DISCONTINUED

Chapter 33

Luna, Bo and Olivia and a handful of other kids sat in the school lounge watching the local news playing on the viewer.

"It appears there was another act of vandalism last night as the flag at city hall was replaced by a large black one displaying a skull and crossbones and the word "DISCONTINUED". This is the second such act we've seen in as many weeks, the first occurring at a local high school football game..."

Olivia looked at Bo and Luna who were both trying way too hard to look innocent. "Seriously? You two again?!?"

"What?" Luna replied in mock surprise.

"Oh, come on Luna. Don't play dumb with me. That was you guys again, wasn't it?"

"Shhhh!" said Bo as he leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Keep your voice down Olivia. Somebody might hear."

"Hear what?" said Luna. She was having a really difficult time keeping a straight face.

Bo turned to Luna who stared back at him with raised eyebrows and shoulders shrugged in her best 'I don't know what you're talking about' look. After a couple of seconds, as if slowly putting 2 and 2 together, she turned her head away slightly to look at him out of the corner of her eye. She pursed her lips and loosely pointed her finger first at him and then at the viewer. "Wait a second... Bo, did YOU have something to do with THAT?" she said, way too loud.

"Lu, be quiet!" Bo glanced around the room but thankfully none of the other kids seemed to be paying any attention to them. "Come on you two" he said as he stood up and headed for the door. "Let's go somewhere a little more private."

The three of them made their way to the cafeteria and sat down at a table in the far corner.

Olivia slouched down in her chair, her arms crossed, shaking her head. "Why didn't you guys tell me? Why wasn't I included this time? I thought we agreed that I was going to help out with the next prank!"

"Ah come on Olivia" said Bo as he leaned over to put his arm around her. "It's better this way."

"Really Bo? Better for who? You and your, your... your little troublemaker girlfriend?" She shot her best evil eye at Luna.

Luna froze. What did Olivia just say? She felt her cheeks starting to flush, so she faked a cough into her arm to cover it up.

"Oh Olivia, you know you're the only one for me" said Bo cheesily as he attempted to kiss her while she did her best to swat him away.

Olivia tried not to laugh, but she couldn't help but smile. "Stop it Bo. I'm really mad at you two! I thought we had a deal."

"The only deal I made Liv was with she-devil over there" he said, nodding at Luna who stuck her tongue out at him in return. "And I only agreed to help her because I knew that she'd do it anyway and at least this way I have a chance to protect her from herself."

Luna smiled and batted her eyelids at them dramatically. "We still love you Olivia." She paused, seeming unsure of whether to continue or not. "But, I mean, it just doesn't really make sense for you to be involved, really".

The lightness of the moment faded. Luna was right. They all knew and tried not to talk about it, but they were the ones being 'discontinued', not Olivia.

"Well, how did you guys pull that off anyway?" said Olivia after an awkward silent 10 seconds or so. "I mean, don't they have security guards and stuff around there?"

"Yea, they do" said Luna. "But I dunno...". She shrugged her shoulders. "You start talking to people and you find most are pretty sympathetic to the cause. I mean, we're all in the same boat after all. Well, I mean... most of us are."

She hadn't intended for that last part to sound like a dig - another dig - but she knew that it had.

Olivia looked down at her plate and absently pushed her food around. Another awkward moment of silence passed. Eventually she put down her fork and looked up, first at Luna then at Bo. "Well, you guys owe me then. Big time."

"Fine darling" replied Bo mockingly. "What do you want? A big 'ol kiss from your man?" He closed his eyes and puckered up.

Olivia ignored him, drumming her fingers on the table and making popping sounds with her mouth as she looked skyward for inspiration. "I've got it!" she exclaimed, turning to Bo, looking all wide eyed and mischievous. "There's a dance coming up and you're going to take me!"

"No, no, no..." said Bo, shaking his head. "You know I don't do dances. You're going to have to think of something else."

Olivia started poking him with her finger as she stood up and moved towards him. "Uh uh. No way. You OWE me Bo. Big time. And I want to go to that dance!"

Luna howled as Bo squirmed. "Ha ha... Bo's going dancing, Bo's going dancing" she chanted as she 'danced' in her chair mockingly.

"Whoa there Missy" said Olivia, now turning her attention towards Luna. "I wasn't finished. You BOTH owe me. Better break out your dancing shoes girlfriend."

"Wait... what? No. No way. Uh uh." Luna shook her head at Olivia. "I REALLY don't do dances, you know that. And besides, I can't go... I don't have a date."

"Yuh huh. You're going alright. This is a party of three honey." She paused for effect as she looked back and forth between the two of them. "Maybe next time you two will think twice about excluding me from your little adventures."

Bo glared at Luna. "This is all your fault Lu."