"The following people come down to the office immediately please. Ryan Knot, Todd Nyger, Christoph Zinker, and Pharrel Wudby. Thank you."

        The crackle of the speaker signals the principal was done with his little announcement. Everybody in my class looks at each other with troubled glances, and soon the bell rang. I zoom out of there, and head immediately to the office, even though lunch is next and the cafeteria's in the opposite direction. My feet make squeaking sounds on the polished floor, and teachers glare at me as I run past them. When got near the office, I silently curse myself for bringing my books along as well.

        I awkwardly hold my books, and pressed my back along the office wall. The hallway I'm in has another perpindicular hallway next to it, so if anybody comes out of the office and turns down here, I'll just scurry to that other hallway, so no one will see me. I strain my ears to listen to the principal and the boys.

        I only know Ryan and Pharrel. They're both in my english class.

        "Boys, I heard there's some rumors about you dealing something in secret around my school. Care to explain?" I could imagine the accusing glare of Principal Joffard.

        Silence.

        Then, "Don't you know not to depend on rumors? I thought you knew better," mocks Ryan. It was Ryan. I know his voice.

        "Now listen here," growls Principal Joffard. I could imagine the way his salt and pepper eyebrows would scrunch together, and maybe his teeth are bared. "I just want to know if you have any Miracle Pills with you."

        My heart stops. Then goes again. The principal is probably just going to take the pills, then ban them forever, right? Then I won't have to worry about any disasters coming our way.

        "What's it to you?" sneers Ryan.

        Principal Joffard takes in a shaking breath. Probably to control his anger. "I am your principal, and you should respect me. I have an offer to give you."

        I raised my eyebrow. Offer?

        "What kind of offer?" puts in Pharrel. Time seemed to slow down as I wait for the principal's answer.

        "I want some of those pills. There's only one place where you can get them, and they're already sold out," says Principal Jofffard. "In return for three pills, I'll pull some strings in the district, and give you all A+s in every subject."

        I was horrified. The master of the school was a coward too. What will happen to the rest of us? I didn't hear the rest of the conversation, as I was too busy running away from them.

;

        "Yo, Angel! Where've you been?!" cried out Jack. "We've been waiting for you for fifteen minutes! That's half the lunch time!"

        "Sorry," I mutter, and sit down beside Warner. He has a concerned look on his face. The others had worry written all over their faces too but I didn't say a thing. I'll wait until Warner and I are alone, and then I'll talk. Warner will give me good advice.

        I could see the others give each other looks and shrug. They all dive into their lunches except for Sammi. I guess the cafeteria lunch was still too gross for her. Lunch ended way too soon, and I was stuck in science with Alfie. The teacher, Mr. Moore, pulled up the 3DEE and opened a file. The 3DEE is a machine that projects 3D images, and you can touch and slide object in the image.

        The file was a projectile of our city.

        "Today we start a new unit," says Mr. Moore. "I want to do something that relates to us. Does anyone know what this is?"

        Alfie raised his hand. Mr. Moore nodded in Alfie's direction.

        "Why, sir, that is a model of our city. Probably in a ratio of 1 to 20," Alfie says matter-of-factly.

        I honestly love Alfie, but his smartness just sometimes gets on my nerves.

        "Good, Mr. Yang. Bonus points for you for guessing the right ratio, too."

        "I didn't guess," whispers Alfie to me. I roll my eyes.

        "Of course you didn't."

        "Alright." Mr. Moore claps his hands. "Today we're going to talk about disease. Can anyone show me where the central hospital is?"

        8th period went like this, with Mr. Moore asking obvious questions and such. It got a whole lot more interesting when he talked about the research facility.

        "Beyond Our Knowledge, or BOK, is an advanced research facility located right here in New York. It holds the world's top notch scientists, and they are currently making cures for illnesses," says Mr. Moore. Suddenly a gleam of something dark flashed in his eyes. "It's also the place where Dr. Louis Cornwell made the pill."

        Everyone gasps. Even though the news of the pill got out only a week ago, everyone knows it now. Alfie shoots me a look. I must have gone pale.

        "They say NYC has the most supply of pills due to the fact the recipe is right there in Dr. Cornwell's office space." Mr. Moore points to the research facility.

        I hate it I hate it I hate it. All this talk about the pill. If they're going to talk about the pill, at least talk about how to get rid of it. Science sucked.

;

        "I think Mr. Moore is crazy," says Alfie when we exit the class. We're going to the buses now. "Did you see how he was all 'pill this' and 'pill that'? I'm pretty sure the whole school is obsessed, even though none of us admits it."

        We arrived at the front of the school, and the others were waiting for us.

        "What did Mr. Moore say in science?" I ask them.

        "Oh, stuff about the pill," says Chester, acting bored. "I don't get it. Why can't anyone embrace the fact of dying?"

        "Yeah," put in Katie. "It's harming nature. Dying is natural. If we don't die...then we destroyed everything. Made everything man-made."

        She's an enviromentalist. You can tell too. Katie has long and wavy brown hair, and leaf green eyes.

        "Do you guys want to make a promise?" I say. They all look at me.

        "Well?" says Warner.

        "Let's promise to never take the pill."

        They all look at each other. None of them has doubt in their eyes.

        "Agreed."

        "Besides," Sammi says. "Being alive forever was totally a hundred years ago."

        We all laughed. Alfie had to go; his mother was picking him up. We all watch as his brown-blonde haired head enter his car. His hazel eyes crinkle at the edges when he smiles at us. Alfie's mom is French, with blonde hair and blue eyes. His dad is chinese.

        "I gotta go too," says Jack. "Laters."

        Warner ruffles Jack's tight black curls and Jack glares at him. He leaves. Which leaves Warner, Sammi, Chester, Katie and I. We all walk back to the neighborhood together.

        The pill was finally out of my mind for now.