𝐄𝐔𝐃𝐀𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐀━━━ leo valdez

two

The bus dropped them in front of a big red-complex just sitting in the middle of nowhere. Maybe a museum, Rae thought. A cold wind blew across the desert. Rae crossed her arms then realized she hadn't been paying attention to what she was wearing, and it definitely didn't help with the cool weather. She wore a cropped grey sweatshirt, thin black leggings, and a pair of white sneakers.

"So, a crash course for the amnesiacs," Leo said, in a tone that made Rae think this was not going to be helpful. "We go to the 'Wilderness School'" - Leo made air quotes with his fingers. "Which means we're 'bad kids'. Your family, or the court, or whoever, decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison - sorry, 'boarding school'- in Armpit, Nevada, where you learn valuable nature skills like running ten miles a day through the cacti and weaving daisies into hats! And for a special treat, we go on 'educational' field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat. Is it all coming back to you guys now?"

"No," Jason replied. Rae glanced apprehensively at the other kids: maybe twenty guys, half that many girls. They all looked like normal kids, she wondered what they'd all done to end up here, and what she did that made her belong here. Leo mentioned something about her committing suicide, but she couldn't imagine why.

Leo rolled his eyes. "You're really gonna play this out, huh? Okay, so the four of us started here together this semester. We're totally tight. Jason does my chores and everything I say and Rae give me all of her desserts - "

"Leo!" Piper snapped.

"Fine ignore the last part. But we are friends. Well, Piper's a little more than your friend, the last few weeks - " He elbowed Rae grinning.

"Leo, stop it!" Piper blushed. Rae glanced at Jason's face which had turned red. "They've got amnesia or something, we've got to tell somebody," Piper said.

Leo scoffed. "Who, Coach Hedge? He'd try to fix Rae and Jason by whacking them upside the head."

Coach Hedge was at the front of the group, shouting orders and blowing his whistle to keep everything in order, but Rae noticed every so often he'd glance back at Jason and her and scowl.

"Leo, they need help," Piper insisted. "They've got a concussion or -"

"Yo, Piper." One of the guys from the front headed to join them as they walked to the museum. He wedged himself between Jason and Piper and shoved Leo and Rae aside. His white teeth shined, almost blinding Rae. His dark hair was cut Superman-style, had a deep tan and wore a cowboy jersey with Western jeans and boots. He smiled at all the juvenile delinquent girls everywhere, as if he was God's gift or something.

"Don't talk to these bottom-feeders. You're my partner, remember?" said Dylan. Rae immediately hated him.

"Go away, Dylan," Piper grumbled. "I didn't ask to work with you."

"Ah, that's no way to be. This is your lucky day!" Dylan hooked his arm through hers and dragged her towards the museum entrance. "Martinez, you coming or not?" he called out to Rae.

"M-me?" Rae pointed to herself asking.

"Yes you, now go!" Leo pushed her and she went and joined Piper, who looked relieved to have another girl with her.

They walked through the building, stopping here and there for Coach Hedge to lecture them with his megaphone, which made him sound like a Sith Lord or blared our random comments like, "The pig says oink."

Rae was too distracted to pay much attention to the exhibits, but they were about the Grand Canyon and the Hualapai tribe, which owned the museum. Rae saw some girls who kept looking over at them and snickering. They wore matching jeans and pink tops and enough makeup to scare children for a Halloween party.