Hey-lo!
This is the long awaited explaining chapter #1
It explains,
1. Why Mara and Robin share a bedroom.
2. Why Will, Joan and Robin are friends.
3. Other stuff that most people already guessed that I'm not going to tell you because it would make the chapter boring.
Yup. This'll be a good 'un.
Enjoy!
"In other news, President John Plantagenet has made yet another cut to education and health care for more weapons funding. He made no statement other than 'It is necessary for our defense program.'"
"mmmph..." I murmur, opening one eye. The TV is on, and the news is playing very quietly.
"The hacker known only as R0b1n H00d struck again last night, stealing over five million dollars from various government programs. In the past he has stolen from many various John Plantagenet supporters, including the multi- billionaires, Miles Guisborne, Bishop Harold Hereford, and Bill Dickon. We only wonder what he does with all the money he pillages with his 'white arrow virus.'"
"Huh!" I hear Robin's voice say indignantly, "they haven't even mentioned your brilliant newer virus, Will."
"Wha-?" I say, still half asleep.
"Shit!" Joan moans unhappily. "Why'd you have to talk so loud, Robin?!"
"What's going on?!" I ask, almost fully awake.
"Nothing." Will says , "Go back to bed."
"No! Tell me what's going on?!" I almost shout.
"SHHHHH!!!!!" they all say, panicking.
"What's going on?!!!" I ask, much more quietly. "Why're you in our room?"
"No reason," "Nothing!" Will and Joan say together.
"It's okay, guys" Robin says, running his fingers through his hair, "I was going to tell her anyway."
They stop arguing.
There is a long pause before Robin speaks.
"Mara, do you remember what happened last summer?"
I nod, "Richard Plantagenet was murdered." It had been headline news all summer. One morning in July, the President of the United States just disappeared from his bed. He was found two days later shot in the head three times.
"Then his brother took over." Robin says.
"Yeah, he was the Vice-President." Will growls. "Big mistake on Richard's part. He's gotta be the worst president of all time."
"I know all this!" I say impatiently "What does it have to do with anything?!"
"Well, Will, Robin and I all met last year at camp." Joan tells me. "And we decided that we had to do something about our new president."
"Robin and I are pretty good with computers. I hacked my first system right after I got my computer." Will says.
"And I can make animated cartoons pretty easily" says Joan, "so we decided that we would hack into the systems of John's most prominent supporters, steal their money, and leave them with nothing but a flash cartoon."
"You're...you're robbers?!" I ask incredulously.
"Not really." Will replies, "We don't keep the money we steal."
"No." Robin says, "Not a penny. It all goes to charity."
"Huh?" I ask, bewildered. "I've heard of you, of course. You're... R0b1n h00d?"
"Yep." Robin answers.
"Will and Robin were in the same bedroom last year, and it was a lot easier to manage." Says Joan, "They would've been in the same room again, but the Sheriff..." she starts to laugh.
"I'm sure you've wondered why you and Joan are the only people in the entire camp with male roommates." Robin comments.
"You...um...You know I'm gay, right?" Will asks in a rush.
"...No... I ...er...didn't." I reply awkwardly. I hadn't known...but somehow I realize it doesn't matter.
Now Robin on the other hand...
Will continues with his story, "Oh... well, I am. I came out of the closet last year to my psychologist, and since Robin and I were roommates, well..."
"She assumed we were lovers." Robin finishes Will's sentence. "It was because we spent so much time together."
"Were you lovers?"
"What do you think, Mara?!" replies Robin sarcastically.
"I had a small crush on him in the beginning, but I moved on to greener pastures," Will confesses, "I like Alan Adale now."
"Anyway, his psychologist told Sheriff Geoffrey, and the Sheriff publicly humiliated them in front of the whole camp." Joan tells me, "Guy's been picking on them ever since."
"They separated us immediately, and we've had girls for roommates ever since." They all laugh, then get serious again, "We have had to keep our meetings at night though, which is a big pain."
"The only reason is because the Sheriff is a homophobic bastard." Joan says hotly.
"This is a little hard to take in." I say, getting flustered. "So you're all hackers, Will's gay, and I'm roommates with a guy because he's generally known to be gay too?"
"Yep." Robin replies. "But I'm straight, Mara." He adds in an annoyed, sarcastic way.
"Okay." I say hotly, "I believe you."
There's a long pause.
"Now," says Joan after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, "What're we going to do with Mara?"
"Could you help us?" Will asks, referring to the hacking of computers.
"I doubt it. I can barely type." I say, truthfully.
"Can you draw?" asks Joan.
"Not really," I tell her, "if you want stick figures..."
"Hmm..." Robin thinks, his brow furrowing. He looks cute when he's thinking. "Do you know how to do online research?"
I nod, remembering a class I had to take upon entering high school.
"Great... I have an idea."
"Sheriff?" I ask the camp director next morning, "Do you mind if I do a special project instead of other camp activities?"
He exhales, his rancid breath fills my nostrils and I resist the urge to flee. "What kinda project d'you mean?"
I take a deep breath and repeat the lie Robin told me to say to him, "well, I wanted to do a research project on John Plantagenet."
"Really?" he asks.
"Oh yes, I love him." I feel disgusted at myself for saying those words, "I should think he is the best president since George Washington."
"I agree." He grins, revealing crooked yellow teeth. "So you wanna do a project on him, huh? Well, I think that could be arranged."
"Oh good!" I say, trying to look excited. "When can I start?"
"Well, let's see...hows about tomorrow?"
"Ok, that's great."
"I'm glad to see SOME campers have a sense of patriotism!" the Sheriff shouts over the intercom later at lunch. "Instead of other camp activities, Marian Fitzwalter is gonna do a project on our president, John Plantagenet."
I grit my teeth in an attempt at a proud smile.
"All stand while I say the oath of allegiance to the President."
I stand, and pretend to listen attentively to the new pledge that the president has made all his citizens recite at the sound of his name.
"I swear to obey the president, to love the president and to help the president, in order to be a good citizen. The president always knows best, and he will always do the best for our country and for me."
After he finishes, I go sit down near Robin and the other 'outlaws'.
"Wonderful." Robin whispers in my ear. He touches my hand under the table, and I feel giddy. I had thought, due to his swift business-like manner last night that all the things he had done during the movie had been either a dream, or a sham.
"You've made an enemy of the rest of the sane camp though," she whispers across the table, "In fact..." Joan winks and says much louder, "I don't believe how ignorant you are, Mara. I actually had some trust in you and NOW..."
Will and Robin suppress grins, then pretend to calm Joan. "Come on, Joan, she's not worth it..." they all sit back down, shooting me false glares.
"Mara?" a familiar voice says.
"Dave?"
"Hey, Mara!" he hugs me happily, "Wow, Mara, you seem so... happy."
I grin up at him. "Thanks... I think."
"Seriously, what's happened to that sad little girl who I dropped off here?" Dave smiles, "I worried about you, Mara, but I can see I didn't need to."
"I guess it's all because I made some friends." I tell him, "I've never really had good ones before."
"Who are your friends, Mara? Your roommate?"
Hell yeah.
"Yep, and two other kids called Will and Joan too."
"That's great!" he exclaims.
I smile, and we talk for a while.
Somehow...
Somehow it's not the same anymore with Dave.
I used to trust Dave with everything. Now that I have another real secret...
At least it's not a bad one. At least I only have to feel bad about stealing things.
New home, new life, new problems. Mara heard her mother chat up yet another man from her place behind the bar. She deliberately did not look at the spectacle her mother was making of herself. Technically, eighth graders weren't supposed to be sitting in bars, but her mother knew the bartender. Anyways, who really cared? It was the kind of bar where everyone, including the bartenders were drunk. Mara stroked her stuffed elephant, which she had stuffed in her backpack that night when she had gotten ready for another night at the bar.
Her mother was not someone Mara wanted to be around anymore. She had lost all the dignity she had ever held, selling herself to any man who asked. Mara had either been avoiding or fighting with her mother whenever she had the option. They had fought again a few hours ago about whether or not Mara was to stay at home or not. Mara had lost.
Mara's mother left with the man she had been flirting with. Mara knew they were going to the man's abode, so walked back her apartment alone, whistling to herself.
She petted her elephant. Rosie never talked to her anymore; she had stopped doing that in about fourth grade. Mara missed her conversations with her stuffed friend, but she supposed all the talks they had had were merely figments of her imagination.
Mara opened the door to her apartment complex. She took the rickety old elevator to the new apartment she and her mother shared. It wasn't really a new apartment. The wallpaper was peeling off, the stove didn't work well at all, and the furniture smelt.
Mara walked up to the TV and turned on a nature program. She watched about the mating habits of peacocks until her mother returned, drunk, and forced her to give up the remote so she could watch the shopping network.
Mara hated the shopping network. There was too much jewelry, too many infomercials for her to stomach. Her mother sent her to bed, and Mara didn't bother to argue. She was too tired. It was around 3 o' clock anyway.