Énouement

Chapter Seven

Ender did nothing, and he forbade me from doing anything as well. They continued to pick on him, both physically and verbally. But I watched Ender and he watched them. In the war of desks, he had his next attack in place. I had just gotten out of the shower and back to my bunk when Bernard started raging, kicking beds and yelling at the boys.
"I didn't write it! Shut up!" Marching constantly around everyones desk was this message:

I LOVE YOUR BUTT. LET ME KISS IT -BERNARD

I glanced down from my bunk and smirked at Bernard. "I'm pretty sure thats sexual-harassment, in my case anyway. Unless you only want the boys butts Bernard."
"I didn't write that message!" He shouted. After the shouting have been going on for sometime, Dap appeared at the door.

"What's the fuss?" I scurried down to Ender's bunk, not wanting him alone.
"Somebody's been writing messages using my name." Bernard was sullen.
"What message?"

"It doesn't matter what message!"
"It does to me." Dap picked up the nearest desk, which happened to belong to me. Dap read it, smiled slightly, and put it back. "Very interesting."

"Are you going to find out who did it?" Bernard demanded.
"Oh, I already know who did it," Dap said. I side glanced at Ender. The system was too easily broken. They mean us to break it, or sections of it. They had to of known it was him.

"Well, who then?" Bernard shouted.
"Are you shouting at me, soldier?" Asked Dap, very softly. That's right, we were soldiers now. No longer kids in the classroom, who tattle to the adult. We were soldiers, and we had to follow the rules. No shouting at your commanding officer. Stupid Bernard. He wouldn't help you now.

The mood in the room had changed. From rage on the part of Bernard's closest friends and barely contained mirth among the rest, all became somber. Authority was about to speak.

"No, sir."
"Everybody knows that the system automatically puts on the name of the sender."
"I didn't write that!" Bernard said.
"Shouting?"
"Yesterday someone sent a message that was signed GOD," Bernard said.

"Really? I didn't know he was signed onto the system." I bit my lip and snickered with Ender as Dap turned and left. All the other boys weren't as polite with their laughter.

Bernards attempt to be rule the room was broken - only a few stayed with him now. They were the most vicious. Still the hacking of the system had done it's work. Bernard was contained, and all the boys who had some quality were free of him. Best of all, Ender had done it without sending him to the hospital. Much better this way. Much better than Stilson. I was proud of Ender.

"You know we have to design a security system for our own desks now, right? The system is so easy a six-year-old can break it, we wont be safe from the others when they figure that out." Ender smiled.
"Well you'd be fine, but I've already started on mine. No one's going to get into it."

The next day at breakfast Ender and I weren't so lonely. Shen actually join us for a meal. "How did you do that?"
I smiled softly at Shen and giggled while looking at Ender.
"Do what?"

"Send a message with a fake name. And Bernard's name! That was great. They're calling him buttwatcher now. Just watcher in front of the teachers, but everybody knows what he's watching."

"Poor bernard. And he's so sensitive," I said trying to keep a straight face.
"Come on, Ender. You broke into the system. How'd do you do it?"
"Thanks for thinking I'm bright enough to do that. I just happened to see it first, that's all."
"Did you do it then Victorie?" Shen turned to me confused. I stuck out my tongue at him.

"Though you obviously don't think I'm capable of it, I didn't do it. I had just seen it with Ender." Shen blushed and looked down at the table.

"No I didn't mean-" I giggled as Ender elbowed me.
"Stop teasing Tori." We ate in silence for a moment.

"Do I wiggle my butt when I walk?"
"Nah." Ender and I both answered.
"Just a little, just-"
"Don't take such big long steps, that's all." He laughed, at what we didn't know. But then he smiled at us.

"Do you always do that? Finish each other sentences? I thought you weren't siblings." We laughed then too. Ender held my hand softly under the table.

"Tori and I are just really close. We've known each other for a while and grew up together. We got our monitors off together." I smiled and kissed his cheek, which made Shen blush. I laughed at him again, and two more Launchies joined us. Our isolation was over. At least I hoped the adults were done isolating us.