The Elites

by Ruby Vincent

  “Good. As for the schedule, this semester you’ll take World Literature, Calculus II, Physics, and Psychology in that order. The final period of the day will be self-study. Any questions?”

  We shook our heads.

  “Turn on your computers and open your notes. We’ll do a review and then there will be a test after lunch.”

  I bent and pressed the on button.

  Nothing happened.

  I tried again.

  Must not be plugged in.

  Leaning over, I followed the snaking cord to where it stuck firmly into the outlet.

  “Mrs. Munoz, my computer won’t turn on,” said Lauren.

  “Mine too.”

  “Mine either.”

  “Me too,” I spoke up.

  Frowning, Munoz went to her desk and jiggled the mouse. “Hmm. There must be a power outage.”

  We tilted our heads back to the steadily shining overhead lights.

  “They could be doing maintenance on the system and forgot to tell us,” Munoz tried instead. “It’s been hectic around here with the new security measures. We can—”

  “Oh. There it is,” May broke in. “It’s working now.”

  The screen warmed up and treated us to synchronized dots chasing each other around.

  “Excellent. As I was saying, the review test will cover topics from last year to ensure we’re all on the same page. Zela, if there is anything you don’t know or if you need more clarity, don’t hesitate to speak up.”

  I barely heard her. Gasps spread through the room. Glaring on my screen—on all of our screens—were four bold scarlet words on a pitch-black canvas:

  END THE BATTLE SYSTEM

  Mrs. Munoz ran to her computer and banged on the keyboard. When that predictably did nothing, she tried shutting off the computer.

  The words blinked out and were replaced by a math symbol I saw more than + or – these days. The upside-down A spun three-sixty in a mocking, animated dance.

  “More pranks,” she cried. “Clearly the actions of that troublemaker on the boys’ campus. There goes our hope he graduated.” She stabbed the monitor off with a huff. “Pull out your notebooks. We’ll make do without our computers until this is fixed.”

  It took all day. At the end of class, the IT guy was still huddled over my computer, muttering to himself. I got my phone back to a bunch of texts from the guys and Adam.

  Adam: For All shut down the Elite and the A computers. I guess we should feel lucky this message wasn’t written in blood.

  Me: I still think this is about Becca Taylor. Who else could “she” be?

  Adam’s reply hit me when we entered our room.

  Adam: If it is about her, why now? Breakbattle made changes since then. The last person to be targeted was you and that was because of Cameron. For All has no reason to defend you and Cameron’s gone. What are they trying to prove?

  Me: They’ve made changes but things are far from perfect. There’s also the well-known fact that they’re pushing to spread this nonsense statewide.

  Adam: You don’t think For All killed Cameron, do you? Cameron pushed for the expansion harder than anyone and For All has escalated.

  Me: I’ve thought about it. Trust me, I’ve considered every possibility since the cops slapped cuffs on me. I can’t say for sure For All isn’t involved, but it’s quite a step up from greasing floors and bloody messages to cold-blooded murder. There’s also whoever Cameron was fighting with the night of the fundraiser and the argument I overheard in his room. A real person hit him and he knew who they were. Why would he protect For All by not coming forward?

  Adam: Why would he protect anyone by not coming forward? He must not have seen them as a threat.

  A thought occurred to me.

  Me: Or he couldn’t explain why they were. What if this has something to do with the Network and Cameron couldn’t say anything because it meant revealing a problem among his underground boys’ club?

  Adam: If that’s what it is, Michael, Cole, Landon, and Derek would be the ones to ask about it. But wouldn’t they tell you if there was?

  Me: We kind of have a silent agreement not to talk about Network stuff. It might be time to break it.

  Adam: Good idea.

  “Who are you texting?” asked Melody.

  “Your main squeeze.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “That was such a weird thing to say.”

  “I know. It felt weird even as it was coming out of my mouth.”

  We burst into giggles. One good thing about all of this was Melody and me getting closer.

  Back in our room, I changed into my gym clothes, my mind whirling.

  For All was clearly through messing around. I wondered how long it would take before they moved from pranks to demands and the answer was now. The issue was what would happen when he inevitably did not get what he wanted.

  The chances of Whittaker doing away with the system this academy was famous for was slim to none. The only course of action I could see for Whittaker was to search out For All and levy the torrent of punishments he promised, or do like Mrs. Munoz suggested and wait for him to graduate. Unless For All was a teacher or part of the staff, that wouldn’t be long.

  For All must know that as well as anyone. It has to be why he’s escalating. Time is running out for him to be heard and he will make sure he’s recognized. But at what cost?

  “Zee, are you ready?”

  “Yes, let’s go.”

  I picked up my water bottle and trailed Melody to the wrestling gym. Breakbattle didn’t go so far as to have separate gyms and swimming pools for the genders, but we did have different coaches. I could admit it. I would miss Singh and Nelson and the rest of them. They were good coaches who treated me fairly and lifted me to the standard of Elite.

  “I miss the boys’ side,” I spoke up. The two of us walked side by side across the quad. “Is that strange?”

  “No. Someone who moved around as much as you did must cling to familiarity stronger than most. You made friends, had your favorite teachers, and learned how to navigate life over there. This year you’re starting over again and it wasn’t your choice.” She looped her arm around mine. “You don’t have to like it, but for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here. No one in my class really gets me. It’s why I spend so much time hanging with Adam and your friends.”

  I put my head on her shoulder. “I’m glad you do. And I’m happy I was outed if only because I don’t have to lie to my friends anymore. You can get to know the real me.”

  “What have you been holding back, Manning? Been to over thirty countries instead of over twenty? Did you pick up some ancient ancestral magic on your travels that grants you power over hot guys?”

  “No... and yes.”

  We walked into the gym cracking up. Most of the class was already there, tossing their things on the bleachers or getting into their warm-ups.

  A woman in baggy shorts and a loose Breakbattle polo shirt stood at the top of the mat, speaking to someone I knew.

  “Coach?”

  As if she heard me, the woman turned and latched on to me. She had a face I could only describe as severe, and it wasn’t just because her glare looked permanent. Sharp cheekbones, an upturned nose, and hair wrangled into such a tight ponytail it pulled the corner of her eyes up.

  “Manning, front and center!”

  Snapping to, I scurried over to the person I safely assumed was Coach Webb and her companion, Coach Franklin.

  She looked me up and down like a puzzle box that was stubbornly holding out. “I’ve heard all about you from my counterpart, Manning. Let me tell you right now, I don’t stand for nonsense.”

  “I don’t—”

  “A lot of rumors going around about you. That you rose to Elite by becoming the personal projects of Landon Foster, Michael Young, and Derek Grayson.”

  She pierced me with a look and I took a step back. “I say that’s bullshit. Not just anyone can become Elite and you have to have talent
to exploit it in the first place. Franklin says the same, telling me that you’re small, but scrappy,” she continued, “and you read your opponent’s weaknesses like no one he’s ever seen.”

  My former coach inclined his head. He was a man of few words, so to hear he used so many to praise me was hard to believe.

  Webb scoffed. “Now that people know the truth about you, they want to put your success on the shoulders of boys. Typical.” She thumped my arm. “I have high expectations of you, Manning. I want to see what you can do.”

  “I won’t let you down, Coach.”

  “Alright. Get going. Start your warm-ups.”

  Melody found a spot near the locker rooms to roll through her stretches. Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone.

  Everly, Adeline, and Isla parked themselves next to her like that was their spot.

  “Zela, over here.”

  I veered off without much thought and went over to the girls beckoning me. May and Lauren patted the floor. They were beautiful—proving that some people got it all in life. Wealth, intelligence, athletic ability, and great looks. May’s waterfall of rainbow braids was as gorgeous as Lauren’s conventional bob. Their smiles were open and kind.

  “Sit with us. We were just talking about For All’s latest prank. Crazy, right?”

  “Crazy.” I stretched out and reached for my toes. “Do you guys have any idea who For All could be?”

  “We were going to ask you that,” said May. “Everyone says he’s got to be on the boy campus. That’s where he hits the most.”

  “It makes sense,” I said, “but I don’t have a clue who it could be. Although, I think I have a reason why. Last year, he left a message saying her blood was on our hands. The only death I know that’s connected to this school is Rebecca Taylor’s.” I glanced at both of them. “You grew up here. You know everyone. Any idea who could do this? Or why they’d do it in her name?”

  May shrugged. “Rebecca Taylor was way before our time. Super sad story, but we didn’t know her.”

  “We know what happened of course,” Lauren added. “Her parents moved out of Evergreen after she killed herself. They tried to get the school to do something when the boys started targeting her, and it wasn’t enough. A cautionary tale to all the Breakbattle parents. Mom’s been on me since freshman year, making sure I’m not under too much pressure.”

  “Exactly,” May said. “Our parents have our backs. Breakbattle made changes and split the classes. It’s so much better now. What more does For All want because they can’t seriously think the battle system is going anywhere?”

  I twisted my torso and bent into a deep side stretch. “It’s not that much better. There are still a lot of problems with the battle system.”

  Lauren copied my movements. Her confused look was even more comical upside down.

  “What do you mean? What problems?”

  I forgot who I was talking to for a moment. Life is pretty rosy at the top of the food chain. Why would Lauren and May know what the Fs have to go through just to get the education they’re entitled to?

  “Never mind,” I replied.

  May piped up. “I still say it’s an F. Or maybe a D.”

  “If it was just stink bombs and breaking into storerooms, sure,” said Lauren. “But hacking into the school’s computers are beyond the capabilities of an F.”

  “Not if they hired someone.”

  “Like an F could afford to. They’re all from Chesterfield.” Lauren cut eyes to me. “No offense.”

  “None taken,” I said.

  A sharp whistle interrupted the conversation. “Ladies, I hope you’re warm. I want the first pair on the mat now.”

  “That’s us,” said Lauren. She and May clambered to their feet. “Let’s hang out after practice, Zela. We’ll study in my room.”

  “Okay.”

  Coach got wrestling practice underway. As the odd girl out, I didn’t have a partner. I watched the girls go through their practice from the bleachers, and at the end, Melody offered to partner with me. Melody was good. She was very good, and yet my opponents for the last three years had been taller, heavier, and quite a few fought dirtier. I took her down after a prolonged match and Coach Webb gave me a smile like I met those expectations.

  “That’s what I want to see, Manning,” she told me. “Keep your head on the mat and not the boys, and you might just claim a late spot on the team.”

  I flushed hot—and I was hot enough from grappling with Melody. Is this who I am now? I’ve got to shake this boy-crazy reputation.

  Melody and I trudged to the locker room. With my secret revealed, I couldn’t use my made-up excuse for not wanting to be naked in front of other people. Although, that excuse earned me points when Whittaker and Argyle were tossing around my expulsion.

  “One thing we should note,” Miss Val said, “is that Zela did not attempt to take advantage or violate the boys’ privacy.”

  “No. She just made nightly jaunts to her boyfriends’ dorm rooms,” Whittaker shot back.

  I shook the memory away with the same blush on my face I had when he said it. I couldn’t deny I took advantage of my proximity to Landon, Michael, and Cole. It was a miracle my birth control held up with the number of times Landon and I got naked in his sheets.

  “Possessive type.”

  I jumped. A finger caressed my spine.

  “Which one of them left you these?”

  The locker mirror reflected my cherry-red cheeks. I was down to my panties. My back was to the room, giving them all a peek of the love bites decorating my body. Derek’s thorough exploration of my body left a few marks.

  Which was the point I bet. ’Cause when Landon saw them, he left a few of his own.

  Adeline leaned against the locker next to me, completely naked and not that bothered.

  “Was it Michael?” she asked, smirking away. “The guy spends every moment on the track. You can’t catch up with him long enough to hook up, but you know what they say about those silent types. He must be wild in bed.”

  “I say it was Cole,” Everly put in. She threw her towel over her shoulder instead of wrapping it around her. In one afternoon, the count of people I’d seen naked tripled. “Sharing you with all of those guys, I bet he likes to claim his territory.”

  “Ohh, Zela.” May ran up to Everly and hugged her from behind. She beamed at me from her shoulder. “Which one of them is better in bed?”

  “How do I make this stop?” I asked.

  The girls laughed.

  “By spilling all the dirty details,” May cried.

  “Ladies never tell.”

  Shannon snorted. “Ladies also aren’t so desperate for dick that they pretend to be a boy to get some.”

  “Shannon,” snapped Melody.

  I slammed my locker shut. I faced them all with my bare chest on display. “Here’s what I have to say. I became Zeke because I wanted to get closer to my father. It wasn’t the smartest move, but it was the only one a fifteen-year-old could come up with. While on the boys’ campus, I got to know Michael, Cole, Derek, and Landon, and we fell in love.

  “It wasn’t planned but I’m grateful three years as Zeke gave me them. What we have is real and it’s not gossip. I won’t give you details about my sex life or my relationships. We’re not close like that.”

  “But we will be,” May said, sounding far from put out. She tugged me toward the shower. “You can at least tell us the falling in love stories. Where did you go on your first dates?”

  Sighing, I gave in to my fate.

  “WHAT’S IT LIKE ON THE girls’ campus?” asked Tanner.

  Wednesday afternoon, Tanner, Nico, Justin, Owen, Derek, Cole, Landon, Michael, Adam, and I were sitting on the grass in the middle of the track.

  “It’s odd,” I replied from the circle of Michael’s arms. “The other classes give me strange looks and stop whispering when I pass them in the halls. As for the girls in my class, they’re the perfect blend of sweetness and cruelty us women ha
ve perfected.”

  “You’re not cruel.” Michael rubbed his stubbly cheek against mine the way he knew I loved. “It’s all sweetness over here.”

  Contentment spread through my body like his warmth. I had seen a lot of Derek since I returned to school. I even managed to sneak away with Cole and Landon to the clearing, but outdoor romps weren’t Michael’s thing. Being in his arms was everything I wanted.

  “The guy is far gone,” Cole muttered.

  I nudged him with my foot. “Aren’t you far gone too?”

  He grinned. “Only you know how much.”

  We shared a smile. I knew we were both thinking of the night before. Cole loved me to distraction. I didn’t question it.

  “I still don’t get how this... works.” Nico glanced between the five of us. “I thought you guys were experimenting or something before, but now that I know Zee is a she, I get it even less.”

  The guys replied before I opened my mouth.

  “You don’t need to get it, Kazan,” said Derek.

  “Mind your fucking business,” came from Cole.

  “Guys hooking up are just experimenting?” Landon challenged.

  “Watch yourself,” Michael threw in.

  Nico shrunk back, looking instantly regretful.

  “Easy, guys.” I soothingly rubbed Michael’s forearms. “It’s okay, Nico. Our relationship is different and it’s not for everyone, but it works for us.”

  “Sorry,” he mumbled.

  I pulled away from Michael to hug Nico.

  “Are you going to get all huggy now that you’re a girl?” asked Tanner.

  “I was always a girl,” I quipped, “and yes.”

  I tackled him and peppered his face with kisses. “Love you, T.”

  “Ah!” Tanner flipped me. He pinned me to the grass and skittered his fingers on my sides.

  Shrieking, I was breathless trying to get away.

  “That’s enough.”

  The next thing I knew Tanner was gone. Michael, Cole, and Derek lifted him up and deposited him on the other side of Owen. Landon picked me up and put me in his lap.

  I should have told the girls in the locker room that they were all possessive.

  “Don’t feel bad, man,” Owen said. “You’re going to want to see this anyway.”