I do not own Ned's or any other part of Nickelodeon. I originally redid the TV version of Field Trip (too much of a rip-off and it got boring fast), but this is a different trip, no gardens, maybe a gallery. Situations are the same: Suzie's back, Faymen's gone. Also, they live in Iowa, not a common sitcom state, but still in the Midwest, like most sitcoms. The town name is Raisburg, I'm saying it has about 35,000 people, but it's not real, neither is Peach Grove.
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"Finally, after eight long months of being in class nearly non-stop, we get two whole days away from school!" Ned Bigby and his best friend Simon Nelson Cook a.k.a. Cookie strode into James K. Polk Middle School the morning of the big 8th grade field trip. The entire class would be heading to Iowa City for an overnight stay as they would tour Peach Grove estate, the former home of many famous people and several other historic sites and sites of educational interest.
"I know. It's going to be awesome. I even have a new plan to make Lisa notice me," Cookie excitedly declared as they reached his locker. "Cookie, maybe you should just tell her that you like her, I mean what harm could it do?" Cookie rolled his eyes. "If I tell Lisa I like her, she might not feel the same, besides; you won't tell Moze you like her, why should I tell Lisa?" Ned opened his mouth to retaliate but couldn't think of what to say. "I-I'm with Suzie, I can't tell Moze?" he finally managed with a defiant smirk.
"You can't tell Jennifer what, Ned?" Suzie Crabgrass asked approaching the two and taking Ned's hand. Since moving back to Raisburg from Des Moines, she and Ned had once again become inseparable as boyfriend and girlfriend.
"We're still sitting together on the bus, right?" she smiled giving his hand a squeeze. Ned nodded his mouth slightly agape. "Now, what can't you tell Jennifer?" Jennifer Ann Mosley a.k.a. Moze had been Ned's best friend and neighbor since he was a toddler, but today he couldn't even talk to her about anything. He knew he had feelings for her, but what he couldn't figure out was whether they were feelings for a friend or a crush, since Suzie had moved back, his brain was confusing him a lot.
"I can't tell her that-that Pal is one of the bus drivers, she thinks the guy is a crazy driver, don't want to get anyone all nervous for a bus ride," Ned replied with a nervous chuckle. Suzie just smiled again. "I'm with her; Pal doesn't seem like the best candidate for bus driver." Ned breathed a sigh of relief; she must have only heard his last statement to Cookie.
"Well, not to interrupt your conversation or anything, but we should all be heading to homeroom a little early, the teachers plan to mark every student's suitcase to prevent anything from getting lost," Cookie removed the last of his needed field trip items from his locker before shutting it. Noticing that neither Ned nor Suzie had heard him he just turned back down the hallway and headed to Moze's locker, she had only been avoiding Ned.
Cookie and Moze weren't as close to each other as Ned and Cookie or Ned and Moze, but they were each other's second best friend and had been since 1st grade when Cookie's family moved to Raisburg. He could still remember many great times he had had at Thomas H. Kuchel Elementary School. Plus, Moze had recently confessed to him that she indeed liked Ned as more than a friend, but was too scared to tell him. Cookie couldn't break his friend's trust and thus didn't tell Ned that Moze liked him probably as much as he liked her.
"Hey Moze, how's it going?" Cookie asked nearing Moze's locker. "Hi Cookie, do you know when we find out about roommates?" Moze finished putting some homework in her backpack. "No clue, I just hope I won't be rooming with Loomer or his friends, or Martin, I have a feeling he'd stay up all night talking to me about pointless stuff. Moze laughed, Cookie was right Martin Qwerly was the most talkative boy in the entire school and Billy Loomer would torture Cookie all night by beating with either a pillow or his fists.
"Well, I'm just hoping I don't end up with Missy, she always gives me a weird look whenever I talk to Ned like she knows we were just faking about going out," Moze blushed slightly at her own mention of Ned, however Cookie didn't notice, Lisa Zemo had just started down the hall. "Maybe you'll be rooming with Lisa and then you can see if she likes me," Cookie raised his eyebrows and gave Moze a pleading smile. "If I room with Lisa, I'll put in a good word for you, but you need to be honest with her and tell her you like her, no more schemes."
"Fine, but I think you and Ned need to start being honest too," Cookie hoped to catch up with Lisa and her crowd of admirers before homeroom started and headed down the hall. Moze was slightly confused, what had Cookie meant saying that Ned needed to start being honest too. Moze gathered her bags and headed to homeroom.
Meanwhile, Ned and Suzie had stopped at both his and her lockers to grab everything they needed. Tip: pack only the essentials for an overnight trip also check on the weather so you pack the right type of clothing. Snacks are essential too, just don't overdo it. "So, how were things at Polk while I was away?" Suzie stared into Ned's blue eyes as the couple walked to iTeacher's classroom, supposedly the home-school teacher was going to be one of the girl's chaperones, if she managed the courage to leave her home.
"Polk was pretty boring, Suzie, I mean there was that three week period where Missy was chasing me, but outside of that pretty boring," Suzie took a second to picture Missy running down the hall chasing Ned, she felt a slight shiver, Missy was bad enough if she wasn't chasing you. "Did you really go out with her?" Ned laughed at the question. "No, she was never my girlfriend or anything near it, she was just my ride to Seth's party, nothing more," Ned let go of Suzie's hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they got to iTeacher's doorway.
A woman of about 38 sat behind the usually empty desk and greeted the pair. "Hello, Suzie, Ned," iTeacher stood from her desk and sat on the edge of it. Ned and Suzie were quite speechless, no one actually expected iTeacher to come, at least not in person. "Wow, you're really here, that's great that you finally conquered your fear," Ned removed his arm from Suzie shoulder. The teacher beamed both excitement and fear, this was the first time she had actually stepped into the school since her interview. "Yes Ned, I'm actually here, despite what everyone predicted and my actual name is Mrs. Burgeson, so I would prefer to be called that." Mrs. Burgeson smiled at Suzie and grabbed a clip-on tag for the girl's suitcase.
"See you on the bus, Suzie. Bye Mrs. Burgeson," Ned gave Suzie a quick hug, nodded to the teacher, and headed to Mr. Sweeney's room grabbing his own luggage. "So are you more nervous or excited, Mrs. Burgeson?" Suzie was still in some shock that the woman she had known as a talking computer screen was actually standing before her. "Actually Suzie, I'm terrified. I almost never leave my house and I definitely haven't interacted with my students personally before; I just don't know what to expect."
Mrs. Burgeson told Suzie about all of her fears before asking how it felt to being back for two days. Today was Thursday and Suzie had only been back since Monday afternoon. That Tuesday was the longest day of her life, she had to try to catch up in every class and hope that she could still be friends with everyone she'd left behind. "Moving back is hard, I moved when I was in elementary school and we didn't move back until I was a freshman in high school, most of my former friends had forgotten I even existed," Mrs. Burgeson chuckled a little and let out a disappointed sigh.
Well she was helpful. Thing is, I was only gone for a few months, not years, hopefully my friends take me back as fast as Ned did. Suzie took a seat and watched as several other students filed into the classroom.
Ned's mind was not on Suzie at the moment as he and Cookie sat in a far corner of Mr. Sweeney's room their anticipation growing. Moze placed her suitcase in the growing luggage pile of Mr. Sweeney's classroom and dropped her backpack on a desk near Ned and Cookie. "And what crazy scheme do you two have planned?" Moze raised her eyebrows as both boys glanced at her and smirked.
"Nothing, we are just going to enjoy the history of Iowa City and all that it has to offer," Ned replied leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, you enjoy history, that's like me hating technology," Cookie laughed as Ned glared. Good, everything seems fine between Ned and me; maybe this trip will go okay after all. I just hope I don't room with Suzie. Moze smiled taking a second glance to each of her friends.
"So Moze, how have you been this week?" the brown haired girl looked into the blue eyes of her best friend, her brown eyes held the same glow. Please let her finally talk to me, I've never gone this long without talking to her, even if she was on vacation. Come on Moze, talk to me. A pleading smile spread across Ned's face.
"I've been good, Ned. What about you?" There was a hint of bitterness in her voice and Ned could tell. He wished he could work things out with her on the bus ride, but he would be sitting with Suzie. Crap, nothing's better between us. "I've been good too." Ned's gaze fell to his desk.
"Come on guys, don't sound so disappointed, this is the best part of 8th grade, well except graduation," Cookie smiled nudging both his friends. "We have to make this field trip the best ever, who knows how many field trips we'll even get in high school, let alone together." Now Cookie started to feel sad, he and his friends and classmates only had about a month left of middle school, most of them would be going to Michael S. Dukakis High School, but not all of them.
"Cookie, we're going to have an awesome time, promise," Ned stood behind Cookie and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Yeah Cookie, this will be the best field trip ever, I promise too," Moze laid her hand on Cookie's arm. "Good, but we need to plan the perfect way to leave our mark on James K Polk. What do you guys say?" Ned and Moze smiled, Cookie pulled a list out of his bag as Mr. Sweeney called attention to the front of the classroom.
"Okay class, over the next two days, we will be visiting the Peach Grove estate. It was home to the 1st state governor as well as Civil War heroes and countless others. We will also be visiting the Old Capitol Building Museum, and we will be seeing a surprise presentation at the university. Now, I realize you are all very excited for your rooming assignments, but you don't get to find out that information until we reach the hotel." Sweeney continued to ramble but the trio of friends in the back of the room weren't listening anymore.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but why don't we ask Gordy, I mean he is a prank master," Moze glanced to both her friends, they nodded. "Of course, Gordy will know the best way we can leave a non-detention-giving mark on the school, I want my summer to do better things than chat with Crubbs or Sweeney," Ned whispered nodding towards Mr. Sweeney.
Moze and Cookie smiled, Ned wasn't exactly hated by Vice Principal Crubbs or Sweeney, but they wouldn't think it bad to keep him from goofing off all summer when he could be in summer school. "Alright, we'll talk with Gordy as soon as homeroom is over and then talk about final details on the bus, agreed?" Cookie looked to Ned and Moze. "Agreed," they answered in unison, causing both to blush slightly.
"Wait, I agreed to meet up with Suzie right after homeroom, maybe she could help?" Ned shrugged sheepishly. Moze's eyes took an annoyed glaze, so did Cookie's. "Dude, I realize you like her and she's your girlfriend and all, but this prank will be something the three of us need to do, alone. No girlfriends or boyfriends allowed to participate," Cookie whispered looking Ned directly in the eye throwing a glance to Moze at the word "boyfriends."
"Okay, you win. What if she just comes with to hear the plan? I did agree to meet up with her." Fifteen minutes later, Cookie, Moze, Ned, and Suzie sat in Gordy's closet on his still somewhat together futon. Suzie held tightly to Ned's arm, fearing a random creature would leap out at any moment.
"A graduation prank, I love the idea. When I graduated from middle school I toilet-papered the principal's car and wrote 'Happy Summer Vacation' on the back window. It was classic. You know it's weird, he didn't give me detention or anything; he just laughed kind of manically." Gordy stood in front of the four 8th graders and paced his compact closet, he tapped his temple and brightened every few seconds to ramble a plan that Moze would shake her head to.
"Tell you what guys, just enjoy the field trip. I'll work on some ideas while you're gone, but I won't take a jackhammer to Crubbs' desk, Moze, promise," Gordy held his hand in a Boy Scout's honor. Moze nodded and the four students headed to the buses.
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I'm sorry if this is kind of boring, but it's an exposition. I plan to make this have more action than the series version of Field Trip. For anyone who reads this, please review, even if it's just a one word comment.