The Hijinks War

34. Making it Happen

Four vehicles belonging to students swerved randomly all over the fields, driven by apparently inebriated boys from several grades to serve as a distraction of some sort. Leon had noticed the wardens allowing the slow confused "joyrides" to happen for the last few days. As expected, though they watched the intoxicated boys drive around from their posts around the residence building, they didn't do much of anything to stop them. 

"But why are they doing this exactly?" I mumbled into the pin on the collar of my shirt as I entered the half empty dining hall during lunch hour. I eyed the students I passed, trying my best to look laggy like some of them did.

Eddie, safely in my room and watching me traverse the school through his camera feed, garbled an answer at me around a mouth full of food. "They're going to take turns dropping supplies off at the old mansion."

Waterbridge mansion; far enough away that it couldn't be seen from the academy or the residence buildings, was where we threw Halloween parties. I supposed stockpiling supplies there made sense.

"Leon had some juniors hotwire the groundsman's truck at the old mansion. They're gonna use it to haul material from there into the woods." 

"Is that safe? I mean, wouldn't they follow the tracks?"

"Love, the wardens haven't bothered the laggy joyriders all week, so why would they change now? We packed the cars overnight, so they have no reason to suspect anything, and they don't even know the old mansion exists. Robert found some old tire tracks out behind the mansion so his squad's only going as far as the tracks do with the truck. We've got it all covered, don't worry." 

Easy for him to say. He was hiding out in my dorm with other Aces, out of harm's way. I was exiting the dining hall into the academy, where I hadn't been in days, and where every two feet there was the possibility of attaining detention. I moved quickly, not wanting to be caught unaware by a warden―which is why Eddie was in my ear in the first place.

I snuck past the top of the hallway that led to the teacher's offices and turned into the arts wing. Midway down the corridor was the nurse's office, and I slipped in quickly, causing Ms. Harris to jump.

"Oh! Yes!" She squeaked and then paused to catch her breath. "Eddie called to say you were coming."

I felt bad for her, she was now the only adult we knew that remained at Waterbridge, and that could not have been easy. The rest had all left prior to the drugged out detentions―she had stayed for us. Every evening she visited the residence, taking with her students who needed extra care, and returning those whose states had improved.

"I have what you asked for. Can I trust you to be safe with these?" She grimaced as I nodded, fiddling with papers into an envelope before handing them to me. "I can lose my license for this, you know?"

I smiled sadly, her normally full, cheery face, now gaunt from worry and sleepless nights. "It wouldn't be an issue if you were coming with us, Ms. Harris."

Squeezing my shoulder, she offered me a sad, wistful smile. "You know I can't do that, Honey. Who would watch the kids who can't make a trip out of here?"

She was right of course, there were too many who couldn't and wouldn't make it out of here. Too laggy, or badly affected by the drugs, they would have to remain back. I only hoped that we could get help back to them quickly.

Ms. Harris made a strangled noise as she opened a cupboard and I noticed her shoulders shaking. "Shit, I'm sorry, Honey. I don't mean to worry you," she said when she turned back to face me, wiping tears from her face. "You kids shouldn't have to deal with any of this. You're all being so strong and brave―and smarter than any of us give you credit for!"