2:18pm

They're all uuuhhhhhhh younger kids in this OneShot

Like...year five? Which is grade four or something in America

They're nine so like - Logan's ten just because

Au
—

Patton nervously walked down the hallway covered with children's art, eyes glued onto the dark green door at the end. The door connected to the art room, the art room his particular class worked in during their art lessons. Every single student in the school hated this art teacher, from how she treats kids, and how scary she is when she's mad. Patton didn't know why she got so angry over small things, but it always made him jittery when he had to go to her.

Luckily, it was lunch, so he wasn't late for her class or anything, he accidentally left his water bottle on his table, and needed to gather it before the end of the day. Knowing on Tuesdays she leaves before last lesson, Patton only had now to get it. His friends would've joined but the teachers wouldn't allow them inside unless they had a reason, like Patton. In the end, they shared hugs and whispers of 'good luck's before letting Patton go on his way.

Once his small frame stood before the door, he lifted his hand to knock, only then noticing the door was cracked open agar. He couldn't help but peer in, spotting the teacher holding a large piece of paper in her hands, eyes gazing over the work. Patton could see the work from where he stood, and he knew it to be his friend's work, Virgil's. He worked so hard on it, and for weeks, too, he hoped the teacher liked it!

"How can a nine year old create that?" Patton heard a voice he didn't recognise. Pushing the door open more, he caught a glimpse of someone he didn't recognise, but she was obviously friends with the teacher who shrugged and placed the art onto the table.

"Y'know, that could be your rebound art" the stranger commented, sipping her drink slowly. The teacher tilted her head in contemplation, glancing up at her friend mischievously. "No one would believe a child" the teacher added in, spitting the world 'child' like it was a curse.

"It's yours, then, just change it up a bit, improve it, add your name, boom. A kid won't care, all they are are whining babies until puberty hits"

Patton gasped as he understood what was happening. Twirling on his feet, he silently rushed down the corridor, pushing through the front doors to get outside. He spotted his friends group down the staircase and leaning against the wall, talking amongst themselves happily. Instantly, Patton darted over, panting and waving his hands around wildly.

"What's wrong, Pat?" Roman, the tallest one, spoke up, eyes filled with curiosity. "Miss. Love is stealing your art, Virgie!" He exclaimed, "she said she would take it as her own! We have to stop her!"

"How could we do that?" Logan piped up, pushing his glasses up his nose. Beside him, Virgil tensed a little, knowing what art piece Patton was talking about. Every time he drew on it in lesson, Miss. Love would watch over him carefully, as if he would do something wrong, but it was his work, and with his hatred towards her for insulting Patton in a lesson one time, he would not allow her to do anything with what's his.

"Tell a teacher?" Roman suggested, eyes narrowed.

"They won't believe us!" Virgil hissed in response, "we're just kids.." he added, a little more solemnly this time. Logan turned his head to the left, down the playground he could see the group of kids swarmed around Ben. He was the richest boy in the school, and always brought in a new piece of tech to show off. Low and behold, today they had a camera.

"Patton, Virgil, you stay here. Roman, you still have dirt on Ben?"

The student in question perked up and the two ran across the field. After some persuasion, mostly from Roman, they obtained his camera. They agreed Virgil and Roman should go inside while Patton and logan distracted the teacher, and distract they did. Patton tripped over his own feet purposely and cried loudly and harrowingly, making the teachers by the door rush over and see what the problem was, giving Roman and Virgil the perfect opportunity to slip inside.

Logan watched them go for a few seconds, giving Patton a thumbs up from behind the teachers. Instantly, he stopped crying and jumped up, dusting himself off. "All better!" He cheered, grabbing Logan's hand and skipping away.

Inside, Virgil and Roman stood outside Miss. Love's room, turning the camera on and pointing it inside.

"I can't wait for the show this Friday" Miss. Love commented with a grin, which was the first time the two students had seen her smile. "As soon as one of those old bastards see this artwork, they'll be in awe! I'll Virgil aside, tell them it's mine, and move up in the world from this crappy shit hole" Virgil and Roman were glad she explained her whole plot, otherwise they would never have the proof. Sending each other grins, they stuck around for a bit longer, recording their entire conversation that held curses, plot plans, and enough evidence they would need to get her fired.

They told Ben he'd have his camera back on Friday. He begrudgingly agreed when Roman sent him a glare.

On Friday, the school were having a show centred around art, and what the students had made. Whoever wins the competition gets a few vouchers, wine, a bunch of candy and sweets, plus their art being shown in the opening of a museum. Gosh, the head teacher didn't know how she managed that, but the judges who came in seemed as excited to bring kids into the artwork as she was for bringing their school this opportunity.

"It's time, come on" Logan motioned, he and Patton dashed across the room towards the teachers who stood in front of the computer that held a slide show on the projector. "We made something!" Patton piped up, holding the camera up to a teacher who smiled and grasped it from him delicately. "Can you play it? Please?" He begged, Logan looking hopeful, too. The two teachers shared glances and shrugged, saying they would. This made Patton and Logan jump in joy, watching as the teachers plugged it in and set it up.

Grabbing the microphone, they tapped it a few times, gaining everyone's attention. Kids, parents, teachers, and the art judges all glanced over, the room falling to silence. "Two students here, Patton and Logan-" the two waved when their names were called, "made this...-"

"Video!" Patton called for them, a few adults chuckling at his enthusiasm. "This video they would like to share" the teacher finished, flashing the boys a smile. Logan and Patton's parents came over in curiosity, tailed by Roman, Virgil, and their parents, too. They all eyed Virgil's work that was currently surrounded by many people, a few judges, and Miss. Love herself.

The four boys almost felt bad. Almost.

Grinning from ear to ear, their parents noticed, and knew something was up. A few sighed while others pinched the bridge of their noses, wondering what the costs would be after whatever they were about to show.

The board changed to the video, the still frame of Roman's face. Roman laughed in joy when he saw it, not really caring he didn't look entirely flattering. Pressing play, the video began.

"Is it on?" Virgil hissed quietly, Roman shrugged in response, the camera pointed to his face, he held one hand under his chin, puckered his lips and posed. In the background everyone heard Virgil groan, and a few people laughed. Roman and Virgil blushed, hiding between the legs of their parents who all found it very amusing.

"Point to them, idiot!" Virgil muttered quietly, Roman rolled his eyes, "so needy" he mouthed to the camera, then motioned it inside the classroom where it zoomed in on the teacher and the teacher's friend.

"I can't wait for the show this Friday" Miss. Love commented with a sly grin. Now that it wasn't something the adults suspected, their smiled faded into curious, intrigued frowns.

"As soon as one of those old bastards see this artwork, they'll be in awe! I'll Virgil aside, tell them it's mine, and move up in the world from this crappy shit hole" Gasps elicited through the crowds, and the teacher quickly paused the video before any more curses could be heard. The room fell to silence, the four boys slowly hid behind their parents who were all wide eyes. Until Roman's dad broke the silence, exclaiming how proud he was of his boy for outing the teacher. Although it earned a nudge in the gut from his wife, he just grinned and scooped Roman up, anyway.

Miss. Love was standing by the art work, eyes wide, jaw slacked, face flushed in dark red. The judges all stepped back from her, everyone's icy gaze turning to the teacher who dropped her wine glass and crossed the room hurriedly to the kids who all ducked out of her away.

"You'll never be a good artist" she hissed at Virgil. Just as she did, Virgil's mother gawked and glared, nudging her son behind her so she could go wild without hurting him. "You better be glad we're in a room full of impressionable kids" she growled lowly, "speak to my son like that again, and I won't have any quarrels ripping out those terrible extensions out and ruining that already batched breast job" she muttered quietly but threateningly. Virgil's dad stepped over, holding her forearm, but glared at the teacher either way. She huffed, twirled and left in a storm, yelling profanities before she couldn't be heard any longer.

"Did we...do something bad?" Patton whispered after a few beats of silence, tugging her mother's dress. She smiled and picked up her son, pecking his cheek gently. "Not at all, darling, you did the right thing, next time, though, maybe don't embarrass her so...publicly"

Patton giggled and beamed, nodding happily. "If it's not publicly what's the point?" Roman questioned from his dads arms. "Let's forget about her" Logan held Virgil's and and walked him across the room, people parting out the way for him as he went. Standing beside the artwork, Virgil realised what he was doing and blushed, turning his head and staring at his parents pleadingly. They quickly hurried over and held his hand tightly, smiling reassuringly.

"This is Virgil's" Logan gestured, talking to the art judges who were smiling once more. "I think he deserves to win"

"Maybe a bit biased, huh?" One judge teased. Logan cocked his head, "not at all" then, he crossed the room and jumped up on the stage, his parents watching with pride. "Everyone, I would like you to cheer if you think Virgil should win - I'll remind you he did get rid of the teacher you all hate"

Instantly, the room was echoing with cheers and screeches from the students who all emerged from behind their parents, waving their arms around crazily, all cheering Virgil on. At this point the boy was cuddled into his mother's chest, eyes clenched shut, the noise freaking him out.

With all that cheering, the teachers joined in, too, along with a few parents who equally disliked the art teacher as much as their kids.

In the end, she was fired, and Virgil stared at his art that was displayed in that museum, standing beside his friends who all hugged him, promising to always keep his artwork protected.

They all held that promise, especially now, years later, they all stood in a line, facing his artwork that was stolen only a week ago. With the chances of being shot and killed by the thieves high on their minds, they sent each other grins, drawing out their own weapons.

Admittedly, they all had a lot of fun that night.

—

3:07pm