SSALTW: Interception

     I walk into the gym looking at my file. SSA now kinda knew Summer as a person, her likes and dislikes, who she was spending time with, things of that nature, but we have not contacted her yet. Due to what happened in World War V, the Maverick ‘I like blonde girls,’ quote, and preceding investigation, the Liberty prep war against Nikka, ‘SSA’s Greatest Threat’ in 7^th grade, and h  the agency did not want to spark a war. However, we were sworn allies of GCAM, now GCAM-S with the S for Summer and the A for Amala and not Ava and Amala. The basketball team, someone please help them, was practicing while Jayla and Nadelie were talking to each other at the score table. I decide to take my chances and talk to GCAM-S who is at the top of the bleachers.

“Hi Geneva.” “Hi Ethan.” “Hey, Ethan, you haven’t said hi to Summer yet,” said Clarissa. “Oh, um, hi Summer, I’m Ethan.” “Hi, Ethan.” “Anyway, Geneva, I was thinking about the scavenger hunt, it will be a good FUNraiser for the students, but make sure to keep it a secret. I will try to get it approved in the next meeting.” Clarissa chimes in, “make sure to keep the clues hidden.” “Of course. I will be the only one with the clues. Anyway, welcome to the school Summer.” “Thanks.”

I move down the stairs and talk to Jeff and Jayla for a bit. GCAM-S move to the table adjacent to the weight room and I kinda hover around the area absorbing information. Summer is looking at her red iPhone 12 while Maria is scrolling Instagram reels on an iPad. Eventually, Summer has to go and Clarissa and Cody leave with her. Clarissa invites me and I decide to walk with them, usually I just open the door to let them in.

As I walk with them, I notice that we are heading toward a truck. Summer gets picked up and I say hi to the drivers, who are revealed to be her parents. I head back towards the school while Clarissa and Cody walk towards the football field. It’s a nice day and there is a nice forest behind the school. I get to the door and Kaia opens it for me. “Hii Ethan!! How are you!!” “Oh, I am fine thanks, I just got back from talking to Summer.” “Oh neat, she’s now right.” The basketball players then walk through the doors to go to the store across the street to get food.

“Kaia, I was thinking, we should go into business together.” “Really, what were you thinking, Ethan?” “Well, see the basketball players getting food? We could do that for them, essentially take deliveries for a profit.” “That’s a great idea.” “We can go in staggered times, and I will keep track of the finances on this spreadsheet.” I show my spreadsheet on my cellphone. “We would take the student's money and pay for it and take the change. We can then split the money.” “O,h that sounds great. We can do it for the next home basketball game.”

At today's home game, I am running the cameras, the ticket booth, and the concession stands. As always, the students try to steal the food but I do not let them try to scam me or the school. “No, you have to be 1 dollar and 25 cents…and who is that kid trying to take the candy, I see you!!” Shortly into the third quarter, don 60-20, I notice that Geneva, Clarissa, and Summer have all shown up for the game and are sitting in the stands. Then, shockingly, the Hawks score a basket and the crowd erupts into cheers. I pan my phone from the scoreboard to the crowd for a GNN news clip.

After the 77-27 loss, I ride home. The next day, I arrived to school. Typically the basketball team will ask to see their clips so I get my phone ready to show them. Then I think of ways to ‘spin’ this for the news. After this home game, GCA has a 3 game road stretch, so maybe we could combine those games and report on them as one. If we score 20 in each of the games then we scored 60 pts over 3 games…a win in GNN’s book. Speaking of GNN, we may have to switch to new hosts to levy sanctions against GCAM-S, for the lack of accomplishment of push during the meetings? Perhaps SSA should ally with jVN…

The day speeds by and lands us in an interesting Study Hall. The kids, as always are yapping, and I am trying to listen for key insights. Damien, star basketball player, who was on our radar as our next major rival, with his class interruptions and links to jVn, and SSA agent Kenny were sitting behind me while Jayla and Nadelie were sitting to the side of me. During our quiet-ish work time the topic turned as it always did, to girls and for some reason race. I pulled up CSM. @TheTechBoy “If you were the most powerful group of girls in the school with control of the media and access to the most powerful intel forces, what would you do?” I wait for the responses to roll in.

As Kenny ask’s me ridiculous questions that I spin out of masterfully, such as if I see race as a value and the like, I intercept key information. Damien starts whispering to the other basketball players about acquiring Summers's number. I launch into high gear and attempt to send a coded message to Jayla but she is busy. Finally, the bell rings and I race towards the locker rooms but after a quick decision head downstairs, waiting by GCAM’s table. Unfortunately, they are waiting upstairs.

My mind is racing to process this new information. According to crushnet, Nadelie and Damien have stopped dating. Jayla even wanted me to spy on Nadelie in the lunchroom when it happened to get conformations. SSA must stop this. According to SSA documentation, Summer does not want this and the agency needs to complete her file and backstory anyway. Finally, Jayla and Myla head down and I try to pass off this important information but….disaster strikes.