Rapunzel: Before heading downstairs to class, Pascal and I were playing a quick round of hide-and-seek. When it comes to games like hide-and-seek, Pascal is an absolute pro, especially since he can blend with almost everything.

"Hmm." I said while looking outside my tower, which was on top of JobTrain. "Well, I guess Pascal's not hiding out here."

Hiding behind a flower pot, Pascal chuckled silently, but not before I caught his tail with my long hair and pulled him over, exclaiming. "GOTCHA!"

After I put him down, I bundled my hair while saying. "That's twenty two for me. How about twenty three out of forty five?"

Pascal just frowned in response.

"Okay, well, what do you want to do?" I asked.

Pascal squealed and pointed his tail out the window, meaning he wants to go outside.

"Yeah, I don't think so." I said. "We've got class to get to and you know it."

Pascal just stuck out his tongue.

"Don't be like that, Pascal." I said. "Now, come on. We don't want to be late."

At the same time, Nathan had just arrived at one of the last rooms at the far right inside the building.

"All right," he said to himself. "Let's see if this could surpass high sch...OOOF!"

Without warning, I bumped into Nathan through the door and onto the floor of our classroom, catching the attention of the chefs-to-be.

"My, oh my." said Big D.

While helping myself up, I hurried over to Nathan, saying. "Oh, here, let me help you."

"No, that's OK." replied Nathan. "I got it."

"No, really. It's my fault." I said. "I was in a major hurry and I...I...I..."

Upon seeing Nathan's handsome face, I was at a loss for words. The same for Nathan.

While taking notice of what's going on, JJ, another one of the chefs-in-training, started to ask. "Uh, shouldn't we...uh..."

"No, man!" interrupted Big D. "Why would we spoil this beautiful moment?"

"Peh!" scoffed Tawanna, another chef-in-training as she watched. "I give it a minute."

When I heard her said that, I knew I had to say something to Nathan.

"Uh...uh...I'm...Pascal."

Pascal looked at me in confusion. So did Nathan.

"Wha...no, no, no, no, no, no, no, wait. I'm not Pascal. He's Pascal. I'm...I'm..."

"Rapunzel?" guessed Nathan.

"Yeah...Rapunzel." I said, smiling sheepishly. "How'd you..."

"I can tell because of the long hair." explained Nathan.

"Oh, of course." I said while Pascal stuck his tongue out, bringing back a large wig for my hair.

Once I caught it, I turned back to Nathan, asking. "Are you lost or something?"

"Uh, no." replied Nathan. "Actually, I'm new into the Culinary Arts Program. Today's my first day."

I let out a gasp upon hearing that. "No way! I'm in this program too!"

"Really?" said Nathan.

"Well, this isn't my actual first day, but..."

Just then, there was a CRASH!

Nathan and I looked back to see that Gru had flipped one of the tables that Moe, Larry and Curly were sleeping on.

"It's an earthquake!" panicked Moe.

"Man the lifeboats! Women and children first!" Larry cried out.

Curly pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked through the wrong end.

"It's Gru the Rockski!" he said. "He's a hundred yards out and closing fast."

Actually, Gru was already in front of them and snatched the binoculars.

"Nyahh-ahhh-ahhh!" Curly exclaimed while the strap broke free from his neck.

"Why must you sleep in here when you have that mobile home you call an ice cream truck?" snarled Gru.

"'Cause it's warmer in here." said Curly.

"Yeah, the ice cream truck's too cold to sleep in." added Larry.

Having been answered that question, Gru let out a groan and palmed his face. "Why do I even bother?"

"Oh, come on, Gru." I said. "If those guys want to sleep where it's warm, let them."

Nathan, on the other hand, hurried over to the guys.

"Wow! I can't believe the Three Stooges, the actual Three Stooges are in this class."

"Wait, you know who they are?" I asked.

"Of course." replied Nathan. "I've been a fan since New Year's Eve.* That was when their many shorts aired on TV."

"Was it?" asked Curly.

"We hadn't noticed." added Larry.

"Quiet!" said Moe, bonking their foreheads, then asked Nathan. "And I suppose you know who Baldy McGruski is as well?"

"You will not call me that!" growled Gru.

"Of course, I know who Gru is." replied Nathan. "He's the Despicable Gru!"

As he shook Gru's hand, he added. "Even though your movie* hasn't come out yet, I just want to say how...ecstatic I am that you're in this class along with the Stooges."

As he looked at Moe, Larry and Curly, Gru said coldly. "I doubt it."

Then, he felt a bump.

Looking down, the guys could see that one of the cutest fellas you'll ever met bumped into Gru's leg.

"Eh...scusa me." he said, before hurrying over to me while Nathan asked. "Was that a..."

"Yes, he's one of my Minions." explained Gru.

The Minion, whose name was Bob, held up a flower, saying. "Es para tu."

Pascal groaned and rolled his eyes, but I just ignored him and took the flower from Bob, telling him. "That is so sweet."

After I gave him a kiss on the top of his head, Bob blushed.

"Aw, isn't that cute?" said Vickie as she and Krishna walked into the classroom.

"What is?" asked Nathan.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" said Krishna. "Little Bobby here thinks he's fallen for Rapunzel."

"And yet," added Gru as he picked Bob up and walked towards the kitchen. "He fails to realize that romance of any kind is not allowed in the workforce."

"Well, excuse us, Mr. Montague!" Larry called out.

"Oh, don't mind him." Vickie said to Nathan as she handed him, Moe, Larry and Curly some chef uniforms. "He's always like that."

Then she extended her hand, which Nathan shook, and added. "The name's Vickie."

"And I'm Krishna." greeted Krishna as she extended her hand, which Nathan also shook while introducing himself. "Nathan. Nathan Rosenberg."

The sound of clapping got our attention. It was the sous chef, Bertha, who said. "All right, everyone. Take your seats. Class is about to begin."

While taking his seat near the window, Nathan could see Moe, Larry and Curly fighting over this one chair when I walked up to them, dressed in one of the chef uniforms with my hair under my wig.

"Guys, come on." I said. "You know there's plenty of chairs for everyone, right?"

They looked and saw that there was more than one chair.

"We knew that. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk." chuckled Curly, who was about to sit down, only for his chair to be pulled away by Moe, who smirked. "No, you don't."

Once I saw down next to Nathan, Pascal poked out of my wig and gave him the cuckoo sign, hinting that those guys are nutty in their own way.

"Don't let him see you, Pascal." I whispered.

So Pascal went back inside, right before the head chef came in.

Author's Note:

*It was during New Year's Eve 2009 that I found myself drawn to the Three Stooges while many of their shorts aired on AMC. Also "Despicable Me" was close to its theatrical release of July 9th, 2010 during my second month in the Culinary Arts Program.