Running for the Impossible

"I Would Love to Have Seen my Facial Reaction"

October 10th: Icana gets her way and new equipment for the school basketball courts and fields is provided. Big cheers from everyone in the school except for the principal and teachers. (It was all quite expensive)

October 12th: Icana changes the amount of student council meetings from once every two weeks to twice every week. Student council members stir and drop in number.

October 15th: Icana starts four new fundraisers for the school. Students start to get upset with all the collections.

October 18th: Rumor has it that Icana got into a fight with the principal over whether Halloween costumes should be allowed or not.

October 23rd: "This is very serious business," I was told.

The school hasn't been doing so well lately, and for once, I have to blame it on Icana. The past weeks were like a parabola. The school's well-being, as well as Icana's popularity, curved upward, but then started to drop more and more as each day went by.

Today, Icana was called into the principal's office during first period Italian, but she never came back. In fact, I didn't see her for the rest of the morning. It wasn't until lunch when I figured out what had happened.

Like usual, the caf was bustling with students chatting. On the far tables were Icana's fundraisers that she had started last week. Four different baskets stood next to each other in a straight line, with signs next to each of them that asked to donate. 

The first day that Icana started these fundraisers, a rather large amount of money was put in by all the students, but now, nobody even walked near the table. The baskets stood empty and lonely like tumbleweeds in a desert.

Principal Sunny walked in. He walked straight towards the center of the caf. On the way, he curved by, grabbed the four donation baskets, and recycled them. The crowd of students cheered, but the principal didn't show any sign of emotion. He kept on walking until he made it to the middle of the cafeteria.

"Ahem. Attention students," he said with a serious voice. It was a voice that I had never heard him use, and immediately, I figured out that something was wrong.

"Your student council president, Icana," he continued. The cafeteria suddenly became silent. 

"One of the boys from a table across the room shouted, "You mean that jerk!" 

A loud current of laughs washed over the caf. Just two weeks ago, Icana was being praised by the students' encouragement, but now she was being drowned by the waves of laughter and humiliation.

The principal didn't say anything, but kept on talking. "Recently, Icana has been having some problems with not only the students, but also the teachers and staff," he continued, "She seems to want to make such big and unnecessary changes in the school, so I decided that it would be best to remove her from her position."

The principal paused. The students in the room were probably all too scared, if not surprised, to say anything. I was dying to ask the principal where Icana was. I hadn't seen her at all. Scanning around the room, I spotted Mira, who for once had a hopeful look on her face. I had never seen her like this ever since the day she lost to Icana. But now, I guess you could say she finally had hope.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the principal continued. 

"Instead," he said, "We have found a replacement for Icana as president." Mira looked like she was going to shoot up out of her seat.

"I'm sure that he will help make the school better for the rest of the school year," the principal finished, "I would like to congratulate the new president, Icana's campaign partner, Drake!"

Wha... What! The crowd cheered and whistled at an earsplitting volume as my friends pulled me to my feet. I would love to have seen my facial reaction at the moment. I put my arms up and bowed, as the cheering increased in volume. In that single minute, I got at least a thousand pats on the back as people grouped around me.

Mira, still at her table, had such a look of shock on her face that made me laugh myself. The cheers and screams rung in my ears.

***

Later, just before the principal was about to leave, I built up the courage to approach him.

"Where's Icana?" I asked him, holding my breath as I waited for him to answer.

The principal sighed. "I'm sorry Drake," he responded, "Icana got expelled. But I'm sure things wouldn't be so good between her and the students if she came back anyway. They've grown a strong disliking for her."

 There wasn't anything I could say. "I understand," I managed to reply.

It was October. 

Corn harvesting season. 

Soon the bright green stalks would be empty, and soon, the maze would be up again...