CHAPTER 20: LIFE'S A BITCH
John Maciel made good on his deal. Just when I got back to my dorm room later that Wednesday after class, I found my room to be filled with all sorts of weapons. Enough for all the Nerds and Bullies to use. Spud Guns, Bottle-Rocket Guns, Paintball Guns, and BB guns. There was also enough ammo for all the guns too. After making a couple of calls, I got both cliques to carry out the weapons and ammo and take them to the school basement. It was nice for him to do this, but there had to be a reason he was helping me out, and I just found out what that reason was.
Today was Thursday, 6:50 PM. I was in the school basement in the area that the Bullies use as a hideout. It wasn't all that bad, considering how there was a bed, a poker table, and a flat-screen TV with either an Xbox 720 or Xbox Two hooked up to it. Honestly, I couldn't keep track with the different Xbox consoles. Microsoft, they have a weird way of naming their consoles.
Right now, it wasn't a good time to criticize consoles or to have fun though. We were planning on how to attack the Jocks during their game tomorrow. With the Bullies on my side now, we can create an effective first strike on the field. The Nerds didn't help me out last time on the field, but that was only because the Jocks would have overrun them. Besides, I needed the entire school to know that I was serious by taking them out myself. But now with the Bullies and Nerds on my side, it probably won't be long until the Greasers want a piece of the action.
As of right now, everybody knew what they had to do. The Nerds would reprogram the scoreboard as well as mess up their sports drink. All of that would be happening before the game. Then when the game starts up, preferably after the kick-off, the Bullies would storm off from behind the bleachers and attack the Jocks on the field. As for what the Nerds will do during the game, we were debating on what should happen.
"What if we were to snipe the Jocks from atop of the Pool building?" Craig suggests to Taylor and me. "Maybe a few Nerds, but not all of them", Taylor tells him. "We're going to need the back-up, especially when the Jocks come charging at us". "He's right, Craig", I tell him. "I don't think that I can provide enough back-up for them". "I got to look out for my friends", Craig complains. "They're so much weaker than everyone else on the field. The last time one of my fellow Nerds messed with the Jocks, he had to be committed to the Happy Volts Asylum all because they messed him up physically as well as mentally. Glenn was never the same after that".
"Glenn, I remember him", Taylor says out-loud. "What happened?" I asked them both. "Glenn sabotaged Jaquon's science project last year before the start of summer break", Craig started to explain. "Jaquon was so mad that he harassed Glenn almost every hour of every day. Beatings, wedgies – one time, Jaquon poured hot sauce down his underwear and wedgied him so hard, his bridges started smoking. After that, he wouldn't leave his room. Headmaster Kowalski called the asylum and got a couple of orderlies to pick him up. To this day, he's still there. He shows no signs of getting better, so I think he'll be there for a long time".
"I'm sorry to hear that", I then tell Craig, "but we need most of your clique on the field. Until we get a tough group to join in, the Nerds must do some heavy lifting. I understand deeply that you want to protect your friends. I'll look out for them as well as you. I won't let the Jocks torture them. You got my word". "Since we're on the same side, I'll make sure neither the Jocks or my gang bully your friends as well", Taylor adds in. "So, you're giving up on the bullying then?" I asked him. "Hell no, I'll just get them to pick on the non-clique students. Tradition is tradition", Taylor answers.
Taking a deep breath, Craig then tells says to us, "Where should my clique hide out in the meantime?" "Why don't you and the rest of the Nerds hide behind the wooden gate leading to the Observatory?", I suggested. "Maybe you could also use it as an opportunity to find some of the old technology that the older generation left behind". "Sounds like a good idea", Craig says.
With everything planned and with nothing else to say, we decided to part ways and spend the rest of our evening doing something fun. While walking through the exit, I was thinking about asking Cameron out on another date. Since our romantic night in the Boys' Dorm, we've been really hitting it off. Every time we spotted each other in the hallway, we kissed right there on the spot, right in front of everyone. And every time when we are in class together, we usually partner up with each other. The student body have noticed and said some awful stuff. Stuff like "how can she fall in love with that sociopath" or "she must be mentally handicap if she goes out with a bum like Greg". We both hear it all the time, but let them talk. I'm not going to let them ruin the one good thing I have earned since coming here. Let them have their fun, and I'll have mine.
I pulled out my cellphone and went into my contacts list. I was just about to call Cameron when my phone started ringing. "Hello", I answered as I put the call on speaker. "Greg, how's life? You got everything straight for tomorrow?" At first, I couldn't recognize who the caller was, but after he called maggot to get my attention, that was when I recognized John. "Yeah, everything is set for tomorrow", I told him. "Good, because I need you to do me a favor", John then tells me.
"What kind of favor?" I asked him. "Nothing too hard, unless you have the special gift of fucking up easy tasks", John tells me. "Hahaha. Luckily, I don't", I tell him. "Good, now here's what I need you to do", John says before asking me, "You know that DJ, Eric Young?" "I met him at the party", I answered. "He seemed to be an okay kind of guy. Dresses weird though. I hate it though that he's working alongside the Jocks". "Well here's the deal: Eric got some information about me that I feel would jeopardize my role as Head Prefect. I'd go myself, but I don't want to risk being spotted". "Why can't you get the Jocks to handle it? You and Jake are practically buddies", I suggested.
"It's information that he doesn't need to know", John answers. "All you got to do is to go to Eric's dorm room and harass his ass. The information is kept in a vanilla folder. Just threaten Eric a few times and he'll give it up". "What's in the folder?" I asked him. "It's none of your business. Now go get my folder". And just like that, he hung up.
Well, my night is ruined, I thought to myself. No date with Cameron tonight. I think I better get this job done with. I don't want to piss John off. I wonder where Eric's dorm room is though. John didn't tell me which room. I guess I'll have to ask somebody when I get there.
I slipped my cellphone in my pocket and then started making my way to the Boys' Dorm. While walking there, I couldn't help but think about that Glenn guy. All he did was sabotage Jaquon's science experiment and he ended up in the nuthouse all because of their torment. If he got committed all because of that, I wonder what the Jocks would do when I attack their game for the second time. John did say that he would keep the Jocks off my back, but how? They're loose-cannons, and they got control of the school. It's only a matter of time before Jake finds out, then John would have little to no control over him. I wonder if all this would lead to a war on campus. Of course, I'm thinking too deeply into this. I should focus on what I must do: end their sports program, and get John's private info back.
Once I got to the Boy's Dorm, I walked inside and asked around for Eric's dorm room. "Do you know where Eric Young's room is?" I asked one of the non-clique students in the common room. The kid only stared at me for a second before replying, "He's in 207 on the second floor". "Thanks", I said before leaving the room and making my way to the stairs.
I climbed the stairs up only to run into a few Greasers. At first, I thought that they would probably engage me in a fight or just push me down the stairs. Neither happened. Instead, one of them came up to me and said, "You're the one who's causing the Jocks trouble, right?" "Yup", I told them. "Our leader, Jason Vincent, he will want to meet you", the Greaser says. "After the Bullies, Nerds, and I attack the next game, I'll come and speak to your leader", I told him. "But truth be told, I don't think some of your members will like the idea of me working with Jason". "It won't be a problem", the Greaser says before him and his group started climbing down the stairs. "Okay then", I said before starting my look for Room 207.
It didn't take long for me to find 207, but once I knocked on the door, I didn't get a reply. I knew he was in the room anyway because of the loud music, but I didn't know if he heard me or not. After a while of waiting, I kicked the door open and found him right at his equipment. He held his finger up and then spoke into the microphone. "Our next song will be Shout by Tears for Fears. Then it will be…." I pushed Eric from the microphone and then spoke in it. "Due to technical difficulties, Eric Young will be off the air for a few minutes". I then pressed a button on the device which automatically turned it off.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" Eric yells at me. "You have something that belongs to John Maciel", I told him. "And that's your business why?" he then asks me. "Eric, I don't like hurting people", I started to explain. "In fact, I hate to do it. But I usually do when it comes to it. However, as long as you help me out, I won't hurt you. All I want is the damn file. You give it to me, I won't hurt you. John told me that I should threaten you, but I don't do that to anyone unless they have coming to them". "Is that why you're going against the Jocks?" he then asks me. "It's not a secret, man. Jake humiliated me in front of the entire school. I'm sure this wasn't the first time either", I told him. "And then there's you, helping the Jocks by broadcasting false stories and narratives that make them look good".
"Listen", Eric pleads, "I never wanted to work for the Jocks. They told me that if I don't help them spread their stories like the one about Jake and Cameron's break-up, then he would shut my station down and make sure that I got expelled. The Jocks, they are not an ordinary group. They're like a criminal organization. Jake has all these connections with different people, some of them being drug dealers. If I even go as far as to piss him off, he would do something like putting marijuana in my locker. He's done it before. I'm surprised that he hasn't done anything like that to you yet".
"I'm dealing with Jake right now", I told Eric. "He isn't going to be causing any more trouble once I'm through. I got John Maciel who's providing support for my idea. He's making the prefects turn a blind-eye on us. He wants Jake's power gone just as much as we do". "You do realize that John has an ulterior motive, right? He's not letting you take down Jake from the kindness of his heart", Eric tells me. "Whatever that motive is, I'll be ready when it happens", I told him. "No", Eric says, "you won't be ready. Not if you just take the file and bring it back to him. John, he's more dangerous than Jake and his goons. I'll give you the file, but you must read it once I hand it to you. You can't just ignore what will possibly happen".
And just like that, Eric dug into his desk drawers and pulled out a vanilla-colored folder. Once I took it out of his hands, I opened it up and then read what was inside. The file spoke of a possible take-over of the school. It spoke of how he was going to take over the Jocks and have them burn the school down. A part of me didn't believe what was written in the file. John already has control of the school. Why would he want to burn it down and rule a pile of rubble? I know John has plans of his own, but this doesn't make any sense.
"I got to return this to John now", I told Eric, "but before I do, we need to talk about how you can help us". "I told you, I can't help you or else the Jocks will ruin my future", Eric says. "You can't ignore what is happening, Eric", I told him. "You need to fight for the right side. You can't keep helping the Jocks. What if one day they decide that you outlived your usefulness and plan the drugs in your locker? That day will come, and you're going to regret not fighting on our side". "If you want me to help, you need to grant me some protection", Eric says. "I could ask John to protect you", I suggested. "No, I need someone who I could trust. John would probably do the same thing", Eric says. I took a deep breath and then I told him, "I'm guessing he would do it to you if he saw you as a threat. Right now, he doesn't. Jake doesn't either for now. But I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you. You got my word".
He took a deep breath and then asked me, "What do you want me to do?" "I got nothing for now", I told him, "but just act natural. Don't call attention to yourself, and don't let any of the Jocks know. I'll let you know by next week". And just like that, I left Eric's room and went back down to my room.
I pulled out my phone and then I called John. "I got your file, man. I'm in my room in case you want to come by and pick it up". "I'll be over in a few minutes", John says before hanging up. While I waited for John to show up, I took out a cigarette from one of my packs and started smoking it. At this point after smoking almost one or two a day since the night Jake humiliated me, it was safe to say that I was addicted to nicotine. I should probably find one of those patches in the local drugstore one of these days to help get rid of my addiction.
After a while of huffing and making smoke rings, John came into my room and demanded for the file. "Here you go", I told him as I handed him the folder. "Thanks. You are useful after all", he says as he takes it from my hands. "There's something called a cloud, you know? Keeps information private and in digital form. Better than to keep it in physical form so that I don't have to get it every time it gets taken", I retorted. "This was actually a fake document", he then tells me.
"A fake document?" I said in disbelief. "What the hell? I have better things to do than for you to send me off to collect fake documents". "I knew Jake was going to have Eric sneak into my dorm room and take the document while I was out. He's predictable", John then tells me. "And why would Jake have Eric do that? Are you hiding something?" I asked him. "Nothing that concerns you", he answers. Unbelievable, I thought to myself while taking another huff on my cigarette. "So, at this point, Jake knows that you're helping me?" I asked him. "I don't know. Frankly, I don't care", he says. "Just do what you got to do, and I'll do what I do best". He was about to leave the room when I stopped him and said to him, "You need to protect Eric".
"Why should I be concerned about his well-being?" he then asks me. "He said he would help us out if we grant him some protection", I answered. "No deal. Not after he broke into my room", John tells me. "He could be useful", I added. "I don't care if he was either your boyfriend or long-lost brother, he's no use to me. He's deadweight to me", John says before storming out of the room.
"Unbelievable", I said out-loud. Well, it's as the saying goes: life is a bitch. John really is hiding something if he wanted me to go after a fake document. Or could the document be the real deal? There's too many questions being brought up with John's involvement. I will have to investigate it when I have time. Something just wasn't right about all this.