Chapter 55: Nichelle, the Ninja TV Star
Another day at the beach house and it appears everyone's doing their own things.
At the patio, Lucy and May are basking under the sun in their bikinis (the same ones they wore at the beach party before) while lying on the deck chairs by the pool and beside it, Emma and Kappei are practicing some dance moves together with Gumchi watching them and eating a bowl of ice cream. The song, "Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears is being played as the BGM for their breakdancing.
In the lounge, the rest of the boys are chilling in there engaged in different activities while the rest of the girls are in the living room watching some Korean Drama.
Now back to the patio as Kappei watched her work on her dance moves with her phone playing the pop music when suddenly, it rang as she heard it so pausing her dancing, she went to pick it up. "Hello?"
"Yo Emma girl. How you doing?"
"Nichelle? Oh my gosh it's been quite a while! How are you doing?"
"All good! Hey check this out. I'm in Eagle City working on the upcoming episode of the TV show I'm starring in! If you're free tomorrow, you can drop by so that we can hang out and if you have any friends with you, they can tag along girl!"
"Cool! I'll talk with them about it!"
"Great! Gotta go and work on the acting. I'll send you the location tonight. See ya!"
"Alright then. See you tomorrow Nichelle."
The call ended as, "Who was that?" May asked as she and Lucy sat up.
"A friend of ours inviting us to hang out with her." Emma told them. "Her name's Nichelle and-"
"Nichelle?! Isn't she the main star in that TV show, 'Ninja Teen Spy'?" May asked in excitement and Emma just nodded. "OMG! I'm a huge fan of her show!"
"Looks like fun. After all, I did watch her show. I wonder what it'll be like to face her in battle?" Lucy asked.
"Lucy. I think it'll be catastrophic to the point that you can wreck the entire studio." Kappei replied jokingly but she responded by running to him, tackling him and pinning him on the arm. "SAY UNCLE!"
"NO!"
"SAY IT YOU WEAKLING!"
"NEVER!"
"Lucy let go of my boyfriend!" Emma ordered and she complied. "Tomorrow, we're gonna meet her. Tell the rest about it."
"No problem." May texted everyone and instantly, all are set to go for tomorrow's meet up. Piece of cake.
So the next day...
"I never knew Nichelle is also a ninja." said Elena. "After all, I've watched all 3 seasons of Ninja Teen Spy."
"Me too." said Hongfa as the group of teens are dropped off group by group outside a studio where it is said that Nichelle will be there. "There is also a 5-star luxurious hotel near this place. I guess the whole crew lodges there after their filming." said Keith as they approached the front gate. "Hi there. We're to see Nichelle." Kappei spoke to the guard at the gate.
"Sorry, no visitors allowed." He told them.
"My boyfriend and I are her classmates. Here's our class photo." Emma whipped it out and showed it to the guard. "Whoa...she really is in the same class as you two! Alright, I'll make it an exception for you and your group. Just don't cause too much disturbance." The guard the opened the gate. "She's in Studio No.5 rehearsing."
"Thanks." Kappei thanked the guard as they went inside. "Cool place." said Heart as they can see producers discussing plans, workers moving props and secretaries reporting important information to directors.
"I wonder what it'll be like to be on TV?" Dia asked when, "I see the studio!" Emma called out as they went to the place. There, filming is in progress as it shows Nichelle surrounded by 5 actors dressed as thugs and then, "ACTION!"
The 5 thugs lunged at her but Nichelle swiftly gave them a beating one at a time. She jabbed the first one on the face, spun around and spin kicked the second thug behind her, dodged and counterpunched the third thug, jump kicked the fourth thug and swiftly palm thrusted the last thug on the face twice. "Smooth badass moves." Alec described.
"CUT!" The director who's middle-aged and fair-skinned called out as he checked the camera. "Every frame caught on camera! Good work! Take a break people!"
"About time Stevenson..." said Nichelle and then, "Emma girl you're here! And good to see you Kap!"
"Nichelle!" They ran and gave her a hug and she returned. "Nichee! Nichee!"
"You even brought Gumchi with you! That cutie always makes me smile!" Nichelle exclaimed as Gumchi hugged her on the face and then, "Oh my gosh Nichelle! It's so nice to meet you! I'm a big fan of your show!" May called out.
"Same!" Hongfa called out as she, Dia and Elena approached and talked with her. For the boys, "She really is popular. Right Tyler?" Dan asked but for some reason, he got no answer. "Hey Tyler!"
"Wh-What?" He asked when, "Dude, are you staring at Nichelle?" Cluv asked.
"N-No!" He replied as Dan and Keith looked at each other with understanding looks as, "First time you're attracted to a hot girl. Isn't it Tyler?" Dan asked with a smug look.
"Dude, what are talking about?" Tyler asked when, "Hey, hey boys! What's up!" Nichelle went to meet them as she shook their hands and for Tyler's case, he was feeling the heat and after that, a middle-aged dark-skinned man whos' her manager showed up as, "Nichelle, who are these people?"
"A group of visitors Huckle and these 2 are in the same class as me in the Advanced WNA High." She told him.
"I see. Ninja students huh? This is perfect!" Huckle exclaimed.
"Why so?" Damien asked.
"I could use some additional manpower for the acting scenes. If you're all interested, you'll get the chance to be on TV!" Huckle offered and this excited them all. "Anyway, you have some time left for your break. Better get your lunch fast."
"Gotcha. I need to get off this outfit. Wait here peeps." As Nichelle went to change, all went to look around when all of a sudden, Kappei and Emma were pulled away to a nearby prop as behind it, "Tyler, why do you have to yank us away?"
"I, uh...I need to know more about Nichelle!" He replied. "She's in your class right?"
"Yeah. And-" In an instant, "Wait a minute...are you interested in her?" Kappei asked and he said nothing but looked to his left and right.
"It appears Tyler is interested in Nichelle." Emma cracked it as Tyler's mouth dropped open with Kappei and Emma feeling excited. "Oh man! This is the first time we're seeing you have a crush on a hot chick like our classmate!" Kappei exclaimed.
"In that case, we can tell you more about her." said Emma as they chat with Tyler about her and when they rejoined the others, Nichelle showed up. "C'mon guys! I know a good place to have lunch and it involves steak!" She told the group.
"Ha! Ha! You appeared to have class in the gastronomy!" Keith exclaimed as they all went to change. But before that, Tyler stopped to look around. "Someone is lurking out there. Plotting trouble..." And Keith noticed the concern in Tyler.
Lunch time...
At a steak house, everyone is seated and in the midst of ordering. "So many juicy choices..." Kappei read through with Gumchi pointing at a steak dish he wanted. "You really want to eat that? It's a lot of meat."
"Gumchi! Eatee Steakee!" He cheered as, "The little cutie can eat a lot! Don't sweat it Kappei, everything is on me!" Nichelle assured to him.
"Well...if you say so!" Kappei ordered a triple steak sandwich for Gumchi while he ordered 2 philly cheesesteak sandwiches for himself.
The rest ordered what they like and once done, all waited and mingled as Tyler tried to start a conversation with Nichelle. "So...uh..."
"Yes Tyler? You want to ask me something?"
"Yeah! When did you start airing on TV?"
"Ah, good question. As a little girl, I've always wanted to get into some action on set. There was an audition in which they're looking for someone with the guts, the street-smarts and the observation skills. A hundred girls including I signed up to audition for this one." Nichelle began. "I was 12 when it happened and miraculously, I was the perfect candidate for the TV show!"
"Amazing..." Tyler exclaimed.
"For a year, season 1 of Ninja Teen Spy aired and it gained a lot of reception. After that, I began my training at the WNA Academy in Los Angeles while sparing some time to do my acting and stuff for Season 2. Also, I was from Maldives."
"And when you started high school, you got time to do season 3 during summer." Tyler concluded.
"Exactly! Say, what are you?" Now it's her turn to ask about Tyler's life.
"Well...I was trained at a young age. My dad worked at the WNA for a while and then, retired to become a farmer. He even helped grow a vegetable patch in the WNA Academy in Eagle City.
"Hmmm...it sounded you came from humble beginnings. Not bad." She replied as Lucy and May piqued in for some questions about her TV show as she put her attention for them. "Not a bad start for me to interact with her." Tyle thought as he drank his lime juice. Yes, the drinks have arrived fast and they all ordered soda. (Yup, I'm a soda addict drinking coke now while writing all this)
A while later, their lunches have arrived as the boys got excited over their steak dishes. "I like it when I have fries and coleslaw with my sandwiches." Kappei then started eating his lunch and Gumchi is eating a ton of fries with his triple steak sandwich which has 2 buns sandwiching 3 wagyu steaks and slices of cheese. Van and Dan had a premium steak set consisting of a wagyu beef steak with stir-fried vegetables and roast potatoes and black pepper sauce. Tyler and Cluv had the tomahawk steak set, Billy and Heart had the T-Bone steak set, Alec had the sirloin steak set and Keith had the Ultimate steak set which consists of 2 sirloin steak, 2 ribeye steaks and 4 side dishes at his choosing. "Damn...that dude has a big appetite..."A stunned Nichelle thought.
For the girls, Emma had a burger steak set meal which consists of 2 pieces of the meat with gravy, mashed potatoes and fried rice. Lucy also had the same thing except her side dishes are fries and coleslaw. Naomi, May and Hongfa had the ribeye steak set and Elena, Dia and Nichelle have the steak tenderloin set.
"Meat me for lunch! Get it?" Van joked as everyone ate to their heart's content while chatting with each other as Gumchi chomped his steak with happiness.
During lunch, Tyler noticed Nichelle using her phone and she looks annoyed. He watched as she began deleting emails and blocking various unknown contact numbers. "Could they be related to what I noticed just now?" He wondered as he ate a piece of his steak. "Um...everything alright?"
"Yeah I'm good. Nothing to worry about." She replied as they continued eating their lunch.
Back at the studio...
As planned, the gang suited up for some scenes in the upcoming episode with a few getting lines at least. They spent the next 2 hours working on set with a few repeats to achieve perfect scenes. Huckle is most pleased with the progress as, "Okay people! Prepare for the next scene!" Stevenson ordered as the director observed the arrangements. "Next scene, the ninja teen spy gets ambushed by more thugs from the notorious drug cartel as she tries to fight her way to rescue some peers from her school from the cartel leader."
The setting is in some abandoned factory and Nichelle is in position and likewise, the boys and they're all wearing gang colours consisting of a dark grey jacket, black pants and spiked boots. "Never thought we have to play the bad guys for this episode." Keith thought when he noticed the silhouetted figure lurking in the darkness. "Tyler did see something suspicious..."
"And...ACTION!" Stevenson ordered as it began with Nichelle crouching carefully when the thugs threw flashbang grenades! "BOOM! BOOM!"
"AH! That ain't enough to stall me!" She called out and this is the cue for the thugs to emerge and fight her. "Take her down!" Dan ordered as the thugs used whatever melee weapon they have to attack her as Nichelle countered their moves. During that, Tyler who was not part of this watched and then, "Did I hear something odd..." He looked up and gasped. "WATCH OUT!" Tyler made his move and pushed Nichelle aside and, "BAM!"
All gasped as, "CUT! CUT!" The director was furious on one hand but also, "A sabotage attempt is not in my schedule! How did a spotlight drop right onto the set in the midst of shooting?"
"Over there!" Keith pointed out as, "Dan! On me!" Van ordered as the 2 boys went to the area Keith pointed out but suddenly, "BAM! BAM!"
"AHHHHHHH!" They were sent flying and they crashed onto the floor. "Oh no..." Nichelle is familiar with this and soon enough, "We meet again for we are destined to be together!"
"Not you again Wendell!" Nichelle exclaimed.
"You know him?" Tyler asked.
"A hardcore fan who's delusional to believe that he can enter a relationship with me." She explained.
"That explains why during lunch, she got too many desperate emails and text messages about it." Tyler thought as, "How long will keep rejecting me? I've been a big fan of your show and I even went as far as to ask you to be with me! You're so popular that I crave for your attention!"
"Which is way overboard your head. You ain't my type and I seriously blocked you a lot." Nichelle replied back as Wendell laughed his a despot. "Yes...but my desire for you only grows as I kept writing to you a lot. It'll be enough for you to give in and be with me forever! We can even star together in your show!"
"You disgust me you sick bastard! Security!" Nichelle ordered as guards went to take Wendell when he whipped out 2 handguns and, "BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!"
"Take cover!" Huckle ordered as many went to find a place to hide as, "You can't escape from our destiny Nichelle! Oh please take me with you and we'll be the best couple ever!" Wendell called out and laughed hysterically.
"You scumbag...you've been stalking me for too long and even personally came here to cause trouble?!" She asked as Tyler stood beside her. "You...you got in my way!" Wendell exclaimed madly at him.
"Indeed. I believe you tampered with the spotlight so that it can drop onto Nichelle and you can play the hero to save her and win everyone's approval. Risky and dangerous if you ask me! In fact, I believe you wanted her dead since she's been rejecting yout messages and emails." Tyler stated as many gasped.
"Ha! You really made a huge mistake and I'm gonna make you squeal in fear!"
Right in front of everyone, Nichelle got on her fours morphing into her lioness form! "WHAT? I thought you're just a normal girl?!" Wendell then started to panic as the lioness ran to him. She pounced onto the loser and roared directly at his face making him scream like a girl and pee on his pants. "Freak...FREAK!"
"Ah whatever, get him out of our sight!" Nichelle ordered as the guards took him away as he raved mad over what he witnessed. "We'll make sure he shuts his mouth about what he saw." said Stevenson.
"Wait a second, you and Huckle are ninjas also? Because it seems you guys aren't fazed by her power." Billy asked as they removed their sunglasses and all can see the pink dot in their eyes.
"When the auditions began years, we were looking for someone with the ninja descent. Nichelle is the only one out of the hundred girls and that's why she's perfect for the role." Huckle explained.
"And he and Stevenson took care of me and managed me well." Nichelle added as they nodded. "Okay, enough of that crazy drama just on. On with the shooting!"
And so it resumes and at the end of the day, "CUT! That's a wrap! Well done everyone! We're right on schedule and with the few days, the new episode will air on TV!" Stevenson announced as everyone cheered. Well done on the hard work they put in.
It now cuts to the main gate as outside, "Thanks for dropping by to see me." Nichelle thanked Emma.
"And thank you for inviting us over for the fun." Emma thanked her back as they hi-5 each other. "Also Kap, you takin' care of Emma girl well right?"
"Of course Nichelle. She's my one and only love life. Nothing will break us apart." Kappei replied with assurance.
"You're the man!" Nichelle hi-5 Kappei and, "And Tyler, may I have a word with you in private?"
"Uh sure!" He replied as the rest had smug looks so they took several steps back for Tyler to have his moment with Nichelle. "Thank you for saving me. You're a decent person after all."
"Well that's a start..." Tyler thought and, "Here's a token of gratitude." Nichelle slipped him an autograph. And behind it, "Score! Her handphone number!"
A few days later...
"Incredible! That new episode nailed everything for the plot!" Dan cheered as he and Alec fist bump each other.
"To think all of us got the one chance to be on TV with Nichelle is truly an honour!" said Naomi.
"The best part is, Tyler got her phone number and a special autograph." May stated and it cuts to the room as a happy Tyler is smiling at the picture of Nichelle.
"I will never forget this day and the fun we had together...I hope we can improve on our bond and grow closer together. One day."
With Tyler finding love, all the major teenaged boys have a love interest now. Okay, I'm gonna wrap up summer vacation for the next 5 chapters and after that, back to school!
Character of the Chapter
Name: Nichelle
Profile
At a young age, Nichelle dreams of being a star on TV. Opportunity came where there's an audition of a main character for the show, 'Ninja Teen Spy'. Having been trained in the shinobi path, Nichelle applied her skills in the audition and days later, she was selected for the show!
Throughout season 1, Nichelle performed incredibly enough for the show to be rated the best. After that, she put it aside to start her ninja journey in the WNA Academy. Good thing is, her manager is also a ninja and was able to arrange the filming schedules which is effective enough for Nichelle to act for Season 2 of the show and it was completed by the time she graduated from the academy.
After that, high school and she ends up in the one at USK. She still keeps in touch with her manager and now that it's summer vacation, she has enough time to do season 3 of the show and 2 of her classmates and their friends got involved in the acting! Talk about fun and drama!
Awakened Power: Lioness
Similar to some of the other ninjas with animal morphing powers, Nichelle's awakened power enables her to morph into the lioness. In that beast form, she can run fast, pounce on foes and slash them easily. She can also withstand heavy attacks, be it melee or ranged, the lioness can't be forced into submission!
