A/N: So, in this chapter, Dexter and Mandark continue to face the biggest problem besides their rivalry. Debbie becomes more of a problem as the story goes on and is far more evil in her own way than, dare I say it, Mandark! *Gasp!* ...Yeah, I know, not all that surprising. But hey, I tried. Enjoy! Please R & R!

(Third-Person P.O.V.)

The next morning, Mandark got up, shoved a bowlful of Corn Flakes down his throat, hastily brushed his teeth and combed his hair, and departed from the Astronominov household. He stalked Dexter all the way to the bus stop before sneaking up from behind, reaching out a finger, and gingerly poking the smaller boy's shoulder.

"Hey, dork brain," he blurted half-heartedly, scaring Dexter half to death. When he regained his composure, he responded back with,

"Hi, butt face." They stood side-by-side silently for a few seconds before Mandark decided to break the silence with a fight. After all, he didn't want Dexter to get suspicious of anything.

"You copied me, you know! What with trying out as well, and all!"

"Oh, and so what if I did?! You copy me all the time!"

"No! It is you who copies me!"

"I do not! You're just a poophead who can't come up with his own material! So there! Thbbbbbbt!" Dexter blew a raspberry with his tongue and directed it to the raven-haired boy.

"You potty mouth! You oughta wash your mouth out with soap!" Mandark yelled.

"Mandark, you've never touched soap in all your life! You know why?! Oh, yeah! It's because you're a dirty liar!"

"Well, if I'm a dirty liar, then you're a pee-pee butt!"

"Look who's saying potty talk now, eh?!"

"That's different!"

"Oh really?! And why's that?!"

"Because you smell like both!"

"That does it!" Dexter pounced upon Mandark and they wrestled in the snow until the bus showed up and everybody advised them to break up their frankly embarrassing argument. But that didn't mean they didn't still call each other names when they walked through the school entrance, however.

"Booger breath!"

"Chowder head!"

"Flea bag!"

"Stink weed!" The names kept rolling and rolling until they paused in the middle of the hallway. The reason for this was that Debbie Smith was throwing a tantrum after reading the poster in front of her. The two boys walked over to get a closer look. It turned out to be, much to Mandark's silent victory, a callback poster for Dexter McPherson and Debbie Smith, who both wished to play the part of Wendy.

"Success!" Dexter cried out in that adorable Russian accent of his that made Mandark's insides melt. He puffed out his chest in victory. "You see, Mandark? Unlike you, these people are nice enough to get me a lead in the play!" Mandark hid his hurt feelings by snorting and saying,

"Oh, really? Funny you should say that, Dexter, because they got me a lead in the play too! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Then he showed Dexter the paper that said in fine print, "Congratulations, you will be playing the part of Peter Pan in 'Peter Pan and Wendy'. Be sure to meet us for practice every Tuesday and Friday." Dexter' s jaw dropped. He was secretly very happy for Mandark, but he couldn't let the object of his affection know that he liked him, so he responded with,

"You know, something, Mandark?! You really get under my skin!"

"Thank you. I try," the taller boy said, grinning in a beastly manner. Later that afternoon, the students gathered in the auditorium for the callback. Dexter and Debbie had both decided on what to sing for the duet that their theatrical fates depended upon. They stood and swayed upon the stage while the teachers chattered amongst themselves. They shook hands and whispered side threats out of their mouths.

"My daddy's gonna sue your butt if I don't win this, you varmint," Debbie snarled.

"Don't make me zap you with my Electro Ray," Dexter retorted. Finally, the piano-player began to play "Breaking Free" and the two began to sing. First, it was Dexter.

"We're soaring, flying, there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach."

Debbie followed up with,

"If we're trying, so we're breaking free."

Mandark was attracted to the red-head's voice and how smooth and realistic it sounded. It took his breath away.

"You know the world can see us

In a way that's different from who we are - "

"Creating space between us

'Till we're separate hearts."

Mandark found that he connected more with Dexter's voice because he sounded as if he were living in the song, somehow.

"But your faith, it gives me strength,

Strength to believe," Dexter sang,

"We're breaking free!"

"We're soaring!"

"Flying!"

"There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!"

"If we're trying!"

"So we're breaking free!"

Mandark despised the way Debbie's voice sounded and how she tried to outdo the other singer by singing not only louder, but also an octave higher. And Dexter could already sing pretty high.

"Running!"

"Climbing!"

"To get to the place to be all that we can be!"

"Now's the time!"

"So we're breaking free!"

"Ooh, yeah!"

"More than hope, more than faith!"

"This is true, this is fate!"

"And together we see it comin'!"

"More than you, more than me!

"Not a want, but a need!"

"Both of us breakin' free!"

Mandark swore that in all his life, Dexter never looked more attractive. The key changed from a B-flat to a C.

"We're soaring!"

"Flying!"

"There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!"

"If we're trying!"

"So we're breaking free!"

"We're running!"

"Ooh, climbing!"

"To get to the place to be all that we can be!"

"Now's the time!"

"So we're breaking free!"

"Oh, we're breaking free!"

"O-Oh~!"

Finally, the ending:

"You know the world can see us

In a way that's different from who we are."

Everybody gave them a standing ovation, including Mandark who directed it all towards Dexter. Now, it was up to the teachers to decide who the better Wendy was.

Trick question, Mandark thought, sitting back in his seat and smiling. Mr. Luzinski was the first to speak up.

"We have made our decision!" he announced. Miss Wimple walked in Debbie's direction, striking fear in the raven-haired boy's heart.

"It certainly wasn't an easy decision, but - "

"We are proud to announce that Mr. Dexter McPherson is our new Wendy!" Ms. Price declared.

"What?!" Debbie screamed, her eyes popping out and her face resembling a radish. Some class mates laughed, but Mandark smirked and cheered in his head. It hurt a little that Dexter didn't know how much he cared, but it was worth it to see the radiant smile on his pale face.

Later that evening, Mandark was walking home and whistling some Beatles tunes when all of a sudden, he heard a loud moan coming from a dark alley between twin brick buildings. He stopped to observe who was making that sound and was horrified when he found out. It was Dexter, lying down and nearly unconscious, a black eye, bloody nose, and deformed leg upon him.

"Oh my gosh! Dexter, are you okay?! Speak to me!" he shouted.

"Man - dark..." the smaller boy managed shortly before he closed his eyes and went out cold. Grunting and groaning sounds echoed in the air that night as Mandark carried Dexter bridal-style to the hospital.