Chapter 7: Chapter 7- The Game Begins

“What is this? Why do I have to be in the same section as those delinquents?”

“This can’t be right. I mean, me, in the same room as those basic girls? What in the world?”

“I can’t stand those men’s stench! Get them away from me! I’m going to the principal!”

“Why…why am I in the same room as those rich kids? They’ll just bully me.”

“What’s this? Why are we in the same room as those pampered brats?”

“What kind of arrangement is this? I can’t believe they’d mix us elite with those disgusting commoners who just managed to get in here! Who in the world designed this?”

The school is in an uproar as each student finds out about their new class assignment. The class advisers could barely keep the students quiet during the morning rosary. Each student has their own complaint about the new system.

Here it comes, Celestine thinks to herself as she takes her seat beside the window. Will this really work out like that …well, let’s settle with calling her Pressy short for president. Will it really work out like Pressy said it will? She sounded so sure, but this is complete  chaos.

The previous arrangement has always bee the way things were, people were put in the same section as their peer. One room for the smart ones, one room for the delinquents, one room for the beauty queens and pampered rich kids, one room for the normal kids. While Celly can’t say it was ideal, it worked to keep the school in a delicate order, if you can call it that. And now she suddenly messed up  that order and started mixing and matching people of  different hues.

How can she be so sure that her plan will work out?

“We’ll be getting rid of the hidden caste system in this school. From this new school year on, people of different predispositions will be mixed in the same room. That way the students can meet others of different orientations. That’ll help them get out of their comfort zone and maybe grow. I don’t want a school full of divided, self-centered brats,” so she said.

As for how she’s gonna make sure her plan doesn’t blow up on her face, and maybe the biggest move in this gamble to make the students all behave…

“All students, please proceed to the school dome for the school year orientation. Again, all students  please proceed to the ….” the announcer says overhead.

Well, here goes, Celly says as she stands up. This next announcement will probably make an even bigger uproar than this new class arrangement. It’ll be big enough to make the SSC everybody’s enemy number one. But they don’t really have a choice. Like Pressy said, she has the SSC’s life in her hands. They’re her puppets in this show.

 

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“…and that end the introduction of our faculty and staff for this school year,” the teacher MC says.

Celestine stands up. Beside her are the seven other members of the council. She looks at Pressy. She still doesn’t look happy about the sash thing. Still, the villainous president doesn’t look nervous about the fact that she’s gonna earn the ire of most of the students here.

As for Celly, she can only sigh. She’s already done her part, she thinks as she looks back on her orders.

“The point system won’t be enough to make the students bow down. They won’t respect it and recognize its danger immediately. To remedy that, we have to herd them into fear. As for this move, this’ll be instrumental in many of our next endeavors in the future. And it all lands on the shoulders of our P.I.O.,” Trace says, leaning back against her chair.

“Me? What do you want me to do?” Celestine says, already nervous.

Everything this woman said today is already crazy and will surely turn the school upside down. Now she’s gonna have an important role in it? Celly thinks.

“The school still doesn’t have a proper confession and rant page on facebook, does it? I believe you would know.”

Celly thinks on it. True, SMA doesn’t have one. All other schools have a proper page where they can post their confessions and rants anonymously, but SMA doesn’t have one yet. But why would this woman ask?

“Make one. Make it as widespread as possible within the next two weeks. I want it to be big enough by the time we have our school orientation. It’ll be helpful if a few posts are about the inadequacies of the former student councils, and of course, the rough situation of the school,” Trace explains.

“You want me to make a page that’s just for bashing us?” Celly replies, unable to believe what she heard.

Trace nods.

“And make several other accounts in standby. Keep them ready for when I put my plan into action.”

“And that plan is? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Media manipulation and bandwagon effect. I’ll use the page to make the students fear us.” Trace replies with a determined look on her face.   

Celly did as ordered. She made a page, and it blew up almost over night. As expected, there are many complaints about the student council and the total orderlessness of the school. She’s also already made the dummy accounts.

And now for the next step. Celly looks around her. The students are seated on the benches in front of the stage. On both sides of the stage are large LED screens projecting what’s going on on the stage. They’ll be in plain view of the audience.

“And now, dearest students, we’ll be introducing this year’s duly inducted members of the Supreme Student Council.”

Audible boo from the audience. Others are screaming “paper puppets”, some are throwing stuff at the stage.

Celly turns to see her co-members. Everyone looks nervous, except for Pressy, who looks amused.

Yeah, she’s half-crazy, this woman, Celly thinks.

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“First off, the peace officer, Stephen Aldren.”

Stephen stands up, walking up the stage. As soon as he emerges, the whole school bursts into laughter.

“What’s with the sash? Won a pageant somewhere?”

“Beauty queen of the year! Whoo!”

“Give us a twirl, Miss Aldren!”

The MC doesn’t even bother shutting the students down.

Stephen clenches his fist, his face red with rage. He turns to face Pressy, who just gives him a shrug.

“Next, we have the auditor, Lianne Lorence.”

The same reaction. Lianne could barely keep her face up from the embarrassment.

“And the treasurer, Zion Kyle Gomez.”

More laughter. Zion turns his head from the audience.

“Up next is Austin Renz Sylvia, business manager.”

The little boy could barely keep his feet from shaking as he slowly emerges from the backstage. As the audience laughs at him, he turns around. Celly notices the boy wiping his eyes. He’s crying.

“And now, we have Celestine Leah Austria, P.I.O.”

Celly sighs. I have to show these people how to do it right.

She walks up the stage, her head held high. As soon as she emerges, she gives the crowd a flashing smile. She walks to the right side of the stage, posing. She flips her hair, walks to the left side of the stage, and poses again.

This time, she’s met with claps and howls. She walks to stand beside her co-members.

“Don’t worry about that. We have a d-word tyrant who’ll show them their worst nightmares in just a few minutes,” she says as she smiles at the audience.

Everyone looks at her. For once, they actually agree on something, and they actually wish the said tyrant would come here sooner. Celly pats little Austin, calming him down.

“The tyrant will show them fear soon. Don’t you wanna see that?” she says to the little boy.

“And now we have Samier Summers, secretary.”

This time, the crowd barely reacts, seemingly tired with taunting.

“Elaiza McDonough, vice president.”

The girls walks towards the stage, her lips pale with nervousness.

“And last but not the least, Aiea Allorein Ambersworth, president of this year’s Supreme Student Council.”

Here she comes, the seven think as they look at Trace. She has her signature wide smile, and is somehow managing to pull off her insane sash. She takes the microphone from the MC and walks towards the center of the stage.

She’s met with boos and more throwing of trash. Still, she manages to smile through it.

“I know, I look magnificent in this sash. I have you guys electing me to thank for that,” she says.

More boos. Trace still smiles.

“And of course, we in the SSC will do everything in our power this year to make sure this that our proud alma mater and its constituents receive only the best of the best from us.”

“Paper puppet! Paper puppet! Paper puppet! Paper puppet!” the crowd starts to scream.

The seven members of the council inch backwards as the screams become louder. Still, Trace smiles. Instead, she approaches the MC’s stall and asks for a second microphone. She makes the two microphone face each other, resulting to an ear-piercing sound. Everyone covers their ears, forcing them to stop jeering.

“Nothing like a little energizer to calm you guys down, right?” she says chirpily.

The crowd looks at her in shock. There is total silence in the dome.

“Now then, let’s get to business,” she adds, still smiling.

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