As soon as it dawned Crystal Prep Academy was filled by dozens of students roaming the crystalline hallways. Murmurs and sneers were echoing through the corridors, small groups of students talking to each other. Most of the students had already rolled in when the doors to the school suddenly swung open. A few students in the entrance hall turned their gaze, their eyes widening at what they saw. They began to point at the five girls standing in the door, who didn’t take a step into the school as if to present themselves. In a matter of seconds the conversations had died off, all the boys and girls staring startled at them.
With a proud sway in their stride the girls walked through the hall into a corridor, silently followed by the gaze of the other students. As they passed the lockers everyone they came by grew silent and froze, some even dropping their books. The eyes of the students turned to them as if they were attracting them like a magnet.
Confidently they moved through the school, walking directly towards the office of the principal. As if they were expected Principal Cinch was standing in front of the door, Dean Cadence at her side. Hands on her back the principal looked calm, but strict, while the dean seemed more concerned, though she couldn’t hide a slight smile at the sight of the girls. They stepped up to the two adults, striking sassy poses in front of them.
On the right side was Sunny Flare, showing her shoulder to the heads of the school. She was wearing a short summer dress with a ruffled hem, alongside a mini-vest over it and a pair of stiletto high-heels on her feet. Next to her was Lemon, a devious look on her face. On her spread-out legs she wore jeans with holes at the knees and ripped at the ankles, showing her bare feet in her sandals. Matching her pants she also wore a jeans jacket, and underneath a cropped T-shirt with a skull symbol on the chest. On the left side was Sugarcoat with her arms crossed, clad in a hooded sweat-shirt, a knee-long skirt, a pair of leggings underneath and rather thick boots. Sour Sweet, mimicking the look of an innocent little girl with her hands behind her back, was dressed in a tiny T-shirt and a long-sleeved undershirt, alongside small hot-pants, striped socks reaching up to them and some simple slippers. In the middle of them Indigo was standing, wearing the same clothes as the day before, her fists stemmed against her sides as she and the others smirked at the principal. All of their clothes were coloured in some shade of blue, reaching from aquamarine to deep sea hues.
All other students around quickly left the hallway. Cinch didn’t move a muscle, except for her eyeballs. Thoroughly she inspected each of the girls from head to toe, giving them a disapproving glance. “I should be surprised, but frankly, I am not” she eventually took the first words. “Since the friendship games I had the feeling you five girls would turn into troublemakers. Seeing the rest of you all join Miss Zap’s ridiculous ‘revolution’ only confirms my suspicion.”
With big puppy eyes Sour smiled at their principal. “That’s so charming!” she cooed at her. “You don’t know how happy it makes us to have lived up to your expectations! That’d make us the first students ever, right?” she cynically added.
The principal grumped at Sour. “A witty remark will not help your situation, Miss Sweet.”
“Principal Cinch” Cadence tried to ease the situation with a pleading look on her face. “We really shouldn’t make hasty deci-”
The raised hand of the principal cut her off. “No more softness, Miss Cadenzia” she told her. Furrowing her brows, she leaned forward to Indigo, looking her straight in the eyes. “I gave Miss Zap a fair chance, but she decided to throw it away.” Indigo didn’t give in to her glare, staring back at her with the same intensity. “What’s even worse” Cinch continued while looking over the other four girls “she convinced other students to participate in her violation of the rules!”
“She didn’t convince us into anything” Sugarcoat made clear.
“Yeah!” Lemon confirmed, taking a step forward. “We’re here because we’re her friends!”
“And no humiliating theatre costume can threaten us to leave her side!” Sunny declared, all four girls forming a half circle around Indigo.
The sheltered student happily smiled at her friends, before looking back at the principal. Cinch didn’t seem impressed in the least, throwing casual glances down on the five Shadowbolts. “Very well” she said calmly. “If you all insist on staying at the side of Miss Zap, then it would only be fair you all share her punishment.”
Indigo stood up to Chinch, almost stepping on Cinch’s toes. “You can’t scare us” she told her straight up. “Maybe I can’t change the school all on my own, but with the help of my friends, you’re gonna be the one who’s got to give in at the end!” she finished, pointing her finger up at her face.
Cold eyes stared down on her. “Bark as much as you want” Cinch whispered, a slightly smug ring in her voice. “You might be the captain of several sports teams, but don’t think because of that I won’t expel you.” She raised her arm, moving her hand over the hallway. “This school is filled with exceptional athletes!” she declared proudly. “I can easily find a replacement for you.”
“But can you also find a replacement for the whole soccer team?” a female voice suddenly interjected.
Surprised everyone stared down the hallway. More than a dozen girls were marching into their direction. Their footsteps echoed through the corridor, a mixture of loud boots and high-heels as well as soft slippers and sandals. None of them were wearing the Crystal Prep uniform, instead being dressed completely in blue clothes. The sight of the blue battalion seemed to shock the principal, causing her to adjust her glasses. After the surprise had settled Indigo broke out into a big smile, her eyes shining brightly. Led by Mirror Sheen the soccer team took position next to their captain, confidently smirking at Cinch.
Once she had digested the shock Cinch’s face took on a furious look. She opened her mouth, but just as she was about to speak, another female voice from the other side of the hallway cut in: “Or for the entire rowing team?”
Cinch turned her head, nearly fainting at the sight of another blue-clothed group of girls walking towards her office.
“Or for the motocross team?” another voice called from the other side again, and from around the corner another blue squad appeared.
From all sides groups of female students began to stream to the principal’s office. Cinch could only watch in horror as they all took position at the side of Indigo, whose smile only grew with each sports team that came to support her. When the last one had rolled in a huge bulk of students had assembled at her side, filling out most of the space of the large hallway. The students stood in front of the principal, like a wall built out of blue bricks.
And one green brick.
“Sorry” the girl in the olive shirt said, sheepishly rubbing her head. “I don’t have any blue tops…”
With a whole army at her back Indigo seemed even more sure of herself. “So, still think you can find a replacement for me that easily?” she asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Desperately Cinch stared over the blue rebels. The majority of Crystal Prep’s female athletes had assembled, alongside a few of the male students from mixed teams. “This… this is a scandal!” she yelled, sounding both furious and helpless at the same time. “You are staining the good name of our school! I will… I will see every single one of you punished for this! I will…”
“What will you do?” Lemon chimed into her speech, putting on a cocky grin. “Kick us all out?”
The angered look on the principal’s face indicated she would very well have liked to. Before she could raise her voice however the dean tucked her at her shoulder. “Principal Cinch” she whispered into her ear “I think it’s best if we discuss this situation calmly in your office and try to find a solution that’s the best for all sides.”
Cinch brushed off the dean’s hand. “I will not negotiate with troublemakers!” she told her sternly, shocked by the proposal.
“Then what will you do?” Cadence asked, curiously raising an eye-brow at her. “Since they are all violating the dressing codex, we would have to punish them the same way. But you know very well we can’t expel such a large number of students or put them in detention without getting into trouble with the parents or the school board. Also, these are members from most of our female and mixed sports teams, and we are in the middle of the season!” Cadence folded her arms in front of her chest. “They might be breaking the rules, but for the benefit of the student body and Crystal Prep’s reputation, talking things over with them is really the best option we have!”
Though she was obviously not of the same opinion as her dean Cinch’s expression calmed slightly. She turned her gaze back down on Indigo, who still saw a glimmer of rage burning in her yes. “Into my office!” Cinch demanded, pointing at the door behind her. “Now!”
Cinch and Cadence vanished into her office. Indigo was about to follow, when Sunny grabbed her arm. “Don’t overdo it, okay?” the girl in the summer dress harshly insisted.
Smiling Indigo put off her hand. “Relax” she said to her and the others as she walked over the doorstep. “I know what I’m doing!” With a wink she closed the door behind her, leaving her rebel army in the corridor.
“She has no idea what she’s doing” Sugarcoat stated flatly.
Sour rolled her eyes. “You don’t say?”
Standing in front of the principal’s office the students quietly waited. With each second that passed uneasiness and worry began to overcome them. Occasionally voices were getting louder inside the office, but they couldn’t make out a word that was spoken. Finally, the door opened again. Everybody expectantly looked at Indigo as she stepped into the hallway, who looked back at them with an undefinable expression.
Suddenly she cracked a big grin. “The chains are busted!” she declared, proudly holding her fist up.
The revolutionary army broke out into loud cheers, also raising their fists.
“At least on Fridays” she added more modestly.
Everybody stopped, looking a little confused at Indigo.
“We worked out a compromise” Cadence explained as she appeared behind Indigo, closing the door behind her. She seemed rather cheerful, holding a staple of documents under her arm. “Principal Cinch agreed to introduce the concept of a ‘Casual Friday’ to Crystal Prep Academy. She is currently preparing the announcement, while I will go through the paperwork. It should be done before lunch, so by tomorrow the new rule will be in effect. The dress code still remains from Monday to Thursday, but on Fridays” she said while contently smiling at the blue rebels “the students are free to wear what they want!”
The students broke out into jubilation again. “And of course, you may walk around in these clothes for the rest day” the dean added, though her voice was drowned by the loud cheers of the students. Indigo looked at her rebels. Her usually grumpy teammates celebrated together, bumping fists and even hugging each other in the joy of their victory. Staring at them she suddenly felt a shadow being cast on her, almost jumping in surprise as she saw the dean leaning over her.
“As for you, Miss Zap” she said sternly, before her expression softened “I am looking forward to your next report.” She winked at Indigo, before turning around and walking down the hallway towards her own office.
With a smile Indigo looked after her, before turning to the other students. Everybody was looking at her, many of them holding a hand on their hips or crossing their arms as they smirked at their captain. “You guys…” She had to pause for a moment, rubbing her eye. “I can’t believe you did this!”
“Thank Mirror for it!” one girl from the rowing team yelled, pointing with her thumb at the amaranth-haired girl.
“Yeah!” one of the soccer players agreed. “She convinced us and the other teams into this!”
Mirror Sheen, wearing a blue skirt and blouse shrugged. “What can I say?” she said with a cheeky ring in her voice. “I just overheard your friends talking about your revolution, and we all agreed we couldn’t let you take the fame all by yourselves.”
Indigo returned the smug grin, before her expression became one of genuine gratitude. “Thanks, Mirror” she said to her, then let her gaze wander over all the students in the hallway. “All of you. With your help, even if it’s just by a little, we were able to change this school!”
Once more the rebellious group cheered at their leader. When things had calmed down Mirror stepped up to her, looking a little flustered. “Hey, um, that offer to meet at Joe’s doughnut bar – is it still up?” she asked shyly.
Indigo frowned at the girl who had dumped her once at that place. The suddenly stern look made Mirror wince. “Five o’ clock, under the swirling donut sign” Indigo replied, and Mirror immediately relaxed. “And everybody is invited to join!” she then happily shouted through the hallway.
There was another uproar going through the blue mass of students (and the one with the green shirt). Arms were put around shoulders as the students began to leave, talking and chatting with one another as they got on the way to their classrooms. Indigo watched the assembly of students dissolve, with the exception of four girls who remained at her side.
“That was really amazing, Indigo!” Sour praised her. “I never would have thought Cinch would give in to a compromise – or you, on that matter.”
Lowering her head Indigo rubbed her neck. “Don’t thank me too much for this” she admitted a little embarrassed. “It was mostly Dean Cadence who convinced Cinch. If she hadn’t kept me on a leash, all of us would have walked out of here as clowns.”
Her friends giggled. “I have one question, though” Sunny then said more seriously. “You wanted to inspire the whole student body, but you never directly asked any of us for help. Why?”
Looking even more embarrassed Indigo shrugged. “I… guess I didn’t want you to get into trouble.”
Sour and Sunny immediately let out an “Aww”, while Sugarcoat rolled her eyes. “Well too bad for you!” Lemon suddenly shouted, startling Indigo as she jumped at her from behind and pulled her arms over her shoulders. “Cause dragging each other into trouble is what friends are supposed to do! Speaking of which: Friday night’s gonna be SO SICK!!” she yelled, letting go off Indigo as she jumped towards the ceiling. “I mean we can hop right over to the disco without needing to change first! IS THAT AWESOME OR WHAT?!”
“I don’t think the disco’s gonna be open before 6 o’clock” Sugarcoat remarked, although it was questionable if the dancing girl was listening to her.
Indigo looked at her friends in their blue clothes they had only put on for her sake. “Thank you guys” she told them. Again Indigo stemmed her hands against her hips, her chin held high as she spread her legs with a proud grin on her face. “If there is one thing I learned today, it’s that when the Shadowbolts of Crystal Prep work together, there is nothing they can’t accomplish!”
Amused Sunny chuckled under her hand. Just then the bell to the first lesson rang. “Come, oh great commander!” she playfully said to her, turning in the direction of their classroom. “It’s time to put your knowledge about real revolutions to the test.”
Indigo remained in her pose, her smile frozen on her face.
“…You completely forgot about the history test, didn’t you?”
“Shut up.”