Boarding school

“Where is everybody?”

“Slow day, huh.”

“Yeah. Hope it picks up soon.”

“You don't think everyone's at the consignment store?”

“Better not be. Might have to go over there and see for myself if no-one comes.”

“I'm sure that'll make you even more popular with the Landgraabs.”

“Hey, shut up! I did nothing wrong. Just gave 'em a bit of a scare, that's all.”

“Mm. And your pockets being full of their valuables had nothing to do with it.”

“Yeah... anyway, you didn't even know me then!”

“Nope. But Edward did?”

“Yup. Y'know, he came to find me as soon as he found out I was released and told me off for getting myself into trouble. I didn't recognise him at first, you know, 'cause he was all nicely dressed, hair cut, not a hobo, basically.”

“I don't blame him. And he's always right, whether you want to admit it or not...”

“Too true.”

“So how did you meet? It was when he was on the streets, wasn't it?”

“Yeah. But that's a story for another day.”

“Hey, don't fob me off! Where are you going?”

“To find my customers. You know how to use the cash register, don't you?”

“Wait! No-”

“....I don't.”

Elsewhere...

“Wow, it got so much attention...”

“Zeus, come off there. I want to go on the computer.”

“I'm busy, Tristan. Can't you wait?”

“No. You've been on every day this week and I'm sick of listening to Julius scream at the top of his lungs- what is that?”

“N-nothing!”

“Open that page back up. Or I'm telling Father.”

“Don't do that... fine.”

“That's the Tiberium protest page... you're not even old enough to use PlumbBook. He won't like you going on those stupid hippy pages.”

“Pollution is a real risk to us all, and he's stupid for ignoring it.”

“Wait... you're logged in as the admin? You set it up?”

“Yeah, and it's really popular now. I didn't expect it to take off the way it did...”

“You are in so much trouble. Using his computer to arrange eco-warrior protests! Are you crazy?”

“Please don't tell him! I'm just doing the right thing!”

“Yeah, right. God, Zeus, most people just hide porn, not conspiracy theories.”

“One day you'll believe me, and ew, really? Besides, you know we all agreed to never look at... that dirty stuff, and you know why!”

“Yeah, yeah. I didn't want to remember that conversation.”

“Guys! We have a crisis!”

“What's that, then?”

“I just overheard our parents talking, and it's really bad! They want to send us to private school!”

“Private school?”

“Not just that, but a really posh boarding school! Where you never come home again!”

“That's no good...”

“We can't go there! We'd never see Charon or Saraya again!”

“That worst thing... it's the same one that Horse Girl is going to! Horse Girl! They'd put me with her, I just know it. Father's wanted me to be friends with her for ages! Imagine all the time... “stately homes this” “purebred” that, I can't handle it!”

“Oh no...”

“It's a total disaster! They'll sap us of all individuality and we'll become conforming, elitist snobs!”

“Yeah, something like that! The headmaster is coming for dinner tomorrow.”

“We are not going to some boarding school. Just listen to me. Tomorrow, we pretend to be the worst kids ever, so bad that no private school in SimNation would take us!”

“Won't we get in trouble?”

“Not if we're discreet. I bet he'll want to talk to us alone, right? So then we tell him everything that's bad about us, and more on  top of that! We'll make it up. These boarding school types, they're after a certain kind of kid. As long as we do the opposite, it'll work.”

“That might be crazy enough to work! What do you think, Zeus?”

“I think it's our only chance. So yes, let's do it!”

“Right, so here's what I'm going to say...”