Hi everyone! Welcome to another chapter of Lily's adventures! Well, today, it's more like Diana's adventures, but we do get to see some bonding between her and Lily.

So some of you may have seen this, but I did publish another Hanashi, and it is a spoiler alert for what is to come. To those who have read it, thank you for taking a glimpse into the near future. Granted, Hanashi, doesn't have a lot of views, but I was surprised when I saw I got 25 views for the last few days! I don't usually get that many views in that particular story for one month. So, again, thank you for taking the time to read my little stories there. The chapter I recently published is a little test to see if I need to change anything up in my ideas or if I need to create a new one. If you have read it, tell me what you think! Tell me if there is anything I can do to improve that aspect when the time comes.

But, for now, Diana's gonna have a mystery on her hands! Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons," "TMNT," nor "Choices: High School Story." I only own Lilianna, James, Little Donnie, Mika, Karena, Diana, and Wesley.


September 13, 2059 - Westport, Connecticut, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

I was thankful for being home today. I was still adapting to the new normal in our household. Mika had now gone to preschool in the mornings for two weeks and she was absolutely loving it. Little Donnie, meanwhile, helped his dad with chores around the house, trained with his ninjutsu, and taught himself various things. When I got home from work every night, I taught him a little more of every subject before sending him to bed to sleep on them. Needless to say, life was now very busy in my house, and I was blessed.

Today, we relaxed as a family. We ate breakfast together, as we always had. Then Little Donnie and Mika had a small sparring session against each other. Mika had chosen her ninja weapon on her fourth birthday this past June and she picked the nunchucks. Uncle Mikey felt honored to have a pupil again and promised to train Mika in every way, whether she trained at home or in the lair.

My mind went back to the sparring session between my two children. Little Donnie had grown exceptionally well all his life and was a very fast learner. I did not have to tell him twice about how to do something. In fact, he himself had tried to help Mika with the basics and he was an amazing teacher. I smiled, realizing just how much he was becoming like his grandpa, whom he shared quite the bond with, just like I did. Mika did well herself, standing her ground as long as she did. But Little Donnie eventually disarmed her and flipped her down into the ground.

"Hey!" Mika whined. "I'm a girl. Take it easy!"

"The enemy won't care!" Little Donnie replied. "They won't care if you're a girl or not. They'll destroy you if they get the chance."

"But it's disrespectful!"

"Aurora, Donatello is right," I chimed in. "The enemy will always have the motivation to win a fight no matter how fair it is. It will not matter if you are a man or a woman. It will not matter what your size is. It will not matter how skilled you are, though skill is a big factor in a fight. If you do not train and you are not skilled enough, you will die in a fight. This is why we start early, Aurora. And this is why we train every day, every hour."

"But we don't train every hour!"

"Not in fighting. Aurora, a kunoichi's best weapon is her mind. It's why you go to school and why you do work at home as well. When we do not train in combat, we train your mind. It's all about balance."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"I'll go see who it is," James volunteered.

"I hope it's Wesley," Little Donnie said excitedly.

"Hey!" James shouted from inside. "It's Diana and Wesley!"

My eyes widened in surprise.

"Come along, children. Let's go greet our guests."

The three of us went inside and found Wilbur's children in the living room.

"Hi, kids!" I greeted them.

"I hope it's alright if I came to play with Donnie, Miss Lily," Wesley replied with a smile.

"Donatello, how does that sound?" I asked him with a grin.

"That sounds great! Come on, Wes!"

The two boys laughed as they went outside. I chuckled, amazed at how they became best friends when we first moved in. I turned towards my goddaughter and smiled.

"How are you doing, Diana?"

"Mixed," she answered with a sigh.

"How do you feel right now?"

"Stressed!"

I knelt down to my daughter's eye level.

"Mika, why don't you go spend some time with Daddy? Diana and I need a heart-to-heart."

"Okay, Mommy!"

Mika skipped off to find her dad. Then I led Diana to the kitchen table.

"Would you like a drink?" I asked.

"Milk, please."

I gave Diana the milk while I poured myself some water and I sat down with her.

"So, what's going on?" I asked with a compassionate smile.

"High school is not what I expected at all," she explained. "There have been some ups and downs. I made a lot of new friends on my first day. But there's a kid that is causing some issues."

"Are these issues concerning you?"

"Not me, exactly. It's... fate, I guess. I got invited to his party on the first day of school. He ended up being a jerk to my new best friend Emma by not inviting her to his party. I encouraged her to come with me anyway to crash the party."

"That's a bold move!" I replied with surprise. "How did it work out?"

"He has poor people skills, that's for sure. He pretty much said that Emma wasn't hot when we got there and tried to toss both of us out. Thankfully, the cheerleaders intervened and helped us get in. Then, this same boy cheated at poker by stacking the deck. Then, I walk in and find he's making out with another friend's girlfriend."

Diana continued her story about this boy, whom I learned was not a team player and ended up losing the football game for his team amongst other things gone horribly wrong.

"Well, I have to give you guts," I told her. "I was not expecting to hear that you punched someone, but that someone was a bully. So, good on you for standing up for your friend."

Diana looked surprised.

"Really? My dad reprimanded me and told me to stay out of others' battles."

"We, as ninjas, fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. Caleb probably could have fought his own battle, but you throwing a punch probably showed him you are a friend that will always fight by his side, and right now, he needs that."

"Well, we ended up making banners together in homecoming committee because I knew he needed a friend. But he's still grieving."

"Caleb, right now, is very vulnerable because of what happened. Continue to show him that you're there with him, that he's not alone."

"May I say something weird?"

I laughed.

"Of course! And I promise it won't be weird."

Diana let out a sigh.

"I think I have a crush on Caleb. At the party, when we played Twister together, we were just inches apart when I fell and he almost fell on me. I felt... this electricity between us. Have you ever felt something like that?"

"When I first met James," I answered, smiling at the memory. "I had a mask on at the winter ball and James saw me right through it. He took off my mask and saw me for who I really am: a beautiful girl worth loving. I felt sparks back then, and sometimes I still feel them when we spend quality time together, just the two of us."

"So, this is normal?"

"Absolutely. Love is many things. It's electrifying. It's simple. It feels like a warm hug. It feels like you're on top of the world. But every love story is unique. And please do not rush into it. My dad wouldn't let me date until I was sixteen."

I paused.

"Actually, he wouldn't let me date at all. But I allowed myself to date when I was sixteen."

Diana laughed.

"I have a feeling my dad will say the same thing yours did!"

"The best fathers are protective of their children and only want what's best for them," I explained. "They cannot be overprotective or else they will not give their daughters their space."

"I think that's how my dad felt about his. I remember when he gave me permission to go to the party, he was talking about stuff he's not going to do that his father did."

"My dad learned this the hard way, but he was understanding in the end when he realized I wasn't happy. It turns out all he wanted was for me to be happy, and that's how it should be. So Diana, if it makes you happy to help a friend, then by all means, help your friend! But be careful. Not all friends are who they say they are. Some are deceptive and will only use your friendship for gain."

"Like Brian did."

"Exactly. So, what are you going to do now?"

"Well, I'm supposed to go to the hospital to help discharge one of my cheerleading friends. She broke her leg at the game last night."

"Oh my goodness! Is she okay?"

"I hope so. She didn't handle it very well when it happened. But after that, I don't know."

"Well, you are always welcome here if you need to get away for a bit. But keep in mind I do have two younger children to take care of."

"No, it's okay!" Diana replied. "Your children are wonderful. They're better than me and Wesley, that's for sure."

"Oh, don't be silly! You and Wesley are wonderful children, too."

Diana paused, suddenly getting an idea.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I am old enough to babysit. Do you think I could help out sometime?"

"I would love that!" I answered with relief. "I can't recall the last time James and I went out on a date. We had an easier time when it was just Little Donnie and we'd have Anna make the drive to babysit. But since Mika can handle the basics now, I don't see why not. And if you bring Wesley with you, I know Little Donnie would be happy to have him."

"I'll talk to my parents!" Diana replied with a big smile. "Thank you!"

"Thank you. I will talk to James."

"Lily, I have a confession to make," Diana said, her smile fading. "With all the stuff I've done so far, I look like a troublemaker to my parents."

"Is that why you offered to babysit Little Donnie and Mika?"

"Yes, it's one of the reasons. But I was being genuine. I really do want to help you. You've helped me all these years, after all."

"Diana, I promise you are not a troublemaker," I assured her. "It's the timing that makes the difference and whether you are in the right place or not."

She smiled.

"Thank you, Lily, for your wisdom and for being there for me."

"Anytime."


September 19, 2059

DIANA'S POV

I felt myself bursting with excitement, and after everything my friends and I had accomplished this week, this was a much-deserved feeling.

We went back to school Monday with our spirits at a new low... all except Brian's. He had revealed the news he was transferring to our rival school, Staples High, which meant leaving our football team without a quarterback. Meanwhile, the homecoming committee meeting the next day went horribly wrong when no one expressed a desire to help and Maria ended up storming out, declaring she'd plan the homecoming pep rally herself. After I cheered her up by having some quality time at the beach, I took charge of the homecoming committee. I had planned the most successful pep rally in the history of Westport High School, and my dressing up as the school mascot was the cherry on top. Or, perhaps it wasn't...

My mother pulled up with Wesley in the car and my grin was from ear-to-ear.

"Well, someone had a good day at school!" Mom remarked. "What happened?"

"Mom, I got chosen to represent my class in the homecoming court!"

"Oh my goodness, Diana! That is wonderful!"

We quickly hugged each other before we took off.

"Wait, what does that mean?" Wesley asked.

"It means Diana has the possibility of becoming the high school's homecoming queen," Mom explained. "Back in my day, it would mean Diana would have the chance to prove she is the most popular girl in the class."

I laughed, wondering if my mom was joking.

"Mom, this is all about school spirit," I explained. "And the weeks leading up to homecoming is the best chance to prove that."

"Well, this is a big turnaround from how your week started. What all happened?"

"I simply gave everyone a little nudge to remember how to have high spirits no matter if we win or lose a battle. We did a little unorthodox thing by having Michael and Koh ride motorcycles through the school, but I promise all the rules were followed."

"You have motorcycles at school?" Wesley asked in amazement. "Mom, when can I go to Diana's school? It sounds awesome!"

"When you're fourteen," Mom answered with a laugh. "Is everything at Westport High unorthodox? First, a principal who sounds like a kindergarten teacher. Then, a student-led band. Then, motorcycles in the school."

I laughed.

"Pretty much! But we've got everything you can ask for. We have a gamer's club, all the sports teams you can think of, band and choir, chess club... Yeah, we've got it all."

"You know what your school reminds me of?"

"What?"

"Todayland High, your dad's school. Lily actually went there, too."

"Lily lived in Todayland?" I asked with surprise. "I thought she was from New York."

"Ask Lily to tell you her story sometime," Mom suggested. "There's more to her than meets the eye."

"Besides her being psychic?"

"Yes, besides her being psychic."

"That reminds me, I gotta go tell her the news!"

I ran over to Lily's house with excitement, only to find she wasn't home. I laughed at myself, forgetting in the moment she works with my dad and she doesn't get home until six. I decided to wait until then.


September 22, 2059

Another weekend passed and I came to school with more questions than answers. Emma and I had taken a walk in the park on Saturday where we witnessed Michael making an exceptional throw of a rock towards us. Unfortunately, when I tried to convince him to try out for the quarterback position, he stubbornly denied.

Michael was a mystery. He can be sarcastic when he wanted to be and I could not tell if he was sarcastic or genuine. The one time he was, he had invited me to his hangout for lunch one day. His friends were trying to persuade me not to date Michael, which confused me. But he ended up saving my skin when I tried skateboarding and the board flew out from under me. Then I discovered he had quite the throwing technique and I desperately wanted him to try out for the team.

So here we were, Emma and I, at the football field witnessing football tryouts.

"Think they'll find someone today?" Emma asked with worry.

"I really hope so."

The crowd of hopefuls fell silent as the coach, Julian, and Caleb went out to the field.

"So you want to be the next Westport High School quarterback?" the coach asked with a grin. "You've all got a long way to go."

"But everyone starts somewhere!" Julian chimed in optimistically. "Whose arm should we test first, Diana?"

I pointed my finger at myself in confusion.

"Why me?" I asked. "I'm not on the team!"

"Maybe not, but after hearing you organized last week's pep rally, a lot of people look up to you."

"Well, in that case..."

My eyes darted around the field and landed on quite the surprise: Koh, one of Michael's friends who was a tough girl.

"Koh? You're trying out?"

"Look, it was a dare," Koh explained. "Plus I can tackle people here. We gonna do this or not?"

"Yeah!" I replied enthusiastically. "Let's go, Koh!"

"You heard Diana," Julian said. "Let's see what you've got."

Koh lined up behind the center. I was curious as to how she would do. I had never heard of a girl on the football team, and I smiled when no one discouraged her to try out. Yes, Westport High School was truly a special place, and I laughed at how I thought it was going to be otherwise.

"Yo Julian. Catch!"

Koh threw the football down to Julian and then she started to run to Caleb.

"You're not getting away from me!"

"Uh, Koh," I called out. "You're just supposed to throw the-"

"OOF!" Caleb exclaimed as he was tackled to the ground.

"...Ball."

Julian, Emma, and I ran over to them.

"You okay, Caleb?" Emma asked.

"Are you kidding?" Caleb replied with a grin. "That was a great tackle!"

"Thanks, man," Koh said with her own grin.

"I don't think quarterback's the right place for you," Julian explained with a smile. "But let's talk defense."

Caleb's brother Ezra and Emma's crush Luis also tried out for the quarterback position among many others. Ezra had an amazing throw and truly showed quarterback potential, but he withdrew from tryouts because his music career was more important. At the end, I helped Caleb and Julian review the list of all who tried out.

"No one even came close to being ready for Staples," Julian spoke with a downcast look.

"Except Ezra."

"It sucks that he jammed his finger," Caleb replied. "But I get it. Music is his life."

"There's gotta be someone else."

I glanced in the stands and found Michael sitting there watching. I watched him release a heavy sigh. His blue eyes locked with mine and then he left the stadium.

"Hey, Caleb, I've got an idea. Can you come with me?"

"You got it."

We followed Michael out of the stadium and found him in the courtyard where he gazed at the Trojan statue.

"Hey, Michael!"

"What?" he asked. "Finally had enough of those so-called QB replacements? I mean, Koh's my friend, but you've gotta admit those guys are no Brian."

"Yeah, but they tried their best."

"Doing your best and failing is still failing."

"But you miss a hundred percent of the shots you do not take," I explained. "Those guys might not be QB material, but at least they tried."

"We saw you at the park," Caleb chimed in. "I think you could be our next QB if you gave it a shot."

"Oh, no, not you too," Michael replied with annoyance.

"What are you so afraid of?"

"You think I'm afraid? You have no idea what I'm feeling, golden boy."

"I know I'm looking at someone who has raw football talent, but won't help out the school!" Caleb said angrily.

"It's not that! I want to- Never mind. You wouldn't get it."

"Come on, Michael!" I pleaded with him. "You'd be good at it!"

"You don't even know that," Michael replied, finally giving us a smirk.

"I know what I saw at the park. You've got potential."

"Look, I feel for the team. I really do, but..."

He then frowned, glancing back and forth between Caleb and me.

"I just can't. It's hard to explain. Catch ya later, Diana. Good luck with the search. I hope the team finds the right guy for the job."

Caleb and I glanced at each other as Michael left school property. We gazed at each other, frowned, and then went our own separate ways. I walked into the school, grabbed my supplies out of my locker, and went back outside to the front, only to meet up with Caleb again. I saw him leaning against one of the pillars, staring off into the distance with a sad look on his face.

"Caleb?" I called out.

He turned around and faced me.

"How are you doing?"

"Just thinking," he answered. "How are we supposed to beat Staples now that Brian is on their team? It's hopeless."

"Don't say that," I replied with a kind smile. "We just haven't found the right person yet."

"But homecoming's coming up soon!"

My mind ventured off to the football games I cheered in since our first home game. There was a different player playing quarterback in those two games and we ended up losing both games because that particular player was uncomfortable in that position. Then I smiled, choosing to remain optimistic, thinking of my dad in that moment.

"I think what you need is to take a break from it all."

"Yeah, I know," Caleb replied with dread in his voice. "A few friends invited me to see a movie tonight, but I'm not really in the mood."

"Too bad," I said, playing with a strand of my long black hair. "A movie sounds pretty cool!"

"Oh, really?" Caleb asked, suddenly brightening up. "If you went, that might change things!"

"Is that so?" I asked, flirting with him.

"I just mean..."

Caleb smiled at me.

"You know, I always have more fun when you're around. Think about it. You can help us pick the movie, we can split a bucket of popcorn, and just relax for a couple hours. Oh, and since you live so close, I'll walk you home afterward."

I started to daydream. Is he... asking me out?

"But it won't be as fun without you," Caleb continued. "So what do you say? Will you come? Please?"

"I'd love to go!" I answered quickly.

"Awesome. It's a date!"

We both blushed.

"I didn't mean that," Caleb quickly corrected himself. "I meant, like a friend date with a bunch of people. Not like a date date."

Part of me was saddened. Perhaps it was just a dream. But at the same time, I understood his situation.

"Caleb, relax," I finally spoke, putting my strand of hair behind my ear. "I get what you meant."

"Phew! I was worried there."

"Don't be," I answered with a half-hearted smile. "I'm glad we're on the same page."

"Me, too. After everything with Zoe... I need to sort some stuff out."

"Hey, I totally get it. Tonight, let's forget about her and have some fun!"

"I'd like nothing better."


WILBUR'S POV

I came home from work to only Karena and Wesley. Karena had explained that Diana stayed after to overlook football tryouts and then she was going to a movie with friends. I respected her and enjoyed my dinner with just the two of them.

Eight o'clock came around and I found myself glancing outside to see when Diana would be back.

"Wilbur, will you relax?" Karena asked. "You've been doing that every single night since Diana's first day of high school."

"I do worry when she's not home, you know."

"Diana's just at the movies! It's not going to take her all night!"

"Thanks for coming out," a male voice said outside. "It was just what I needed."

I glanced back out the window to see an African-American boy walking with Diana, wearing a white shirt and pink pants. I tried to remain calm.

"Of course!" Diana replied with a grin. "We should definitely do this again."

"For sure. But next time, I get to pick the movie."

I let out a sigh and chuckled, wondering why I was worrying over nothing. Diana was true to her word.

"Uh-huh. Sure. We'll see about that. See you tomorrow!"

The two kids high-fived each other and then Diana started to head my way. I quickly ran to the couch and pretended to read a book. Then, she walked inside.

"Hey, princess," I greeted her with a smile. "How was the movie?"

"Well, we watched a horror movie," Diana explained, sitting down next to us.

"You're a bold one!" Karena replied with surprise.

"Nah, she's got my style," I chimed in. "Go on, Diana."

"Caleb paid for my ticket and we split a popcorn."

"Is Caleb the boy who walked you home tonight?" I asked.

"Yes, that's him," Diana answered, playing with a strand of hair. "Well, we watched the movie and this girl was walking down the hallway by herself. When the scary creature comes out, Caleb and I just burst out laughing! We pretty much made fun of the movie the rest of the night."

Diana laughed for a bit and then she calmed down.

"I had a great time."

"It wasn't just you two at the movies, right?" I asked, finally feeling cautious.

"No, Julian and Frank were with us."

"Whew!" Karena and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Guys, relax!" Diana assured us. "When I decide to bring a boy home, you two will be the first to know. I promise."

"We're holding you to that promise," I replied, pointing a finger at her. "In fact, every time you meet a boy, we want to meet him, too."

"Dad, are you serious? What if he turns out to be just a friend?"

"Even if he is just a friend, Diana, we still want to meet him," Karena explained. "That way, we can help you discover if a relationship is worth pursuing or not."

"Okay, I'm going up to my room now."

Diana hastily went up the stairs. Karena and I glanced at each other and shrugged.

"Did we do too much?" Karena asked.

"No, I'm pretty sure we made ourselves clear. Diana probably just overreacted."

"Or maybe Diana's uncomfortable. Let's just trust her, okay?"

I nodded as she leaned into me. I held her and rubbed her arm. I smiled, happy that Diana's first month of school had gotten better.


September 24, 2059

DIANA'S POV

"I wonder what's going on?" Mom asked as we approached the school.

I saw a crowd of my classmates gathered around something.

"I hope everything's okay," I said out loud.

I gave my mother a kiss on the cheek before getting out of the car. I walked into the courtyard and pushed my way through the crowd. When I realized why there was such a crowd, I let out a gasp. Troy the Trojan had been vandalized! He was covered in red graffiti and Michael clenched a fist at the sight.

"The nerve of some people."

"Westport High sux?" I read out loud, feeling angry myself. "Staples rules? Wow. Whoever did this is gonna pay. This calls for revenge. Who would have done something like this?"

"Who else?" Michael asked furiously. "Staples! They signed their name! I say we teach them a lesson."

I had this weird vibe going on in my gut. Somehow, someway, I doubted Staples High did such a thing. But I had no evidence to prove that. I glanced over at Michael again, who pounded his fist into his other hand while still gazing at the statue. I wondered why the statue was so important to him.

"It's not fair."

"Well, I've gotta say, you're the last person I'd expect to care," I finally spoke. "As far as I can tell, you don't even like this school."

"That's... That's not the whole story."

Michael frowned.

"The truth is, this place means something to me. Especially that statue."

He clenched his fist.

"Easy there, Michael," I told him, reaching out for his shoulder. "It's just a statue."

Michael shrugged my hand off and sharply turned towards me.

"Just a statue? It's more than that! It's- Never mind. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"You sure? It's not all sunshine and rainbows. Although... I don't know. You might be the first person I've met to actually get it."

"I'm positive," I replied with a smile. "You can tell me anything."

Michael smiled back as the crowd went off to their classes.

"So most people here don't know this, but Westport High's the third high school I've been to..."

Michael explained how his first school was in New York City but had gotten expelled due to factors that were beyond his control. Then, he was transferred to Staples High School where Max, the so-called King of the Student Body, made his life miserable simply because Michael refused to be his friend. Michael ended up having fun with the technology and had gotten expelled from there. Westport High was the last school that would accept him and he thought things would be different.

"Brian and I became... friends," Michael continued.

"Wait, what?" I asked with surprise.

"Let me finish. My friendship with Brian didn't last. At the end of last year, I picked up my lunch and sat down next to Brian, like usual. But then he called me a loser and said the table was for football players only because he was the new quarterback. I thought about spilling his drink on him, but I chose to walk away. That's how I met Wes. Brian might hate me know, but at least we have an understanding. He's useless when it comes to tech. The only reason he didn't kick me out of his party all those weeks ago was because he thought I'd hack his stuff... again."

He frowned again, gazing at the statue and his hand tracing the inscription by the statue.

"It's stupid, but when I read this the first time, I found something I hadn't had in a long time... hope."

"No, it isn't," I replied, walking over to him.

I read the inscription. The school was only founded four years ago and began as a bunch of plots on empty land but it was open to all students who wanted to be accepted for who they were. I finally understood why this school was so special.

"You know, a former student said that," Michael explained, and I was in awe: a high school student founded this school. "She was the glue that held everything together here, but after graduating last year, it all fell apart. The cliques are worse than ever. Everyone's fighting. Just look at what happened because of Brian's huge ego!"

"I'm so sorry," I replied with a frown. "I didn't know about any of this, Michael."

"How could you? You're the newbie. The freshman."

"Here, I'll grab a pic of Troy. We'll need evidence for later."

I took my T-Phone out and took the picture of the vandalized statue as Michael touched its shield. I had two phones: a regular iPhone for my social life and then my T-Phone that Donatello, Lily's father, gave me for undercover missions that I would eventually pursue as a kunoichi. Michael suddenly smirked at me.

"Thanks for hearing me out, Diana. I've never told that to anyone before. I just wish things would go back to the old days."

"Listen, Michael, everything's different now that I'm here," I replied with confidence. "I can turn this around and unite us together like the good 'ol days!"

"You're wasting your time," Michael replied pessimistically. "Others have tried and failed."

"Others haven't met me. Just you wait. I'll be the one who changes everything."

"Well, I'll give you points for persistence," he chuckled, patting the shield. "We need to show Staples we won't be bullied."

"I promise this is the last time I'll ever bring it up," I said, letting out a sigh. "We could show Staples if you led the football team as quarterback."

"Diana, I'm worried I'll turn into someone I'm not. But maybe it doesn't have to be that way."

There was a pause. He turned to Troy and then back to me. He let out a heavy sigh with such sadness in his hazel eyes.

"Why me?"

"Because you owe it to yourself," I replied bluntly.

"I'm doing just fine, thank you very much."

"But don't you wonder what could happen if you could make a difference at Westport High? You could be the great uniter of the school as our quarterback! Besides, I know a part of you will always regret it if you don't help us."

"I..."

He trailed off, taking one last look at Troy. Then he smiled and met my brown eyes.

"I'll do it."

"Wait, really?" I asked with a grin. "Great! Staples won't know what hit 'em!"

I felt a new confidence in me as I went to all my classes. After class, before I went to cheerleading practice, Emma and I went to football practice and found Michael, all suited up and throwing passes downfield to Caleb.

"Whoa!" Emma exclaimed. "Michael is really good!"

"I knew he'd be a great addition to the team."

We bumped fists as we grinned at the sight.

"This is great!" the coach yelled excitedly. "We might have a chance against Staples now. This gives me an idea for some new plays!"

As the coach wrote those plays in his red binder, Caleb and Michael ran up to us with grins on their faces.

"Well?" I asked.

"Thanks, Diana," Caleb replied. "Things are looking up."

"I can't wait to beat Staples now," Michael chimed in.

"Cute!" we suddenly heard another male voice. "You actually think you have a shot."

We turned towards the entrance and found Brian, Zoe, Max, and another girl heading our way with ugly smirks on their faces.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with a glare.

"Come to gloat at your artwork?" Michael asked.

"HA!" Brian exclaimed. "That old statue back there? We didn't have to lift a finger this time."

"But give a huge thanks to whoever decided to give him a makeover," Zoe chimed in. "The red paint really brings out the desperation."

"You know something," I assumed, studying the four students closely. "But you are claiming you didn't do it."

"It must have been someone else from Staples!" Emma suggested.

"Bzzt!" Max exclaimed. "Wrong. Try again."

"At least Staples students don't deface their own school," the girl with the brown ponytail said, giving me a clue.

I felt aghast.

"Are you saying... someone from Westport High did this?!"

"Ding, ding, ding!" Max exclaimed again with a grin. "We have a winner!"

"Maybe they're teaching you something at this school after all," Brian suggested.

"Good luck figuring out who it was," Zoe sarcastically told us. "You're gonna need it."

I hung my head down and let out a sigh as the four students left.


September 25, 2059

"Diana! Is it true?"

I shut my locker and glanced over to see Maria bolting down the hallway, our eyes meeting each other's.

"Is what true?" I asked.

"I heard that Staples didn't vandalize Troy the Trojan... Someone from Westport High did!"

"Well, if you believe the Staples students, then yes. And I'm going to hate saying this, but I think they're right."

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this, and you're coming with me."

"I'm sorry, what? Why me?"

"I need your help. You were there when the Staples students showed up. And honestly, you're the only person I can trust. Whoever did this is probably sitting right under our noses."

"Well, when you put it that way..."

I pondered for a moment. My father was an agent at the Temporal Investigation, Management, and Exploration Agency, and so was Lily. While neither of them told me much of what they do, my father often spoke of solving mysteries from the past. Now, I'm about to get into my father's shoes and solve a mystery myself.

"Okay. I'm in."

"Now, before we get started, I was thinking," Maria suggested. "Do we want anyone else helping us? It might go smoother to have a third person."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"Well, Emma and Aiden both strike me as especially perceptive. Caleb would also be a good pick because he knows everyone. And, as much as I hate to trust him with anything, Michael's clearly dedicated to the cause. I think any of them could help us catch our culprit!"

I pondered. Lily taught me to be open-minded of all things. My father taught me to not take everything personally. I also believed that bias only leads to harm. Suddenly, I found Aiden walking down the hallway, reading some sheet music and moving his hand like a conductor. I smiled, confident that I found our partner. He looked up and smiled at me.

"Diana! Just the person I was hoping to see."

"Oh? What's up?"

"I've got a new piece in the works that you must listen to!"

"That sounds amazing," I replied. "And I can't wait to hear it on the keys. But, I was wondering if you're free to help us investigate Troy the Trojan's makeover artist."

"Count me in. I can't believe someone stooped so low. And maybe if I help solve the case, people will forget about the halftime show."

I frowned at his motivation, but it was understandable.

"Well, it's worth a try."

"Fantastic," Maria chimed in with a grin. "I've got faith in the three of us. Come on. Let's check out the scene of the crime! There's bound to be some clues around there."

The three of us made our way to the courtyard and we spread out. One of the first things my father taught me was to always look in the trash can. Even though the technologies of trash cans had improved, it was still disgusting to have to glance through one. I dug through the mashed trash until I found a crushed can of spray paint!

"Hey! It's the same color!"

Aiden and Maria walked over to me and examined the can with me.

"Hm, a waste of perfectly good paint if you ask me," Aiden spoke. "I wonder whose it is..."

"I'm pretty sure Morgan used this to decorate the homecoming banners," I replied with a frown, remembering everything that happened during homecoming committee meetings.

"She will not ruin my dance!" Maria replied adamantly. "Let's find her."

"Wait, Maria, my dad taught me that there are usually two clues on a crime scene if the criminal is sloppy. Let's keep looking."

I carefully looked underneath each table. I found a notepad under one of them and retrieved it.

"This must be a clue," I said out loud. "It's missing a page."

"Uh, Diana, we're in 2059," Maria chimed in. "Why would there be a notepad here? We use tablets to take notes."

"Well, someone went old school."

I glanced back at the trash can and found a crumpled up piece of paper next to it.

"What's this doing here?" I asked, opening the piece of paper up. "M... Don't forget... deal. Paint... or else... gets it. Or else who gets it?"

"And who's 'M'? Maria asked, glancing around. "I don't see the other half of the paper."

"We're not going to find it here. Let's talk to Morgan."

Morgan denied her involvement with Troy during lunch, even though her red-covered hands were highly suspicious. She even led us off school grounds to confirm her alibi for Tuesday evening. Then, she led us to Mia, who I learned used to go to Staples High School until her father, the principal, and her brother Max, the quarterback, where too controlling. Mia transferred to Westport High to get away and, as far as I was aware, she was happy here. But her connections to Staples were enough for the three of us to question her during our free period in her gym class.

Mia also denied her involvement and I believed her. I knew her long enough to know she would never hurt the school she grew to love. She also pointed out that she was injured and on crutches, so she would not have been able to spray-paint Troy. Mia suggested we talk to Wes, the friend at the school who seemed to know everything that goes around. I sent him a text and he told us to meet him at the diner ten minutes after the final bell.

So, we ended up going to the diner after school and we made it at three-ten, precisely the moment Wes told us to meet with him. But he hadn't shown up yet. We ended up waiting another ten minutes before Maria went outside to look for him. While we waited, Aiden and I talked about his inspiration for his new song and we ended up creating a new rhythm together. Our hands had accidentally touched each other, which felt awkward for me, but at the same time, it felt nice. As I was shaking my head at the fact that I may be falling for not one, but three boys in my school, Maria had stormed back inside and vented about Wes not showing up. Of course, after I assumed Wes was going to set a trap for us, he showed up, claiming he was always on time and we were early. After I jokingly called him Gandalf and the three of us giving him some pocket lint, he led us to Luis.

The three of us went to the computer lab where we saw Luis playing an online game.

"Enemies inbound on the western tower!" Luis yelled through his headset. "Someone cover me! I'm going in."

"Hey, Luis?" I spoke loudly. "We need to talk-"

"No can do! They're flanking us! Minions on your six."

"The sooner you put the controller down, the sooner we can all go our separate ways," Aiden tried.

"Can't. We're bringing hurt to the Rampage Warriors right now."

"That's it!" Maria yelled, putting her arms in front of the computer on each side of the keyboard.

"Maria, move!" Luis yelled. "We're about to win!"

"I don't care! It's been a long day, and I'm going to get to the bottom of this now! That means talking to you."

I let out a sigh, understanding how important this was to Luis. After all, my brother and his best friend were gamers themselves. I pulled Maria back and gave her a look that helped her understand. Luis was able to finish his game.

"KA-POW! Match over. Westport Knights win!"

"Well, now that that's finished, Luis, we need to talk," I tried again.

"You've got my full attention," Luis replied with a smile, lying back and relaxing in his chair. "What's up?"

"Did you spray paint Troy the Trojan?" Maria asked.

"You think I did that?"

"Wes said to look for you," I explained.

"It couldn't have been me. I was playing Legends of ClanCraft with Nishan and Sakura all night. We're gearing up for ClanRumble in a few months, so it's been nonstop practice."

"A likely story," Maria replied.

"Look at the logs if you don't believe me! I'm telling the truth."

My gut told me he was telling the truth.

"So what did Wes mean by 'Look at Luis' then?" I asked.

"Hmm..." Maria pondered. "Maybe it's someone who's connected to him."

I suddenly gasped, now knowing exactly who did it.

"It's Myra! She's Luis's best friend and her name starts with 'M.' That's what Wes meant!"

"It all makes sense!" Maria replied with shock.

"Now that you mention it, she was supposed to be a part of last night's raid," Luis explained with a frown. "But she never got online. She wasn't answering my texts or anything."

"There has to be an explanation," Aiden chimed in. "Myra doesn't usually flake without cause."

"Well, we can get the story from her," I replied.

"She's probably in the band room."

The three of us went into the band room and found Myra, wearing a purple sweatshirt, practicing alone on her trombone. She glanced up at us and her face immediately fell. She stopped playing and stared dejectedly at the ground. We all frowned.

"Hey, Myra," I greeted her. "Can we talk?"

"I think you have an idea why we're here," Maria said.

"You know it was me," Myra answered.

"Yes," I replied. "All the clues led us here."

"Let me explain."

Myra took out a wadded up piece of paper, which is missing its other half. I took out the half I kept and connected the two together.

"Myra. Don't forget our deal. Paint Troy or else Luis gets it. Who wrote this?"

"Brian and his Staples friends," she confessed. "They cornered me after school earlier this week and told me they'd hurt Luis if I didn't listen! Then that and the spray paint can showed up in my bag yesterday. And... so I..."

She started crying.

"I am so so sooo sorry! You have to believe me! I didn't want to do it. But I couldn't let Brian do anything to Luis."

"One way or another, all roads lead to Staples," Maria replied.

"Which explains the smug looks on their faces," I chimed in. "I knew they were involved somehow."

"I know what I did was wrong," Myra continued. "But if Luis got hurt... I couldn't handle knowing I was the reason behind his pain. He's my... he's my best friend. But now the entire school's mad over the statue. I don't think I could take it if everyone knew it was me."

"At least you haven't gone full dark side on us," Aiden chimed in. "The band needs you."

"It'd be a hard-brass life without me. Or with me when everyone finds out what I did to Troy. I'm begging you. Don't tell anyone else I did it. I can't bear to see the look on Luis's face if he finds out it was me."

"I'm sorry," Maria replied. "But we have to report this to Principal Hughs. Everyone has to face the consequences of their actions."

"Us band members stick together!" Aiden said angrily. "Myra's learned her lesson. She'll never choose Staples again."

"Aiden's right," Myra replied. "I swear it's only Westport High from here on out. Just don't make me face the entire school."

She grabbed my arm and looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Please, Diana, I'm begging you."

I looked into her eyes. She truly felt remorse about what she had done and it was not completely her fault. But I also knew someone was going to find out about her vandalism at one point or another.

"Myra, I'm so sorry, but we have to turn you in. Everyone's gotta own up to their actions."

"I... I understand."

"Can't you see she's suffered enough?" Aiden asked.

"Someone has to admit to vandalizing Troy," I replied. "And if Myra confesses, she might not face expulsion."

"Don't be angry, Aiden," Myra told him. "Diana's just doing what she thinks is right."


September 26, 2059

After classes ended for the day, I followed Maria to her locker where she retrieved her backpack and a few textbooks to take home for the weekend.

"I feel so much better now that we've solved the case," she told me with a smile.

"Same, but I never thought it'd be Myra."

It turned that I was right about Myra's punishment. When she explained to Principal Hughs what she had done and why she did it, the principal had Myra serve on the homecoming committee and her parents received a phone call. The principal had also promised us she would call Staples to tell Principal Warren about how those four students manipulated Myra into doing her deed.

Suddenly, our phones vibrated at the same time. We took our phones out to see a group text from Michael.

"Meet me in the science lab... NOW!"

"I wonder what this is about?" I asked.

Maria and I hurried to the science classroom where we found Michael, Emma, Aiden, Caleb, Julian, and Mia all waiting for us.

"About time you showed up, slowpokes," Michael teased us.

"So now can you share your master plan with everyone?" Mia asked.

"Yes!" Aiden said enthusiastically. "I was finally making some progress on my composition when I got your text!"

"What do you need us here for?" I asked.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking and got it all planned out," Michael explained. "It's time to get some revenge on Staples... tonight."

"You want to prank Staples tonight?" I asked, feeling floored. "Are you serious?"

"Hear me out. When I was at Staples, they were all focused on one thing. So tonight, we're going to steal their beloved spirit stick."

"Stealing... a spirit stick. Michael, one, this is wrong. Two, really? A stick?"

"I'm with Diana," Emma chimed in. "This isn't right."

"Don't think of it as stealing," Michael assured us. "We're just borrowing the stick. Besides, don't you want to see the look on their faces when they realize their precious spirit stick is gone?"

"But we will return it, right?" I asked.

"Eventually. It's just a harmless prank. It's not like they haven't done much worse to us."

"So what's the deal with this spirit stick?" Aiden asked.

"Staples has the tradition of lugging this painted stick around to all their football games and practices," Mia explained. "It's supposedly the source of their football power."

I could not help but laugh. The students at Staples High School were truly a superstitious lot.

"But the biggest thing is that the stick's never touched the ground," Julian chimed in. "If it does, that's ten years of bad luck."

I laughed even harder. Despite them bullying us to no end, I could not help but laugh at them for hiding behind some silly superstitious thing.

"I don't buy this whole spooky magic," Caleb said. "But if Staples does, then let's do it."

"Wait!" Maria exclaimed with worry. "But what if they catch us? Won't we get into trouble?"

"It's really no big deal," Julian assured her. "It's tradition for Westport High and Staples to prank each other around homecoming."

"Yeah, both schools turn a blind eye to these harmless pranks," Mia continued. "It's when they escalate to vandalism, like with Troy, that it becomes a problem."

"If that's the case, I'm in," I replied. "What's the plan, Michael?"

"The seven of us will sneak into Staples, bypass security, grab the spirit stick, and hightail it out of there before anyone can say 'Ocean's Eleven.'"

"Wait," Emma replied. "Seven? But there's eight of us."

"There's no way Mia's hobbling around Staples on crutches. I've asked her here for another reason. Mia, you did bring it, right?"

"Of course," Mia replied. "I put it in my cheer locker this morning. Diana, follow me."

I followed Michael and Mia to the locker room and she handed me a blue and white cheerleader's outfit.

"It's my old cheerleading uniform," Mia explained. "The only way you'll blend in at Staples is if you look the part."

"You'd really be a huge help to the plan if you wore that."

"Go ahead. Try it on!"

I changed into the outfit, put my hair up in a ponytail, and applied blue eyeshadow and black mascara so it wasn't obvious it was me.

"Dang, Robinson," Michael grinned. "You look good."

"She looks like a real Staples cheerleader," Mia complimented me. "Except with a much nicer personality."

"They'll never suspect a thing," I replied with confidence.

As I followed them out of the locker room, I started to feel guilty that I was doing this. I took out my iPhone and started to text my parents, not liking that I had to lie to them. I decided to give them some of the truth and texted them.

"I'm going to spend a few hours with Emma and Caleb. I'll be home by eight."

I put the phone back in my pocket, only to take it out again to find a text from my mother.

"Thanks for letting us know, sweetie. Love you."

Then I got a text from my dad.

"Do you need a lift?"

I sent them a reply.

"No, Emma's offering to drive me home. I love you, too."

I put the phone away and did what I told my parents. I spent the next few hours at school with Emma and Caleb putting up the homecoming banners all around the school. After we finished that, we did homework together so we didn't have to worry about taking all of it home. To my surprise, I was able to help them finish it despite my being a freshman. All too quickly, the time came for us to go to Staples High School. Six of us waited at the front for Julian to pull up in his car.

"I've got just enough room for everyone to fit," Julian explained. "But... it's gonna be a little cramped for the two in the very back. My football gear had to go somewhere. So enjoy a very cozy ride."

"That's fine," I replied. "Caleb and I can sit together. Is that okay?"

"Sure!"

Caleb and I crawled in the very back of the car and we ended up sitting shoulder-to-shoulder next to each other.

"You got enough room there, Diana?" Caleb asked.

"It's tight here, but we'll make the most of it! It's not too far to Staples, at least."

"Nah, we can tough it out. This isn't the tightest spot I've been in either."

"Oh?" I grinned. "I'm sensing a story coming my way."

Caleb chuckled.

"So back in junior high, we tried pulling a prank on our football coach. I was supposed to hide underneath his seat on the bus and pop out on our way there. So I squished myself under the bench and had some football gear to cover me up. He was running late, so I waited in that spot for about an hour."

"Did it work?"

"Totally! I had never seen my coach yell so much in my life. So yeah, this might be tight, but it could always be worse."

After a short drive, we made it to Staples High School. We piled out of the car and made our way to the front door.

"Of course, it's locked," I said nonchalantly when I tried pulling on the door.

"Yeah, they lock automatically at seven," Julian explained. "The only people around now should be stragglers from football practice."

"So, Michael's going to pick it, right?" Maria asked.

"You just assume I can pick a lock?" Michael asked in annoyance.

"Well, can't you?" Aiden asked.

"No, I can't. We'll have to find another way in."

"Guys," Emma spoke up. "I know how."

I gave her a look of surprise.

"Wait, what? Seriously?"

"Yeah! I was curious after I went through my Nancy Drew binge a while back. Anyway, can you give me a hand, Diana?"

"Sure. What do you need me to do?"

Emma and I worked together to open the door. Emma used two bobby pins and I ended up assisting her with the first one, making sure to apply little tension to it. Before I knew it, she opened the door!

"We did it!"

"Couldn't have done it without your help," Emma replied with a grin.

"I have so many questions..." Julian trailed off with shock.

"Teach me your ways, Emma!" I exclaimed with laughter. "I'm afraid I haven't been gifted the skill of telekinesis."

"I can send you a couple videos later."

"Well, awesome! I've always wanted to learn how to pick a lock. You know, in case I'm ever locked out of my house."

"Uh-huh," Michael replied. "I'm sure that's why."

"Are we going to just waste our time here?" Aiden asked. "Or are we actually going to do something productive with the spirit stick?"

"Aiden's right," I said. "Let's go!"