As school emerges from the post-Potsdam Conference, with GCAM aimless, jVn without strategy, 10th grade weakened, prom up in the air, Hazel gone, and SSA sidelined with no new cases, I decide to speak to Denver.
“So what do you think about the state of the school?”
“The what? Maverick, what is your brother yapping about?”
“I don’t know.”
“So did you see the Justin Jefferson catch in Madden?”
“Oh yeah it went right through his head!!”
As they yapped on about the mobile game, I thought about how we were going to change the school, spark it up, and mull over the 10th-grade revitalization plan, with the key being Jayla, now the most powerful girl in the grade and even the school.
As the yapping and thinking continues, a new student emerges through the doorway, and suddenly, this day got a whole lot more interesting. Maybe the agency could hire her to invade GCAM and steer them in a new direction so secrets don’t collapse, SSA gets an information deal, and the school continues to be safe and prosperous. However, as thoughts race through my mind, my body freezes. While allying with Summer would be great geopolitically, the number one defense to school stability holds me back: the Anti-Crush Defense System.
If the school got the wrong idea that I had a crush on anyone, we would have to start fighting a war, probably with the already weakened 10th grade. As secretary of state of the school, leader of GCA’s most powerful spy agency, and GNN leader, we could not let this happen. Summer would have to wait… however, the administration doesn’t.
Shockingly, the school principal leads Summer towards the GCAM-controlled area where Geneva is sitting, typing on her MacBook. Summer obliges, and I spot them bonding quickly. While that would need to be dealt with, a growing problem had presented itself. Though GCAM, now GCAM-S, had five members again, GCAM had lost control of the school. I hear collective groans from the students as Summer is added to the group.
“Uhhhg.”
“What? What’s going on?”
“That girl.”
“Summer?”
“Yeah, she just got added to that group of girls.”
“Yeah, so what?”
“That means she will be like them.”
“You don’t like that group?”
“Not really.”
This was bad, like really bad. As policy, SSA liked to have a neutral-positive popularity coefficient. As such, it’s nice for our allies to have the same. For instance, in WWV, Hazel was slipping before Valerie nuked her, and even before she left, the school was getting dunked on by some jVn-adjacent students.
Was the balance of power swinging in favor of jVn? Maybe, if SSA got there in time, we could agentize Summer and help her steer GCAM in the right direction, and she could help SSA lead the… wait a second… as much as I like excitement and the possibility of new leadership, why is she here? It’s the middle of January…
At lunchtime, GCAM-S is sitting at their table, talking. While it is good that they are integrating with their new member, scrolling IG reels will not help them become more popular. What if the truce had weakened GCAM and jVn was getting resources to plan an invasion? The neutral 10th grade would not be able to stop it unless Jayla forced her hand, GCAM-S intel-gathering capabilities were not up to par, and SSA secrets were still hanging in the balance. The agency needed to know everything it could about Summer and her influence over GCAM-S. During the free period, I sit at the table behind them as Geneva explains what they are about.
“So essentially we had a conflict with Vera and some of the other girls here, but the conflict was resolved a few days ago. What brings you here?”
“Well, I used to be a swimmer at my old school and I’m going to join the golf team here.”
As they talk, I note things that could be important to securing a deal as well as update the Crush Net database. Clarissa then takes the lead. “….so yeah, that’s what we are about.”
“Wow, that’s so cool.” Her red iPhone 12 beeps. “Oh, that’s my mom.”
“Oh, we will walk you.” Clarissa, Geneva, and Cody all walk her to the car while I stayed back, watching. GCAM-S had never done this with anyone before, and it seemed they bonded well, meaning the hypertheoretical invasion plan would not happen, at least not with Summer. However, as unpopular as GCAM-S may be, SSA has pledged to be loyal to them, one nation, under TikTok… which means enabling pro-Summer policies… even if I haven’t met her yet....wait a second, why is she here? Could she be sent from......couldn't be.
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