The Horror of Popularity

Chapter 6: Changes

(One Week Later)

Tad and Chad walked into the school tentatively. All sort of weird things had been happening in Dimmsdale since people got scared of popular kids. Suddenly they were disallowed from malls, restaurants and even delivery services didn't want anything to do with them.

"Please exit the school," a boy standing by the defective lockers said formally, "and proceed to the school bus," he instructed.

"Timmy?" Tad asked in surprise.

"Proceed to the school bus," Timmy said automatically, "and it's against the rules to speak to unpopular kids," he pointed, "so proceed quickly and I wont report you."

"Why you!" Tad exploded but Chad held him back.

"Let's go," Chad advised and pulled Tad out of the school.

But Chad didn't head for the school bus; instead he was pulling Tad towards the school exit.

"Why are we exiting the school?" Tad asked just before they reached the exit.

"Do you really want to board the school bus with all these horrible and weird changes going on?" Chad asked Tad frankly, "for all we know they could be taking us to get burnt at the stake or something," he said and pulled Tad out the exit with him.

"Where are you boys going?" a female security guard asked suspiciously.

"Home," Chad stated, "we popular students do have that option," he said seriously.

"You're lucky kid," the guard told him, "by tomorrow another rule on the alert will abort that option," she said, "you may go."

"Tomorrow!" Tad cried in shock as he and Chad walked briskly away from the school, "we have to tell Trixie and the others."

"Right now we have to get home," Chad said firmly, "we'll just call my chauffer at the payphone on the next block," he continued, "no sense calling both our chauffeurs and you definitely need to be somewhere else since some of your neighbours tried to set your house on fire last night."

"Don't remind me," Tad muttered as they hurried towards the nearest payphone.

(Meanwhile in the School Bus)

"Where's Tad and Chad?" Veronica asked curiously, "they are usually here earlier than me!"

"Maybe they decided to stay home," Britney suggested from her seat in front of Trixie and Veronica, "do you have any idea why they're late Ian?"

"Nope," Ian said simply as he relaxed in his seat right beside her, "I haven't spoken to them since I moved into your house three days ago," he said, "hope nothing bad has happened," he said with a hint of concern.

"I notice that Kiva's also missing," Trixie said in a suspicious tone, "I don't like this."

"Don't worry," Britney assured, "its cleaner here than in the basement anyway," she continued, "probably Kiva's mom decided to let her stay home," she said with a shrug.

"But we haven't heard from her for an entire week!" Trixie protested, "something has to be up."

"Now that you think about it," Britney stated, "you know what," she said suddenly, "I think we should get off this bus," she said urgently and rose to leave.

"Sit down," Mr. Crocker said coldly from the front of the bus.

"Hey!" Ian cried, "we can leave if we want," he continued, "no where has it stated that we are forced to stay here."

"But I did tell you that all those who enter the bus must remain until we reach our destination," Mr. Crocker said superiorly, "now sit down."

Britney sat down with a look of disappointment on her face.

"Where are we going?" Veronica demanded.

"On a trip," Mr. Crocker said simply, "we think you kids need some fresh air," he said, "don't tell me you'd rather the basement," he said with a chuckle.

"I would," Ian muttered.

Just then Kiva stepped on the bus. But she looked different, instead of being her spunky jubilant self she looked solemn and scared.

"Kiva," Britney asked and Kiva looked around as if frightened.

"Take a seat beside that child," Mr. Crocker ordered pointing to an empty seat close to the front of the bus beside a scared looking blonde second grader.

Kiva quickly complied without giving her friends at the back of the bus a glance.

"Something's wrong," Ian said seriously.

"Yeah," Veronica agreed, "since when do we take trips along with those of lower grades?" she asked.

"There are few elite popular students in the school," Trixie pointed out in an annoyed voice, "it wouldn't make sense to put us in separate buses."

"I still think something's up with it," Veronica muttered angrily.

"We're ready to leave," Mr. Crocker spoke up, "please remain seated until we reach our location."

(Five Hours Later)

Trixie and the others looked outside the bus window. They had been driving for hours and most of the road for the past two hours was dirt roads. She didn't like it one bit.

Suddenly the bus jerked to a halt.

"Please exit the bus quietly and walk up the gravel path to the old farm house that you see at the top of the hill," Mr. Crocker instructed, "walk carefully or you'll fall down and scrape yourselves," he said uncaringly and stepped out of the bus.

Trixie peeked out of the window. The area looked old and deserted and what looked like high yellowish grass grew on each side of the path and it was several feet higher than her own height.

"What kind of field trip is this?" Britney demanded.

"Pioneer," Ian muttered in response as he stood up to exit the bus, "we might as well go."

All of them silently exited the bus quietly and solemnly walked up the graveled path. Trixie fell twice and had several cuts on her knees and thighs. Veronica fell once but she had been lucky enough to opt to wear jeans so she didn't get bruised. Britney and Ian never fell once but while Ian was looking around with suspicion and awe, Britney was angrily muttering under her breath.

(Forty-Five Minutes later)

"Trixie," Veronica whispered, "I'm going to bail."

"What?" Trixie whispered back in fright, "you can't leave me here!"

"Shhhhhh!" Veronica instructed, "its better that I do it," she told Trixie, "you're too popular not to be missed," she pointed out, "plus if it's just a regular trip they wont be that mad when they find me."

"What else could it be but a trip?" Trixie asked.

"Just don't say anything when I go," Veronica instructed, "bye," she said quickly and slipped into the tall grass.

Trixie gave the nearby children a death glare before any of them could say anything. Thus keeping them silent.

(One Hour Later)

The Popular children panted as they finally reached inside the farm house. It looked like any old farm house except all that was in there was hay. No animals in the stalls or any sign of life.

"If this farm house is so deserted how come the hay is so fresh?" Ian asked Britney, "I went to a farm once at five and know the difference between fresh and old hay."

"I don't know," Britney responded in exasperation as she sat on a hay stack, "my feet are killing me and I just want to go home."

"I'm afraid that will be impossible," the Principal as the last student entered the farm house, "LOCK THE EXITS!"

Suddenly every exit was locked by big metal doors and windows. Most of the popular children screamed and looked around in panic in the now pitch black farm house.

"You will be staying at this farm," the Principal said formally, "you will be rationed food, clothes and allocated sleeping quarters in the old boarding house three miles down the dirt road behind the farm house," she continued, "your classes will be held here in the farm house and lunch time you will walk back to the Boarding House to eat then return for other classes," she stated, "this place is not the Ritz but it will be your home until the person who caused this curse steps forward."

"Due to important information gained from a student named Timmy Turner," Mr. Crocker spoke up, "we'll be interrogating only the females," he said and there were shrieks from many girls, "as you know no one under second grade was on the bus used," he told them, "boys will only be interrogated if it seems that they might have info on who the witch is."

"Wait a minute!" Britney cried angrily, "we're here because Timmy accuses one of us of being a witch?"

"Well Lorna got away because she's not back at school," the Principal said, "but yes Timmy Turner did give Mr. Crocker information that places the possibility of a female witch," she told them.

"Who did he suspect most?" Trixie demanded, "Me?" she asked with sarcasm and most of the students started to laugh.

"Actually yes," Mr. Crocker said and most of the students gasped, "but he did tell me that it wasn't a guarantee."

"Timmy said that?" Trixie asked in a cracked voice, "how could he do this?"

"Chester's death seems to have opened his eyes dear," the Principal told her, "he's not blinded by your magical charms anymore."

"But this is crazy!" Britney shrieked, "when my parents...."

"Your parents approved of this idea," Mr. Crocker said and interrupted her ranting, "in fact, they made this idea up," he revealed.

There was silence as everyone looked in the direction where they heard Britney's voice. Britney sat stiff in disbelief.

So they brought me to school today to get rid of me! How dare they! After everything I've done for them! They're going to PAY for this! (Britney's thoughts)

"What about the rest of us?" Trixie asked, "I'm certain that Veronica's parents didn't approve of this."

"If you read the Boil Chester Alert then you'd know about the new rule of being able to take action against you miscreants without informing them," Mr. Crocker stated, "in fact they'll not be told your location only that you've been taken to stay at a special place for your kind," he told her, "these changes should help quell this problem faster."

"Bet Veronica's not going to like that," Ian stated.

"Well I don't hear her complaining," Mr. Crocker pointed out, "and frankly I don't mind," he said, "the guard dogs have just arrived and they're beyond this back door of the farm," he said, "any child who tries to escape now will be attacked by these dogs," he said seriously, "they wont kill you, but you'll certainty get bitten badly," he said coldly, "and you'll also be severely punished and whips are now allowed," he added.

Thank God Veronica left earlier. Now she can find a way to get us out of here! I'm too high and important to live in a dank old place like this! (Trixie's thoughts)

(Four Hours Later)

It was nightfall and she still didn't reach anywhere where she recognized. She had been wandering around and feeling as if she reached nowhere. Then she saw a neighbourhood that she barely recognized. She stepped out into the road to cross tiredly.

Just then she saw two head lights and with the sound of a loud scream she was hit by car.

(Meanwhile at Timmy's House)

"How are you Cosmo?" Timmy asked as he sat on his bed.

"Alright," Cosmo responded tiredly, "the stuff I got still makes me feel a bit sleepy though," he said, "I've only returned for five minutes and I'm eyeing your bed as if it were a hotel."

"Why don't you turn into a little boy and lie down on it?" Timmy suggested, "it would be much better than a fish bowl and I can tell Mom that you're sleeping over," he suggested.

"Rad!" Cosmo cried and quickly turned to green haired little boy, "thanks a lot," he said sleepily and crawled unto Timmy's bed, "goodnight Timmy and Wanda," he whispered and was soon snoring softly.

"That cure thing was horrible!" Wanda cried the moment Cosmo was asleep, "he had to spend most of the time in the bath tub and he had to spend a night sleeping in it with ice cubes!"

"At least he's okay now," Timmy said and gave his sleeping God Parent a smile, "plus the popular kids are finally gone."

"Gone where?" Wanda asked curiously.

"I don't know?" Timmy said with a shrug, "I'm just glad that it's far from here," he said frankly, "plus it's not like they can really harm them," he continued, "they're still human beings after all," he stated, "What?" he asked when he noticed that Wanda was staring at him suspiciously.

"You're not telling me something," Wanda said, "why all of a sudden they're making such a drastic change now?"

"Hello!" Timmy cried, "nine more kids died over past week and one hundred injuries!"

"Still," Wanda stated, "why would parents give permission for their kids to be moved instead of just keeping them at home?"

Timmy looked away and Wanda's face became red with fury.

"You mean that children have been taken away without their parents being told!" Wanda exploded, "and you're OKAY with it!

Done

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