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The YMS stood for “Young Mens’ School”, and on the inside cover were the letters “PSI”, which stood for “Propriety and Social Interaction”. One brochure touted the benefits of etiquette by showing how a gentleman dealt with various social situations, from being overcharged to declining alcohol, all while keeping his cool. Another one asked pointed questions about clothing choices for various occasions; the last one discussed the perils of girls, and Brandon felt that it was written exactly for him. As the lights dimmed and the round table hummed to life with its yellow grid of light, he flipped the folder closed and moved his marker, the shoe, into the Westchester stadium.
HIM stood up and announced, “Strategy night will now begin.” His voice was authoritative and commanding, as though he were a military leader, or at least as though he had practiced being one. “Is everyone here?”
Veero phased through the wall and sat a few feet in the air near the door. HIM looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Sorry, sorry!” she said. “I’m here now!”
“Everyone is here, so let’s get started,” HIM said.
A second of sudden silence passed and then the door to the strategy room, which had been cracked open, swung full wide. In the doorway stood a tall man in a stylish, brown leather trenchcoat, sinewy fingers grasping multiple books in each hand, his gold-rimmed glasses, squarish face, and receding brown hair giving him a sagacious, owlish appearance. He spoke in soft, sure words that left the impression of mystic strength: “We ALL are here.”
Veero’s eyes glowed an almost-white shade of blue, and her voice took the tone of a love-crazed fangirl. “Windy! You’re so cruel to make me keep a secret!” HIM sat down and gave him a sly salute; Wenchy looked exasperated yet relieved; O-Man shook his hand and welcomed him back; Velvet Katherine met his eyes in a steady stare, at last saying, “Welcome back, Franklin.”
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