Sim State University Versus Ripp Grunt

Chapter Six

Freshman Year: Dance Dilemmas

The sun is starting to set as Tank finishes up the last three questions in his history book. He stops writing and glances up at the flickering light three feet above him. "Man, I really need to fill out a repair slip before my entire room starts falling apart," he says to the disappearing silence.

"Tank!" Ripp calls out from the hallway.

Tank groans, "Not now Ripp, I'm busy!" he shouts back.

To his surprise, Ripp bursts through his bedroom door, a glare plastered across his face. Ripp turns to his brother furious, "Tank! Why are you taking Isabella to the dance?"

"Whoa, it took you four hours to figure out that one?" Tank responds, "Way to go genius," Tank adds sarcastically.

"Why Tank? Why would you do this to me?" Ripp replies, his arms out in frustration.

"Does it bother you?" Tank asks, not even bothering to look up from his textbook.

"Yes," Ripp responds, "You know it does!"

Tank smirks, "Then I think you just answered your own question there," Tank sighs, pointing towards the door, "Now get out of my way, you're ruining my light."

Ripp steps closer to Tank and crouches down to his seated level; his voice stern, "I'll get out of your way once you break off your date with my girlfriend!"

"Your girlfriend?" Tank repeats, now staring directly at his brother, "Funny, that's not what Isabella said."

Ripp gets up from the ground and leans back towards the wall, "What did she say?" he asks, intrigued.

"She said to get out of Tank's light before I punch you in the face," Tank growls.

Ripp gives Tank a strange look, before rubbing the back of his head puzzled, "Really? Huh, that doesn't sound like something she'd say."

Tank walks over to Ripp and turns him around, pushing him out the door, "I think you need to go," Tank says, guiding him into the hallway. "Goodbye idiot brother!"

Ripp turns around; "But Tank-" Tank slams the door in his face, causing Ripp to groan. "Now, how could I possibly not like him?" Ripp says to himself.

Meanwhile: In the Upstairs Lounge

Isabella enters the lounge wearing a mid length pink dress and mismatched earrings. She walks over to Brent who is playing the drums with a brunette girl wearing a purple dress dancing in front of him.

"Hey Brent," Isabella says, "Have you seen my other earring?"

Brent turns to her, pointing to his left ear, "What?" he responds.

"I said-have you seen my other earring?" Isabella states a little louder.

Brent continues to play the drums, before turning to his little sister, "I can't hear you!" he shouts.

"HAVE YOU SEEN MY OTHER PINK EARRING?" Isabella screams over the drum beats.

"NO ISABELLA," Brent shouts back, "I DON'T HAVE EARWIGS!"

Isabella sighs heavily before snatching the drumsticks from Brent; ceasing the noise in the room. The girl stops dancing, "Hey!" Brent says, "What'd you do that for?"

"Could you stop playing the drums for five seconds and listen to me?" Isabella states, "I just wanted to know if you've seen my other pink earring. I can't go to the dance like this!" Isabella says, pointing to her mismatched earrings on her left and right ear.

Brent gets up from the drum seat and empties out the money jar in front of him, "Eh, no one will notice and-" Brent stops to look at her, "-what's with the dress?" he completes.

"Brent!" Isabella calls out, "The dance is in twenty minutes and you're seriously asking me about the dress?"

"Yes," Brent replies, "I really am."

Isabella looks down at herself, "Well, what's wrong with it?"

"It's too girly," Brent quickly says, trying to dodge the look of offense on his sister's face.

The girl in the purple dress turns to Isabella, "Well I like it," she states, "It's very pink."

Isabella turns to the girl with the brunette bun puzzled, "Uh, thanks," she leans toward Brent, lowering her voice, "What's her name again?"

"Oh, I'm Breanna!" the girl says, springing up between Brent and Isabella, startling them both. Breanna smiles and turns to Isabella, "Your brother is SO cute," she adds.

Isabella steps back disturbed, "Umm, okay."

"Breanna lives here," Brent continues, "She likes me," he quietly adds to his sister.

Isabella smirks, crossing her arms, "Well I guess someone has to."

Brent scowls and turns to Isabella, "Look, can you leave? I have a lot more practice left to do."

"Fine, see you," Isabella says, exiting the lounge and heading down the stairs. Brent waits until he hears Isabella shut her bedroom door before taking out a walkie talkie.

"The subject has left the area," Brent says into it, "Let operation sabotage begin."

Ripp sighs, coming up from his hiding place behind the couch, "Brent," he says, walking towards him while taking out his walkie talkie and holding it up to Brent's face, "Do we really have to use these?"

"Hey, do you want my sister back or not?" Ripp sighs, his gaze drifting to the floor, "That's what I thought," Brent continues, "Now, let's go over the plan one more time…"

Twenty Minutes Later

Ripp and Brent are standing near the entrance of the kitchen, hiding behind the staircase wall. Brent is wearing a black tuxedo, while Ripp is wearing his regular clothes, a tan and brown vertical striped button down shirt with brown slacks. Brent looks down at him, "You know, you could've dressed up for this."

"And risk looking like an idiot?" Ripp responds, causing Brent to nod in agreement.

"Good point," Brent answers, "So, any sign of your brother?"

Ripp looks around, struggling to glance around the corner at the couples dancing in the lounge, "No," he reluctantly replies, "I haven't seen him or Isabella anywhere."

"Don't worry about Isabella," Brent responds, "Trust me, knowing my sister, she probably hasn't even left her room yet." Brent takes out a pair of binoculars and starts to gaze around the kitchen; he stops at the buffet table, "Hey look! They're serving baked Alaska! Ooh, is that chocolate cake?"

Ripp glances at the dancing couples in the lounge next to him, he sighs, "Brent?"

"Yeah?" Brent responds, not taking his eyes off of the food at the buffet table.

"Why are you helping me?" Ripp asks.

"Oh it's simple," Brent replies, putting down the binoculars and turning to Ripp, "I hate your brother. He's a jerk."

Ripp smiles, "I couldn't have said it better myself."

All of a sudden the spot behind the staircase begins to darken, as a shadow comes up from behind Brent and Ripp. They turn around in panic, only to find Kea behind them licking the cream off of a chocolate sandwich cookie, "Hey guys!" she responds, looking down at the binoculars in Brent's hands, "You know, if you're looking for face paint boy, he's talking to that giant llama mascot near the vending machines over there," she says, pointing down the hallway at Tank.

Brent sits up and turns to her, "Thanks Kea," he responds, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Kea smiles, "Isabella called me a few minutes ago," she replies, "She said something about an earring emergency," she lowers her voice, "I just told her not to wear any," Kea turns to Brent, gazing behind him, "So, who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is Ripp," Brent responds, pushing Ripp in front of him, "I'm trying to help him get back together with my sister," Brent nods his head from side to side, "It's a shame, she never did get over him."

Kea turns to Ripp, "So you're Ripp," she says shaking his hand, "Funny, I always pictured you taller. Anyway, this is your lucky day. Since Kea Kalson has nothing else to do for the rest of the day, I'm going to help you get my friend back," Kea turns to Brent, "So, what's the plan?"

"Keep Isabella and Tank apart at all costs," Brent says, leading the other two into a huddle, "Kea, are you good at distractions?"

Kea thinks for a second, "That depends," she replies, "What kind of distractions are we talking about here?"

Fifteen Seconds Later

Kea is seen dragging Isabella out of her room and up the stairs. "And after I saw this singing llama on the roof, I knew I just had to show you. I mean, as soon as I saw it I was thinking 'Man, Isabella would absolutely love to see this!' And that's what friends are for right?"

"Uhh, Kea?" Isabella says, "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Kea stops dragging Isabella and clenches her by the shoulders, her smile about a mile wide, "Another great question, we'll never know now will we?"

Isabella backs away from Kea terrified, "Umm, yeah, I'm just going to go to the dance now-"

"NO!" Kea abruptly shouts, "I mean-I haven't shown you the singing llama yet!"

Isabella steps back, only to have her arm grabbed by Kea smiling manically, "I'm scared," she responds.

"Now, that's the spirit!" Kea states, in front of steps leading to the roof, "Come on bestie!"

Meanwhile: Outside the Cafeteria

Ripp is standing behind the staircase, wearing a pink dress, orange wig and makeup, he turns to Brent, "There is no way I am doing this," he responds.

"Hey, you were the one that didn't want to dress in a tux, so here you go!" Brent replies.

Ripp turns to Brent, a glare plastered on his face, "There is no way that Tank is going to think that I'm Isabella."

"Maybe not in the light, but hey, if it's dark enough, he'll never know the difference," Brent reasons.

"And tell me again why you couldn't do this?" Ripp asks, turning towards his neighbor.

"Because, I couldn't risk the chance of Tank trying to make moves on me," Brent answers.

"Wait, WHAT?" Ripp outbursts, as Brent pushes him into the cafeteria.

"Good luck dork!" Brent responds from behind the staircase.

Ripp is standing in the darken cafeteria scanning the room for his brother, "Okay Ripp don't panic," he says to himself, "Maybe he'll actually fall for it and he won't notice that you're dressed like a chick. Man, the things I do for love."

Ripp spots Tank near the punchbowl and sighs, "Well, here goes nothing."