Little Miss America

Chapter Twelve

You tried to climb back up to your window at around 2am.
But you were too tired to get a grip.
You dragged yourself to the front door and hesitated before knocking.
You continued knocking over and over until finally the door was opened.
"Ugh! Finally! God, you are so lucky I didn't call your dad to come back! I don't want to interrupt his mission but when he gets back you are in so much trouble!" Olivia shouted in your ear.
"Will you just shut up?" you moaned.
"Excuse me!" she exclaimed, and slapped your cheek.
"Your voice is so whiny."
She slapped you again.
You glared at her, then slapped her back.
"I want my phone back" you spat.
"Did you just hit me?"
"What the actual fuck did you think was going to happen? You think I was going to let you keep hitting me?!"
She slapped you again.
"Ugh! I hate you!"
"Yeah well I hate you too you little shit!"
You turned and sprinted up the stairs. But it was more stumbling than sprinting.
You were really dizzy and so tired...
Halfway up, you passed out, and tumbled back to the bottom.
"Oh for fucks sake" Olivia mumbled when you landed unconscious by her feet.
---
You woke at the bottom of the stairs. You had a pounding headache and your entire body was sore.
You couldn't recall anything that happened the night before. The last thing you could remember was sitting in an alleyway taking drugs.
"Olivia" you groaned into the floor.
"Finally" Olivia appeared at the top of the stairs and started walking out. "You've been in a fucking coma since last night."
"What time is it?"
"Six..."
"That's so early!"
"...p.m."
"What?"
"Get up and eat something."
"I'm not hungry" you mumbled.
"Fine. Starve yourself. But get your ass off the floor."
You pushed yourself up and walked slowly into the kitchen.
You collapsed into a chair and banged your forehead down on the table.
Olivia threw something at your head, and it bounced onto the table in front of you.
Your phone.
You unlocked it and started scrolling through social media.
You saw posts on the news about the Flag Smashers.
You opened the messages app, and saw the name of a reporter next to an unopened text.
They were requesting to interview you, to give a statement about the whole situation with Karli and the GRC.
You were staring at it long enough for Olivia to read the message over your shoulder.
"Are you gonna do it?" she asked.
"I don't know. Probably not."
"Why?"
"Because I have a feeling most people won't agree with my opinion."
"Which is?"
"What they're doing isn't completely unjustified. They have good intentions. You can't think it's fair that all these people have been forced out of their homes."
"Okay, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be punished for bombing a building and killing innocent people."
"No... but how else are they going to get the governments attention."
"I can't believe you..."
"I'm just saying! They want help that no one will give them unless they do something about it."
"Don't do the interview" Olivia shook her head.
"Why not?"
"Because, for some reason I will never understand, literally everyone in this country loves you."
"Right..." you were slightly confused. "That's highly unlikely, but what's your point?"
"People would listen to you."
"What's wrong with that? Say you're right, and they do listen to me, then maybe they could actually do something. Compromise. Get them the help they need without blowing up buildings or killing anyone."
"No. Your dad is out there right now bringing down this organisation. The last thing he needs is you telling everyone that the Flag Smashers are right."
"I didn't say they were right... you never listen!"
"You're not doing that interview! End of story!"
Olivia snatched your phone out your hands.
"Hey!"
You tried to get it back, but by the time you did, she had deleted the contact off your phone.
"Bitch" you muttered.
You put it in your pocket and stormed upstairs to your bedroom.
-
Later that evening... close to midnight...
You were laying on your bed scrolling through reels on Instagram.
Your phone started ringing. It was not a number you had saved in your phone, and you couldn't imagine who would be ringing this later.
You answered and held it up to your ear.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this y/n?"
"Um yeah who's this?"
"My name is Karli Morgenthau."
"Karli? I- I've seen you on the news. You're the leaders of the Flag Smashers, right?"
"Yes."
"Is there a reason you're calling me?"
"I want to meet you."
"You want to meet me?" you repeated slowly."Why?"
"Because I think you can help me."
"How?"
"I have a feeling, y/n, that you agree with my cause."
"We've never met. How would you know that?"
"So I'm right?"
"I don't agree with the way you're doing things, but sure, you have a... reasonable aim."
"Exactly."
"So how exactly am I meant to help you?"
"You know as well as I do how valued you are."
You didn't respond. You sat quietly, listening to what she had to say.
"People listen to you. You can convince them that what we're doing is right. Force them to make a change."
You had been thinking about this since your conversation with Olivia earlier. You realised that both her and Karli were wrong. You didn't have the power to change people's opinions. Yeah, people liked you. But you weren't important enough to influence them in any way.
"I can't force anyone to do anything. I can't change anyone's opinions. I'm sixteen. No one is going to listen to a kid."
"You underestimate yourself y/n. You should take advantage of the position you're in."
"..."
"If you don't, I can do it for you."
"What do you mean?"
"People will do things for you y/n. For many reasons, including to save you. If you don't take advantage of that, I will."
"I don't understand."
"I think we should meet in person."
"What-"
"I'll be seeing you soon y/n."
She hung up before you could protest.
You held your phone to your chest and stared blankly at a spot on the floor.
Karli had just threatened you. You didn't know what you were supposed to do. You remained perfectly still until you fell asleep.
---
"Y/n! Y/n get up!" Olivia shook you vigorously. It was about midday, and the sun was shining through your curtains. "Wake up you lazy shit!"
"Hm?" you groaned and sat up.
She grabbed your hand and dragged you out the bed.
"What-" you started. "What are you- where are we going? What happened?"
"John killed someone. It's all over the news. We've gotta go" she pulled you out the room and down the stairs. She then hurried you into her car. You were now completely awake as you strapped on your seatbelt.
"Where are we going?" you asked.
She ignored you as she started to driving.
"Who did he kill?"
"One of the Flag Smasher people."
"Was it Karli?"
"No."
You remembered the phone call from last night. You didn't tell her, because she'd most likely just get mad you hadn't told her sooner. And she couldn't help anyway.