Julian and Jess began leaving for Hearst as soon as they had been informed that Payton was in trouble. They met Autumn at the front of the school parking lot where she was pacing up and down nervously. Julian asked, "Autumn, what's going on?"
"Oh, it's a total mess. Payton had been so busy helping us out that she forgot that she was supposed to be throwing a party for Mia." she replied.
"Oh, no." Julian's face looked ashen.
"Whoa! Back up a little bit. Who's Mia?" Jess enquired.
"Max's little sister," Autumn explained.
"Yikes." Jess grimaced.
"We'd better rush there... And fast," Julian urged.
They all hopped into Jess's car and they drove off to Hearst High. A few minutes later, they arrived and found Kara and another cheerleader confronting Payton. Jess made the presumption that the other cheerleader was Mia, given her resemblance to Max long blonde hair pulled back by a grey headband and blue eyes and cherry red lips. She wore a similar green cheerleadering uniform to Kara.
"You promised to bring snacks and decorations to my party then you dare pull off a total no-show?" Mia raged.
"I am so, so sorry! I was helping out Autumn and her new friend... " Payton tried to explain.
"WHAT?! You were over at that new school?!" Mia exclaimed in anger.
"That's just insulting, Payton. We're not going to forget this. We're going to make your life MISERABLE! No one's going to come to your parties. No one's going to talk to you at lunch. You're going to be a total social outcast!" Kara threatened.
Payton sniffled, "I... I... "
Jess couldn't take anymore of this. "Hey! Cut it out already!" she shouted at them. She stepped in between them and Payton and continued, "Can't you see that she feels bad enough about it?"
"Who asked you, dork?" Kara sneered.
Jess put her arm around a crying Payton and said, "Let's go back to my school. You don't need to take this crap."
They turned their backs on Mia and Kara and went back to Berry, with Payton crying on Julian's shoulder and Autumn trying to comfort her.
Once back at the school, Payton finally spoke, "Those two were right. Knowing those two, they are going to make my life a living hell after this."
"True. They actually have enough power to pull it off," Autumn added.
"Then you don't have to take it lying down. Come to Berry High," Jess suggested.
Payton looked at her with tears still streaming down her face. "You'd still want me at your school? But why? I'm not popular anymore?" she wondered.
Jess cupped Payton's face and used her thumbs to dry her tears. "This school is for everyone. You don't have to be popular to be welcome here," Jess told her softly.
Payton gave her a lovely smile and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're so sweet! I'll enroll first thing tomorrow."
The next day, Jess arrived at the school and found Payton at the admissions office, all happy and excited to be joining Berry. Payton hugged her and squealed, "Aah! This is the best decision I've made... well, apart from getting these designer Manolo Blahnik shoes at a special discount. I want to join a fashion club I want to learn to design clothes."
Jess just chuckled and said, "Welcome to Berry High, Payton. Your welcome to sign up."
After history it was lunch break. Jess went to the cafeteria and picked her lunch. She saw Julian and Autumn waving her over. She walked over to them and sat at their table. "Hey, guys," she greeted.
"Hey, Jess." they responded.
"Have any of you seen Payton?" Jess asked after a few minutes of chatting and eating.
"No, we haven't. Actually, we were about to ask you the same thing," Autumn response worriedly.
Jess spotted Payton crying "Payton? What happened?"
"It's... it's my boyfriend. I guess I mean by EX-boyfriend," she answered. "He just broke up with me. In a TEXT message. He said I was a traitor to Hearst, and he didn't want to take the hit to his popularity!" she frowned.
Jess scowled, "What a jerk!"
Payton snorted, "I know right! But my heart's broken anyway!" She sighed heavily.
Jess put her arm around her and Payton put her head on her shoulder. Autumn spoke up, "Anything we can do?"
"Yeah, anything?" Julian asked as he cracked his knuckles and pounded his fist into his palm.
"Julian, no." Jess warned.
"There's only one cure. I need a date." said Payton
"A date?"
"A date! A fling! A rebound! Come on, don't tell me no one dates around here."
Construction worker are gathered to build a Isle of Love
"OMG! I love it! A swan boat? That's my favourite kind of boat! And a tunnel of love? That's my favourite kind of tunnel! And now, I'm ready for a date! I've been single for WAY too long." Payton squealed
"Didn't your ex JUST break up with you?" Jess asked
"Yes. The longest I've ever gone is fourteen minutes. Now, excuse me... I've got a date to go on."
Payton was popular all the boys liked Payton, Julian dating Autumn Payton can only pick one person to date, Payton went on a date with Tommy (nerd)
"Ready to go?" Tommy asked
"Yeah! What's first on the agenda?" Payton asked
"It's a surprise! I'll show you once we get there!"
After a short drive in Tommy car, Payton turns to Tommy with excitement.
"Here we are! Welcome to the circus!"
Payton step out of the car and hear the sounds of piping, whimsical music! "Wow! I haven't been to the circus in ages!"
"Come on! Let's go!" Tommy sprint over to the snack stand, where they both come away with fluffy cotton candy and hot, buttery popcorn.
"Mmm!"
Soon, Tommy and Payton take their seats in the main tent as the show begins. Payton's eyes light up as a troop of acrobats cartwheels out into the spotlight! They vault and flip into a towering human pyramid!
"Whoa! These guys are like level 50 cheerleaders!" Payton exclaimed
The show continues with jugglers, daredevils, and trapeze artists soaring high above your heads!
"I'm getting vertigo just watching them!" said Tommy
The show ended Tommy and Payton stand to their feet clapping and cheering. Tommy and Payton leave the tent at the end of the show.
"I haven't enjoyed a show like that in forever!" Payton exclaimed
"It's getting late..." said Tommy
"Do we have to go? I wish this could last forever." Payton held Tommy hand
"Me too. But it would be selfish if I kept you all to myself!" Tommy blushed
"Heheh... I guess we SHOULD be getting back." said Payton
"But before we do that, there's one more thing." said Tommy
"One more thing?" Payton asked
"Yeah. The night just wouldn't be complete without it." Tommy stop and turn to face Payton, their eyes meeting. Tommy lean in, closer and closer... Tommy take Payton by the shoulders and pull them in firmly for a kiss! Their lips meet, Payton feel Tommy's arms embrace you. The kiss lingers, warm and loving... Finally, Payton pull away looking into each others' eyes.
"I can't wait for a next date. I'll be planning the next date" Payton blushed "OMG! I forgot how much FUN dating is. Good dates, bad dates, blind dates... all better than no dates. I like Tommy he funny, sweet and understanding way better than jerk face." Payton squealed
"You certainly seem to have bounced back from your broken heart." said Autumn
"Duh, it's called a rebound for a reason! I've practically forgotten about what's-his-name." said Payton
"You know, now that Payton is feeling better... it's time to celebrate! We've got to throw a party for her to welcome her to the school!" said Jess
"Oh my gosh! You'd do that? For me?" Payton squealed
"Heh. Of course." Jess chuckled
"You guuuuys! You're so sweet!" Payton hugged Jess, Autumn and Julian
Jess gathered the student to throw the party, everyone began singing and dancing to the music.
"What a great party!" Payton exclaimed
"Yeah, it was truly epic!" Autumn danced
"It was A-MAZING! Everyone had fun and the decorations were great and the music was perfect and everything! It was the Best. Party. EVER! Here, I got us some peppermint spice lattes! Kind of a post-party Payton tradition. Usually I just drink them alone in my room at home. It's kind of dumb." said Payton
"I love it. Give me one." said Autumn
"Okay, I propose a toast. To Payton! Cheers!"
They gulped down the lattes and laughed at the tiny foam mustaches that formed at the top of their lips.
Payton looked at what Jess was looking at and groaned, "Uh oh, looks like someone followed me here..."
"Why does she need the entire cheerleading squad with her?" Jess wondered.
"That's Kara for you. She never goes to a showdown without backup," Payton answered.
"Well, we've got your back," Julian said.
Kara sauntered over to their table, followed by Mia and the other cheerleaders.
"Ahem...Payton...Joining the enemy I see... Not a smart move," Kara said as she folded her arms.
"Look, Kara. We don't want any trouble here," Julian said, an eyebrow raised in warning for her to back off.
"Please. I can do whatever I want, " Kara spat.
"I get you don't like Payton, but you can't just come at her like some psycho cheerleader." Jess said
"And that means that it's time for you to leave your not welcome here." Julian added.
Kara looked around and saw that the chatter in the coffee shop had stopped and everyone was looking at them. She responded, "Whatever. Let's go, girls."
"Before we go, we've got a message from Max. We're challenging your school to a football game. Think of it as your school's first Homecoming game... if you think you can pull it off," Mia said.
"So we'll see you on the field... unless you're scared. Mia, girls... let's get out of here. Payton, have fun in Loserville," Kara sneered.
She slapped Payton's hand, which had been clutching her latte and it spilled all over her clothes.
"Hey!" Payton exclaimed.
"Sorry about your outfit, Payton." Jess apologised
"No biggie. Thanks for sticking up for me, " Payton smiled. "Meanwhile, we have Max's challenge to think about. I can organize a Homecoming parade."
"And I can organize the football team. But didn't I miss something? Homecoming is great but are we letting Kara get away with dumping coffee all over you?" Julian enquired.
Payton shifted uncomfortably in her seat and replied, "That was kinda the idea."
Julian continued, "We should settle this the hard way... It's time for some revenge tonight. It's prank time."
Payton gasped, "Are you crazy?"
"Come on. Man up. Kara needs to know that she can't come and mess with any of us."
"I'm in!" Payton said enthusiastically.
"Count me out, guys. Revenge isn't exactly my kind of thing," Autumn said sadly. "Besides, I kinda had plans for tonight."
"It's okay, Autumn, " Jess said gently.
Autumn left and the three were left planning on what kind of revenge to take. Julian said, "I couldn't help but notice that Kara drives a fancy, brand new sports car."
"That's right. Her dad bought it for her Sweet Sixteen party," Payton informed them.
"Oh, there will be nothing sweet about that car once we're done with it," Julian smirked.
"Hmm... We could dump a bag of snakes in her car," Jess suggested. "Kara seems like the kind of girl who screams at the sight of a snake. Let us see her reaction to a dozen."
"Wow, that is seriously vicious, Jess." Julian said in surprise. "But you're the boss."
They went to the pet shop to buy some equipment for catching corn snakes, the least harmful snakes around and the most common. After that, they drove off to a field and began catching snakes and putting them in a sack. Julian gulped and asked, "Hey, Jess. These snakes aren't like...you know...poisonous?"
"Don't worry, Julian. These are corn snakes. They couldn't hurt you even if they wanted to. They are so cute with their hissy snakey faces," Payton answered.
"Julian, are you afraid of snakes?" Jess asked incredulously.
"No, but what if there was a special type of snake with mutant powers?" Julian pressed worriedly.
Jess at this point was shaking with silent laughter. She replied, "Don't worry, Julian. Professor Snake-xavier trains his mutant snakes to use their powers for good and not evil."
They placed it in the sack and they walked to the car. "Now it's time to give Kara a taste of her own medicine," Julian declared.
Jess asked Payton, "You ready for this?"
Payton replied, uncertainty lacing her voice, "I...uh...suppose... "
Jess looked at her and in a concerned voice, enquired, "Are you okay?"
Payton sighed and said, "It's stupid, but... if Kara does catch us... do you think she'll, you know, hit me? Just the other day, I saw her slap a freshman girl for wearing the same shoes as her..."
Julian interrupted, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you really worried she'll hit you? Prep, Kara's 115 pounds tops and as intimidating as a trained poodle. You know why she's got so much power at Hearst? Because good people do nothing. Because no one wants to make a scene. Because it's so much easier to just make her happy. There's only one thing you can do if you want a bully to stop hitting you. And that's to hit them right back."
"Did you get bullied a lot, Julian?" Payton asked with a curious look.
"Nope. Not even once. I WAS the bully." Julian responded flippantly. "Now, come on, let's head back to the Jock Hangout."
A few minutes later, Julian was demonstrating some simple self defense moves Payton looked unsure and said, "I don't know if this is such a good idea..."
"It's a great idea! There's no better way to get over your fear of being hit than getting hit a bunch of times!" Julian persisted.
Julian taught Payton some moves and she learned the moves like a pro.
"Hey loser! What are you going here, being all loser-y?" Julian mimicked Kara.
Payton looked nervous and replied, "Oh, I, uh... sorry..."
"Sorry not gonna cut it, loser! No one talks back to me, especially not a lame, dumb, ugly loser like you!" Julian continued.
"Now that's... that's not nice..." Payton said, her tone of voice indicating that she was getting upset.
"Oh really? What are you gonna do? Cry about it? Or maybe you'll kick me with those ugly shoes you bought from the dollar store..." Julian mocked.
"They're designer Le Chiffres, and I ordered them from France!" Payton shouted and as Julian went for another shove, Payton grabbed her arms and flipped her onto the mat with an expert judo throw!
Julian walked up behind Payton and asked, "You ready, Prep?"
Payton nodded in delight and responded, "I'm so ready!"
Later that night, in the bushes behind Kara's house, Jess, Julian, Payton and Brianna were crouched there, having placed the snakes in Kara's car after some lockpicking. Jess had Emily come as backup.
"OMG OMG OMG. I cannot believe this is for real happening!" Payton gasped.
"Come on, Payton. Admit it. This is fun." Julian said.
"Maybe just a little..." Payton admitted.
"Quiet, you two...did you see that? There's someone opening the front door!" Jess shushed them.
"Is someone out there?" Kara called out.
"What... what do we do now?! Julian, you didn't cover this in our training!" Payton asked frantically.
"Now, my friends, we RUN!" Julian said.
They didn't need to be told twice. They ran as fast as their legs could take them.
"Who's out there? What... WHAT did you do to my CAR?! I hate snakes! Aah! Oh God!" They heard Kara shriek in fright.
They ran until they found a fence blocking their path. They screeched to a stop and Payton exclaimed, "Oh, no! What are we going to do?"
"Get it together! We just need to climb over the fence!" Julian firmly said.
Payton nodded, "O...okay."
Julian led them in climbing the fence. He climbed it with ease and beckoned for the others to follow. Brianna followed then Payton, Jess Julian assisting them.
"Now that's what we call a clean getaway," Julian said, amid heavy breathing.
Payton squealed and clapped her hands. "I can't believe we just did that! The only thing I figured I was good at was being nice and throwing parties. Now I'm a world-class pranker."
"Hold your horses, Prep. You have a long way to go before calling yourself world-class. But you did good," Julian told her warmly.
"Now, we have Max's challenge to think about, " Jess remarked.
"We'll talk about that tomorrow," Julian said. "For now, we'd better get home."