User blog:Addfire/Everyday Life in an Everyday World (5)

Chapter 5 – Sales Pitch

Edwin was about to burst with excitement. Today had so many things going on that were just... that were so new and so fresh and he still couldn't get over the fact that he, Edwin Dolofonia, had managed to get into Regus' Institution For Young Souls, and not only had that happened but he had also managed to befriend Magu Ludus. So Edwin was living in high cotton.

Not only was Edwin in Regus' institution, not only was Edwin best friends with Magu Ludus who was going places and who was going to take Edwin places, and not only had a new kid come into the school who Edwin could also befriend, but today was the day of the Club Fair!

The math class ended, and Magu and Edwin got up together and forced their way through the horde of students trying to get to the door. When they appeared on the other side, Archie was with them. He looked a little surprised, but Edwin was pretty sure Archie was just playing off his admiration for Magu.

Edwin grabbed Archie by the elbow. "Hey, come on! Today's the day of the Club Fair!"

Magu touched his hand lightly to Edwin's shoulder, and Edwin immediately let go of Archie. Magu stepped in front of Edwin and looked him up and down. "Kathigitis, huh?"

"Archie, if that's fine with you."

Magu gave a little snort. "What, like the comic character? Clever."

"No, I just don't like the name Archibald."

"So he can come with, right?" Edwin asked.

"One moment. Word on the street is that you're interested in debating," Magu said.

"Yeah. I was in the debate club back at my old school."

Magu scratched his chin. "You don't have an iota of care about joining the Student Council?"

"I wasn't aware that was an option?"

"Say no," Magu ordered.

"No?"

Magu grinned. "Yeah, you can come with. Now, I'm the only one out of the three of us who've gone to this school before, Edwin joined the school at the very start of this year. What's coming up is perhaps the most important part of every school year. It's called the Club Fair, and, Archie, it will determine the entirety of your future in this school."

The three began to walk and talk at the same time.

"That can't be right," Archie said. "What if I pick, I don't know, sewing club one year and frisbee club the next?"

Edwin chuckled a little at that. He didn't know as much as Magu, he admitted, but that was such a naive question that it was almost funny. "Well, if you really want to be important, there are only four different options you can pick. The Rugby, Drama, or Debate club."

Archie tilted his head to one side. "Those are only three options."

"Yes, well the fourth option is joining the Student Council. Surely you've seen Zachary or Crysha? Vice President and President of the Student Council, respectively. Josh is the treasurer. The Vez is the Secretary."

Edwin knew most of that except for the Vez being Secretary.

"Why can't I join Student Council?" Asked Archie.

"Doesn't matter. You're joining the Debate club, right? Be a good fit for you. You make people listen to you, Mr. Kathigitis."

"Magu only gives the people who he thinks are really valuable jobs. For me, I'm going to be joining the Drama club." Edwin said, seeing an unsure expression on Archie's face and trying to reassure him.

"So who joins the Rugby club?" Asked Archie.

Magu just grinned.

The three made it to a large room. It contained maybe thirty different stalls, each boasting a different club, but the four largest advertised the Drama, Debate, and Rugby clubs, as well as the Student Council.

The Drama club's stall had a banner hanging from it with a hand-painted tragedy and comedy mask. But the main attraction was an elaborate sword fighting match going on. Two fighters, one male with a fox mask and one female with a goat mask, parried, slashed at, and dodged their opponent. A crowd had gathered around the fight, and a girl commentated over the match. Edwin recognized the voice of the commentator as Liz.

The Debate club's stall was more austere, but a mock trial was going on in front of it, with Abe and David having what pretty much amounted to a verbal sparring match. Abe was acting as a criminal defense lawyer, and David the prosecutor. Edwin paused for a moment to listen to the two find flaw after flaw in the other's argument. The crowd around the club were already talking excitedly about who they thought would win.

The Rugby club's stall was very elaborate. They had built a platform out of trophies where Fenris performed feat after feat. He would get on his hands and juggle the ball with his feet, and then throw the ball into a ricocheting pattern so that after a few moments it bounced back into his hand, and then did a backflip...

The Student Council's stall was simplest but took center stage. The Vez, Josh, Zachary, and Crysha all stood just outside the stand, waiting for people to ask to join.

Archie had already gotten entranced by the Debate club's argument. Edwin watched in a strange sort of pride as Archie jostled his way into the debate and began systematically disproving Abe's argument.

Magu smiled with relief now that Archie had left, and handed Edwin a string. Edwin recalled what had happened last night. The two had been standing in the hallway of the Freshman West Wing.

"But does Fenris deserve it?" Edwin had asked.

"We need the Rugby team gone. He crossed us, just like Tokumei did. Of course he does."

Edwin saw Ava, Liz, and the person who he would learn was called Archie walking up to them. "Magu," he hissed, and Magu whirled around, a smile plastered on his face.

"Hey, who's this?"

Edwin jolted back to the here and now. Magu had run off somewhere, and soon he would give some sort of- a glinting! Magu!

Edwin yanked sharply on the string, which was connected to the platform made by the Rugby team. The platform collapsed, sending Fenris crashing to the ground in a shower of plastic and metal. Edwin heard two different bones snap.

At immediately the same time, the Student Council's stall burst into flame. A remote-controlled incendiary that Magu had stolen from Tokumei.

Magu crashed through the crowd, with a megaphone in hand. "Attack on the Student Council!" he blared. "Evacuate immediately!"

Edwin heard Rex scream.

Everything went to shit.

I never once said I was stopping this, did I? No, I didn't! It was YOU who was unfaithful, that's right. How does that make YOU feel, huh?

Also, I need a few more characters, as it turns out. If you aren't in this and want to be, just say so in the comments.