The Gay Teen's Guide to Defeating a Siren_Book 2_The Siren

by Cody Wagner

  “Excuse me, but this isn’t your plan. It’s our plan. We’re in this together.”

  “It was my idea.”

  Cassie drew herself up to a height I didn’t think possible for such a tiny person. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have realized the door was locked. Or the filing cabinets.”

  I cringed. God, I hated Debate Cassie.

  “What if you get caught?” I said.

  She raised an eyebrow. “What if you get caught?”

  That’s where Roze broke in. “Stop beating around the bush, Blaize.” She turned to Cassie. “We’re not sure you’re physically capable of doing this.”

  Now it was Roze’s turn to get Cassie’s evil eye. Unlike me, Roze didn’t flinch.

  Cassie whispered, “I’m perfectly capable of walking twenty steps from the front door to the Records Room. And I can pick a lock if you can.”

  “Oh really?” Roze said. “They were metal file cabinets, right?”

  “Yes. And your point?”

  “Dad had one back home and he lost the key. We had to get in with a slide hammer. Do you even know what that is? Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy.”

  From her expression, I could tell Cassie had no idea what a slide hammer was. “OK, fine. Then who’s going to do it? Tracey?”

  For a split second, I pictured Tracey pulling files on everyone so she’d have insult ammo. (“Blaize, tell me more about your dad’s Fleas Navidad Christmas shirt.”)

  “I’m our only choice.” Cassie said. She quickly added, “The sooner we all agree, the sooner I can learn how to do what needs to be done.”

  She and I looked at each other for a long time before I threw up my arms. “Fine! You’re right.”

  The only thing that scared me more than getting caught by the school was Cassie getting caught. But dammit, I was so tired of everything coming to a dead end.

  Finally, Roze said, “OK, fine. But if any other red flags come up, we all agree to quit and think of something else.” She stuck a hand out, and we placed ours on top. I noticed Cassie threw her hand out really fast to be right on top of Roze. I smiled as we all agreed.

  “OK, we’ve got to get to gym,” I said.

  Roze held up her arm to stop me. “One more thing.”

  “Yeah?” I said.

  “Timothy is guarding the pumpkin with me Saturday night.”

  “What?”

  “He volunteered when he heard you’d be there. Just thought you should know.”

  She didn’t say anything else and started walking to the gymnasium.

  I slowed down, thinking, Massive red flag!!! First off, did Roze know Timothy and I had a history? Second, what did he want? I hadn’t seen him in weeks. Every time his perfect stocky body appeared in the hallways, I ducked into the bathroom or closest classroom. What was he going to say to me?

  I cussed to myself and began walking. When it came down to it, Timothy didn’t affect the plan, only my feelings. I had to volunteer for the pumpkin shift, pretend nothing was wrong, and deal with whatever happened. Still, I let out a huge sigh. It was going to be a really stressful week.

  * * * * *

  By the time Saturday rolled around, tensions were at an all-time high between the two dorms. The older dorm kicked their intimidation up to new levels. At lunch, a senior blew snot into his hand, walked up to a freshman, and said, “Get ready to clean this up.” It was hard to pretend we didn’t know Darrin’s plans, but we maintained our silence, put up with their taunting, and worked on our plan.

  Sadly, Operation: Break-In wasn’t going well.

  Nothing against her, but Cassie’s lack of coordination became a problem. I was hopeful at first because Roze noticed a small gap between the Records Room door and jam. That meant we could use a credit card to get in. Cassie could handle that. The file cabinets, on the other hand, posed a massive problem.

  We found videos on getting into metal file cabinets all over YouTube. Some of them—using bobby pins or paper clips—didn’t ruin the locks. Others—jamming in slide hammers and screws to pull the lock out—destroyed the locking cylinder completely. We couldn’t ruin Jimmy’s cabinet because Sanctuary would definitely notice. That left us with teaching the first methods to Cassie, who just couldn’t seem to get the hang of anything that required hand-eye coordination.

  Using the bobby pin method, Roze and I were both able to get into our own file cabinets about half the time. And it only took us a few minutes when it worked. Cassie, on the other hand, had fingers that refused to cooperate with each other. On average, she either didn’t get in at all, or it took a good half hour. Once, she somehow poked her eye with the bobby pin and we had to stop to get her ice.

  “Are we sure about this?” It was early Saturday, the morning of the cleaning, and I was starting to panic. “This has to happen tonight!”

  Cassie, hands shaking as she tried the two-paper-clip method, ignored me.

  “You have to torque them just right,” Roze said.

  “And turn until it gets stuck,” I added.

  “Are we sure about this?” Roze said.

  “Yes!” Cassie shouted. “Do you know how I know? Because you two won’t be there making me nervous!”

  I inched back to give her some space. Roze apologized. We had been pretty annoying. Still, I wished more than anything I was taking Cassie’s place. Sure, Cassie could bail without the file if she didn’t make it into the cabinet, but that would leave us back at square one.

  “It’s almost time to go clean,” Roze said.

  “Wait! Almost got it,” Cassie said, sweating from exertion. She’d managed to turn the paper clip and was wiggling the second one back and forth.

  I almost told her to slow down but kept my mouth shut.

  The lock started to turn.

  I grinned and reached out to pat her on the back.

  That’s when the first paper clip snapped in half. Cassie’s arm shot over, poking the metal into Roze’s arm. Roze jumped up, howling, and stomped around the room. If I wasn’t so worried, I would have been in hysterics. As it were, I could only shake my head and say, “And with that, it’s time to go.”

  Not a word was said as Cassie grabbed a Band-Aid for Roze and we headed to the exercise field for Campus Clean-Up Day.

  * * * * *

  Most of the students and faculty had already gathered around the giant pumpkin when the three of us arrived. Roze still rubbed her arm where Cassie had stabbed her, and Cassie apologized nonstop. By this time, I found it funny. I told Roze she got what she deserved for being so mean to Cassie.

  “I will destroy you,” she said. Then she left us for the older dorm because we were supposed to be enemies. She even joined in throwing silent threats our direction. I pretended to be put out and nervous.

  Suddenly, Wolcott cleared his throat, and everyone shut up.

  “Welcome to the annual Campus Clean-Up Day,” he said, “where you’ll learn the value of cleanliness. And hopefully, what giant slobs most of you are.”

  Roze glared at me, clearly thinking of my messy bed, and I pretended to stab her with an invisible paper clip.

  I tuned out the rest of Wolcott’s speech as we’d heard it last year. Besides, the announcement of the Pumpkin Bash would come later. For now, he just told us about being clean. Then, he motioned to the staff, who handed out giant garbage bags and latex gloves.

  When every student had a bag, Wolcott pointed toward campus and said, “Get to work!”

  While almost everyone went to the center field housing the Classroom Center, Cassie and I headed to the north side of campus. Cassie didn’t care about the Pumpkin Bash, but she did care about cleanliness and hard work, so she inched up and down the entire area in small rows. She picked up everything she found, including a single blue sequin.

  While I didn’t like the litter either, I was more interested in talking her through the lock-picking process and our plans for the evening. That is, until I came across the most disgusting ham sandwich in hist
ory, and the thrill of competition kicked in. The bread had turned almost black, and the meat inside was crawling with bugs. I even saw what looked like little eggs in a piece of fat. The image of Darrin cleaning it up flickered in my head and I smiled. I imagined him accidentally licking it. I had no idea how that would happen, but it made me laugh.

  From that point on, I cycled between grilling Cassie on picking locks and finding the most disgusting garbage. As the day wore on, I relished the thought of filling the pumpkin with unmentionables. Especially when I found a dead mouse in a moldy blue sock.

  “How does this happen?” Cassie asked, gagging.

  “I’m glad.” I scooped it into my bag with a stick. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have a Pumpkin Bash.”

  Cassie’s lips thinned, but she didn’t respond.

  By the time three o’clock rolled around, my bag was brimming with the most disgusting things I could find. I was particularly proud of the giant mound of bird poop I’d scooped from under some trees at the edge of campus. Cassie wasn’t too thrilled with that one (“That’s technically not even trash!”).

  Once everyone had regrouped, Wolcott told us to start dumping our trash into the pumpkin. Normally, that gathered looks of shock from the new students. Last year, a few people about had heart attacks when they learned where the garbage went. And I think Wolcott loved the surprise on their faces. This year, no one flinched as we marched forward with our bags. Wolcott gave a look to Coach Adkins that said, This should be interesting.

  Once the pumpkin was overflowing, and we threw our remaining trash bags into dumpsters, Wolcott went into the rules of the Pumpkin Bash: how it started tonight, how it ran until Halloween, how it was like a giant tug-o-war, and so on. From what I heard, everything was the same as last year. He then pointed at the wooden post that had been erected next to the pumpkin and touched the bell attached to it.

  “If you need help from your team,” Wolcott said, “you can ring the Pumpkin Bell.”

  He grabbed a rope hanging from the clapper and rang it. The sound was deafening, and we all covered our ears.

  “Just know everyone will come running when you do.”

  That’s exactly what Roze, Cassie, and I were counting on, and I nodded along with Wolcott.

  As he continued with a few other announcements, I began to think about how the teachers would react when the Pumpkin Bash ended on the very first night. From what I’d heard, that hadn’t happened in years because the students loved to keep it going. Secretly, I thought some teachers would be glad. Ms. Meeks yelled at us to pay attention all week last year. But listening to math was hard when all we wanted to do was stare out the window in case someone raided.

  Just then, the wind picked up, and I caught a whiff of the pumpkin. Two girls next to me started coughing. Soon, our whole section was gagging. It smelled like curdled milk turds, and I pulled my shirt up over my nose for protection. The teachers covered their faces with their hands. Even Coach Adkins grimaced and appeared to be holding his breath.

  “And with that,” Principal Wolcott said, wrinkling his nose, “I wish both teams luck in the coming week.”

  The teachers dispersed as the students stuck around, staring at the pumpkin. I think some people imagined winning. They probably pictured the opposing dorm cleaning rotted meat and moldy socks. A few students shuddered, and I imagined they were thinking about losing. Over the summer, I’d had a nightmare where I cleaned the pumpkin with my mouth. Not a fun time.

  After five minutes, the crowd began to clear out. Well, everyone except for the guards on duty. Two younger students and two older students took their places on either side of pumpkin. And by either side, I mean they were twenty feet away, avoiding the stench.

  I stared at the pumpkin longer than anyone before heading back to my room. In just seven short hours—that would also feel like an eternity—all hell would break loose. I just prayed everything would go according to plan.

  “Want to go practice on the file cabinet?” Cassie asked.

  “Yes, please,” I said, grateful for any distraction that made me feel useful.

  * * * * *

  The rest of the day was hell. We spent hours messing with our file cabinets, but Cassie still had tons of trouble with them. When she stopped to do homework, I couldn’t help but pace in circles, worrying. I even found myself talking out loud without even realizing. Cassie got so frustrated, she threw her pencil down.

  “Again? Really? This is worse than last year!”

  I flopped down on her bed. “There’s so much more pressure this time.”

  “On me, you mean.”

  “That . . . And also . . . ” My voice trailed off.

  She turned around in her chair. “What?”

  I threw my hands up. “I really want to win, too! I carried the team last year and feel like I have to do it again!”

  She glared at me. “We’re dealing with something as important as Jimmy’s file, and you’re stressing about The Pumpkin Bash?”

  I knew she wouldn’t understand, so I didn’t respond. And I had to admit she was right. I shouldn’t have cared about The Pumpkin Bash. It didn’t matter at all. What mattered was Cassie getting in and out unscathed. Preferably with pictures of Jimmy’s file on her phone. But I did care about winning. I wasn’t sure what that said about me, but it was the truth. The younger dorm was counting on me, and I didn’t want to let them down.

  Cassie turned back to her homework, and I hopped back up. I tried to keep still but ended up bouncing in one spot on the balls of my feet as Timothy popped into my head. I had no idea what would happen with him tonight, but I tried not to dwell on it. Shoving him away was my only defense right now. Tonight wasn’t the time for that. Still, I found myself bouncing even faster.

  Cassie threw down her pencil again and stood up. “I can’t concentrate with you here! I might as well practice some more.”

  We worked a couple more hours—with Cassie opening her cabinet about a third of the time—when my alarm went off. I yelped in surprise and looked at the time. 10:30. Thirty minutes until my shift. Thirty minutes until Cassie’s break-in. Thirty minutes until everything went down. Where the hell had the time gone? I punched my mattress to let out some steam. Then, Cassie and I silently made our way out into the hall.

  We spent some time talking with a bunch of classmates, reiterating the plans for tonight. Everyone was on edge, which actually made me feel better. Then, at 10:45, I wished everyone luck, and me and Cassie started walking across campus. I noticed her hands were surprisingly calm.

  “You’re not as nervous as I expected.”

  She shrugged. “One way or another, I’ll make it work.”

  I looked at her, impressed. For the first time, I believed her. Sort of. OK, not really.

  Cassie and I walked north, past the Classroom Center, lost in our own heads, but when we reached the auditorium, I stopped and looked at her. This was our fork in the road. Cassie was going to the wait outside the Admissions Building, while I had to guard the pumpkin.

  I smiled encouragingly and pulled her into a quick hug. She blushed and didn’t look at me when I let go.

  “Good luck,” I said. “You’ve got this.”

  “You, too. And remember, The Pumpkin Bash is just a stupid game.”

  I nodded at her, still knowing it was more than a game to me. She studied me for a second then turned and walked toward the Admissions Building. After watching her back for a few seconds—and sending tons of mojo her way—I headed toward the exercise field.

  Strolling alone, I noticed how cold it had become. The night was downright frigid, with a biting wind stinging my face. I shoved my hands into my pockets and glanced back at my dorm. Things appeared quiet, but it teemed with activity. In just a little while, everyone would explode out the exits for our raid. The older dorm was going to strike at midnight, so we were raiding at 11:30. It would be just enough time to push the pumpkin, break it, and gloat. Then, after the teachers came outside to watch,
Cassie would make her way inside.

  I nodded and tried preparing myself for the other piece of drama that would happen tonight: Timothy. Now that I was closer to the field, my heart started hammering in my chest. Although he should have been the least important part of tonight’s shenanigans, I became more panicked about seeing him than anything else. Maybe it was because Cassie was the one dealing with the Admissions Building. Or maybe it was because I was going to have to deal with him before anything else.

  As expected, Timothy stood there, watching me as I approached the pumpkin.

  I would have said he looked handsome, but his expression negated all that. He was not happy to see me. In fact, he looked downright sad. I’d never seen him like that, and a breath got stuck in my lungs as I looked away. The pumpkin seemed to glow like it was filled with radioactive waste. It felt appropriate—like I was filled with trash, too—and I got even more nervous. Turning in a circle, I looked for Roze, the one person who could support me.

  She wasn’t there.

  Instead, Tracey grinned at me from the other side of the pumpkin.

  My hands gripped my legs as I thought, Crap. Crap. Crap. Where’s Roze?

  “What’s up?” I said, acting like I wasn’t freaking out.

  “Oh, nothing.” Tracey walked a slow circle around me, like a hyena. “We’re just about to win.”

  I decided to act like I didn’t know about their raid and said, “What? When?”

  Tracey called me out. “Don’t play dumb. We know Roze was spying for you.”

  I took a step back and messed with my shirt. How did she know? Dread filled my body.

  “Actually,” Tracey said, “I knew Roze was spying for you. And I turned her in.”

  Up to that point, I’d never believed books and movies where people would go from scared to brave instantaneously. It seemed fake. But that’s exactly what happened to me when Tracey’s words sunk in.

  I glared at her. “You turned Roze in?”

  “Duh. We’re roommates. And I have my little ways.”

  For some reason, hearing her stupid voice pissed me off. “After all she’s done for you this year?” I realized I was growling.