Chapter Text
Prologue
From the far end of the street a car could be heard, coming closer and closer as the tires turned over the noisy gravel. The old battered thing came to a halt in front of the dark grey wall that surrounded the school, and the driver honked without mercy at the small group standing nearby.
“Amethyst!!!” Ruby covered her ears and groaned loudly while the purple haired driver laughed and popped a bubblegum bubble.
“What’s wrong, Ruby? Is my horn too awesome for you?”
“Ew.” Jenny Pizza, who was in the passenger’s seat, hit Amethyst with her purse. “That’s nasty!”
“Who said I meant it like that?” Amethyst jumped out of the car and walked towards the group, high-fiving Buck and Sour Cream. “Sup.”
The small gang had gone to the same school for years and knew each other well. They had all been born in the small suburbs of East Delmarva, nicknamed ‘East Delma’ by the population, and they had grown into tough, street-smart teenagers who feared nothing and got into the worst of trouble. Their school barely had a reputation and only the strongest of teachers were able to control the students there. Filling them with knowledge and sending them off to college seemed to be the least of their troubles; most teachers were just glad when the classes were over. The students hardly paid any attention and defied the authority, which got them into detention most of the schoolweek and sometimes even on Saturdays. There was no knowing how the kids would react the following day so the teachers didn’t bother talking to them about their possible problems; they just limited themselves to act like generals and give strict orders, as they believed it was the only way to control them. There few teachers whose classes everyone loved and they didn’t have to shout for their attention. The students sighed for those classes during the week whilst they slept or created ruckus during the other ones.
“I hope we have gym today, so that we can sneak off and smoke some.” Sour Cream rummaged through his pocket. “I brought good stuff.”
“Don’t you even know the timetable?” Kiki Pizza, Jenny’s younger sister, pulled out her notebook and shoved it in front of Sour Cream’s nose. “Or are you too stoned to remember? No gym today, sunshine.”
“Oh.” Sour Cream seemed lost in his own thoughts.
“Kiki, please… we all know you’re the only one who keeps up.” Jenny groaned, pulling the rim of her shirt down. “I mean, come on! You were even placed up into our grade because you’re the only one who actually studies in this school…”
Kiki went red and looked away, making them laugh.
“Dear Kik.” Buck smiled. “The only reason we all manage to pass our tests is because you let us peek. I will remember that when I become a billionaire and place a statue of you in my enormous garden…”
Everyone laughed, including Kiki.
“Please!” Amethyst snorted. “You? A billionaire?”
“It could happen…”
But Buck’s attempts to defend himself were cut short by the gang moving inside the school yard and walking towards the entrance, along with the rest of their class. As they walked up the steps, Ruby paused.
“Ruby?” Kiki said, sternly. “What did you bring?”
“I… um… just my…” The small girl searched through her pockets, nervously.
“You better not have any of them kitchen knives on you.” Amethyst growled. “We all got detention ‘cause you made it look like we agreed on it.”
Ruby went red and started looking around nervously as the students streamed through the metal detector. The guard looked at her, suspiciously.
“Ruby.” He said. “Give them to me.”
Reluctantly, Ruby pulled out a pocket knife and handed it to the guard, ready to step through the detector.
“And the other one.” The guard went on.
The small teen growled and removed a shaving blade from her sock.
“If I get robbed, you’re paying for my losses.” She hissed, as she walked through the detector, all clean.
Amethyst and the others were waiting for her at the other end.
“Told you, idiot.” Kiki smiled. “Now let’s get to class before it gets too late.”
With a nod of agreement, the gang followed the youngest of the Pizza sisters through the hallway and up the mouldy stairs that led to their classroom. As they came in and took their usual seats at the back of the class, they noticed something was off.
Their usual teacher and mentor Vidalia was waiting next to her desk and beside her stood Principal Dewey and Vice Principal Maheswaran. They looked rather nervous and hardly seemed to notice the unruly students who sat before them. When everyone had finally calmed down, they snapped out of their small trance and Principal Dewey started speaking.
“My fellow students.” He said, pompously as always, but lacking the same energy he usually had. Amethyst and Jenny stared at each other, wondering what was wrong. “I come with news which you will find disturbing but I’m afraid we can’t do anything about it.”
“Are we broke?” Sadie, a small blonde girl in the front piped up.
“As a matter of fact, yes.” Principal Dewey muttered and the whole class looked at each other. “We can’t keep paying the rent, it’s too high. You see, these grounds belong to the Diamond Industries and we can’t keep up with their demands, so we’ve been offered a way out. The three chairmans will be working together on a new project: fixing this school up and turning it into an elite high school with a prestigious curriculum. It will become wonderful, I’m sure.”
The whole class was muttering and sudden shouts of protest went off.
“But wait!” Ronaldo, a bespectacled kid sitting in the front row with Sadie stood up and frowned. “Does this mean we’ll have to pay?”
“Yeah!” Lars, a thin boy on the other side stood up as well. “Will this school turn private or whatever?”
Dewey shared a concerned look with Vidalia and Vice Principal Maheswaran.
“I’m afraid so.” Vidalia stepped in, earning herself more shouts of protest. “There’s nothing we can do about it; we don’t control the money here… It’s just the way it is.”
The class was in an uproar. None of the teachers were able to control the outburst that news had provoked.
“They can’t do that!” Jenny said. “They can’t bring their rich asses in here and start doing as they please…”
“Actually, they can.” Sadie sighed.
“The school will give you time until the summer to arrange something.” Dewey went on, as the protests grew louder. “But in the meantime, work will be done, walls shall be painted, proper gyms and auditoriums will be built and the whole system will be changed under the Diamond’s wishes. You will be allowed to stay while this goes on and follow the classes until the year ends. You can even stay on if your family can afford it. You will also have the possibility to enter in a scholarship. But all that will be explained tomorrow in the Assembly Hall when the charimans themselves come here to explain.”
Amethyst shot a devastated look at Ruby as they both knew how terrifying this was. The gang would be split in schools all over the town and they would hardly see each other.
“What’s more.” Miss Maheswaran continued, checking her clipboard and clicking anxiously with her pen. “The children of the chairmans are assisting this school from tomorrow on, as their parents think it’s a good training for them. They will be able to observe the takeover by themselves.”
“Shit man, are we gonna have to share our school with pompous rich kids?” Lars brawled. “Flaunting their watches and Guccis and reminding us every day that we’re gonna get kicked out while they take golden showers?”
Everyone went quiet.
“Lars, golden showers aren’t the words you were looking for.” Sadie hissed after an uncomfortable silence.
“Gold. Showers of gold. You know what I mean.”
Amethyst snorted but the rest seemed too shocked by the overall news.
“Anyway.” Miss Maheswaran went on. “I want you to treat them with respect and don’t pull any of your usual stuff on them. If anything happens to those kids, their bodyguards will probably make you pay in a way that’s not legal in this state. So be warned.”
The class looked at her, skeptically. Sadie raised her hand.
“Yes?”
“Well…” She mumbled. “Are they coming in our grade?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact they are.” Vidalia answered. “The eldest daughters are the same age and the youngest has been put a grade up as she’s brilliant, apparently.”
“Oh great.” Jenny looked at her sister. “Another nerd.”
At that moment there was a knock on the door and two other students came in: a short sandy haired girl with thick glasses and a tall dark handsome lad who bore a nasty smirk on his face. They were carrying what seemed to be a pile of books.
“Ah, Peridot and Kevin.” Vidalia smiled. “I see you brought the new books.”
“New and shiny. Just like my car.” Kevin winked at the class and the gang groaned. He was one of the only ones whose family had a bit of cash and he had no trouble reminding them.
“I trust you have informed them already?” Dewey asked Vidalia. She nodded as she placed the new books on her desk.
“Yes, as Head Boy and Girl, they knew beforehand.” She mumbled. “Go have a seat.”
Kevin sat down with a smirk, the news seemed to have delighted him. Peridot slumped down in front of Amethyst who threw an eraser a her.
“Nerd!”
Peridot paid no attention and pulled a notebook out of her bag. Just like Kevin, she would probably be able to afford her stay at the school, so she decided to keep very quiet and hope everyone would ignore here like they usually did.
“I believe we are complete now…” Vidalia smiled. “Wait! Where is Jasper?”
Amethyst looked up.
“Her dad’s sick so she’s looking after the garage for him.”
Vidalia nodded. She often worried about her students and their hard lives, but the teachers weren’t better off. She hoped some of them would be allowed to stay when the new school started.
“Well, that’ll be all.” Dewey walked slowly towards the door, followed by Vice-Principal Maheswaran. “Just see that you are in the Assembly Hall tomorrow morning at eight.” And they left, leaving the class in a total state of disorder. Vidalia held up her hand to calm them down.
“Hey.” She said. “Hey.” They went quiet. “Look, I know this sounds like trouble… but I promise we’ll get through this, together. There’s not much we can do, but if we all work hard, we can get some of you on those scholarships and with some luck, they’ll even let this class finish all their years. You chose this school because it was public and they should respect that, so we’re gonna put up a fight. Don’t give up yet.”
The students nodded in agreement and a few deep sighs were heard.
“But mom.” Sour Cream, Vidalia’s son, looked up. “How do we treat the rich kids?”
Vidalia narrowed her eyes, trying to detect if her son was high again.
“Just be nice and respectful. Offer to help them. Don’t… just don’t act like you normally would towards new kids. Really. I’m begging you.”
“Okay Miss V.” Amethyst smiled. “We’ll try.”
“Oh you’re gonna do better than try.” Vidalia growled. “Everything’s at stake here. If we make a good impression, me might have a chance.”
“Fine.”
It was a dull day after that short moment of intense uproar. When it was finally over, the gang walked away, glancing back over their shoulders as they got into their respective cars.
“I’m gonna miss this place.” Amethyst muttered. “I mean, it ain’t much but it’s kinda like home… it’s not like we learn stuff or anything but…”
“Yeah.” Buck agreed. “I know.”
They drove away, mournfully, wondering what was waiting for them tomorrow. What would they get to hear at the Assembly? What would the rich kids be like? What on Earth would they be doing one year from now?
Amethyst arrived at her small house after dropping Jenny off and hunted for her charger in her messy room. She found it under an old pizza box and connected her phone so that she could send a text. She was going to tell Jasper the big news.