Disclaimer: I do not own "Lemonade Mouth." If I did, "Lemonade Mouth 2" would have happened, and Rayella would be canon.
It started with Chemistry. No, really. It all began in Stella's Chemistry class. To get straight to the point, she was failing. Literally, failing
Hey, it wasn't her fault that she was busy practicing for Lemonade Mouth's upcoming Summer Tour. It was already February and even though tour didn't start for another 5 months, the pressure was still there. As the unofficial leader of the band, she had to set a good example for her members, and encourage practice, practice, practice!
Apparently, that wasn't a good enough excuse, as Stella stood in front the teacher's desk with her anxious-looking teacher pacing back and forth behind the chair.
"Miss Yamada, your current average is a C-, borderline D!" Dr. Singh exclaimed.
Stella bit her lip, nervously. "There's still time left in the semester, I can make it up!"
"Oh, you better!" Dr. Singh said, waving Stella's test paper (another D) at the air in frustration. "Stella, you're better than this! I know you are!"
The young guitarist snorted. Yeah, right, she thought to herself.
"I'm sorry! I've just been busy," she tried to reason. "And you said there would be extra credit."
Dr. Singh stopped pacing to glare at her. "You can't rely the fate of your grades on extra credit, Miss Yamada. A huge chunk of it comes from tests, quizzes, and homework. And you still owe me 2 homeworks, and you've scored zero on the last few pop quizzes! I've given you enough time and extensions for your homework, because of your band situation. But this is getting ridiculous!"
Stella hung her ahead, slowly feeling ashamed. "I know, I messed up. But, I'm no good at this Chem stuff. I just really don't understand it. Olivia tried to help me, but it's just not clicking."
"So why don't you come to extra help?"
"It's every Thursday. We play at Dante's on those nights."
Dr. Singh brought her fingers to the bridge of her nose, and Stella felt guilty. Her chemistry teacher was one of the few teachers who legitimately loved to teach, and wanted to help the students. And she had been nothing but accommodating to Stella, but even she had her breaking point.
After a few minutes of frustrated groans, her teacher finally looked up.
"Okay, here's the deal, Stella." She placed Stella's test on the desk in front of her. The giant red D glared at the sophomore, mocking her. "There are 3 more tests coming up, and then the final before the end of the semester. If you get a D or lower on those tests, you're going to summer school."
Stella's eyes widened in horror. "Summer school?!" she screeched. "Dr. S, you know I can't go to summer school! The tour-"
"Yes, your band tour starts then, I know. But if you keep getting below average in this class and neglecting your homework, no matter how many extra credits you do for me for the rest of the year, you will still fail. That is why I'm proposing a deal with you, I don't do this with just anyone, so consider yourself lucky."
Stella nodded her head vigorously. "Anything!"
She would sacrifice her first born child if she had to.
"Ten percent of your grade comes from class participation and right now, you are lacking in that area. However, I will give you the full 10 percent, if you can do the following for the rest of the year. I want you to strive for at least a B, no lower, on the next three tests and the final. I want you to hand in all of your homework, on time, for the rest of the year, no extensions, and I'm still waiting on those 2 you missed. And, I want you to score at least 5 points on every pop quiz from now on. If you can do all these 3 things, you can bump up your D to a C. Then, and only then, can you avoid summer school. Are we clear?"
Stella felt light-headed. Get a B in the next tests? Submit the homework on time? Actually score something on a quiz? She was doomed.
"Stella?" Dr. Singh asked again. "Are we clear?"
"I… Yes… But, I don't know how I can do that! I told you, I'm no good at this Chemistry stuff!"
The teenage girl could feel the tears prickling at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She was Stella Yamada, damnit! She was the fearless guitar goddess of Lemonade Mouth! She did not cry!
"I've thought about that and I decided to find you a tutor," Dr. Singh said, smiling at her, gently.
Stella perked up. "R-Really?"
Dr. Singh nodded. "I know you can do this, Stella. You just need the right help. Although I appreciate Miss White offering her help, you need someone with more proficiency for Chemistry."
The teacher picked up the failed test and handed it to the now relieved student. "I need to talk to a few teachers in the Department first, but you will have one by Friday. For now, try to do your homework. You have until the end of the week to finish the two you missed and the one I gave out today."
"Yes, ma'am. Thanks, Dr. S."
Dr. Singh nodded. "You may go."
Stella thanked her again before rushing out of the Chem lab, stuffing the failed test into her backpack.
"… so, now I'm getting a tutor," Stella finished her story to the rest of the band.
They were all in their private practice room. After Mel of Mel's Lemonade kindly donated a Music Hall to Mesa High School, Lemonade Mouth was given their very own practice room, in gratitude for using their connection to Mel to support the music and arts program.
"Wow," whispered Charlie Delgado, Lemonade Mouth's drum god. "You're doomed."
He was smacked in the arm by Mohini "Mo" Banjaree, the band's bass princess. "You can do it, Stella," she encouraged.
"Yeah, we believe in you," added Wendel "Wen" Gifford, keyboard and rapper extraordinaire.
Olivia White nodded from beside him. "I'm sorry I didn't help you much, Stella. I'm not very good at Chem either."
The guitar goddess smiled, gently at their shy but amazing front (wo)man. "It's fine, Liv. At least you're not failing, like me. I'm not smart."
Immediately, her friends began to protest, complimenting her guitar skills, and Wen even mentioned her phenomenal English paper on The Scarlet Letter. Stella shook her head, inwardly smiling at how sweet her friends were.
On Wen's other side stood Mo's boyfriend, the ever charming back-up guitarist Scott Pickett. "Mo can probably tutor you," he suggested.
"Oh yeah!" Mo perked up. "I don't mind, Stella."
But, Stella shook her head. "Mo, you have AP classes, and violin lessons, plus I know your dad has been hounding you about getting more extra credit. You don't need the extra work on your plate."
Mo pouted, but Stella was right. If she was to maintain her honor roll status and please her father at the same time, she had to be on top of her own school work. And, unfortunately, that meant no time to help Stella.
"Anyway, because of that, I might have to cut band practice short tonight," Stella continued. "I have to finish 3 Chem homeworks by the end of the week."
"Then we'll help you while you don't have a tutor!" Olivia piped. "Right, guys?"
Everyone nodded their heads, agreeing. Stella smirked. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get practicing so we can hit the books!"
Nothing more was heard except for guitar riffs, drum beats, piano keys, and six voices melding together to create the perfect harmony.
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