Yellow is Traditional!

Carol breathed deeply for several minutes before turning to us. “Alright! We’re officially a club with three members! Which means you get to be the treasurer, Max! Please do your best, and don’t worry about the small stuff… Did you bring anything to take notes with?”

I blinked, reached into my bag, and pulled out a notebook and pen. It’s not the most magical item, but at least this feels familiar… I held my pen at the ready and asked. “Does this mean I’m in charge of the budget?”

Carol nodded, but Rake said. “Technically, every club has the same budget. But you’ll be in charge of keeping records of everything. I’ll help you, so don’t stress out too much.”

“That would be great! I’ve saved money before, but those projects were pretty small.” Seeing Carol’s grin made me feel more relaxed as I asked. “So, what’s the project going to be? I can start figuring out supplies once I know what we’re working on!”

This project will count toward half of our grade. If I can get top marks, the rest of the year will be a breeze! Carol grinned, chuckling to herself as Rake rolled his eyes. “Here we go.”

“I love your enthusiasm, Max. I can already tell that you have what it takes to make your dreams come true. And this project will prove it!” I nodded eagerly, pen poised to make the all-important first stroke as Carol snapped her fingers, making a small wooden box appear on the table. “Feast your eyes, my friends, because this year belongs to us! We will achieve top marks and show Zane where he can stick his member-stealing nonsense in bold letters!”

Rake was not amused. “Just get on with it, Carol. We don’t have all day.”

“You have no sense of showmanship, Rake!” Carol declared as she glared at him. “Don’t you know that the presentation is part of the grade?!”

“I do, but there’s no need to be so dramatic with us. We need to get started before dinner.” Rake looked at me and asked. “Do you know your way around the academy yet?”

“Not yet, but I have my map!”

Carol nodded approvingly. “Our new treasurer has an excellent mind. No doubt Max will appreciate my genius in choosing this project!”

“We’ll never know if you don’t tell us,” Rake muttered as Carol lifted the lid with a flourish. I wasn’t sure if one of them was using magic, but the sun seemed to get brighter as Carol reached into the box. Her grin widened, and she looked at us to make sure we were still paying attention.

I knew I was. Rake looked bored as he pointedly tapped his wrist where a watch should be. Carol rolled her eyes and lifted her hands, shouting, “Behold the key to our futures!”

I leaned forward, ready to see what would take most of my free time for about half a year… only to see Carol holding a bright yellow rubber duck. I blinked. It was still there. I blinked again, waiting for the punchline, or an explosion, or anything to make the rubber duck turn into something else.

But it refused to change, and after trying to stare holes through it for about a minute. I turned to Rake and asked. “Am I crazy, or is she holding a rubber duck?”

“I’d love to tell you that you’re crazy, Max. But she’s holding a rubber duck.” I bit my lip and looked at Carol. Her grin was still there, and she was still holding it like it was worth a fortune. Must. Not. Swear. At. President.! I didn’t want her to hate me after coming this far.

“Um… I’m sorry, Carol… But what’s with the duck?” I had expected her to be angry or disappointed. But Carol laughed.

“Exactly! I knew you would get it, Max! It’s not exactly an animal, but it works with water. And it makes the cutest noises!” She proceeded to squeeze it, making it quack and laughing even more. I looked at Rake, but he was just as confused as me.

“What did I get… exactly?”

Rake shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”

But I did. Carol said the rubber duck was the key to our futures, and I was the treasurer. I had to do a good job, and that meant figuring out how a rubber duck is so important. I waited for Carol’s laughter to die down before asking, “What are we doing with a rubber duck?”

“Oh, it’s not just one rubber duck! I have a box full of rubber ducks! All kinds! I never knew they came in so many colors and sizes!”

I nodded as I tried to wrap my head around her words. “I’m sorry, Carol. But I still don’t understand. Are we using them as a model, or get them to fly?”

Students are allowed to perform experiments, but what else can we do with rubber ducks? I didn’t think Carol was interested in taking a bath with them, and I was quickly proven right. Carol placed the rubber duck on the table and began pulling out more by the handful. Her hands turned into a blur, and the entire table was soon covered in rubber ducks.

“That sounds like it’ll be a great part of the presentation, Max. But I want to get to the heart of the matter!” Carol bent over the box, fitting both hands inside as she hauled something out of its depths. I knew I should help her. She was the president, and we had to get along. But Rake refused to move even after she glared at him. “Rake, get over here! The poor baby is stuck!”

“We’re not allowed to use live animals for our project, Carol.” Rake chuckled, earning another glare as Carol threw the box at him. He catches it easily and looks into the box with a raised eyebrow.

“How many rubber ducks did you order, Carol? And why is there a giant pink one?!”

Carol shrugged, looking far too pleased with herself as she said. “For experiments, of course. We need a large sample to work with to achieve the best results. Weren’t you paying attention in science class, Rake? That’s the scientific equation to figure things out to a T!”

“And what are you trying to figure out about rubber ducks, Carol?” My eyes felt like ping-pong balls as I watched them. Rake looked ready to throw the box at Carol, yet she remained the picture of my ideal scholar: calm, passionate, and in control. But that image was shattered as soon as she opened her mouth.

“We,” Carol emphasized, “Are going to discover the true purpose of the rubber duck! We shall investigate everything from its history to who makes them! Our project will hit all the high notes of nostalgia while looking for new ways to use them! Do you understand now? This is like the ultimate form of recycling at its finest!”

I didn’t need to see Rake’s face to know to duck. The box hit Carol square in the stomach, knocking her over with a small grunt. I couldn’t blame him for being angry. My pen slipped from my fingers, hitting the top of my shoe before rolling to a stop near a neon-green duck. I stepped back as Rake loomed over Carol and shouted.

“Who cares about rubber ducks, Carol? They’re bath toys for babies! Everyone knows that. How is that supposed to help us get top marks? I know you love coming up with far-fetched ideas, and a bunch of them have worked. But this is taking things too far. We need to find something to impress the faculty, not act like little kids!”

Carol rose, took a deep breath, and threw the box at Rake. He caught it again and tucked it under his arm as she retaliated. “Have you forgotten our club’s ideals, Rake? All forms of research are welcome, and no one will expect this!”

“No one will expect it because there’s no need to research rubber ducks! There’s no mystery, no unanswered questions, and no need to find new uses for them! Rubber ducks are toys. What are you trying to do?”

“I’m trying to break traditions and push things in a new direction. I want to surprise everyone, and this is the way to do it. You said most of my ideas worked, so why won’t you take this gamble with me?”

“Because there are only three of us left! If we can’t pull this project off, the faculty might disband the club. It’s good that Max is here because we can’t run a club with two members. You know that!”

Carol nodded, and the tension rose as they stared each other down. “I know that. I’ve been the president of the Research Club for a couple of years. And this won’t be our last!”