Cloud Association: Pretty Boy Psycho

A Merry Activist

Why when we enter the main building at HQ does everyone stare at us? We try to act like nothing unusual happened yesterday by heading straight for the assignment office. Geordie rests his elbows on Drake's desk waiting for him to fetch our job from one of many pigeon holes.

"You're to report to General Courtney's office immediately."

Geordie snorts. "What does she think we've done this time?"

"How should I know? I just hand out assignments."

"Have you been sneaking into the library without permission, Charlie boy?"

Charlie heaves a sigh. "Getting summoned to General Courtney's office is not a matter to joke about. Let me do the talking."

"That'd look awfully suspicious," says Geordie as we set off for the room of doom. "I'm gonna to talk too."

"Can I talk?"

"If you feel the need sure. Gets funny when you try to explain yourself."

"Do you want to talk too Danny?"

"I think we should cut ourselves off from this place. Last night when you lot went to bed I got talking to Casey. Actually he got talking to me. I was trying to ignore him but what he was saying got me thinking."

"And what was Sleazebag saying?" Geordie pauses a few feet from Court's office.

"Ever thought you've been brainwashed? In first year you used to try run away from Cloud High. Now when you've got the ability to leave through Chunk you keep returning to HQ."

"I have not been brainwashed!" yells Geordie.

"Ssh," hushes Charlie with eyes on the office door. "Now isn't the time to be having this conversation."

"I said we," presses Danny. "If we were brainwashed we wouldn't know."

"I'd know. What you listening to Sleazebag for?"

"Because he's an outsider. Said he was taking Cloud Association studies for his finals at Kensington Palace."

"That's a dumb subject."

"We're supposed to be-" tries Charlie.

"-All I'm hearing is blah blah blah."

Courtney thrusts open her door. "Geordie Henley will you keep your voice down? I'm dealing with one headache in here, don't you add to it."

"Tough you wanted to see us. Here we are."

"This is correct. Team Cain seem to think you might know what happened to Captain Yuki seen as you burst in on them and messed up their assignment."

"We messed up their assignment? That's rich. We were minding our own business then whoosh there's a sky fight above our measly tent."

I have this awful sinking feeling I'm going to get in trouble today. Lies aren't going to take away the fact two breaks have appeared in the clouds.

"Let's not have this battle out in the corridor." Courtney waves us into her office.

I go in second just behind Geordie. My heart thumps and hand tugs up my hood super fast. Sat on Courtney's desk in a red trench coat is my mum. I want to turn and run but doing so would be awfully suspicious. Does my hood make me suspicious? When Mum looks up from observing her nails she smiles at us before reacting to Courtney's voice.

"Sorry about the intrusion but I do need a word with Team Geordie. Perhaps you'd like to wait for me to finish our discussion upstairs?"

Mum keeps smiling as she shakes her head. "I've heard interesting snippets about Team Geordie even while all the way away in Japan. Don't tell me who's who let me guess."