“We are breaking into the high school this weekend. Who’s in?” Lou asks the group.

Many sets of eyes widen at the content of the question. It’s wasn’t the smoothest lead in to the topic that Amelie has ever seen, but it works.

They are all lounging in Jeremiah’s living room, the whole group, including Liam and Zac. It’s a relatively cozy room, so it is almost impossible to be in it without touching another person. Jeremiah and Roman are on a soft seat that is clearly meant for one. On the worn leather couch is Bell and Cross, the former’s legs being draped over the latter’s lap. Lou and Jones and Greg (Lou’s lizard) are on squished on the other half of the couch. Liam and Zac have the most space, on the floor between the coffee table the TV. Amelie herself and Ria are on the opposing side of the coffee table, resting their backs on Roman and Jeremiah’s chair.

It’s Friday, so the aforementioned break in would be tomorrow or maybe Sunday. Amelie can’t believe she just had that thought in her mind. There’s no way she would have ever imagined this is where she is in life. Agreeing to be a criminal.

“Umm…why?” Roman questions after a long pause. “Not that I’m opposed, but just asking.”

This is where Amelie comes in. She stands up, jostling Ria who was leaning into her side. Getting out her computer, it comes alive and shows a title slide of a PowerPoint.

After Lou had first suggested the break in to her and Liam, they worked on this physical representation to more easily explain the thought process, the theory, and the possible escape routes.

Amelie likes to be prepared.

Liam does too.

Lou just liked adding little animal animations on it.

“Do you wanna connect it to la tele?” Jeremiah offers. Wordlessly, he holds up a cord that he produced seemingly out of nowhere. She struggles to find the right place to plug it into the TV, but finally she does and her computer screen is projected onto the big screen.

What are the Muzzles Doing to Us?

By Lou, Amelie, and Liam James Key

There is an image of the fox from Zootopia with a muzzle on.

“Doing to us,” Bell reads off, a confused lilt to her tone, cocking her head to the side.

“This is about me, isn’t it,” Jones correctly judges, eying the words. Lou comes to stand next to Amelie. She shakes her head, her blonde hair sliding over Greg whose sitting on her shoulder. “No. It’s about all of us. You just brought it to my cat-obsessed brain’s attention.”

Greg slaps her on the neck with his tail, making a tiny smack. She grimaces and gives him a finger pet.

“Sorry Greg. I didn’t mean to offend you. My animal-obsessed brain.”

“Does this have to do with you not feeling well?” Cross questions, directing it to Jones.

Amelie clicks the arrow key and the next slide appears after the origami animation. Lou and Liam liked that one the best. Amelie would’ve been fine with the normal fade out, but she was outvoted.

⚫️April 8th was the first day of the soulmate power dampening cuffs implementation

⚫️On that day, Lou felt sick and did for a few days

⚫️Jones felt sick three weeks later

A small cat with a tissue box was placed near the second bullet point. You know, for effect.

“But I’m starting to feel better,” Jones points out.

Lou gestures Amelie to continue. From what the three of them have discussed, this may go further.

“In my English class, someone was out for days for being sick. They just came back to classes. Their cuff is yellow,” Amelie says, transitioning onto the next point. The origami animation folds up the bullet points and revealed the next ones.

Do the Colors Matter?

⚫️Lou and Amelie’s muzzles are green (reminder: Lou felt sick first)

⚫️Roman and Zac’s are yellow

⚫️Jones is orange

⚫️Ria, Bell, Cross, and Jeremiah are red

⚫️Potentially indicating danger level (theorized by Liam)

By the title of this slide, there was a chameleon that changed colors. Lou really liked that little video animation.

“If you’re saying that we are getting sick for some unknown reason in order, then how come Roman and I didn’t get sick before Jones?” Zac questions.

Valid point. Liam brought that up though, so they are prepared for that potential hole in the theory. “We don’t know the order of the colors. Yellow and orange could easily be switched. And you, Zac, came later and less time with the cuff,” Amelie explains.

Amelie can see they have all of the attention in the room. Normally this would make her nervous, all eyes on her. There is something about this environment with her friends that makes her feel confident, assured. Like they won’t judge her and actually listen.

“Ok, but why would the school need our power level labeled if we can’t use them at school with the cuffs?” Roman asks. That’s a good question.

Before any of them can answer that, another inquiry follows. This time from Jones. “And why do they cause us to be sick if they are in fact linked?”

“All this leads to our last subject,” Lou says.

Amelie glances at both Lou and Liam. Lou nods to her, encouraging her to go to the next slide. Liam, a little less subtly, tells her in sign language to move on.

We need to find out

⚫️**Step 1: everyone who agrees will discuss the best date and time for the break in **

⚫️Step 2: wear all black and meet at designated time

⚫️Step 3: using people’s abilities, break into the principal’s office and find out the answers to all of our questions

⚫️**Step 4: get pictures of any evidence and make a smooth getaway **

On this one, Lou wanted a sticker of a raccoon with a ski mask on it. Amelie did admit that it looked cute. Might not be all that convincing but cute.

“What do we do if we do find something incriminating? Who are we supposed to go to? Do you think it’s bad?” Bell rattles off. Her hands visibly shake so much that Cross covers them to calm her down. Amelie forgot how much was kept from Bell, especially recently with her mom. Secrets must be a trigger point.

While everyone stare at her and Lou and Liam for an answer, Amelie’s attention is on Ria.

Ria is quiet, which is unlike her. Normally, her voice is normally the loudest….no not loudest. The right word is passionate. Amelie isn’t sure what to make of a quiet Ria.

“The school is being shady. And we deserve to know the truth,” Ria speaks up, a fire igniting in her eyes. One that Amelie loves to see. Ria is like a wildfire. Powerful. Outspoken. Her flames consuming everything around her, and Amelie is more than happy to burn.

“We can figure out what to do with the information if we find it. We have to deal with one part at a time,” Amelie urges. They need to keep this conversation moving. It can’t go stagnant or they risk everyone saying no.

And it would be nice if they break into the school to have a few of the super powers that her friends possess.

It’s an added plus that if they somehow get caught that they would all go to jail together.

That gives Amelie a weird sense for comfort.

“So who’s in?”

Without a second thought, all hands go up.

Perfect.

Time to implement what Lou fondly named Plan Sly Fox.

———

(Next one will divert a bit from the mystery of the cuffs because it’s another Liam story that I am really looking forward to posting when it’s done. After that, I’ll go back to the break in.)