Disclaimer: I literally just made up this 'PlushWorld' thing off the top of my head… it was meant to be a parody of that other major theme park that's rather well-known all around the world… :)

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Once upon a time, there was a shy little girl named Velvet. Maybe you knew someone like her? Always nice to the other kids, always trying her best in class, and always picked on by the bullies. That was Velvet in a nutshell.

One day, a boy called her house on a Friday afternoon and told her he had a crush on her. Said he'd liked her for a long time. Velvet was happy to hear this. Excited. Nervous. No one had ever told her that before. She knew the boy, and while she was surprised he would have feelings like this, she never suspected anything bad.

All weekend she thought about him, getting herself more excited. All weekend she built her hopes up… only to watch them crash down around her come Monday morning.

It was a prank. A stupid joke.

He didn't mean it.

… … …That son of a bitch.

The shy little girl did not show up to school again after that day – instead, a bitter, angry little girl showed up. No longer did she try to make anyone happy. No longer did she try her best. She no longer cared.

A few years later, Velvet met another young woman with bright, pale blonde hair. She was a rich girl, but seemed to fully understand how Velvet felt at the time. Against her will, the two of them bonded. Without any understanding of why, Velvet had found her best friend in Weiss Schnee.

But the pain of that joke never left her – she carried it around in her heart every day. Velvet had vowed to never take anyone seriously again if they tried to show any interest in her. She never wanted to be hurt like that again. Even if it meant she never found anyone special until she was 30 years old, she would not allow anyone to get close to her heart. Ever.

Admittedly, spending time around Weiss allowed Velvet to bloom once again into a friendly, outgoing personality – but that was all on the outside. Dig down even a little and you'll eventually find that hard, bitter shell just beneath the sweet fluff.

"So… Velvs… what do you like to do in your spare time? You look like a study-bug, but I have to wonder if you have any… spicy little secret hobbies?"

And then there was Coco Adel.

Velvet had heard about Coco sometime last year – you don't go to the same high school as the most notorious female 'playboy' in the state and not notice. Coco was a renowned lesbian, famous even in other schools. That being said, Velvet was both flattered that someone with a reputation like her would show interest in the school wallflower… and instantly suspicious.

So far this year Velvet had been getting even more attention from fellow students… but she suspected it was mainly due to her connection with the daughter of the Schnee family. Up until this point, their friendship had been kept mostly under wraps. Now it was more public.

So it was quite easy to suspect Coco of aiming for the rich girl… by going through her nerdy little friend first.

"My hobbies, social activities and measurements are none of your concern Miss Adel," Velvet snapped. "So please quit asking."

Coco tsk-edand sat back in her seat, muttering, "Okay, okay… playing hard-to-get eh? I like a challenge… heh heh heh…"

Velvet suppressed a shudder. Damn pervert.

From her seat near the back of their bus, Velvet could look out over the other seats and spot where most of the others were sitting. Ruby and Weiss shared a seat up near the front and Jaune was next to Blake, but Yang and Neopolitan each sat alone… at least, she assumed as much – Neo could be anywhere, but she was short enough to hide behind the seat.

How and why Neo came at all was quite the mystery to Velvet.

Hell, no one even knew where they were going.

Miss Fall sat near the front of the bus, holding quiet conversation with their driver. Velvet sincerely hoped they would get some kind of explanation before they went much further. It was likely she would wait until they were stopped at the least – trying to talk to a group of people on a school bus in transit was not a great idea.

Velvet had been one of the members of the audience yesterday as Ruby and Neo ended their second drawing contest with a tie. She had listened as Miss Fall's letter was read aloud. And she had been mystified by her parents reaction to news of her trip today – they were just as agreeable as the letter implied.

All at once Velvet realized that Miss Fall was like a spider – slowly spinning a thin web all around them until it was too late to escape. They had all been well and truly caught.

"You know… if you're getting sleepy, my shoulder is open to you. I don't mind," Coco said with a grin on her face.

Velvet gave her a flat look and said, "I'd rather climb out this window and nap on the roof of this bus… but thanks for the offer."

Just at the edge of her vision, Velvet noticed Coco giving an exaggerated snapping motion. Foiled again. The shorter girl allowed herself a small smile since she was still looking out the window.

It was too bad they couldn't sit three to a seat – she would have joined Ruby and Weiss in a heartbeat.

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"Before any of you ask, yes… we are indeed at PlushWorld."

The bus had finally come to a stop next to the largest theme park Velvet had ever seen. They had parked in the parking lot of the park. But why…?

Miss Fall continued, "Allow me to explain from the beginning – after those two mentioned this place, I decided to plan this trip…" she motioned towards Ruby and another seat near the front, likely where the midget was sitting, "but there was a bit of a snag. I won't bore you with the details, but in short I applied for the creation of a new after-school club to make this a legitimate school trip."

She smiled pleasantly, sending a chill down Velvet's spine, and said, "The eight of you are now official members of the Oum High School Art Club."

"I quit," Yang spoke an instant later.

"Then you can walk home right now," Miss Fall didn't miss a beat. "This trip is for club members only."

"Ooh…" the blonde groaned, "You're evil…"

Well-played Miss Fall, …well-played. Velvet was legitimately impressed. That also explained how she nabbed a school bus, and even went a ways in explaining how she got the permission from everyone's parents.

Jaune scratched his head, looking confused. "Then… why was I invited?"

"To inflate my numbers," Miss Fall replied casually. Half the bus sweat-dropped.

The bus driver opened the door to let them out as Miss Fall continued, "I'll go over the finer details later, but for now I'll just give you two rules for today – first, the person you're sitting next to will be your 'buddy' for the day, and second, since this is a 'club activity' you will have to produce something I can grade before we leave. I have a supply of paper and a few pencils if you need them."

Jaune and Blake looked at each other awkwardly. Yang gave the boy a glare.

Ruby and Weiss shared a look and a giggle.

Velvet felt her stomach drop into her shoes.

A hand with a fingerless black glove appeared from one of the seats in front of her, but before anything was asked Miss Fall said, "Neo, you can go with Yang."

Two identical tsk sounds came from each girl. Everyone else sweat-dropped again.

From beside her, Velvet could feel Coco's stupid grin. So much for playing hard-to-get.

What kind of day was she in for?

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Weiss had never been to PlushWorld before. Neither had Ruby.

But they soon found a most unexpected sight.

"Sal-u-tations, Ruby Rose!" came the cheerful call of a ginger-haired teen just ahead of them on the path.

Ruby seemed to know the girl. "Penny? What are you doing here?"

The girl called Penny made an indignant gesture, pouting, "Am I not allowed to visit a public theme park? Is this place your personal playground?"

Ruby made a slow, theatrical punch at the girl's face, missing by several inches, but the girl still acted like she'd taken a full hit… also in slow motion. Both were grinning at the exchange.

Weiss just blinked. What was that supposed to be?

Ruby turned back to Weiss as she introduced the new ginger-haired teenager. "Weiss, this is Penny Polendina. We went to the same middle school up until last year…"

"But then you betrayed me… how could you move away and go to Oum High? We were supposed to both go to Shawcross High… whine…"

"It's not the same effect if you say the word whine…" Ruby said as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh… it's not? I see…" Penny blinked, looking contemplative. "I'll remember that."

Sensing her chance, Weiss held out her right hand and said, "Weiss Schnee. Nice to meet you."

Penny blinked at the outstretched hand. Weiss tilted her head in slight confusion.

Ruby quickly muttered, "…Try your other hand."

Still confused, Weiss held out her left hand instead. Penny smiled and shook it happily. "Nice to meet you," she said.

"Her right hand is… a bit hard to work with…" Ruby tried to explain, which only served to confuse the young Schnee more.

Penny pulled her long sleeve up to the elbow of her right arm… and Weiss stared at the plastic shell that sat where flesh usually would be. It was a prosthetic arm.

"I lost the arm back when I was little. All the way up to the shoulder," she motioned to the joint, pressing a finger at the spot where plastic met flesh beneath the fabric. "Ruby is the only one I've ever met who isn't creeped out by it. She's my best-est friend!"

A tingle in the back of her head got Weiss' attention as Penny fawned over Ruby. There was something… else… behind Penny's words. Ice-blue eyes narrowed as she watched the ginger-haired girl talk.

"Is your dad here with you?" Ruby looked around eagerly.

Penny nodded towards a nearby ride, "Yes, he'll be coming out of there in a few minutes. I'm waiting for him here."

"Mister Ironwood is Penny's stepfather. He coaches a little-league team back where I used to live," Ruby explained. Weiss nodded, wondering just what kind of man could put up with a girl like this.

The young Schnee took a breath and said, "Well it was lovely to meet you Miss Polendina, but Ruby and I are actually here as part of a club activity. We should get going soon."

"If you need a tip… I happen to know that the line for the log plume ride is quite short at the moment," Penny offered.

"Ooh… I love that kind of ride! Come on Weiss, let's do it!" Ruby's eyes sparkled.

Weiss smiled as she took Ruby's hand and started to walk away. She clearly saw Penny's face as the girl's green eyes locked onto their clasped hands. The girl did not look happy.

Just before they got out of sight, Weiss and Penny's eyes locked. Penny had a clear look of challenge painted all over her face.

Well… this could get complicated…

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Coco's mind was running full-speed as soon as Miss Fall named her and Velvet as 'buddies' for the day. Suddenly Coco had found herself on a date and she was determined to make this work.

She was ready to kiss their teacher for this… but didn't want to have to take any anti-venom for the spider bite.

Coco had been to PlushWorld once before, but she had been quite a bit younger. Most of the attractions she remembered were still there on the map, but a few new ones had cropped up since. Her brown eyes glittered as she planned out their day.

Just to her side, Velvet looked like she was trying to will herself as far away as she could… but didn't want to incur the wrath of Cinder Fall by ignoring her rules.

Coco knew better than to try and hold her hand. She'd likely get it bitten off.

Most of the rumors about Coco were well-founded – she was actually just as flirty as everyone said. For her, the heart of a girl was little more than a plaything. She had mastered the art of stealing hearts back in middle school and ever since it was merely a past time. No challenge. No spark.

But then she was introduced to Velvet Scarlatina. And she felt a spark.

She had to know why.

Her plan took the two of them to various rides all over the park. The frequently caught glimpses of the other pairs as they went, but Coco steered them clear every chance she got.

Velvet was adamant about keeping a sour face for the entire day, but every so often her façade cracked. The teacup ride certainly had an effect – the bespectacled teen actually laughed as they spun at ridiculous speeds. She tried to act like it didn't happen afterwards… which just made her look cuter.

No attempt at small talk was given more than a brisk shooting-down. Trying to buy one drink with two straws nearly got said drink dumped all over her. Pulling Velvet's shoulder to guide her to another ride almost got Coco punched square in the face.

Oddly, Velvet offered to cover both her and Coco's lunch. She even bought each of them a matching PlushWorld keychain as a souvenir.

In short, Coco was having a wonderful day.

About an hour before they had to meet back at the bus, Coco stood with Velvet watching the colors of the setting sun. Velvet was smiling at that moment – Coco remembered that detail correctly.

"If you don't mind my asking, have you ever had a boyfriend?"

Velvet's smile dropped instantly as she answered, "I do mind…"

"It's just that… you seem like the kind of girl that has to beat the boys off of you with a crowbar."

"Coco… stop," the brown-themed girl missed the warning tone in the shorter teens voice.

"I had a lot of fun today, Velvs. I think you did too, despite how hard you tried to hide it. I dunno… you think we could do this again?"

"Seriously… don't go there…"

"After all, can't let Ruby have all the fun-"

SLAP!

Coco's vision swam with stars for a moment as the feel of Velvet's palm lingered on her cheek. Her sunglasses had been knocked off her face and were laying a few feet away on the concrete. Nearby guests had stopped walking to stare at the scene.

Velvet's brown eyes were wide with a glare as tears welled up beside them. Her mouth was set in a furious scowl. Both of her hands were balled up in shaking fists. She looked like she was ready to tear Coco's head from her shoulders, but decided instead to march off towards the front gate and make for the bus.

The tall teenager was left stunned. Just what exactly did she say to get that kind of reaction?

And why was she feeling so… excited right now?

Stupid hormones.

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Blake was feeling rather bad for Jaune. The poor guy had no idea what he had gotten himself into. Quite frankly, neither did Blake. They didn't have art class at all, but Miss Fall was a bit notorious in the school.

And now they were members of the Art Club? Yikes.

Blake could draw a bit, but nothing award-winning like she'd seen Ruby draw. She knew Jaune could doodle a bit, too… but God only knew about Coco and Yang's skill. Yang could probably pull off stick figures, but she didn't hold out much hope.

The pair had not done much of anything most of the day, so Blake consoled herself by watching the others. Yang and Neo split up almost immediately after getting into the park, with the latter following after Ruby and Weiss all day. Yang quickly made her way to each and every one of the park's biggest rides in an effort to make the most of her time. Most people didn't get the chance to come to a major park like this every day.

Blake seriously hoped the blonde wouldn't come out and follow her and Jaune for the rest of the day. She still had too much to think about.

"You alright over there, Blake?" Jaune spoke up from across the table.

"Hmm?" the teen looked up from staring at the table, then sighed. "Am I that obvious?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone in the park can tell you're distracted," Jaune said with a warm smile.

Blake's forehead met the surface of the table with a thwack.

"Blake, if you need to talk about something, I'm right here." Jaune adjusted himself in his seat. "If not, I'll still be here."

The black-haired girl sat upright, rubbing her forehead. "Have you ever told someone a small lie… that ended up spiraling out of control before you knew it?"

"Can't say that I have…"

"And maybe you did it… because you were afraid of your own feelings about the person you're lying to…"

"Um… Blake?"

"And maybe you're feeling guilty about how that person is starting to look more and more angry about the lie you told them… to the point of spraining their wrist…"

An awkward silence fell over them. Yang had explained to the group why her arm was still sore before they got on the bus.

Jaune cleared his throat first, "So… Yang, huh?"

Blake's forehead and the table had a reunion, this time with two thwacks.

"And based on how you and Coco have been acting these past few days… I take it she knows too?"

Three thwacks. The table was starting to tilt with each hit.

Jaune was starting to be worried about the girl, so he tried by saying, "Look… I won't pretend to be an expert on stuff like this, but it's clear that keeping this secret is hurting you. A lot. Would telling her the truth be any worse?"

No thwacks this time.

He hesitantly continued, "I mean… it's clear she still thinks about you a lot. And if she's ready to fight an imaginary character for you, maybe you need to tell her not to bother…"

Blake lifted her head and regarded the blonde boy. "It's not that simple. Yes it hurts, but I'm more scared than anything. I don't know how to deal with this. I don't know how to deal with Yang. I just… don't know."

Then Blake saw Jaune's eyes glance over to one side, looking at something behind her. Or someone. And she just knew.

"How long have you been standing there?" Blake sighed without moving or turning.

"Ever since the part about 'telling someone a small lie…'" Yang replied. Her tone implied that she had her arms crossed as she spoke.

Any and all courage Blake thought she had gathered decided to flee at that moment. Yang took the seat next to Blake and sat back with her arms crossed again, glaring silently at the amber-eyed teen.

Yang seemed ready to punch someone.

All Blake wanted to do at that moment was cry.

Jaune, who had nowhere to escape to, simply swallowed hard and prepared to dodge any flying projectiles.

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When James Ironwood went into that 3D ride with the rest of the crowd, Penny was in a good mood. By the time he came out, she was not. In fact, she looked like she was ready for war.

"Father," she said as he walked over to her, "…What would it take to get me transferred to Oum High? This year? As soon as possible?"

The man sighed, closing his eyes. Something must have happened. Goodness. You take your eyes off a kid for ten minutes…

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Cinder Fall remained near the front gate for the day. She never liked big crowds and happy-sappy places like this.

Her 'Art Club' idea worked like a charm, but she was not willing to let those kids know that this trip was meant to be a reward. She didn't want to ruin her reputation, after all.

This group seemed to come with quite a bit of pre-loaded drama, however. As she sat at the head of the bus on the trip home, she glanced back at the new seating arrangements… and the overall mood of the kids.

Coco and Blake sat at the back of the bus, each by themselves and looking rather whipped. Ruby and Weiss still sat in the front seat, dozing lightly on each other's shoulders. They were a cute pair, really. Everyone else sat alone in various seats all throughout, most looking out the windows and trying not to pay any attention to each other.

Everyone had done a quick drawing of something in the park – either one of the plushy-based mascots or a photogenic building – so she had nothing to chide them about. In fact, today seemed to go just fine.

She then glanced back and noticed Neo staring at Ruby. She would have expected the midget to be staring at Weiss, but those multi-colored eyes were definitely locked onto the redhead.

She also had a disturbed look in her eyes. Interesting.

Cinder chuckled as she thought about what to expect from this crazy group of kids.

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Author's Note: Have you ever tried to throw characters into a scenario and just… watch them preform in your mind? And then they do something you didn't expect? That's kind of what happened here. I had no plan with this chapter when I started, but these guys just went and did their own thing.

On a personal note, another of my own experiences was reflected in the very first scene of this chapter – I actually did get that phone call from a girl in 9th grade that turned out to be a prank. Trust me, it sucks.

Feel free to leave a review!

=^w^=