The Geek Revolution ✓

12 | personal

DELANEY'S LIPS STRETCH INTO A sardonic smile.

"Everything? That might take a few years."

I tell her, "Try."

My four friends ponder my request, but not for long. In fact, it only takes about a second of thinking before bad memories tumble around me like acid rain.

"I remember some stupid pranks the Monarchy pulled in freshman year," Leah recalls. "They'd put money in other people's bags, and report it missing. The teachers would search and find it in the bag of whoever they were targeting. So many suspensions were handed out that way."

Freshman year. The tactic is wily and cruel, thought up by a bunch of fifteen-year-olds – damn. It makes me worried about who I'm going up against. They've been terrorising the school with expertise, and for years. Within that time, how many different tactics of making other people's lives hell did they discover?

"I got food poisoning from them," Delaney adds. "It was never proved. But I know they paid off the lunch server to put something in my food."

My stomach clenches. Instinctively, I push my tray of food away from me.

"Then there was that time that Brittany sabotaged the Debate Club in the regional competition. We'd tried out together in freshman year, and I made the club when she didn't," Delaney continues. "Then once I became President, she personally blamed me for keeping her off the team. Like, it's not my fault she can't string together an argument."

Drew and I let out a sardonic chuckle.

"Anyways, in sophomore year she sabotaged the team by siphoning all the gas out of the school van. We were disqualified for being late. Last year, I took all the precautions I could think of to outwit her, and we won the State Championships unhindered." Delaney's eyes gleam with a cold pride. "Take that, biatch."

"Oh, that explains it," Benjamin exclaims, pressing his palm to his forehead.

I peer inquisitively at him. He seems quite worked up now. "Explains what?"

Benjamin elaborates, "Last year, Derek tried out for the Mathletes Club out of nowhere. He got onto the team fair and square. See, he's not bad at math."

Nodding solemnly, I find myself easily believing Benjamin. Derek is taking AP Calculus with me. He also is the type of student to ditch class — albeit rebelliously — because he doesn't think the lessons will be of use to him. The periods he does attend, he has a quiet, assured confidence about him.

"But he never enjoyed the club practices," Benjamin continues quizzically. "I was so confused why he joined if he didn't want to be there, but Brittany must have put him there when she realised Debate Club was impregnable that year. We came second in the State Championship, which earned us a trip to New York for the East Coast finals." A congratulations is about to pour out of me, but the abrupt darkening of Benjamin's eyes halt the words in their tracks. "Guess what day Derek decides to ditch?"

"The day of the finals?" I guess reluctantly.

"Yup. Disqualified for having an incomplete team," Benjamin scowls. He drops his fork onto his lunch tray, pushing the whole meal further from him. "A whole fucking season's worth of work, down the drain. A whole fucking year before we could get that chance again. I'll never forgive Derek," he vows, shaking his head vehemently. "Not for what he did to us, but for the place on the team he took away from someone who would have made it count. I hate him."

"I don't get it," I remark. "Why would sabotaging Mathletes be a substitute for sabotaging the Debate Club? You and Delaney aren't exactly best buddies."