SSA Declassified

      SSA had done it. Damien was on the downturn, GCAM-S was still intact and the basketball season was winding down. While this was good for school stability in the short term, SSA’s future still hung in the balance. Even since Summer came to the school, weird things have been happening. The fall of GCAM happens only a few days before Summer arrives? Damien rises only after Summer? GCAM almost destroys SSA’s power….only when Summer arrived? Summer’s arrival was shrouded in secrecy…..her backstory almost as convoluted as Carissa’s….could they be hiding something.           Who could want to influence the school this badly? It can’t be Molly or Val. Nor President Allison….GCAM-S has the communications technology to do so but lacks the will…..maybe old Energizer High rivals….or was Nikka, and my estranged ally David was striking again…..          However, SSA had to put this on the backburner. SSA’s profit margins were fall...

"In a stunning operation, SSA prevented Summer’s number from falling into the wrong hands while keeping popularity levels at a pre-intervention high. “Yes, miraculously, Operation Last Chance 2.0 did not cause Secretary Shay’s popularity to fall. In fact, it even smoothed over diplomatic relations with Damien—on a road trip, no less.” “In other news, President Allison has announced a Valentine’s Day fundraising plan set to take effect next week. This plan will…” “Sorry to cut to you, but SSA President Shay is about to speak.” Good afternoon, everyone.       SSA has led the way, and at great cost to ourselves and the Agency, we have successfully prevented Summer’s number from being transferred. We stood up to Damien—not once, but twice—and even though the plan leaked, SSA still overcame this challenge.       However, even as we secure this victory, we must turn our attention to an unsettling concern. The Agency has always operated with precision and strategy...

      As I approach the Vice President and our GCAM-S—the student who texted me last night—Donovan calls me over, his phone in hand. As a precaution, I brought two phones today, just in case they ask to scan my texts. "Ethan, do you know what number this is?" "No. Who is it?" "This wasn’t you?" "No."       My heart is thumping. If the 10th grade doesn’t know yet, our plan can still be pulled off. If this doesn’t reach President Allison and jVn, we should be good. Only a few people know about the plan, so if worst comes to worst, SSA can scrap it, shred the files, and not get caught.     I walk toward the GCAM-S area and ask them a simple question. "Okay, remember to keep this down. Oh, and where were y’all last night?" Summer looks confused. I try to keep my voice to a whisper while I lay out the new plan. "Summer, I need a picture of you." I take out my phone and snap a blurry shot with Summer partially obscuring her face. ...

18:00 CST – ROOM 16B Deep in the bowels of SSAHQ, I monitored my phone. No response from Damien yet. “Maverick, do you think we should send the text?” “Yes.” I quickly opened the application and my regular phone app to copy Damien’s number. I crafted my message carefully. "Hi, Damien. This is Summer. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you my number at school—you know how weird Ethan is." Then, I ran it through AI to make it sound more like a teen girl: ❤️Hiii Damien!! This is Summer, im sorry I couldnt give you my number in the school, you know how weird Ethan is, LOL Taking a deep breath, I tapped send... and waited. And waited. Finally, a notification. Room 16B had connected to the Demlin. @Damien: "I know this isn’t Summer." I was wary of this. @SSA: "Yes, it is." @Damien: "Stop playing around." @SSA: "What?" @Damien: "What was the Snap you told me?" Panic. I frantically searched the internet for Summer’s Snapchat—nothing. I connect...

     I arrived at school bright and early today. With a game scheduled for tomorrow, Kaia and I hoped we could make some profit. We were fresh off a brutal three-game road trip.        According to my script for GNN, "The Hawks traveled 300 miles in three days." I planed on showing some clips of our shooting on screen, but the behind-the-scenes footage was terrible. One of the lines stated, "GCA's defense held BCA to five points in the second half, outscoring them." While technically true, this omitted that the final score was 60-11, and they played their backups in the second half. During that same game, the extremely loud cheerleaders chanted "miss it for me, baby" during our free throws. Fake news was alive and well.        On the domestic front, SSA needed to learn more about our new students, particularly the S in GCAM-S. Things had been tense with Summer lately. Though crush-related tensions were rumored, SSA had preemptively ...