Unbullied

Chapter 9

Chapter 9"Are you ready to make it official, Charlie?" asked Oberon.

Charlie stepped up in front of the podium. "Are you kidding?" She was all cried out now, done with the first flush of relief that had left her a blubbering wreck.

"Okay, then." Behind the podium, Oberon nodded. "Time for the oath."

Seated in the chairs behind Charlie, Nil's other members applauded. Juliet, Falstaff, and Ariel clapped politely, while Gloria and Sutra whistled and cheered.

"Don't be nervous, Charlie," said Oberon. "We've all taken this oath. We've all been in your shoes at one time or another."

Charlie smiled. She liked Oberon much better now that he'd traded the ski mask for a domino mask like Ariel's, just as Falstaff and Juliet had done. The color of his hair--salt and pepper--was visible, and more of the structure of his face, though Charlie still had no idea who he was in real life.

"Repeat after me," said Oberon. "I, Charlie West, do solemnly swear to oppose bullies in all their forms, wherever they lurk."

Charlie repeated his words. She was only too happy to cement her connection to these people who'd promised to help her. Not to mention how worried she was that if she didn't hold on to them, they might disappear into thin air.

"I also swear to help all those who are victims of bullies in any way," said Oberon.

Charlie nodded and said the words.

"Because I know what they are going through," said Oberon.

"Because I know what they are going through," said Charlie.

"Bully one of us, bully us all," said Oberon. "No one fights alone."

Charlie felt a shiver up her spine as she said it, a shiver not of fear but inspiration.

"That's it." Oberon clapped his hands together. "You're one of us." He raised an index finger. "Almost."

"Almost?" Charlie frowned.

"You just have to learn the rule. The golden rule of Nil." Oberon raised his finger higher. "Tell her, my friends."

Everyone else but Charlie spoke in unison, reciting the same words: "Nil does not exist."

Oberon pointed at Charlie. "What's the rule?"

Charlie grinned. "Nil does not exist."

"Congratulations!" Oberon reached across the podium and shook her hand briskly. "Welcome to Nil!"

"Nil?" Charlie smirked. "What Nil?"

Shortly after the oath, while Charlie was still flying high, Juliet brought her crashing back to Earth. "Charlie?"

When Charlie turned, she saw that Juliet was holding up a black blindfold.

"We need to get you home," said Juliet. "It's almost five-thirty in the morning. Your mom will wake up soon, won't she?"

"Home?" Charlie's newfound happiness exploded in a thermonuclear mushroom cloud, eradicating all traces of joy. "No, wait..."

Juliet pushed the blindfold toward her. "It'll be all right. We'll bring you back tomorrow night to start your training."

"But Conscience," said Charlie. "He's coming for me. For all of us--Mom and Tim, too. You shouldn't be sending me back there. You should be getting my family out and bringing them here till you stop Conscience."

"But then how would we get him?" Oberon walked over to join the conversation. "Conscience isn't stupid. If your family went underground, he'd go off the radar...at least until you reappeared, which you'd have to do eventually. You and your mother and brother can't live here indefinitely."

"But he's going to kill us," said Charlie. "He was in our house!"

"And we will deal with him," said Oberon. "Trust me. But for now, you have to stay out there. You have to make him think he's got everything under control, because that's when he'll make a mistake."

"Like killing me?" said Charlie.

"Why kill you when he's having so much fun?" Oberon shook his head forcefully. "His texts tell the story, don't they? Clearly, this is all about you...though we still haven't figured out why."

"You've read his texts?" snapped Charlie. "On my phone?"

"We hacked it. You could sue us, if we existed." Oberon shrugged. "But those texts don't lie. I'm telling you, murdering you is the last thing on his mind. He's having way too much fun toying with you right now."

Charlie scowled. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one he keeps threatening."

"Bully one of us, bully us all." Ariel said it from across the meeting area. "No one fights alone."

Charlie shook her head. "He has access to my house. He comes and goes as he pleases."

"And if he does, we'll have him," said Oberon. "We'll catch him in the act."

"You mean you're watching where I live?" asked Charlie. "Then why didn't you catch him today, when he broke in?"

Falstaff spoke up. He was rubbing his black goatee, which was visible now that he wore a domino mask instead of a ski mask. "He slipped past us. Our surveillance wasn't at a hundred percent yet."

"We had to deploy agents elsewhere," explained Oberon. "Another situation went code black and jumped the queue."

"But that'll never happen again?" said Charlie.

"Nothing in life is guaranteed," said Oberon, "but you and your family are now our number one priority. From this moment on, we are putting all our people and resources on it."

"They're good people, Charlie," offered Juliet. "They'll do what's humanly possible to keep you and your family safe."

Charlie thought about it for a moment. She didn't like what she was hearing, but her choice was clear: accept what help and protection they offered, or go back to having neither. "Would you feel safe?" she asked Juliet.

"Not until Conscience was stopped." Juliet answered instantly, with what sounded like utter sincerity. "But until then, I know I'd feel safer." She shrugged. "I think that's the best you can hope for right now."

Charlie scanned the faces around her, lingering on those of the two girls from school. She looked for the slightest flicker of guardedness or warning...and saw none. If anyone there thought she was being steered the wrong way, they gave no indication of it.

"All right." Charlie nodded. "But what if he slips past you again? What if I need help?"

Ariel walked over, reached into her pocket, and held up a black disk the size of a quarter coin on a silver chain. "Panic button. Wear it around your neck." She handed it over. "Squeeze it once, and we'll know you're in trouble."

Charlie turned the disk over in her hand. It was as thick as a stack of four quarters and had a thumb-sized indentation on one side. "How long until someone responds?"

"Moments," said Ariel. "Barring an unforeseen emergency."

"Thanks." Charlie opened the clasp and slipped the chain around her neck, then reconnected the clasp. "I hope I won't need it."

Juliet cleared her throat and held up the blindfold. "Ready for this? We need to leave immediately."

"I took the oath," said Charlie. "I'm part of Nil, right? Can't I see where The Bunker is?"

"You're on probation," said Oberon. "We blindfold you until it's over."

"Which is when?" asked Charlie.

"When you've proven yourself," said Oberon. "When we decide you can be trusted."

Charlie sighed. "I thought you said you just have the one rule."

"One rule," said Oberon. "The rest are traditions."

"Charlie?" Juliet waved the blindfold.

"Okay already." Charlie turned her back on her. "Do what you have to do."

Juliet wrapped the blindfold over Charlie's eyes and tied it tight at the back of her head. "Sorry about this." She patted Charlie's shoulder. "But it's really only the smallest, least important part of all this. The big part is what really matters."

"What's that?"

"Not being alone anymore," said Juliet, right before she guided Charlie out of The Bunker.