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It all happened on that day, the eleventh of December. It was just like any other ordinary day, 

go to school and just manage to live through all the classes until the day ended. But it was that 

afternoon, when everything went from a normal day to “What in the world is happening!” The 

day didn't just end with me playing video games at home for the rest of the afternoon, instead 

I had to stay after school for detention. Surprisingly, I was the only one there, I was 

expecting to see Thomas and Alex stuck here as well. I had detention until 4:30, but strangely 

I was still locked in even after the time past. So that’s when I figured out that something 

wasn't right. I tried looking for keys to unlock the door and get out, but it was no hope. I tried 

breaking through the window, but it didn’t break.   

Then I finally noticed the exponent expression written on the chalkboard, it read, 

“205^0”.

 I was so confused, we had already finished the lesson on them. But I didn’t mind it, 

maybe Mrs. Darrah was tutoring another student. So I go on, rummaging through her 

desk trying to find a paperclip to pick the lock and get out. But while I was looking 

through the drawers, I discovered a sticky note, with a message reading, “ I’m 

watching you!”   I payed no attention, thinking maybe it was just a prank, so I continue 

through the next drawer. Suddenly, I see something in the corner of my eye, that 

snaps me out of my trance. It’s another sticky note, but with a different message, it 

reads, “Simplify the exponential expression.” The very first thing I thought of was if 

they thought this whole thing was a game! I didn’t want to do it, I try my best to avoid 

actually doing work, but I needed to leave this place. 

 I learned exponents 2 months ago. First, I had to find the definition of an 

exponent. So I searched for it in the teachers’ algebra book. The definition of an 

exponent read, “A number that tells you how many times to use the base as a 

factor.” The base is the number that the exponent applies to, for example like in 

“205^0,” so 205 would be the base. I remembered that this type of exponent 

problem is called, “Zero Exponent”. Whenever the exponent is 0 to the power of any 

base, the answer will always be one. So I ran up to the board and wrote, “=1” next 

to the problem on the board. Then all of a sudden I heard the door click open. I 

quickly ran for the door and got out of the room. 

  205^0 = 1

(In room 143… Olivia wakes up) I don’t know what happened. Where is everyone? Why are the 

lights dimmed? Last thing I remembered was searching for last year’s yearbooks. Now I’m here 

in the library just having woken up all alone with a yearbook in my lap. So I got up and flipped 

through the pages of the book and found a note card right inside the cover. The notecard had 

writing in red marker, the writing stated, “Simplify this negative exponential expression,xy^-

3.” I thought this was a prank or something, but it was an easy problem so I decided to work 

out the problem anyway. The problem was easy, whenever the exponent is negative you will 

make the whole number a fraction with one in the numerator, so it became, “x times 1 over 

y^3.” Then all I had to do was multiply x/1 with 1/y^3, and got the the simplified expression 

as x/y^3.   I wrote “xy^-3= x/y^3” on the card and tucked it in my shirt pocket, wondering if 

I could get extra credit off of it. Suddenly, I heard a loud click by the door area, and payed 

no attention to it. Now that I remembered I’m suppose to be back home by now , I walked out 

the door and into the hallway on my tippy toes trying not to make a sound. Even though I was 

trying to get out of the school, it seemed as if   I was trying to break in instead.

(In room I72… Thomas discovers a math problem to solve for a snack)             

    Bang, Bang, BANG!!! The Sunchips didn’t fall down, but I got my change back. 

Oh, almost forgot to tell you about how I ended up banging on a vending machine. 

But, here’s how it all began… I was supposed to be in detention for cheating on my 

Algebra test, but I snuck out while the teacher was gone. I was roaming the 

halls, when I saw the Teacher’s Lounge door slightly open. I looked to see if 

anyone was around, and secretly slunk in. The first thing that caught my gaze was 

the vending machine (dun dun DUN!!!). So I slunk closer to the vending machine, 

while staying alert at sametime. I felt all the pockets I had, and then in the right 

pocket of my hoodie, I felt four big coins and 5 smaller ones. I had 4 quarters 

and 5 nickels. So I grabbed the coins, and popped them into the machine. Then 

looking at the machine the one only Sunchips caught my eyes right away. And right 

under the only bag of Sunchips left in that machine was b^6b^6. So I pressed B6 

into the machine, and a message came out that said, “Error: Code Invalid.”  

Now that I looked more closely at the code under the bag, the code said b to the 

6th power and not B6. 

I wasn’t always the best at math, but this one was pretty easy. Multiplying 

exponents with the same base was a simple task. Whenever you multiply exponents 

with the same base, you keep the same base, and add both exponents together. 

So in my situation right now, you would put the 2 numbers side by side with a 

multiplication symbol in between. Since the 2 numbers are b^6b^6, I would add 

the 2 exponents: 6 and 6 together, to get 12. And this gives me the answer b¹², 

because the base has to stay the same. Finally, all I had to do was press in B12 

into the numberpad. This was it, this was where I would finally get what I have 

longed for since the 30 minutes that had gone by. I pressed the B key, the one, 

and then the two key. And then I could both hear and see the spiral unravel, then 

a soft boom in the machine. 

 I reached for the bag and at last it’s right here in my hand. I slowly opened the 

bag and stuck my nose right over it. WHAT! There was no smell? That’s when I 

looked down and saw nothing, but a small index card, that had the writing, “Look 

at the clock.” Before I looked at the clock, there was some unfinished business 

left between me and the vending machine, so I beat the piece of junk and pushed 

it over. Then I looked up at the clock that was right above the door. It was 12 

minutes past six, which means it was way past the time, I should be home by. I 

stuck my head out of the room, and didn't see anything. Since the hallway and 

the whole school seemed so empty, I could imagine tumbleweeds tumbling across 

the halls and also that sound effect in western movies, the sound of a whistle and 

then, “Pwom...Pwomm...Pwommm!”

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