As I got into Brad's car, he threw his arms into the air announcing, "Today is the day!"
I sat down and buckled my seatbelt without saying a word.
"Hello? Are you listening?" Brad waved a hand in my face as he drove away from the curb. He glanced back and forth between me and the road.
I glared at him.
"Tonight is the big meeting after school, remember? It's going to be great!" he beamed.
"Good for you." I rolled my eyes. "I'm not going."
"But you responded yes on the group page. Why are you changing your mind again?" Brad looked at me with concern.
I did reply yes, didn't I?
"I never changed my mind," I replied shaking my head. "I only replied yes because I thought I'd check things out and watch how bad it all goes. Honestly, I can't wait to watch this blow up in your face."
"So... you're not going to come?"
I sighed. "Yes, I'm coming."
Brad silently cheered as he pulled into a parking spot at the school. He leaned over and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
I pushed him away. "You've never told me and I wouldn't start now."
I jumped out of the car and grabbed my backpack from the back seat. I walked away toward the school leaving Brad alone in the car and I didn't look back.
*
I drove up to the school around 7:45 PM. I wanted to get there early enough so I had a good spot to watch but I didn't want to be seen. Jay had told me I was more than welcome to present with them. I politely declined, especially when Brad had added, "Yeah, it'll look better if my girlfriend is up there with me and the rest of the group."
I locked my car seeing only one other car in the lot. It was Brad's. I walked around to the back of the school. When I turned the corner, Brad, Darren, Jay, and Simon were standing on the football field. A couple lights were turned on making the field glow. They were setting up a microphone, which I assumed their either took out of the auditorium or out of the announcer's box from the field.
I walked closer trying to stay out of sight, but I wanted to hear what they were saying. The conversation was hard to make out though. I could hear Brad loud and clear, but Jay's normal tone was hard to hear and Darren seemed to be whispering for some reason. Simon stood a little away from the group and I wondered if that was by choice or if Brad excluded him.
"Do we have a plan?" I heard Jay ask.
"A plan for what?" Brad shrugged. "I'm going to tell it like it is. You guys stand behind me for support and act like you know what I'm talking about and that you're with me 100-percent."
"We are with you 100-percent." Jay reminded him.
Darren stepped up and said something, but I couldn't hear him.
"I have no idea where she is," Brad replied exasperated.
Were they talking about me?
"Maybe Rox told her not to come and the two of them are getting their nails done as we speak." He snapped.
No, they were talking about Bella.
"I'm guessing Brad is wrong about the nails bit, huh?"
I jumped, turning around to see Simon behind me. I put a hand over my chest and looked back over at the front of the field. I hadn't noticed Simon disappeared. I turned back to face him. "Why do you always have to sneak up on me like that?"
"Sorry," Simon smirked. "I didn't do it on purpose."
I sighed. "Never mind. Just please don't tell the guys I'm here."
"Why are you here, anyway?" Simon asked leaning up against the school wall.
"I'm curious." I shrugged. I snapped my head to look back at the boys as Brad starting yelling at Darren and Jay. I wondered what was going on now.
"To what it blow up in our faces?"
I sheepishly cast Simon a side glance.
He smiled. "Brad told us you snapped at him earlier."
I opened my mouth to defend myself, but Simon shook his head holding up a hand to stop me.
"I'm not blaming you. I'd snap at him too." He said. "Though, judging from the group page, I think we're going to have a good turnout."
I sighed. I knew he was right. Brad had piqued their curiosity and I wasn't too sure anyone would try to go against him.
"It's almost 8," Simon said. "You better get out of sight if you want to stay hidden." He walked by me to make it back to the front of the field, but I grabbed his arm.
"I meant what I said when I told you you're better than this," I said.
Simon slipped out of my grip. "I'm doing this because I want to. It'll make history for our school, your senior class. I'll be known as the junior who had it in with the senior, who pulled off the biggest prank of all time. It's going to be epic. We're going to be... legends, as Brad says."
"That's how you want to be known? As Brad's minion?" I sighed. "This isn't good history for the school, it's bad history."
Simon raised an eyebrow.
"Discovering America was good history, the World Wars were bad history," I stated trying to explain myself, but it didn't come out as well as I'd hoped.
"Please Roxie, this isn't war." Simon snorted and walked away.
I watched Simon walk away. He used to be the good kid of the group. He used to be the nicest one. Now he was changing... just like Brad wanted him to.
As I watched him reach the front, I noticed the field filled up pretty quick with students. I hadn't noticed them all arrive. I walked over to the side courtyard to get a better look but people still couldn't see me. Hopefully, anyway.
"Is everyone here?" Brad announced through the microphone. "Or... the majority of everyone?"
The crowd cheered.
"Can everyone hear me?"
They cheered again, louder this time. What, was this a concert? I could only hope the neighbors would hear and call the police.
"Good, I'll make this quick." Brad cleared his throat. "My friends and I are here to explain the Take Over in more detail. We thought of this idea as the senior prank but decided it'd be more fun if the whole school got involved. We're still calling it the senior prank though in case we get caught." Brad laughed and everyone laughed along with him.
My jaw dropped. In case they get caught? That wasn't a red flag for anyone?
"When we were young we used to wonder why the students didn't overtake the teachers. We outnumber them, so how do they rule? We decided it's time to do just that and take over the teachers, the whole school. We're sick of taking up early, we're sick of doing homework, we're sick of wasting our entire day in this building, and we're sick of teachers telling us what to do!" Brad shouted.
Everyone began clapping and cheering Brad on. I scanned the crowd nervously. I wasn't sure if Brad had rehearsed this, but he certainly knew how to grab a crowd's attention.
Brad raised his arms to quiet everyone down. "We're going to take over the school on the last week of the school year. This is a joke on the administration and teachers so it'll last just one day.
"Now," he continued, "We're gonna get caught doing this. Whether we last a whole day or not, we may get into some trouble. That's why we're using the senior prank as an excuse. It's a big one." He paused for dramatic effect. "But it'll make history!"
Everyone applauded, cheered, and whistled. I stood up straight and looked around at the crowd in dismay. I had hoped they came here due to curiosity, not because they wanted part of it. How could I have been so naïve?
"This is a big secret," Brad continued lecturing. "I know it'll be hard to keep, but we can't let the teachers know something big is coming. Now we have a sign-up sheet here and I need everyone to sign it saying they're willing to participate, keep it secret, and not back out."
Oh, good. They had to sell their souls to him.
Of course, everyone started forming a huge line. Brad looked so satisfied and proud of himself. He and Jay grinned at each other. Darren was standing a little behind them with his arms around Bella's shoulders. I hadn't noticed she arrived. I wondered if she was there the whole time or not. She looked a little uneasy, but it seemed as though she was officially in on the plan since Darren was.
I turned my head and noticed Simon standing away from the group. He was staring at me. I was sure my face was easy to read since he stared at me with a sympathetic expression.
It didn't matter what he thought though. He was going along with the idea as was Bella. I shook my head scolding from afar to Simon. Then I turned around and headed to my car.