EQAO

Chapter 11 - Nosy Parents

"Ahem."

Mr. Folman cleared his throat. The laughter died abruptly, and Sameera glared at him.

"Yes, ah, sorry to interrupt, but we need to press on."

"To what?" Sameera asked coldly.

"The rules of the competition." he replied, unfazed, "There will be fifty other competitors. You five are exceptions, so the others will assume you are better, and possibly go against you. Since you five will naturally team up, there will most likely be teams who will see you as a threat."

"Woah woah woah!" Michelle exclaimed, "You're saying it like we volunteered for this!"

"Yeah, and like we've trained for this our entire lives." agreed Kat.

"I know you are unprepared, as you did not seek this. But the other competitors won't." he said.

"So what you're saying, is that this is going to be ten times harder for us?" Sameera asked sharply.

"No," he started, a note of impatience in his voice, "I'm saying that you need to be prepared, and try to make as many alliances and possible."

"So... What kind of challenges are we going to face?" I asked.

"Races, battles, obstacle courses, puzzles, and more." he listed them off using his fingers.

"Great." Anika said sarcastically, "This will be so easy!"

"Obviously, I can't tell you what the challenges will be exactly." he continued, ignoring Anika, "But know this; nothing is as it seems, and cheaters are rewarded."

"Wait what? So does that mean-" I stammered, confused.

"So!" he cut me off, "You will be dressed in custom-made armour, and sent into the holding room with the rest of the competitors."

"Custom-made armour?" Sameera asked, intrigued.

"Holding room?" Kat said anxiously.

"Yes." he answered simply.

He gestured toward the stalls and said,

"Try them on."

—*—*—*—*—*—*—*—*—*—*—

"Wow.."

I was looking at myself in the mirror. My reflection was wearing an olive-green armour suit that fit me perfectly.

How the heck did they make this armour so quickly?

"Your armour was made when we originally thought you would be competing." Mr. Folman said, reading my thoughts, "After all, your E.Q.A.O. marks were particularly high. But then your parents had to get involved..."

I stopped moving.

"Wait...WHAT?" Sameera yelled, storming out of her stall, "You dragged our parents into this too? Are they here? What have you done to them? How could you do this?"

She pointed at Mr. Folman accusingly, "You and your precious master are just set on ruining our lives!"

"I am not!" he shouted back defiantly, "If your tiny brains hadn't thought you knew better than your parents, then maybe their deal might have meant something."

"Deal?" Sameera spat, "What deal?"

"Your parents managed to find out what we were doing every year, and saw your marks. I can see where you get your nosiness from. Anyway, they made a deal with us. You don't have to compete, and they don't tell a soul anything about the E.Q.A.O. Games."

Everyone was silent as this information soaked in.

"So..." Kat started, "Our parents knew about all of this, and they didn't tell us?"

"I'm sure they warned you to not go near the school, did they not?"

I thought back to how my mom was acting really weird this morning.

Was it only this morning?

I pictured her anxious face. The face of someone afraid to lose their child.

I'm so sorry mom, I let you down...

"Then.." Anika brightened, "If they knew about this place, then maybe they'll come rescue us!"

"Yeah, about that..." Mr. Folman started, "The school is very well protected-"

"But we got in!" I protested.

"-and that secret door has been reinforced." he continued, "Even if they got inside, you five are very well guarded. No one is coming to save you."