It was eighteen months ago that the third season had finished. One person had walked away victorious, while twenty-one had left spurned and let down. They tried to remain friends after, but it was over. The show had ended, and with it all of the success, romance, friendship, and conflict. Most of them went back to what life was like before the show had started. Hype had been big for a while, but as all gossip, it quickly died down. For some of them, money and wise investments followed. For others, successful careers in fields such as music, writing, and acting followed. But for them all, whenever some one on the street, or at a concert, or a book signing, or the red carpet asked if they were the person from the show, they all hurt and were pained inside. For all of them missed the times that they competed, and the people that they competed with. But some of these people were now brightened. They received letters informing them that they will be going to a popular convention at a panel for the show – which meant uniting with their friends. They were to go to an airport with a prepaid ticket, fly to their destination, and board a limo – there was one waiting for each of them. But some of the ex-contestants didn't receive these letters. They were still darkened.

He was the first to arrive. It was in the middle of nowhere. Desert surrounded on all sides. He turned to ask the limo driver if this was the right place, but he was already gone. Looking around, the boy noticed a small shack that looked like someone had been visiting it frequently. He was about to go over to it when another limo pulled up, and out stepped a very familiar girl.

"Carly," he said, and she ran from her limo, embracing him. The limo driver pulled her luggage out and left as quickly as his own had.

"Wow, James," she said, almost at a loss for words. "Where's all your luggage?"

James laughed at the materialism of his friend. "Sorry, Carly, but the only luggage I have is the pack on my back."

"Wow. You remind me of this character I played once, you know, in that movie? You have been watching them, right?"

Carly had since become a famous movie star. And she was one of the richest sixteen-year-olds in America. "Of course, Carly. Miss out on one of your epic films?"

She laughed. "I missed you. Wow, I haven't realized it, but like a lot."

James smiled. "Yeah, I've missed you too. And all the others. And, well, everyone."

Carly might've said something heartfelt had not another limo pulled up. A boy that neither James nor Carly recognized stepped out, with a duffel bag in each hand.

"What? I pull up on two old friends in the desert and I don't warrant a hello?" He jokingly turned back to the limo as if to get in to it, but it was already gone.

James was surprised. He recognized the voice, but for the six months he had heard it it had come from behind a mask. "Gregory? Is that you?"

Gregory laughed. "Well, it sure isn't Santa Claus!"

Carly ran and hugged him. "Wow, Gregory! Your face is great!"

"Well, I invested the money I won the second season and it kind of became less hideous."

"Was it ever really that bad, dude?" James asked.

Gregory winked at him. "Guess we'll never know."

Another limo pulled up than, and even with all of the doors closed they could hear the loud CD playing. Sure enough, out came a very recognizable face. "Hey, where's the party at? Vivi has arrived!"

And while James, Carly, and Gregory laughed, Vivi pulled her bags out and sang one of her numerous hit singles. Carly exchanged a hug with her, and asked a question fitting of her. "So, are you still going out with Justin Beaver?"

Vivi smiled mischievously. "Well, little miss date-every-co-star-she-has-ever-had, if you must know, I broke his heart when I decided to come. James, you can have ten guesses why."

James sauntered over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Would it be me?"

Vivi laughed. "Very good, on your first try, too. As your prize, a kiss." Carly gushed and Gregory gagged and James and Vivi locked lips. After they separated, Vivi turned towards Gregory and asked, "Now who are you?"

After the re-introductions, the four started betting who would come next.

"Marissa, hands down."

"No way, Tiffany."

"You'd love it if Tiffany came."

"Shut up."

"Either Franklin, Carlos, or Daisy."

"I hope its Wesley."

"Yeah, let the stuck up author show up. Wow, like he'd ever take a break from his computer?"

"For a certain girl who wowed him? Probably."

"Wow. You really brought that up?"

"Hey, I see another limo!"

"Ten bucks its Marissa."

And as the beautiful young model stepped out of her limo, Vivi was giving Gregory ten bucks, and Carly was gushing, "Oh my god Violet, you look hot!"

Violet, always the beauty of the show, did indeed look hot in a stunning gold dress, her hair done perfectly and she looked like an angel. It was all James and Gregory could do not to drool. "Oh, really? I just threw this on. And Gregory, you look great without the mask!"

Gregory almost blushed. "You recognized me?"

"Yeah, its so obvious. Who wouldn't?"

Gregory glared at James, Carly, and Vivi. "Well, I'll tell you who."

Violet giggled. "Oh, Gregory, always the comedian."

Me? Always the comedian? Gregory thought. Where was she for three seasons?

"You do look really great, Violet," James said. Upon a glance from Vivi, he added suavely, "But not nearly as good as this smoking hot babe standing next to me."

"You do look great, Vivi. I can't believe that this is the first time we've seen each other in eighteen months!"

Another limo pulled up than. Gregory and James both thunderously clapped as out came Wesley. Why were they clapping, you might ask. It was because Wesley no longer had glasses. His hair was white and pointy. It was very long. And there was not a pencil, pen, paper, or computer anywhere near him.

"Hey, guys. You won't believe that I had to turn down Dancing With The Stars to come to this!"

James chuckled. "Turned down DWTS just for us?"

"More like I used you as an excuse to not join!"

Carly ran up and gave him her trademark hug. "Wow, Wesley, you look good! Eighteen months have been good for you!"

Wesley looked at her with a blank expression. "Yeah, thanks. But what's mega super teen actress Carly Page doing here?"

"What?" She looked very hurt.

Wesley broke out into a grin. "I'm kidding. How could I forget spending three seasons in your company?"

He looked around and waved to Gregory, Vivi, and Violet. "So Matthias isn't here yet? Not like our favorite preppy to be late."

"Well, of course not." All six of them turned in shock to see a boy standing there. How he managed to sneak up on them with his large glasses, stature, and limo, they never knew. But somehow, in his ever-creepy way, Toby did.

Nobody was sure what to say (mainly because none of them were particularly fond of Toby), so Violet broke the ice. "Hi Toby, how've you been?"

"Why hello Violet, looking ever gorgeous." She laughed awkwardly. "I've been great. My popularity at school has skyrocketed. Class president, chess club president, glee club leader, head librarian, and many other titles followed. They even stopped giving me two daily beatings – five months after my return, and they were only giving me one!"

The awkward silence was broken by Gregory's booming laughter. To everyone's surprise, especially since Gregory had always been openly hostile towards Toby in the past, Gregory walked over to Toby and shook his hand. "Glad to have you back, Toby." And Toby couldn't help but smile either.

Another limo pulled up, and out came the nature girl Marissa (to Wesley and Gregory's joy). Or at least they thought it was Marissa. She looked totally different – her normally short, bright red hair was pulled back into a long, dark red ponytail over her shoulder. Her floral print long-sleeved shirt of cotton was replaced with a dark blue leather V-strap shirt with no sleeves. And her brown hippie jeans were replaced with black short shorts, with pink stockings reaching up to them. A purse hung at her waist, and she was wearing black combat boots. All she brought out of the limo was a guitar – and before the driver could pull away, she pulled a twenty from her purse and gave it to him as a tip. She turned towards the seven who had arrived before her and said, "Hey guys, here I was thinking there'd be a party!"

Carly was too stunned to run over and give her a hug, so Vivi filled in. While hugging her, she said, "It's a shame, isn't it? No parties, beer, good food. But now we got some music!"

Wesley was still staring at Marissa, so she was inclined to ask him, "What, mister author? P.S., you clean up nice."

Wesley finally found the guts to speak. "You just look so different, that's all."

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, after the show ended, I realized that I'd let people get to know me. Maybe a little too well. So I decided to reinvent myself."

"Well, I think you look great," James said, with nods of agreement from Violet and Vivi. Carly was still too stunned to speak.

"Hey, thanks James. You don't look too shabby yourself."

"Yes, well, my girlfriend may exaggerate my features a little bit."

Marissa looked pleasantly surprised. "So James and Vivi are back together!"

The next limo pulled up than. And as soon as it stopped, a girl ran from it and gave Wesley a huge hug and kiss. "Wesley! I missed you!"

The limo driver tossed her bags out and left them speedily. Wesley looked at the girl who just kissed him and than glanced at Carly. If you looked closely enough, you could make out the small disappointment on her face. "Wow, Cheryl. You look stunning."

Cheryl blushed. "It's only been a week since we last saw each other!"

James looked confused. "I thought it had been eighteen months since any of us had seen each other."

"Well," Wesley explained, "I was writing a book on modern culture, and I had been visiting the set of Cheryl's show. In the end, I decided to just change the book to be about the show."

Cheryl laughed. "And we've been spending a lot of time together."

Carly chuckled coldly. "I'm sure you have."

Gregory subtly whispered in her ear, "Calm yourself, Carly."

Cheryl exchanged hellos with the others, and the next limo pulled up. Out came a girl who James had always had a soft spot for, but she didn't talk much. She had an awkward relationship with the others. "Uh, hi everyone." She said awkwardly.

"Ah, Bella, hello there," Toby said in his creepy way. Toby had been the only one that Bella had ever really talked to.

"Hi, Toby."

Before the awkwardness could continue, limo number 11 pulled up. It just sat there for a minute, and James and Wesley were just about to peer into it when the roof popped off and a girl flew out. The limo driver angrily threw her bags out as she descended and hastily drove off. After she landed, she turned towards the others and waved excitedly. "HI EVERYONE!" she screamed.

Gregory couldn't help but laugh. The cynically insane girl had been his best friend. "Aqua, I'm glad you're here!"

Now Aqua hadn't always been crazy. She used to be normal enough that she won the first season. "Gregory! Looking great without the mask! Where is it? Did you bring it as a memento? Could I wear it?"

She kept on asking questions like these to the others amusement until the twelfth (and little did they know it, last) limo arrived.

And out came the go with the flow, spacey lad known as Ren. How he managed to win the third season, no one knew. "Hey there. Eleven of you. Cool."

Carly grew exasperated. "Well, more than half of us are here, and our stupid, lazy, good-for-nothing host is nowhere to be found!"

"You know, Carly," began James, "I noticed a little shack over there. It looked like someone had been visiting it recently."

"Well, than let's go check it out!" exclaimed Violet.

"YEAH! LITTLE SHACK!" screamed Aqua, to Gregory's amusement.

And the procession of twelve made their way to the shack. James, Carly, Gregory, Vivi, Violet, Wesley, Toby, Marissa, Cheryl, Bella, Aqua, and Ren walked over. Little did they know what they found in there would change all of their lives. Possibly, forever. For in that shack there was a note scrawled out by their host. Right now, James was picking up the note and reading it out loud to his fellow ex-contestants. At parts, some laughed. Other cried. Others wept. Others cheered. Others smiled. But they all knew that something big was happening. And like it or not, they were all part of it.