The Race

Lone Ranger

Monday, September 08

7:57am

"Onyx! Onyx!" I yell her name through the sea of students that fill the hallways of Lincoln. I didn't know Onyx could walk this fast. I guess when you're on a mission to kill someone before first period, time is fleeting.

"Onyx!" EJ tries his best from his wheelchair in front of me. "Excuse us, excuse us! Cripple coming through. Outta the way!" Surprisingly, from EJ's announcement of his disability makes a clear path for us down the hallway. We see Onyx take a right onto the English hall, I speed up and round the corner seconds later.

"Jared!" EJ yelps. The wheelchair comes to a sudden halt, jolting EJ up into the air, landing back on the seat. We're stopped right in front of the battleground. A showdown between Onyx and Alyssa.

"How dare you, Cho?!" Onyx spits out. Seems like heat is rising from the blood boiling inside of her. Alyssa Cho turns around from one of her posters like the one at the coffee shop. Dark hair curled and kept in place by a pink headband that matches her designer jumpsuit. She's flanked by a few freshmen, including the one doing her dirty work at the coffee shop, all wearing a lighter shade of her pink ensemble.

"How dare I what, Onyx? What could possibly be wrong? It's only the first day of junior year. Oh, unless you're still bitter about my mom getting the senate seat over yours?" Alyssa ends with a sarcastic smile.

"This isn't about our parents, this is about the fact that you are running for student council president and you know you don't deserve it."

"Okay, but the students here deserve a leader that isn't going to try to start a fight in the hallway. They need someone who knows how to keep their temper on lock and understand how to hold a reasonable disagreement." Alyssa steps closer.

Onyx challenges her step and tightens the space between them.

"You're not doing this for Lincoln. You're doing it for yourself, a college resume or the fact that your parents will probably disown you if you don't amount to anything. I pity your situation, Alyssa, I really do. Oh wait? That's a good strategy. Are you relying on the pity vote?" Onyx provokes.

"No one's relying on a fucking pity vote. I'm relying on you getting out of my face and letting the school vote how they want to vote. You can't stop me from running." Alyssa backs down, flipping her hair in Onyx's face as she turns around.

Onyx immediately grabs Alyssa by the shoulder and swings her around. A crowd has quickly formed around the dispute. Alyssa lets out a quick yelp. I take a step closer.

Onyx points her finger in Alyssa's stunned face. "But I can stop you from being an utter asshole." Jutting out of the crowd of students, a tall, dirty blonde guy, wearing a Lincoln High letterman jacket wedges himself in between Onyx and Alyssa.

"Alyssa, what's happening?" He asks. Worried.

"Oh, babe! I'm so glad you're here to save me." Alyssa cups his face, very dramatic at this point. Onyx rolls her eyes and EJ and I come by her side to pull her back.

Alyssa continues, "She was becoming very aggressive towards me because all I want to do is run for President, honey bear."

"Aggressive?!" Onyx reignites, but EJ and I muster up enough strength to hold her back from getting suspended.

"Yes. Aggressive." Alyssa shoots back. Taking her attention to the alpha male in front of her. "Ezra. You know how 'they' get?"

"They?" I try to move the jock out of the way, so that I can understand what she meant by "they". Ezra, apparently his name is Ezra. Ezra ushers Alyssa through the murmuring crowd, followed by her pink minions.