Charming the Devil

Chapter 4

Next day, I went to meet my homeroom teacher before classes started. It was not an easy task to convince her to reinstate the annual school trip, but I laid on her my cute smile and puppy eyes and she agreed to ask the school committee for the annual trip. With that in motion, I told my friends to start spreading the word.

By lunch time, the news of everything that I was offering had spread. My friends had done a great job, I was grateful to have such a strong support system with me in every step of this. I could feel the eyes on me and my friends when we entered the cafeteria. Some were kind, and some, not so much. Guess no matter how much I try, I will not be able to get everyone on my side.

I saw Ezra, Apollo' friend, walk in my direction as soon as we sat down.

"You really think promising some frivolous things is going to get you the position of the school president?", he asked. I could see the vein on his big forehead ready to pop any second. If I just took my fork and maybe slightly probed it—

"Stop staring at me with that dumb look on your face!!!!!", he was almost screaming at this point. I could retaliate, but by the looks of it, I had already scared these guys enough. Ezra shaken up about whether his pretty boss is going to get the title was a win enough at this point, honestly. When he realised he was not going to get a response from me, he just left fuming. I swear his back looked just as angry as his front.

While leaving for home that evening, I saw Apollo and his cousin Leo walking a little ahead of me. Normally, I would have gone and greeted Leo but I didn't want to interact with the devil walking with him. As if he could hear what I was thinking, Apollo turned back and his eyes locked with mine. I expected some sort of fear in his eyes because I was clearly talk of the school today. Instead, he just smirked at me like he knew something I did not and kept walking. I have never thought I could hate someone without having interacted with them actively, but I guess there is a first time for everything because I really do hate him and his existence.

The rest of the week was uneventful, mainly centred around talking about how amazing I am and everything promised to the classes. I also went through my last years notes and past papers to make sure I had everything in place. I studied this year's school schedule to make a calendar and how I will do note keeping for myself and for everyone else once I become school president.

I was excited for the weekend because my friends from school were coming home since we had only one week to gain everyone's trust and this week was going to be active campaigning. I lived with my grandmother and right now we were surviving mainly on the little money my father had left us. My grandmother would occasionally do odd jobs in the neighbourhood and get some extra earrings. My mom passed away when I was little and my grandmother was the one who raised me. My father was on the strict side and we never got along very well.

My friends all came home on Sunday afternoon - Nixie Daniel, Oliver and Luna. Even Nathan was going to come over once he finished his boxing practice. We had decided to bake cookies today labelled "Vote for Kai!" and distribute them to everyone on Monday as a part of the campaigning process. Yea, I was going all in. Literally, because we had purchased the ingredients from some of the money I had saved up.

"Nooo Daniel, you are supposed to add the eggs after the butter and sugar!!!!", Oliver was trying really hard to get everyone to follow the recipe instructions. Daniel's parents had a restaurant and we hoped he would be the king of the kitchen but he had proved himself very useless in this regard. My grandmother had given us her kitchen and she was going to regret it once she came back home.

It all became better once Nathan came and made a production line. Oliver and Nathan were incharge of the dough, Daniel and Luna made the sheet which they later cut into alphabets and Nixie and me were sticking the letters to make the final product.

After having made and packed all the cookies to take to school the next (and cleaning up all the mess we had created so my grandmother does not get a heart attack when she gets home), me and my friends were just sitting in the living room. We were all mainly silent, I guess everyone was feeling tired after this activity.

"Do you remember the time in seventh grade when we tried to bunk school. We wanted to go and spend the day at the beach but someone," Nixie said, giving me the side eye, "told the teacher about us bunking!!". I had really hoped she had forgotten about that but I was more afraid that she was bringing this up in the middle of campaigning. Was I going to lose the only support I had? Did I make a mistake running for the school president? "That's when I knew it", she continued.

"Knew what?", Oliver, who was lying flat on the ground, asked.

"That Kai would be a good leader",

Everyone else looked just as confused as me. That day I had told on my friends from school for the fear of my father's wrath if he ever found out and if it weren't for Nixie convincing everyone, I would have lost all my friends.

"That day Kai saw something incorrect happening and raised his concern about it. Granted, I would have liked it if he had spoken to us first rather than directly going to the teacher, but he was not afraid of risking his friendships for doing the right thing. Its a very tricky territory and leaders often lose their way when it comes to their closed ones, but Kai would not be like that. He would be just and fair and will do the right by everyone." Nixie had stopped talking and there was silence in the room as everyone was taking in what she had just said.

I could see my friends slowly nodding and agreeing with her. I had tears in my eyes. Nobody had tried to see and understand me the way she had.

"I completely agree with you, Nixie", Luna started, "but I really wish this hadn't come with extra detention hours!!!!!!!". She tried to lighten the mood and I was grateful for that.

My grandmother came soon after and was not too angry about the kitchen situation. I reckoned I was probably going to get a good hearing later. She made dinner for everyone and then everyone went home as tomorrow was the last week before elections.

As much trouble these elections were bringing to my life, the good thing was to reconnect with my friends. I was not afraid of losing the elections anymore, only my friends. And I would never let that happen again.