Sneak Peek with the Gal Pals

(Story Summary: Desperate to become part of the Middle School's news team, Phoebe goes into town to look for anything that might be considered "juicy" or "interesting" enough for the school news. What she finds, instead is something she never knew about some of her close friends; particularly Lincoln)

In another part of town; a great deal of noise is heard within a long, ground-level house. As the camera peers in closer at the house; the "viewer" can hear all manner of rapid footsteps, some fearful whimpering/shouting and an occasional crashing sound (possibly due to the resident tripping over themselves.) Inside of said house, we discover that the frantic resident is none other than Phoebe Snapper; one of the two Middle School aged members of the Gal Pals.

At the same time, the "viewer" sees that the room she's in looks like a total mess; like the result of a mini tornado running through. Truthfully, it was Phoebe herself who cluttered up the room; which the "viewer" presumes is hers. With frantic whispers, she whizzed about the place; opening drawers and tossing out their contents all over.

At first, an onlooker would assume that she could be throwing a fit about something; as some adults assume teenagers do. But if one looked more closely, it looked as though Phoebe might be searching for something she may have misplaced. "C'mon...C'mon, I know it's here" the teen muttered while tossing some clothes from a drawer, "I brought it in my room last night!"

After finding nothing of value inside, Phoebe let out a groan and hurried over to the clothes pile; hoping to find what she wanted/needed. She was so focused on rummaging through said pile, she barely noticed her mother standing behind her. "I hope you plan on cleaning all this up after school, young lady" murmured Mrs. Snapper, "what happened, did you forget your homework?"

Phoebe stopped her mad search for a brief moment, looked over her shoulder slightly and gave her mother a firm glare. "No, Mommy; my homework's right in my backpack in the kitchen" she said affirmatively, "I'm looking for a folder with something inside it...something I've spent all last weekend working on." Upon hearing this short yet somewhat informative explanation, Mrs. Snapper gave her daughter a light chuckle and questioned why the folder would be in her sock drawer.

"Because...I needed to keep it safe from unwanted eyes" Phoebe said with a groan, "I don't want anybody to know about this before the school does." Once more, Mrs. Snapper gave a chuckle at her daughter; mostly because of how adorable she looked when she was paranoid.

Then, at that moment; a sense of realization hit Phoebe like a dodgeball in the back of her head. "I remember, now" she gasped, "I put it inside my desk drawer, not my socks and underwear drawer!" Mere seconds later, Phoebe could not only hear her mother chuckling at her expense; she also heard her say something along the lines of "it's always in the last place you look."

For a moment, Phoebe thought about offering some kind of mildly snappy comeback to her words. But as she picked up her phone, she saw that it was almost 7:40; which gave her only twenty minutes to get to school. "But honey, classes don't start until nine" Mrs. Snapper said matter-of-factly, "what else could have you rushing about like a ninny?"

After lightly shushing her mother, Phoebe insisted that her business was "private" just like with the contents hidden in her oh-so important folder. Then, with near lightning-fast reflexes; Mrs. Snapper quickly snatched the item away from her daughter's hands. "What the...MOOOM, that's classified stuff" Phoebe whined, "the paper would kill me, if anyone else but you looked at it!"

Ignoring her daughter's words, Mrs. Snapper opened up the folder and saw something that actually made her openly cringe. When she regained her composure, almost twenty seconds later; she handed back the folder to Phoebe and gave a very befuddled stare. "I think I've got a good idea on what this is for" she murmured, "but...you're actually planning to show this to them?"

After snatching back her folder from her mother's hands, Phoebe proclaimed that its contents were "exactly what they needed to see." "I'd love to stay and chat more, Mom" she said hastily, "but I've gotta go before the bus arrives!" With that; Phoebe stuffed the folder into her bag, hoisted it over her shoulder and hurried out the door.

Afterwards, she made a beeline straight for the nearest bus stop to wait for the school bus' arrival. As she takes her seat, Phoebe takes a quick peek into her bag and sees that her folder is safely stored within. With a relieved sigh; she lightly hugs her backpack, zips it shut and sits it beside her.

"Oh, hey...you guys are probably wondering why I'm so jittery this morning, yeah" Phobe inquired to the "viewer," "well...I've got some time before my bus arrives; so, I guess I can tell you." Before opening her bag, she asks the viewer to swear they won't reveal anything to outside sources; to which the screen simply moves up and down, symbolizing a nod. "You guys already know about my photography hobby, yeah" she asked, "well, I'm gonna take things up to the next level."

From here, she goes on to talk about the Middle School's two news formats; the school paper and the news studio. "While the paper went on strong for decades, there was a period where they...decided to shut down the studio" Phoebe explained, "turns out students, according to the Daily Marsupial paper, felt it was 'worse than sitting through detention.'" As the final nail in the coffin, she revealed how Principal Ramirez had no choice but to shut down the news and close up the studio room.

"Then...as luck would have it; last November, someone rediscovered the studio" Phoebe explained gleefully, "then, after speaking with Principal Ramirez; they managed to get it back up and running again!" Mere seconds after saying all this, she took out her phone and brought up an image; a group shot featuring the boys and Stella. This alone was enough to get the "viewer" up to speed on things.

"At first, my pals here had...a few hiccups in their efforts to get the studio running again" Phoebe stated, "but just when things seemed sunk, they'd found the big scoop they needed; the school's hidden game room!" With this discovery, Principal Ramirez was so impressed that she allowed the Action News Team to keep their studio open. "Both it and the paper have become pretty popular, since then" Phoebe stated, "which gives me a chance to take my skills to the next level."

Just then, the school bus had arrived and she quickly climbed aboard before continuing. "If my grandpa could make it as a wartime photographer; maybe, I can follow in his footsteps with the school news" she muttered, "I just hope my report will be enough to bring me in." Upon mentioning this, Phoebe looked to the viewer and showed off the folder in her backpack as discretely as she could.

"That's what I've got here in my bag, guys" she whispered, "it's a special report I've been working on, a real hard-hitting story; I've even got photographs to back it up." As Phoebe finally took her seat, she carefully sat her bag atop her lap; patting it protectively. Then, at that moment; Cici poked her head up from the seat behind her and asked about what she had inside.

"I'm guessing this is the 'super huge project' you've been working all weekend on" she inquired, "do you really think it's what the paper wants?" Phoebe gave a light eye roll at her friend and insisted her story was something that would really capture the student body's attention. "It's not that I don't believe in ya, Feebs" Cici said reassuringly, "it's just...this will be your fourth attempt at trying to join the news team."

While this statement wasn't spoken out of malice or spite, Phoebe still couldn't help but feel self-conscious. Then, she gave her self a light yet painful slap across the face; in an attempt to knock the doubt out of her mind. "I know it's a long shot" she murmured, "but my grandpa never gave up whenever people doubted him; so, I'm not going to either!"

While she still had her doubts, Cici couldn't help but admire her bestie's spirit and still wished her luck. "I'm only saying that people can be kinda fickle" she stated, "what you see as a big scoop may actually seem boring to some of the other students." With that said, Cici sat back down in her seat; leaving Phoebe alone to process everything she'd been told.

While there was a nugget of truth behind her friend's words, she still had faith that her story would be enough to land her a place on the school news team. "Just keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best" Phoebe thought to herself, "but just to be safe...cross your toes and maybe your eyes too, if ya can."

(Line Break)

Sometime later, inside of a room bearing a paper that had the words "The Daily Marsupial" written on the door window; Principal Ramirez was sitting behind her desk, looking through a collection of papers and photographs. Before her stood Phoebe, who looked shakier than a leaf on a tree branch during a hurricane. After looking at the last of the pages, she placed it along with the others inside of a folder; which was marked "Dodgeball: Blood & Rubber."

Apparently, this was all part of an exposé on how the "popular" gym activity did more harm than good to students. The photos that came with the story all featured students bearing minor to major injuries from playing said activity. "Did you like it, Principal Ramirez" Phoebe asked hopefully, "I've already worked up a follow-up piece on Bombardment."

For a moment or two, neither of the two ladies said anything; which made things feel quite tense. Then, Principal Ramirez reclined back into her chair with a heavy sigh; as if preparing to give some bad news. But just as she was about to speak, a 7th Grader suddenly came barging in.

"So sorry to disturb you, Ma'am" she said while panting heavily, "but we've just got word from one of our on-the-scene scouts; apparently...they came up short." Not long after this, the aforementioned "scout" was ushered in; looking even more nervous than Phoebe herself did. He stared at Principal Ramirez nervously and swallowed a lump down his throat, before finding the nerve to speak up.

"Sorry I'm late, Ma'am" the student murmured, "I...got held up with trying to get my story." Upon hearing this statement, Principal Ramirez asked how far along the "scout" got; to which he replied with "they told me...'no comment.'" The instant he said these words, the usually collected principal suddenly gave the young man a fierce stare.

"That isn't acceptable, Scout" she said firmly, "several students and members of the faculty have complained about being scammed by him, I needed to see if they were right!" With a fearful yelp, the "scout" bowed both with shame and respect to his superior; asking her for her forgiveness.

"I really did try, Principal Ramirez" he murmured apologetically, "but Flip threatened to pour molten nacho cheese on me, if he caught me loitering around his store again." The entire newsroom gasped loudly with shock at this reveal, including Phoebe. Principal Ramirez on the other hand, shook her head in disappointment; disgusted that someone would openly make a threat towards one of her students.

"I'm sorry you went through that, young man" she said kindly, "but this report needs to go public, the school board should know that their staff is being fleeced out of their hard earned money." With this in mind, Principal Ramirez sent the "scout" back out to make another attempt at getting his story. This time, however; she would give him permission to ask a member of the school's security team to accompany him (should Flip attempt to use his nacho cheese threat again.)

The student thanked her for this kindness, saluted her and vowed he wouldn't be turned away again; before leaving the room. Once that matter was dealt with, Principal Ramirez slid Phoebe's folder back to her; all while shaking her head lightly. "I applaud you on your efforts, Miss Shutter" she said kindly, "but this kind of news story is...a tad too controversial for the paper."

From here, she explained that while all the facts in her exposé were sound and all the photographic evidence would catch a lot of peoples' attention, the topic would cause many heated debates between parents and staff; which was something the school wished to avoid. "I know a lot of students dislike Dodgeball, maybe even fear it" Principal Ramirez explained, "but there are just as many parents who think it's a 'necessary form of exercise' for their children."

While Phoebe still did her best to appear respectful, in spite of her principal's disapproval of her work; other students in the room couldn't help but snicker sarcastically. "Dodgeball, a necessary form of exercise" muttered a student working the printing press, "try telling that to all the kids with black eyes down at the nurse's office...all due respect." Principal Ramirez, in spite of herself, disregarded the mildly disrespectful comment and turned her attention back to Phoebe; who looked rather defeated.

"I don't mean to seem hard on you, young lady" she said kindly, "but while your efforts have proven admirable, you've given me nothing newsworthy; at least, nothing that won't get the school in any sort of trouble." Upon saying this, Principal Ramirez walks up to a filing cabinet and collected three folders from one of the drawers; each one bearing Phoebe's name on the front cover.

"The truth is...this latest story of yours feels no different than your last three attempts" Principal Ramirez said firmly, "I still remember your first one; 'Algebra in the Work Place.'" Upon opening the first of the three folders, the report claimed that the mathematic subject of algebra held no actual real world applications (that is, according to Phoebe.) "Then, there was your second story" said a nearby student at a computer, "I think it was called 'Chemistry: A Schoolyard Health Hazard.'"

After giving out an angry huff through her nostrils, Phoebe crossed her arms and proclaimed that her report contained valid statements and facts. "Don't you guys remember what happened last year" she asked the crowd, "a Freshman made an improper mixture in the Chem Lab, which led to the fumes fouling the air on the entire floor!"

(A quick flashback shows the students and staff standing outside, as people in hazmat suits suddenly rush into the building. Mere seconds later, a large tarp is placed over the school and all doors are soon locked up)

"Dude, I remember that" chuckled another photo student, "we got a whole week off from school due to the feds needing to fumigate the place!" Upon being reminded of the event, Principal Ramirez couldn't help but shutter with mild disgust. According to what Superintendent Chen told her; the school needed to use a good portion of the budget, in order to help pay the fumigators.

Because of this, Ramirez was told that the Chemistry Lab had to be shutdown and the class would then be cut. Of course, very few students seemed to care about this loss (except for a group of nerds who actually enjoyed Chemistry.) "Finally, there was your other exposé on how a group of 8th Graders were planning a Spring Break Rave from last year" muttered Principal Ramirez, "but it just turned out to be them briefly turning the Community Center into a discotheque."

Taken aback slightly by her superior's tone, Phoebe insisted that she still made good on her story that day. "I mean...downtown has a perfectly good roller rink" she exclaimed, "those 8th Graders could've held their party there!" After taking a moment to consider her student's words, Principal Ramirez reminded her that the aforementioned party was perfectly legal.

"As you may recall, Miss Shutter; the 8th Graders were able to put the event together with the help of some of their parents" she explained, "since the roller rink was already full to capacity that night, they were able to get permission from the mayor to use the center for their party; as long as they cleaned up by morning." After taking a moment to let these words sink in, Phoebe took a seat in a nearby chair and slouched in defeat. Just as Cici predicted earlier, it seemed as though her chances of joining the news team were now completely dashed.

As if sensing her despair, Meryl walked up to Phoebe and patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Aww! C'mon now, sugar; don't look so down in the mouth" she said with a kind smile, "truth is, y'all got more gumption than any other member of the staff here." At first, the other students in the room took some offense to the woman's words.

But then, after bearing witness to each one of Phoebe's previous attempts to join; they realized she made a good point. Meanwhile, Principal Ramirez remained seated in her chair; scratching her chin silently in deep thought. Finally, with a deep sigh; she looked Phoebe straight in the eye and declared that she would give her one more chance to prove herself.

"You want to join the news team, Miss Shutter" she inquired, "then we need you to find a story that will make us care, something that will really capture everyone's interest...you think you can do that, hmm?" To say that Phoebe was shocked by this proposition would be an understatement, to say the least. In fact, the moment she heard it; she almost fainted from the shock.

Thankfully, Meryl was there to catch her and get Phoebe back on her feet again; quite literally. "Uh...Y-Yes, Ma'am; of course" she murmured with a smile, "I won't rest until I find a really juicy story for you guys." Principal Ramirez couldn't help but smile, upon noticing how determined the student seemed.

As Phoebe made her way towards the door; the news staff, once again stressed that she try and not look for anything that might put the school at risk of controversy. "I promise, guys" the young photographer pledged, "the next story I find will be about something so good, it will blow your minds!" With that, she gave the team a farewell salute and made her way out into the hall.

But once she was out of their line of sight, her earlier confidence swiftly gave way to a sense of fear and anxiety. "OMG, Feebs; what have you gotten yourself into" she murmured, "you heard what everyone said about your other stories...if those all failed, what else is left to get info on?!"

(Line Break)

The school day came and went by quick, after Phoebe's visit to the newsroom and all the students came rushing out the door; cheering loudly. Meanwhile, she trudged her way out onto the campus at a near snail's pace; her head hanging low in mild despair. "Ugh! A whole day of school and I couldn't find anything newsworthy" she grumbled under her breath, "I couldn't even bring myself to write something about the food Pat cooked for us at lunch!"

As she slinked her way further down the sidewalk towards the bus stop, Phoebe looked towards the distance and saw a sight that brought a light smile to her face. Up by the stop sign was Lincoln, who was chatting idly with the members of his "Guy Squad." Along with them, Phoebe also noticed one or two of her Gal Pals; namely Stella, Kat and Haiku (at the moment.)

"Ah! They're certainly a sight for sore eyes" Phoebe sighed with relief at the "viewer," "after the day I've had, I could really use a friend." With this in mind, she hoisted her backpack over her shoulder and made a quick beeline towards the group. But as she drew closer, she suddenly heard something that brought her to a screeching halt.

While she may have been only four feet away from them; as Phoebe listened in on her friends' conversation, she immediately noticed something...rather peculiar. First, the seven of them started making odd hand gestures to one another. Most onlookers would claim that they were simply odd handshake styles, which is something found rather commonly among friend groups.

But in all the time she knew Lincoln and the rest of her friends; Phoebe had mostly seen them greet each other with the occasional fist-bumps, high-fives, side slaps and even a clasp or two on occasion. This display meanwhile, was something else entirely different. Next, upon listening in as closely as she could; Phoebe could hear her friends speaking in a most bizarre language.

What was even stranger was the fact that each of them seemed to understand one another, while she herself could barely make heads or tails on what they were talking about. "This feels weird, even for my friends" Phoebe thought confusedly, "what the heck kind of lingo are they saying...and what's with their hands?" With these thoughts in mind; she took shelter behind a bush, stuck out her phone slightly through the leaves and pressed the "Record" button.

"I think I might've just found the juicy story I needed" Phoebe whispered, "I just hope my pals don't mind me spying on them." After listening to their conversation for almost five minutes, the bus had finally arrived. Before she boarded, Haiku turned towards the rest of the group and suddenly gave them an odd salute.

After this, she softly said the word "Amarast" under her breath and the others nodded slightly in response. After they themselves echoed the same odd term back at her, Haiku climbed up into the bus and took her seat; the rest of the group following behind her. Once they were all aboard, the bus door closed shut; the bus driver, Ernie, revved up the engines and drove away.

With her friends now gone, Phoebe pulled her phone back and she stuffed it inside her backpack. The whole time she did, she had a look on her face that seemed to be a mix of shock and confusion. "What the hey is going on here" she muttered to herself after climbing out of the bush, "what kind of lingo were my friends using just now, what's with the saluting and all those hand signs about?"

As all these thoughts and more swirled through her head, a sudden realization hit Phoebe like an electric shock. She was so fixated on "spying" on her friends for her story...that she missed her bus ride home. After letting out a loud groan of annoyance, she brought her phone out again and called up her mother's cell number.

"Hey, Mom...it's me" she muttered with an embarrassed tone in her voice, "I...missed the bus; could you come pick me up, please?"

(Line Break)

Later that afternoon, back at the Shutter household; Phoebe is seen in her room listening to the video she took of her friends earlier on. She watched every odd gesture, listened to every dialogue exchange and studied the behavior of each of them. But in the end, the result was the same; she had no clue what was going on.

"What are they all doing" she thought to herself, "is this some sort of silly game they're doing or...did they come up with some kind of secret language only they can understand?" For a few seconds, Phoebe let out a laugh at the idea; proclaiming that it all sounded like one of the conspiracy theories Zach's parents believed in. At the same time, however; she recalled some instances were people had "unique" forms of communication (such as twins.)

"This is different, though" Phoebe muttered, "their words sound like something out of some...weird sci-fi movie or something!" As she played back the video for possibly the hundredth time, she listened intently to the one word her friends said to each other before boarding the bus; "Amarast." Afterwards, Phoebe searched through every known language in human history for this term...but found nothing.

"'Amarast, Amarast'...what the heck does that even mean" she growled before slamming her fists atop her desks, "is it some sort of weird way of saying 'goodbye' or...or is it some form of swear word?" The instant the latter idea popped into her head, Phoebe slapped herself across the face; as if trying to get rid of it. "C'mon, Feebs; get real" she grumbled softly, "Linc and others don't swear...unless they hurt themselves by accident or something goes wrong."

With yet another idea shot down, Phoebe appeared to be at the end of her rope. Just then, her cellphone suddenly rang; causing the poor girl's train of thought to come to a screeching halt. After taking a moment to calm down, Phoebe picked up her phone and saw Cici's Caller ID photo.

"Ah, good" she thought with an outward sigh, "maybe a little chat with a friend will help take my mind off of things a little." After pressing the "answer call" icon on her phone's screen, Cici's appeared and she greeted Phoebe with a friendly wave. "Heya, didn't see you come on the bus with the rest of us earlier" she stated, "so, I wanted to see if you were..." Just as she was about to finish her statement, Cici took one look at Phoebe and gave a yelp of surprise.

Her hair was mussed up, her posture was slumping heavily and her eyes appeared slightly bloodshot; possibly due to Phoebe staring at a screen for several hours (be it her phone's or the computer's.) "Holy moly, Feebs; what happened to you" inquired Cici, "were you in the middle of an intense study session or something?" After letting her friend's words sink in, Phoebe took a look at herself and grimaced with disgust.

Then, she took a seat at her desk and started combing her hair out as best as she could; all while continuing with her phone conversation. "Sorry for looking like a mess and for missing the bus ride home, Cici" Phoebe murmured, "I've just...just been caught up a bit in a possible new story for the paper." From here, the young photo student began to divulge everything she had seen earlier that afternoon.

The whole time she listened to her; Cici only offered up a simple "uh-huh," "yeah," a "wow" or even a "really" in response to what she said. Of course, Phoebe took this as her bestie either ignoring her or refusing to believe her. "It's the truth, all of it" she exclaimed, "I've even got the video evidence to prove it!"

No sooner had she said this; Phoebe accessed her video library, found the clip in question and e-mailed it to Cici as quickly as her thumbs could type. "Just watch it real quick" she insisted, "I'm telling you, the guys were all acting super weird...and I don't know why!" With a light shrug of her shoulders, Cici clicked on the video e-mail and watched it intently.

For several minutes, she stared at her phone's screen in silence; leaving poor Phoebe on the edge of her seat with anxiety. Then, after she heard her friends shout out the word "Amarast;" a slightly concerned look appeared on Cici's face. Of course, this was all Phoebe needed from her to know that she believed her story.

"I've looked over several existing languages online already" she stated, "but dang it all, I've found no info on what this...'amarast' word even means!" For a moment or two, Cici didn't say a word; yet the "concerned" expression she had was still visible on her face. After a while, Phoebe grew impatient and snapped her fingers; thus snapping her friend back to her senses.

"What did I tell ya; weird, right" she asked, "got any idea on what that word means or why our friends are acting so...weird?" Surprisingly, when Cici finally spoke up; she only let out a series of odd, unintelligible nonsense. It didn't take long for Phoebe to sense that her friend was acting nervous, which made her feel even more suspicious.

"Brah, are you...okay" she asked warily, "you're acting a little jumpy, did I say something wrong?" Cici quickly snapped back to her senses after hearing this and then, she waved her hands defensively at the screen; assuring Phoebe that she was "fine." "Nothing's wrong, Feebs...really" she muttered, "I just remembered that I...uh, gotta do...some studying before a big test next week!"

Just as Phoebe prepared to question her friend on the specifics of her supposed "test," she quickly shut off her phone; thus ending the call. "What's going on, why didn't she answer my question" she muttered to herself, "and what's this about a 'test,' I'm in two of her classes and neither of the teachers said anything about a test coming up." This along with Cici's earlier behavior made Phoebe feel even more suspicious.

(Line Break)

The next day, after school; Phoebe went out into the neighborhood to see if she could speak with one of her friends directly. Of course, she made a mental note to try and not come off as too obvious with her reasons for meeting with any of them. "Maybe I should go and see Lincoln first" she said to herself, "maybe he or one of his sisters might know what's going on."

With this in mind; Phoebe put her "game face" on, pulled up her britches and made a beeline straight for the Loud House. Upon her arrival; she was greeted by the family dog...and Lana (who appeared to be bunking with him in his doghouse.) "Hey! You're one of Lincoln's friends, right" she inquired, "what brings ya here?"

At first, Phoebe was about to ask the little girl about her brother but instead; her brain decided to have her question why she was in the doghouse instead of her own home. "Oh! My sister, Lisa has been experimenting with the heater again" Lana explained, "it's been klunking and clacking for a week and she thought she could help 'improve it.'" When asked what the house's resident brainiac had done, Lana said that she had accidentally altered the temperature on the heater somehow.

"Now, instead of keeping the house warm; it's almost 30 below inside" the little lady grumbled bitterly, "thankfully, Charles has a real cozy bed and blanket in here." While this explanation sounded logical, one loose thread remained; the dog himself. "You sure he doesn't mind sharing his space" Phoebe inquired, "what about the rest of your family?"

In response to this, Lana explained that Charles had welcomed the other three main house pets (the cat, bird and hamster) into his home many times; so, he was used to it. "As for me, I'm the only one who actually likes hangin' out in here" she stated, "as well as one of the few who can actually fit inside." Phoebe couldn't help but chuckle at the story a little; finding it both weird yet a little cute, at the same time.

But then, she realized that she was losing her focus and quickly got her head back in the game. "Listen, before I forget...is your big bro home" questioned Phoebe, "I need to talk to him about something." For a second or two, Lana didn't answer; only choosing to scratch herself in the same manner dogs do.

But as Phoebe tried to ask her if she was okay, the wee grease monkey held up her hand; silencing her. "I'm good, really" she muttered, "this is just my own way of trying to think." While this "explanation" didn't make the gesture seem any less weird, Phoebe decided to take Lana's word and continued to wait for her answer.

When Lana had finally stopped scratching, she let out a sudden gasp and a bark; proclaiming that she remembered something. "Last I saw, he went off to either Clyde's or Rusty's place" she stated, "best check one of those houses for info on my brother." Phoebe nodded slightly in understanding, thanked Lana for her help and went off to the western edge of the neighborhood.

"Welp, that takes care of my good deed for the afternoon" Lana chuckled while dusting off her hands, "now, time to share some of Charles' secret dog treat stash."

(Line Break)

Several minutes later, Phoebe had arrived at the Spokes household; where she came upon a rather surprising sight. While she did find Rusty standing on his porch and noticed he looked perfectly fine; at the same time, he wasn't alone. Surrounding him were what looked like five strangers in hooded black robes.

Upon noticing said group, Phoebe did the wise thing and took shelter in the closest spot she could find. Unfortunately, there were no bushes or hedges to dive into like at the school the other day. Thus, though every fiber of her being told her otherwise; she had no choice but to take cover in a nearby trashcan.

At first, the clattering noise she created brought the hooded strangers to look over their shoulders in alarm. But once they saw that nothing was there, they grunted softly under their breath and turned their attention back towards Rusty. "What the hey is going on here" Phoebe whispered in the can, "who are those guys, what are they doing here and what do they want with Rusty?!"

As these questions and more whizzed about her brain, she decided to use the same tactic from the other day and take a recording of the scene on her phone. "This is extremely sus" Phoebe whispered while in the can, "those guys in the hoods look like some bad people." The moment this thought came into mind, she shook her head and proclaimed that it sounded utterly ridiculous.

"Sure, Rusty may try to put on a...mildly cringy 'cool guy' act every now and then" she whispered, "but being involved with shady people...that's definitely not his style." Desperate to know more; Phoebe, once again pokes her phone out of the can slightly and tries to get another video clip of the scene. Then, just as she pressed the play button; Rusty suddenly says to the hooded figures "I can't wait for Friday Night."

"Friday...what's he doing with them on Friday" Phoebe pondered, "is this some kind of club his with or is he..." At that moment, her trashcan hiding place suddenly started to quake; shaking the poor girl out of her train of thought. Feeling startled, Phoebe peeked outside and saw that the garbage truck was parked right beside her.

At the same time, she noticed the truck's claw reach over in her direction. "Oh, shoot; I gotta get out of here" cried Phoebe, "but...if I leave, Rusty or those hooded dudes might see me!" As the poor girl sat in the can, mentally debating on what to do; the claw, as it turns out, had grabbed for another can beside hers.

While it was being emptied, Phoebe took one final moment to debate on what to do next. "If I climb out, Rusty and those other dudes will see me" she thought frantically, "but if I stay..." As the seconds ticked by, Phoebe soon realized that she'd be darned either way. Thus, she went with the "less damaging" option...and that was to get dumped (quite literally.)

"Remember what Grandpa always says, Feebs" she murmured, "sometimes...you've gotta get down and dirty to get a good story." As she waited for the inevitable, a sudden idea/thought snapped in her head. Thinking quickly, she activates her phone one final time and e-mails her footage to her home computer.

"Now, I can still have the footage; even if my phone gets wrecked" she chuckles, "which...might actually happen very soon." With a defeated sigh, Phoebe takes in a deep breath and sits still; as the truck dumps her in. Naturally, all the neighborhood trash reeked to high heaven and Phoebe came close to vomiting on the spot.

But with every ounce of strength she could muster, she kept her stomach settled and was able to relax. Thankfully, the compactor wasn't activated; which meant that she'd just have to wait until the truck arrives at the dump to get out. It seemed like a rather sound plan...except for one glaring flaw.

"Even if I arrive at the dump safely, I'd have to walk home for forty minutes" she grumbled, "a bus ride would be shorter...but I don't foresee that happening."

(Line Break)

An hour and a half later; after arriving safely at home, receiving a slight scolding from her parents about missing curfew and a forty minute scalding hot shower...Phoebe returned to her room. Despite feeling exhausted, annoyed and still feeling unclean from lying in garbage; it didn't stop her from doing more research. What she saw and heard at Rusty's place, coupled with what transpired at the school haunted her mind relentlessly.

Yet, with every ounce of strength and will she had left; Phoebe still held on to hope for a better explanation. "These are your friends" she whispered, "I mean...there is no way they'd be involved with some evil cult dudes." With this in mind, Phoebe played back the clip she recorded at the scene; specifically where Rusty mentioned that he "couldn't wait till Friday night."

After playing it over and over again, she suddenly realized that Friday was only two days away. This meant that if she didn't get to the bottom of what was going on right quick, big trouble could be brewing. "I should call the authorities and tell 'em about this" murmured Phoebe, "I just hope one of the Babes in Blue are home."

Not wanting to waste anymore time, she picked up her phone and immediately rung up Tonya's phone number; hoping that either she, one of her moms or even Omar would pick up. After almost a minute of waiting, someone answered and Donna Ramon's face soon appeared on-screen. "Who's this" she inquired firmly, "if you're tryin' to send either of my babies some kinda nasty e-mail or somethin', there's gonna be trouble!"

With a startled yelp, Phoebe held up her hands defensively and proclaimed she was a friend of the biker's children. Miraculously, this was just enough to quell Donna's fire and her fierce expression quickly changed into a confused stare; in the blink of an eye. Then, after she took a good look at Phoebe's frightened face; she immediately softened up.

"Ah, jeez...I did it again, didn't I" the biker babe grumbled with shame, "sorry, kid...I thought you were one of those internet trolls or somethin'." She then explained how in the past, people would of relentlessly e-mail videos or gifs meant to mock her children; whether it be in regards to Omar's size/height or something more immature (like Tonya's afro puff.) "When I saw Tonya's phone ringin', I thought it was another one of those" Donna murmured, "sorry for spooking ya like that."

After taking a moment to calm down, Phoebe sighed with relief and assured Miss Ramon that no harm was done. "Speaking of, are Tonya and/or Omar around" she inquired, "I've got...uh, some questions I need to ask her." Donna eyed the young shutterbug curiously, taking her every word into consideration, before speaking again. When she asked the teen what it was she needed, Phoebe replied in saying that it concerned a few of their friends.

"Is that so" Donna murmured curiously, "your pals ain't involved in anything shady, are they?" With a raised eyebrow, the biker mom warned that while her wife may be friends with Phoebe's crew; she was a cop first and would need to step in if crime was afoot. "That's just it...I don't know" the young photographer murmured worriedly, "this whole week's just been weird for me."

After taking a seat down on her bed, Phoebe then divulged everything she'd seen and heard over the past few days. However, after hearing the first two examples; Donna didn't appear all that nervous or worried. "I've seen plenty of guys down at the Club use similar weird handshakes before" she explained, "as for the odd lingo...that could be from some form of weird secondary language class your school's teaching."

After taking her words into consideration; Phoebe started to wonder if, perhaps there was nothing sinister going on with her friends. But then, she realized the one final element she neglected to bring up; the robed figures. "Before I...literally got dumped earlier, I went to speak with Rusty Spokes about this" Phoebe stated, "that's when I caught sight of these guys."

After that, she quickly e-mailed the video she took earlier; specifically the one featuring Rusty talking with the robed strangers. The moment Donna heard Rusty say "I can't wait till Friday Night" to the strangers, she started scratching her chin intently. "Okay, that does look suspicious" Donna murmured, "but here's somethin' I've been wondering...have you tried talkin' with Rusty personally about this stuff?"

Before Phoebe could make a sort of retort, the biker babe said that it's important to get all the fact before jumping to conclusions. "I hear ya, Ma'am" said Phoebe, "but if I do that, they might start thinking I was spying on them and..." With this statement, the poor girl couldn't help but facepalm herself; realizing that what she just said was already happening.

Before ending the call, Donna offered one last piece of advice to Phoebe to use in her search for a "big scoop." "It's like my wife says; while on a case, it's important to get two important things together" she stated, "and those are...facts and proper evidence." From here, she said that while Phoebe may have some small bits of "evidence;" she still needed some hard facts or details.

"My suggestion is go and speak with one of the boys, next time you see 'em" Donna stated, "maybe see if they're hiding anything suspicious from you or the school." Phoebe smiled slightly, gave a thumbs up to Donna as a sign of thanks and ended the call; just as her mother soon popped in to the room.

"Phoebe Kamira Shutter, what are you doing on your laptop" said the woman scoldingly, "you're supposed to be getting ready for bed." With a startled yelp, Phoebe leapt to her feet and swore that she intended to do just that but wanted to store away some camera footage on her computer first. "Well...I suppose that makes sense" Mrs. Shutter murmured, "but be quick about it, it is a school night."

With that, she went off down the hall; eager to get herself ready for bed; leaving Phoebe behind to tend to her own routine as well. After shutting down her laptop for the night, she dressed herself in her PJ's and tucked herself in for bed. But as she tried to slumber, poor Phoebe's mind raced frantically with many thoughts.

Above them all were two of them; she could find the evidence she needed, get her big scoop and land a spot in the school news team like she wanted. But if she did go along with that plan and either started spying further on her friends, peeking into their private business or who knows what else; Phoebe was worried that she might lose all her friendships by the end of it.

"Just...get some sleep, girl" she whispered softly, "you can worry more about this in the morning."

(Line Break)

The following day, Phoebe did her absolute best to keep herself busy; all while keeping a rather close eye on her friends wherever they went. Of course, during most of the morning; she couldn't find any opportunity to confront any of her friends to speak with them. Nor could she find an opportunity to check if they were hiding any sinister secrets from her (let alone the school.

However, during lunch period; she was given a small window of opportunity to get what she needed. While eating at her side of the table, she listened in on her friends as closely as she could. At first, they were just talking about random things like how boring some classes were or some possible weekend plans.

However, whenever their discussion delved into the latter subject; Phoebe suddenly heard her friends say some rather..."questionable" things. "I can't wait until Friday, y'all" Liam said excitedly, "after Haiku came ridin' in blastin' spells at everybody, last time; I've been prepping myself for a second wind!" This sudden exclamation really got Phoebe's mind racing, to say the least.

Now, she knew that Haiku had a love for wanting to cast spells and charms over people. But...one-hundred percent of the time, none of them worked out as she wanted; especially after last week's failed voodoo attempt to have Ms. Pham forget they had a quiz in Biology. Regardless, the wee Goth always had a habit of surprising others when they least suspected it.

Thus, she wasn't planning on dismissing Liam's words just yet. "Haiku's spells may have scared everyone away" Clyde muttered, "but we've barely escaped that raid with our lives!" Now, this part really got Phoebe's ears burning but she did everything she could not to appear suspicious. Who did they raid, what did her friends steal and...were Haiku's spell-casting skills real after all?

The moment the third question popped into her head, Phoebe slowly started to realize that she might be over-thinking on things. "I mean...Linc may try to raid the fridge for leftover, every now and again" she thought, "but there is no way he or the others would steal from people." Just as she was getting too lost in her own thoughts, Phoebe suddenly felt someone lightly tap on her arm.

With a light yelp, she turned and saw that it was Cici that did it; which made her feel a bit more at ease. "Are you okay, Feebs" asked the diminutive teen, "you were really spacing out just a moment ago?" Not long after this, some of the other Gals and Guys started asking Phoebe if she was okay; much to her dismay.

"Oh...I'm fine, guys; really" she murmured uneasily, "I just...had a bit of a rough night is all." On that note, an idea suddenly formed in Phoebe's mind; one that she hoped would work out overtime. "Would you guys excuse me for a minute" she inquired, "I've, uh...I need to use the restroom."

At first, Phoebe thought everyone would start questioning her; asking if she was sick or if she needed one of them to bring her to the nurse's office. But instead; one of them, namely Stella, only smiled at her and reminded her to ask for the bathroom pass before leaving. "Oh...right, can't forget about that" Phoebe chuckled nervously, "thanks for the reminder, Stell."

(Scene Change: The Hallway)

Sometime after leaving the cafeteria, Stella began looking around one of the hallways; hoping to find one of her friends' lockers. Sadly, she could only recall a small handful of them; Cici's, Kat's, Jordan's and her own. On the one hand, it wouldn't be too hard to find Cici's because she and her were both locker neighbors. Sadly, on the other hand; none of those examples had anything she was looking for.

"Should I try and find Linc's locker first or maybe...maybe Rusty's" she whispered to herself, "nah, Clyde's is probably the one with the raid spoils stashed inside." As all these thoughts raced through the poor girl's mind, she did everything she could to not linger around at one place; lest she'd risk being spotted by anyone. Above all, Phoebe wanted to avoid being caught by Lynn; who was the most eagle eye hall monitor in the school's history.

Farther and farther down the hall she went, scanning every locker she passed by with hopes of finding the right number...but to no avail. "C'mon, where's that stinkin' locker hiding at" Phoebe thought in frustration, "I've gotta find somethingbefore somebody..." Just then, she suddenly felt a firm hand grasp at her shoulder from behind, causing the poor girl to become as still as stone.

At the moment, Phoebe's first fear was that it might've been Lynn trying to rush her; despite past instances where she assured people she'd dialed down her old impulses. But when she looked behind her slightly, the young shutterbug was met with a more starling surprise. Instead of Lynn Loud Jr., she was met with Officer Jenny Higgins; who had a rather suspicious look on her face.

"Now, honey child; what're y'all doin' roamin' 'round the halls all by your lonesome" she inquired, "ain't ya supposed to be in the mess hall with your friends?" It didn't take long for Phoebe to understand that "mess hall" was the officer's way of saying "cafeteria." Regardless, she turned around and informed Ms. Higgins that she had been excused to use the restroom a moment ago.

"Uh...sugar, the bathroom was just two miles behind y'all" the officer said with a light grin, "besides...I can tell you've got other plans." Before Phoebe had the chance to explain herself, Officer Higgins proclaimed she already had the right idea on what's going on. "See...after your phone discussion with Donna, last night; she told Gail 'bout it" she stated, "then, she shared it all with me and...well, you get the idea."

At first, Phoebe was ready to call Miss Ramon a tattletale for telling her wife about their conversation. That is, until Miss Higgins interjected and said she made the right choice in doing so. "First off, Miss; Gail and Gabby are like sisters to me" she said firmly, "whatever one hears about, we need to know...especially if it involves our darlin' lil' man."

Upon hearing the last part of Higgins' statement, Phoebe realized that she was referring to Lincoln; which gave her a smidgen of hope. "Okay, since you probably know what I'm doing; could you...help me out" she implored, "please, I really need to know if Linc or the others are mixed up in any shady stuff!" Thinking quickly, she took out her phone and showed the officer the video recording she took last night; just before she got dumped.

"And just now, I heard Linc and Clyde talk about some kinda...'raid' they did" Phoebe murmured, "I know it sounds ridiculous...but this whole week has been that way for me!" After taking the teen's words to heart, reviewing the evidence she was shown and taking into account what Donna had told her the night before; Officer Higgins found herself at a crossroads.

As an officer of the law, she had to do her duty and get to the bottom of whatever shady business was going on. But on the other hand, she hesitated because if something shady was happening and Lincoln or his friends were involved with it; it would mean having to bring them in for questioning. "Okay, you've shown me some fair points" Higgins murmured, "but it's like my Grandmama used to say, 'Ya cain't tell what's in the pickle barrel until ya get the lid off'n it.'"

At first, Phoebe couldn't make heads or tails of what she was trying to say. But then, as if sensing the young lady's confusion; Officer Higgins decided to be clearer with her words. "It means 'we can't tell if someone's hidin' something from us, unless we have a look for ourselves" she explained, "and lucky for you, as a member of the school's security; I'm authorized to make immediate locker checks...if necessary."

Straightaway, Phoebe could tell that the officer did not like prying into students' private things; much less Lincoln's or any of his friends. As such, she thanked her for the help and they went off to find the right lockers. When they finally did, Higgins reached to her side and brought out a long ring of keys; one of which was what she called the "Master Key."

"Me and all the other security staff have one of these" she stated, "it lets us open any locker on school grounds, regardless of what number it might be." With this in mind, Officer Higgins took hold of said key and stuck it inside of Lincoln's locker first. "Please, don't let there be anything grody in there" Phoebe thought worriedly, "please, let my fears be just that!"

After sticking the key in, Higgins turned it and the locker flew open; revealing...nothing out of the ordinary. Upon close inspection, they saw relatively normal things within the locker space; from the Ace Savvy poster Lincoln hung on the back of the door, his gym bag to the spare shirts he hung inside (just in case he had any...excessive sweating moments.) "Looks rather normal here, hon" Higgins murmured, "let's try another one."

With this in mind, they went to the locker next to Lincoln's; which was Liam's. Upon opening it, they've found nothing out of the ordinary there either; except for a small hood that was hanging inside. At first, this almost led Phoebe to believe that Liam might've been one of the cloaked figures talking with Rusty the other day.

But after giving the clothing item a look, she saw that it was brown while the figures she saw wore grey hoods. Furthermore, theirs resembled more like friars robes or something much grimmer; like the Reaper. Liam's on the other hand was something much different, something that looked more like a huntsman's cowl.

"But Liam's not a hunter" Phoebe murmured, "ya think this could be some kind of...old school hoodie his Mee Maw made for him." At the moment, Officer Higgins felt it seemed like the most plausible idea. But at the same time, she'd never seen him wear such a garment on school grounds before.

Nevertheless, they had little time left to think on that idea and chose to move on to the next locker. It was here that things started to feel a bit more confusing. Firstly, the ladies opened up Clyde's locker; where they found a knight's surcoat, a sword, a shield and a helmet.

Naturally, the ladies both felt this looked rather odd; until Higgins suggested that this all could've been part of an outfit Clyde was wearing for a school play. "Good point, Ma'am; good point" Phoebe murmured, "except...I've seen no ads or promos posted about any shows about knights happening here anytime soon." With this reveal, Officer Higgins soon became more suspicious than before.

Next, they went on to Haiku's locker; which the ladies suspected would contain what they really wanted/needed to find. However, just as Higgins started turning the key; the bell rang. This meant that lunch period was over, which would also mean that the others would be coming to their lockers soon.

"We've gotta move quick" Phoebe murmured worriedly, "if anybody catches us, it'll be both our heads!" For a brief moment, Officer Higgins felt like correcting the young teen; reminding her that she was the one that wanted to go this far...but decided against it. After that, she turned the key and opened up the locker; revealing a collection of rather odd items.

These included a turquoise dress, a crown made of plastic sticks, a makeup kit, a wooden staff and fake elf ears. "Huh...a bit late in the year for playin' dress-up" Higgins murmured, "but aside from that, there ain't nothin' here that looks that..." At that moment, Phoebe quickly stopped the officer's train of thought to point out another item in the locker; a purple book.

When she took a look at the front cover, she noticed that it had the words "Knowledge of the Fey" in gold lettering. As both she and Officer Higgins opened it up, they saw paragraphs of odd text written inside. "What in tarnation is all this gobblty gook" the police woman muttered confusedly, "looks like some kinda...foreign language or somethin'."

Upon hearing these words, Phoebe let out a soft gasp; her mind suddenly replaying what her friends said earlier. "This must be the spell book Lincoln mentioned" she whispered softly, "but...do any of these words actually work?" Before she could think any further on the matter, the sound of approaching footsteps soon filled Phoebe's ears; which meant that people would be coming their way soon.

Thinking quickly, Phoebe did her absolute darndest to put everything back in its place. After setting the book back inside as neatly as she could, Officer Higgins then handed the Master Key over to her and she quickly locked the locker. "Whew! That was a close one" Phoebe sighed with relief, "best head back to the caf and give back the pass."

With her head held high, the young teen proceeded on her way back to the cafeteria. But before she could get to the middle of the hall, Haiku suddenly appeared from (seemingly) out of nowhere; scaring the daylights out of Phoebe. "Hello, friend" she murmured softly, "care to explain why you took so long to use the restroom...along with why you were in my locker?"

Whether it be due to the eerily calm delivery of her words, the questions she asked or the narrowed look in her one visible eye; in that moment, Phoebe felt a chill run through her that was colder than the artic temp. It was in this single moment that she knew one simple thing...she screwed up, royally so.

(Scene Change: Principal Ramirez's office)

Sometime later, after everyone else had been dismissed for the day; Phoebe had been called down to the main office to discuss everything that happened. Unfortunately, she and the principal weren't the only ones there. Joining them were her parents, Higgins' partners, the Gal Pals and the Guys; all of whom looked upon the young photographer with tense gazes.

"Well, young lady; we're waiting" said Phoebe's father firmly, "explain why you were rummaging through a student's locker...one of your BFF's, no less?!" Soon after this was said, Haiku asked the same question but with a much firmer tone of voice. At the same time, Officers Simmons and Campos asked their partner/bestie why she chose to help in the whole thing.

"Y'all, there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for everything here" Higgins murmured, "and lil' Phoebe here can tell ya." To say that the girl in question disliked being put under the spotlight would be a gross understatement. At the same time, however...she couldn't decide which alarmed her more; the looks her parents gave or the ones her friends were giving her.

Just as the poor girl was about to speak, Principal Ramirez suddenly let out a sigh and proclaimed that she may have had a hand in all this. "You see; in the past, Miss Shutter had made several attempts to apply for the school news team" she stated, "but her previous work didn't...quite measure up with what we felt the Daily Marsupial would consider 'juicy' enough to print." Soon after this, Phoebe raised her hand and said that everything she did was to get evidence on what she thought would be the "big scoop" she needed.

"That still doesn't explain what you were doing at my locker" Haiku said with a scowl, "what could I have that would apply to this 'scoop' of yours?" After hesitating for almost a minute, Phoebe let out a heavy sigh and told everyone everything. She told them about the odd book in Haiku's locker, the hood in Liam's locker, the knight's apparel she found in Clyde's, the odd hand gestures she saw everyone doing on the sidewalk the other day, the supposed "raid" they did.

But most importantly, Phoebe showed them the video she took; specifically, the one featuring Rusty speaking with the cloaked figures. To say the least, Principal Ramirez and the Shutter Parents were quite surprised by this; almost believing Phoebe's story about shady business going on. It was here that all eyes fell upon the Gals and Guys.

But before anyone could say anything, Meryl soon entered the office and she appeared to be holding all of the attire Phoebe mentioned in her story. "Sorry for disruptin' your meeting, y'all" she said apologetically, "but I wanted to give the youngins their outfits right quick, can't go to your lil' meetin' tomorrow without 'em." With that said; she handed the items over, said her goodbyes and left the office.

Once again, Principal Ramirez was quite confused by what was going on; as were Phoebe and her parents. "Look...it's not that we don't want to come clean" Rusty muttered, "it's just that if we do...some of you might laugh at us or freak out." While the adults in the room agreed it was too late for the "freak out" option, they felt in need of a "good laugh" and urged the boys to speak up.

"Okay, to start with...none of us are involved in any shady business" Lincoln assured, "this is all just part of our club meeting for this week." Everyone blinked slightly in confusion, wondering if they'd heard him correctly. "Excuse me but...what" Phoebe muttered, "what kind of meeting are you guys having that needs weird outfits, even weirder people in robes, weapons and spell books?!"

Upon hearing mention of the book, Haiku picked up the item in question and offered to speak. "This is actually part of the game we're set to play on Friday" she stated, "I'm playing as a Fay Druid." Not long after this, the others proceeded to make the same claims.

With the principal's permission, Clyde took of some of the items (specifically the surcoat, sword and shield) and stepped inside of a nearby closet. When he finally re-emerged, seconds later; the boy was then fully dressed up in his outfit. "Well met, good people" he said dramatically, "I am Leoric Goodall, champion Paladin of the crown!"

With this declaration, everyone couldn't help but chuckle a little; while Phoebe simply stared aghast at her young friend. "What the...What's with the costumes, guys" she asked confusedly, "and why are you talkin' so weird?" After taking a moment to slip on the cowl Phoebe found as "evidence," Liam proclaimed that all of this was in relation to their meeting tomorrow.

"Thing is, Phoebe...we're part of a D&D group" Lincoln stated, "that stands for Dungeons & Dragons...it's a role-playing game, you see." With this simple explanation; the adults, who all looked ready to dish out some punishment, all suddenly burst into a light fit of laughter. "Wait...W-Wait, that's all this was" Mr. Shutter asked between laughs, "you were all just in character for your game?"

Without missing a beat, not only did Lincoln nod in response but so did the other kids as well. "Wait...all of you are part of this thing" Phoebe exclaimed, "who else knows about this game?!" Without hesitation, all three officers suddenly raised their hands up high; which made Phoebe even more confused.

"Quite a few people know about our game" Clyde stated, "in fact, I think we should introduce you to some people." With that, Principal Ramirez asked Meryl to show in the next group of "visitors;" which turned out to be the figures in the grey cloaks. All the color suddenly drained from Phoebe's face, when she saw them. But then; one of them drew back their hood and she suddenly saw a familiar head of poofy mauve hair (with faint streaks of light mixes of blue, purple and magenta.)

The instant the figure's face was revealed, Phoebe swore her jaw almost fell to the floor with shock. Standing before her was Vice Principal Baskerville; along with Mr. and Mrs. Loud, Lincoln's grandfather and even Principal Huggins from the elementary school. "Okay...am I on some kind of reality show right now" murmured Phoebe in disbelief, "is somebody gonna pop out and say I've been pranked or something?"

As if sensing the young lady's confusion, Mx. Baskerville asked Meryl to put in a call to the Consoler's office for some herbal tea; proclaiming that someone was in dire need of some calm relief.

(Line Break)

"And...that's about it, Phoebe" Lincoln explained, "every Friday, we get together at someone's house and play a session of D&D together." After this, he went on to explain everyone else's involvement in the game. The formerly "mysterious cloaked figures" were the "Game Masters," people who controlled the flow of the game's world.

The costumes they wore were all part of the character roles they were playing. Clyde was a Human Paladin, Haiku was a Fay Druid, Liam was an Archer, Rusty was a Dwarven Rogue and so on. "But...what about the other day" Phoebe interjected, "I heard you guys talking some weirdo lingo and making hand signs at each other!"

After taking everything her friend said into account, Haiku gasped in realization and offered to help clear the air of confusion. "What you heard were samples of the Fay tongue" she stated, "which is the race my character is." She then said that when Phoebe heard them speaking as such, it was her way of teaching everyone her characters language.

"As for the hand signs you saw, it's another form of communication" Haiku informed, "specifically, a form of sign language...the kind soldiers use before making an attack on an enemy." Upon mentioning this, Phoebe remembered the raid Liam mentioned and asked if they actually did rob anybody. "Again, dearie; that was all part of the game" Mx. Baskerville assured, "there were no robberies, no attacks...just pure imaginative roleplay."

For the most part, everything seemed clear as day to Phoebe on the matter. But there was still one thing left unanswered...the reason behind all the secrecy. "Why keep a simple game so secret from everyone" she asked, "especially ME?!"

At first, no one dared to answer; mostly because they appeared too shy to do so. But then, Lincoln let out a sigh and revealed that they were all...just afraid to tell anyone. "You've seen how some kids in this school treat others who like certain things, remember" he stated, "we thought...if we told you what we were doing...you might laugh at us."

Phoebe's father was mere seconds away from asking why Lincoln would fear the opinion of one of his own friends. But then, he realized that while they were close, there was still a bit of a social status difference (specifically a grade difference.) After all the grief he got from Biff about things he liked, Lincoln must've feared Phoebe would do the same thing.

"No way, dude" the young photographer said firmly, "I'd still love you no matter what...even if some of your hobbies might seem 'dorky' to other peers of mine." In spite of her using the term "dorky" to describe his interests, Lincoln smiled warmly at his friend and thanked her with a warm hug. Then, at that moment; Principal Ramirez cleared her throat and (albeit timidly) proclaimed that she had just as much of a hand in all this business.

"I pressured your daughter into going out to find a big story, one that would get her a spot in our news team" she stated, "I didn't think things would escalate this highly. Just as Mr. Shutter was about to give the principal a piece of his mind, Mx. Baskerville intervened; claiming that while Phoebe may have been over-eager in her efforts, no one actually got hurt from it all.

"Seriously, though...all of this was just because you wanted to join the news crew" Lincoln inquired, "why didn't you just ask me from the get-go?" Before Phoebe had the chance to question his words, Stella and the boys stepped forward; reminding her that they were all members of the news station. It was in that moment that Phoebe felt realization, karma and annoyance fall atop of her like three tons worth of bricks.

Even worse; now that everything was out on the table, it meant that her latest attempt to join the news team ended in utter failure...again. But just as Phoebe felt herself sinking deep into despair, the Guys and Stella soon stepped up in her defense. "With all due respect, Principal Ramirez...but you're making a huge mistake" Clyde said firmly, "Feebs is not only one of the best photographers in the city, she's also shown just how dedicated she is towards her passion."

After being tagged in by his bestie, Rusty added that Phoebe went above and beyond to get what she needed for her story; just like any member of the news would. "Let her join us on the team" Stella urged the principal, "you won't find a photographer or newsie more driven than her." After all this was said, Principal Ramirez sat back on her chair; silently contemplating on everything that she'd been told and shown.

Then, she pushed out of her seat and started to pace around her office slightly; making everyone feel even more on edge. Finally, she cast a gaze over at Phoebe and proclaimed that she'd come to what she felt was "a firm yet fair decision." "The truth is...I was the one who pushed the young lady into doing all this in the first place" Ramirez said with a sigh, "and while your story turned out to be...a bust, your friends are right; you truly are dedicated."

Phoebe let out a soft gasp of surprise at this statement, mentally praying that her principal would say the "winning phrase" she wanted to hear. "With all this in mind, I've decided...that you can join the news team after all" Ramirez said with a light smile, "but...there are a few conditions." Without hesitation, Phoebe said that if one of the conditions was not to do anymore undercover work; she was way ahead of everyone on that.

"There's that...but because you were willing to go so far to find a story, there's one particular one I've needed someone to help me with" Ramirez stated, "if you're up to the task, of course." With a star-bright smile on her face, Phoebe squealed with joy and vowed to do whatever it took to earn a place on the team.

(Line Break)

Some time passed and the scene then opens up at Flip's Food n' Fuel; where the proprietor, Phillip "Flip" Philipini, is seen flipping through a wad of bills he "earned" that day. "Heh-heh! Flip ol' boy, ya sure know how to make an honest buckerooni" he cackled, "now...let's see if lightning's gonna strike twice today." As he sat back in his chair, his keen eye for a quick buck spotted Phoebe heading his way.

As she entered the establishment, Flip wasted no time in putting on his "game face." "Heya, toots; welcome to Flip's" he greeted, "can I interest you in a hot dog or some...discount candy from Valentine's Day?" Feeling curious, Phoebe took a look at the candy and noticed why they were being offered so cheap.

The marshmallow hearts were now as hard as stone, the sweet rocks were passed their expiration date (thus ironically making them sour) and half the heart-shaped candy boxes were almost cleaned out. Naturally, this all bothered Phoebe immensely but she did everything possible to keep focused on getting an interview with Flip. "Actually, Sir; I believe you can help me" she stated, "I'd like you to answer a few questions, if you don't mind."

With that, she wasted no time in asking Flip a flurry of questions; ranging from "is it true you've sold some of your expired food off to Chef Pat at the Middle school" to "how many members of the staff have you swindled last week?" Of course, it didn't take long for Flip to deduce who she was and his earlier "politeness" vanished in an instant.

"Just what I need, another one of you newsies knockin' at my door" he grumbled, "look...I told you guys before, I ain't answerin' no more questions; so, scram!" Rather than adhere to Flip's demands, Phoebe remained where she stood; vowing that if she couldn't get him to talk...she knew some people who could.

Unsurprisingly, the shyster laughed mockingly at her threat; asking if she planned on having the school hall monitor write him a demerit. "Actually...it's funny you mentioned that, Flippy" Phoebe chuckled, "don't know if you've heard but the school's got a new kind of hall monitor team on duty." With that simple statement; she made her way back to the door and gestured for someone to come in.

At first, Flip actually did expect to see some Middle School kids in hall monitor uniforms come in. But instead, he was met with a group of other people in uniforms...police uniforms, to be precise. As Flip stood behind his desk, quivering in terror; Officer Schoffner came in along with the Babes in Blue and two other officers.

Now, in the past; Flip was fine with fleecing a few kids and...maybe even a few parents on occasion. But when it came to dealing with the police, the old man's spark faded into a tiny whimper in seconds. Meanwhile, Phoebe stood boldly beside the officers; all while giving Flip a coy grin.

"Now...correct me if I'm wrong here, Flip" she asked, "but I do believe you've threatened to pour molten nacho cheese on my fellow reporters from the school, if you 'caught them loitering;' do you deny this?" In spite of the fear that gripped at him tightly, Flip still stood his grounds and claimed he had his rights. "If ya want proof, look at the window" he said while pointing, "there's a 'No Loitering' sign posted there, clear as day."

Upon inspection, the officers did in fact find the aforementioned sign on the window, But regardless; it didn't change the fact that Flip still threatened a minor and one of the officers, a rather grizzled looking man wearing a brown trench coat named Joe Kazinsky (Kaz to his friends) approached Flip and slammed his fist upon the desk. "Newsflash, old man" he growled, "the kid you scared off with that cheese threat long ago...he happened to be my son!"

With this small reveal, Flip suddenly realized that he done screwed up thrice. Not only did he have a history of threatening innocent school students for trying to get news stories concerning his shop, according to his rap sheet (courtesy of Officer Simmons.) But he also happened to have threatened the child of a cop...and said cop was standing right in front of him.

"Eh...Heh-heh, yeah...about that" Flip chuckled uneasily, "I think I've got just the thing to fix this...if you'll just excuse me." Before anyone could speak a word, he suddenly bolted towards the back exit and rushed outside. This almost prompted the entire team of officers to go into "Chase Mode," had Phoebe not chosen to stop them first.

"There's no need to run, guys" she stated, "I've already got a good idea of where he went." With that, she gestured for everyone to follow her outside; where Phoebe proceeded to lead them to Flip's only available bathroom. At first, the officers felt that she was trying to stall them but Phoebe simply asked for them to listen closely.

In time, everyone could hear the sounds of frantic banging; followed by Flip's voice screaming for someone to "let him out." "Flip's place has many flaws" Phoebe said with a smug grin, "but above them all...is the fact that his restroom has faulty doorknob." From here, she explained that due to the guy feeling too cheap to get it fixed properly; anyone who'd go inside of Flip's restroom would be locked in.

"There are no windows and no other doors inside" Phoebe stated, "which means he's not going anywhere." The officers collectively laughed with satisfaction and congratulated her on a job well-done, while the teen proceeded to take a few photographs. "Excellent work, chica" Officer Campos chuckled, "oh...and one other thing, Lincoln says to meet him down at the Community Center for your 'next meeting.'"

After the two ladies shared a quick wink, they listened as Schoffner put out a call for the local locksmith; adding that they could take as long as they needed to get to Flip's. Of course, this made the ol' shyster groan loudly with annoyance from inside the restroom. With the case closed and her having gotten everything she needed for her scoop, Phoebe took a seat at a bench and took a moment to get lost in thought.

While sitting, she took out her phone and proceeded to flip through some photos she took; specifically, ones featuring herself and her friends. In each of them, they were all dressed up as fantasy characters and were seated around a table; getting ready for a session of D&D. At first, Phoebe thought she'd end up hating the game.

But after her first session two weeks ago, all the role-play reminded her of stories her grandpa would tell her; ones where he would dress up as certain people in order to get into places and get information for a story. With this in mind, Phoebe started to get invested in the game real quickly. But as she flipped through some more pictures, one other thought popped into her head; "wonder if Carol and the others would like to play with us next time?"

(First AN: And thus, all things turned out well in the end; Phoebe got her dream post on the school news, Flip got busted for threatening minors and...Lincoln and the others gained a new player for their campaign. Let's just hope she doesn't decide to do anymore spying from inside of cans anymore)

(Second AN: The title Sneak Peek often refers to shows and movies giving the audience a sample of what's to come. But for this, the word "sneak" is meant to reference Phoebe sneaking around and spying on her pals; a sort of play on words, if you will. Not important, I know but I just thought it was worth pointing out)

(Third AN: If it seems weird that Principal Ramirez is in charge of the school news. Bear in mind, this concept is based on what was shown in the episode, Kernel of Truth. Said episode led me to believe she's the possible Editor-in-Chief for the school news.

As such, I felt it necessary for her to be in charge here; if my hunch is correct. Just thought I'd clear that up, in case anyone got confused)

(Fourth AN: Rest assured, Phoebe enduring her humiliating moments here are not meant to be moments of "Character Torture Porn." Loads of reporters go above and beyond to find a scoop, even if it means getting accidentally dumped into a garbage truck)

(Fifth AN: Just a little tidbit for all my readers, this particular oneshot is meant to be a sort of...tie-in story for my other fanfic; Dungeons, Dragons & Dames. In it, every member of the original Gal Pals team is featured in the cast. I thought it would be necessary to show just how some of the members got into Lincoln's D&D game from the start)

(Final AN: The one officer's name is based off a sight-gag from The Simpsons; specifically, the Couch Gag intro that's entitled La-Z Rider. In it, the Simpsons cast are in a sort of 1980's style cop show or movie. The "actor" playing Homer is known as Joe "Kaz" Kazinsky.

I thought it would be a cool name to give one of the Royal Woods officers. Plus, if you've seen the clip and seen what "Kaz" looks like there; you'll realize that he is not the kind of cop Flip should try to fleece...let alone threaten his kid)