Trumperica

Lowly Camp

*Picture of Rylee above*

Rylee's POV

As soon as the ceremony was over, Maddie was swept backstage by the Trumpist running the ceremony and several proud teachers. We didn't even get the chance to say goodbye. Shortly afterward, Emma was pulled over to the side with the rest of the Moderate kids. I could see them boarding several school buses out of the corner of my eye. 

"Hey, Lowlies!" A TG yelled from the back of the auditorium. "Hurry up and come on down." 

"Wait...why are there only two buses for us? There's, like, more than a hundred Lowlies!" Julie gasped, pointing to the worn school buses that stood outside the door. 

"That's gonna be a tight squeeze," April pursed her lips as several more TG's joined the first one from the sides of the auditorium, herding us out the door and towards the buses. 

"You know, things might not be so bad for the Lowlies in a few years," Julie said as we boarded the first bus. The TG's packed us in like sardines, three to a ratty gray leather seat. 

"Things are always gonna be bad for the Lowlies," I sighed. 

"No! Maddie's a Trumpist now, remember?" Julie beamed. "She's really smart, and easy to like. She could be a state rep in the High Trumpist Assembly! She has a kind nature...surely she'd think of us while making laws." 

"Oh, you better give up those hopes right now. Maddie's 'kind nature' won't last a day in Trump City!" I snorted. "Don't you remember Austin, from last year? He was the nice, nerdy kid, until the Trumpists turned him into a world class jerk!"

"Maddie wouldn't fall for stuff like that," Julie said firmly. 

"Anyone'll fall for anything if money's being stuffed up their butt!" April grumbled. 

"You filthy Lowlies better get used to the lack of personal space!" A TG yelled from the front of the bus. "This is about as cramped as it is at Lowly Camp!" 

"Wait, Lowly Camp?" The three of us exchanged confused looks. As far as we had been told, we would just be going back to our houses! Our Lowly status would only show on our Cardexes, and be reflected in our ability to get into college, or get a job.

"That's right!" The TG jeered when he saw all of our bewildered expressions. "Surprise, you pieces of trash! New decree from President Trump! Lowlies get sent to camp immediately, no saying goodbye, nothing! Don't worry, your parents have been informed." 

We drove for what felt like hours, though I was sure it was less than that, in relative silence. 

"Hey, I'm going to text Maddie," I told April about half way into the journey. It was growing dark, and Julie was already fast asleep. 

"What makes you think a Trumpist would respond to a Lowly's text?" April spat. 

"Come on, she can't have changed that quickly. We've been best friends since middle school!" 

"Alright, try it if you don't believe me," April rolled her eyes. 

Pulling out my phone, I toggled to iMessage to find that Maddie's name was missing! Instead, at the top of my list of messages, was Trumpist Udana. 

"Cardex would like to inform Rylee that Cardex changed Madeline Udana's name to her current title," my Cardex droned. 

Trumpist Udana. It looked and sounded ridiculous. I couldn't imagine funny, talented Maddie as one of Trump's evil henchmen. Sighing, I clicked on her name and began to write a text. 

Hey Maddie. What ru doing? TG's put Julie, April, and me on a bus. It's hot and crowded, we've been driving for hours. We didn't even get to go back home, they said we have to go to some lowly camp or something. Not sure how long we'll be there. Btw my Cardex renamed u Trumpist Udana. Sounds terrible, right?

For a few tense seconds, nothing happened, until the little gray bubble that signified Maddie was typing popped up at the bottom of my screen. 

"Told you she'd respond," I grinned triumphantly at April. 

Hey Rylee! Basically, I was inducted into the Trumpist Circle in this fancy ceremony, then a bunch of TV guys interviewed me. Now I'm on my way to the airport, they're gonna take me to Trump City!!! People say they've changed a bunch of things since it was Washington D.C, I can't wait to see what it looks like now! And aww that must suck. Again, I'm so sorry :( I feel terrible about being a Trumpist when you guys have to be Lowly. 

A few seconds later, another message from her came in. 

I think all the Cardexes are changing people's contact names based on their ceremony results. Mine renamed you, April and Julie "Piece of Lowly scum," "Lowly trash," and "inferior." Good thing it will be removed when I get to Trump City. Can't wait to get rid of that stupid thing. HA! STUPID, DUMB CARDEX! I HATE YOU!!! It feels so good to be able to say whatever I want without the Cardex doing its annoying "noted" thing again!!!

I smiled, showing April the text. "See, people don't change that fast." 

"They'll Trumpify her eventually," April crossed her arms. 

"Okay, Lowlies, we're here!" Yelled the TG in the front. " Get on out! Come on, we have other schools to go to, we don't have all day!" 

Relieved to get out of the cramped school bus, we filed towards the front and descended the steps into a plain, grassy field. 

A few yards away was a tall, barbed wire fence with a TG for at least every ten feet. Inside the fence, there was a cluster of squat, dusty buildings that reminded me of the pictures of Native American settlements in history textbooks. 

With it's isolation, the security, and the silent atmosphere, though, it looked more like a prison than a camp. 

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to Sunnyvale Third Circle Center! I'm Dr. Powers, the director of this facility. We hope you will find your life at STCC as pleasant and enjoyable as possible!" A Moderate Circle woman in jeans and a polo imprinted with a picture of the rising sun followed by the letters "STCC" said with obviously fake cheer. 

"Hey," one of the new Lowlies, a guy I didn't know, raised his hand. 

"Yes," Dr. Powers turned to him. 

"This is the Lowly Camp they talked about, right?" 

"We don't like the term 'Lowly' here. We prefer 'Third Circle,' it's much more polite. But, yes, this is the camp at which you will live. Now, why don't you come inside." 

The TG's got back in the buses and drove away, leaving us alone with Dr. Powers. Grudgingly, we followed her towards the fence. Seeing her, two TG's standing guard at the gate pulled it open with a creak. 

Just as we were about to go inside, I heard a shout of "Operation Trump Dump is real!" from the middle of the crowd, and a lanky boy shoved his way out of the cluster of Lowlies, bolting away at breakneck speed. 

I heard the crack of a bullet and winced as the boy fell face first into the grass. Turning around, I saw a TG slipping his gun back into its holster. 

"Let this serve as a lesson to all of you," Dr. Powers said darkly, her friendly charade gone. "We are normally very kind and respectful to our residents here at the STCC, but we have zero tolerance for disobedience." 

Yep, it's a prison, I thought as we passed through the gate. Although, a question still lingered in the back of my mind. What's Operation Trump Dump?

A/N: TG stands for Trumpist Guard. Members of the Trumpist Guard are different from regular soldiers or security guards because their job is to follow Trumpists around and serve them. They also help out at Trumping Ceremonies and Lowly Camps across the country. 

Guys, unless you want to live in the dystopian world of Trumperica...

#letsdumptrump