GENTRY

15

The plan is as Kai specified it would be, and they are doing it the next day.

Ez plans out what their note will say. It takes a bit of time to get the flow of The Divide’s language, but he is sure he has it. It calls for a meeting, at midnight, in the abandoned house. At least, if he is a bit off, Poppy probably won’t notice. She studies languages, not poetry.

Luis fakes the note. His decent calligraphy skills are able to imitate those of The Divide. He knows that all of their success lies on him. The nerves are beginning to get to him, though his hands are as steady as ever. He rewrites the note in his room three times before passing it off.

Ellie sneaks the note under Poppy’s door. She read it over beforehand, to double-check everyone’s craftsmanship. She wears gloves as she slips it into Poppy’s dorm. Knowing Poppy, she will not keep the note lying around. She keeps The Divide’s secrets like they are her own.

Kai procures the absinthe and the wine. He also orders a few miscellaneous drugs, including weed and molly, to make it seem like he is throwing a party. Hopefully, the dealer won’t say anything. Besides, he’s probably Poppy’s supplier anyway. Kai firmly believes that this will go off without a hitch.

Felix takes to the store to buy a dozen wine glasses, paying in cash. He wishes someone else would’ve made the trek, but he doesn’t mind too much. They are going to remove the cups after they are done anyway; they are just for show for Poppy.

            The others aren’t directly involved in the plan. They mostly do prep work on their own. No one is around to keep an eye on them. If any of them wanted, they could run to Poppy and squeal.

Briar spends hours doing her make-up and picking out her clothing. Poppy Prevost will not show her up tonight. Briar has a growing stack of homework that she has been unable to complete. Every time she sits to do homework, she begins to cry. She cannot contain it. With mascara on, she is hoping not a tear will be shed tonight.

            Roman spends the whole day reading. They read about Kant and Nietsche, and any philosopher that they can get their hands on. Can a bad deed be a good deed? Can this be justified? They try to separate themselves from the gravity of the situation by analyzing it. Academia creates distance between its subjects and the observer. Roman becomes analytical, swallowing their feelings. They try not to choke on the lump in their throat.

            Evelyn doesn’t have the nicest set of clothes to wear. She opts for a lilac blouse underneath a black corset, and skin-tight black pants to match. She wants Kai to be able to see all her curves. Besides, she’s not the same girl who came here, is she? She knows everything there is to know about the world now. She’s experienced so much.

            Knowing how to act prevents Tom from practicing how to look normal. He knows that he is going to have to drink wine tonight so that Poppy thinks he is obeying the rules of The Divide. It scares him. When he looks in the mirror, he sees a man named Jared, who goes on alcohol-fuelled sprees of violence. Tom refuses to become his father. Yet, is he not so close to him, committing such a heinous crime?

            Jetta feels the paranoia set in. Will Poppy get so drunk she will reveal Jetta’s secret? Surely, someone will kill Jetta if it becomes widespread news. Jetta doesn’t think that they are really killing Poppy. Poppy is taking her own life through her consumption of absinthe. It’s easier for Jetta to digest. She’s always seen Poppy as more of a person than the others have. Poppy cannot be all that different; she breathes, like the rest of them. At least, for now.

            Vieira cannot keep food down. She gets sick, repeatedly, calls out of classes for what she explains is the flu. Really, it is her shame that nauseates her. She voted yes. After all those thoughts, after all that denial, she voted yes. She agreed to murder someone. Vieira sees the beauty in everything, even Poppy. How can their conspiracy possibly feel empowered to take something beautiful and destroy it?