Écoust Military Academy

Chapter Nine: Backfire

"You want to-what?" Blake asked, surprised.

"Shh, not so loud." Alex cautioned.

"We Just need to know if you have anything?" Schofield said.

"No, I don't have anything, but I know what really bothers her." Blake said.

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"She gets very upset if someone takes a bad picture of her. If you look for an elementary picture of her that would probably work." Blake suggested.

"Good idea." Alex said.

"Let's hope it works." Blake said.

Schofield nodded.

"Will the lady and gentleman in the back please face forward! I have something important to announce!" The teacher called, "the auditions for singin' in the rain are next week! Please choose a character to audition for by the end of this week. Class dismissed!"

The trio left and went straight to the library. Blake sat at the computer and began to search Brandee's old school for a picture. Alex and Schofield sat on either side. Eventually, Alex fell asleep due to boredom. Blake kept scrolling through the years of pictures on Brandee's old school's website. Schofield kept an eye, making sure no one was catching on to what they were doing.

"There!" Blake exclaimed, landing on a picture of a young Brandee.

Alex woke up with a start.

"Do you have to be so loud?" She yawned.

"Sorry, Alex." Blake said, "but that's her."

In the picture, Brandee was wearing a pale yellow dress with little pink flowers embroidered across the waistline and shoulder straps. Her bangs were combed down in the front nearly to her eyes. Two braided pigtails stuck out of either side of her head. A pink bow hung at the end of each braid. However, the braces she wore was what caught their attention. The braces had bright pink rubber bands that matched the flowers on her dress and the bows. Her smile wasn't helping her either. She was trying too hard to smile which caused the braces to take up most of her face and her eyes were nearly closed.

"Man, and I thought I had bad elementary pictures." Alex commented.

"No kidding." Blake said.

"Can you print that?" Schofield asked.

"Think so." Blake answered.

"Good." Schofield said.

He stood up and walked to the print. Blake put the mouse on the print button.

"Wait." Alex whispered.

Alex put her hand on top of Blake's and moved the mouse.

"What?" Blake asked.

"You know Brandee better than we do." Alex whispered, "Do you think this is a good idea?"

Blake sighed, "I'm not sure. There are four things that could happen. Either we print this and threaten her with it and she backs off or she will spread the rumors anyway. Or we don't print this and she spreads the rumor. Or the last option is that I can't be seen with you guys."

Alex moved her hand away and sighed. "Print it."

The printer came to life and spit out the picture. Schofield folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket as he walked back over.

"Now what?" Blake asked.

"Wait until tomorrow, I suppose." Alex answered.

Schofield noded. Alex and Schofield waited while Blake cleared the browser history. The trio left the library a few minutes later and walked to the dorms.