|
During homeroom, the loudspeaker cackled, sputtered and
came to life. "Will RubyRainbow333 please come to Principal Droning's office?"
I dragged my hooves the entire way, filled with
dread. What if Principal Droning wanted to talk to me about the article? I couldn't
face the principal, a liar. I couldn't brazenly walk up to him and deny all
I had done. My stomach twisted and tangled itself into a knot. Nervous sweat
dripped down my forehead. Finally, I was at the principal's office. I could
still turn and run away. It wasn't too late. But instead, I opened the door…
"Ruby, come in. I'd like to have a word with
you." Principal Droning said in his flat, monotonous tone.
Cautious, I stepped towards his desk. "Mr. Droning,
I…"
Ignoring my babbling, Mr. Droning spoke. "You're
an excellent student, Ruby. And an excellent person."
"But I…"
"You might be a bit surprised when I say this."
"I didn't mean to…"
"I'd like to give you the honor of being the
Golden Jubjub Sixth Grade Class Valedictorian."
My mouth was agape in shock. "What…"
"It was a controversial decision, you being
a reporter. But Mr. Stevens and I feel you're the best candidate for the job."
It hit me like a thunderbolt. Mr. Droning didn't
know about the false articles. "Mr. Droning… you shouldn't have."
"It's quite alright, Ruby."
"No. I mean, you really shouldn't have…"
"Don't waste your time thanking me. Off to class
with you." The blue Buzz principal ushered me out the door, deaf to my stuttered
protests.
* * *
Indigo nearly blew a fuse when I told her about it on the way to French class.
"He did WHAT?"
"Indigo, I know it's hard to believe…"
"Of all the silly things… the students are going
to be after your blood for this! When they find out that a reporter is their
Valedictorian…"
"A lying, cheating reporter," I said. Indigo
didn't hear me.
"Ruby, a reporter normally can't get mixed up
in the things she writes about. It's not, shall we say, wise."
Indigo didn't seem to realize the real reasons
behind my reluctance. She didn't realize the devastating effect that being a
gossip columnist was having on my life. "Anyway," she said, "I have a new piece
for you to write. This one is going to blow the Golden Jubjub out of the water.
It's going to be such a success; Mr. Droning will have to keep the paper." She
rubbed her paws together in anticipation. "You're going to love this one."
"What?" I asked. I should have refused to write
the article right there and then. But my curiosity got the better of me.
"Are you ready for this? That little first-grader,
Larry Stork the yellow Lenny beat Sapphire in the Battledome."
I was agape with shock. I halted in the middle
of the hallway, mouth open. "Are we talking about the same Sapphire? SapphireCloud777
the blue Eyrie? My little sister Sapphire?"
"How many Sapphires are there in one school?"
"But Indigo… that's not even true."
"What's the hold-up over there?" asked a Skeith
behind me. "Keep the traffic in the hall moving!" I didn't hear him
"We all know he could, in any case."
"Larry is a level 2, ill-equipped Lenny. His
owner is a Newbie."
"So?"
"Do you realize how insulted Sapphire would
be if we published that? It's not true!"
"Does it matter?"
Then, I resumed walking, quoting the slogan
of the Golden Jubjub Voice. "'To help those in need service. To keep the public
informed. And to right the wrongs of the Golden Jubjub.'"
"What?"
I whirled around, looking my best friend in
the eye. "So, you forget the motto of our newspaper, even after two long years
of using it?"
"Actually, we came up with that motto last winter…"
"Does it matter? We have an obligation to the
people. We made the obligation when we created the paper. That is it, summarized.
A slogan that we made together. A promise to the people."
Indigo bared her teeth in a frustrated grimace.
"You'll write that article if you want to keep that promise alive, Ruby. It'll
be you who destroys the newspaper, not me."
"You're acting like the promise and the paper
are one and the same. They're not."
"Ruby, why aren't you doing this?"
"I won't turn my back on my own kin." I felt
my eyes blaze with anger. "I helped to raise Sapphire from a hatchling. When
she's scared or lonely, she often comes to me. I'm more than a sister to her.
I'm her friend too. I could never hurt a friend."
"What're you doing to me?" Indigo asked fiercely.
"What're you doing to me?" I echoed. "When the
graduating Golden Jubjub seventh graders find out that their Valedictorian is
a gossip queen, they'll be all over me like ants on ants."
"What'll they do when they find out she's a
backstabber and a traitor?"
I paused. I hadn't thought of that. Indigo marched
right past me and into her Spanish classroom.
I was faced with an impossible decision. No
matter which way I went, I'd be trapped. Choosing between my best friend and
my sister. My integrity and my job as a reporter. The people and the paper.
And no matter what I did, I would lose my job
as Valedictorian. Once word got around that I had betrayed Indigo, the people
would hate me more than they already did. Loyalty is treasured in the Golden
Jubjub, and a backstabber is little better than a liar.
My vision clouded and I began to see strange
pictures again. This was not a whirlpool, but a circle. A ring of friendship,
gold in color and shining with the light of a glittering star. At first, this
circle had been perfect, untainted by sorrow or betrayal. We were all on it:
Indigo, Emerald, Sapphire, Amethyst, Sky, Dante, Daywalker and I. Now, it was
weakening. Cracks appeared in that radiant ring. An especially big crack was
forming between Indigo and I. I felt the once solid friendship under my hooves
grow softer and frailer… like metal in a forge under a smith's hammer; it would
break.
Back to the whirlpool. Waves crashed about me,
swirling in the current. I fought frantically, but my head went under. I was
fighting it with all my might. My legs were cramped and sore. I sank… sank like
a stone below the surface. Indigo watched calmly from her boat and Daywalker
watched scornfully from his. The water swirled around, whipping my mane in my
eyes and blinding me. Through the murky depths, I saw something. A gray lifejacket.
It was weighted with what looked like lead weights. It would be heavy, but it
would float long enough to help me get out of the whirlpool.
It would only drag me down afterward. I felt
like I hadn't the strength to fight anymore. And I continued to sink as if some
of those weights were attached to me. I sank… so far down. The sunlight, distorted
by the waves above was fading… fading…
To be continued...
| 
