Plainville. A modest town with not much going for it, surrounded by far more prosperous cities.

This wouldn't have been his pick for his next job if it hadn't been for that job offer in the morning paper. He hadn't expected a small town like this to have such a large elementary school. And he couldn't argue with that kind of salary. More decent than his more recent jobs doing this same gig.

But this didn't only tug at his curiosity. Why would they be willing to pay that much for this position?

He narrowed his eyes as he plodded towards the school. The same details that got his attention also gave him reason to question this job offering. There could have been information withdrawn from the listing to lure in more potential employees. Only his curiosity carried him forward.

But he would remain on his guard.

He stepped inside the school building and paused to take a look around. He hummed to himself as he studied the signs and shifted into the appropriate hallway. The only signs of life in this place were the muffled chattering of students as they worked on whatever assignments their teachers were giving them. He ambled along until he came to the right place.

He knocked on the principal's door.

"Ah, Mr. Peter Quillon. Please, come on in my office."

Once the doors had swung open, he had already made his way towards the chair indicated for him. He got himself comfortable with his leg crossed and hands clasped. "Please just refer to me by Mr. Quillon."

Principal Stringent nodded her head. "It's still such a surprise that anyone has finally answered that old ad at all. We haven't had a guidance counselor for two years. I don't really understand it." She pressed her hand against her head. "Our students aren't that bad."

Mr. Quillon fought to keep his lip from snarling. Was she going to be another principal that looked the other way? How much did she really know about what was going on?

Mr. Quillon stifled a bitter chuckle. "I wouldn't have applied if that were a fact."

"I beg your pardon?" Principal Stringent asked.

Mr. Quillon shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I was more than happy to apply. Helping out children is...a passion of mine." He leaned back in his chair. "I've got some high marks in the other schools I've worked in. You've picked wisely, trust me."

"I sure hope I did," said Principal Stringent. "I know there are a couple of troublesome students. I've been wanting to find them help, but..."

Mr. Quillon perked his head up at this. Here we go, the details he knew were there, but the principal attempted to downplay.

"What are these troublesome acts you speak of?" Mr. Quillon interjected.

"Oh like picking on other students, skipping class, sneaking off, drawing during class..."

Ah, so she did know a few things. Better but still not good enough. There was more happening within these walls and by the end of the week, he was going to know more about these students than the person who was supposed to be running the place.

It was almost bittersweet. He only wished that the principals would be more observant of their own student body.

But then he wouldn't be able to have this job, would he? There were certain perks to being able to do the job yourself. Such thoughts were better kept to himself.

Mr. Quillon furrowed his eyes. "Ah yes, I'm familiar with those types of students. Don't worry. I'll be able to help them out. Not one kid has ever left my care without feeling...accomplished." He smiled and continued, "It warms my heart to see children become better than they were."

"That's lovely to hear. You'll make a great asset to this school. I can already see it." Principal Stringent got out a pen and placed a calendar on her desk. She looked upwards towards him. "Do you have any restrictions on availability?"

Mr. Quillon shook his head. "I'll be here Monday through Friday all day. I'll even do other hours if you need me to. I try to have an open and flexible schedule for the youth who need my help."

Principal Stringent smiled and said, "Splendid! Why don't you come in first thing this coming Monday morning? I will make an announcement and introduce you to every classroom we have available so you can get to know the students."

Wow, she really was in a hurry to get him started, wasn't she? He was tempted to say something to her about this, but instead opted to stay quiet. All this urgency did for him was increase his curiosity...and his suspicion. What wasn't she telling him?

"That sounds wonderful," replied Mr. Quillon. He forced a smile. "I look forward to it."

Principal Stringent reached out to shake his hand. "Welcome aboard!"

Mr. Quillon shook her hand rigidly. "You will not regret this decision. I promise."

Principal Stringent smiled back at him. "I should hope not." She released his hand. "I look forward to seeing you on Monday. Take care!"

"Same to you," said Mr. Quillon as he nodded in her direction. "It will be my pleasure to help out in any way that I can. If you need to make any changes, do not hesitate to call me."

That hadn't been so bad. Principal Stringent appeared to be sincere with what she wanted to accomplish. She deserved some respect for that.

He should still keep an eye on her.

He walked out of the office as he replayed the conversation in his mind. He couldn't help but notice that one of the problematic behaviors Principal Stringent had brought up was drawing during class. How very interesting. Would he be able to meet such a client during his stay here?

He supposed he'll find out on Monday.

sss

Rudy leaned forward in his desk as he tried to read what was written on the chalkboard. Mr. Wilter wasn't done writing it yet, but that didn't stop Rudy from attempting to make it out anyway, his hand placed just above his eyes. This wasn't appearing to be the usual homework assignment, so what could it be?

Only after Mr. Wilter walked away was Rudy able to read the message. He leaned back and furrowed his eyes. He looked towards Penny's currently empty desk. She wasn't able to make it in school today. He bit his lip to stop from asking questions to someone who wasn't there.

When was the last time that this school had a guidance counselor? Was an announcement like this necessary? Couldn't they just meet the new guidance counselor on their own terms?

Maybe Principal Stringent thought it was important to make the announcement because it's been a while since they last had a guidance counselor.

"Attention students!"

Rudy stiffened his body as did the other students around him as Mr. Wilter walked into position in front of the chalkboard. With a ruler in hand, Mr. Wilter slapped it against the palm of his hand. Rudy flinched at the echo.

"As you can see here, we have a new staff member coming in today. A very special one at that," said Mr. Wilter as he raised his finger up while he spoke. "As you are all aware, we haven't had a guidance counselor for this school for two years. Now we finally found someone who is willing to work with you lucky students!"

Rudy looked around at the other students. There was no sensation of surprise when he saw that most of them were struggling to pay attention. There were some struggling to even stay awake during this announcement and Reggie, being his usual self, was drifting his mind elsewhere in the form of playing with a paper airplane.

Mr. Wilter continued, "Now I'm sure that many of you think that you have it all figured out and you will do just fine on your own."

Rudy let out a loud yelp as Mr. Wilter suddenly slammed his hands against his desk. He pulled himself back with wide eyes as Mr. Wilter leaned forward. It was like he was staring both at him and at the other students at the same time.

"I'm here to tell you that you're wrong! We don't know how long we'll have this guidance counselor before someone chases him away, so I strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to seek out the guidance counselor's advice!" A small pause. "...some more than others."

Everyone was silent.

Rudy stared up at Mr. Wilter with wide eyes as he tried to keep himself breathing. Their eyes remained locked for what felt like several minutes. Then finally something caused Mr. Wilter to break his gaze.

"Reggie Bullnerd!"

"Blagh! What?!"

Reggie dropped what he was doing and looked up at Mr. Wilter. He cringed back against his desk as though it was the only thing that could protect him from whatever Mr. Wilter was about to do to him. The other students watched with a handful smirking in anticipation.

"What have I told you just the other day?" Mr. Wilter placed his hands against his sides. "No making paper planes in my classroom!"

Reggie looked downward and grumbled begrudgingly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Wilter."

"Sorry isn't enough this time," said Mr. Wilter. He pointed towards the door as he continued, "You march right down to the principal's office, young man! I think we've found our first visitor for our new guidance counselor."

Continuing to grumble to himself, Reggie folded his arms and headed out of the classroom. Rudy couldn't help but watch him as he left. Was Mr. Wilter going to be this quick with sending people to this new guidance counselor?

A sinking feeling tugged him down. What if racing through this is what Mr. Wilter had in mind? The pencil in his hand wobbled along with his thoughts.

Mr. Wilter said, "Do you want to join him, Rudy Tabootie?"

Rudy jolted as Mr. Wilter's shadow casted over him. He quickly recovered, clasped his hands against his desk, and gave Mr. Wilter the most innocent smile that he could muster. "Nope! I'm good!"

Mr. Wilter studied him for a moment as if considering otherwise, then he moved back to the front of the class to resume his lecture.

Rudy sighed and wiped his forehead. That had been a close one. But would he be lucky next time? How long would it be before Mr. Wilter would ask him to see this guidance counselor?

Mr. Wilter never kept it a secret from anyone how he detested art as a career option and he had tried on more than one occasion to 'encourage' students to never pursue art as anything more than a backyard hobby. Was it out of the question to believe that he would use the guidance counselor as validation for that?

"There's more good news for you students. The principal has arranged for our new guidance counselor to visit each classroom today so you all get to meet him." Mr. Wilter paced back and forth with his arms folded behind his back. "I hope that you all show him the respect that he deserves!" He looked over at the students.

Rudy had never seen his fellow classmates nod so quickly before. Were they all afraid of what might happen if they didn't?

Mr. Wilter smiled. "Very good. Now time for today's lesson."

As Mr. Wilter continued talking, Rudy tried to figure out how he was going to tell this to Penny. Would she agree with him that Mr. Wilter was trying too hard to push this on him? Or would she say that he was only imagining things?

Nausea spread throughout his abdomen as his concentration began to waver. Visions crawled through his mind and offered various scenarios that this could lead into. The presence of a guidance counselor might've opened the doors to something else. The nausea burned but Rudy remained quiet. Would Mr. Wilter become suspicious if he asked to see the nurse now?

Reggie came back to his mind. It wasn't that Reggie didn't deserve to be sent to the office. But there was still something different this time. The way that Mr. Wilter spoke and moved his hand combined with how quick he was to ask Rudy himself if he wanted to join him hinted that caution was necessary.

Rudy couldn't remember the last time he watched the school clock with such focused eyes.

sss

So this was Mr. Wilter's classroom? The last visit for the day. There was a reason for that. Principal Stringent just didn't want to tell him, likely out of fear that he would leave.

It didn't matter. He would find out eventually. He always did.

Mr. Quillon watched the students as they stared back at him. Any that tried to do anything else received a scolding from Mr. Wilter. Wasn't that unfortunate? It might have been helpful for him to see the kids as they were, not as how their teacher wanted them to be. But there would be time for that.

As Mr. Wilter continued talking, Mr. Quillon took some mental notes to be aware of for later. One of these students would become acquainted with him soon, so best that he figure out in his head who it was going to be. He had never been wrong before. Students try to be sneaky but their motives were always in sight.

These kids each had their own story to share. Their own thoughts, hardships, and their own limitations. Which student was at that point?

There was that student who kept staring at the clock. What did Mr. Wilter say his name was? Rudy Tabootie? That was the only thing he had been told about this kid. From here, the anxiety was poorly hidden. Rudy could try all he wanted to. He wasn't fooling anyone with a trained eye.

There was something different about Rudy that separated him from the other students here. It was almost familiar as though he had experienced this before. Mr. Quillon would get his chance to talk to him privately. From observation alone, he could tell how lonely Rudy must be. Did they share something in common?

But Rudy wasn't the only student who had caught his eye.

Mr. Quillon flinched at the bang of a ballooned bag with a hand slammed against it. He lifted his head to get a better view. At the other end of the classroom, Reggie was laughing and pointing a finger at a student crying and shaking next to him. Mr. Quillon narrowed his eyes and tugged up his lip.

"Interrupting class again I see, Reggie Bullnerd," said Mr. Wilter as he walked towards the back of the room. "The trip to the principal's office did nothing to temper your behavior?"

Reggie's shift in tone was swift and predictable.

"Oh I'm so sorry, Mr. Wilter! It's...It's not what it looks like!" Reggie looked left and right and then grabbed onto his classmate. He forced a smile. "See? I was just helping him up!"

Mr. Wilter didn't buy it. "Don't lie to me, young man! I will not be tolerating even the slightest hiccup out of you from this point forward. Tomorrow before class starts, you are going to be spending time with our new guidance counselor. I strongly suggest you listen to what he has to say."

Reggie held his hands up, widened his eyes, and said, "B-But Mr. Wilter...!"

Mr. Wilter folded his arms to his chest. "No buts! Now leave Timothy alone and pay attention!"

Reggie watched as Mr. Wilter walked away before locking eyes with Mr. Quillon. Reggie snarled and wasn't that gentle with letting Timothy go. Reggie spent the rest of the visit with his head and arms resting against his desk.

Mr. Quillon went through with his introductions with the students. Everything went fine. He had done this too many times to count. He would even admit that some of the students seemed nice.

But he didn't forget about Reggie. That student remained in his sights no matter who he was talking to. Even when it was time to leave, Reggie was part of his gaze. It had been their first meeting and he already knew how his first official day was going to be like.

He was going to fix this boy.

sss

"Wait, what?" Penny whispered. "Could you repeat that?"

Rudy said, "You heard me, Penny! We have a new guidance counselor and Mr. Wilter is bent on getting as many students as possible to visit him." His hand went to his chest. "Including me!"

When Rudy came to visit her, the last thing on her mind was him being anxious about Mr. Wilter. Even past interactions with Mr. Wilter never left Rudy like this. She half expected him to tell her that Mr. Wilter discovered ChalkZone. The sense of urgency in his voice matched that scenario. Even now, her chalkboard kept coming into the edge of her sights.

It was a relief to learn the actual problem was something more manageable. But that hadn't calmed Rudy. He was still on alert as though he was certain of what was to come.

Penny couldn't pull her gaze from Rudy. His eyes were wider than normal, his body gave an extra twitch in motion, and there was a radiating energy coming off of him. She moved her hand towards him but she wasn't able to complete the gesture. She tried to ignore the pangs while she struggled to find a way to comfort Rudy. The more he acted like this, the worse it would get for him.

Eventually, she settled on the only thing that came to mind.

"Why do you think Mr. Wilter wants to do that to you?" Penny asked.

Rudy looked at her as though she lost her mind. "You've heard how he spoke to me in the past! You know how he is with me! I bet you tomorrow when we go into class, he's going to strongly hint that I go and see the guidance counselor, using any excuse he can come up with!"

Penny gritted her teeth. Her chest tightened and she fought back the surge of energy to keep herself from saying something she'd regret later. Her body trembled with the effort. "Don't you think that..."

Rudy didn't give her time to finish as he continued, "He's always pointing fingers at me any chance he gets! How many times have we heard him call me out for my drawings? My 'stupid cartoons' as he puts it?"

Penny shook her head. "That's no reason to think that he's going to force you to see the guidance counselor. I don't think Principal Stringent is going to let the teachers send students there over something like drawing. It's not like you're being disruptive."

Rudy's stare hardened. "Tell that to Reggie Bullnerd."

Penny tilted her head. "Reggie was drawing in school?"

"No but he was still given a ticket to the guidance counselor's office," said Rudy. "Mr. Wilter sure was ready to strike with that one."

"That doesn't mean anything. Reggie's always getting into trouble. You know that," said Penny, narrowing her eyes. "What does that have to do with this?"

Rudy swerved in Penny's direction, his body shaking. "Everything! Don't you get it? Mr. Wilter might've finally found a way to make me give up drawing!" His eyes narrowed and his teeth bared. "And it's all because the principal just had to hire that man!"

Penny continued to keep her glare on Rudy before she softened up her expression. Rudy stared back at her with wide eyes, his hands fumbling together. She walked towards him and she touched his shoulder. Rudy's shaky demeanor shifted and he looked away from her. It didn't take much effort to see his flushed face.

Penny whispered, "Do you honestly believe this? Do you really think that Mr. Wilter is going to use the guidance counselor to force you onto a path that he decided is right for you? I know that you two don't get along, but this isn't like fighting Skrawl. Mr. Wilter is not out to get you. I know that and you know that."

Rudy turned his head back to her, his blush now dimmed. He averted his gaze again as he appeared to struggle with a response. His teeth pressed against his lip and more than one expression flashed on his face before he managed to speak again.

"I'm just scared. I can't explain why. I just can't shake this feeling. I'm sorry," whispered Rudy as his eyes turned downward. "Maybe I am just making a big deal out of this."

That was a possibility. But as this conversation went on, another possibility began to linger in the back of Penny's mind.

She asked, "Does this have anything to do with the upcoming parent-teacher conference?"

Rudy's eyes went wide. "I had forgotten..."

Penny's hands rested on Rudy's shoulders and her eyes locked onto his. "No you didn't. You just don't want to think about it. Look, it's going to be okay. The introduction of this guidance counselor isn't going to cause your dad to also try to drive you into a 'profitable career'."

Rudy clenched his teeth. "A-Are you sure about that? When we didn't have one, at least my dad didn't have anyone to..."

"Please stop this, Rudy. It's going to be fine." Penny squeezed Rudy's shoulders. "Everything will work out fine. I promise."

Rudy looked at her silently for several moments before he tittered, his face stretched with a simper. "Yeah maybe I am being too silly about this." He wiped his forehead. His body loosened up. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

Penny smiled at him. She was about to speak, but paused and the chalkboard filled her view. A moment later, she asked him, "Why don't we go visit Snap? That'll help you feel better, I'm sure."

Rudy smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah. Let's go."

Penny pulled Rudy into a hug. After they shared their embrace, they walked towards the chalkboard. Penny stepped to the side to give Rudy room to draw the portal. The warm light touched their skin even before the portal was complete. The welcoming light only continued as they entered through the portal to look for Snap.

sss

Reggie stood in front of the door and glared at the gold letters spelling out 'Guidance Counselor'. What a way to spend the Tuesday morning... What did he need to see a guidance counselor for? Was it his fault that Mr. Wilter's class was boring? What was the big deal anyway?

But there was nothing he could do. If he tried to leave, one of the other kids would spot him and tattle him like the little rats they were. Now that there's a new guidance counselor and Mr. Wilter was so eager to make use of this, there was no doubt that any efforts to threaten his fellow students now would result in more time spent here. Reggie's blood heated at the thought. He forced out a sigh and opened up the door.

"Ah Reggie Bullnerd, welcome! I was expecting you," said the guidance counselor. "Come in and make yourself comfortable."

His pace like a snail's, Reggie entered the room. The guidance counselor was at his desk sitting in a large chair. A smile stretched on his face while he rested his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands. The overall vibe was almost friendly. The sight of this made Reggie raise an eyebrow. Who was this guy trying to fool? No teacher just wants to 'be your friend'.

Reggie glared at the guidance counselor. "Don't expect me to be all friendly-like with you, pal."

"You shouldn't be afraid to call me by my name. It's Mr. Quillon," said the guidance counselor as his hand pressed against his chest. "This will all go over more smoothly if we try to be casual about this, alright?"

"Whatever, Mr. Quilt," grumbled Reggie as he dropped down into one of the padded chairs.

Mr. Quillon smiled down at him. "Now I've been told by Mr. Wilter that you like to disrupt his class. Can you tell me a bit more about that?"

Reggie rolled his eyes. "Why are you asking me? Mr. Wilter probably told you all about it already!"

Mr. Quillon nodded his head and said, "I'm just trying to understand. This has been an ongoing issue with you, hasn't it? Have you any trouble concentrating at all? Are you having any problems at home?"

Reggie growled.

Mr. Quillon clasped his hands together against the desk. "Maybe I'm not starting off on the right foot here. Let me try something else." He shifted his chair around and bent downward to reach for something. A moment later, he returned, holding a couple of toys in his hands. "I think these will do."

"You think some baby toys is gonna help? You're crazy!" Reggie laughed. "Are you sure you're not the one who needs counseling?"

Mr. Quillon chuckled. "Aren't you the little comedian?"

Reggie's laughter stopped. He gaped at Mr. Quillon for a moment before folding his arms and giving a smirk. "I guess I am, aren't I?"

Mr. Quillon nodded his head. His expression hardened and his head tilted. "Is that why you think it's funny to distract your fellow students from learning? Or why you waste time hurting other students instead of focusing on bettering yourself?"

Reggie deepened his glare and shrugged his shoulders. A sharp edge lingered on the tip of his voice. "I don't see what the big deal is. My dad's already got my whole life figured out for me. Why should I try doing well in school if dear ol' pop has things covered?"

"I can detect hostility in your words," said Mr. Quillon. He eyed the toys he still held on the desk before looking back at Reggie. "Are you interested in doing a little role play? Or we could..."

"No thank you!" Reggie blurted out. His arms folded tighter against his body. "I shouldn't be here. Stupid ol' Wilter for sending me here. Who does he think he is?"

He didn't have time to react when Mr. Quillon rammed the toys against the desk. The ensuing sound caused Reggie to cover his ears and tense up his body. He glared with one eye over at Mr. Quillon and was about to say something only to get cut off.

"The best for you. That's what he wants." Mr. Quillon's voice was like a stone. "Just as I do. I've been helping students like you become someone worthwhile. I know I can help you, too. You just have to trust me and let me guide you. That is what I'm here for."

Reggie grunted and sneered, "And just how were you expecting to help me with stupid dolls?" He smirked towards the toys still present on the desk and looked back at Mr. Quillon and mocked, "You going to say I should get in touch with my feminine side or something like that?"

Mr. Quillon tilted his head at this and then snickered. Reggie growled at this. Mr. Quillon said, "My, for someone who claims he doesn't belong here, you sure do have some baggage going on, don't you? Can you deal with the stress of that? Can't you feel it weighing down on your shoulders, threatening to crush you? Isn't it too much of a burden?"

Reggie couldn't bring himself to say anything. His heart quivered as though struck and he widened his eyes.

"But sometimes we can find the best of ourselves under such stress. You will be amazed by what people are willing to do when faced with such situations. It is a marvel to watch..."

Reggie started to move his hand to push himself out of the chair.

Mr. Quillon simply stared at him, his facial expression not showing any emotion. The words continued to flow. "Maybe you're still like this because you haven't been in the right situation to allow you to blossom. Maybe all you need is the right push and everything will start making sense to you."

Mr. Quillon held up the toys again, higher and spread out. Reggie couldn't stop the needles along his chest. There was just something about how this man was talking and how he was using these dolls that he wasn't able to shake.

"You see these? They represent the two paths that you can take in life. One of them represents you if you stay as you are and the other, you if you are willing to accept my guidance," Mr. Quillon said. "Now watch carefully."

Reggie licked his lips and swallowed as Mr. Quillon dropped one of the toys. It bounced against the table in a clang. It wobbled back and forth and spun around like a bowling pin before setting itself straight up. After a couple of seconds, the tip of the toy stopped moving and as soon as it did, that's when Mr. Quillon started to speak again.

"Now this is what will happen if you don't accept my help." Mr. Quillon dropped the second toy.

When Reggie watched this one fall, it was like time had slowed down. He could see the wobble of the impact and the minute details as it moved up due to the force. He grew stiffer as this toy began to break apart. The limbs popped out of their sockets and shot outwards at the side. The toy came down a second time and hit headfirst. The head dislodged and rolled like a quarter near the edge of the desk. Only Mr. Quillon's hand kept it from falling off.

Reggie's mouth dropped open as he stared at the now broken toy. Sharp sensations quivered along his stomach as his breathing became shaken. He closed his mouth, swallowed, and he gazed upon Mr. Quillon. Words failed him as he struggled with a reply.

Mr. Quillon said nothing as he fixated his gaze on the table, looking from the standing toy to the broken one. He then slowly looked back at Reggie. The smirk returned but now with it carried a grimness that Reggie couldn't shake off.

"Which shall it be?"