Whatever You Say
PLAN
“Fine, what do you know that can help us?” Susanne asked. “I mean, sure, you ‘know’ her or at least you think you do, but let’s be honest here. Nothing you say may affect her, even if—”
Teddy cleared his throat. “Well, at least it’s something. I don’t know how much of it we can use. Actually, I don’t think any of her ‘secrets’ may be worth showing the rest of the world. I do know her weakness, her virtues—I know Éirin is actually very insecure. That’s why she has to look perfect at all times. She’s very protective of her stuff, very materialistic, she’s selfish at times—willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants.” And I knew very well that part. “She’s even terrified of squirrels, but yeah, image we pick that fact as our plot—what are we going to do with it? Show her freaking out over a squirrel. It’s go—”
“It’s going to look childish, you’re right,” she said.
“Exactly and our main priority is to expose her for what she did,” Teddy told her truthfully.
“Well, not exactly,” I chimed in.
“What do you mean? I thought what you wanted was to clear the air,” Teddy asked me.
“Yeah, but it’s only to get back at Éirin for treating me badly and for The Hive itself to reconsider their actions—that’s why hit Éirin as our main target, because she’s their leader and because she plans almost everything.”
“I got it!” Susanne yelled.
“What?” Teddy and I asked in unison.
“Make her say it on tape. Make her admit the ‘real’ story or whatever. Make her admit that she took advantage of you.”
“But she didn’t take advantage of me,” I told her.
“Then, what?” she asked.
“I don’t know, Susanne. I just think she needs a change of heart.”
“She will have one after this, trust me,” Teddy assured.
“Fine, I’ll try that,” I finally said. I give up. Sure I wanted Éirin to suffer somehow, but at what cost? I was, in a weird kind of way becoming a bully myself.
They didn’t seem to mind, though.
“You’ll try now.”
“Now? But almost everyone is already home.” My eyes searched for the clock in the hallway: 3:17pm.
“The Hive is always wandering around in the school’s parking lot,” Ted reminded me. “I’m sure you of all people should know that.” He paused and pursed his lips. Then he reached for his backpack and out of it came a tiny video camera. “Hide it well; don’t break it—I bought it yesterday actually.”
I nodded.
“Anyway, remember what we just discussed. Make it right to the point,” he said. “You’ll bring it at the game on Friday. In the time being, keep it safe in your home and if you can, edit out the parts we don’t need. I think I have a plan for what to do exactly at the game.”
“What will that be, exactly?” Susanne asked Teddy.
“School mascot,” was his only response.
What? “You mean dress up as that enormous bee during the game?”
“Yeah, dumb-ass, what’d you think? I’m not going to do it!”
“How are we going to do that?” Susanne asked.
Teddy chuckled. “Easy, we’ll take the uniform out from Lancer.”
“Who’s Lancer?” I asked.
“The dude in the bee costume,” Susanne and Teddy responded in unison like they couldn’t believe I was even asking.
“How do you even know that..?”
“I’m surprised you don’t,” said Teddy. “He’s always at every event in the school. He even went to a few of our meets.”
“Still don’t know—”
“Anyway, we’ll snatch it away from it.”
“Will it be that easy?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “Yeah, well, not for you. To me he’s a skinny little tart, but he is bigger than you.” I stared at him in silence. “I’ll take care of it, Clarence.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“You don’t like?” he teased.
I couldn’t help but to laugh. “It’s not that, it just sounds weird in your mouth.”
“Anyway, focus,” Susanne warned. “So, after you ‘snatch it’ away from him, then what?”
“We proceed to the final step.”
“And that is…?” I asked.
Susanne scoffed. “Show the video, C.J. Keep up.”
“Alright, alright, I just wanted to be sure. So we play it and then…?”
“No, wait. C.J.’s right, we need to ma—”
I interrupted Teddy. “I can’t believe you just said I’m right.”
“Anyway.” Susanne just look adorable when she got irritated.
“Yeah, anyway. Maybe it’s best if Susanne plays the video,” Ted said.
“Why me?” Susanne asked him, her eyes wide behind her thumb-sized glasses.
“You’re less likely to screw it up.”
“Hey!” I paused. “Well, yeah, still wanted to wear the uniform…”
“You’re such a geek,” he muttered.
Susanne held her hand out, seeking attention from us. “Maybe you still can…,” she said, looking at me. “How about we use you as a distraction? Can you be the one to seek Éirin out?”
“Meaning…”
“Meaning that while disguised as the…mascot thing…you pull Éirin in the middle of the field as the video plays in the background and simply leave her there while I work with projecting the video and Ted here makes sure everything runs smoothly…”
“About that, where are we going to play it? It’s a field,” Teddy pointed out.
“You let me worry about that,” Susanne told him, and then she faced both of us. “Sounds like a plan?”
“I think it’s excellent,” Ted responded. “We have to be really careful, though. Nobody can know about this or who did it when the video plays.”
“Alright,” said Susanne.
After a couple of silent minutes, they both stared at me, probably wondering if I had gotten any of it.
I nodded. “Yeah. Friday at the game?”
“Friday,” said Susanne.
“Friday at the game,” Ted confirmed.
I got up, taking the video camera and my backpack. “And tomorrow, I’ll talk the principal.”
Susanne followed me, standing up and fixing the plaid skirt she had on. “I think Teddy and I should leave you to do it alone and quickly before anyone sees us…” She gestured for Teddy with her sight, he nodded.
“Alright, sounds fair,” Ted said. He grabbed his backpack and walked away quickly.
Susanne was about to do the same, but I reached for her hand and pulled her into a small kiss. Her eyes widened with surprise at first, but then relaxed as her cheeks turned slightly pink. “Good luck,” she whispered.
“Thanks.”
Teddy cleared his throat. “Well, at least it’s something. I don’t know how much of it we can use. Actually, I don’t think any of her ‘secrets’ may be worth showing the rest of the world. I do know her weakness, her virtues—I know Éirin is actually very insecure. That’s why she has to look perfect at all times. She’s very protective of her stuff, very materialistic, she’s selfish at times—willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants.” And I knew very well that part. “She’s even terrified of squirrels, but yeah, image we pick that fact as our plot—what are we going to do with it? Show her freaking out over a squirrel. It’s go—”
“It’s going to look childish, you’re right,” she said.
“Exactly and our main priority is to expose her for what she did,” Teddy told her truthfully.
“Well, not exactly,” I chimed in.
“What do you mean? I thought what you wanted was to clear the air,” Teddy asked me.
“Yeah, but it’s only to get back at Éirin for treating me badly and for The Hive itself to reconsider their actions—that’s why hit Éirin as our main target, because she’s their leader and because she plans almost everything.”
“I got it!” Susanne yelled.
“What?” Teddy and I asked in unison.
“Make her say it on tape. Make her admit the ‘real’ story or whatever. Make her admit that she took advantage of you.”
“But she didn’t take advantage of me,” I told her.
“Then, what?” she asked.
“I don’t know, Susanne. I just think she needs a change of heart.”
“She will have one after this, trust me,” Teddy assured.
“Fine, I’ll try that,” I finally said. I give up. Sure I wanted Éirin to suffer somehow, but at what cost? I was, in a weird kind of way becoming a bully myself.
They didn’t seem to mind, though.
“You’ll try now.”
“Now? But almost everyone is already home.” My eyes searched for the clock in the hallway: 3:17pm.
“The Hive is always wandering around in the school’s parking lot,” Ted reminded me. “I’m sure you of all people should know that.” He paused and pursed his lips. Then he reached for his backpack and out of it came a tiny video camera. “Hide it well; don’t break it—I bought it yesterday actually.”
I nodded.
“Anyway, remember what we just discussed. Make it right to the point,” he said. “You’ll bring it at the game on Friday. In the time being, keep it safe in your home and if you can, edit out the parts we don’t need. I think I have a plan for what to do exactly at the game.”
“What will that be, exactly?” Susanne asked Teddy.
“School mascot,” was his only response.
What? “You mean dress up as that enormous bee during the game?”
“Yeah, dumb-ass, what’d you think? I’m not going to do it!”
“How are we going to do that?” Susanne asked.
Teddy chuckled. “Easy, we’ll take the uniform out from Lancer.”
“Who’s Lancer?” I asked.
“The dude in the bee costume,” Susanne and Teddy responded in unison like they couldn’t believe I was even asking.
“How do you even know that..?”
“I’m surprised you don’t,” said Teddy. “He’s always at every event in the school. He even went to a few of our meets.”
“Still don’t know—”
“Anyway, we’ll snatch it away from it.”
“Will it be that easy?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “Yeah, well, not for you. To me he’s a skinny little tart, but he is bigger than you.” I stared at him in silence. “I’ll take care of it, Clarence.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“You don’t like?” he teased.
I couldn’t help but to laugh. “It’s not that, it just sounds weird in your mouth.”
“Anyway, focus,” Susanne warned. “So, after you ‘snatch it’ away from him, then what?”
“We proceed to the final step.”
“And that is…?” I asked.
Susanne scoffed. “Show the video, C.J. Keep up.”
“Alright, alright, I just wanted to be sure. So we play it and then…?”
“No, wait. C.J.’s right, we need to ma—”
I interrupted Teddy. “I can’t believe you just said I’m right.”
“Anyway.” Susanne just look adorable when she got irritated.
“Yeah, anyway. Maybe it’s best if Susanne plays the video,” Ted said.
“Why me?” Susanne asked him, her eyes wide behind her thumb-sized glasses.
“You’re less likely to screw it up.”
“Hey!” I paused. “Well, yeah, still wanted to wear the uniform…”
“You’re such a geek,” he muttered.
Susanne held her hand out, seeking attention from us. “Maybe you still can…,” she said, looking at me. “How about we use you as a distraction? Can you be the one to seek Éirin out?”
“Meaning…”
“Meaning that while disguised as the…mascot thing…you pull Éirin in the middle of the field as the video plays in the background and simply leave her there while I work with projecting the video and Ted here makes sure everything runs smoothly…”
“About that, where are we going to play it? It’s a field,” Teddy pointed out.
“You let me worry about that,” Susanne told him, and then she faced both of us. “Sounds like a plan?”
“I think it’s excellent,” Ted responded. “We have to be really careful, though. Nobody can know about this or who did it when the video plays.”
“Alright,” said Susanne.
After a couple of silent minutes, they both stared at me, probably wondering if I had gotten any of it.
I nodded. “Yeah. Friday at the game?”
“Friday,” said Susanne.
“Friday at the game,” Ted confirmed.
I got up, taking the video camera and my backpack. “And tomorrow, I’ll talk the principal.”
Susanne followed me, standing up and fixing the plaid skirt she had on. “I think Teddy and I should leave you to do it alone and quickly before anyone sees us…” She gestured for Teddy with her sight, he nodded.
“Alright, sounds fair,” Ted said. He grabbed his backpack and walked away quickly.
Susanne was about to do the same, but I reached for her hand and pulled her into a small kiss. Her eyes widened with surprise at first, but then relaxed as her cheeks turned slightly pink. “Good luck,” she whispered.
“Thanks.”