DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)


Chapter One: Day 01 (Monday) – Troublemaker (Levels 02-03)


Thomas Orson Hunt sighed irritably as he looked at his watch. Eight fifty-five. He was waiting inside a conference room of Hollywood University with his fellow professors for the new student to arrive so that the meeting could begin. After being called to the university early, especially on a Monday morning, he was not in the best of moods. The matter at hand had been explained to him by the dean of the university, Andrew Schaeffer, only about ten minute ago. Andrew, who was an excellent administrator but not the best disciplinarian, delegated the matter to Thomas, who had been known to make students cry without even really trying. However, at the moment he was more inclined to make Andrew cry because of the waste of time that the upcoming meeting promised to be.

Unable to help himself, Thomas asked, "All this because of a spilled drink?"

"Look, Thomas, we agree with you, it's ridiculous," said Andrew, trying to placate him. "But the university has policies, and the student handbook clearly states that the faculty must intervene in student altercations on- or off-campus."

"And," the dean continued, "it isn't like we're giving Ms. Hart a chance. If she meets the terms of the probation, she'll have three major projects under her belt – all in her first month!"

"Why is she staying at the university, then?" Thomas asked curtly. "If this student is such a troublemaker, we should consider ourselves lucky that we can kick her out before we've invested too much in her."

"We can't kick students out over every little thing! If all it were up to you, Thomas, we'd kick half of them out just for the pranks they've tried to pull on you over the years," Andrew laughed.

"Not exactly, since nobody has ever succeeded," Thomas smirked. At the dean's annoyed look, he relented. "Oh, very well. Remember, I have already agreed to lead this hearing."

"Good," said the relieved dean, walking with him to the area of the conference room where the other professors and a few students were waiting. And not a moment too soon…

BANG!

A young woman in casual attire and a young man in an Armani suit stumbled into the room, both looking extremely nervous. The young woman tilted her head slightly upwards to look at Thomas for the first time, and as her eyes met his, he noticed that they were beautiful.

Upon seeing Thomas with his hands on his hips, the clear leader of the probation meeting, the girl's eyes widened slightly – and then wilted under his irritated gaze. She and her blue-suited companion whispered to each other, annoying Thomas even more. He sent her friend out of the room before starting the meeting.

"While that was undoubtedly a fascinating conversation, Marie Claire," he noticed her give a start when she heard him say her name for the first time, "we do have some important things here that we need to discuss."

Inwardly angry at the complete waste of time that was this meeting, he continued. "According to your classmate, Bianca Stone, you set out to harass her for no reason and poured your drink on her in a public venue. Is this true?"

Predictably, Marie Claire's jaw dropped indignantly. "That's- that's not exactly what happened!" She tried to explain. "I mean, yes, I did spill my drink on her, but it was an accident!"

"At least you're not denying it happened," said Thomas scathingly. "But you can't be telling the whole truth, as Bianca Stone is adamant that you were purposefully confrontational."

"Yes!" said Bianca Stone, who seemed to Thomas to be in extreme need of acting lessons, as she was not pulling of the 'innocent' act very well. "I don't even know how I'm finding the courage to be in the same room as her after how violent she was last night!"

Jenni Whitman, with one hand clutching a sleek smartphone, supported Bianca's claims. "Marie Claire was like a hissing, angry cat last night! The kind that shouldn't even be roaming free in the streets!"

A make-up artist student, Shae – something – added that she didn't think Hollywood U students ought to behave that way, while a shirtless Lance Sergio – clearly Bianca's boyfriend from the way he looked at her fawningly every few seconds – said that crazy people shouldn't be near Bianca, who, according to him, had already exhibited greater bravery than most.

Thomas could hardly keep from rolling his eyes as he listened to their exaggerated maligning of Marie Claire's character, but since he was leading the meeting, he couldn't look too sympathetic towards Marie Claire – who was blinking in confusion at her classmates' words.

After their individual statements – rehearsed, no doubt – Thomas proceeded to explain the university's involvement. "Marie Claire, even though the incident didn't occur on school grounds-"

"That's right, it didn't!" she exclaimed, unable to hold herself back. She was seething as she glared at Thomas. "What does the university have to do with a student disagreement at a nightclub, anyway?!"

Thomas glared right back at her. "As educators, we take matters like this very seriously, even if they occur away from the university! Your actions reflect on Hollywood U!"

"But I'm not even really a student yet!" she argued back. "My first class is later today! I just went out last night to go dancing! You just called me here so that I could be insulted without having the chance to defend myself!"

I didn't call her in at all, but either way, does she really think that arguing with her professor is the way to gain allies?

"You are here," Thomas said, narrowing his eyes at her, "because despite your abrasive nature, we have decided to put you on probation, instead of kicking you out entirely – and you ought to be grateful!"

"Grateful for getting in trouble over something as ridiculous as this?!" she shot back. "I don't think so!"

Thomas made a quick, dismissive motion with his hand. "Regardless of what you think, you will complete three high-profile projects and get three industry professionals to vouch for your character if you want to stay here!"

"Three… of each?" she gaped. For a second, Thomas thought he could see a glimmer of interest in her eyes, but his student's expression turned back to annoyance too quickly for him to acknowledge it. "But that's impossible! How am I supposed to do all of that in one month!?"

"That is your problem," he said, smug that she was finally feeling intimidated after giving him so much trouble during the meeting. "And if you so much as take one step out of line in the time, we will not hesitate in expelling you immediately!"

She glared at Thomas so hard that her pink hair almost looked like it had darkened a shade in her fury. But after seeing that her anger did not make him falter in the slightest, she asked heatedly, "Is that all, Professor?" making his title sound like a foul word.

"Yes," he spat back at her, "that's all."

Upon hearing his reply, Marie Claire turned on her heel and stomped out of the room.


After the students and other professors had left the room, Andrew approached Thomas.

"That student…" he started, then stopped. "I've never seen a student talk to you like that before."

Thomas shook his head, still irritated by the whole ordeal. "I'm sure she won't be nearly as defiant in class." He nodded at Andrew and left.

Later, he would eat his words.


One unsatisfying lunch later, Thomas entered the lecture auditorium.

He could see that his reputation preceded him – his students already looked wary and he hadn't even spoken yet. He could hear whispers from a few students asking who he was, and others replying in the same low tones that he once had a brilliant career before he became a professor.

It was, he agreed silently, brilliant.

But he was a professor now. Teaching in here instead of out there; about to give a lecture about the entertainment industry to students who dreamed of being part of the glamorous Hollywood upper-crust without knowing what they had to do to get there.

Or what they had to give up.

Whispers ebbed away to complete silence as he reached the lectern on the stage. Giving the assembled students a sweeping, annoyed glance for good measure, he started to give his first lecture of the year.

"This class is Hollywood 101, and I will be teaching you the basics of working in Hollywood. My name is Thomas Hunt…"

But to the side, he saw two students attempting to sneak in. Did they think he was blind? Probation or no probation, Marie Claire and whoever her friend was had no right to come to his class late.

"You two," he growled. The whole class turned to look at the two latecomers, who both had sheepish looks on their faces. Marie Claire, with a guilty expression on her face, opened her mouth and started to say something, but Thomas cut her off. "Learning doesn't seem to be important to either of you. Get out."

The other girl, the one Thomas didn't know, shrank back under his look and started to pull Marie Claire out the door. But she seemed rooted to her spot, her eyes focused on him. Those are expressive eyes. Thomas could almost see the emotions whirling inside her mind.

As he glared at her for daring to come in late, she took a step back, her face completely unreadable. From being too early to register and having to wait with her luggage outside the gate, to going to an exhausting nightclub, to accidentally spilling a drink on a rival and having a big fight afterwards, to attending a probationary meeting on her first day as a student – the physical and mental tolls of her varied experiences during her first thirty-six hours at the Hollywood University must have made her feel tired. That backward step was no doubt a prelude to her going back to the Movie Star Dorm and getting a few more hours of sleep. She'll run away to rest, Thomas thought to himself.

Except she didn't – the step backwards was simply so she could position herself over the cushioned chair behind her. She slid her satchel to the floor as she purposefully sat down, still making eye contact as she disobeyed Thomas' command. He could hear her meek friend ask her what she was doing, but Marie Claire's attention was solely focused on him, matching his heated glare with a cold stare of her own.

"I don't give up that easy, Professor."

As one, her classmates' heads swerved back to look at him.

Thomas couldn't remember the last time a student had defied his direct orders in his class. While he was slightly annoyed and taken aback at her refusal to listen to him, clearly showing her nature as a troublemaker, he couldn't help but study her as she sat there, slightly guarded but wholly determined, looking as if it would take the whole world to make her move from that spot.

I am in the presence of another soul who would fight for their dreams.

Ignoring the faint flutter of pleasure that epiphany sent to his heart, he kept his stern expression as he said one word.

"Good."


He finished his short explanation about the class and told them that their homework for the next day was to find a partner for the project they would begin the following day.

In addition, he warned them to not be late to tomorrow's class, giving Marie Claire an icy look as he did so, and he was gratified to see that she looked slightly embarrassed as his words.

That's better.


That night, in the solitude of his bedroom, Thomas wrote in his journal.

"Today, an insubordinate student named Marie Claire came in late, interrupting my introductory Hollywood 101 lecture. I growled at her to leave, but, refusing to obey, she sat down anyway.

"Though inexperienced and untrained, I saw her love for our shared craft in her clenched fists, in the quivering chin she tried to stop from shaking. She would not leave.

"So I let her stay."


(End of Chapter One.) (This chapter was posted on April 15, 2016, Friday.)


01. Canon compliance:

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Power Brunch (Level 02); Ready, Set, Pitch (Level 03); and Hollywood 101 (Day 01 of 01).


02. A tiny request:

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter One ("Troublemaker")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D