Four of Clubs

15

Ian placed a bookmark into his book as I slid my tray on the lunch table and sat down. As usual, he'd been the first one there.

"Feels good to be at the top, doesn't it?" he greeted, closing the book and placing it aside. Saturday's challenge had bumped us out of the three-way tie and back into first. It had only been two days since then, but it felt like I'd checked the scoreboard a million times just to make sure we were still at the top.

"It does," I agreed, taking a bite of my burger. "Maybe a little intense, but still good."

"I've been meaning to ask," Ian started, leaning forward and taking a chip from the bag in front of him, "What'll you do with the money if we win? Splitting it five ways puts us at a grand each, so I figure I'll probably save it."

I pondered as I chewed, realizing that I didn't really have any ideas for the money. "Yeah, I guess I haven't really thought about it too much. I'd probably spend some on myself in celebration, and then put most of it away."

"What're we talking about?" Roy asked, sliding into the seat next to Ian, lunch in hand. 

"What we'll do with the cash if we win," Ian explained, taking a swig of his drink. "You got any plans?"

"Yeah, I'll probably use it to help my mom out. Although on second thought, she'd probably be pissed if she found out how I got it." He laughed.

Jade showed up then, taking the seat between me and Roy, and Daniel followed soon after, the two of them joining the conversation. As Daniel was saying how he'd put the money towards college,my phone vibrated on the table, causing my gaze to wander to the screen. My eyes widened as they read the notification.

"New message," I interrupted, tapping in my password, the others all reaching for their phones at my words.

The message was typical-- another poem.

You do well under pressure, we have to say,
but what about under security's gaze?
Tomorrow The Seven want to go home to play.
Your job is to get school let out for the day. 

Unlike the previous times, the warning wasn't a limitation of forty-eight hours.

If school isn't let out by 1:30 PM tomorrow, your group will be disqualified.

"That's like, half of the normal time they've been giving us," Jade complained.

Ian took out a notebook, opening up to a clean page. "Okay, just off the top of our heads, what could get school let out?"

"Gas leak," Roy said immediately, snapping his fingers.

Ian gave him a look somewhere between amusement and exasperation. "We're trying to get school canceled, not kill everyone in it."

"We could fake it," Roy elaborated. "Fake the smell somehow and complain about it. One of us could pretend to pass out from the fumes. They'd evacuate for sure, even if it wasn't confirmed."