The Matters of Power

Chapter 10- Fall Festival, Missing Star [1]

*Time goes by, to the point that San Anton's first Nine Week Grading just passes..."

San Anton High, after weeks of laying low and trying my best to stay focused and commit to my homework, has been relatively quiet in activity with everyone else minding their own business and trying to show off their own wealth and fame subtly while the lower ends like Fernando get toyed around with every once in a while in the hallways or the recreational area. Funny enough, he shrugs it off all the time and doesn't get bothered at Lunch when I sit with him and his other "associates" because of other students not attempting to look bad in front of me, every single of their thoughts either enamored by my perfect body's looks or just being petty jealous of the attention I have been receiving. Carl acts all stiff if he even hears my voice near him and just tries to "play it manly cool" as he thinks so he doesn't seem weak in front of Payton Moon, that is increasingly obvious he admires her and has the wrong mentality of approaching her, even with her clearly negative responses to his brash actions.

Fall comes around this morning, the season that my parents and I know we have to pull every weight possible to reserve heating supplies and preserve warm clothing for the crazy Texas winds that occur every year at random. Luckily, Father had managed to receive a small bonus from the program that allowed me to buy "Winter-Styled Fashion" for the school year that I ended up just buying a cheap fluffy jacket and fingerless gloves, buying a bit more other clothing in reserve if I l lose them or fall apart because of their questionable quality. Arriving at the high school, a lot of people's fashion styles seem too stuffy and baggy for my own taste and usefulness, the lucky ones mostly. It seems daily that the moment one person spots me, everyone else's eyes are upon me expecting me to do something out of this world or approach them with outlandish expectations, but I am never going to do so unfortunately to them. Too many of the students here are quite obnoxious, stuck-up, or straight up greedy that I wouldn't want to associate with, more so after Carl had attempted to purchase alcohol that one night because of his ability to do so even when underaged. The society I have to learn with five days a week is on a whole new planet that I possibly couldn't endure, but I have to use the education given to me by my father's work program or else I will let down my parents and suffer the same misfortunes as them not being able to live a better life.

Once again, Alicia tries to surprise me by cutting in front of me to get me to face her, but does so unsuccessfully (again), but this time she has a flyer on her hands. "Marcus, how are you? Hey, did you see the flyers posted around school about this Fall Festival the school is hosting? Looks fun, check it out!" No, I of course couldn't have seen them because I just got here to the foyer to head to first period. Yet this event intrigues me to look forward, so I grab the flyer (of course thanking Alicia for giving it to me) and read it along as I approach Biology, clearly showing a good amount of flashy appearances and multiple points of interest. The Fall Festival is "A yearly tradition of proud standards of the school institution to celebrate new students of the new season. A Wonderful Time of Fall Festivities!", revealing plenty of details such as planned activities, posted timestamps, and unique placement of a "Fall Star Representative" that resembles sort of a best student vote for the Freshman year. Interesting. I'm skeptical of such an elaborate event, yet I'm intrigued to participate in it.

With our Nine Week Grading period just passed, the teachers really seem to have little incentive to give us any hard-pressed work considering the Fall Festival and the week-long vacation we have before the start of our next Nine Week Grading period. Biology's teacher just establishes attendance and lets us have a free day to ourselves, leaving the classroom to a case of herd mentalities and cliché groups to form across the room even though I just stay in my desk and try to preoccupy myself with any outside news of clothing sales. Though it is distracting to focus with everyone's thoughts still hearable in my vicinity and their constant ramblings of their gossips with the Fall Festival. A good while later and multiple crosses on a ton of article sale promotions, first period ends and World History is up next to travel to. Surprisingly, the teacher had made a drastic room change than the standard that threw most of us off, explaining that every second period classes had to rearrange for a new system called "Homeroom" which was a certain time of school news and announcements along with our regularly-scheduled period. Along with our daily routine of Pledge of Allegiance and Texas Pledge, a long set of announcement sections are spoken about through the television monitors. Fun few minutes of our lives.

Most of what the school says is typical stuff: club openings and events, staff reminders, even cafeteria postings. Yet there comes an interesting segment about the Fall Festival, calling on most of the Freshman classes to help on the festival decorations and grouping while the school clubs and higher years organize and prepare the whole thing. After announcements conclude, the whole class erupts with conversation fervor and complaints of their whole disapproval of having to work extensively on the event that "was meant to celebrate them in the first place". The ever-loudening Carl gets up on his desk and proceeds to rant on the amount of work that the school is supposedly given us without our own representation, but even after all that the teacher doesn't seem fazed at the social chaos, as if he was expecting such a response. He hushes the class in a harsh tone and gets everyone's attention to face him at his desk. He grabs a sheet of paper and reads it, "So this year for the Fall Festival, the School Board has decided to give the Freshman class some amount of Democracy and see to it that the year votes on 'Fall Star Representatives', where stated 'the Freshman of San Anton High shall proceed to choose nominations for one MALE and FEMALE student to represent'."

"Each Freshman Homeroom class will nominate two students in their class by their own decisions and later on gather before the Fall Festival begins to finally vote on the Fall Star Representatives and display themselves..." The teacher proceeds to explain a few more details and give rules and regulations concerning how we are meant to dress and conduct generally then, but none of that seems to matter with the other students since they seem to be more concerned with who they think should be nominated in this class. I hear many think that they should nominate me, Carl, or the Fashion Club Vice President, Hugo Couture, for the guys while Payton or a few others would be nominated for the girls. "Well then, with that out of the way (the teacher approaches the whiteboard) who will volunteer to be nominated? Anyone?" People hesitate to figure out who they should side for first but Carl rises up. "I nominate myself for the Fall Star Representative." "No Carl," the teacher scoffs, "you can't nominate yourself as I've just explained a few moments ago, only for others. Good enthusiasm though." He slinks back down on his chair looking a bit frustrated from that failure, yet I find Alicia chiming in to speak next, "Marcus! I nominate Marcus."

Just like that, the teacher writes my name on the boys lists of nomination. "Anyone else?". I can hear Carl fuming in his head, "(Carl) So I can't even nominate myself as a reasonable person, but she can pick Marcus just because everyone already knows he can win in a landslide? That's bull!" Now that I think about it, this idea of me being a Fall Star Representative doesn't seem something I want to do, not with my plans of trying to lead an incognito school year. I might regret this, but I raise my hand anyway. "I say I nominate Carl, he's a better speaker and does resemble the tougher representative here." The class looks surprised by my own nomination, yet the teacher writes his name on the whiteboard anyway below mine. Nobody else seems to want to volunteer, until finally one of the girls nominates Hugo and about half of them second the nomination, appearing to be avid fans of Hugo and "absolutely adore his fashion skills". So among me, Carl, and Hugo are the only ones nominated in this class in the boys section, meanwhile Payton and one other girl are nominated as well for classroom voting. According to the voting process according to the Homeroom teacher, "Each class will take turns voting for the male and female student nominations and attempt to conclude a winner by a simple majority or by process of elimination if multiple nominators are present. However, those nominated are NOT ALLOWED to participate in voting.

"Make your vote count students, they will be representing your year for the Fall Festival for all to see." Wow, what a way to place pressure among Democracy voting. Still, the female nominations went first and it turns out Payton Moon won by a large landslide, good on her. It's our turn now, and among everyone else's votes, Carl and I had tied for the most votes with Hugo just barely lost even with his large female fanbase. He doesn't seem particularly disappointed in the loss, even congratulating me for beating him in the voting. "Good on ya, Marcus. I can see that your reputation precedes with you well." Gollee, what is that accent? French, Dutch, some other European accent that I'm not aware of? Whatever, it's not the most of my concerns right now, I just have to hope that Carl gets nominated instead of me so he'll have more of the attention. It feels like forever, but finally the teacher finally counts all the marks on the whiteboard. "Well then, the winner for this class's nomination, is Marcus. Congratulations, make sure to represent the Freshman year well if you are ultimately chosen in the final vote. Now...(he approaches his desk) I need to notify the school of the results, the rest of y'all have the rest of Homeroom to yourselves but World History will start soon."

Dang it! I've won the class nomination, but at what cost down the line in the Fall Festival?