The Geek Revolution ✓

36 | advantage

"GOD, IT'S QUIET WITHOUT BENNY," Drew grumbles.

Today is the first of the Mathletes' Eastern League competitions, hosted at a high school an hour's drive away. This is the first round, which determines whether Benjamin's team will go to the qualifying rounds.

Benjamin didn't tell us when they'll get back since the times really depend on how the competition goes. If the teams are highly capable this year, or if any tiebreakers need to be conducted. I just really hope he wins. It's well about time he caught his dream.

While we all notice it, Benjamin's absence is not the actual cause of our group's somberness today.

It's the Monarchy. Surprise.

I told everyone about my two encounters with Reece and Terrence yesterday.

Delaney, as per usual, was ready to break bones — infuriated that declared a ceasefire without telling any of us, since apparently ceasefires need to be agreed upon. She was also offended that Brittany dared to be offended when she offended more people herself, and pissed off that Reece and Terrence wouldn't act on their dissatisfied feelings and simply walk away. The world exists in black and white to Delaney.

Leah reacted as Leah always does: thinking with her huge heart. She caught onto the implication that Brittany's inevitable comeback will be the harshest yet. That is if we're thinking in terms of retaliation, of tit for tat. The recruits have turned out to be the most pressing advantage we have, so she will press harder than ever when she returns. Leah only cares about the inevitable comeback the Monarchy will make, and how to protect people.

For Drew, what I experienced still demands a lot more thought. That's his once-best friend we're talking about, and I know he's never been able to summon absolute ire towards him or Derek.

Reece is a hard one to figure out. A couple months prior, Reece was a sadistic jerk who lived for the power the Monarchy comes with. Now? I think he's a tortured soul, with a long trail of mistakes and secrets that Brittany ties around his neck, and uses to keep him loyal to her.

Assuming the whole thing isn't a complex scheme to shake us, what Reece told me is valuable information. But caution is still required. He might be just feeding me more lies, though I understand what he means about needing a break.

I hadn't realised it, but I've been slowly losing focus in class, and studying less at home. Grades are dropping, if only by a few marks. Sleep comes later and leaves me earlier.

This Revolution isn't easy on us, either.

Twenty minutes later, just as we're about to call our joint study and strategy session a day, Benjamin strolls into the library. His happiness can't be contained in a mere smile, brilliant as it is, eyes twinkling in the four o'clock sun.

Nothing can match Benjamin's grin, but I try anyway. "Let me guess. You won?"

"Fuck, yeah!" His eyes widen adorably as he glances around the hushed library, scanning for the librarian. In quieter tones, leaning on the back of a vacant chair, he repeats, "Fuck, yeah."

"Stereo Shack?" Delaney offers. "We have so much to tell you, BJ."

A short drive later, the five of us tumble out of his car in a blur of giddy laughs and congratulations. Benjamin graciously shouted us each a hot drink from the Stereo Shack, which we all took away to Haywood Park. A thin track has been cleared on the concrete footpath through the snow.

We wander through the walking trails while Benjamin begins to speak. He's never usually this talkative, but this is math we're talking about. The love of his life. He says he hasn't eaten all day, being too nervous to eat beforehand, and too swept up to eat after the victory. We sip in relative silence, letting Benjamin's excitement chase away the varying negative emotions from our meeting.