Piper is sitting on the stairs outside her classroom with her crutches behind her.

PIPER: Question. What is the dumbest thing your teacher has ever done? Seriously, guys, I wanna know, comment down below the dumbest thing. Have they ever...marked you down because they've taken a personal dislike to you? Or...when they're supposed to be teaching you about economics...spend the entirety of the lesson complaining and whining about their failed love life. Mr Baxter, mate, get your life together. Maybe it's because your name's Wayne? Not a very sexy name, sorry to all the Waynes out there! But that a whole nothing storytime for another video. *This* vlog is about vertical integration!

She makes some "air quotes" and then tries to fit her fingers together, unsuccessfully.

PIPER: Keep watching, please, it's not that...

Caption: PIPE UP

PIPER: Let me paint you a little picture. I'm in Year 12. This is the most important and stressful year of my life. Exams are just around the corner...fun fact...scientists have just tested Year 12 studentsand their stress levels and their anxiety...and they match the stress levels of mental asylum patients in the fifties! That's what I'm dealing with right now. But now, the Acting Principal Mr Kelly has decided to merge classes, so I'm in class with younger students.

She puts her fingers on her face.

PIPER: Can't actually paint you that picture because I'm having to re- learn what a paintbrush is...because the little ones in my class now aren't up to speed. It makes *no* sense. We are literally having to go over and re- cover stuff I learned in Year 8 and Year 9. I don't have time for this! We're in Year 12! We don't have time to be guinea pigs! It makes no sense, it makes no sennnnnssssseeeee!

She looks at the camera.

PIPER: I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all for experimentation. Absolutely! Experiment with your hair colour. Experiment with...your sexuality. But don't experiment with a bunch of Year 12s when their education and potentially their career is on the line, just to score brownie point with the Education Department because you're like "pioneering"...

She makes air quotes again.

PIPER: ...a new learning technique. So, we're on strike. Which would be great, if, you know, I was fighting for better wages, but in reality I'm just falling further behind because I'm not in class. So, Mr Kelly said to me that 'School isn't a democracy'. But, I think it should be. I think that us, the students, should be making decision for *us*. *We* should be voting on things that affect us. The new canteen menu. The Education Department think that we want salad and quinoa and asai, but we don't! After double maths, we want some twisties and a parmi! Some bangers and mash! Chips! Theme ideas for the Hallowe'en dance. 'What about, er, medical- themed?' We can all dress up as nurses and teachers I mean, doctors...somebody might be interested in that...'What do you think about Vertical Integration, students?'

She grimaces at the camera.

PIPER:(in a broad Aussie accent) Naw, mate, not for me, yeah, no, aw, I prefer my education horizontal. (In her normal voice) Joe's an idiot!

She sighs.

PIPER: So...yeah. We're on strike. And...just waiting. But no, we're staying strong, we did a video. We filmed, like, live footage from in the hallway with Mr Kelly having a confrontation about vertical integration...and we sent it to the West Waratah Star. So...

She crosses her fingers.

PIPER: ...we're praying for some coverage about this...I keep like, checking my phone, to see...if there's a reply, but there's nothing, that's fine...it will happen, I have faith! Come on, Tim Collins, pull through, burn the school down! Don't, actually, because we've just re- built. But just stop Mr Kelly. I'm just very nervous because this means a lot. So yes...just waiting. May as well read some comments.

She looks at her phone.

PIPER: Oh, actually...there was one that I did remember. Charlotte's message...'Get better soon, get well'. Thank you, I am. I'm better. I'm not, like, ready to go on a jumping castle or anything, not that I ever did that...anyway...thank you, Charlotte!

She looks at her phone again.

PIPER: 'Please do a tongue twister video', so like...Shee shells...

She looks at the camera.

PIPER: Already failed! She sells sea shells by the sea shore. That could be really fun. I might do one with Tyler. If you guys want to see that, comment down below...hashtag...#seashells .

She looks at her phone again.

PIPER: 'Can you do the "Try not to Burp Challenge"? Drink a Coke or a Sprite and try not to burp. It's hard because you need to burp.' Oh, I don't read enough comments. Maybe I should do a video just reading comments.

She reads another comment.

PIPER: Oooh! Maybe I shouldn't! OK, on that note, I'm going to leave it there!

The video cuts.

PIPER: I just got an email and they're actually going to run the piece! Ha, take that, Mr Kelly, democracy is winning!