"Welcome to Debate Club."

"Debate Club?" I ask

The first boy, with curly black hair in a messy nest on his head and glinting eyes, stuck out his arm awkwardly and answered

"That's us. I'm Fawkes; nice to make your acquaintance." 

I reach out to shake his hand, then realizing it's sopping wet, I think better of it and just smile awkwardly.

"Hi, I'm Kat"

"So... Kat... I don't mean to be rude but what are you doing here? And what's wrong with your skirt?"

"Oh" I say turning beetroot red, grabbing the flaps of my skirt again "Um, well you kind of answered your own question there. Basically my skirt ripped up the back by accident and I didn't want the people coming to see so I escaped into the first room open. This one."

"Oh My Gosh! Honey, that's awful." The girl ran forward and embraced me in a tight hug.

"Um...."

Ignoring me she continued oblivious "Darling I'll fix you up, don't worry." 

The girl undid the homemade safety pin necklace from behind her head and proceeded to un-join the safety pins; bend down with her brow furrowed in concentration; and, without asking, connect the ripped seam of my skirt with them; twisting the slit to my side so it could actually be considered a fashion statement, rather than the hideous wardrobe malfunction it was.

"Thank you!" I gasped with relief "That actually looks... cool."

"Oh its nothing." She replied modestly, though she was grinning ear to ear "I want to be a fashion designer actually, you know, when I'm older."

"So, when you're rich and famous, who can I say fixed my skirt in senior year?"

"Oh, Mini Cooper!"

"What? Where?" I asked expecting to see a tiny car crashing through the side of the room.

"That's her name, estúpida." 

It was the boy with the umbrella and he hadn't even looked up from his notebook. Okay, okay I thought, no need to be like that.

"So what I do have the great honor of calling you then." I replied sourly, then brightening my tone and turning to Mini "That is a hella cool name."

The boy answered, now facing me, "I wouldn't waste your breath addressing me because I only answer when the question is intelligent enough to be worth my time."

"Oh shut it Amar," Fawkes interrupted "You really know how to make a good first impression don't you, dummkopf." He leaned over to me and stage whispered so everyone could hear very clearly "It's no wonder he's never had a girlfriend."

I stifle a giggle as Amar blushes and lowers his head. 

"Come on Langston, now you're the one being mean." The blonde jock joked

"Excuse me Caleb Cooper! It's not Langston, I told you: it's Fawkes- revolutionary extraordinaire." Sweeping his hand across the air in front of him as he proclaimed his new title.

"Forget trying to seem cool and edgy to the new kid Fawkes, whatever you call yourself you're still the rich white kid whose parents will pay for his entire life."

"One, you can talk: I've been to yours and Mini's mansion. Two," He said fake pouting and stamping his foot "I am cool!"

Mini jumps in between the two of them "Boys, boys, enough already! We get it: you both have massive egos! What I really want to talk about is Fawkes's new idea and, as Amar says it all checks out, when are we going to do it?"

"Uhhumm" I cough "What are you talking about?"

Mini and Fawkes exchange a look. 

"If you won't tell me then I'll have to leave and face bumping into the Kings, and looking at the dartboard over there, I think we share a mutually intense disliking for that particular group."

Mini nods slightly and Fawkes turns to me.

"Well, from here on out you are sworn to secrecy, but you seem trustworthy enough, and it appears you hate the Kings as much as we do so, if you're ready, you are about to become one of the very few people who know what 'Debate Club' actually is."

I take a seat on one of the desks and listen intently in answer.

"We started off as a regular Debate Club, but that just meant a room full of annoyingly opinionated people arguing with each other. So being the genius I am, I decided that instead of just talking about things we wanted done, we would actually do things that we thought supported worthy causes. And so the true Debating Society was created with me, the brilliant Fawkes, at the helm. Last year we chained ourselves to a centuries old oak tree they were threatening to fell to make room for the second infinity pool, we campaigned for healthier food in the canteen and at least one vegetarian meal per week, we demanded they replace at least one of the paintings of stuffy old men in the great dining hall with one of a stuffy old women, and we painted all the science department's cars pink when the head of department said, in a speech when informed females would be joining the school, that the quality of science work at the school would be diminished by the introduction of girls. That was Amar's idea by the way, so he's not all stupid."

I stare at him dumbfounded. "So what about the champagne and mints?"

"That's what you want to ask after that?" He chuckles "For now I'm keeping that as a surprise. Since we've tackled the environment, teen obesity, and gender equality already, we want to do something different this year. It's senior year and it's our last chance to do something that will change the shape of Hampton High forever, make people remember us. We are going to rid this school of the social parasite of Hampton's status quo that has been passed down from generation to generation, year to year, richest and prettiest to richest and prettiest." His face now turning deadly serious

"We are going to take down the Kings and their hierarchy. Once and for all."

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I'm SO SORRY I haven't updated in AGES but I hope you enjoyed that at least! More coming soon to make it up to you and as this leaves the story on a bit of a cliffhanger. If you liked any part of it have a quick vote and comment. I promise you, though it may mean hardly anything to you, it means so much to me! And read on there is MUCH more to come.

What does taking down the kings mean? What are the champagne and mints for? Should Kat have unwittingly joined into this secret society? Comment opinions ;)