So I Tried to Write a Next Generation Story

Chapter 5: Jaye

"You finally got it?" Jaye asked.

Torrin hefted the cardboard box. "It's in here." They were meeting in Zoe's room because it was the neatest. Despite Torrin's arguments, Jaye and Zoe had picked her room for their plotting.

"Let me see," Zoe said. She took the box from Torrin and opened it. "Should I be careful with this?"

"Dad's gadgets are really tough," Torrin promised.

"Oh, this is amazing!" Zoe held up the elixir-launching, video-recording, remotely-triggered gadget that (bonus!) looked like a piece of wall, so they could hide it in plain sight.

Torrin held up three thin slices of metal, passing one to each of them. "We can watch the feed on this. One for each of us and we can tell each other when we want to launch elixirs."

"Yes!" Jaye jumped to his feet and peered closer at the gadget Zoe was holding. "Now we just need to choose the elixirs. I have an elixir that will give you bright pink hair. And this will turn your skin green."

"Anything else?" Torrin asked.

"I have like a million prank elixirs," Jaye said.

"How about this one?" Zoe held up a glittery red elixir.

"How did you get that? It was in my pocket!" Jaye exclaimed.

"Skills." Zoe's grin made her face look even prettier than usual. "So, will we use it?"

"It's basically a stink bomb, but it dissipates quickly in air. However, it's practically impossible to get out of fabric," Jaye answered. "It'd be perfect because it wouldn't stink up Callista's locker."

"Any others?" Torrin asked. "Maybe we should add that pink hair one."

"Deal," Jaye said, holding up a magenta elixir. "Just these two?"

"We know we're going to get detention for this so why not make it good? The launcher can hold five elixirs," Torrin said. He tapped the gadget in Zoe's hand and five hatches opened. Jaye slipped the pink elixir and Zoe added the red one. With another tap, Torrin closed two of the hatches.

Torrin picked two more elixirs and Zoe picked one.

"Jaye, tell Callista about our plan so she knows not to go by her locker during the school day. She'll need to grab her stuff in the morning," Torrin said.

"I can do that," Jaye said.

"Okay. Tomorrow our plans will take effect," Zoe said.