"So," Adena said, "what's the word on Bates?"
"I think we're getting through," Nate replied, "I mean, the guy's muttering, not sleeping, totally stressed."
"Prefect," she smirked. The Top Guns had once again gathered at the backcourt, the only place, it seemed, where they were free from the eyes of Cascadia's faculty.
"Oh man," Tanis sighed, "we've gotta get to practice soon."
"I am so sick of all these stupid practices!" Adena complained.
"You think that's bad? Try coaching them, too," Cam spoke.
"We need to put a stop to these," Adena told them.
"Well," Squib spoke up, "there has been one time when practices were cancelled…"
"You mean when the nets were stolen?" Cameron asked.
"Exactly," Squib sighed dramatically, "if only we could recreate the situation…" he slowly turned his head towards Cody.
"Oh my God! It was you?" Adena squealed.
Cody shrugged, "Maybe."
"You've gotta do it again!" Tanis exclaimed.
She sighed, "Bates has upped security a lot since then…"
"Come on," Squib exclaimed, "you two are faculty brats," he nodded towards Nate and Cody, "you must have access to some resources."
Cody sighed, looking at Nate, who shrugged, "We'll see what we can do."
"We are so gonna get caught," Cody moaned, glancing nervously out the door.
"Relax," Nate said, examining the keys hanging on a large bulletin board, "we're gonna be fine. The guard won't be back for a few minutes."
"What did you do to distract him, anyways?"
"Set off a cherry bomb in the boys' washroom."
"Nice," she smirked.
"Here we go!" Nate plucked a key off the wall, "C'mon." The two quickly darted out of the room.
"Alright, so, where are we going?" She whispered, following him down the dark hallway.
"I figured we'd start with the main supply closet," he explained, "Cam said Skinner was in the office when he left, but he's gonna try and get us the key to the equipment shed tomorrow."
"Sounds good," she agreed as the two approached the door. Nate slowly slid the key into the small brass lock, and turned it until he heard a click.
"Alright, Miss Myers," he told her, "I'll keep watch. You work your magic."
"Who is responsible for this?" Skinner bellowed, much like Gunnerson had only a year before. And, much like the previous year, the tennis players of Cascadia were lined up silently on the court.
"I said," Skinner cried, "who did this?" Still, the students remained quiet. "All the nets are missing, and I would like to know who is responsible!" Nothing.
"Was it you, Mr. Furlong?" He asked harshly, sidling up beside the boy.
"I was in my dorm all night, sir," Squib said stiffly, "you can ask the assistant coach."
Skinner cried out in frustration, "Fine! All practices are cancelled until I find out who did this," he spat out reluctantly, stomping off the court. Tanis, Squib, Adena, and Cameron all quickly made their way to meet Cody and Nate at the backcourt.
"You are amazing!" Adena cried, running up to them.
"It worked?" Cody asked hopefully.
"No practices until they find the nets," Cameron cheerfully informed her. "And," he added, "Skinner's got a meeting tonight. So I should be able to swipe the key, so long as we get it back before he notices."
"Prefect," Tanis smiled.
"This'll teach them," Squib said, smirking, "Cascadia's coaching staff won't know what hit them."
Two days later, determined not to be thwarted, Bates ordered new nets. The same day, tennis balls started to disappear.
As the new balls arrived, an emergency overnight order, racquets went missing.
By the end of the week, Cascadia could hardly call itself a tennis academy. It was simply a large school with tennis courts.
"Alright," Bates said stiffly, "as it seems none of you are willing to come forward, the faculty has come to an agreement. If the equipment is returned by tonight, the practice schedule will return to normal," a happy gasp ran through the crowd. "But don't think," Bates spat, clearly less than thrilled at giving in, "that this means anything else is changing. The other rules still stand."
"So, are we gonna give it back?" Adena asked.
"We might as well," Cody said, "I mean, this is what we wanted, right?"
"Where have you been hiding it, anyways?" Cam asked.
"Under my bed," she shrugged.
"And your dad hasn't found them?" Tanis asked incredulously.
"You think he's gonna bug me after what we saw?" Cody laughed.
"Good point," the other girl chuckled.
"Uh, guys," Nate spoke up, "I think we're forgetting one thing."
"And that would be…?" Asked Squib.
"My dad isn't going to let us just return the stuff. This is obviously a trap. He'll have people posted at every door."
"He's right," Cam sighed, "no way are they gonna let us get away with this."
"Well then," Adena spoke, "we're going to have to distract them."
"You know," Nate said, a smiled creeping over his face, "I've still got a package of cherry bombs just sitting around…"
"Funny you should mention that," Squib grinned, "because I've got some fireworks just begging to be set off."
It really was beautiful, Cody mused as she ran across the dark lawn to the equipment shed, arms stuffed with racquets. All the reds and golds…a few greens. It went nicely with the small symphony of cherry bombs that were currently exploding. The two boys really did work well together.
She was surprised at how easy it had been. A couple weeks of rebellion, and the Top Guns had easily memorized both the bed check and patrolling schedules. All they'd had to do was watch for when the guards ran off to find the source of the explosives.
She quickly unlocked the door and slid in. Placing the nets back in their rightful place, she darted out, relocked the shed, and swiftly made her way back to Adena's dorm, still admiring the display in the sky.
"Anyone see you?" Adena, who had already been there with Tanis when she arrived, asked.
"No, it was perfect," Cody declared.
"Those two really are geniuses," Tanis agreed.
"Okay," Cameron entered, holding out his hand, "keys." The girls obediently placed each of their keys into his hand. "I'll put these back on my way to the boy's res and, if all goes according the plan, we'll be home free."
"Oh man," they heard a male voice as Squib, followed by Nate, entered the room, "that was awesome!"
"No kidding," Nate agreed, "I gotta hand it to you, man, you did good."
"Me? What about you? We certainly work well together," Squib laughed as the two boys shook hands.
"If you two are done you're little male bonding experience," Tanis chuckled, "you guys should probably head out."
"You're right," Squib nodded, "Did you guys get everything back?"
"Yep," Adena nodded, "you two were awesome!"
"We were, weren't we?" Nate mused aloud.
"Okay," Cameron said, getting up and making his way toward the door, "I'll meet you back at the dorm after I return the keys," he nodded toward Squib.
"Sounds good, man," Squib agreed as he, Cam, Cody, and Nate made their way out.
"Be careful," Tanis whispered loudly behind them, although it really wasn't necessary. Two weeks of sneaking around had made them experts.
They had won. An official victory. The next morning, Bates was visibly angry at not having caught the culprits. However, true to his word, the practice schedule returned to normal. The Top Guns guessed it was more because he was fearful of having more equipment stolen than about keeping his promise, but it didn't matter.
"I can't believe this!" Adena exclaimed happily one lazy Sunday afternoon. "We did it!"
"Not yet, he haven't," Nate reminded her, "it's only one victory."
"Still," Squib said, "the scales are tipping in our favor."
"So, what now?" Tanis asked. "I mean, we've still got crappy meals, no TV, no computers, no visits, dumb curfew…"
"I need my email back," Adena lamented.
"Guys," Cam spoke up for the first time, looking thoughtful, "I've got an idea…"
It was genius. Pure genius. Not only would it allow Operation Crazy Eights to take the school's computer system, but they would barely have to do anything. The staff would take care of that.
"I can't believe your dad kept these," Cody slid the disk into her father's computer. "And on DVD!"
"Well, we have grandma Bates to thank," he told her, "a few years ago she got all the old home movies put onto DVD's and sent them out to my dad and all his siblings."
"This is gonna be good," Cam smirked, "this is gonna be really good."
"Now," Adena smiled, opening up a new email, "which should we send out first? Bates' first Christmas? Or bath time?"
"Bath time," the other five students answered simultaneously. There really was no question.
It was bad enough that the entire faculty had to know about bath time, but the whole school? Cody almost felt sorry for Bates. Almost. The man had, after all, taken away her TV. And so, when Ms. Wiley happened to get the sudden urge to check her email in class (blushing furiously the entire time and refusing to look any of the Top Guns in the eye), Cody could only smile as she 'accidentally' clicked the attachment.
"This is enough!" Bates all but screamed at the emergency assembly he had called. "I want to know who is responsible for these disgusting acts of rebellion right now!"
"Sir," a voice called out, indistinguishable amongst the sea of students, "do you still like bubbles in your bath?"
"SILENCE!" He cried over the roaring laughter.
"How come you're not in trouble?" Tanis leaned over to Nate, whispering. "I mean, you're the only one who could have gotten the DVD's."
"Rock hard alibi," Nate smirked, "we got the Doc to tell my dad that Cody and I were over there studying all evening."
"If the offenders do not make themselves known," Bates snarled, "there will be serious consequences for everyone!"
"Like what?" Squib called angrily.
"Excuse me, Mr. Furlong?"
"What else could you possibly do to us?" Squib shouted. "You've taken away our TV's, our computers, our visits to town, our meals, everything!"
"You think that's the worst I can do?" Bates smirked in a way that could only be described as purely evil. "Fine. If this is how you kids want it, fine. The Open is officially closed," a surprised cry rose from the crowd of students, "you will attend classes, practices, and meals. Other than that, you are all hereby confined to your rooms!"
"This is insane," Adena groaned into her cell phone. She and Tanis had managed to hide it when Bates inspected their room, unplugging the phone and confiscating all electronics like the mad man he was. The two girls were currently lying on her bed, hunched over it, thanking God for three-way calling.
"No kidding," Squib said into his.
"Hey," Cam, also on his cell phone (the toilet bowl really was an ingenious hiding spot), "Cody says she misses them."
"Cody misses you guys," Squib spoke into his phone.
"Aww!" Adena cooed.
"Tell her we miss her, too!" Tanis demanded. Squib passed the message along to Cam, who told Cody.
"We really need, like, five-way calling," Nate complained. Squib echoed the comment to Cam and, in turn, Cody, who both agreed.
"How did you guys manage to hide your phones in the toilet bowl?" Tanis asked.
"Ziploc bags," Squib said simply.
"Nice, man, nice," Nate said.
"Find anything yet?" Adena asked.
Nate, who was currently lying on his stomach under his father's bed, shook his head before realizing that they couldn't see him anyways, "Nope, not yet. He's got a whole lot of crap down here, but nothing incriminating. Although there is a nose hair clipper…"
"I know!" Cody shrieked after Cam had told her what Nate said, "Isn't that disgusting!"
"I don't even wanna know how she knows he has this," Nate chuckled when Squib told him.
"So, what are we-,"
Nate cut Adena off, "Oh…my God."
"What?" Adena, Tanis, and Squib gasped.
"What, what?" Cameron asked.
"What, what, what?" Cody questioned, thoroughly confused.
"Hold on," he told her.
"Nate says 'oh my God'," Squib said.
"Nate says 'oh my God'," Cam repeated.
"'Oh my God' what?"
"I don't know," he told her. He turned to Squib, "Tell him we say 'what?'."
"Cam and Cody say 'what?' Squib said into his phone.
"Oh my God…" Nate repeated, smiling widely.
Wow. Long, again. This story is, sadly drawing to a close. I told you it would be short. Which sucks, because I love it. I've had this idea in my head for a long time, and this is the first story that has turned out exactly how I wanted.
It was SO weird to write Squib and Nate working together, as in my other story they hate each other. But I actually really liked it! They should team up on the show. With their rebellious minds, the posibilities are endless!
Hope everyone liked this chapter! Your reviews mean so much to me! I know it probably wasn't as good as the last. But, really, how am I supposed to top Doc/Wiley and vodka?
Let me know what you thought :)