"What the hell do you mean?" Soren asked, why on earth would they hide this?"
"Don't you see? We might have a chance to get out, into the real world, we're all far too unprepared for that. Remember when I said manipulation? Well, for now I think we might have to lie, for the sake of everyone. We tell them we're still working on a way to get out and prepare them, ask for volunteers to learn about medical stuff and get jacked up and strong so we can defend each other. I dont want us to underestimate the real world, so we need to prepare ourselves and we can use Dante and the girls as an excuse."
"I see where you're going with this, but wouldn't it be better to just tell the truth?" Soren asked, gently taking Mia's hand and squeezing it, "No, then they're going to rush and panic and mess up." Mia intertwined their fingers, she didn't know what to do, but she knew what she couldn't do. And that's cause chaos, and if PaperCut found out that they knew about the door then they're fucked. So they went back quietly and ended up staying awake the whole night, they were both just so caught up in everything.
So as the sun rose in the morning, Mia's heart was pounding in her chest, nervous was an understatement statement as she walked into the cafeteria, Soren looked at her and gave her a nod of approval. Mia inhaled deeply and sat down, writing on a peace of paper, 'Do you want to leave?', with two columns with one yes and one no, she then wrote on the other side, 'Write down your names on the columns you've chosen, then pass it along.' And got up, and walked towards the door, slipping the note to the first person in the cafeteria so the guards wouldn't see, however soon they simply left having done their jobs for the day, and Mia watched as the people in the cafeteria whispered among themselves. She turned towards the window as Soren approached her, "Do you really think 'pass the note' was a good idea?" He asked her, watching the thunder rumbling outside, causing the kids to pretty much be stuck in the cafeteria all day, as most days goes for them.
"Look around, friends among friends, different groups of people huddled together, they can discuss it as multiple small groups and decide as a team. Making sure no one is left out and everybody has a say in this."
"Yes, but what happens if they decide as a group they want to stay?" Soren asked, he didn't mean to constantly contradict and question Mia's plan, but everytime she does something without explaining her reasoning it makes her look like a madman, and Soren was worried she might not have what it takes to lead this whole operation.
"They wont, and if they do we simply leave them behind. In a case where more want to stay then leave, we'll simply form a party and leave on our own." Mia looked back at the cafeteria, the note traveling between tables quickly as the kids seemed to get stirred up.
And she was drastically wrong as the note reached the last table, still being by the window at the door, near that same very last table as Jonah handed her the note.
She looked past everybody at the foodcourt, being passed breakfast already the lady had left, giving her the freedom to speak openly.
"I'm going to read the names on the list who said no, and I'd like you to explain exactly why Okey?" She looked at everyone, and she had their full attention, "Celestial, Andrew, Ariana, Adam and Arisaka, why are you all A's?" Mia chuckled at the last sentence, realising only one persons name didn't start with an A.
"We need to fucking find our friends." Andrew suddenly exclaimed, and those who had their names on the no list all agreed from different tables that's why they said no, "We can't leave without them." Ariana said, and Mia quickly quieted them.
"And we don't plan to, we're not planning an escape party tonight, that's a suicide mission, if you'll all please listen to what i have to say and we can go from there Okey?" Mia wanted to make sure she wasn't being a dictator, or overly controlling so she listened to everyone's opinions carefully and made sure to put them into perspective, "Why exactly do you get the leadership if you don't mind me asking?" Yoshiba asked, crossing his arms, "I don't, I simply came up with a plan and somebody needs to fucking say it, but anybody is free to speak if they have an objection, and anyone can take over I'm simply right now the voice. Later on I think it'll be a good idea to vote for a-a council, of sorts. But for now hear me out Okey?" Everyone remained silent and gave her the stage.
"Okey, so, as we all know, Dante, Angel, Snow and Eden went missing a few nights ago, and it brought to light how much danger we actually are in, for years, and years we've simply accepted that this is our lives and that we're never gonna see our parents again. And we probably won't, but we clearly don't know how far these scientists are willing to go. So I've made a plan, but first let's talk about what'll happen out there. We leave, we make it to some kind of city, we get hurt and no one knows what to do and we die, or we don't know laws and get arrested. So, part of my plan insists of volunteers learning as much as they possibly can, we need doctors we need lawyers we need fucking veterinary's, anything will be helpful but we do not want to be caught up in the real world knowing absolutely dick about it. Next, this may seem shallow and a little sexist, but we will probably also be in danger, of anything really, so I'd also like to ask a few boys to pump up your workouts and get a little jacked so you can protect your lady friends, and girls prove me wrong when I say woman are useless," Mia joked at the last bit, everyone knew what she meant and didn't take offense to it, "And next, the council actually, we need to try and figure out a plan to get out of here. So, I'll put a peace of paper on the wall and anyone who wants to join write their names up Okey? And later on we'll vote who desperately needs to be kicked incase a chronic moron decides they want to make big decisions. And how this council will work is that we all get together and brianstorm, and put our suggestion in the circle and hopefully we can find some peace between them, and then everyone else will vote and put in their own suggestions. I really do want every single one of you to feel completely sound and safe and heard, I don't want to put up a dictatorship I simply want some smart people thinking of ideas and letting the rest fight it out basically. And after I'm done here we can honestly do absolutely anything, if any of you have ideas please don't be shy to come forward we need all the help we can get and I hope that no matter if you tell me to fuck off the stage you'll still keep that sense of unity, Okey? I don't want just one person or group of people controlling everything because that will fail hard and I think we all know that. So, any ideas? Anything you want to ad?"
"I think it's a great idea, however, I think it's just that, an idea. We need set groups of people doing different things, for example studying and figuring out how to leave this place. So that no ones doing a million things at once and they get burned out." Isaac stood up and walked towards Mia while talking, crossing his arms and speaking with not confidence, but more a matter-of-fact, and Mia quickly agreed, "Yes, yes that's- actually exactly what I said but a great way to put it, and also a great example, I think we- can we get a notebook around the cafeteria? Get everyone's thoughts?" She turned to Isaac, a plead of help in her eyes as he nodded, "Great, make sure to leave your names so we know who to talk to." If Mia was being honest with herself, she really hoped that Isaac would take over. Shes not a leader, she's simply the brains, and she hated the spotlight that so many people were not only staring down her every move, but also looking at her with a gleam of hope in their eyes. The depended on her, and she didn't want to be the one in fame incase it blew up in their faces.
"I think we wait out winter, it's cold and constantly raining, if we go out there now we'll die out by the time spring roles in." Atari offered, and a few people nodded their heads and agreed with her statement, "We don't want to wait any longer, and I'm sure as we speak a lot of us are in pain from the experiments, but we don't want to rush and end up hurting ourselves even more." Amari said, agreeing with her friend, and many more.
"Okey, Okey, we see your plan, it's good, it really is, but how do you plan to go threw with it?"
"How do we not get caught?"
"What if we do get caught?"
Everyone started questioning, they didn't want to refuse, but they had worries and they were scared like any teenagers would be.
"Well, for starters no matter how alone you think you are, don't talk about this, Okey? And any notes passed around, destroy them." Soren said, smiling almost menacingly at 'Destroy them', and made eye contact with Jamie across from, "How are you involved with this? Mia, he's a nitwit." Chicago spoke up, "He might not be all of our favourites but he helped me, I think he could be a valuable aspect." Mia said, putting her hand Infront of Sorens chest as if to protect him from the hate, Soren stepped back, "Nah, yalls don't trust me. I'd rather step off the stage and let her highness take control."
"N-no Soren, Soren, he didn't mean it like that-" Mia tried desperately to keep him by her side, he was one of the main aspects giving her enough confidence for this, with him stepping down figuratively and walking away literally, she had no stance and felt like she had lost her mic.
She stared into the crowd of kids, she could feel her heart booming in her chest, she could feel her breathe hitching and getting caught in her throat. She had all eyes on her, she could feel her legs backing away slowly, she could feel herself about to run away, but soon felt Sages warm hand on hers, "You're doing good Mia..." He whispered to her, standing up tall and showed confidence he didn't even have himself, "We'll find ways to get them back, maybe hide in the bathrooms until the choosings and sneak out to find them, but for now all we can do is wait and don't act suspiciously."
Mia nodded and looked up at him, "We've never tried anything like this before, but I suppose we never had a reason to.. but I promise you we will try our absolute hardest to find a way out of this place."
"What happens if they killed them?" Adam asked, and everyone immediately started going crazy, asking questions they knew couldn't be answered, getting angry, becoming scared. They hadn't really thought about that yet and always somewhat assumed that PaperCut needed them alive in order to get what they want and Mia had no way of telling them it was true without outing her and Sorens little secrets meaning she had no way of calming their scared minds.
"Calm down, you idiots, if they wanted us dead they would've done it years ago. They need us, why else are we here?" Soren said, trying to calm them without outing anyone, "They have 61 of us, will it really matter to them if just a few goes missing? They need us, but what makes you think they need all of us alive? They could be studying their dead bodies this very moment." Harper added onto Adams theory, nearly getting slapped by August as everyone continued panicking.
"We don't know that! It helps no one to panic, I'm sure we'll find them we just need to-" Mia tried her hardest to think of something, but constantly being interrupted didn't help, "We need to what?! What happens if we do sneak out and find them? How will we bring them back without PaperCut knowing!"
"Yea! How will we avoid punishment?"
"They'll probably just take them again."
"Or they'll take someone else."
"And probably do worse things because they're angry."
Mia tried and tried all her might, but she couldn't deny they all made good points, she felt her breathe once again getting stuck deep inside of her throat and found it difficult to catch any oxygen, she felt her world begin to spin. And voices slowly drowned out as she felt her stomach twisting inside of her. She eventually fell onto her left leg and trembled as she made her way to the door, she fell against the wall of the bathroom, not being able to make it in time as she bend her back forward, feeling the burning in her throat before she puked out the little she had in her stomach. She'd barely eaten for days and it all consisted of water, causing her insides to burn even more as she felt like her own organs were about to come out.
"What the fuck did you get yourself into..."