*Picture of Maddie in her Trumping Ceremony dress above*

Maddie's POV

Today was going to be one of the most important days of my life. The second annual Trumperican Trumping Ceremony. Yes, I know it sounds weird! Renaming almost everything in the country after himself was just one of the insane things President Trump had done since he took office in 2016.

Oops, did I just call His Excellency insane? The Trumpists are gonna come arrest me now!

Hehehe, at least I didn't say it aloud. Even the all powerful Trumpists couldn't read our thoughts. Yet.

"Maddie! You don't want to be late for the Ceremony!" My mom yelled from downstairs. It was unbelievable how fast she and most former Americans had adjusted to life in Trumperica. It had only been two years since our world was turned upside down, and she was acting like she had been born Trumperican.

"Coming!" I replied, putting on the beautiful red tulle dress I had bought for the occasion and running down the stairs.

I stuffed a bowl of cornflakes into my mouth as fast as I possibly could before slipping on my polished high heels and walking into the garage, where my dad waited for me in the car.

"Today's the big day, Maddie! Who knows, maybe you'll get into the Trumpist Circle!" He said enthusiastically.

"No, ew!" I scrunched up my face in disgust.

"Imagine being a Trumpist, an elite..." he trailed off dreamily. "This pesky Cardex wouldn't always follow you around, you'd have unlimited money and power..."

"Hubert called Cardex pesky. Cardex would like to remind Hubert that Cardex is in place for his own good. Noted," my dad's Cardex said, and he sighed sharply.

"No matter how privileged I'd be if I got my school district's Trumpist spot, I'd have to support the likes of Trump."

"Ssh!" My dad hissed. "If one of the cameras or your Cardex caught that, you'd go to the Lowly Circle for sure!"

"I'd rather be in the Lowly Circle than become a spoiled Trumpist!"

"Fine, let's compromise," my dad sighed. "We'll hope that you can stay in the Moderate Circle, okay?"

"Okay," I nodded. Moderate was my parents' circle, that I defaulted to the day of the Trumping, when Trump took over back in 2016. Today, I would be placed in one of the three circles based on my grades, citizenship, and loyalty to President Trump, the supreme ruler of Trumperica. I would like to stay in Moderate, it would be a decent life, away from Trump.

As we arrived at Fairview High School, we were greeted by a blaring announcement.

"ALL SOPHOMORES, PLEASE REPORT TO THE AUDITORIUM FOR YOUR TRUMPING CEREMONY! ALL SOPHOMORES REPORT TO THE TRUMPING CEREMONY!"

"Good luck!" My dad smiled, squeezing my hand one last time before I walked into the auditorium, where my friends Julie Zedd, Rylee Stone, April Spring and Emma Coleman waited for me in the seats.

"Hey Maddie!" Rylee smiled. "Are you ready?"

"How can you possibly be ready for the day a crazy dictator decides your fate?" I raised an eyebrow and Rylee laughed.

"Please stand for the pledges." Oh, the announcements were starting. I stood up and put my hand over my heart, before joining my classmates in monotonously reciting my oath to Trumperica.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Ununited States of Trumperica, and to the dictatorship for which it stands, one nation, under Trump, with liberty and justice for the Trumpists!"

"Honor the Texas flag, I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state, under Trump, one and indivisible."

"I hate the stupid Pledge of Trump," Julie whispered, soft enough that her Cardex didn't pick it up.

"I know!" Rylee fumed. "I'd kill to be able to say the American pledge again. To think that we said it so casually in middle school."

"Sophomores of FHS, welcome to the 2nd Annual Trumping Ceremony!" A Trumpist walked up to the podium, and we all cheered out of habit.

"Today is the day you will become full citizens of Trumperica! You will find your rightful place in society, under the rule of His Excellency, President Donald Trump," she continued. "Now, there are more than eight hundred of you, we will need to progress quickly to be finished with the ceremony on time. So, without further ado, let us begin."

"Areena Adams," she announced, and a blonde girl I didn't know walked up to the stage, accompanied by the cheers of her friends."

"Let's see," the Trumpist looked down at her iPad. "You have decent grades, never failed any classes, never spoke out against the President though you weren't openly loyal...Areena, by the highest order of the Trumpist Circle, you are placed in the Moderate Circle!"

I saw the slightest bit of disappointment in her eyes as she smiled weakly. "Thank you, ma'am," she said politely, accepting her certificate and returning to her friends.

I shook my head. She should be feeling lucky! Moderate was an awesome placement! Only one person from the entire district got into the Trumpist Circle!

"Alphabetical order, of course," Julie rolled her eyes. "We're last, as always."

"Yeah," I grumbled, as the Trumpist went through the A's, the B's, and finally, the C's, Emma's letter!

"Emma Coleman!" The Trumpist called, and Emma walked up to the stage, surprisingly not very nervous.

"Let's see...you have pretty average grades, though not exceptional, people say you're a nice person, never spoke out against the Trumpist Circle or Trump...Moderate Circle!"

Emma gave her trademark smirk, accepted her certificate, and returned to her seat.

"Hey, congrats!" Rylee, Julie, and I high-fived her.

"You didn't get Lowly," Julie shrugged.

"And thank god for that," Emma folded up her certificate carefully and slipped it into her binder.

After many more names, which we only half listened to, it was the turn of another one of my friends.

"Rylee Stone!" The Trumpist called, and Rylee nervously skipped to the stage.

"You have quite excellent grades, community service, looking awesome so far...but it says here that in the ninth grade, you violated the Constitution of Trumperica by openly speaking out against President Trump," she shook her head. "I'm afraid we'll have to place you in the Lowly Circle. We're sad to lose such a promising young lady." She handed Rylee her certificate, and she came to sit in her seat. We were all silent.

"I'm sorry," I finally whispered quietly.

"It's not your fault," she sighed. "It's that piece of crap Trump's fault. Why did he have to win? Couldn't Hillary Clinton have gotten just a few more votes? Then...we'd still be in America. Everything would be alright. My life wouldn't be ruined!"

"It's okay," I smiled encouragingly. "If you work really hard, you can still earn money. You can pull through, you're Rylee!"

"Ugh...it's no use talking about it now anyway," she pursed her lips.

"April Spring!" The Trumpist yelled.

"Good luck!" I patted her on the back as she rose from her seat.

"Okay...you have an awesome record, but you participated in Rylee Stone's anti-Trump protest last year. Lowly Circle."

"What?" April yelled. "No! I can't accept this! I want freaking America back!"

"America is still here, it's just called Trumperica now. Life is so much better now," the Trumpist replied calmly, as if she was used to such reactions from Lowly-bound sixteen year olds.

April, grumbling, returned to her seat beside Rylee, where they both begin to very...colorfully describe President Trump.

"Sonya Toole!" The Trumpist yelled. Rylee and I groaned, we had experienced a...bad year in 8th grade choir with her. Back when it was still America.

She confidently skipped up to the stage, with almost the entire crowd cheering wildly. Everyone knew she would be chosen as Fairview ISD's Trumpist. She had openly supported the Trumpist regime ever since Trump took over. She organized Trump support rallies and convinced almost the entire school to love Trump.

"Okay, Sonya," the Trumpist nodded. "Amazing support of President Trump...but your grades are below the mark. Moderate Circle."

"What!?" Her friends screamed. "No! She has to be this year's Trumpist!" But of course, the Trumpist didn't listen. Trumpists don't listen to anyone.

After a few more names, she called. "Ethan Thomasl!"

"They're almost to me!" I giggled nervously.

"You're gonna do great. You're gonna get Moderate," Rylee smiled. "You didn't even participate in the revolt!"

"Yeah...I guess."

"Julie Zedd!"

"WHAT!?" I screamed as Julie walked up to the stage. "NO! THEY SKIPPED ME! THIS HAS TO BE A MISTAKE!"

"Participant in the revolt..." The Trumpist shook her head. "Lowly Circle."

"You skipped me!" I yelled, but the Trumpist, of course, ignored me.

"Luke Zonan. Average grades, some community service, but you're of Mexican descent. Lowly Circle."

After the last kid went up onstage, the Trumpist smiled.

"Now, we know, there's someone in this room who hasn't been called. This was intentional. This person is actually in for a very, very special honor. People of Trumperica, let's welcome Fairview ISD's 2017-2018 Trumpist...Madeline Udana!!!"

There was no way in heck I just heard what I just heard.

There was just no way.

I beat out everyone in this district for the top spot.

I was a Trumpist!!!...Yay?

"Please come up to the stage," the Trumpist beamed. Except for Rylee's awkward cheer, the room was completely silent. I felt the heat of Sonya's friends' hate on my back as I received a gigantic plaque and a bouquet

"You are perfect. Literally perfect!" The Trumpist gushed. "One of the highest scoring new Trumpists in Trumperica! Excellent grades, attempt to stop a revolt, community service...With people like you, Trumperica's going to be successful again in no time!"

"Thank you so much," I smiled, shaking her hand.

"Alright, your principal is going to finish up the ceremony," the Trumpist beamed. "Come backstage, and we'll discuss what happens next. A car will be here to take you to the airport in ten minutes."

"What? The airport? Already?" I raised an eyebrow. "But my friends, and my parents...don't I at least get to say goodbye? And what about all of my stuff."

"You're a Trumpist, now," the Trumpist laughed. "Trust me, you will have no shortage of 'stuff'! And why would you need to say goodbye to anyone? You're their superior now. Forget they ever existed!"

I immediately made a mental promise to myself.

I'm not falling for this 'superior' crap.

"Okay, Trumpist..."

"Waters," she smiled. "Trumpist Waters. But you can call me Karen."

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten. Now that I was a Trumpist, I could address Trumpists by their first names...Just when I thought I was getting used to being a Moderate, I was pulled into a whole new world of weird.