Silver Bound Girl

Chapter 22

            Mr. Beasley’s voice was a low drone mixed with the tap of chalk against the blackboard as he continued his lecture on cell anatomy. Willow and Rune copied notes dutifully, pens flowing across lined paper, their heads close together as they whispered to one another. “So, what should we do for our next articles?” Willow asked, eyes flicking between the board and what she was writing down.

            “I don’t know. You have any suggestions?”

            “We could do notable alumni or the history of the school or something?”

            Rune snorted. “I get we’re trying not to offend the administration, but I’m not doing any more fluff pieces, unless they’re a specific request from Mr. Marsden, and even then…”

            Willow made a face. “Alright. Do you have any ideas?”

            “Well there was that drug use one we were talking about at the party.”

            “Let’s not antagonize the principal more than we have to. Just think of it this way, you’re eventually going to have to work for an editor, right? You can’t afford to piss him off any more than you can Mr. Marsden. So this’ll be good practice for you, doing what you like while still staying on the good side of your superior.”

            “Fine. Prevalence of bullying here?”

            Willow looked at him. “Are you even trying to think of things that aren’t going to get us in trouble?”

            He grinned. “Then how about how religion’s being slipped into our school, even though this is a public school.”

            “You’re doing this deliberately, aren’t you?”

“Okay, smarty-pants, what do you suggest?” He asked, his grey eyes bright with suppressed amusement.

            “We could do something about our mascot or maybe investigate which teacher’s everyone’s favourite?”

            A hiss from beside Rune had them both looking. With one finger to her mouth, her eyes narrowed into a glare, Nicole was glaring at them. Willow and Rune exchanged a glance before he ripped a chunk of paper out of his binder, his eyes dancing.

            His hand moving quickly, he wrote something down then handed the scrap to Willow. It said I like the teacher idea. We can turn it into a proper investigation, not just a poll. Find out why that teacher is the best. If we’re careful about it, we can turn it into a subtle criticism of the other staff.

            Willow looked up at him and shook her head, noticing he was grinning again, before writing her response. You’re a shit-disturber, aren’t you? Still, I think it could be a good article. We’ll have to poll most of, if not the whole, school, just to be sure we’re as accurate as possible. How do you want to do this?

            Rune read her reply and laughed silently. He wrote for a few moments before slipping the paper back to her. Let’s aim for the whole school. If we can tap your cousins for help, it shouldn’t be too hard. They talk to their grades, we talk to ours, get them to get reasons behind everyone’s answers, then we compile the whole of it. It’ll be a bit of work and probably take some time.

            So? It won’t be as bad as if we had to sit through the pep rally again, she wrote, handing the scrap over.

            He’d barely glanced at the paper before his gaze slid over to Nicole. She was glaring at them again, hard lines of disapproval radiating out from her mouth. Rune saw and smiled at her, giving her a little wave. Her glare darkened before she jerked her head back to the front, nose in the air. Willow and Rune both smothered laughter at her expression.

            A moment later, and Rune was writing in the corner of their nearly full bit of paper. That’s true. And this is a more useful practice. An intensive investigation, even if the subject isn’t as hard hitting as I’d like, will be good.

            Willow smiled and flipped the paper so she could reply. You’re too fussy. This’ll be good, fun, and won’t get us hauled into the principal’s office again.

            You worry too much, he wrote back.

            She stuck her tongue out at him. And you don’t worry enough. Keep pissing Mr. Marsden off and you’ll have to transfer again, then I’ll be stuck here alone with the idiots here, friendless. And I’ve gotten used to having someone who understands and laughs at their stupidity with me. I’ll go into withdrawal without you.

            He laughed silently again. Likewise. My only friends at PECI weren’t the sharpest people or were crazy. Or both. And I’m sure you can imagine, there weren’t a lot of them.

            Willow feigned a gasp as she read the last line. What, your sarcastic, cynical nature didn’t have people flocking to you? I am shocked!

            And you’re calling me sarcastic, eh Ms. Pot? was his reply.

            They were forced to cover their laughter again, especially since Nicole was giving them another dirty look. Which only made Willow and Rune laugh harder. When they finally had themselves calmed, they had to race to copy down the last of Mr. Beasley’s notes, their lips still twitching.