Project Nebula

To Gamble

I knew what the lounge looks like. No need for an explanation. I arrived at school at six o'clock that day. I sat in the beanbag chair, the one I sat in when Harper threw coffee on my face. I dimmed the lights and cuddled up in the furniture, thinking to myself. Its like I slept for weeks after that thing happen. That daydream, part hallucination.

The door creaked open. Behind it was a student like me. Fluffy gray hair, caramel skin, and the same student council uniform. He didn't have those preppy, black glasses the other members wore. He crept pass the conference table, cradling a spiral bound notebook in his arms. He stepped on all the food crumbs in the carpet, creating unwanted noise. I ruffled in the beanbag chair, and he flinched.

"Oh, you came early, sir," he said, clutching his book even harder.

"Have I seen you before?" I asked, laying out my body to seem laid back.

"I'm Chance. . . And you're Castor, right?"

"No, I'm Peirson."

He laid the notebook on the table and cuddled in the beanbag next to me. His eyes lingered on my movements. I felt a warm aura from him. Nothing alarming. He seemed less psychotic than the other members. He covered his smile with his baggy sleeve.

Indy, Harper, and Xander opened the door, Indigo hauling his tote bag behind him. Xander headed straight for the coffee machine and the other two sat at the table. Indigo dropped his bag onto the table.

"Indigo, you wanna make the morning announcements?" Xander asked.

Indigo jumped out his chair and snatched the billion-page transcript from Xander's hands. He sat on the table, reaching for the telephone on the wall in the corner, basically pulling the cord of the intercom. With a gleaming smile, he spoke:

Good morning, Vicar Point. These are the morning announcements.

Firstly, before anything else, there will be a mandatory locker search performed by the

Vicar Point Local Police due to recent events. . .

Make sure your bags are packed for the trip to Styx Hotel Inn at 7:45. . .

This is Indigo Lynch, your council secretary, and have an enlightening day!

Xander yanked the phone out his hand and hung it up. He gave a deep, rather annoyed, sigh, crossing his arms and strutted back over to the coffee machine. The locked door handle twisted. Vigorously. I limped over to open unlock it. At the sight of the visitor, my insides melted and heart burned. I swallowed my saliva and opened the door all the way.

Helix it was. With a black and red travel duffle bag on the floor next to him.

"Need to copy some schedules," he mentioned, staring down at me.

"I got it," Xander fumed, marched over to the door. He pulled a ring of keys out his pocket.

Indigo, the others, and I followed him out into the rotunda. As we crossed it, lines of upperclassmen and a few freshman students blocked the front doors. All had luggage at their sides and on their shoulders. Bus motors roared from the parking lot. Indigo wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer.

Xander unlocked the copy room door right across the lounge, tucked into a small space with its own flickering lights. The room had firm, black carpets and navy blue walls. Helix tossed his luggage and began toying with the industrial-sized printers.

"Here, let me help," Xander took the papers and stack them up.

Indigo came close to my face and whispered, "Let's kill two birds with one stone and trap them in here!"