Oh, Little Town of Hazelnut
NoV: This is part of my Christmas Hearts collection. This Christmas season, I'm writing a fic for every show I've ever written about and one I haven't.
Christmas had come once again to Hazelnut, and that basically meant that the new drama teacher at Hazelnut High School was cramming students into the assembly hall to make his announcement about the Christmas pageant tryouts.
Pepper Ann hadn't changed much in two years. In fact, she still acted and looked very much the same in the ninth grade as she had in seventh grade. She still wore her untamed hair in a ponytail. She still wore a purple t-shirt, with her now black skirt and purple stockings. She was still aspiring to be a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, but was always late for first period. And, she was still talking through stupid assemblies.
Only three things about Milo had remained the same: his hair, his hat, and his personality. Two years had been good to Milo's physique and wardrobe. He was no longer a scrawny little preteen. Now, from years of painting on huge canvases, like billboard signs and overpasses, his arm and chest muscles had grown to a nice, full size. To show off his muscular torso, he now wore a tight, trendy t-shirt. Since his legs had remained skinny, he compensated by wearing thick, baggy blue jeans. His love for art grew more and more everyday.
Nicky had grown some too. As she grew taller, she had also filled out quite well. She wore a longer, hip-hugging skirt and a plain, white t-shirt. Every since her first day of high school, she had been receiving scholarship offers weekly. Every college on the west coast wanted her to attend. She had, however, become more lenient about her friends' eccentric natures, not wanting to act as bossy as she once had.
"—but the only thing I don't understand," Pepper Ann was saying, "is why the aliens on Space Fantasy VIII never abducted anyone!"
"Yes, Pepper Ann," Nicky said, paying her friend almost no attention, and completely focusing on the assembly speaker.
"I thought that was weird too," Milo agreed, sitting on Pepper Ann's other side, "especially since there had been multiple abductions in all other seven movies. But, I understood why when I bought the special edition DVD, and watched the deleted scenes, which revealed that Prince Gurlok had fallen in love with an earth girl, thereby halting all further abductions."
"Shhh!" Gwyn Mesroe said. She had become somewhat of a "teacher's pet," and a "prep." "Some of us are trying to pay attention here!"
"And, so, I invite you all to come and try out for what will be the greatest Christmas musical in this school's history!" the drama teacher finished, making over-zealous hand gestures.
A few students applauded his efforts, but most kept talking and left the auditorium.
"So, anyway, about the aliens—" Pepper Ann continued, grabbing her purse and heading into the lunchroom with Milo.
PA
Lunch was almost over. In five minutes, Pepper Ann would be forced to go to the worst class she had ever had: freshmen English. She was almost certain that the teacher, Ms. Stephens, was out to get her. (Although, she was also almost certain that her physical science teacher, Mr. Allan was an espionage spy.) All semester, Pepper Ann had made nothing but D's and F's in Ms. Stephens' class. But, thankfully, there were only twenty days left in the semester, and Pepper Ann had been counting them down since the first week.
But, she didn't want to think about that right now. "Milo," Pepper Ann said, "I'm telling you: there's NO WAY that a snail could win in a fight against a lizard!"
"PA," Milo said, "snails evolved with the power to kick lizard tail. It's science!"
"Well," Nicky said, taking up her books, "I'm going to go on to Trigonometry class. I want to get a head start on next month's assignments. See you two after school!"
Pepper Ann and Milo told her goodbye as she left the lunchroom.
"Guess I'll be going too," Milo said, leaving Pepper Ann all alone.
Pepper Ann looked at her spoon, to see her reflection. "So, how's it hangin'?"
PA
TBC! (Does anyone want a continuation? Throw me a bone, peeps!)