Destined... | Anthony 'Ant' Vaugn

018 Fifty Bucks each? Deal

Bird Psycho  
Part 3 

As Woodsy drones on at the front of the room about the responsibilities of being school captain, I half-listen, leaning back in my chair and absently twirling a strand of my hair around my finger. The air in the room feels thick, like everyone's either bored or dreading what's coming next. Malakai, sitting beside me, looks equally unimpressed, his arms crossed as he leans lazily back in his chair. 

"Being a school captain is a huge responsibility," Woodsy says, her voice calm but commanding. "It requires leadership, caring for other people, and the ability to prioritize the well-being of all students. This year, we've only had one, uh, candidate come forward. Well done, Sasha. So, I would like to encourage you all to be brave, throw your hat in the ring, and give it a go." 

She turns toward Sasha, gesturing to her with an encouraging smile. "Sasha, why don't you take us through your policies?" 

Sasha stands, adjusting her posture as if preparing for a press conference. "Thank you to our esteemed—" 

"Wait!" 

Spencer's voice cuts through the room like a crack of thunder, and I jolt upright in my seat, startled. My brother. Of course. 

The entire room turns to stare at him as he gets to his feet, puffing out his chest like he's preparing to deliver the Gettysburg Address. 

"I'm gunna run," he declares, his grin widening as whispers and stifled laughter ripple through the crowd. 

"Oh, of fucking course he is," I mutter to Malakai, rolling my eyes so hard I swear I see the back of my skull. 

Malakai chuckles under his breath, shaking his head. "This'll be good," he whispers back. 

We both watch as Spider swaggers up to the front of the room, radiating the unearned confidence of someone who thinks he's way funnier than he actually is. And then—because he's Spider—he picks up a bright pink dildo. 

"Alright, Spencer, I—" Woodsy begins, already exasperated, but she doesn't even get to finish her sentence. 

Spider holds the dildo to his mouth like it's a microphone, his eyes scanning the room dramatically. "Do you feel forgotten... unseen, left behind? Or worse, do you feel... like you can't even breathe... for fear of getting canceled?" 

My hands immediately go to my face, groaning into my palms. I can already feel the secondhand embarrassment creeping in. I peek through my fingers just in time to see him leap onto the stage, the dildo still in hand. 

"People like Sasha So," he declares, his voice rising like he's leading a rally, "have made me feel like I'm responsible for all the world's problems for far too long now!" 

He shoves the dildo in Sasha's face, and I can't help it—I burst out laughing. Sasha bats it away like it's covered in germs, glaring daggers at him. 

"It's disrespectful," Sasha snaps, trying to grab the dildo from him, but Spider just pulls it out of her reach, undeterred. 

"And I'm sick of it!" he continues, his voice dramatic as he points the dildo at the audience. "People can say what they want about me. But what you see is what you get. So I say it's time for us, the canceled, to take back the power!" 

The room erupts into cheers, mostly from the boys, while Sasha crosses her arms and scoffs. 

"It's time to be unapologetic about who we really are," Spider declares, raising the dildo in his fist like it's the Olympic torch.