Gifted

Chapter 17

Rita and her friends put their bags over their shoulders. They had been packed up for the past hour, all that remained was waiting. Waiting for curfew, waiting to escape. There was a ding from Rita’s laptop, she rushed over to it and opened her email. There was an email from Cammi:

The food tasted horrible today ❗❗❗

Rita typed back a hurried response.

Absolutely, but I was so hungry I had to eat it. 😢

She smiled and turned to her friends in her room. Zoe, Seth, Cole, and Amber. When they had all come in here Rita had protested, claiming that her friend would get into trouble. But Zoe had taken control.

“Screw these rules, we’re busting out of here.”

So here Amber was, breaking the rules, and standing in her room. But when Rita thought about it, the rules really didn’t matter; they were leaving here anyways, so why did it matter?

“So what did the email say?” Zoe asked, looking at the screen.

“We’re ready to go.” They all grabbed their packs. Seth pulled out a gadget and pressed a button, it went out to three transmitters. One was in each common room, it let out a beeping sound that let everyone know that it was time to pull the rumored prank. After dinner, all of them had gone and spread rumors about a huge party that would be going on right after curfew in the rotunda.

 Everyone was up to it, they readily agreed, and so all of the members of each groups was huddled around the transmitter in the common room, waiting for the signal. And Now Seth had set it off, there was a chorus of muffled cheers coming from right outside her door, and then footsteps that shook the floor. 

Rita nodded to everyone else, they grabbed their packs full of everything they had brought with them, and additional things they needed to survive. Seth threw open the door and Cole took the lead, they went through the common room and to the chaos filled halls. They met right outside the store entrance as agreed, Cammi was dragging along another kid.

“Who’s that?” Rita asked, a stare from Cammi made her shrink away.

“This is Nico, he’s useful.” Cammi stated to all of them, the coldness in her voice making them too afraid to object. 

Cole stood straighter and attempted to take charge. 

“We aren’t taking anyone with us.” He said sternly.

Cammi walked up to Cole, and even though she was shorter, the authority in her posture made her seem to tower over him. 

“I said that he was coming, trust me on this.” She said with a steely voice.

“No, we planned this stuff. He could ruin it all and-“

“He’s coming whether you like it or not. Now let’s go before it’s too late.”

Cole grunted angrily and slouched down, he dragged his feet as they walked. The new kid, Nico, was short, his eyes and hair were light brown, and his skin was fare. He stumbled along, held tightly by Cammi’s strong grip. She weaved through the crowd, making a path for them to follow, she shoved past several excited people to get to the door.  It was in an emptier corner, there was a column of marble blocking it from view from most angles. They went up to the marble, eying the wall where a large air vent cover was. There was a guard standing right in front of their path, keeping the teenagers well away from the door that was right beside it. Rita looked at Cole and nodded, they walked up to the guard, ready to knock him out. Cammi held them back.

“Knocking him out will arouse suspicion.” 

“Well Mrs. Fancy words”, Cole snapped, “What do you suggest we do.”