The victory at the regional conference was a profound, validating moment for all of them. It was not just about the small grant or the feature in the arts education journal. It was about the recognition. It was about a group of quiet, nerdy, and broken kids who had created something beautiful and important, and the world had finally, for the first time, noticed.
The news spread through Northgate High like wildfire. 'The Aviary' was no longer just a cool, student-led magazine. It was an award-winning publication. Their small, quiet revolution had been officially legitimized.
The grant money, while not a huge amount, gave them a new sense of possibility.
"Okay, team," Nina announced, at their first post-victory meeting in the art room. She was standing in front of a whiteboard, a series of complex, and slightly terrifying, diagrams drawn on it. "We have achieved regional dominance. Now it is time to expand our empire."
