DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons" or "High School Story," I only own Diana.

Caleb and I have been a couple now for a month. We revealed the news to our parents as soon as we could. Caleb's parents, as well as Ezra, were thrilled that Caleb had moved on from Zoe and chose me to support him, and they welcomed me with open arms. My parents were just as welcoming, but it happened after my dad gave Caleb a stern talking-to… well, the kind of talk that dads have when it comes to their daughters dating. Dad had told Caleb that he would put him in a time machine and ship him off to the dinosaur era if he were to hurt me. Caleb assured my dad that he had nothing to worry about, and I told him the same thing, reminding him that Caleb had actually taken care of me throughout the investigation on Ashley Faris.

Spring Break was… interesting. Me and the squad went to the capital of Connecticut to participate in the state finals, but we lost to Staples, falling in fourth place. The basketball team, under new leadership, had also gone to state finals, but they, too, fell in fourth place, with Staples winning it all. Staples had gone to the band competition, and the Westport High band placed third. When we all got back together the last day of break, Caleb and I had taken a little walk for some alone time… only to run into an inflamed Staples High School. It was announced that the Staples students who lived south of State Route 15 would attend Westport High for the remainder of the year, which meant that many of our rivals would be attending Westport High as well. Caleb said that comparing the Staples students to Ashley was like comparing Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars to Voldemort from Harry Potter.

Today, I had offered to help Maria in giving some of the Staples students a tour of the school, and I had asked Emma to accompany me.

"I don't know if I can do this," I cried, deciding which outfit to choose when I heard a knock on the door.

"Hey, Diana!" Dad exclaimed, holding a cup full of coffee. "Mom told me you were giving a tour today. Shouldn't you be leaving for school soon?"

"Well—"

"Or are you pro-caffeinating?"

"Oh my gosh, Dad!" I exclaimed, but I couldn't resist not putting a smile on my face at his pun.

"Oh, come on! Wipe that mug off your face," Dad continued with his puns with a smile on his face. "It's just part of the daily grind."

"Dad, that first one was awful. But you're not helping! I can't decide what to wear."

"Wear my shirt," Dad suggested, getting in my room and pulling out his favorite shirt. "You know, I was student teaching some kids by myself for the first time. Mom was pregnant with you back then. She came over and picked out this shirt for me to wear."

"Did it work?"

"It did! She told me that she realized whenever I wore that shirt, it meant that I felt confident with myself. I think we both needed to espresso ourselves." Dad gave me a wink as he gave me his shirt.

"Dad!" Now I was bursting with laughter.

"I always think you're the real cream of the crop."

"I don't even know what that means!" I exclaimed, still laughing and now clutching to my stomach. "But I'm glad I can always count on you… and your puns."

"Just a perk of having me as your dad," he replied, raising his mug.

"Alright, Dad, now get out of here. I gotta get dressed!"

"Don't take too long!" Dad yelled as he went down the stairs and I dressed into his shirt and my blue jeans.

I made it to school with just enough time for the tour, and I met up with Emma and Maria.

"There you are!" Maria exclaimed. "I've been waiting for you forever!"

"I'm so sorry, my dad kept distracting me with these coffee puns," I explained, putting a hand on my forehead.

"At least you're here now. We have to get moving." Maria paused and whispered in our ears. "Just so you know… Brian and Zoe are in your group."

"No! Please, anyone but them!" Emma quietly exclaimed with fear.

"I'm with Emma on that one," I replied. "Can't anybody else show them around? Besides, Brian used to go here. Why does he need a tour?"

"I'm really sorry, Diana, but you're the only one who can handle them," Maria sadly explained.

"So you're telling me this tour isn't gonna be easy?"

"I did this because I trust you. You're prepared, right?"

"Maria, relax. I got this! Remember, Diana Robinson never fails."

"How could I forget?" Maria answered with a chuckle. "But remember, your job is to make Westport High look great to all these new students. Get them excited to be here."

Maria led me and Emma to our group and then went ahead to tour her group.

"Hey, I'm Jade!" said a girl who wore a running jacket and sweatpants.

"Tucker, here. What's shakin'?" said a boy who wore a green shirt with a purple vest over it and purple jeans, and he made a gesture with his hands. I made the same gesture at him with a smile.

"Looks like Westport High's just as lame as I left it," I heard Brian say.

"Ugh, I think it got worse!" Zoe exclaimed, and I took some deep breaths so that I wouldn't lose my temper.

"Tour guide, if I might see the music studio and then excuse myself?" a blonde student asked. "I must practice in the mornings." Oh boy…

"This is Terrence," Zoe said, officially introducing him to us. "He's nationally recognized, so don't waste his time."

"The band room wasn't on the list, but I can point you to it later," I suggested, and I took a few more deep breaths. "Now that we're all here, let's get started! It is very nice to meet all of you, and I am excited to show off your new school today! There's a lot to see, so feel free to ask questions."

"Move it along already!" Zoe yelled.

"Hi, everyone! I'm Emma. Welcome to Westport High!"

"And I'm Diana. We'll show you everything you need to know."

Emma and I gave them a tour of all of the classrooms, and then we walked into the gym.

"We hold a lot of our school dances here," Emma explained. "The place gets transformed into a wonderland."

"A tacky wonderland from, like, the dollar store," Zoe shot back. "No one has taste here."

"I've noticed," Terrence sadly replied.

"Well, I think we always do a good job," Emma replied enthusiastically. "We do food, music, decorations."

"I bet the acoustics with a live band would be out of this world," Tucker chimed in, and Terrence seemed to have a change of heart.

"Now that you mention it, I do find an appeal to this gym."

"See? Full of possibilities!" Emma replied.

"This is also where we have gym class, obviously," I explained. "The locker rooms are over there. It's good to show up early enough to change or you'll be marked late."

"Did this school get any cool stuff since I left?" Brian asked.

"No, but I hear the school board is working on bringing some more equipment to the gym!"

"Yeah, figured your gym stayed lame, too. I already miss Staples' money." Is everything about money to these kids?

"Question: Do you ever need emcees for dances?" Tucker asked.

"For sure!" I replied enthusiastically. "I can hook you up with Maria and Payton from the prom committee!"

"Awesome! I think some good comedy at the mic keeps the night alive."

"He's really funny," Jade explained. "You should seriously hear his routines."

"I'll have to listen some time!" I replied. "But I hope there aren't too many puns. You'd be up against Myra there."

"Puns? The lowest form of humor?" Tucker asked with a horrified look. "Only when I have a really good one."

Then we walked to the cafeteria.

"Since this is the official place for eating, I brought a special surprise," Emma announced and dug out a tin of cookies from her backpack! "I made them myself. They're mint chocolate chip, for the school colors!"

Everyone took a cookie except for Brian and Zoe.

"What is this, kindergarten?" Cole asked.

"Excuse me, Emma worked hard on those!" I exclaimed. "Besides, what teenager doesn't like food?"

"Exactly!" Tucker exclaimed, still with cookie in his mouth. "These are delicious! She has a gift!"

"So the lunch line is over here," I explained, pointing to the counter. "The most important thing here is to get to lunch on time. The cafeteria lines get long, so if you're late, it takes forever to get food."

"Not if you cut," Brian said in a singsong voice.

"Which you shouldn't do," I replied, also in a singsong voice, and then I led the group to the courtyard. "For the final part of our tour, I bring you our beloved and strong mascot. This is Troy the Trojan. He reminds us that everyone is welcome here. There's even a little plaque that says so, if you look closely. Westport High is open to everyone who wants to be here."

"How pointlessly sentimental," Terrence said with a smile on his face.

"Too bad I don't want to be here," Brian angrily said as he stepped forward towards me. "Quit the nice act, Diana."

"Excuse me?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You can pretend to be all welcoming, but I know better."

"What the hey is that supposed to mean?" I asked, now angry.

"How could I forget you? You turned the whole school against me. You got me kicked out of homecoming."

"Excuse me, I kicked you out of homecoming?" I asked in offense.

"That wasn't Diana's fault!" Emma exclaimed angrily. "You have no one to blame but yourself!"

"Westport High School only cares about its favorites," Brian angrily explained. "I was here long enough to know about that, and all about you, Diana."

"Well I'm sorry that you're such an awful person," I replied, getting angrier. "You're entitled and mean all the time. Give it a rest, Brian."

"I'm just honest." Excuse me?! "You pretend to be nice, but you're worse than me."

"Brian, don't you dare—"

"You know what? Peace out, loser. I'm done with this tour. Who's with me?"

"Come on, Brian, don't be like that," Emma said.

"Shouldn't we at least give this school a chance?" Jade asked with sadness on her face.

"Don't you get it? This school doesn't want you here, Jade," Brian shot back.

"Hey, but you never know, right?" Tucker replied. "The tour was good—"

"You're both so stupid. Westport High will always be our rival and will never be good for you."

"Brian!" I yelled angrily as the other Staples students except for Jade and Tucker follow him. "Figures it had to end like this."

"They look really sad," Emma said, pointing to the two students, who looked down. "I don't know what I'd say, but I bet you could help."

I walked toward Jade and Tucker while Emma went to class.

"Are you two okay?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter," Jade answered. "We shouldn't have come to Westport High in the first place."

"They'll rebuild our school before we know it, and we'll be outta here," Tucker replied.

"You should go to class," Jade said with a raised eyebrow. "We can handle ourselves."

"Now hold on, I'm not leaving you guys out here," I replied with a determined look on my face.

"Why not?" Tucker asked.

"I'm here to prove we want you at Westport High," I answered.

"You do?" Jade asked. "Brian doesn't seem to think so."

"Screw Brian. He's a jerk who only wants things to go his way," I explained with a disgusted look. "He just wants power, no matter who he steps on, so don't listen to him." I watched as the two students look around the courtyard. "What?"

"Make sure he never hears you say that kind of thing," Jade answered.

"Even if you're right, I think he had a point," Tucker replied. "Westport High's always hated us."

"We've been rivals forever," Jade added. "That doesn't just change."

"It could, if you give it time," I replied. "Hope is never lost."

"I've been on sports teams long enough to know that kind of bad blood sticks around," Jade explained.

"You know, Diana, I was terrified after the fire," Tucker explained. "Suddenly all my friends except Joy here were across town, and everyone was telling us all about the Big Bad Trojans."

"We hoped it was just people being dumb and obsessed with school loyalty," Jade added. "But today changed my mind. I was trying to stay positive, but what's the use?"

"There's nothing for us here," Tucker replied with hopelessness.

"Are you kidding? You've only been at this school for an hour and you're already giving up?" I asked, and then I broke into a smile. "We have so much to offer you, especially us, the people. Just wait until you meet everyone. You'll fit right in!"

"Even though we're from enemy territory?" Tucker asked.

"Once we get to know you, that won't even matter," I answered. "Because we're one whole student body with a lot of skills on the table. Just stick with me."

"So, you'll be like our ticket into the group?" Jade asked with a smile.

"Exactly! I'll vouch for you!"

"That sounds good… like actually good!" Jade exclaimed.

"Sweet, I won't have to hear Terrence whining about his reed during lunch," Tucker replied, and I let out a chuckle.

"We'll find your place here in no time! Trust me."

"It's looking up!" Jade exclaimed.

"What was that saying on the statue you mentioned earlier?" Tucker asked, and I led them back to the statue and read the inscription.

"That's… actually super sweet," Jade said.

"Maybe Brian's wrong about you," Tucker told me with a smile.

"I guess there's only one way to find out."

"Well, give us a shot and let me know what you think!" I told them.

"Why did you stay behind, anyway?" Jade asked.

"It's cool of you, but we saw how the others were talking to you," Tucker added.

"Because I was new myself: I am a freshman, after all," I explained.

"You know how much it sucks?" Jade asked, and I laughed.

"Yep. Actually, if it wasn't for Emma, I would've been a mess. She was my first friend at this school."

"I do feel less of a mess now," Tucker said.

"Same. I dunno about friends yet, but you're nothing like what I expected," Jade replied.

"I know everything might be scary with your school burning down and finding yourself in an unfamiliar environment, but you might find a home here, if you give us a chance. I know I did." I smiled at the two students.

"Thanks for the pep talk," Jade replied. "I was almost ready to give up and go home."

"Any time!" I replied. "Come find me if you need me again or if you just want to hang out."

"I might take you up on that," Tucker replied.

"And I'll have to take you up on those routines!" I replied with a smile. "Do you need help getting to class?"

"Beats my plan of playing hooky by accident." I laughed at Tucker's response.

"I have algebra first, if you want to lead the way," Jade told me.

"That's my first class too!" I exclaimed. "You can come with me!"

"You know, I think Westport High might be a chill place after all," Tucker said as we walked to class.

The next two days after the tour felt so draining. We had realized that these students also had to participate in the same activities, and that probably felt even more draining than sharing classes. Max, Mia's brother, was Julian's rival. Mia told me that she had to watch for Kara, the cheer captain at Staples. Brian was going to be Caleb's teammate again while Emma and I were stuck cheering with Zoe. Kara had threatened me when it was revealed that I was the favorite to become prom queen, saying that she and Max were king and queen the last three years. I could already tell this was going to be a long spring.

"Hello there, squad!" I yelled, running into the gym with excitement on my face, and everyone yelled 'hi' back at me.

"All right, welcome back to cheer," Mia said. "Sydney, our choreographer, spent yesterday reworking our routines to incorporate our new cheerleaders."

"And, Diana, as promised, there's a special featured section I choreographed with you in mind this time," Sydney chimed in with a smile.

"I can't wait to see it!" I replied as the two cheerleaders demonstrated the routine.

"Diana, this will be your part," Sydney said, and I watched her carefully. My first move involved crossing my wrists and then jumping into a toe touch. My next moves involved a mixed martial arts move, a cartwheel, and a roundoff, and then my usual flip sequence, ending with a pose. "Ta-da!"

"Hold up just a second!" Kara exclaimed. "You're handing Diana a solo without even auditioning us?"

"I think you're playing favorites," Zoe said, siding with Kara. "You don't want to give us a chance."

"Diana's earned a special spotlight," Mia argued. "Besides, you and Zoe are flyers, and this part doesn't feature flying."

"Sure, but not all of us are flyers," Kara shot back. "Kieran, you want to do that part, right?"

"Yeah, I guess?" Kieran, the only male cheerleader in the squad, answered with uncertainty.

"Hold on a minute, let's see what Kieran's got," I chimed in.

"Good, you know real talent when you see it," Kara replied, and I glared at her as she pushed Kieran, who stumbled. I watched his facial expressions the entire time he did my solo, and while he was excellent, something was off.

"Diana killed tryouts already, and deserves this solo," Mia argued.

"Kieran was supposed to have a solo this season anyway," Zoe replied. "And then our school burnt down. It's like you don't care."

"Ugh, fine. Diana, how about you remind us you can do this routine better?"

"Show 'em what you've got, Diana!" Payton cheered me on as Sydney started the music again. I added my own personal flair to my moves and completed my solo without any complications.

"You nailed it!" Mia said happily.

"That's our girl!" Payton cheered.

"I guess that was all right," Kara said, realizing this was as good of a compliment I was going to get from her. "So, Mia? Kieran was way better, right?"

"He was really good, I'll admit it," Mia answered. "But Diana also nailed it, as always."

"If they were both so good, who gets the solo?"

"I want to be fair here, since Kieran impressed me. I do not pick favorites."

"So he's doing the solo?" Zoe asked with a smug look on her face.

"Oh no. Please, Mia, don't take this from Diana!" Emma cried.

"Actually, I haven't made up my mind," Mia answered in defeat. "Diana, Kieran, I'll have you two switch off on that part for now. I'll give one of you the solo by the end of the quarter. Practice hard until then."

"I can handle that," I replied with humility.

"Clearly you're too weak to make a choice!" Kara exclaimed in shock.

"I'm giving Kieran a fair shot," Mia said, this time with anger in her voice. "Don't push me. Diana, you're junior captain now. Please lead the team through drills."

Before I went outside to get picked up by my dad, I went to my locker to get my books, and I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"You're not mad at me about the featured section, are you?" Kieran asked with sadness in his voice, and I felt really bad for him.

"Kieran, I'm an honest person, so I want to give you the complete truth," I explained. "Yes, I'm mad, but at the same time, I'm not. You're a very talented cheerleader!"

"Really? I mean, thanks. Hey, I'm not trying to take your solo—"

"It did look like Kara was trying to push you into it," I replied, remembering my observations. "Why do you listen to her if all she does is literally push you?"

"I… I don't know." Kieran looked down, but then looked at me with a smile. "For what it's worth, though, you did a great job, too. I'll be doing my best on principle, but I hope you keep your spot."

"Kieran, that is so sweet!" I replied, smiling back. "I don't get to meet very many people like you every day. Keep your head held high and soar!"

"Same to you," Kieran replied. "I'll see you around."

The rest of the week flew by, and the principal had declared this next week as Mixing Bowl Week, which meant that two Staples students were needed to sit at every table with two Westport students. So here we are having our first lunch together.

"Have we found two Staples students yet?" I asked.

"Yep! Jade, Cameron, this is Diana," Maria introduced me to them. "Diana, these two are Cameron Levy and Jade Ali."

"Hi, Diana," Cameron, the brown-hair girl replied. "Aiden's mentioned you a few times during band practice."

"Has he?" I asked with a smile. "All good things, I hope?"

"Yes. Cameron's a saxophone player," Aiden explained. "She's going to be performing a solo I composed for the spring concert!"

"Neat! And of course, I've already met Jade."

"Did you know she's playing cleanup hitter on the baseball team?" Caleb asked. "That's unheard of for a freshman!"

"Just as it was unheard of that I won homecoming queen as a freshman?" I asked my boyfriend, who then pecked me on the lips.

"It's also unheard of for you to run for prom queen," Caleb replied.

"Anyway, thanks for bragging for me, Caleb," Jade replied with a smile. "So much easier than having to do it myself."

"I'm still not sure why we're taking the 'two Staples kids at every table' thing so seriously, by the way," Michael chimed in. "What are they gonna do? Go to every lunch table and check whether you have a Staples ID or a Westport one?"

"What? You don't like having Jade and Cameron here?" Caleb asked.

"Actually, Michael, I've been meaning to ask you about football," Jade spoke up. "Are you going to play again next fall?"

"Well, that depends on whether Caleb can find someone else decent at playing quarterback," Michael answered.

"I hope they don't. Your homecoming game was one of the most exciting ones I've ever been to."

"Well, I'm flattered to have a fan, Jade, but I'm afraid you're not my type," Michael replied and Jade blushed.

"Whoa, wait. Was I hitting on you? I didn't mean to—"

"It's alright, Jade, Maria knows everything about accidentally hitting on Michael," I replied, remembering how cozy Michael and Maria were during the investigation.

"You're never going to let that die, are you?" Maria asked with a frown on her face.

"Nope!" I replied innocently.

"Do I want to know what happened?" Cameron asked with a perplexed look.

"No, Cameron, you don't," Joshua answered.

"Hey, can we go back to talking about football?" Caleb asked. "Cameron, what's your take?"

"I know basically nothing about sports that aren't cricket," Cameron explained. "but I like going to the games anyway."

"Did you go to the homecoming game?" I asked.

"Yes! Obviously, my favorite part was the marching band arrangement of The First Day."

"Did you hear that, Aiden?" Emma asked with a smile as Aiden blushed. "Cameron liked your arrangement!"

"You wrote that, and the piece you're performing this spring? Dude, that's amazing!"

"Technically, arranging is different than composing," Aiden explained, still blushing. "But thank you."

"I'm so jealous though. I can't do either."

"What's stopping you?" I asked.

"I just don't have the ear for it. I like the idea of composing, but whenever I try, nothing comes to me. No muse, as they say."

"You're still creative, though." Emma complimented. "That short story you wrote for creative writing was captivating!"

"Yours was fun, too! Though I could tell it was fan fiction with the names changed."

"Come on, Michael, admit it," Sydney, who had been quiet this whole time, said.

"Okay, fine, Mixing Bowl Week wasn't a completely awful idea. Principal Hughs' idea worked again."

"Is it okay if I sit here again tomorrow?" Jade asked with a smile.

"Well, of course!" I answered enthusiastically.

"Actually, my brother and I are having a party this Friday evening," Caleb answered. "You two should both come."