Project: High School

Chapter 6 - "I am not the one to ask."

The room is quiet, surprisingly so, seeing as there are 55 men sitting just about every where. They're all staring at Katy, who's standing in front of all them with her hands clasped behind her back.

The door opens and everyone's head turns to see who opened it. Richerson's eyes land on Katy in front of all the men and seems to understand the reason for the silence.

"No one is getting switched."

A collective sigh of relief fills the air before a whole lot of chatter starts up. Richerson makes his way up to stand next to Katy, who is glaring daggers at him. He sighs in exasperation as he takes in the 55 men in the room.

"It's not nice to not tell them why they're here, you know."

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Katy give Richerson a glare out of the corner of her eye and there's a moment of silence between the two of them. Katy seems to read the response meant by the silence.

"Oh, come on, do you really think that I that much of an asshole?"

"Yes."

Katy hesitates for a second as his quick reply catches her off guard. She shakes her head and glances over the men in the room. The chattering had grown to a low roar at this point and it was steadily growing louder. She sighs before turning her attention back to Richerson.

"You are right, I can be that much of an asshole. But I wasn't today. I told every one but Bill and Carlos what was going to happen today. They were told to act as if they had no idea what was going on to confuse the two."

Richerson glances over to her with surprise written on his face. He opens his mouth to say something, but gets interrupted by a sudden shout from some where in the middle of the room.

Katy takes a step forward and all her platoon members fall silent. She slowly looks over the collection of men and Richerson's men slowly got the memo to shut up. The room once again falls into a surprising level of quiet.

"Good afternoon, men."

"Good afternoon, sir!"

Katy starts to pace in front of the board that she had set up.

"All except two of the people here know what this gathering is about."

Murmers of confermation fill the air and the two people in question look at each other, completely confused.

"Carlos, Bill, please step forward."

The two men slowly get to their feet and walk slowly up to stand in from of Katy. She takes a moment to look over them, noting the sweat on the brow and the nervous ticks they're both showing.

She waits a few more moments, letting the tension reach an all time high, before grinning widely.

"Congratulations you two, you have volenteered yourselves to race me through an obstacle course that you fellow men have put together!"

She starts clapping obnoxiously loud and in their faces while the other men in the room join in. The clapping only goes on for a second or two more before everyone breaks out laughing.

The two men, Carlos and Bill, look at each other, look at Katy, and then look around at the other men who are laughing at them. Even Richerson can't help but chuckle softly at their expressions.

Bill opens his mouth, but Carlos immediately slaps his hand over it, takes a moment to shoot Bill a look, and looks over to Richerson.

"Permission to speak freely, sir!"

The laughter has calmed down at this point in time, so everyone hears him.

Richerson calmly responds, "I am not the one to ask."

The room is silent now as Carlos, with his hand still over Bill's mouth, slowly turns to face Katy. She doesn't bother surpressing the small grin that splits across her face as she patiently waits for him to speak.

With a clear struggle to keep his attitude from slipping, he carefully asks, "Permission to speak freely.....sir."

Her eyes glimmer with a malicious glint as she carefully thinks. The grin has dissappeared and her face is now a blank slate, no one able to tell what she's thinking.

The room is deathly silent and Katy does a double take.

"I never thought that 50 odd men would be able to stay so quiet that it feels like someone just died."

Her comment snaps the tension that had been building between the two platoons as hers watched with malice and Richersons watched with a tinge of worry.

Katy turns her attention back to the two men standing in front of her, that malicious glint still in her eyes, "Of course you can speak freely, after all, I'm not a jerk."

Chills race up the two men's spines as they realize what's happening. Katy watches their reactions with great interest and amusement.

She steps over to them and place a hand one each of their shoulders, "Don't worry so much, I may be petty as fuck, but I'm not a super calculating person. You've got nothing to worry about other than beating me in out little race we're doing."

Bill rips Carlos's hand off his mouth, "And what are you going to do if we lose?"

Katy shrugs and moves away from them.

"I'm not going to anything to you, and nor will I tell you what the loser has to do. After all, that information would take away from the fun of it."

She steps away from the crowd of me and stands closer to the whiteboard. She picks up a pointer and taps the square that has the word 'Start' in the middle of it.

"In one week from today, the two of you," She points at Bill and Carlos with the pointer, "Will be going up against me in a race through an obstacle course that your fellow men have set up. There will be no help from your friends," a pointed glare is sent over to the crowd of men, "And whoever loses will..."

The two of them hold their breath, hoping that she'll let it slip.

"Learn what they will have to do after the loser is determined."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I have to say, I think this is the right amount of petty for this kind of situation. How 'bout you, do you think its too much or to little?

Did you know that the first french fries weren’t cooked in France?

They were cooked in Greece.