Total Drama Academy

Year One

a Total Drama fan fiction story

by Lord Akiyama

Author's Note: Just remember that this story is created under the assumption that Total Drama Action does not happen. Though I may consider throwing in elements that I like. Meaning this story should be considered alternate universe. Strange how that works, don't you think?

Total Drama and its characters are copyright © of Fresh TV, Teletoon and Cartoon Network. This story was created purely out of sheer enjoyment so please don't sue. Or throw me off a thousand-foot high cliff into a shark-infested lake. That would so smarts.

Chapter Three

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(Narrated by Chris McLean)

Previously on Total Drama Academy...

We didn't have enough applicants in time for a second season of Total Drama Island. So the producers and I decided to bring the original twenty-two campers back on camera. In addition, a really swank boarding school in Kitchener, Ontario opened their doors to us for some cheap publicity. Naturally, we jumped all over it. So now we have a show in which we follow the campers as they spend two years studying at Richmore Academy.

We ran down as much information they needed to know as possible while trying to give them a look at the school, drop them into their dorms, get the required school uniforms, and introduce them to their R.A. Jessica. All of this before making them do a challenge on their first day. It was a fairly easy one, sprucing up their rooms to the liking of myself, Chef Hatchet, and Jessica. Some, like DJ and Justin, Eva and Heather, and Owen, did so poorly it was sad. Beth and Izzy, though more so Izzy than Beth, turned their room into an actual jungle and still didn't make tops.

It came down to Bridgette and Courtney, Duncan and Ezekiel, and solo Gwen whose rooms would be judged by the freshman class of the school. In the end, they chose Gwen's room, which had simple arrangements that were highlighted by some rather unique, if not disturbing, paintings. For her prize, she picked the mini-fridge over the laptop. Baffling, really. But I guess any prize won was secondary compared to having more time to spend in the loving arms of her music man Trent. Aren't they just too cute?

The students are about to experience their first week studying at Richmore Academy. But before they do, they'll be taking an entrance exam to see if any of them are smart enough to be actual students here. After that, yours truly will return Friday evening for the second of our weekly challenges. And I can assure you that this one will be a doozy. For me!

Who will pass the entrance exam?

Will they survive their first day at school?

What horrors will I be unleashing upon them?

Find out in the most dramatic episode yet, of... Total... Drama... Academy!

(Cue Theme Song)

(Week 1, Day 1 - Saturday)

Bridgette slipped out of her room, controlling herself enough so that her yawning would be quiet. Being a surfer, she would occasionally wake up early every once in a while to catch the morning tide. Not quite ready to take a shower yet, especially since she forgot the grab a set of clothes and her towel, she decided to take a good look at the living space. Since she would have some say in decorating it, she figured she should develop ideas to offer Gwen.

Upon arrival, though, she found that she wasn't the only one who was awake at five in the morning. She rubbed her tired eyes a little and focused to see if she could recognize the figure sitting on the couch. Seeing a toque made it perfectly obvious that it was Ezekiel in the living space. With nothing else better to do, she shrugged and tip-toed quietly over toward him. Once she was directly behind the prairie boy, she formed a smirk on her lips.

"Morning, Zeke," she whispered ever so gently.

Just the sound of her voice was more than enough to cause him to squeak in terror and literally leap to the other end of the couch. Eyes shot wide open and every inch of his body shaking, he looked over to see a giggling Bridgette slowly make her way around the arm of the couch to sit down.

"I'm sorry," she said as her giggling began to die down. "I couldn't resist. I didn't mean to scare you that bad."

"O-Oh..." Ezekiel managed to utter quietly. His eyes went back to normal, but he continued to shake even if it was getting slower. He then began to move his hands upward so as to take hold of his toque and possibly pull it down.

"Zeke, there's no need to be scared of me," she said, still smiling in amusement. "I promise, I won't try anything like that again. Please calm down, alright?"

He gripped his toque, but managed to only swallow hard and maintain better control of his shaking. "A-Alright... eh..." he managed to say. His eyes glanced about, as if he was trying to avoid looking at her.

Bridgette sighed. "Zeke, I'm not going to hurt you," she said. "I was just teasing you, okay? Just having some fun."

After sometime, Ezekiel managed to finally get a hold of himself completely. His shaking stopped and he was now able to look at her without feeling shy. Though he still had his hands on his toque.

"I'm..." he began to stammer. "I'm... soo'ry, eh."

"Zeke, you don't need to apologize--" Bridgette began to say, but she was immediately cut off.

"No, no," Ezekiel immediately said. "I mean... What I meant... I'm tryin' to say is... I'm soo'ry about... about what I said... on the first day of the sh'oo, eh..."

Bridgette's smile faded a little, recognizing now that Ezekiel was trying to apologize to her. His nervousness about doing so having skyrocketed thanks to her teasing. She sat back and listened to him continue with his apology.

"I never imagined badly my words w'ood hurt you girls, eh," he said after a heavy sigh. "Havin' never talked with people aside from my parents... I'm so used to talkin' with them... that I never thought ab'oot how words w'oods could hurt feelin's. ... My parents and I... we were so... honest with one an'oother, eh..."

Bridgette noticed that the prairie boy had now released his grip on his toque and dropped his hands down to chest level. His fingers were tapping together as he nervously struggled to say words that would help explain himself while trying not to sound insulting. It made her feel sorry for him that he's having this hard of a time dealing with the consequences.

"I... I tried... apologizin' to you..." he continued. "You know... back at that... place where they sent after gettin' voted off..."

For the first time in listening to him, Bridgette seemed skeptical. Because it didn't look like that to her when they were at Playa Des Losers. It looked like he was trying to hit on her. Even when she was clearly making out with Geoff. "You were trying to apologize to me?" she asked, raising a brow.

Ezekiel nervously darted his eyes all over the place until settling back on her. "Kinda..." he answered. "I... guess I didn't do a good job... lookin' like I wanted to, eh..." A shade a pink began to appear on his cheeks and his hands went straight back to gripping his toque. "It's just... you were the... most approachable of the girls there..."

"Me?" Bridgette asked, not really buying his explanation at this point. "I was the most approachable of the girls?"

"Uh-huh," Ezekiel replied, nodding his head. "I mean, think ab'oot it... Eva w'ood hurt me if I tried to go near her... I don't kn'oo how to talk to those girls who try to look alike... Izzy... I don't kn'oo how to even approach her... Beth was all sad ab'oot havin' takin' that cursed tiki... Courtney was mad ab'oot how she was eliminated... Lindsay was lookin' for Tyler... That just left you..."

Bridgette thought about the reasons he explained for why he didn't go to one of the other girls about apologizing during their time at the resort. It made some sense. Though she was still skeptical that her being the most approachable of the girls was the only reason why he tried getting near her at all. And she wanted to call him on it.

"And all you wanted to do was apologize, right?" she asked him point blank.

Ezekiel hesitated to answer immediately, figuring that whatever answer he would come up with would still result in her hitting him. "M-Mostly..." he managed to say. "... Okay, I think you're attractive... B-But I w'oodn't try to get... you know... that close with you, eh. ... I mean... you have a boyfriend... Why should I try to get close to you when you're really close with Geoff? I mean, you and Geoff were kissin' all the time. How do you guys manage to breath when you have your lips together for so long?"

The comment caused Bridgette to blush a little. She knew she and Geoff tended to get carried away with their make out sessions. They were just so lost in their love, they forgot that time kept moving around them.

"I see your point," she said, more so to get the subject back onto his apology. She cleared her throat, trying to cool her face down enough to stop blushing at the thought of her new favorite activity next to surfing. "So... you've been trying to apologize to me about what you said."

Ezekiel nodded, seemingly oblivious to how the previous direction of their conversation was causing her a slight bit of embarrassment. "I tried to talk to you whenever you weren't kissin' Geoff, and all," he said. "I wanted to wait until you were alone, but that didn't happen, eh. But now we're here... and you and I are here... so I'm sayin' soo'ry now..." He took a deep breath. And then he looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. "I'm so soo'ry for what I said... C-Could you... forgive me...?"

Bridgette sighed and then looked Ezekiel straight in the eyes. It didn't take her long for her to come to a decision. "I forgive you, Zeke," she said with a gentle smile.

"Y-You do...?" he squeaked, not sure if he heard correctly or if she was joking.

"Yes, Zeke," she replied, leaning over to rub his toque-covered head in a playful manner. "I forgive you for your comments from the first day of the show."

Ezekiel began to smile for the first time that morning.

(Confession Cam)

Ezekiel - /Sighs with relief./ "I'm glad to finally 'ave one of the girls forgive me, eh. I know it won't be easy to get the others to do the same, but at least Bridgette accepted my apology. One is better than n'oon, right?"

Bridgette - "I can tell that he was being really honest and sincere with his apology. I cannot imagine being able to go through life the way he did and not feel emotionally torn up. Maybe there's a really kind soul underneath. He just needs help learning what is socially acceptable these days." /Pauses for a minute and looks around./ "Well, Chris said this room was fair game when it came to being decorated. Doesn't look like any one has tried anything yet. So, I might as well be the first." /Leans forward to camera and places a dolphin sticker upon lens so dolphin is visible to audience./ "There! The first decoration of the confession cam."

Chris - /Examines dolphin sticker on lens./ "Pretty strong adhesive she put on there... Heh-Ha! I can imagine a number of people who are not going to like that. The chaos in here when all is said and done will be so awesome!"

It wasn't long before Bridgette and Ezekiel would have company in the living space. What surprised them was that they were joined by none other than Gwen, Courtney, and Duncan, thereby bringing together the five students who would be responsible for decorating the living space. All three gave the same answer as to why they came down.

"Nothing better to do," Duncan said with a shrug when he was asked by Ezekiel.

As soon as Gwen and Courtney arrived, Bridgette felt obligated to see that they received, and accepted, Ezekiel's apology. Gwen accepted it without any problems, even saying that she didn't feel that insulted by his remark. Both Bridgette and Courtney seemed skeptical, to which Gwen replied that Heather was the embodiment of the statement. Courtney was a little hesitant at first at accept Ezekiel's apology. Then she noticed the look in his eyes and let out a sigh, giving in and saying that she forgave. She pointed out, though, that he shouldn't expect her to be friends with him right off the bat.

"I understand," Ezekiel responded. "I'm just glad to 'ave your forgiveness, eh."

"Just as long as you don't pick up any of Duncan's bad habits," Courtney quickly stated, waving her finger at the prairie boy. She then shot Duncan look, though what kind of look greatly confused Ezekiel. It was supposed to look stern, but it didn't quite seem like it from the sparkle that he saw.

(Confession Cam - Now with Dolphin Sticker)

Duncan - "Oh sure, we wouldn't want home school to start acting like me. Other wise, he'll try to steal princess away from me." /Laughs at the ridicules thought. Stops upon seeing the sticker and rolls his eyes./ "Ah, geez. Malibu and her dolphin obsession. You'd think she'd come up with something a little more impressive than a sticker. Like this." /Pulls out spray paint can and sprays D+C inside a heart on the side wall./ "Now that is an impressive decoration. And a good one, too."

"Well, since the five of us are here, might as well put together some ideas of how we're going to dress this place up," Gwen commented, looking around at the living space. "Though I've been appointed as project leader on this one, I'll make it fairly reasonable for you guys. Come up with whatever ideas you have of what you think will do the place some good and give them to me. When I have an idea of what to do using all ideas suggested, I'll call you guys over and we can edit and revise as we see fit before presenting our final decision. Chris said we have all the time we need and they're fronting all the money, so don't be afraid to suggest anything expensive. As a matter of fact, I insist it for the sake of taking money out of Chris' pockets."

Bridgette shrugged. "Sounds good to me," she said, noticing that Ezekiel nodded in agreement as well.

"Whatever," Duncan said.

"You will take our suggestions seriously, right?" Courtney asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"Of course I will, Courtney," Gwen replied. "Just because I liked my room to be simple doesn't mean I'm gonna force you guys to follow my every whim. We do this as a team, alright?"

Courtney let out a defeated sigh. "Well, alright," she said.

(Confession Cam - Now with Graffiti)

Courtney - "Am I a bit of a control-freak? Maybe. ... Okay, definitely. I'm so used to being in charge of things that I have a hard time letting others take lead on a team I'm on. Usually, I only let it slide in desperate situations like in the dodgeball game. It's not that I don't have faith in Gwen. It's just that I was so close at winning the challenge. Meaning I was that much closer to having authority in decorating the living space. I just have this natural urge to see that everything is being done accordingly and I tend to feel that I need to step in and take charge in order for it be so. ... But, I guess I can trust Gwen. /Sighs heavily, looks to the side and sees Duncan's graffiti. She gasps, covers her mouth with one hand, and blushes. She then realizes she's still being recorded and looks to the camera. Is frozen for a moment before letting out a sigh and looking down./ "Oh, Duncan... How is it you're able to make me feel this way about you...?"

Moments later, the five students were spread out about the living space. Each one mentally coming up with ideas of how to decorate the place when the main door opened. In walked Jessica, their R.A. Even though it was a Saturday and thus meaning no classes going on, she was still wearing her school uniform.

"Good morning, boys and girls," she announced. "I see you five are wasting no time wanting to spruce this place up."

"Not much else we could think of doing," Gwen responded with a shrug. "Either that or tour the campus a bit so we know which is where. Though I imagine we would be mobbed the second we step outside."

"Speaking of which," Duncan noted. "Given that there were other students in the amphitheater last night, what's to stop them from barging in here and drowning us in their idolizing?"

Jessica simply pointed upward. "Chef's security system stationed on the roof," she answered. "Chris and the producers managed to convince the school officials that it would be in their best interest for Chef to have a number of his people on the roof making sure none of the other students are trying to sneak in here without any sort of authorization. That's not to say students are banned outright from ever coming in here. You guys can let them in if you want to."

"Do we even want to know what they do on the roof to keep students from coming in here?" Bridgette asked, although she started to wish she didn't do so aloud.

"I think the best way to describe it would be to take the water gun he used in the hide and seek game you guys had on the show," Jessica replied. "Only increase and size and power of it by... oh, I'd say times five... Any way, Chef has about twenty of those mounted on the roof with another thirty on stand by."

"You'd be able to wipe out a riot with that," Duncan commented, his eyes wide open in disbelief.

"At least you'll have your privacy," Jessica assured them. "Now then, I think I'll leave it to you guys to explain that to the others should they ask. In the meantime, I'm going to go check on Beth and Izzy. Seems like Izzy is going to keep their room decorated as a jungle, so I want to make sure Beth's alright."

Beth had been awake for hours, up at the usual time back at home. Only this was the first time she had gotten up in the middle of a jungle and was therefore quite afraid of what to do. So much so that she had great trouble just reaching over to the drawer next to her bed and retrieve her glasses.

Once she had her glasses on, she was still taken aback by what surrounded her. Swallowing nervously, she began to slowly make her way to the door and exit as quickly as possible. That was, if she could find the door. And at the rate she was moving, it would surely take many hours to achieve this. She was having a hard enough time mustering the courage to leave the comfort of her bed in fear Izzy hid something dangerous to further enhance the realism of the jungle setting.

"H-Hello...?" she whimpered as she finally got her feet to touch the floor. "I-Izzy...?"

There were a few sounds she was able to make out in the environment about her. The first was the gentle and quiet sound of the miniature waterfall that was underneath the window. The sound of the water running out making a small free fall to the rocks and pebbles that waited on the floor. The second were the occasional squawks and calls of the two parrots to further enhance the realism of the jungle theme. Apparently, Izzy called them Macadamia and Hornbeam. Beth didn't know why.

Beth slowly looked around some more, hoping to find one of two things. The door or Izzy. The door so she could manage to get out of the room. Izzy so that she could help her find the door. She swallowed nervously again before taking a few steps in a direction she thought would lead to the door.

"Morning, Beth!" a voice screamed joyfully from behind her.

Beth was so startled that she screamed, literally leaped forward a few feet, and landed flat on her face. She turned around to see her giggle roommate hanging upside down from a vine. Izzy continued to hang there as if perfectly comfortable with letting blood rush to her head.

"Izzy!" Beth cried. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry," Izzy giggled, loosely beginning to sway herself back and forth. "Don't you just love the peace and calm this jungle gives you? It's so cool. I could spend hours in here and feel right at home."

"Um..." Beth tried to begin, wondering what to say to the lively redhead. "... C-Could you help me find the door...? ... Please? ... I really need to use the bathroom."

(Confession Cam)

Chris - "The rest of the day was all boring and stuff as the students were just hanging out in their rooms or toured the rest of Riker Hall. Delaying the inevitable of going outside and meeting wave after wave of screaming adoring fans. /Laughs./ Although, Geoff and Bridgette did have a rather lovely game of tonsil hockey going on in the amphitheater all day, but that's about as far as they went. No one else went into the confession cam. And you can see that there aren't any new decorations in here as a result! So lame! We're just gonna jump to the entrance exam, if you don't mind."

(Week 1, Day 2 - Sunday)

"Alright, maggots!" Chef Hatchet hollered in the megaphone from his golf cart. "You are all to stand aside and let these celebrities through so they can take their dumb entrance exams! You will have plenty of time the next two years to bury them in a sea of humanity, rip their clothes off, and touch them in ways that would make them extremely uncomfortable! Like poking them on the cheek! But until then, they are off-limits for the rest of the day! So move over before me and my troops make you move over!"

"He's actually allowed to say things like that?" Tyler asked aloud while waiting with the others in the living space.

"If it will prevent a mob-like scene, school officials are fine with it," Jessica replied. "Now then, we will all be making our way to building twenty-four. This is where your homeroom will be, as well as where you will be taking the entrance exam. It is here you will be meeting your homeroom professor, Mr. Black. Oh, and before I forget, I also would like to note that displays of public affection in classrooms are frowned upon by the professors. So you might want to maintain some form of control over your hormones during class hours."

Upon hearing this, Geoff and Bridgette shot their eyes wide open and then slowly removed themselves from their lip lock. They both sighed heavily and looked down at the floor below them. Appearing quite sad over the news they had just heard.

"Denied, lovebirds," Duncan taunted with laughter. It was cut short when he was suddenly nudged in the stomach by an elbow. He looked over to meet Courtney's stern face. "Ow. What was that for?"

"To remind you that it also applies to your flirting, Duncan," she replied with her arms crossed.

The punk simply shrugged. "Hey, if all goes according to plan for you, we're barely gonna see each other during class hours any way," he noted. He then leaned in really close to her with a raised brow, causing her to gasp in sudden shock and blush as well. "So how about we make the most of the time we have together."

"Looks like Chef sprayed the last of the students," Jessica announced at that very second, watching the events that were unfolding outside. She then turned back to the students, scanning each one to make sure they were all in their school uniforms. "Now will probably be a good time to get moving, I believe."

(Confession Cam)

Chris - "Unlike how we chose Jessica to be the group's R.A., Mr. Black was specifically selected by the school to be the homeroom professor. He seemed strange and maybe even a little dull at first glance. But then we saw footage of his handy work, and I gotta say that it was very gracious of the school to pick him for us."

The students, sitting in whatever open seat they could find, stared at the man Jessica introduced as their homeroom professor. Mr. Black looked quite strange, even by their standards. He had a stone-cold expression on his face, wearing a suit and tie, sunglasses, and his hair combed straight back. They were even more creeped out when he spoke.

"Good afternoon, students," he began. "I am Mr. Black and I have been assigned to be your homeroom professor. You may simply call me Mr. Black. I expect each and every one of you to adhere to the rules and regulations of this school whenever you gather in this classroom. And I will not tolerate behavior that is of an unprofessional nature. If you have any questions to ask of me, I will be more than capable of answering them before or after times in which you are to take examinations. Much like the one you are about to take momentarily."

The expressions on the group's faces ranged from disbelief to confusion. None of them could figure what to make of this man speaking before them. And a couple even had a feeling that this was not going to be a pleasant two years if any of the other professors are discovered to be just like him.

"At this time, your Resident Assistant is passing out your examination packets," Mr. Black said, verbally narrating what Jessica is doing. He then took a quick look at his watch. "In exactly one minute and thirty-two seconds, you will begin to take your test. I need not remind you that cheating is completely unacceptable in my classroom and I will keeping an eye on all of you to ensure it is not the case. When one hour has expired, you will hand the examination packets over to me, regardless of whether or not you answered all the questions with them, and return to your dormitories."

From the instructions he had given, everyone looked up at the clock to see that they would begin to answer questions at precisely four o'clock. They watched as the second hand began to tick around in a clockwise direction. Before long, it reached the top of the clock, resulting in the minute hand moving over to zero.

"Begin," Mr. Black announced. Within seconds, the students flipped open their packets, placed the tip of their pencils to paper, and started on the school's entrance exam.

(Confession Cam)

Harold - "That Mr. Black seemed kinda spooky to me, really. It's like he's being boring on purpose to hide some kind of explosive personality underneath. I can only imagine what he is really like. /Pauses and looks around the room./ "There's, like, a real lack of personality in this room, too. Only a dolphin sticker on the camera and this graffiti on the wall obviously made by Duncan. I just wish I had something in hand right now to really spruce this place up..."

Tyler - "I dunno, man. I don't like taking tests in general. I get really nervous because they hype it up so much about how getting a good score on a test will get you places. So now I have this mindset every time I take a test that if I fail I'm not gonna be able to do the things I wanna do. /Sighs and looks up. He notices something suddenly and looks disgusted. Then confused./ Dude... Who the hell puts gum on the ceiling?"

Justin - "Taking tests is just not my thing, okay? If it has nothing to do with showing off just how incredible hot you are, why should I bother? I came on the show so that it would help get my handsome face out there so that the world would not just how ugly they were when compared to the beauty that I am. No test is going to tell me that I won't be a model. Especially when I already have a modeling contract. So what's the point of taking one ever again?"

Lindsay - /Notices the gum up on the ceiling. Looking disgusted, she tries to move away from being underneath it./ "Ewww! That is, like, so gross! I should really start putting things in here so that it would distract me from seeing that up there."

Eva - /Stares at the poster of a horse on the wall opposite of Duncan's graffiti. She scoffs./ "This room sucks. There's a crappy dolphin sticker on the camera, Duncan's stupid love tag four Courtney, a dumb poster of some horsey, and then someone had the audacity to put gum on the ceiling. Don't these people know how to decorate any more?"

Katie and Sadie - Katie - /Looks behind and gasps in shock./ "Oh my gosh! Sadie, don't look behind you!"
Sadie - "Like, why not?"
Katie - "There's this really creepy poster of Corey Clark back there."
Sadie - /Gasps in horror./ "No way!"
Katie - "Totally!"
Sadie - "Who in there right minds would like that guy?"
Katie - "I know, right?"

The twenty-two students sat in the amphitheater, mostly spread out about the main floor seats. The couples were generally together, locked in either a gentle embrace or, in the case of Bridgette and Geoff, a passionate make out session. Duncan wanted to be recognized in the latter, but Courtney would prefer that he keep his lips to himself at the moment. Though it didn't stop her from blushing madly and cuddling up after he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Before long, their R.A. arrived upon the stage and made her way to the podium. In addition to the clipboard in hand, she was carrying a stack of papers and a small pouch. Once she had everything organized, she tapped the microphone once to ensure that it was on and then spoke.

"Well, my underlings, your exams have been graded," Jessica announced. "If I call your name, it means you passed and will be studying with the rest of the student body. Come on up so I can give you your revised class schedule and a pin you are to wear to signify that your exam score qualified you to be an official student at Richmore. Boys, I recommend wearing the pin on your ties. Girls, have it somewhere visible on your ruffle scarf."

"What kind of pins are those?" Duncan asked both out of curiosity and just plain annoyance.

"It's of the school insignia," Jessica answered. "As you can see, I'm wearing one myself." She pointed out the pin on her ruffle scarf so that the students could see it briefly. "Now then, let me finish my announcements so you guys can prepare for your first day tomorrow. Eight of you passed the exam, incredibly with four boys and four girls. I will call you up in order of your scores from just barely passing to absolutely worthy, alright?"

After seeing the collective nods from the students before her, the R.A. sifted through the paperwork and poured the pins out of the pouch. She picked up a pin and a piece of paper before turning back to the microphone.

"It's not my thing, but I'm gonna have to do the whole cheesy announcing thing they do here at school," she stated before clearing her throat. "Any way... Richmore Academy would like to officially welcome first to its student body...

"Ezekiel."

The prairie boy shot his eyes wide open in sudden shock upon hearing his name called out. He managed to glance about and see that the others were just as surprised as he was, if not more so. He sheepishly got to his feet and walked nervously up to the stage, receiving the paper with his revised schedule and the pin he was to wear on his pin.

"You managed to make it, Zeke," Jessica said to him. "Your parents apparently did a good job educating you in that respect."

"Th-Thanks... eh..." he managed to utter before quickly returning to his seat. Upon sitting down, he immediately curled up into a ball and pulled his toque down over his eyes in shyness.

(Confession Cam - Now with Gum on the Ceiling, a Horse Poster, and a Corey Clark Poster)

Bridgette - "I'm starting to feel really sorry for Zeke. His first day on the show he totally embarrasses himself with sexist comments and now he's so afraid that he'll make another bad mistake. On top of that, he's going to get thrown to the sharks simply because he's smart enough to be an actual student here." /Sighs./ "I hope whoever joins him will watch over him. He's going to need all the help he can get."

Ezekiel - /Looking upward and praying./ "Please, oh please, oh please, let me live thr'oo this. I'm too young to die, eh."

"Next," the R.A. continued. "Richmore Academy would also like to officially welcome...

"Beth."

"Really?" Beth gasped. "My score was high enough? Oh, yay!" She clapped her hands together in excitement before rushing to the stage to collect her schedule and pin. "Oh thank you, thank you!"

"Good job, kid," Jessica said with a smile. "Have a cookie on me." Seemingly out of nowhere, she produced a peanut butter cookie and gave it to Beth. The farm girl more than willingly took it as she made her way back to her seat.

(Confession Cam)

Beth - "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I'm smart enough to actually be a student here! This is so great! I can't wait to tell my parents back home! They'll be so excited! And the best part, I don't have to deal with Heather!"

Heather - /Filing her nails and scoffing./ "So pig girl is smart. Doesn't make her any less pathetic. Besides, now I won't have to suffer through her annoying snorts everyday."

"Moving along," Jessica announced. "Richmore Academy would like to officially welcome...

"Cody."

"Alright," Cody said in his smoothest voice. Beth giggled shyly when she thought he was clicking his tongue and pointing his fingers at her. The techno-geek strutted his way to the stage, doing his best to phase out the chuckles aimed directly at him.

"Might wanna consider walking normally when going to class," the R.A. noted after handing him his schedule and pin. "Most of the professors here are not big fans of movement that isn't casual."

"Oh, okay," Cody nodded before returning to his seat. He continued strutting, to which Jessica just smirked and shook her head.

(Confession Cam)

Cody - "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I'm gonna be a true Richmore Academy student!" /Air-guitars and does guitar sounds./ "This is going to be great! Now I get to be a stand-out amongst the others from the show!"

Beth - /Giggles and snorts./ "Cody looks cute when he's excited."

Eva - /Grunts./ "Cody looks stupid when he's excited."

"And the fun continues," Jessica stated. "The next student Richmore Academy would like to officially welcome is...

"Gwen."

A number of students were quite surprised to hear her name called and immediately turned their attention toward her. Gwen just raised a brow for a moment and then shrugged. She got up, walked onto the stage, and took her schedule and pin.

"Must be surprised to be up here, huh," the R.A. commented.

"Not really," Gwen responded. "I just never really cared that much about how smart I might be." After giving Jessica a nod, she returned to her seat. Upon sitting down, she gladly allowed Trent to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

(Confession Cam)

Gwen - "I may not care about how smart I am, but I do pay attention to the grades that are important. If I want to go to a good art college, I need the scores that will get me in. Doesn't matter that I'll have listed on my transcript that I attended Richmore Academy. The right grades from the right classes are what's necessary for me to move forward with my art education."

Trent - "A lot of guys were surprised that Gwen passed the entrance exam. Hello! You people spent eight weeks in Musoka with her. Did you not know she was smart? I certainly knew. I knew as soon as I met her. She even helps me with my homework every once in a while during our weekends together. And my grades are good when I study by myself."

"Let's continue, shall we?" Jessica asked. "The next student to be officially welcomed by Richmore Academy will be...

"Harold."

"Yes!" Harold exhaled, pumping his fist. He heads up to the stage, giving LeShawna a smile and wave along the way. LeShawna looked as though she was chuckling, but both knew she appreciated his affections.

"Nice work," Jessica commented as she handed him his schedule and pin.

Harold nodded and proceeded to make his way back to his seat. As he walked, he managed to catch a glance of Courtney. He saw that she looked none to happy about having to even comprehend his presence. He hung his head slightly and sighed.

(Confession Cam)

Courtney - "I'm still mad at Harold for getting me eliminated from the show. I want to strangle his scrawny little neck until his eyes pop out. And I've already beaten him up with a lamp post! That back-stabbing traitor has yet to feel my wrath!" /Takes a deep breath and calms down./ "Easy, Courtney. You're not going to let your anger get the best of you." /Takes another deep breath then looks straight in the camera./ "I'm not going to plot some petty revenge just because I have a grudge. Not while I'll be busy running for student office. Besides... Duncan will just doing the beatings for me. Why get my hands dirty when I have my own personal troublemaker do the work? So long as I get a few licks of my own when no one's looking."

Duncan - "Oh, you can bet your bottom dollar I haven't forgiven Harold for getting Courtney eliminated from the show. I'm just waiting for the opportunities to open up so I won't get caught doing what I've got planned for him. And if he tries to cross her again, I'll ramp the pain up a notch. No one messes with my princess and gets away unscathed!"

"Still more names to announce, boys and girls," the R.A. noted. "Richmore Academy would like to officially welcome...

"Courtney."

In a sudden shift in mood, Courtney started getting anxious at hearing who would be announced next. When her name was called, she exhaled in excitement and rather unconsciously pulled Duncan into a tight embrace before heading up the stage.

"There was no need to act nervous," Jessica said, handing the student her schedule and pin. "You were a lock to pass."

"Doesn't make it any less suspenseful," Courtney responded with a smile before making her way back to her seat. Jessica rolled her eyes and shook her head in amusement.

(Confession Cam)

Harold - /Sighs heavily./ "I'm having trouble figuring the best way to apologize to Courtney about what I did on the show. Not to mention she's still probably angry at move over it even after she pounded me with a lamp post. It wasn't until after the fact that I realized I badly miscalculated just how severe of a backlash would result from my actions. I did it because I wanted to get back at Duncan for bullying me just for the fun of it. But now he's going to attack because I took my revenge out on Courtney. And with her coming after me too, I find myself painted in a corner I can't get out of."

LeShawna - "I've had people come up to me and ask why I be dating that string bean. He may be some kind of freaky, but he treats a lady just right. That boy is fa-ah-ine! So you know I will not appreciate people messing with him. Pick on Harold and you gots to deal with me. I'm gonna have his back if he's faced with odds he can't handle himself. Any one has a problem with that can kiss my apple luscious--!"

"Two more, folks," the R.A. announced. "The next student Richmore Academy would like to officially welcome is...

"Noah."

Noah's immediate reaction was far different than everyone expected. He raised a rather curious brow. A short moment later, he got up and confidently made his way onto the stage.

"Almost got a perfect there, smarty pants," Jessica joked before handing him his schedule and pin.

"The story of my life," Noah retorted. To his surprise, she formed a smirk on her lips as if to say that she got his sarcastic humor. He made his way back to his seat feeling content.

(Confession Cam)

Jessica - "I think Noah's going to feel right at home in this school. Virtually three-quarters of the student body are as cynical as he is and they relish in each other's brand of humor. Sarcasm at it's finest can be found here."

Noah - "There was no doubt I was going to pass the exam. I'm fine with not getting a perfect. But the fact that I wasn't called last meant that there was someone smarter than me. And I take great pride in being the smart one in the group."

"And last, but most certainly not least, the student who passed the exam with a perfect score." the R.A. spoke said. "The Headmaster himself wants me to provide this letter expressing his sincerest congratulations to the student. Richmore Academy would like to warmly welcome officially...

...

...

...

"Izzy."

To say the other twenty-one students were flabbergasted would be an understatement. Owen would moments later start to cheer happily for his crazy girlfriend, but everyone else seemed more horrified than anything. Izzy just giggled and began skipping her way to the stage.

"Just remember to wear your uniform during class hours, m'kay?" Jessica reminded the redhead as she handed her the schedule, the pin, and the congratulatory letter.

"Oki-doki!" Izzy answered cheerfully. She then turned to take a good look at everyone else, who were staring at her with wide eyes and dropped jaws. With a free pinky, she gently pulled down one of her bottom eye lids and blew a raspberry at them. Satisfied, she skipped off stage and back into her seat.

(Confession Cam)

Bridgette - /In shock./ "... Does this mean she actually has an IQ of 188?"

Noah - "Crazy girl is smarter than me? It's official, hell has frozen over."

Owen - "That's my girl! Izzy's the smartest of us all!"

Izzy - "I wonder if they managed to notice that I used my own blood that I pricked from my right forefinger to mark my answers. I bet they would be so impressed."

"So, those are the eight students going on to study with the rest of the student body here," Jessica spoke as she began to close her announcements. "The rest of you will be studying under a separate schedule from them. You can pick up a copy of the schedule sheet on your way out of the amphitheater. And my I recommend, if you haven't already done so, picking up gym wear at the tailor shop. Otherwise, I'll see you all later."

Jessica stepped back from the podium and walked out of view through the backstage area of the stage. The students got up and one by one exited the amphitheater. Bridgette decided to hang back from going straight to her room and see if she could talk to one of those going off to study with the student body about her concerns for Ezekiel's possible safety. In her luck, the four girls who passed the exam were somewhat grouped together.

"Hey, guys?" the surfer called out to them. "Can I ask you something real quick?"

Gwen looked to the other three before they all shrugged. "Sure," the goth girl answered. "What's on your mind, Bridge?"

Bridgette opened her mouth, then quickly closed it. She bit her bottom lip, tapped her fingers together, and looked to one side before finally saying something. "It's just that..." she tried to begin to say, failing miserably. "Could you... I mean... Would it be okay... if you guys... you know... keep an eye on Zeke...?"

"What do you mean?" Beth asked curiously.

Bridgette took a deep breath. "I'm just... really worried," she replied. "I'm worried about what might happen to him starting tomorrow, you know. He's been home schooled all his life and now he's suddenly being thrust into attending an actual school with little to no preparation. Not to mention there will probably be a lot of girls out there who are still upset by the comments me made back on Camp Wawanakwa that we all know he deeply regrets. I wish I could be there to help him myself, but I obviously can't. So... could you guys watch over him for me?"

Courtney looked rather hesitant to even consider agreeing to help. Bridgette was her friend and roommate, though. And she did accept Ezekiel's apology yesterday. She was just still uncomfortable about being around him. Gwen appeared as though she didn't seem to mind too much. Watching just how nervous the prairie boy was to even rejoin the group upon their arrival at the school, she felt he had more than learned his lesson. Beth didn't seem to mind either. In fact, she looked rather happy that she would be able to be around someone she was familiar with at the start of class.

And then there was Izzy.

"Don't worry, Bridgette!" the wild girl proclaimed, proudly thumping her chest with a fist. "Zeke will be in goods hands! Izzy will protect him from any mean, crazy girls that come after him! I still got that tranquilizer gun that I used to shoot Heather with when I thought she was a deer--"

"I'm sure weapons will be unnecessary, Izzy," Gwen interrupted. "I think just having you alone watching his back will be enough." The goth girl then turned to Bridgette. "But I'll be sure the help out, Bridge."

"Same here," Beth said enthusiastically.

Courtney looked nervously at the others, who were all looking to her to see if she would join them or not. After a moment of silence, she rubbed her arm and gave out a sigh. "Okay," she relented. "I suppose I can find sometime to make sure he doesn't get himself into trouble. It's just that I need to get started on campaigning for student council."

"Geez, we haven't even attended a class yet and you're already working on getting elected?" Gwen commented, rolling her eyes a bit. "The students here barely even know you, except from what they've seen on the show."

"And that's the thing," Courtney stated, getting into her politician mode. "I'm coming in with national television exposure that I need to capitalize on. I need to build upon whatever fame I have and keep it going so that they know who to vote for."

"Whatever," Gwen sighed, not wanting to hear any more of it.

Here is a recap of who passed the entrance exam:

Ezekiel

Beth

Cody

Gwen

Harold

Courtney

Noah

Izzy

Confession Cam Decorations to date:

Dolphin Sticker on the Camera Lens, Heart-Shaped D+C Graffiti, Gum on the Ceiling, Horse Poster, Corey Clark Poster

I already had six of the eight names in mind before I even started on this story, but the ideas thrown about in the reviews helped me decide upon including the other two. And it may actually have been good because it opens up for some more story possibilities down the line. I haven't gone crazy yet with how the decorations in the confession cam will turn out. I actually think I hit a brain-fart on the idea, almost causing it to fall apart right away before coming up with something. I'm open to suggestions, so go ahead and throw some out there in the reviews.

As for why Gwen would take a mini-fridge over a laptop, I'll explain in the next chapter.

---

Next Up: First day of school.