Disclaimer: Yay for Tod and Copper centered chapter! I know it's only been one chapter since they came into the group, but god damn it, I just love writing them so much. Don't worry though, Scamp won't lose his spot as Protagonist. The chapter after this one will be about him, along with a sub plot for Lucky.

Also, I don't own any Disney characters.

Walton View

Season One Episode Nine: Issues With Auditions

Tod was watching TV in the living room before school, having gotten up early as part of his preparation for his future acting career. Actually, what he was watching was an interview of his favorite actor: Wyatt Foxman. Tod felt he could use his inspiration to help with his play auditions today. Wyatt was telling a tough story about something that happened to him in his life. "And for the longest time, I believed it was my fault. But then I realized that no one could've prevented my brother's death. God knows I didn't know what would happen."

"You encouraged your brother to encourage his dreams. Any decent person would have." The lioness reporter said, and Tod noticed a slight shift in Wyatt's face after she said 'decent person'. He wasn't sure why, but before he could question it, the interview continued. "Your home life was pretty harsh. How did you manage to get out of there whole enough to reach stardom."

"It wasn't easy, Mwandishi." Wyatt admitted, and Tod waited excitedly for the words he would say. "At some point, I realized I was the only one I could really count on to keep myself from going under. So I started telling myself. Wyatt Foxman."

Tod started repeating Wyatt's words, but used his own name instead of his. "Tod Coogan. You are strong. You are strong, and you are smart." Tod placed his left paw on the TV as he and Wyatt finished. "And you will strive to be the best."

As Tod looked at the screen however, his mother shouted to him from upstairs, startling him. "TOD!" Tod flinched and looked at the stairs fearfully with his mother shouting again. "Turn that shit off! That Wyatt jackass is just like your father; he doesn't mean any of that positive crap he spouts out of his mouth!"

"Y-y-yes mom!" Tod said fearfully, turning the TV off while being both scared of his mother, and heartbroken that he missed the rest of the interview.

Nora started drinking more of a bottle of wine before telling Tod what to do next. "I'll drive you to school after I finish this bottle. Make sure to keep quiet in the car, cause it's the only thing you're good at." Tod nodded his head yes, only for Nora to shout at him again as she passed by. "And stop with that dumb catchphrase!" Tod tried to keep himself from breaking down before looking at his reflection in the TV. He tried to tell himself he was good enough, that he could strive to be the best. Hopefully one day, the confidence he showed others would become real.

It was getting close to the end of the school day, and Tod and Copper were hanging out with the rest of the Drama Club kids in the schoolyard. Copper was playing with a marble in one of his paw's as he looked at the script. Among the other students auditioning were a rabbit named Thumper, and a white kitten named Marie. Wanting to get to know his fellow Drama Club members, Tod decided to strike a conversation with one of them. "So, Thumper." Thumper happily gave Tod his attention as he asked his question. "You're auditioning for the lead role too?"

"I sure am." Thumper answered happily, being excited to see what this role had in store. "Jack just sounds like a character I'd wanna play. Heroic, adventurous, and great at cracking jokes. His introduction scene shows it all too."

"It's an incredibly well fleshed out play. Just don't be surprised if I get the role we want." Tod advised Thumper, both of them being confident they would be the ones getting the role. After that, he went back to talking to Copper, who was trying to memorize the script for the role he was given. "You okay, Copper?"

That was when Copper began to express his concerns about his shot in the play. "I don't know. I can't help feeling like I'm gonna mess this up somehow." Tod was checking for something out of his backpack while letting Copper continue. "No matter how many times I read this script, I get more and more worried I'm gonna screw up my lines or something."

"Copper, you read that script every time you get a chance." Tod reminded Copper, and then he used his own time with him as an example. "And I should know, because I was there for some of them. Just watch. Once you see me up there, you'll realize you have nothing to worry about."

Copper always loved how confident Tod was about his acting. It was the one thing in his confidence that wasn't done to hide his trauma. "I guess that's true. Seeing you act out your roles during our home scenes always helps me." Tod hid something into his script and left it intentionally loose inside. "And I'm going for a smaller role than yours."

"Luke may play a smaller role, but he's still a character worth acknowledging." Tod assured Copper, not wanting him to downplay his importance. "A smaller role, is still a vital one." Copper nodded, showing that he was keeping that in mind. Just then, the bell rang, inciting Tod and the other drama kid students to get to the auditorium. "Come on, let's show then what you're made of." Tod said while getting up and moving quickly, only to end up bumping into Thumper and making him drop his script. "Whoops. Sorry about that. Audition jitters, ya know?"

"I feel the same way." Thumper admitted as Tod and Copper started helping him pick up his script pages, which fell to the ground during the collision. Little did Thumper know that Tod was replacing the first few pages of the script with ones he wrote with slightly different words to. Copper didn't see it either, leaving them both oblivious to Tod's scheme. And neither of them saw his devious smile. "It's my first play with real auditions."

"Mine too." Once Tod covered his tracks, and gave a more friendly smile, he handed Thumper the 'first few pages' of his script copy. "Here's the rest. I didn't want it to get jumbled up, so I picked it up last."

"That's thoughtful." Thumper said, unaware of what Tod had done. "Thanks, you two." Once he put them together and walked off, he seemed a little suspicious by the different words and spoke to himself about it. "Funny. I could've sworn the words on this were different."

With that, Tod and Copper made their way to the auditorium as well, being ecstatic for what the play had in store. Tod smiled to Copper, wishing him good luck during his audition. "I'll just tell you this before our selected scene auditions actually start. Break a leg."

"Thanks, Tod. Same to you." Copper replied as he smiled when walking into the school with Tod. At least he knew Tod would be right by his side supporting him.

Tod was wrapping up the scene he chose to audition with, which was an emotional moment, where he announced his refusal to give up in stopping the Demon Knight King. "You're the first ones who understood that being a Prince doesn't mean I don't have to try." Tod smile as he offered his paw to the Dalmatian and wolf who played his best friends, Nate and Chisel. "I wouldn't want to go into this final battle with anyone else."

Nate and Chisel, played by Blot and Kevin respectively, smiled after looking at each other. The two of them gave Tod, AKA Jack, their palms, allowing themselves to rise as he pulled them up valiantly. "Then it's settled." He turned around while reaching for his sword. "Let's end our journey..." And he rose it a noble cry to finish the battle. "And win the fight!"

And with that, the scene was done, and everyone clapped for Tod, Blot, and Kevin. Copper especially cheered for Tod, being exceptionally glad to see him giving it his all. "Yeah! That was amazing, Tod! You were the best!"

Copper howled for Tod as he came down from the stage. Dixie, the Drama teacher, leader of the Drama club, and the one running the play, was quick to back that up. "You three all did a fantastic job. And Tod, I'm not gonna pick favorites, but you really know Jack's role. Who taught you to act like that?"

Tod was more than happy to share this fact about himself, even as it surprised everyone else. "Actually, believe it or not, Mrs. Swayze, I taught myself everything I know."

With the exception of Copper, everyone was blown away by this news. Dixie was especially impressed, confident that Tod had a bright future ahead of him. "You've got the talent, kid. Just remember. The acting industry is gonna be more challenging to work in than cat goin for a swim." Dixie's assistant, a gray cat named Zelda, coughed to her, which prompted her to address her feelings. "No offense, Zelda."

"Thanks. I'll be ready by then." Tod said confidently, showing his Divo side all too clearly. Oh; a Divo is a male Diva. Tod went to sit down in the front row with Copper, who was starting to feel the rush of the crowd. Thumper was up next, and Tod looked at him as he got ready to head up on stage for his scene. He gave him a wink with his right eye, which Copper noticed as Thumper waved to them.

Tod happily accepted his coffee from Zelda, knowing he needed it after that show. "Thank you, Zelda."

Copper accepted his as well, wondering if it was safe to drink. "Is it really safe for us to have this? Especially with MY problems?"

"So long as you can handle caffeine better than Scamp" Tod joked, chuckling a bit before sipping his coffee. While it was peanut butter flavored, like he and Copper loved, something set him off enough to make him get up, throw the cup on the ground, and snap at Zelda with the coffee spilled everywhere. "Damn it, Zelda! I said I wanted mine with OAT milk! Not almond milk!"

Thumper was now playing the last few lines in his scene. While his general acting was strong, it was clear that he didn't get his lines correct. "They say a Prince can't be a knight leader? Well I say prove it!" Tod gave a proud grin as he sipped his new coffee with Copper sipping his in moderation to avoid anything happening during his audition. As for Thumper's audition, he raised his sword valiantly with his last line being stated. "I'll prove them wrong myself! They won't make me throw a fit!" Thumper then walked off with confidence to continue his training.

It was then he reached the end of the scene, and he ran up to the edge of the stage for confirmation. "So did I do well?"

Dixie wasn't big for crushing kids' dreams, but she had to be honest with Thumper on this. "In terms of acting, you were fantastic. You have the emotion to become a great actor." Thumper was glad to hear that, but not so much what Dixie said next. "But you clearly need to work on your script memorization."

Thumper hopped down as he started explaining the situation to Dixie. He still hadn't figured out what Tod did. "Yeah, see, I was wondering about that, because at one point,my script got scattered, and the first few pages looked different."

Copper noticed how Tod was paying attention to the conversation after that. It was just a lean in their direction and a vague glance, but it was enough to catch his attention. "That's odd. I looked at them all as closely as I could." Dixie didn't want to interrupt auditions, so she made a deal with Thumper. "I'll look at your script after we finish up the auditions. Don't wanna leave everyone else hangin' after all."

Tod stopped listening after that, and Copper whispered to him once he stopped leaning. "Tod. Can we talk after this is over?"

"Of course, silly. We were going to do that anyway." Tod assured Copper with a playful whisper, encouraging him to give it his all in his audition. "Go on now. You have a role to crush." Copper did as advised, being boosted by Tod's support in him. Even if he was worried about what he just saw.

Copper was now doing his own audition, and this one was with Marie. Copper was playing the carriage rider, and Marie was playing his girlfriend. You can imagine how awkward this was for Copper since he's Gay. But Tod was confident he could handle it. The scene they were doing was the one where Chase and Maria were bidding each other farewell for now. Copper could feel the coffee rumbling in his tummy, but he didn't want to ruin the scene. So he continued to pay attention to Marie. "What you're doing now. You're proving why I started going out with you."

Copper smiled as he leaned on his carriage, trying to hide the fact that his butt was rumbling too. "I wish we didn't have to be apart for it. But I'd rather do something about our problem, than let some monster make it worse."

Copper and Marie took each others' paws as Marie expressed the love Maria had for Chase. "Jack and his party couldn't have asked for a better escort." Maria then expressed a somber tone over how much she'd miss Chase. Copper tried to clench his butt shut so he didn't ruin the scene. But Tod could tell he was struggling hard to hold it in. "It's going to be a challenge living without you for some time. If I could wield a weapon, I would've come with you."

"I understand, sweetie. Don't worry." Copper said, and then he got an idea and turned to the door of the carriage. "Oh, right! I have something for you!" After he opened the doors to the back of the carriage, Copper started looking through it for what he needed. They placed it in between a bunch of mandatory survival stuff for enhanced effect. That made it a challenge for Copper when he grabbed it and attempted to pull it out. During this time, his bubble butt was pointed at Marie. On top of that, almost every student in the Drama club was watching him.

Copper had previously tried to hold in his farts, but he wasn't used to doing so under these specific circumstances. Whenever he was nervous, they would just burst out. He had to use all of his might to hold his gas in this time. And every grunt made it harder to hold it in. On top of his stage fright, and not doing so well in crowds, Copper had to worry about not farting on Marie. All of this combined made the pressure in Copper's tummy too much to bare. Eventually, Copper lost control and unleashed...

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT

...a loud and bassy thirty second fart right on Marie, making his butt vibrate as he hit her with a green cloud that reeked of coffee. Since the smell wasn't so bad, Marie was able to withstand it somewhat okay. But it still caused her to cough as she wafted the fart cloud away. Copper wanted so badly to apologize, but he didn't want to disrupt the audition more than he already has. He gave a nervous smile and offered Marie a wooden horse, which was made to show that Maria is fond of horses. "A... parting gift. For until I return with the party."

Marie managed to focus well enough to accept the gift, even if it was harder for her to act thanks to Copper's fart. "Thank you so much, Chase. It's lovely!" Tod noticed Dixie writing something down on her notebook after that. While they were both proud of Copper for at least attempting to rebound the scene, Tod knew Dixie had to take the scene itself into account. And Copper's ability to avoid farting on stage at all unless needed. He couldn't help but worry for Copper as he thought about that.

Dixie decided to wrap up the scene then and there. "Okay, that's enough, you two. Believe it or not, Copper, I've seen worse mishaps than yours."

Copper was at least relieved to hear that, but he still felt bad about farting on Marie. "I'm so sorry, Marie. I should NOT have made that coffee request."

"The rebound you made was a good one." Marie complimented, showing Copper that despite how disgusted she was by the fart, she knew it was an accident. "I just wish my fur didn't have to smell like beans and peanut butter for it to happen."

Tod saw an opportunity for something he was more than happy to announce as he ran up to the stage. "Fur trouble I hear!? And see. And smell." Tod climbed up the stage with Copper smiling as the fox kit announced his idea. "It's makeover time!" Marie loved makeovers, so she was excited to see what Tod had in store.

Marie was revealed to be given an all new look, complete with chocolate lipstick and cinnamon facial decor. He also showed her in the mirror as Dixie was getting ready to hand everyone who made the play the next part of the audition process. "It looks great, Tod! I didn't know I was a Fall."

"Anyone can look good in any season, Marie." Tod informed Marie confidently. "You just have to know which colors from each season make you look best. Also, chocolate looks good on everything."

Marie liked the sound of that, and Dixie then walked up to the students to let them know where each of them landed. "Alright, everyone! Zelda and I just finished setting up who made the interview section. Some of you made the cut. Some of you... not so much." Copper looked worried about his chances, and Tod gave him a comforting pat. Even if he didn't make the cut, at least he gave it his all. "Take a look at the board to find out who's who." Just then, Dixie got a phone call and answered it in frustration. "Damn it, Cash. I told you not to call when I'm on the clock."

Tod and the others walked up to the board to see what roles they got. Tod was more than ecstatic to see that he got into the next phase of auditions. "Yes! I'm moving forward!" Of course, he couldn't resist the urge to boast about this to the others. "As if there was any better pick for the job."

Copper got a look at the board as Thumper complained about his predicament. "I just hope my script mishap doesn't hurt my chances TOO much."

Copper expressed disappointment when he discovered he didn't land a role in the play. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Tod showed sympathy to Copper and put a paw on his shoulder to help him feel better. "You'll get there one day, Copper. We just have to help you master gas control. You nailed everything else." Copper looked at Tod, who was more than willing to help him out. "I've helped you this get far enough to audition. Now we're in the phase of helping you land roles!"

Copper was still disappointed about not getting a role, but Tod offering to help him out did ease his mind. During this however, Dixie was still arguing with Cash over the phone. And after they started hearing it, Tod made sure to comfort Copper when the yelling started to scare him. "I'll rehearse when I'm ready to rehearse! Now don't call me again if you feel like giving me shit!" Dixie's butt was revealed to be in front of her megaphone, and after she reached what sounded like the peak of her rage... "If you think I don't care about the band, then you can kiss my-"

PHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHT

...a loud and bassy twenty second fart into the microphone, which echoed throughout the school as Dixie's butt vibrated and unleashed a yellow cloud of rotten eggs. This caused Dixie to blush beet red all over and attempt to waft the fart away with her butt as Cash was heard laughing over the phone. "I'll call you back." Dixie hung up while groaning to herself about farting in front of the entire class. "I need a beer."

Tod used this as an opportunity to further cheer Copper up, getting an idea on what Dixie just implied. "Dixie managed to control it well enough to perform in a band. Even if it's a small band, that's still a sign you can control it well enough too." Copper smiled at Tod's point, and Tod's smile showed how much he meant it. "Just name the place, and we'll get started."

That was when Copper saw that Tod's paw had been on his shoulder the entire time. Tod touching him made him smile and blush like crazy. Tod himself couldn't help but laugh at Copper's expression. After he did, Copper started Gay panicking while explaining where he wanted to go. "The park would be great! It's outdoors, and there has to be at least ONE spot that's private. That is, if you don't mind making sure people don't look at us; I don't blame you for loving it when they do!"

"Park it is." Tod said to help Copper calm down, loving the idea himself. Copper was more than relieved when Tod agreed with him.

Tod and Copper were walking in the park for Copper's gas control training as Copper took the time to address what Tod did to Thumper. "So, Tod, I can't help but think about what happened to Thumper's script." Tod looked at Copper after he brought that up. "And I noticed you wink at him with your right eye. Did you have something to do with his script getting messed with?"

Tod wasn't ashamed to admit his misdeed, giving a sly grin as he admitted it to Copper. "I do have to thank him for holding it out in the open. It gave me the time I needed to replace the real pages in his script with the fake ones."

Copper felt bad for Thumper after that, hoping that Tod realized what he did. "Tod. Thumper really cared about that role."

"So do I, Copper. And the music audition segment showed that he can sing. That's why I took the extra precaution needed to guarantee I took the spotlight." Tod explained, but Copper still wasn't fond of what he did. Regardless, Tod decided to shift the focus to why he and Copper were out here. "Anyway, all three of us just might get a role in our NEXT play, if we can help with your gas control by then. So, what was spiraling in your head when you lost control?"

"The usual stuff." Copper said, and then he elaborated on what that was. "My stage fright kicking in, my crowd anxiety, and me not wanting to... you know."

Tod nodded in understanding, trying to think of ways to remedy Copper's issues. "Has chief talked to you about getting your pills yet?"

"The police force is still struggling with big arrests." Copper answered, and he started worrying about ever becoming an actor. "Do you think I'll ever be brave enough to star in my own movie?"

Tod stepped up to Copper, looking into his eyes as he gave him genuine praise and love. "It's not just about bravery, Copper. You're way more comfortable showing your vulnerability than I am. That alone makes you braver than me."

Copper rubbed his arm nervously as he pointed out how Tod acted on stage. "I don't know, Tod. I can't go on stage like you can. Even after all that work we did, I'm still that dorky loser."

"Hey; you are NOT a loser." Tod assured Copper, giving him some advice for his next audition. "I'll tell you what. For your next audition, just focus on how the character you're playing would act in his own scenario. Don't think about what the audience is thinking."

"But you always think about what the audience is thinking." Copper pointed out, making Tod laugh a bit as he did.

"You're right about that." Tod admitted, saying one more thing to back up his advice. "But some people do better when they break the mold."

Copper saw Tod's point, and started hoping he would be able to internalize his advice. His memory troubles certainly wouldn't help with that. "I hope I can remember it by then."

Tod continued to encourage Copper with his next words. "I know you will. Because your passion, is real. And the only one who can use that passion, and turn it into the hard work needed to excel... is you." Copper always appreciated Tod's support. And everything he's done for him since entering his life. Tod and Copper looked into each other's eyes and blushed with smiles for a moment. They were tempted to kiss, and very happy to see it happen. However, before they could, Copper got hit on the side of a head with a frisbee and ruined the moment.

Scamp ran over to the frisbee as Tod and Copper looked at it with the latter rubbing his head. "Sorry, Copper. I overshot it when passing to Oliver."

"It didn't hurt much." Copper assured Scamp, and he and Tod then decided to go ahead and join the show. "Can we join you?"

"Sure! The more the merrier." Scamp assured the others, running back over to the others with Tod and Copper smiling to each other as he did. "We got two more people, guys! Keep it sharp!" The two of them hugged before running off to join their friends. Copper wasn't sure how well he'd remember Tod's advice, but he could tell that he was never going to stop helping him achieve his dreams. They shared the same dream for a reason after all: To be an actor.

The next day, Tod, Thumper, and several of the other students were in the drama club getting ready for their interviews. The first interview to happen was the one given to Tod. At one point, Dixie's question to him was a personal one. "You've got a lot of talent for someone your age. What led to you wanting a career in acting?"

Tod flinched at how personal that question was. Not wanting to bring up his parents, he started making a response to avoid talking about them. "I guess I'm most motivated by Wyatt Foxman. I see a lot of myself in him. Confident, helpful, ambitious, and, well... we both have a love for the spotlight." Tod held in his tears and kept his tail from falling before he answered with feigning confidence. "And yes, I will be taking that spotlight."

The next one was for Thumper, where he was talking about what happened with his script. "I think Tod had something to do with my script getting messed up. He helped me pick it up after bumping into me yesterday, but I'm starting to think that wasn't an accidental bump."

"You said you were in the same script revising group as him?" Dixie asked, and Thumper was more than happy to respond.

"Yep. If you can't get it out of him, you might be able to get it out of Copper. He's a pretty bad liar." Thumper revealed, and then he did his usual thumping tick with his left foot.

The third interview was with Marie, who was expressing her current thoughts on Copper. "I have two brothers who are always acting childish, so I'm used to stuff like this. And even if I wasn't, I don't think less of Copper for it. If anything, him trying to become an actor with his flatulence problem gives me more respect for him."

"That's how I feel too. Although, mine is from... personal experience." Dixie chuckled a bit, knowing Marie witnessed her megaphone fart the other day.

Blot was next, and Dixie was asking him a question about his family. "Does it bother you that your parents attention is so divided?"

"Sometimes, yes. But I understand." Blot revealed, knowing that it was hard to raise ninety nine children. "Some of my brothers and sisters have disabilities too, so I know they need extra attention. I just hope this gets me the attention I want from them."

"Hey. It ain't called the spotlight for nothing." Dixie revealed, glad Freckles was being proactive about this.

Kevin was next, and he expressed how fond he was of Tod. "He's also really hot, like he just doesn't give a shit. Copper's lucky to have him so close in his life. And his acting skill is out of this world. It's amazing how someone who acts one way in person, can act a different way on stage."

"It's an impressive talent. One that every actor has to embody." Dixie stated, knowing that Tod was going to get far if he could keep it up.

Tod and Copper were watching the interviews at Copper's later that day, obviously starting with Tod's. "I guess I'm most motivated by Wyatt Foxman. I see a lot of myself in him. Confident, helpful, ambitious, and, well... we both have a love for the spotlight." Tod noticed Copper's concerned expression as the video showed him holding in his tears. "And yes, I will be taking that spotlight."

Copper reached for the remote as Dixie responded to Tod's answer. "You must know more about him than I do. Most of what I remember from him is The Foxhole."

Copper paused the video, catching Tod's attention as the Bloodhound expressed sympathy to Tod. "Did your parents come up after she asked that?"

Tod's mood shifted before he started telling Copper how he felt in that moment. And it took him a few seconds to answer as well. It was clear that anything revolving around this subject was tough for him. "Yeah. They did. I just hope she didn't expect me to talk about them."

"She didn't ask about them directly, did she?" Tod nodded his head no to Copper's question, making Copper glad to see that Tod wasn't forced to talk about his home life. "Then that's good!"

"As good as it can get." Tod responded, and then he remembered what Nora said about Wyatt the other day. He hoped Copper could help alleviate the concerns that grew from it. "Yesterday, Nora insulted Wyatt, and said his catchphrase was dumb." Copper continued to show concern for Tod as he asked his own question. "Do you think it's dumb?"

Copper gave a genuine smile as he gave his opinion. "Not at all. It clearly holds a lot of meaning, seeing how it motivates you." Copper offered Tod the remote in case he wanted to continue watching the interviews. "They say to never meet your idols. They never say anything about having them."

Tod smirked as he called out Copper for one more thing. "Is that why you neglected to mention him to Angel the other day?" Copper flinched with Tod then laughing it off, knowing Copper was trying to avoid saying too much about his life. "Thanks, Copper."

Copper smiled as Tod pressed the play button, and Tod then changed the subject to something that showed how passionate he was about landing this role. "This role had better be worth it too. Do you know how hard it was to learn how to hold a right handed sword?"

Tod and Copper laughed at Tod's complaint with Tod wrapping his arm around Copper. This made him smile and blush as Dixie made her response. "No, but I can imagine."

Just then, Chief entered the house with pizza, prompting Copper to push Tod away as a grown up Wolfhound in a police uniform announced his presence. "Copper, I'm home! And I brought pizza!" Copper silently mouthed 'sorry' to Tod, and Tod said 'it's okay' in the same way. Copper ran up to the Wolfhound and hugged him as he greeted Tod. "Hey there, Tod. You and Copper spending the night again?"

"You bet your ass we are, Chief." Tod responded as he walked over to Copper and Chief. He got some plates to prepare for the pizza as Chief opened the box. Tod whispered to himself as he brought them over to the table. An image of Mickey yelling at him for breaking a plate when he was five years old almost made him do what he tried not to do. "Don't drop them, don't drop them, don't drop them."

Copper accepted his plate and accepted two slices of meatball and salami pizza. "It's okay, Tod. Let's just enjoy our food." Tod set his plate down as he put on a smile and accepted his slices of pizza. "Thanks, Chief." His whispering to himself made it apparent that along with striving to be the best, Tod was NOT a fan of making mistakes.

About a couple days later, Tod and Copper were walking through the Auditorium together when they saw the several students looking at the hallway bulletin board. When they walked over, Tod got Thumper's attention, even though he looked sour about the results. "Hey Thumper. Are the results for the play in?"

"Yeah, it's why everyone's lined up." Thumper answered, and his attitude showed that he realized what Tod did. "You'd be happy with the results."

Tod smiled before looking at Copper, walking up to the board with Copper apologizing on his behalf. "I'm really sorry this happened."

"There's always next play." Thumper assured Copper, hopping away before Copper walked up to Tod.

When Copper made it to where Tod was, Tod had the biggest smile on his face. And when Copper looked at the role sheet, he saw why. Tod had gotten the role of Jack for the play! Tod turned around and started gushing about this experience to Copper. "I got the part, Copper! I'm on my way to the spotlight! My career is taking off! In school anyway."

Copper couldn't help but be beyond happy for Tod, even though he didn't get a role himself. "I'm so happy for you, Tod! I hope we BOTH get a role next time. Let's hope that by then, I can break the mold."

"Oh, it'll be guaranteed by then!" Tod exclaimed, and then he wrapped Copper in a big bear hug, causing him to smile and blush widely as Tod declared their future performances together to be guaranteed. "We'll be the brightest stars the stage has ever seen!" Copper's smile turned into a lovesick one as the screen faded to black, ending the episode off.