witch!" Veronica cried in fury, "how dare you call her that!" she shouted, "what about the rest of us?" she demanded, "what about your son?" she asked in a softer voice but with a very serious tone.
"If he refuses to tell me what has happened," Mr. Richton stated, "then he's just like the rest of you," he said coldly, "I asked you a question Ian."
"We did nothing," Ian said through gritted teeth, "does that answer your question," he said, "sir," he said icily instead of calling him 'father' like he usually did.
"So you're one of them then," Mr. Richton said, "you will all get interrogated like Lorna did I expect," he said and pointed at Lorna who Kiva had given her jacket to in an attempt to warm her up, "and worse since new details has come to our knowledge," he said formally.
"What detail is that?" Ian asked sharply.
"Manners," Mr. Richton said warningly, "there is a new notice up called Stuart Warning," he told them, "it is to tell everyone that it has been discovered that not only your class of popular elitist but every grade of popular elitist in the school seems to have been infected with whatever causes harm to unpopular kids and also that unpopular kids can be brutally murdered because of it," he told them and they gasped, "yes, you're little problem has affected even the nursery popular children," he revealed, "there've been twelve injures and four fatalities including Stuart so far today."
"But we aren't doing this!" Trixie cried, "if you don't believe us Mr. Richton at least listen to your son," she said and pointed at Ian who looked in his father's eyes expectantly.
"I have only one son now," Mr. Richton said coldly and everyone gasped, "his name is Richard Richton Junior."
"You can't disown Ian!" Britney cried, "Uncle you can't do such...."
"And I'm no longer your Uncle," Mr. Richton said coldly, "if you want to continue to live in my residence Ian," he said formally not calling him 'son', "you will have no contact with my son Richard; which I thank God I sent to a different school from you," he said frankly, "if you want to stay away from school you'll be locked in your room and your meals will slipped to you through the flap I put on your door this morning," he continued, "there you'll stay until this curse is stopped unless you wish to leave my house and live elsewhere," he said a grin tugging his lips.
"I'll take him in," Trixie spoke up, "and may I add that you're a horrible man."
"Ah, Trixie," Mr. Richton said, "your parents told me to relay to you that you're stuff's been sent to Veronica's house and that you're not allowed to set foot on their (Trixie'sher parents) property unless you want to go to Adult Prison," he said with pleasure in his voice while Trixie stood frozen in disbelief.
"Then he'll stay with me," Chad spoke up, "my parents wont mind helping," he said confidently.
"Your parents," Mr. Richton said bluntly with open distaste, "their reluctance will be the end of them," he said coldly.
"What about my parents?" Veronica asked fearfully.
"There'll come around," Mr. Richton said smoothly, "they'll soon it my way and the rest of the town's way," he told them.
"Which is?" Tad snapped.
"You kids are dangerous," Mr. Richton said frankly, "panic's rising and sooner or later there'll only be one solution," he said coldly then walked off leaving the kids standing there.
Suddenly they heard sobbing. Ian was on his knees crying and Britney hurried over to comfort him. Trixie was also crying but she was not only standing but also her palms were clenched in fists and she looked more angry than devastated.
"Panic's increasing," Trixie said through gritted teeth, "we need to leave the town."
"We can't," Lorna spoke up, "in the Stuart Warning we're warned that any popular kid caught trying to leave the town will be shot or chased down by dogs and ripped to pieces," she said in a cracked voice, "Mr. Richton showed me a copy of it after they cut me down."
"So we're stuck here!" Britney cried and Lorna nodded.
"How can things get any worse?" Ian mumbled between sobs.
Done
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