The man continues. "Of course, I know full well that it isn't easy. That it isn't even possible. I know that they will gnaw upon you like a rat gnaws upon a fine leather shoe until it turns worn and useless. You're a shoe, dear, and a damn fine one from all I can see. They're rats, and the public education system is somewhat like a sewer, I regret to say. But, I don't work here -- just visiting and all that -- and neither will you, someday. Just like those oceans you love, the world's pretty darn big. One day you won't even remember what this place looks like, let alone what those other kids look like. You keep up with your studying and... you know I don't speak to children your age very often outside of explaining to them how jelly-fish work."\n\n[["That's ok, I get it..."|igetit]]\n[["I'm scared..."|scared]]

The alarm clock rings and you [[reach]] toward the sound. GOD! Why is it so loud?!

<<set $soc = $soc + 1>>\n\nAn individual may find a certain behaviour objectionable, but may still participate in this mode of behaviour when it proves popular due to the phenomenon referred to as:\n\n[[Herd Mentality...|goodsoc2]]\n[[Integrity...|badsoc2]]\n[[Trick question, this phenomenon does not exist...|knowbetter]]

With some effort you quietly become meld to the stream of students flowing from bus stops to lockers and without incident you make your way to [[homeroom class]]. \n\nThere is a test today, //two// in fact! First period, math. Second period, social studies. Third period, gym. Ugh, gym. You're kind of looking forward to those first two periods: you've studied, and it will be relatively quiet. You take out your math textbook and start to review...\n\n[["Ouch..."|Headshot]]\n

You hear more laughter. Then talking: "Dumbfuck! Study more, bitch! You wouldn't wanna get an A minus!" It's the voice of a boy, you don't know which one. \n\nIt hurts, and you don't want any more. You hold your head with your hands.\n\n"That's for Nina!" More laughter.\n\nShortly after, your teacher enters with her morning coffee. You say nothing, do nothing, and try to wait until [[math class]].

Two

He's taken aback. "Oh, nevermind that! What happened?"\n\n"Other kids are mean to me... a lot."\n\nThe man's brow furrows, "Have you told your teachers?"\n\n"Yeah..."\n\n"Not much help, huh?"\n\n"Not really..."\n\nAfter a few moments of awkward silence, the man asks, "How do you like school? Besides the mean kids, I mean?"\n\n"I guess it's ok. I like class. They make fun of me for that, too." \n\n"Ha, haha! Why, that's because they're stupid."\n\n[["What?..."|What?]]

<<set $mathtest = $mathtest + 1>>\n<<if $mathtest eq 0>>You bombed it.<<endif>>\n<<if $mathtest eq 1>>You don't think you passed. Maybe you got one right, if you were lucky...<<endif>>\n<<if $mathtest eq 2>>That could have been worse. Two out of three would mean you passed, at least...<<endif>>\n<<if $mathtest eq 3>>You know you did great. Probably got them all right!<<endif>>\n\nYou hand in your test at the end of class and quickly head to [[Social Studies|socialstudies]] while most of the other kids are scrambling to finish up.

++ Achievements ++\n\nDo you remember the Discovery Center?\nDid you see that stupid website they made about you?\nDid you disappear forever?\nDid you get to brag about your grades to Angela?\nDid you guess the Starfish?\n\n...\n\n<<display 'Credits'>>\n

<<set $mathtest = $mathtest + 1>>\n\nWhich interger represents the following?\n\n10 metres above sea level\n\n[[a) 10|good2]]\n[[b) -10|bad2]]\n

...\n\nAnother knock.\n\n"Laura? Please answer."\n\nThe concern in your father's voice makes it difficult to stay silent.\n\n[["Come in"...|Come in...]]\n[[Stay quiet...]]

You run as fast as you can manage, desperate to [[escape|act3]].

You quickly scramble out of bed and scurry toward the clock. It's now lying on it's side and grinding violently against the ground in a strange circular motion. You giggle at it: it's just like one of the funny Stooges from your dad's old black and white movie collection. Distracted by your own amusement, you clumsily trip over your sheets and join the whirling menace on the floor of your bedroom.\n\nFeeling aggitated, you give the mechanism a smack! The excitement fades with the noise, you begin to sink away into the realization that the whole little game which preceeded had really been meant to remind you of yet another school day. To remind you, and to ensure that you prepare for it. For yet another day of things to put up with, of people who are worse to put up with, and of [[hoping|vibrating at the speed of light]] for it all to be over.\n\n

They sit all the kids in classes like this at the beginning of a day. They don't actually teach anything, it just acts as a corral that ensures everyone starts the day in the same manner. Together. \n\n...\n\n<<display 'gotoschool'>>

<<silently>><<set $saddad = true>><<endsilently>>\nYou run. You don't have a destination; your body seems to choose your direction.\n\nYou realize that you were right once you feel your father's hand firmly on your shoulder.\n\nHe looks extremely disappointed as he says, "[[I'm driving you|drive]]".

You whirl around in your chair in a flash, fuelled by anger and shock. You recognize [[Jocelyn]] and [[Ryan]].\n\n"Ha ha! that's for Nina, bitch." The girl says loudly, tauntingly. She spits at you, but misses.\n\nMoments later, your homeroom teacher enters with her coffee. You say nothing, do nothing, and try to wait until [[math class]].

A few minutes pass and you go through the mundane routine of preparing yourself for school. There is a gnawing anxiety residing in the same pit in your stomach that it's been dwelling in for too long. The more you think about it, the more it feels like your whole body is imperceptibly vibrating at the speed of light.\n\nYou want to stall, to delay the inevitable. You look at your laptop and think about checking it. Then again, all you've been getting for the past couple of weeks are the meanest messages you can imagine. Sometimes from people you don't even know. If there are more today, you don't really want to know about it.\n\n[[Get out of here, go get some breakfast and see your dad...|breakfast1]]\n[[Check your computer...]]\n

<<if $drivetoschool>>Your father drops you off and gives you some kind words. You know he has an important meeting and that for your family's sake he has to be there. \n<<else>>You've arrived at school. <<endif>>\n\n[[Go to school...|gotoschool]]\n[[Once he drive away, begin running...|areyousure]]\n\n\n

"Yes of course come here quickly!" \n\nBITS...\n\n"What happened?"\n\n"Other kids are mean to me... a lot."\n\nThe man's brow furrows, "Have you told your teachers?"\n\n"Yeah..."\n\n"Not much help, huh?"\n\n"Not really..."\n\nAfter a few moments of awkward silence, the man asks, "How do you like school? Besides the mean kids, I mean?"\n\n"I guess it's ok. I like class. They make fun of me for that, too." \n\n"Ha, haha! Why, that's because they're stupid."\n\n[["What?..."|What?]]

Which interger represents the following?\n\n10 metres above sea level\n\n[[a) 10|good2]]\n[[b) -10|bad2]]\n

A sharp pain in the back of your head sends you reeling from the impact. In your confusion and pain, you smash your elbow violently against your desk. You hear laughter. \n\nYou've just been hit in the back of the head by a math textbook.\n\n[[Turn around...]]\n[[Hide your head on your desk...]]

prologue chapter to be released soon.

<<set $brattygirls = true>>These three have a habit of standing in the hallway and loudly judging people's appearances. Sometimes their verdicts catch on and stick with the victim for weeks. People just stopped calling you "boney bitch" within the last few days.\n\n...\n\n<<display 'gym'>>\n

<<set $nina = true>>\nThe knocking again...\n\n"Laura, are you alright?"\n\nA few seconds, then the knocking... Soon you can hear the door opening slowly and you are forced to face the world.\n\n"Laura, I have some [[breakfast|breakfast2]] made up, I know yesterday was really hard. Nina's not going to be there today, you're going to be ok."\n\n"Why? Because she was suspended? You think one matters? It's just going to make it way worse with everybody else. I hate it. I can't do it."\n\nHe's pleading now. "I need you to, it's important, and I can't leave you home all day..."

<<set $website = true>>\nLaura's mom got cancer 'cause Laura is a whore (((ASK DANNY! LOL.)))\n\nWhen do u thin k Launra will kill herself?\n\na)) Todaty\nb)) This week\nc() This month\nd() she will be dead before next September!\n\n\n\n[[You slam the laptop shut and go downstairs...|breakfast1]]\n\n

He sighs noticeably. "Well of course you're scared. You've got beasts breathing down your neck all hours of the day. That's just it, you're no beast." \n\nA moment passes, and he continues. [["I've something I'd like you to have."|gifting]]\n

"Hey kid-o. I know you can't be asleep. Your cousin sure knows how to pick a gift." Realizing how loudly he is speaking, your dad picks up the alarm clock and after a few moments of fiddling with it manages to stop the noise. \n\n"Hi..." You say from beneath the blankets.\n\n"I know you don't want to go, honey. I know it's been rough, but we need to get you through the next couple of weeks. Please come down for breakfast, it is going to get better, I promise."\n\n[[Continue...|breakfast1]]

"Well, here's that bit about the ocean: Canute had been told so many times that he was so powerful that it wasn't just men and women who he ruled, but the world itself. One day, he ordered that his throne be carried down to the water's edge. He actually went to the water and he commanded the tides to stop rising."\n\nSilence for a few moments, but he's smiling...\n\n"And that worked about as well as you would expect. He almost drowned. See, the ocean had been there for a long time before Canute started yelling at it, the ocean wanted to act and it wouldn't let a king with no real authority stop it from acting no matter how hard he yelled.\n\nAnyhow, young lady, take this. Take this and keep it with you, wear it around your neck if you have to, just keep it close to you in both body and in mind. The next time your trouble starts, and it will, you use it to find what's driving the people around you to act like they're acting. You look at them, as insecure as old King Canute, as lost and utterly, astoundingly incorrect in their folly as the old King himself." \n\n[[Thank you...|ManExits]]\n[[I just want it to stop...|ManExits]]\n

Two

A few loud moments pass as you bury your head beneath your pillow and simply wait it out. The noise doesn't really bother you because it makes it harder to think, and you don't want to think about the day ahead. \n\nThere is a knocking at your door: "Laura?"\n\n[[Ignore it...]]\n[["Come in..."|Come in...]]

"Twelve, hmm? I'd like to tell you a story. You said you loved the ocean, and so do I. And once there was a man who, well, he didn't love the ocean, but he thought he could control it. \n\nThere was once a King, King Canute. All the people close to him, they did nothing but tell him how amazing he was, but that part doesn't really matter. The point is, the King got the idea in his head that he was all powerful, because that's what everyone told him. Easy enough, right? But he didn't feel it. He couldn't, kings are only people, and people, well, they usually don't feel like Gods, probably because Gods don't..." He stops to exhale sharply. "Hm, so... So how do you imagine old Canute felt? My guess? He was angry. He was frustrated. He didn't understand why he didn't feel as powerful as he thought he ought to. One day, he decided to see just how powerful he could be, and to see how //that// might make him feel."\n\n[[What did he do?...]]

"Well then let me explain, my boss is a girl, just like you." \n\nWith that, you both smile.\n\n[["Just like you. Well, maybe a bit taller..."|act3join]]

<<set $mathtest = $mathtest + 1>>\n\nThere are twelve children in a park, two thirds of them are wearing boots. How many children are wearing boots?\n\n[[a) 2|badfinish]]\n[[b) 3|badfinish]]\n[[c) 4|badfinish]]\n[[d) 8|goodfinish]]

<<set $soc = 0>>Women of ancient Athenian society were able to freely...\n\n[[Vote|badsoc]]\n[[Serve Jury duty|badsoc]]\n[[Live as priestesses|goodsoc]]

The clock hits a wall and flops limply to the ground. You're dumbfounded for a moment... You remember now: it was a gift from your [[cousin]]. One of those new clocks with a big pink rotor on top! When it goes off it's like some screaming banshee-timepiece-helicopter hybrid. No smacking the snooze button and winding up late for you: this clock demands that you wake up and chase it down. If you want your bedroom to sound slightly less like an air raid siren, that is.\n\n...\n\n<<display 'reach'>>\n\n

You look at your answer and immediately cross it out with heavy lines. You know better from personal experience.\n\n...\n\nAn individual may find a certain behaviour objectionable, but may still participate in this mode of behaviour when it proves popular due to the phenomenon referred to as:\n\n[[Herd Mentality...|goodsoc2]]\n[[Integrity...|badsoc2]]\n[[Trick question, this phenomenon does not exist...|knowbetter]]

"So," he begins with a voice filled with mock defeat. "Secret's out. Girls can do science, and your thirteen year old torturers don't know everything there is to know about the world. Hell, girl, they know less about it than you do - and I've thrown you a few bones in just the last few minutes."\n\n"What do you mean?"\n\n"I mean, young lady, that your life is being run by people who've no business running it. Do you listen to your parents?"\n\n"My dad. I live with him."\n\n"Excellent! Why?"\n\n"My mom..she.." \n\n[["No no, child, why do you listen to him?"|listen]]

You hear her approaching and look up. "Hey!!" you yell while retreating a step.\n\nAngela snaps at you. "Because you look like shit! Why'd you go to the principal? What'd Nina do to you, skinny bitch?" Angela asks, but you don't think she's really that interested in listening. She's approaching quickly.\n\n[[Take a swing at her!|Attack]]\n[[Try to talk this through...|Negotiate]]\n[[RUN!|angelarun]]

Your cousin Jeffrey took you to a Discovery Center when he was in town a few weeks ago and bought you this. He's studying chemistry at University and you haven't seen him much since he started.\n\n...\n\n<<display 'flew away'>>

You turn around and bolt down the hallway. You can take another route to class anyway. You check over your shoulder to make sure they haven't followed and all you see is the group standing in their original position, backs slouched confidently against the wall. Some are pointing at you; All of them are laughing at you. Angela is staring right at you.\n\n[[Your momentum and your embarrasment push you around the hall's corner, out of their line of sight|collide]].

"This fellow never was part of the cavalry, so to speak. More of an astronomer. Get it? It's a starfish under glass." he adjusts his glasses self consciously. "But that may not be your only surprise. For instance, this little fellow here... do you think he'd care if a boy or a girl studied him?" \n\n"Uhh..."\n\n"No. Of course not. And would you like to know a secret?"\n\nHe doesn't wait for you, he just pauses for the tiniest split second before carrying on...\n\n"I do science, all the time. I'm a marine biologist, in fact. And before that I went to school just like you, and every day I was laughed at, pushed around, picked on, and worse. Just like you, I'll bet."\n\n"I love the ocean. It's so big."\n\n"Well, so do I! And I study the things in that ocean all day long, and let me tell you -- there's a lot of things to be studied -- but, that secret I mentioned! I have a boss, and she looks at pretty much everything I do, you know, to make sure it's going right. My boss gets to do all that cool stuff too, except they've been doing it longer and they're extremely, extremely good at it."\n\n[[I don't get it...]]\n[[Oh?...]]

"Here," he says. "I don't need this anymore. There are a million mysteries, they don't all need to be solved by myself!" He spoke that last line while feigning both arrogance and indignation, adding a wink for good measure.\n\n"I don't know how it works."\n\nThe man looks at you quizzically.\n\n"You use a computer?"\n\nYou nod.\n\n"How's that work?" he fires the question at you as if there are more to follow.\n\n"Well.. a processor, a graphics card... memory, harddrive, all on a motherboard to work together."\n\n"That's... a better anwser than I'd expected, to be honest. But, how's your RAM work, specifically?"\n\n"It's... memory."\n\n"Uh-huh. Physically, how does it work?" \n\n"Gah! I don't know. But somebody knows!"\n\n"Well, somebody knew how this worked, too. The fact that they're not here right now doesn't make it work any less than our lack of an electrical engineer would makes your computer less powerful."\n\n"What's it do?"\n\n"By itself? Nothing. It needs you."\n\n"What's it do with me?"\n\n[["It... Uhm..."|it]]

Tylor Rose

[["Of course not. Then, young lady, you must cease your listening to them..."|listening]]

//[[Two|Start1]]// \n<html><img src="http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b586/antsandaphids/king_canute_zpsd71deb8b.png" align="left">\n<br><br><br><br><br><br>\n<p align="right"><font size="-1"><a href="http://www.ants-and-aphids.tumblr.com">ants-and-aphids interactive fiction</a> || <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.AntsAndAphids.net/two.html">share on facebook</a><br></font></p>\n\n</html>

You run. You are never heard from again.\n\n[[Try again...|Start]]\n[[Credits]]

<<if $mathtest eq 0>>You bombed it.<<endif>>\n<<if $mathtest eq 1>>You don't think you passed. Maybe you got one right, if you were lucky...<<endif>>\n<<if $mathtest eq 2>>That could have been worse. Two out of three would mean you passed, at least...<<endif>>\n<<if $mathtest eq 3>>You know you did great. Probably got them all right!<<endif>>\n\nYou hand in your test at the end of class and quickly head to [[Social Studies|socialstudies]] while most of the other kids are scrambling to finish up.

The man, pacing a few steps, raises his hand to his face and strokes his chinly as if contemplating a deep truth, or as if trying to understand a difficult riddle. His back still turned, he begins taking steps, and as he crosses the threshold, leaving the room, his words are clear:\n\n[["Well, I certainly hope you haven't been under the impression that you're the problem."|Credits]]\n\n\n

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[["Because he loves me. And he knows stuff..."|loves]]

You don't feel like talking. You don't feel like moving. Your legs and arms feel like they're vibrating at the speed of light. You are naseous. \n\nYour father spends the time with you in the dining room reassuring you, you think. It doesn't really sink in. Before you really grasp your surroundings he is putting some money in your pocket and hurrying you out to make sure that you don't miss the [[bus]].

You leave your room to the scent of pancakes and syrup. Your favorite breakfast. Your dad must have made it just for you.\n\nHe sees you coming. "Hey there kid-o!" he greets you in a voice conveying such positivity that it approaches desperation. He asks, "How are you feeling?"\n\nYou take a seat and while you aren't all that hungry you take a few bites to reward your father's effort.\n\n<<if $website>>Looking over your plate, you feel as though the answer to his question should be obvious, "They made a website about me and they want me to die." You leave out the part about your mother.\n\nThe familiar look of worry and frustration is on your father's face. "Who did?" \n\n"I don't know. All of them. It doesn't matter." You trail off.\n\nIn the most understanding of tones: "Nobody wants you to die, honey. They're kids and they don't know what they're doing."\n\nYou reply, [["I know what they're doing."|I know what they're doing.]] | [["I just want it to go away..."|I just want it to go away...]]\n<<else>>\n"Scared."\n\n"There's nothing to be afraid of, Laura. You know it's just words and it's just kids. They suspended that Nina girl, with the leader out of the way the rest of them will shut up soon."\n\n"I don't think so..."\n\n"You're just going to have to trust me today, kid-o. I can't miss that meeting and you can't miss any more school. I love you, and you're going to be ok. Here's some money for lunch." He stuffs your hand with a $5 and hugs you tightly. "Don't miss that [[bus]]!" \n<<endif>>\n\n

<<set $starfish = true>>"Yes! Very good! now, it may surprise you, but this little fellow here... do you think he'd care if a boy or a girl studied him?" \n\n"Uhh..."\n\n"No. Of course not. And would you like to know a secret?"\n\nHe doesn't wait for you, he just pauses for the tiniest split second before carrying on...\n\n"I do science, all the time. I'm a marine biologist, in fact. And before that I went to school just like you, and every day I was laughed at, pushed around, picked on, and worse. Just like you, I'll bet."\n\n"I love the ocean. It's so big."\n\n"Well, so do I! And I study the things in that ocean all day long, and let me tell you -- there's a lot of things to be studied -- but, that secret I mentioned! I have a boss, and she looks at pretty much everything I do, you know, to make sure it's going right. My boss gets to do all that cool stuff too, except they've been doing it longer and they're extremely, extremely good at it."\n\n[[I don't get it...]]\n[[Oh?...]]

An individual may find a certain behaviour objectionable, but may still participate in this mode of behaviour when it proves popular due to the phenomenon referred to as:\n\n[[Herd Mentality...|goodsoc2]]\n[[Integrity...|badsoc2]]\n[[Trick question, this phenomenon does not exist...|knowbetter]]

As you walk out the front door to catch the bus you consider just running off in some direction or other, but you know from experience that your father is watching to make sure you do what you're supposed to.\n\n[[The bus should be here any second, best to just wait...|school]]\n[[Run anyway...|flee]]

<<if $brattygirls>>\n<<else>>\nYou walk toward the staircase that leads to the locker room of the gymnasium. On your way, you see a [[familiar group of girls]] standing between yourself and the stairs.<<endif>>\n\nThere is a crowd of kids making their way into the locker rooms, the girls are pointing out the ones they deem most noteable. "Nine!" You hear [[Angela]] direct toward Jocelyn, they both laugh. "Nine!" She shouts towards Ben. She sees you coming. "Two!" she approaches you and yells it flatly in your face.\n\n[[Look at them...|confrontation]]\n[[Just keep your head down...|confrontation]]\n[[Turn around and run...|collide]]

<<if $soc eq 0>>You bombed it.<<endif>>\n<<if $soc eq 1>>You don't think you passed. Maybe you got one right, if you were lucky...<<endif>>\n<<if $soc eq 2>>That could have been worse. Two out of three would mean you passed, at least...<<endif>>\n<<if $soc eq 3>>You know you did great. Probably got them all right!<<endif>>\n\n[[Well, time for gym...|gym]]\n

[[But then, there's a lot you haven't told him.|school]]

What year did it become legal for women to vote in the United States of America?\n\n[[1918|socbad3]]\n[[1920|socgood3]]\n[[1834|socbad3]]

"Yes, and I knew you would. I was right about you indeed. Listen, the point of what I'm saying is, and it isn't easy, but... There is life beyond these walls. There is an entire world beyond these walls. The small, small people who are set upon bringing you or people like you down, well, if they don't change the way they are then more often than not they become the small, small people outside of these walls."\n\n"Small people?"\n\n"Unhappy people. Deeply unhappy people, who've spent too much effort and time in the safety of dragging down others and not a moment in the dangerous work of building themselves up. Not like you, young lady." He rifles around in his pockets for a moment before [[holding out his closed hand|gifting]]. <<if $starfish>>With another wink he continues. "After all, you identified a star fish."<<else>> <<endif>>\n\n\n\n

"Hey, it's ok..." he says, his sympathy plainly drawn on his face. He motions toward you, "here, look at this...".\n\nBefore you can react, you are staring at a pinkish star shaped... thing. \n\n//"Asterias rubens!"// The man spouts.\n\n[["Is that a jellyfish?"|jellyfish]]\n[["A starfish!"|starfish]]\n[["A seahorse?!"|seahorse]]\n\n\n\n\n

[["And your little classmates? Do they either love you or know stuff?"|No]]

Your facebook account has a new message, you don't recognize the sender, but it's just a URL. [[You click on it]].

Angela punches you in the face and manages to draw blood. You scramble away and run and she does not give chase. \n<<set $bloody = true>>\n[[Run!|collide]]

<<set $mathtest = 0>>\nMr. Bennett hands you your test as you walk into the classroom. Your eyes scan the page as you sit down at your desk.\n\n<html><center><IMG src="http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b586/antsandaphids/canvas_zpscebb6ebf.png"></html>\n\nWhat decimal number is illustrated?\n\n[[a) 2.6|good]]\n[[b) 3.0|bad]]\n[[c) 2.4|bad]]\n\n

...\n\n"It augments your perceptions."\n\n"Uhhhhh..."\n\nFor a moment or two the man sputters his words, restarting the sentence a handful of times before settling on the version both simplest and most helpful: "It shows you what makes people bad."\n\n"I don't understand..."\n\n...\n\n"Listen, how old are you, anyhow?"\n\n[[Twelve...]]\n[[Why do you want to know that?...]]\n\n

The time that you decided to try out for the cheerleading team (against your better judgement), it was sabotaged by Angela. She set a small group of other girls against you because you didn't have the right answer when they asked you what kind of music you were interested in. \n\n...\n\n<<display 'gym'>>\n\n\n

Angela pushes you. "Yeah, you probably studied for weeks, 'cause you got no life!"\n\nYou sigh. "Whatever, just, please, leave me alone."\n\nShe pushes you harder, "Three months of class because of you!"\n\nYou know this can't end well. Surprising yourself, you stomp on her foot as hard as you can and [[run like all hell|collide]].

You swing and miss! \n\nAngela grabs your hair and pulls hard, but you take a second swing and land a punch squarely in her face! You end up tearing off her necklace and you cram it into your pocket while the rest of her friends run toward you!\n<<set $necklace = true>>\n[[RUN!|angelarun]]

"I've been working with her for quite a while now. She's highly intelligent, creative, hard working... and she doesn't give up."\n\n[[With that, you both smile...|act3join]]

"It will. I'm going to call the school again, they can't have kids doing stuff like this, it doesn't make any sense. I'll try to call in this afternoon as soon as things calm down. I'm sorry I can't do more right now, kid-o, but you need to go to school and you need to believe me when I say..."\n\nHe continues to speak reassuringly. It can't hold your attention. It sounds like the same talk it always is: "We'll figure it out", "We'll find who's responsible", but it didn't matter. \n\n[[It's time to catch the bus|bus]]. Your father is hugging you and handing you $5 to buy lunch from the cafeteria.

There are twelve children in a park, two thirds of them are wearing boots. How many children are wearing boots?\n\n[[a) 2|badfinish]]\n[[b) 3|badfinish]]\n[[c) 4|badfinish]]\n[[d) 8|goodfinish]]\n

<<set $soc = $soc + 1>>What year did it become legal for women to vote in the United States of America?\n\n[[1918|socbad3]]\n[[1920|socgood3]]\n[[1834|socbad3]]

"Well, you've probably never heard that from an adult before, huh?" the man follows that question with another little laugh, and he doesn't wait for you to answer him. "I'm here, young lady, because children a couple years older than you -- from the look of it -- tend to require a great deal of flashy visual stimuli in order to become really interested in something. I am here to assist in a little show being put on for those children which is meant to give them some insight into science beyond their ratty old text books, which, admittedly, can be a bit on the dry side."\n\n"Science is my favorite subject though!"\n\n"Aha! Young lady, the more you speak and act the more I see my young self in you."\n\n"They... call me names for that too. And say I'm stupid. One said I should do girl stuff and that I'm too dumb to even know that. Then others started saying the same thing and now they all say it. I even tried for cheer and didn't make it. I didn't even want to..." \n\n[[Against your best efforts, a couple tears escape...|You're trying, but you cannot hold back every tear...]]\n

"Angela, please just knock it off..."\n\n"Fuck you! Nina was gonna gimme the answers for both those fucking tests and now I didn't get shit! That shit is gonna put me in summer school you cunt!"\n\n<<if $mathtest eq 3>>[[You probably should've studied then, the math test was really easy...|aced]]<<endif>>\n[["It's not my fault!"|punched]]\n[[Run!|collide]]\n

~ the end ~\n~ thank you for playing ~\n\n++ [[Curios And Miscellania|achieve]] ++\n\nmade by\nAnts And Aphids\nhttp://www.ants-and-aphids.tumblr.com\n\n\n\n\n\n

You don't know where to go. Maybe you should [[go back|school]] and think about this.\n\n[[Run...|gameover]]

You walk into the social studies classroom and are greeted by a simply beaming Mrs. Carter. She wishes you a chipper, "Good luck!" and pats you on the shoulder as you pass her by on the way toward your desk. Mrs. Carter always makes you smile, probably because she's so vicious to the kids who act up in her class.\n\nYou're among the first few to arrive, so you take your seat, pick up the test paper sitting waiting for you on the desk, and [[get to work]]...\n\n\n\n\n\n

It was Jocelyn's textbook that hit you. It's probably the first time that the book has been used for anything.\n\nYou've never had a conversation with Jocelyn, but you've heard her talk to others. That's a big part of why you've never bothered trying.\n\nShe is always getting in trouble for her clothes being inappropritate for class. She yells a lot. She's best friends with the Nina -- the girl who was suspended for tormenting you -- and Angela, another one who's nearly as bad. It seems like Jocelyn is stepping up her game while Nina's not in the picture.\n\n...\n\n<<display 'Turn around...'>>

No luck! The clock [[flew away]].\n\nThe intensity of the alarm is growing QUICKLY into an irritating cresendo.\n\n[[Chase it down, turn it off...]]\n[[Ignore it, stay in bed...]]

Ryan plays football and follows Jocelyn around. He grunts when he laughs, and he laughs at almost everything.\n\n...\n\n<<display 'Turn around...'>>

<<set $soc = $soc + 1>>\n<<if $soc eq 0>>You bombed it.<<endif>>\n<<if $soc eq 1>>You don't think you passed. Maybe you got one right, if you were lucky...<<endif>>\n<<if $soc eq 2>>That could have been worse. Two out of three would mean you passed, at least...<<endif>>\n<<if $soc eq 3>>You know you did great. Probably got them all right!<<endif>>\n\n[[Well, time for gym...|gym]]\n

"Not a jellyifish, but a starfish under glass. But that may not be your only surprise. For instance, this little fellow here... do you think he'd care if a boy or a girl studied him?" \n\n"Uhh..."\n\n"No. Of course not. And would you like to know a secret?"\n\nHe doesn't wait for you, he just pauses for the tiniest split second before carrying on...\n\n"I do science, all the time. I'm a marine biologist, in fact. And before that I went to school just like you, and every day I was laughed at, pushed around, picked on, and worse. Just like you, I'll bet."\n\n"I love the ocean. It's so big."\n\n"Well, so do I! And I study the things in that ocean all day long, and let me tell you -- there's a lot of things to be studied -- but, that secret I mentioned! I have a boss, and she looks at pretty much everything I do, you know, to make sure it's going right. My boss gets to do all that cool stuff too, except they've been doing it longer and they're extremely, extremely good at it."\n\n[[I don't get it...]]\n[[Oh?...]]

"Because I wanted to tell you a story and was curious to know if you'd heard it before. No matter, you need to hear it. \n\nThere was once a King, King Canute. All the people close to him, they did nothing but tell him how amazing he was, but that part doesn't really matter. The point is, the King got the idea in his head that he was all powerful, because that's what everyone told him. Easy enough, right? But he didn't feel it. He couldn't, kings are only people, and people, well, they usually don't feel like Gods, probably because Gods don't..." He stops to exhale sharply, "Hm, so... So how do you imagine old Canute felt? My guess? He was angry. He was frustrated. He didn't understand why he didn't feel as powerful as he thought he ought to. One day, he decided to see just how powerful he could be, and to see how //that// might make him feel."\n\n[[What did he do?...]]

"No, kid-o. They really don't. It's gonna be summer in just a couple weeks, we're going to do everything we can do to make it right. I can't take you with me today, and you really do need to be in school..."\n\nHe continues to speak reassuringly. It can't hold your attention. You've got this speech essentially memorized: "We'll figure it out", "We'll find who's responsible", but it didn't matter. \n\n[[It's time to catch the bus|bus]]. Your father is hugging you and handing you $5 to buy lunch from the cafeteria.\n\n

<<if $bloody>>"Oh! Hey, are you alright?" \n\nYou've just bumped into a tall, rotund looking man with thinning blonde hair. He is wearing a freshly stained laboratory coat.\n\n[["I'm sorry!"|sorry]]\n[["Help!"|helpme]]<<endif>>\n\nYou round the corner and scurry into the first empty room you see. You collide with a large, tall man with thinning blonde hair. Looks like that room wasn't quite empty.\n\n"Are you ok?" Asks a man in a laboratory coat and protective goggles.\n\n"I think so... I guess."\n\n"What happened?"\n\n"Other kids are mean to me... a lot."\n\nHe glances out of the doorway but sees nothing interesting. The man's brow furrows, "Have you told your teachers?"\n\n"Yeah..."\n\n"Not much help, huh?"\n\n"Not really..."\n\nAfter a few moments of awkward silence, the man asks, "How do you like school? Besides the mean kids, I mean?"\n\n"I guess it's ok. I like class. They make fun of me for that, too." \n\n"Ha, haha! Why, that's because they're stupid."\n\n[["What?..."|What?]] \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

<<set $drivetoschool = true>>It's a very quiet drive. You can't help but think that your father just doesn't [[understand]].