Today, pranking was strictly off limits.

Along the edges of the bleachers, catching the sunlight, flags in multiple team colors fluttered in the cool breeze. Otherwise, the benches were a sea of green and white sweatered spectators. I almost felt bad for the visiting teams and the lack of support they'd have while at Waterbridge. Almost. Because if there was one thing we all collectively liked to crush more than our opposing army, it was other school teams.

If suffering a Thunderbird or Hellhound for the sake of a championship was necessary, it would be done. On the field, our Spartans were a team, a cohesive unit, working together to dominate the other players. So, school teams and sporting events were a no war zone.

Hellhounds and Thunderbirds alike lined the stands around the soccer field for the opening ceremony and game of the two day tournament we were hosting. Even Katia, who was still fending off curious glances to her stomach fours days later, sat proudly on the bleachers in our colors. 

Jess and I sat together, midway up the bleachers, clip in green streaks in our hair and little green flags in our hands, anticipating, as our peers did, the start of the game and the arrival of our team to the field.

But as they were announced and Kellen, Jackson and the team trudged onto the pitch, I suppressed a startled giggle. Spectators and the other teams laughed outright.

This was not cool! This was a blatant violation of the code! Our pristine white uniforms were pink. Even the Hellhounds on the team looked disgruntled. 

Only the Hellhounds could have been responsible. We wouldn't very well prank a team that was, save for three students, made up entirely of Thunderbirds. That, and we had come so close to violating the rules of the war with the grey zone of 'Bra-gate'. Kellen would have injured a Thunderbird for even suggesting something that was such a disregard for a clearly black and white rule.

Jess bolted off the bleachers beside me, and suddenly appeared by the side of our team's bench. She whispered something at her brother, who with a stony expression ignored her altogether. As she flitted away, quickly running back towards the residence, I saw Jackson lean slightly to Kellen and mutter something. I considered joining Jess, but stayed where I was watching the reactions of the students. At least Katia and the rest of her Triad had the decency to look as surprised as the rest of us.

Jess returned shortly after the HijINKs blast went out, disheveled and quite out of breath. She was carrying two boxes and sauntered purposefully back to her brother. What did she know that I didn't? I frowned, didn't she tell me everything, even when Jackson told her not to? I watched as she spoke to Jackson, this time letting him peek into the box. With a loud, "Good luck!" she clambered back up the bleachers and sat at my side.

"What was that all about?"

"I had an idea." Her face mimicked the often unreadable mask of her brother's face, and I realized with disappointment that she wasn't going to share. She tucked the boxes under her carefully, without affording me a peek into them and straightened up, watching the field as if nothing had happened. She was excited, though; I could tell that easily.

"Guess I'll have to wait?"

On the field, standing on a makeshift podium, Headmaster Sorenson offered our team a slightly confused look as he greeted everyone. It was a pretty run of the mill, it's my great pleasure, please enjoy your stay, the athletes have worked so hard, kind of boring speech. He ended it by introducing the teams that would be playing in order of ranking, which of course meant as hosting school and reigning champions, our team was last.

As Headmaster Sorenson called our team's name, Kellen and Jackson stood and made their way to the middle of the field, clearly surprising the older man. "Oh! It appears that our team captains have some words to say."

Kellen smiled brightly at the Headmaster as he explained something and took the microphone from him. "I know this is a little unorthodox, but our team wanted to make an announcement. Most of us kids don't think anything bad will ever happen to us or anyone we know, so when it does, it kind of blindsides you. We recently found out that our awesome coach's wife has breast cancer, which is messed up and unfair, you know? So we decided we should do something to show our support," he gestured down to his uniform. "Thanks to Katia Morgan for making it possible."

The reaction was as expected, the coach trying not to cry as his players hugged him, the spectators and other teams applauding. No one noticed the smirky look Kellen shot Katia.

Jess chirped beside me, "I fixed it!" Pulling me out of my seat, she shoved the boxes into my hands and propelled me down the bleachers towards our team's bench.

On the field, Jackson yelled for attention, "This isn't about us, it's about showing support to one of our own, so our team will be selling pink ribbons for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation by our bench throughout the tournament."

As we sat in the grass a couple of feet from the team, I gaped at Jess in awe. "I didn't know you had it in you, Babes!"

Blushing, she shook her head. "It was your idea actually."

The perplexed expression on my face only made her laugh, and she quickly muttered that she'd explain later.

"Thanks, Nat!" Kellen and Jackson said as they passed us before heading right to the coach.

Thanks? Had I been sucked into a parallel universe where everyone looked the same, but no one acted the same? Jess had hijacked the prank for the boys. The boys had said thank you. Since when did they ever say thank you? I wasn't even mad about them calling me Nat. I kind of wished I could put the thanks in a box and carry it around in my pocket, so that in future I could check on it; yep, it's really there, it really happened.

When everything had settled and the first game of the tournament had started, I looked to Jess. "Explain."

"Okay do you remember a couple of weeks ago when Jacks and Kellen were talking about Coach's wife?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Nothing," Jess admitted. "I just remembered it, that's all. Anyways, Ashley stands in for the secretary, so she found out that they were going to do a pink ribbon thing this weekend while all the other schools are here."

"Jess, I still don't get how it was my idea."

"I'm getting there! Remember last year when they messed with the Trifecta's hair? How Kellen flipped that they'd shaved his head while he slept?"

"How do you even sleep through that?" I giggled; he must sleep like the dead!

"Right? And Jackson and Leon were so pissed that their hair was pink that they shaved their own heads. You had said that if they were smart, they could have played it off like they were supporting a sick friend, and the Hellhounds would have lost that round."

Our conversation paused as a few people approached us to purchase ribbons.

"So," she continued when they left. "When they came out on the field like that, it reminded me of what you said, and then I remembered about Coach's wife, and the ribbons and it was kind of perfect! I do feel kinda like we're using Coach, but the money is still going to the charity, so is it a bad thing?" 

She bit her lip as she caught sight of Katia coming toward us.

"No, it's not. You're pure genius, Jess." I whispered to her.   

She flushed at the suggestion, and I felt a strange pride in my friend's accomplishment.

Katia's expression soured as she took in the hijINKs notification, before she pocketed her phone and eyed us both with a shrewd expression. "I'll take three ribbons." As Jess passed over what was asked for, Katia held her gaze for an awkward moment before handing me her money. "Nicely done, ladies," she said.

As she walked away, I grinned at Jess. "Do you know what this means, Babes?"

She looked at me, eyes wide with confusion.

"You just hijacked your first prank all on your own!"