groovygamers.com

Colin shared some information about the girl who lost her diary to boys with little in the way of manners.  Paula Rogers was nice, but a little big.  She took a lot of teasing for it too.  A Junior, she had a few friends and wasn't a total recluse, but the loss of her diary had put her emotions in a knot.  She regretted bringing it to school, and even more dropping it.  Before she could grab it someone else did.  Ben Milner.  Milner had a half dozen friends, and they took more than their fair share of delight at bothering people.

OOC: What grade are Milner and his friends? Do I take it from that last sentence that they have a rep for being that sort of a-holes?

OOC: Juniors.  They do have a rep.  Nothing violent, but just pains in the arse.

Once the group obtains the information, Alicia confers with her partners-in-crime-foiling.

"I figure Colin or Sylvia are better at talking to Paula and helping her out. I'll have a chat with Ben and his buddies."

She cuts off any impending objection. "And no, I'm not going to beat them up."

She grins. "Unless they ask real nicely."

The Suspects are a well-oiled machine by spring.  Dealing with a bunch of bullies is child's play--so easy that Sylvia has to remind herself constantly to use a light touch.  She goes browsing through Ben Milner's head like he's hooked up to Google.

One, where's the diary?

Two, what's he going to do with it, or what has he already done?

Three, what is Ben Milner's deepest, darkest, most embarrassing secret?  If Sylvia's lucky, Milner's big secret is his passionate, abiding crush on Paula.  And even if she's not, it might soon be.


Sylvia has other ideas.  "Colin's good with touchy-feely.  I'll juice the boys for intel."

"I dunno."  Sammy squirms uncomfortably.  "Yes, get the diary back, but don't you think anonymously would be best?  We don't want to make things worse for her.  She's already embarrassed and upset.  More attention, even if its well meant...  I don't know."

Sylvia nods to back up Sammy's idea.  She knows Alicia's dying to play Bogey, but there are easier ways.

"And what do we do next time the boys decide to have fun at some other kid's expense? Shake our heads sadly and comment on the poor state of our nation's youth? Bah!" Alicia scoffs.

"Ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. Dickheads like that do what they do 'cause they figure they can get away with it. All I'm saying is letting them know they're not going to. Especially if they try again."

She frowns darkly, "Paula's already paid the price. Scales need to be balanced."

In his locker, stuffed inside a pair of gym shorts that are long over due for the laundry.


He plans on reading it out loud to his buddies when they go out behind the auto shop to smoke a joint.


He's afraid he's gay.  He gets excited by naked girl pictures, but also has to deal with uncomfortable arousal patterns in gym class.  It's why he stopped going.  He's letting his PE grade fail to avoid being caught with an erection in the locker room.

[I'm going to pretend Sylvia's already done her reconnaissance 'cause it'd just be silly to pretend otherwise.]

Sylvia gives Alicia a look like the cat girl has lost her mind.  "Okay.  You sound like they tried to kill somebody.  They're a bunch of goobers, sure, but I'll be happier if we can come up with a solution that doesn't traumatize anybody.  They could be decent guys someday.  They just haven't realized that it's not junior high anymore."

She pauses, and bing, just like that, she comes back with the answers she wanted.  "Can you crack a Master Lock?"

Sammy nods.  "Yes.  This isn't a hanging offense, just general idiocy.  Get the diary back, and don't leave any clues about how it disappeared.  It'll just be gone.  Let them wonder.  That's message enough."

"Ask Paula how trivial it is," mutters Alicia mulishly. "Besides, I told'cha. I'm not planning to wipe the floor with them, just talk to them and make 'em aware there are consequences to asshattery."


Curling her lip, she concedes grudgingly, "Fine. We'll just wait 'til they do something really destructive, and hope the collateral damage's not too bad."


Alicia raises an eyebrow and snorts, "Is a bear Catholic?" She narrows her eyes. "You got a twenty on the diary, don't'cha?"

"But you mean to threaten them, right?  Be good or else?  Does that ever work?"  Sylvia has a gut feeling that thuggery begets thuggery.  "Give me a week, maybe two, to work with Milner.  If that doesn't work out, feel free to pound some sense into them."


"This ain't no criminal mastermind we're dealing with.  It's in his locker.  But before you go--"  Sylvia roots around in her bag and tosses Alicia something.  "--you're gonna need this."  It's a bottle of hand sanitizer.

Alicia shrugs. "Not that different from what the Powers That Be do. Be good or go to jail," she argues.

She nods at Sylvia's offer, though. "Deal."


Alicia easily catches the bottle and stares at it. "If it's that bad, you'll owe me," she deadpans.

It doesn't take long. Traffic on the hall between classes is nil, and Alicia barely makes a sound, except for a slight bit of gagging when the smell hits her.

OOC: Anything else interesting, perhaps even incriminating, in there?

She returns soon after, bearing the small book and a sour expression. "Pendejo. I swear I thought he was keeping a dead rat in there. You might want to Febreze that thing before you give it back to Paula," she adds, as she tosses the diary on the table.

The contents of his locker, aside from being high on the ick factor were dull.

Donnie catches up with the girls as they hose down the diary with Lysol. He shakes his head, smiling. "I swear, I should just hang up the super-hero hat. You three are too fragging good."

Sammy shakes her head and corrects him.  "Two.  It was Sylvia and Alicia.  I didn't do anything."

Alicia snorts. "All Sylvia did was gather the intel. I was the one who risked permanent cootie infestation by sticking my hand in that cabrón's locker."

She shudders theatrically. "Gonna give me nightmares."