teenage nightmare ² ━━ amour

17.

17.
chapter seventeen:
code: break a leg.
quite literally!

The quadrangle was abuzz with mayhem. Students scurried around, and teachers shouted out last-minute changes and arrangements.

"Come in, Ash!" I heard over my air pod. I touched it to unmute. "Yeah?"

"The carpet over the staircase to the stage seems wonky. Give it a try. You're the closest. Roger."

"On it. Roger."

I jogged to the stage. It had five steps, with a green carpet neatly placed over them. I briefly wondered why Calem thought it was wonky, before stepping on the first stair and feeling my feet sink in and touch the ground. "Eh?"

"Mute yourself, you idiot! Roger." I sighed at Gary’s voice and muted my air pod again. Bending down, I lifted the carpet.

It wasn’t properly secured, draped over the banister instead of the stairs themselves. I hurried to adjust it, then called Calem to let him know the problem was fixed. He thanked me for the assist.

With the task done, I withdrew to the backstage area. Three of the four rooms along the lane were occupied by the performance clubs—two each for the skit and dance groups. But from the looks of it, everyone was already dressed and ready to hit the stage.

"Announcement, everyone. Code: Entry." Calem’s voice echoed, and everyone in the dance rooms froze. Drew came toward me, clutching an exam pad under his arm.

"Good luck, man!" I wished him. He gave me a nervous smile before hurrying to the stage. I smiled when I saw the staircase didn't sink this time.

"Clemont, come in! Code: Lights Off!"

I scratched my head, adjusting the air pod in my left ear. It was starting to get chaotic with all these commands being issued to everyone. Calem did his best to call names before speaking, but each time his voice boomed, everyone jumped slightly, wondering if they were the ones he was talking to.

Soon after, the lights went off, and I saw Gary, Misty, Barry, Sawyer, Hau, and Paul walking with flashlights. "Welcome, team! Clemont, come in! It’s time. Code: Lights On!"

I held my breath as the lights began turning on, one by one, starting from the entrance of the college and lining all the way to the stage. The sudden whoosh of the lights igniting was followed by a cheer from the crowd.

Drew’s voice echoed in my ear. "A very warm welcome to Anistar High!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Serena running toward the stage. She wore a blazer over her dress and looked quite professional with her short hair tied back into a ponytail. I couldn’t help but smile involuntarily when I heard her voice through the speakers.

I leaned back in my seat, listening as Drew and Serena spoke about our institution. Drew did most of the talking, but Serena chimed in here and there.

Suddenly, I noticed Gary and a group of guys near the stage. They wore blazers, and one of them tripped over a light cable. My breath hitched, and I bolted to my feet, running toward the wire. I grabbed hold of the thick black coil just in time, barely stopping it from pulling down a row of lights standing behind the stage screen.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gary lead the guys away. I focused solely on the cable, my muscles burning as I struggled to keep the light in place. "Come in, Kiawe and the boys of the guiding party!" Calem’s voice boomed. "There’s a problem in the backstage! Go quick! Hang in there, Ash!"

I growled through clenched teeth, my body protesting. The light hovered dangerously over Serena. If I dropped it, she would be grievously injured. Don’t you dare give up!

Thankfully, Kiawe arrived and grabbed part of the coil. "Let’s do it together!" he exclaimed. I nodded, and with a final surge of effort, we managed to lug the light back to our side. Sawyer and Hau caught it before it could fall and quickly placed it down.

Seeing the light safely away from Serena, I collapsed to the floor, exhausted. My arms were numb, too tired to even wipe the sweat from my brow. "Ash, here." Misty handed me a bottle, but I shook my head.

"Check the other lights," I panted. Misty pointed behind her, where Clemont was already inspecting the connections with Kiawe and Sophocles.

Calem approached and knelt in front of me. "Are you okay, mate?"

I nodded. "Serena! Drew—are they okay?"

"They're fine, thanks to you." He patted my shoulder and stood. "What happened here?"

Gary jumped in. "Three of the Anistar students wanted to check out the cafeteria, so I took them. On the way back, one of them tripped over the cables, but I didn’t tell anyone to go backstage. One of the guys just wandered there on his own."

Calem considered his words. "If it wasn’t an accident, they did it on purpose."

"We should inform Professor Sycamore!" Misty urged. Calem nodded and tapped his air pod. A screeching sound pierced my ear as music played through the device.

"Professor Sycamore, are you there?" Calem muted his pod again, and we waited. A minute later, we heard the professor’s puzzled voice.

"Anything wrong, Professor Wulfric?"

Calem blinked in confusion but unmuted. "Sir, it’s—"

"Yes, I know, Professor Wulfric. It’s you."

Misty and Gary unplugged their air pods, but I kept mine in. I shot Calem a look of understanding—Sycamore was speaking in code. Someone was listening in.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Please take care of everything. I suppose the weather’s getting worse."

"Seems so. I’ll do my best, sir. Roger."

Calem muted himself again, and Professor Sycamore hung up. Clemont reported, "The wires are fine, but I’ll need to monitor the technical box."

"Clemont, use your video camera while you’re on duty," Kiawe said. Clemont nodded and left with Sophocles trailing behind.

"Everyone, thank you. It’s time to get back to your positions. Keep your guard up," Kiawe ordered.

After everyone dispersed, Calem made an announcement: "Attention, everyone. There’s been a sabotage. Stay calm and vigilant. I repeat, sabotage from the other school. Stay calm and keep your guard up. Roger." He turned to us, frowning. "I guess there’s more to this event than just a change in the agenda."