Summerton High (Zeke Thompson: Minute Men)

"Populars"

Zeke and I are sitting together at the lunch table waiting for Charlie and Virgil. I hold Zeke's bicep and rest my head on his shoulder as he eats. "Gorgeous, you need to start eating lunch." He says with a mouthful, "I don't like lunch, and I have grapes!" He holds the fork full of food in my face, "Bite." I sigh and take a bite, I feel like gagging but I chew and swallow, "Happy?" I rest my head back on his shoulder eating my small container of grapes, "Content." He continues to eat as Charlie and Virgil walk over.

"Eugene has copped a serious attitude." Virgil says as he sits down, "Want attitude, look at Chester." Zeke points with his fork at Chester. He's sitting with girls and a jock wearing the same clothes the boys gave him that day they saved him. "That's so stupid." I roll my eyes still holding onto Zeke. I look over at Charlie inhaling his food, "Are you okay?" I ask.

"Sadie, have you been being watched too?" Charlie says to me, "Only when I'm with Zeke. Some guy working on the power lines near his dad's bike place. It felt like he was staring. After Zeke dropped me off, it felt as though I was being watched but not after that day." Charlie nods, "We've all been being watched. You've jumped back with us before and you publicly hang out with Zeke, it makes sense why Janette hasn't been watched and we have." Virgil says, Charlie waves him away, "Not the point. There's-" Charlie gets cut off by Stephanie running over calling Virgil.

She gives him a big hug and tells him something, Derek calls her name and she goes back over to him, "Sorry, what were you saying Charlie?" Virgil sits back down, "There's something I haven't told you guys about the time travel formula." He looks nervous, "As you remember, there was one last piece of the equation that had invaded my mind for several years until I finally found what I was looking for through an extensive 'round the clock internet procedure." He's fiddling his hands when he talks, "He was hacking." Zeke says, Charlie nods, "It gets worse." He hesitates, "I stole it from NASA." All of our jaws drop, "You robbed NASA?" Virgil basically screams. Charlie pulls all of us under the table.

"Try screaming louder next time Virgil!" I say. "It's not that bad!" Charlie defends himself, "What do you mean Charlie it's NASA, the government!" I argue, "The files are from the 1960s they were defunct! Nobody has touched them for decades." "This is so bad!" Virgil panics, "We could go to prison!" He exclaims. "Just so you guys know if we do go to prison and we share the same cell, I snore like a chainsaw." Zeke says, I nod, "He does." I say, "Well that's great!" Virgil says. "This won't be a problem, as long as we stop using the machine for a little while and lay low. You two keep going on your lovey dovey dates, we act normal!" Charlie yells quietly at us.

We get back up from under the table, everyone is staring. "Dropped some grapes." Virgil says putting some from his hand into his mouth. We all continue to eat in silence, I become very anxious, I don't want Zeke to get in trouble. I squeeze his bicep gently, "It'll be okay." He puts his arm around me as he continues to eat. I can't believe what Charlie did.

*time skip: next day 2:00pm*

We're all sitting in our room, Charlie is looking at the machine, Zeke is fixing some things and then Virgil storms in, "Guys, we have to go back in time to help Steph!" "Forget it! It's terrible that Stephanie fell off the top of the pyramid but forget it!" Charlie argues, "We all said we were being watched, right? The heat is on!" Charlie finishes. "Look, Charlie if we don't help her she can lose out on her scholarship, we have to go back!" Virgil rebuttals. Charlie seems infuriated, I look up to them as I hold Zeke's tools, "You just want to help her because you have a big creepy crush on her!" Charlie says, Janette looks up from the computer, "Creepy crush? I vote yes!" Charlie sighs.

Virgil looks at all of us, "Charlie, you said it yourself the files you hacked in to were defunct. I bet nobody even knows they're missing." Zeke turns his body toward them, "Need I remind you, we are the minute men, not the wienie men." He stands with his hands on his hips, Zeke shrugs and looks to Charlie, Charlie sighs and looks to Janette; she has a big grin on her face as she starts up the machine.

"Be safe." I tell Zeke, "I'll be right back gorgeous." He says then jumps into the tornado. "So have you been getting watched?" I sit next to Janette as she shakes her head, "Nope, have you?" I nod, "Maybe because I'm always with Zeke and you stay kind of hidden, which is so much safer for you!" She nods, "You and Zeke are so cute!" She changes the subject, I blush and smile, "Thank you. Charlie really likes you, he's just shy and awkward." She smiles and nods, "I know, I like shy boys." She's so cute for Charlie.

Soon after our small talk the boys jump back, "How did it go?" Janette asks, "Good, Tolkan tried to chase us but couldn't get to us." Virgil chuckles. "Are we done now? You guys need to be safe!" I walk over to Zeke, "Yes, we're done now! Just for a little while." Virgil defends himself. "Being popular isn't all that good when firstly, it puts all of you at risk with the government and secondly, no one even knows it's you guys." I say, everyone is silent. "She's right Virgil, we need to stop." Charlie says, "Okay, okay." Virgil is annoyed.

After the boys change back into their regular clothes, Zeke sits on the ground to tighten a few more things on the machine. "Do you guys want to go to the game tomorrow?" Virgil asks, "Why?" Charlie asks, "Someone always embarrasses themselves at one of those things, we can go watch." Virgil says, "It's up to Sadie for me." Zeke says looking up to me, I shrug, "I don't mind. We should go to a school event, it'll take the heat off especially if something does happen and we don't do anything." I justify, Charlie nods.

As I drive home I notice a black van following me. I take a few off putting turns and lose them; I hope Virgil stops wanting to use the machine.