brandon.h+(Join+the+Club)

 The bell echoed through the corridors and brought the students of Littleton High flooding out of their classrooms and into the school yard for lunch. The only one who seemed not to follow the crowd was Gavin, he was the last one out of the corridors, but his lunchtimes were occupied with sessions with the school psychiatrist.
 * include component="comments" page="brandon.h (Join the Club)" limit="10" Join the Club **

“So Gavin, tell me what you like to do in your spare time,” Ms. Short said as she shuffled her seat a bit closer to Gavin pretending she really cared. “Nothing really, I like to walk around the block, or just stay in my room away from mum and dad,” Gavin replied quite boringly. “Why would you want to be away from them?” asked Ms. Short. “Because they don’t do much other than what the law requires them to do, they just feed, clothe, shelter and get me educated, not much else.” “Gavin who do you hang around with?” “Nobody, no one really talks to me or wants to know me, so I don’t want to know them.” “Well maybe if you put yourself out there people may want to talk to you, join a club, or even start one. Gives you something to belong to,” said Ms. Short trying to sound encouraging.

Gavin sat down to eat his lunch at the far edge of the oval by the fence, he was thinking that starting a club could be fun, he could get to meet people and make some friends for once.

Gavin went home and thought of what to call his club and what he would do with it, he didn’t really think of much else other than ‘The Club’, he decided that his club would be one where he talked to people and listened to their ideas so everyone could feel like someone cares.

Gavin came to school with some flyers he had made that said ‘Join the club’, he was given permission to use the gym at lunch to talk to whoever came in. Not many people did go, about 8 kids showed up, 7 were just trying to escape detention and the other kid was just a boy called Eugene who was also like Gavin. Gavin took to his little podium and began to stutter and mumble some words; everyone just stared at him blankly and slouched into their seats.

“Well I can’t say I expected many to come today, but for all of you here, welcome to the club. This club is all about hearing issues people want to raise and how to go about solving them and talking about what we want done,” he mumbled as he changed to the next palm card which was dampened by sweat. “I’m sure that we all have something in common here, I bet no one likes homework.” Someone laughed, but not at what Gavin had said, he was laughing at Gavin, he went to continue then he was interrupted. “Dude, what are you even doing? What are you all about? No one here even knows you,” said the boy who laughed. “What’s your name?” Gavin asked him. “Glen, and what does it matter to you?” he asked putting on the tough guy look. “Well, Glen, I’m Gavin and I…” Gavin was about to speak but was interrupted when the bell rang, everyone left quickly except for Eugene. “Gavin,” said Eugene as he paced towards Gavin who was packing up, “I just want to say that I think what you are doing is really cool, I’m sure more people will turn up, you just need to give them a reason, make them feel compelled to listen to you.” “Thanks,” was all Gavin could say, he wasn’t good with holding conversations.

Gavin spent the rest of his day in the library gathering ideas for his club by looking at well known politicians and noting how they controlled their audiences, he had gone through everyone from JFK to Winston Churchill, then he came across one of the biggest, Adolf Hitler. He liked how Hitler would practice poses that made him look strong, and would always talk about how he could help his people, and told them that they would be safe if they did what he said. Gavin wasn’t really a fan of the atrocities he committed but he did like how he got control over people with his words. Gavin spent time thinking of what he had in common with those that had come to the club that day, and how he could win them over.

Gavin took to his podium again the next day, it was the same crowd as last time, just they had moved apart a bit more and seemed to slouch a bit more. “What is it that we all hate? Being controlled by those who think they know us, and think they can make us do what they want us to do. Yeah, I’m talking about these pathetic teachers. They think they can yell at us and say how we are letting ourselves down when we don’t do our homework. Maybe we are already down, maybe we have had enough crap from living at home already and what they add to it just makes it worse. This club is a place where we can share our frustrations and work together to help each other through our tough times. You there, Glen, I bet you’re in here because it’s the only way for you to get away from doing a detention because you said something out of line, can you tell us what you said and why you said it?”

“Mr. Farley told me that my parents would be disappointed to see their money being wasted on an education that I’m not getting anything out of. I snapped and called him a fat tub of lard whose parents would be disappointed to see how he takes and all you can eat buffet as a challenge. I was just mad because my parents can’t afford to send me to another school and he was saying that I’m a waste of his time basically” said Glen as he sat up a little and talked while everyone actually listened closely. Everyone had suddenly become more attentive to what was being said, because they could all relate to the issue.

“Yes, we all hate when people pass judgments on us because we don’t meet //their// expectations. In this club you will not be told that you are below anyone, because you are not, we are going to reach the top my friends, and no one can stop us.” The bell went but people didn’t rush out, instead they went up to Gavin and commented on how they would support him all the way in the club and how they were willing to get the message out there.

A few weeks passed and the club had grown, there were now at least 30 people attending regularly. Gavin was starting to become a talking topic at school; people were all saying how everyone felt good about what they were doing there, the teachers never got word of what was actually talked about in the club, they didn’t really care anyway. Gavin was becoming quite popular among the students of the school because he listened to their problem and helped them out when they asked. Eugene and Gavin became good friends, only because Eugene stuck with Gavin like a stray dog when someone feeds it. But Gavin accepted him because he knew the feeling of being alienated. There were two other boys who were originally at the club gatherings when they first started who were always helping to make things run smoothly, they were like Gavin’s henchmen.

It wasn’t long before people started to drop off, they were sick of hearing the same thing over and over, nothing exciting ever happened, just Gavin speaking then asking people what they wanted addressed, he’d pretty much solved all of people’s problems. Number started to fall again. “Why isn’t anyone coming in anymore?” Gavin asked Eugene and Glen as they walked through the corridors after a club meeting. “Maybe they are just losing interest, some people are even saying how they just don’t have any reason to come because they aren’t having anymore hassles,” Glen replied as he swung his bag in front of him to grab some food out. “Well I’m going to give them a reason.” Gavin left the group and ran home to start thinking.

Gavin sat in his room all night to think of ways to make the club something huge, Gavin loved seeing people doing things that he had said to do. The club wasn’t really about being told what to do, but people didn’t realize that Gavin was always doing that, telling people that they didn’t have to listen to the teacher’s harsh comments and their cruel judgments. Gavin had worked himself up all night thinking of what needed to be done, he needed a sacrifice, someone would have to be eliminated and have their story covered up for people to get angry and seek justice. Gavin regretted the decision but he was going to take Eugene out and say that he tried to stand up against a teacher who insulted him and was expelled. But this would be hard, because people talked to Eugene out of school. Gavin was getting so worked up, he was going psychotic, he wanted to hold power over his club.

Gavin went to school early, he was somewhat gloomy and dreary, today he was going to take Eugene out as a sacrifice to his virus like club. The bell rang for the first lessons to start; Gavin pulled Eugene away and said, “We have to talk, now!” “Can’t I go to class first?” Eugene asked trying to break Gavin’s grip on his arm as if it was like the jaws of a shark. “No, the club is in danger, we need to go and talk.” Eugene then followed more willingly; Gavin took him to a tiny corridor that was off limits to students and lead him down a set of stairs that took them to an old storage room with no windows. “Why are we down here? Why couldn’t we just talk up there in the corridor? What’s going on? Something isn’t right, Gavin I’ve had enough.” “Eugene, you are going to be seen as a hero, the entire club is going to worship you for your sacrifice.” Gavin said walking over to the door and shutting it, making sure no one was around first. “What sacrifice?” Eugene said backing into the corner feeling terrified. Gavin said nothing else, he picked up a chain with an unlocked pad lock on it, he ran at the cowering boy in the corner who was trebling with fear. Eugene screamed and cried and kicked, but nothing could stop Gavin’s psychotic rage, he swung the chain wildly at Eugene a few time and sent his glasses flying and blood spraying across the wall. He then pulled the blood soaked Eugene onto his feet by his hair and wrapped the chain tightly around his throat and began to pull both ends. Eugene did all he could to escaped, but his thrashing and kicking got weaker and his choking stopped. Gavin let the chain go and let the lifeless body fall to the ground. Gavin quickly grabbed Eugene’s legs and dragged him over to an open chest and dropped one half of him in there then lifted the rest of him in, then shut it and locked it hoping no one would ever find it with an old sheet covering it.

Gavin entered the gym and took to the stage to address his club, he showed no signs of remorse for what he had done, he seemed furious instead. “It is my sad duty to inform you that our beloved member Eugene will not be joining us anymore, last night I was talking to him and he was telling me that he couldn’t bare to keep living his life where he was controlled so much, I fear the worst for him, I haven’t seen him this morning, and I don’t think I ever will again. I believe this is the right moment for us to take a stand against control, yes our parents may want to protect us from harm, and yes our teachers may want to educate us, but they have been over stepping the boundary for far too long now, it is time for action.” Everyone was horrified to hear about Eugene, people began to make up stories, because no one had seen him before Gavin took him, some people said that a teacher hassled him so much that he broke under the pressure and killed himself, other said he ran away to start a new life. It didn’t really matter much to them what happened to Eugene, they were all mad that he was supposedly broken by pressure. The word spread around the school quite quickly, no one could believe it, Eugene would never miss school even if he was sick, so they new something was wrong and they believed anything they were told.

Within to days the club had reached maximum capacity, there were no seats left and the doors had to be opened so those who were standing didn’t get jammed against the walls. Gavin couldn’t have been happier, his club was now a small army, and he was their leader. Gavin did not stand at his little podium on the stage this time, instead he squeezed through the crowd shouting his speech saying things like, “We don’t need them, we never have and never will, it’s about time we showed them what it’s like to be controlled by a greater force.” Gavin didn’t get to talk more than ten minutes before about seven teachers came up the doors and demanded that Gavin come out and tell his gathering to disperse quietly. “Gavin! Come out here now, we need a word with you. This club is now shut down, all students within this club will return to lunch,” said a voice that silenced the crowd. Everyone looked out the door, they all looked like sharks that have spotted a school of fish and were just waiting to attack. “See everyone! They are trying to do it again, these people, they did it to Eugene and where is he now? I say we show them who is really in control here, let’s take the school, anyone who opposes the club will be destroyed. Go!” Every student in the gym flooded out, any teacher that did not flee the building when they saw the wave of kids coming was trampled to death. Gavin took a group of twenty strong kids into the principles office to get the P.A system and stop the teachers hiding in there from calling for help. Gavin took the microphone and announced over the P.A, “Anyone who does not join the club will be crushed, any who try to escape for help will be killed, we have control now. What is your choice?”

The school was boarded up and blocked off, anyone who did not flee the building had no chance of getting out alive if they were found, and eventually they all were, and they were thrown off the school roof, those lucky enough not to die had to drag their broken bodies across the schoolyard to call for help. Gavin sat back in the teacher’s lounge feeling like he had accomplished something, but all he had done was make himself angrier and more blood thirsty, he enjoyed the power he had, in just one term he had gone from the standard loser to a leader. Gavin turned on the TV in the corner of the room and the watched the news, he wasn’t watching for long before a picture of his school came up and the title saying “School siege”. Gavin didn’t think that the situation would come to this, but he moved to the window and could see police setting up barriers and massive crowds outside being held back, he could see mothers, fathers and other family members of his friend all crying out, hoping everyone was safe. But no one was safe, anarchy had infected the school like a disease, the club had killed twenty three people in just the taking over of the school, the death toll was bound to rise. Gavin addressed his followers one last time, “We are surrounded, we aren’t going to get away with this, but what does it matter, everyone is aware that we can’t be controlled and never will be. We won’t go down without a fight though, never. To everyone out there we will just become a statistic in a news story, what does it matter, we are just a small number among the billions in the world who fought back against the power that controlled us and won. We will not give up, everyone go and find something you can use as a weapon, blood is going to be spilled, but it’s all for freedom.” People were scared, but they did as they were told, kids armed themselves with bars from windows, fire axes, saws from woodwork rooms and other various tools. The police began to call out to those inside the school asking them to come out peacefully, trying to negotiate with them, but they all knew the only thing waiting for them out there was imprisonment and persecution. Gavin took to the roof and screamed out to everyone, “We aren’t giving up, we won’t give up. Come and get us!”

A few minutes after Gavin had urged the police to come and get them helicopters were heard over head, and riot squads started to close in on the school. Three squads dropped in on the roof and started to make their way down, five squads with riot shields and they breached all the doors. Kids through themselves onto the police and beat them and stabbed them, but the police hit back harder, throwing them into walls, windows and desks, not caring about their ages or gender. Anyone who couldn’t be easily detained was beaten into submission. More riot police moved in, some kids were even shot at and killed because they had picked up police weapons. Gavin couldn’t stand seeing what he saw let alone participating in it, he ran into the canteen’s kitchen area and turned on the gas stove, then he ran to the science blocks, dodging police and jumping over bodies. Gavin got into the science block corridor, a cop saw him come around the corner and screamed for him to stop, Gavin sprinted through the hall and locked himself in a classroom. He turned on all the gas taps and waited quietly. He could hear the cop run to the door and try to break it in, but he must have been taken out because he stopped. The gentle hissing of the gas taps sounded for ten minutes or so before Gavin used the rest of his strength to drag him to the teacher’s draw and pull out the matches. Gavin slowly propped himself up against the wall, feeling very tired and dizzy, he struck the match once, nothing happened, he went to strike it again when he heard a bashing on the door, he kept striking the match violently trying to get a flame. The matches kept snapping, Gavin was beginning to panic, the door burst open and ten police ran in and quickly scoped the room. “Gas! Get out now!” one of them bellowed and quickly pushed his squad out, Gavin finally struck a match that lit. Gavin admired the small flame for a second that seemed to last a life time, it didn’t happen all to quickly for Gavin but he saw the tiny little flame flicker and dance, then reach out to all corners of the room, then there was the blinding light and heat as savage as a wave of lava, then there was nothing. A giant fireball was seen from outside, it blew out all the windows on the top floor then went to the bottom floor and a second explosion sent glass and rubble flying in all directions. After the explosion screams of pain could be heard as the gigantic flames caressed the entire building trapping everyone inside. The building began to creek and moan, the roof came down with a massive crash, and then two of the walls fell down and leveled the building. Nothing was left but a pile of ashes and some melted equipment inside the school.

A news flash came up onto every TV screen in Littleton. “The Littleton High school siege has ended in tragedy, shortly after police moved in to take out all the students inside the building went up in flames after two big explosions ripped the building to pieces. There were no survivors, it is estimated that four hundred students and staff were killed and one hundred and twenty police were killed in the deadly siege, this is by far the worst tragedy this town has ever seen, and our thoughts are with all the families of those who were lost.”

The club started off as a small group of misfits who felt separated from others because they didn’t fit it, but then that group grew and they became stronger than those that once had power over them.