“You know, Mrs. McAllen, my father just built the brand new security system to the school, out of the goodness of his heart, and I don’t know that he’d think too kindly of the teachers he protects giving me detention,” Niko remarked. He tried to lean back in his chair, unamused to realize the desk and chair were attached and leaning nowhere. He resigned to crossing his arms, instead. “It’s MacAlister, Niko, we’ve been over this. And I don’t particularly care what your father thinks,” Mrs. MacAlister shot back. While she was a short and slender woman, gray hair slicked back in an unforgiving chignon, her Scottish accent managed to instill fear into every student, teacher, and parent to enter her classroom. And yet, her classroom gave the impression of a warm and inviting environment. Inspirational posters plastered the walls, encouraging students to ‘Do your best,’ but warning them, ‘If you don’t have time to do it right, you must find time to do it twice.’ It sent mixed messages. “When a student fails to turn in homework and blatantly disrespects me, he will sit in detention. Not another word. You will return at three o’clock on the dot, and not a moment later!” As she turned, Niko feverishly typed on his phone. “Complaining to social media? Don’t be a baby,” Maggie leaned over and whispered to him, adding a smirk to mark her disdain. She’d always been stuck next to him, their last names so close alphabetically; she should be used to his entitlement. Before Niko could respond, Principal Wilker barged in, panting as though he’d run clear across the building. “Mrs. ... MacAlister,” he whispered between gasps, “Niko ... no ... detention.” He pulled out his inhaler, the stitching of his suit as desperate for release as his lungs. She looked from Principal Wilker to Niko, to Niko’s phone, and back to Principal Wilker. Then, she lost it. Her pupils widened and the whites seemed to turn red, like something out of a cartoon, as she threw her markers on the ground. She turned to Niko; everyone who passed her gaze slid down in their desks as if her eyes were lasers. “You think you can text your father to get you out of every mess you make? You will take responsibility for your actions and you will not leave here before five tonight,” she turned her deadly stare back to the man trying to slowly slip out of the doorway, her hand on her chest, “Principal Wilker, if you’ll excuse me, I am trying to teach.” He couldn’t move fast enough. Neither could Maggie, whose hand gesture towards Niko lingered in the air a moment too long, directly in Mrs. MacAlister’s vantage. “Margaret! You will join Niko this afternoon-“ “-But I have work-“ “-maybe you should consider your work schedule before you decide to hurl curses at your classmates.” Niko snickered, “Guess your family won’t have dinner this week. Good job, Mags.” The remainder of the day passed in a haze for Maggie. She managed to find someone to cover her shift, it couldn’t tell her mother. She travelled from class to class, barely registering the lessons because, as much as she hated Niko, he’d been right: without her shift tonight, her mother wouldn’t be able to afford their cell phones this month. But still, Maggie arrived at detention at three o’clock exactly, surprised to see Niko already present, and sullenly sank in her desk. “I’m very disappointed in you, Margaret. I expect this behavior from Niko to a degree, but you should know better. Do not sink to his level,” Mrs. MacAlister implored, but Maggie could only nod her head in shame. She shouldn’t have let him get to her, but the smug look on his face boiled her blood still. “As for you, Niko,” Mrs. MacAlister turned towards him now, but didn’t get a chance to continue her discipline as the school’s new alarm system began ringing. Each of them immediately put their hands over their ears as the noise blared. “REMAIN CALM. THE BUILDING IS SECURE. HOLD IN PLACE. REMAIN CALM,” the automated voice roared. Maggie shouted, “Mrs. MacAlister, what’s happening?” But received no response, as Mrs. MacAlister crumpled to the ground. Maggie and Niko raced over to find she stopped breathing. Maggie immediately sprung intimation, laying Mrs. MacAlister on her back, and beginning CPR. Niko stood back, wide-eyed and terrified. “We need help - call the police,” Maggie directed Niko. “I can’t. We don’t have any service. Do you know what you’re doing?” “I work at the hospital,” she explained between counts, “they let me take these certification courses for free. Niko ran to the school phone and picked it up, only to hear the same automated message ring through the receiver, “These phones are down too.” “What? Why would those be out?” “It’s part of the new security system. It jams every electronic device and must shut down the phone lines to diffuse any kind of attack. The doors and windows seal, too-“ “-Oh because that’s a brilliant idea: trap us in here like rats?” “I might be able to turn it off with my laptop. I, uh, borrowed it from my dad’s company.” “Isn’t the internet cut, too?” Maggie became breathless. “Yeah, but all of my dad’s computers run on their own, uh, private internet service that have special permission to avoid his own security.” “So you’re saying, “she inhaled deeply, “he doesn’t have to follow ... his own rules?” Niko shrugged, growing embarrassed by his father’s skirt around his own rules, but hurriedly entered into the security system’s operational network to shut the alarm. “Oh thank goodness,” Maggie celebrated, “Niko, hurry!” Niko quickly dialed for help, pacing until they arrived. They took over for Maggie, reviving Mrs. MacAlister with a jolt. She slinked towards an empty wall, fear cracking through her adrenaline. Niko sat down next to her, his arm draped around her shoulders. “Hey, you did great. It’s gonna be okay, Mags.”