Well, this is an AU for the PBS Kids show. I own the families and teachers I have created for these odd people. They are in high school and, due to this, friendships may not be the same as they are on the actual show. In this fic, it is their last week before winter break. Let's see how it goes.
Fandom: Odd Squad Pairing(s): Octavia/Oren; one-sided Oren/Olive Words: 1,208 Warning(s): Odd Squad AU; mostly Octavia/Oren/Olive-centric
Oren wakes up to his annoying brother Noah screaming Christmas carols in the hall. Noah is three years younger: an eighth grader. Oren sits up, looking around his foggy room and just barely making out the various sports trophies on the shelf by his cluttered desk. He reaches for his red-rimmed glasses and steps out of bed. He grabs a school shirt and a pair of jeans from a pile in his room after sniffing them a moment. He then runs a hand through his hair and heads downstairs before Noah eats all the waffles.
Living to his left is his classmate Otto. Oren, a conceited jock, has no time for the slob. Otto wakes up surrounded by comic books that he shoves aside, melding within his covers. He bounces out of bed and throws open his closet, only for everything to pour out. He changes into a pair of basketball shorts and his favorite T-shirt from a Soundcheck concert he went to four years ago with his best friend at the time, Olive. Otto is an only child living with his dad. He slides down the banister to beat his dad to the kitchen, so he can make breakfast the way he likes it.
To Oren's other side is Oprah. Oprah isn't concerned about appearances, but she can be very bossy when need be. She is an animal rights activist and she lives with her athletic mom. Oprah is the captain of the school's soccer team, which her best friend Olive is on. It is really early in the morning, so when Oprah's alarm goes off, she quickly changes into a tracksuit and grabs a matching headband, along with her pedometer. She races to the kitchen only to grab a bottle of water to guzzle down before her daily run.
Directly across the street from Oren lives Olympia. Olympia is incredibly academic, having a doctor for a dad and an attorney for a mom. Her older brother Nolan is twenty, a senior at Princeton, double-majoring in law and software management. Her even older sister Marissa is twenty-five, and she no longer lives at the house. She is a strategy manager living with her circuit engineer husband Lester and their daughter Kandy. Olympia wakes up early to submit some more scholarships though she is only a junior.
Two blocks down lives Octavia. Octavia is an only child. Her mother is CEO of her company and her dad works long hours. Octavia's mother's underling Nathan is often at the girl's disposal. It is clear the man doesn't care for the family and he only does what's needed so he can maintain his apartment fees. Octavia is the most popular girl, making the hot couple her and Oren. Octavia wakes up later than others, grabbing her daily coffee to perk up.
A little way farther down live Oscar and Olive. These two are next-door neighbors and have been best friends since they were five. Oscar is on the baseball team with Oren and Otto. Oren is stuck-up and Otto has changed a lot. He, Oscar, lives with his germaphobic dad and Olive lives with her trendsetter mom. One of them will always wake up first, pick up a walkie-talkie, and radio the other. Their morning routines are the same, with breakfast, getting dressed and grooming. They have a fort out back where they hang out every morning.
. . . . ..
Olympia got a fuel-efficient car on her birthday, and arrives to school very early when only the custodial staff is around. Forty-five minutes later, the first bus pulls in. Otto and his frenemy Olaf ride this bus. Olaf doesn't talk a lot, unless it is to spout out some random nonsense. Somehow, the two usually end up in a lot of the same classes. This year, they've got English, chemistry and culinary arts together. A little later comes the bus carrying Oscar, Olive, Oona, Oz, Orchid and Polly. Oona is Oscar's ex-girlfriend and Oz normally drives his car but he wrecked it last week. Orchid and Polly are freshmen. Oren and Octavia meet in the parking lot, sliding their cars in, next to each other.
Once Octavia and Oren separate as they enter the school doors, they head for their own classes considering how close they are cutting it. Octavia's class is upstairs and Oren has a class just around the corner. He grabs a notebook from his locker, watching Olive and Oscar joke about something. When Oscar leaves for his physics exam, Oren catches up to Olive.
"Want a study session with me after class?"
"Oren, the test is today."
"We have chemistry." He protests, thinking about both: the class this afternoon and their friend-enemy dynamic.
"Not the way you think." She answers, bypassing him.
"Hey, c'mon. We can get that dork you hang out with too. Oslo?"
"Oslo graduated last year." She answers pointedly. "You mean Oscar."
"Yeah, sure."
She pretends to think. "Fine. But Oscar doesn't have chemistry. Get Olaf, Oona and Olympia to come and we'll do it."
He groans at the girl's quick-thinking of making it into a much larger group. Still, he accepts. They are all in chemistry together. He feels at least a little bit content that Oscar won't be there to get in the way.
. . . . ..
Oren is positive he's made at least a C in his first exam: History. His second class of the day had been English with Olaf and Otto; luckily no exam there yet. Both had agreed to come to the study group. Oren had met up with Olympia before said class, who accepted. Oona is a tricky one to find, but luckily, Oren had found Obfusco. Obfusco, or Fuse, as he is sometimes known as, has always been a bit stranger than his fellow classmates. For one thing, he only talks in riddles. And for another, no that's pretty much it.
"Hey, Obfusco." Oren calls out. "Any idea where Olympia is?"
He nods. "I am a box who holds keys but not locks. With the right combination, I may unlock your soul."
Oren frowns. "Box of keys unlock soul soul, school, soul goes with rhythm rhythm and heart and soul choir room!"
Obfusco looks pleased and Oren gives him a half-hearted yet excited grin. "Thanks, Fuse!"
Oren runs to the choir room to find Olympia practicing her piano. He sighs and walks over, sitting on the bench beside her.
"Hello, Oren. What do you need?"
"What makes you think I want something?" He asks, feigning hurt.
She ends her song with dull notes, turning to face him. "You always want something."
He shrugs. "A group of us are studying for the Chem final in the back room of the library."
"A group?" She pressures.
"Me, Olaf, Oona, you and Otto. And Olive." He adds when she keeps glaring at him.
"Thought so." She harrumphs. "You just want to get close to Olive, jerk."
"Well, if you want me that bad," He begins.
She cuts him off. "Um, no. You're dating Octavia, remember?"
"Yeah, so? You on for the study group?"
"Only because I actually need to study. Jerk."
. . . . ..
There is a rectangular table with two seats on each long side and one on each short side. Long side A has Oona and Olaf. Next to Olaf on the short side is Otto. Long side B is clear and Olive has the remaining spot. As Oren and Olympia walk in, Olaf jumps up to give Olympia a hug and Oren slides in beside Olive. When Olympia slides in next to Oren, he decides they should start.
"What should we go over first?"
"My grandma irons her diapers." Olaf answers immediately.
Everyone stares back in disbelief. It is truly a wonder how he got to junior year and how he will get past it. Olive then offers they talk about scientific notation, which gives everyone a headache but they agree on it nonetheless. After a while, Olympia and Oona take a bathroom break. Olaf goes for a walk, leaving behind Oren, Olive and Otto. Just as Oren is about to talk to Olive, Otto breaks in.
"You gonna do that Pageant thing?"
"No, I'm too busy." Oren answers.
"Wasn't talking to you, Pretty Boy."
"Shut up, Fish Bait."
"Did you just call me a hooker?"
"He called you a worm, Diphthong." Olive answers crudely.
"I am not going to just sit here and be called names by a girl named after a pepper."
"An olive is a tree, dumbass." Oren retorts. "Olea europaea, to be exact!"
"Ooh, Mister Big talker! Knows what a tree is! Can't even break up with your clingy girlfriend and she doesn't even like you!"
Oren fumes. He leaps on top of the desk, set to attack Otto. Olive suddenly yelps and tries to drag him off, but Otto is dancing there, taunting him. Out of nowhere, the librarian arrives to the table. He hands out three slips. Detention.
. . . . ..
[][][][][][][] Hey, I'm tired and I'm really not too sure what that was. I might write more on this as its own story. But for now, it's just a one-shot. Part 21 of my 45 days. This was also the first day of my final exams. I had basic applied chemistry and translation literature. Hope you liked this. I just really suck at writing kids as kids. [][][][][][][][][]
