Sometime later, Mercutio gathered the Grads to sit in the audience as the curtains cloaked the stage, as well as the Dropouts behind it, preparing for their performance. With the center camera on him, Mercutio addressed the audience.
"Welcome back to Total Drama Million Dollar Academy! It's been three hours, and now, whether they're ready or not, it's time for the Graduate team to strut their stuff and show us what they've got. Tracy and I will be giving them a score out of ten, just as we did for Athena and Cody's performances of Stephen and Kobe's writing earlier. Quiet in the audience!" Mercutio turned around to hush the Dropouts, as Damien had been in the midst of chatting with Holden. Damien mimed zipping up his lips and throwing away the key. "Take it away, Grads!"
The lights around the auditorium dimmed for a few moments, then the spotlight shone on the curtains, which pulled away to reveal Fish still gently swaying from the position Bowie put him in.
"What the hell?" Queen murmured through a snicker, only to be hushed by Tracy exaggeratedly turning and shushing her.
"Cody!" Jayshawn growled from offstage, keeping as quiet as he could.
"Oh, shit." Cody raced onstage, pressing a button to a panel near the ground on the other side of the stage, turning the lighting red as he rushed back over to where he was with the rest of his team offstage.
Marching onstage with black coats and puffy hats appeared Zee and Stephen. Zee got into character, marching like a soldier while Stephen simply walked, his hands in his pockets with no acting whatsoever. They came to stand near where Fish was hanging, looking lightheaded and ready to faint.
"Stand, like, right there," Zee instructed Stephen, who didn't move an inch. "That's good." The likely stoner approached the center of the stage, addressing the audience. "I am Hitler-zekias, leader of the Nazi regime in Russia. I've come with my general Stephen, and my, uh, admiral Fish, I think. Heh, we made Fish the admiral because of Admiral Ackbar. Anyway," back into character, "We hate Russia. We think it's just- we think it's the pits, man, so we're here to invade it. We also don't like minorities, even though my best friend from high school was a minority. He was this cholo that we all called Fanny Pack, 'cause he wore one. Lemme just tell you, that kid could eat a fistful of edibles, and the moment they hit, he was able to recite the national-"
"Zee!" Jayshawn snapped from offstage.
"Sorry."
"Oh, god, my head," Fish murmured.
Out of anyone's view, Bowie facepalmed backstage.
"But that's not all!" Zee declared. "No, sir-ee." Lonydn stepped out onto the stage to come embrace Zee, who slung one of his lanky arms around her. "I've also captured the President of Russia's lovely lady friend. She's mine now, just like all of Russia." Zee burst out his best imitation of an evil laugh, only to suddenly have Bowie, Jayshawn, and Cody rush out onto stage on the other end. The three of them also wore coats, except theirs were dark blue.
"Ah!" Zee "exclaimed". "Curses! It's Commander Bowie, Magister Cody, and Deputy Jayshawn!"
"Why the fuck am I deputy?" Jayshawn complained, then Bowie budged an elbow in his side.
"Oh, save me Commander Bowie!" Londyn cried. "Please, oh, save me from this Nazi monster!"
"Hitler-zekias! It seems we meet again."
"Oh, yeah, we do, bud. So, Commander Bowie, after I take Russia as my own, should I kill you with acid, or should I shoot you eighteen times in the chest?"
"Now, boys!" Bowie ordered.
Jayshawn speed-walked over to the other end of the stage, sending a pretend punch at Stephen, then the emo slouched his way backstage, not at all playing along. Cody approached Fish, fists at the ready, only for Fish's rope to snap at just the right moment, sending the now unconscious teen thudding to the floor of the stage. Cody looked down at him with uncertainty. Bowie proceeded to kick Zee's prosthetic leg out from under him.
"You're outmanned, Hitler-zekias," Bowie announced. "Now, hand me back my woman and say your goodbyes to your Nazi nation!"
Hopping cartoonishly on one leg, he declared, "I will do no such thing."
Bowie flashed him a disgruntled look that said, "Really?" Then Zee's eyes widened and he said, "Oh, right, my bad. Very well, Commander Bowie." Zee took his arm off Londyn, letting her run over to hug Bowie. "You may have won the battle, man, but if there's a war, you're definitely on the wrong side of it."
Bowie stepped into the center stage spotlight while Zee pulled out and cracked open a soda. "And so, Hitler-zekias and his Nazi regime was destroyed. Peace was returned to Mother Russia, and with it, a legendary new leader by the name of Mercutio Merle came to take the place of Commander Bowie after he quit the military and won a million dollars." Bowie took a magnificent bow.
"That shit wasn't in the script," Jayshawn grumbled.
"I-is Fish okay?" Londyn peeped.
"Oh, no!" Zee cried, losing balance and falling down the stairs leading offstage.
Mercutio shifted in his seat to face Tracy. "Hmm. That was, well... that wasn't what I was expecting at all."
"I detected a little bit of ass-kissing in there, sir."
"Chris loved that kind of thing," Cody mentioned with a sheepish smile.
"I am not Chris!" Mercutio bellowed, then settled. "However, I did enjoy it. The mentions to the homeland, and of myself, the glory of Russia winning the battle, imagining Zee as a Nazi leader, having Fish dangling in the air for whatever reason."
"A very nice stylistic choice," Tracy commented.
"Hitler-zekias losing his leg, too. I give this an eight," Mercutio decided.
"Nine."
"Fuck yeah!" Jayshawn cheered, then leaped in the air and whooped at the top of his lungs.
Londyn approached Fish's body to poke him. "Fish?"
"All right, Grads, get off the stage and come trade places with the Dropouts. Let's see what they have for us."
After ten minutes or so of reshuffling, the time for the Dropouts had come. Londyn placed Fish in one of the auditorium seats, positioning himself to keep from falling while Zee wedged his prosthetic back on. Unfortunately, Fish's head lolled forward and he toppled to the floor. The curtains parted once more, and onstage from the start was Athena front and center. To her left stood Matcha, Holden, Damien, and Queen. To the right, Caleb, Kobe, Brook, and MK. All of them dressed in matching black long-sleeves and pants. They stood in a choral lineup like a choir, in the shape of migrating birds.
Surprising Mercutio and the rest in the audience, including satisfied Iko and Jill, came the sound of an electronic musical piece accompanying what the Dropouts started their scene with. Instead of acting out a spoken scene like the Grads decided to, they performed a mime scene. The Dropouts linked their arms together, then began to sway with the music, bringing themselves into an impressive rhythm. Using their linked bodies, they resembled a prism in the way they moved, each contestant flowing and swaying up, to the side, back, and down, similar to SpongeBob bringing it around town.
The music swelled, and several more minutes became of their mime performance. Heads in the audience bobbed from the flow of Iko and Jill's music. Zee even stood up out of his seat and started vibing, moving his body like Howard the Alien, oblivious to Fish lying face down on the floor beside him.
Overall, the choreography was impressive, the story they told with facial expressions and their bodies alone. Caleb dropped to the ground, and kicked his legs up, allowing Athena to burst up into the air with poise. The movement was equally impressive, though the longer the scene went on, the more obvious some glaring details became.
Unfortunately, for a first challenge, Brook was taking it well, but she was noticeably in more of a stiff and rigid position than the rest of her teammates. Her eyes were harrowed, but the worst flaw of all was Athena's bizarre failings that began to mount up. Where others flowed, she would lose balance. With everyone else in a harmonic, trance-like motion, she found herself floundering and breaking under the pressure worse than Brook. For Brook, someone else crumbling only worsened her own resolve and her performance.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Holden hissed, keeping his voice low and drowned under the music.
Soon enough came a scene where Athena scaled the rest of her teammates high into the air, forming a pyramid. Unfortunately, she began to tremble. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she shook, chipping away at the integrity of the rest of the pyramid. Members of the team saw what was about to happen, and their positions began to falter as well. Athena cried out as she tumbled, breaking down the pyramid, causing people to collapse over top of each other. Iko's music cut off, the scene in shambles.
Members of the Dropouts groaned in pain. MK's face started to turn blue as Caleb was atop her, with Damien lying face-up on him. Brook started to cry again, racing offstage as the team began to get to their feet.
"What the fuck was that?" Holden snapped at Athena, who had tears falling down her face by this point. "We had this shit in the bag and you fucked it! You had it down perfectly in rehearsal!"
"I'm- I'm sorry, okay! I'm sorry! I got overwhelmed and choked up a-a-and I- I didn't-"
"I have to agree with the gremlin for a change," Queen interrupted. "What happened up there? We were this close to greatness."
"You are such a useless bitch!"
"Everyone, leave her alone!" Caleb snapped. "I am sick and tired of everyone being so cruel to Athena! Not everyone learns the same way we do, not everyone gets it down the same way everyone else does! Give her a damn break!"
"Yeah, well, I'm sick and tired of your simp-ass bullshit, Caleb!" Holden retorted.
"Enough! I've heard enough!" Mercutio interrupted. "Queen was right; you were this close to greatness. The choreography, the music, the flow-everything was astounding, that is until Athena mucked it up."
The orangey-blonde began to sob more intensely, barely able to breathe. "I'm sorry, everybody! I promise I'll- make it up- to you in the- the next challenge! Please, forgive me!"
"Shut your fucking mouth!" Holden snarled.
Out of patience, Caleb fired a fist into Holden's face. With all of Caleb's muscle behind it, Holden fell off his feet with ease, collapsing backwards. Holden's leather jacket smacked against the stage floor as he tumbled over himself, rolling over from the force to land on his front.
"Holy shit," Kobe uttered.
"Caleb!" Matcha snapped.
Holden groaned, propping himself up by his elbows as Damien and Matcha crouched to examine him. He tapped below his nose, feeling a steady stream of blood flowing. Caleb stared down at him, reeling from what he'd done, shame burning through him.
"I'm- I'm sorry. I-"
Holden let out a growl, lunging back to his feet to thrust his whole body into the massive teen. Members of their team burst into action to keep Holden off Caleb, as he had stopped fighting, and Matcha yelled for him to stop. It wasn't until Mercutio let out a booming, genuinely terrifying bellow that they ceased.
"Knock it off! That is enough of that. Dropouts! You dropped the ball. This could have been an easy ten out of ten performance coupled with Iko and Jill's musical accompaniment, but it wasn't. I give you a four."
"Three, honestly," Tracy admitted. "Sorry, guys."
"Grads win!"
Zee stood and cheered, high-fiving Jayshawn, who was just as celebratory, but Zee's excitement settled in a hurry once he felt the energy around the auditorium.
Tensions were high as could be on the Dropouts' team. Matcha had disbelief in her eyes, still reeling from witnessing Caleb's punch and the consequent brawl that nearly took place. Holden glared at him with a fierceness. Caleb felt shame burning in him as Athena held him close, shuddering as she cried.
"Guys, I'm- I'm sorry," Caleb murmured.
"Dropouts, meet me back here in an hour," Mercutio ordered. "One of you goes home tonight. Holden, Tracy will lead you to the medical facility. Dismissed."
On her way offstage, Queen rested an icy glare moving from Caleb to Athena and sneered, "Nice going. Bravo to the both of you."
Sunset.
Kobe leaned against the front wall of the academy building watching the horizon swallow up the sun in the far distance. Its beauty was mesmerizing, its blend of orange and pink light creating a portrait in the sky. Soon enough, Bowie came to join him.
"You're just in time," Kobe told him.
"Am I?"
"Check that shit out."
"It sure is beautiful," Bowie replied, only turning to look away from Kobe and at the sunset after he'd spoken. "You know, I was really impressed by your poetry today."
"Yeah? Thanks, homie."
"Where did you get that though? 'It didn't matter that she was a fish, and I, a penguin'?"
Kobe laughed, running a hand through his afro.
"Zee told me he thinks it means you're keeping a penguin in your afro."
"Damn, dude, I wish I had the room for that. I'll tell you what I do have in here." Kobe leaned over, shook his head and out came two chocolate coins. He unwrapped one and handed the other over to Bowie.
"You are an inspiration," Bowie told him with a mouthful of chocolate.
"The future is now, old man. Nah, but about that poem. I don't really know why I chose a penguin's perspective particularly, but when I first started getting into poetry, I had no idea what to write about. My mom suggested I write about soccer, but I wanted my poetry to be a reflection of parts of me outside of that. I figured so much of my life was already soccer that I wanted poetry to be something else. So, I started writing from the point of view of whatever random thing I could think of. There's a dope one I wrote from the POV of a dirty shoe."
"Why not a clean shoe? Too classy?"
Kobe opened his mouth to respond, only for a laugh to come out instead. The sight of it had Bowie blushing and laughing as well. A few more pleasant moments of this transpired.
"Oh, man. A clean shoe," he chuckled. "That got me."
"Hey, Kobe."
He turned to face him with a chill smile.
"Don't get eliminated tonight."
Kobe shrugged. "If I can help it, that won't happen at all."
The camera panned over to where MK watched the two guys through a window inside the academy building.
Elsewhere, Athena hurried after Caleb as he walked down one of the many sleek halls. Caleb held a hand up and murmured, "Not right now, Athena."
"What's wrong? Have I upset you? Please tell me if I did something wrong. I didn't mean to buckle during the challenge. Now, I'm so scared they're gonna try to eliminate me. Oh, god! Please, we've gotta vote for someone else together."
"I already placed my vote for Holden. It seems like a bit of a long shot, but maybe they'll see the reason why I punched him, instead of just me punching him. Enough people dislike him that I think there's a chance."
Athena's orange eyes were big and weepy, showing a level of distress she hadn't felt yet in the contest.
"I've never been this scared for our safety," she whimpered. "What if one of us doesn't make it through this vote?"
"Athena, please," Caleb halted, standing in the way of his companion. "I just- after today, I need a little time alone with my thoughts."
"But- b-b-but what if I don't see you again?" she whined.
"You will, but please. Leave me be for now. You didn't do anything wrong. I just need some space. Okay? It's not your fault."
"It's not?" she croaked.
He shook his head. "No. I'll talk to you after the diploma ceremony. I just need some time to myself first. Do you understand?"
"I... I think I do. Okay, Caleb."
He smiled. "Good."
Athena stayed in place as Caleb turned around to keep heading off. She blurted, "I love you," which wiped the smile right off his face.
Without turning around to see her, he stopped for a moment, then kept going. With Caleb's footsteps growing more and more faint, the weepy expression on Athena's face gradually transformed into a more sinister glare.
Confessional - Caleb
"She loves me? She loves me? Six days on a reality show and she loves me? Okay, now I know that something isn't right."
End of confessional
"Welcome, Dropouts, to another diploma ceremony."
None of the Dropouts onstage in their graduation gowns seemed comfortable with the circumstances of the day. Their mix of frowns and dismal expressions gave this away easily.
"When I call your name, Tracy will hand you a diploma, and you will have earned at least one more day of attendance at the Million Dollar Academy. Starting with Iko...
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Brook...
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MK...
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Queen...
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Damien."
Damien was an outlier to the negative mood of the Dropouts, cheering, "Yeah!" when he caught his diploma.
"Kobe...
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Jill...
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Matcha."
The tension between the final three left on stage was thick enough to be cut with a knife. Caleb did what he could to avert the nasty gaze Holden placed on him, while Athena appeared ready to either burst into tears or have a hyperventilation episode at any point.
"Athena, and finally...
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Holden. Caleb, remove your gown and head for the Bus of Shame. You've been expelled from the Million Dollar Academy."
"Oh, no!" Athena cried, clutching onto him tight.
Caleb wriggled away. "Sorry, but I've got to go."
"You don't have to."
"He does," Mercutio argued.
Confessional - Matcha
"You could have made an argument for Athena's elimination instead, or even Holden's, but you can't punch other people on the team. Caleb showed us that we can't give him the necessary trust you need for genuine teamwork going forward. Holden probably won't last much longer, though. I need to either whip him into shape or cut him. At least he won't hurt us."
Confessional - Queen
"Good god, will I miss that sexy hunk of meat. Mmm, mmm, mmm. If only there were less dainty, little silly nannies running around in London and more delicious porterhouse steaks like Caleb."
End of confessionals
"It's only fair, Athena. They voted me off."
"How am I supposed to do this without you?" she whined.
"Just do it the way you were when you started this thing, before you even knew me. You got this."
Athena's lip began to quiver, and she reeled him in for one more hug before he could go. "Oh, Caleb, I'm so sorry this happened. It should be me leaving, not you."
"Yes, I could make a case for that," Queen agreed.
"Caleb," Mercutio prompted. "Time to go."
"Let me go with him?" Athena asked.
"To- to the Bus of Shame?"
"W-well, not to eliminate myself, but to see him out?"
"Very well."
The shot flashed to the two of them out in front of the bus. Caleb approached the hiss of the doors as the bus opened up for him. Alone with her, he sighed and turned around to see Athena's big eyes looking up at him.
"Well, Athena, it's been fun."
"It sure has," she chirped, holding him and struggling to get her arms wrapped all the way around his muscular frame. Muffled by his chest, she added, "Thanks for everything, Caleb. Giving me a chance to believe in myself, talking to me, being there for me," she backed away, "and for being such a braindead, subservient pawn."
The warm feelings he felt from holding Athena crystalized into ice, and Caleb felt a growing dread inside him. He released her, stammering, "W-what was that last part?"
"Hmm? The part where you're insufferably ignorant? How you went to all the trouble involved in getting on Total Drama only to become little more than my puppet?"
Caleb was speechless for several harrowing seconds. "You... your voice doesn't sound like that."
"Oh, please. You don't know the first fucking thing about me. Let me tell you what I've been wanting to tell you for days. You might just be the most bland person I've ever encountered; you make rice cakes flavorful by comparison. You were really just too blinded to realize I was stirring everyone up on purpose, huh? Trying to take Jayshawn's box, toppling the pyramid, smiling almost as giddily as Scary Girl all the time, sobbing every time a fucking gnat dies-these are things mentally sound people don't do. I mean, just what exactly were you thinking? I counted on you having no idea how dumb it would be to defend me being a ditzy tool around everyone else, and judging from where you're standing, looks like it worked out."
For a change, the beginning of a tear began to form in Caleb's eye. "Why, Athena? I was nothing but nice to you."
"You were nothing but naive. You were nothing but another elimination placement. You must have glided through your whole life just relying on your hotness; I guess you never had to turn on your brain."
Athena turned and headed away from Caleb, leaving him equal parts dumbfounded and devastated. Her walk was full of a confidence that she never let on.
A sly grin on her face, she added without turning back around to face him, "I hope you learned an important lesson, Caleb: never trust a single soul, because people are ice cold. The difference between someone kind and someone selfish? How far they've been pushed."
A tear streamed down the side of Caleb's chiseled face. Feeling pain course through him, he said, "I knew there was something wrong with you, I just didn't know it was this severe."
A smile spread across her face, but she still didn't face him. "See? You never would have said something like that unless I betrayed you. Congratulations, Caleb; I'm still controlling you."
She chuckled to herself as she bounded back towards the academy, leaving Caleb brokenhearted and deprived of the million dollars in the process.
- Episode 7: Cops & Robbers -
Jayshawn leaped into frame, standing in front of the Million Dollar Academy for yet another episode recap. He chuckled into his microphone, then said, "How you like that? Bet you didn't think I was goin' pop in from the side like that. I got y'all asses. Anyway, last time on Total Drama Million Dollar Academy! Fish tricked Londyn into thinking he was goin' do a photoshoot for her OnlyFans, only to peace out the moment he saw some titties. Honestly, man, the face tats ruin it for me. Maybe if you put a bag over her head? Nah, not even then. I'd still know, you know?
"Last time, we had to do some performances. Stephen and Kobe's pieces accidentally got swapped, which led to the Dropouts winning the first challenge. In the second one, we pulled out a win because A) fuck them Dropouts and B) Athena dropped the ball in the challenge, losing them a challenge they probably could've won. What a loser. Anyway, Caleb punched Holden over something. Why? I don't know, I wasn't paying attention. Caleb got voted off, and, what else? Oh, yeah-Bowie and Cody exacted a little revenge against Fish for being who he is.
"The Dropouts finally have one less teammate! With the playing field a little more even, maybe we'll win us another challenge. Nah, fuck 'maybe'-the Grads have this shit in the bag! Don't go anywhere, 'cause there's way more Total Drama coming atchu! I mean it, mothafucka, don't you dare touch that goddamn remote. I will come into your house with a fuckin' hammer and I will-"
Jayshawn kept ranting, only for the camera people to take the camera away, cutting off his recap early.
The camera panned up to show Bowie and Cody each sitting on one of the Million Dollar Academy rooftops. With the rising sun in the distance, another camera shot showed Bowie and Cody off to the side, the shot momentarily focused on a streak of blood on the roof from when Londyn tripped and fell, trying to escape Smirnoff the Russian hitman in the first episode of the season.
"Wait, he did what?"
"It's exactly how I told you," Bowie stated.
"What reason would Stephen have to get rid of Alanna? That doesn't make any sense to me."
Bowie shrugged. "Doesn't make any sense to me either, but that's what happened. I was in the middle of talking to Fish and Jayshawn, getting ready to masterfully persuade, then Stephen approached us and said he wanted us to convince the others to vote for Alanna. Didn't elaborate."
"Hmm... well, how is that supposed to help with the investigation?"
Bowie stood up from his seated position. "Beats me. Shouldn't that be your angle anyway? Or Izzy's, apparently."
"I mean, I appreciate the extra information about Stephen, but I thought you said you'd help me if I helped Londyn with you," Cody argued.
"I did. That's what I could do to help you. Don't get greedy. Also, you should probably help people for their own sake, not just to get something from them."
Cody sighed and slouched. "Yeah, you've got me there. Thanks, Bowie."
"Mmhmm."
Confessional - Bowie
"My thinking goes like this: if there is something truly sussy going on between Mercutio and Stephen, what good will it do for me to involve myself? If Cody keeps poking this bear, he's gonna get mauled-no pun intended; I watched Total Drama Island. I mean, Izzy's, like, superhuman. Cody will be fine with only her help."
Splitting the chair across from the confessional table in half came Izzy shooting up through it, smiling at Bowie, who was now screaming, as she replied, "Superhuman, you say?"
End of confessional
"Say, Cody, would you mind going and grabbing Kobe and sending him up here? Then you could, I don't know, go off and do something else? Something investigative, maybe?" Bowie offered.
"Like, the Kobe that's not on our team?"
Smiling, he replied, "Yeah, that would be the one."
A basketball rocketed through the hoop on the campus basketball court, then the camera zoomed out to show Athena accompanying Jill as she played. Athena's posture was nervous and uncertain, her arms hunched close to her body as she rubbed one of them. Jill took a deep breath and set the ball down after it dribbled back over to her.
"Are you sure?" Athena murmured.
"Yes, I promise. We're still okay," Jill affirmed. "I don't know, I could've been throwing off vibes, and I find it flattering that you wanted to kiss me, but I'm okay with putting it behind me. Besides, you look like you could use some comfort."
"I-I do? Oh, right... Caleb..."
Jill nodded with sympathy in her eyes. "Right. Caleb. How are you feeling now that he's gone?"
She sighed. "It's so complicated, Jilly bean. I feel like I really messed up yesterday. It could have just as easily been me that went home. I really miss him, and I feel guilty, like I should've just been more... normal," she muttered.
"You are just fine the way you are," Jill argued.
Bit by bit, a smile began to form on Athena's face. "There's something that I've had on my mind since Caleb left that's been making it feel so much better. I know what it is, Jill. I know why I am the way I am."
Jill eyed her with intrigue.
"I am autistic. I am. I must be. It just- it came to me. And I feel so much better being able to admit that! It's- it's revelatory! It feels cathartic."
Jill hesitated, then replied, "Well- well, that's great! Right?"
"Yes!" she burst. "Yes, it is! Because I know that my quirks aren't because I'm a freak, they're because I'm different, and being different is okay! Everyone is different in their own special way! You, me, the mailman! We're all different!"
Unsure how to respond, Jill replied, "Yes. Well, good on you, Athena. I'm glad you're in higher spirits all of the sudden."
"I so am!" Athena pulled her in and hugged her tight. "Today will be much better than yesterday. I'm certain-"
"Hi, Jill!"
Athena broke off and released Jill as Iko walked by and waved to her, following one of the campus trails near the court. She waved back with a beaming smile.
"Hi, Iko!"
With Iko on his way out, Athena asked, "So, you and Iko-something going on there?"
"Well, I've been nervous to tell anybody, but, I think so. I really like him."
"Oh, but he's not very good looking," Athena chuckled. "I mean, he's got acne near his chin, he's a little flubbery, he's not very tall, so on and so forth."
Jill's smile felt the urge to recede, but she kept it, as well as her friendly nature. "You know, if I'm being honest, I've always been kinda-sorta bothered by people thinking that's all that matters. Iko is a sweetheart, and he's a really talented musician. I mean, that track for the challenge yesterday? It was all him, I barely even did anything-don't let him tell you otherwise. He made that in only three hours. Less if you count the time it took him to set up in the library with me. I've been thinking about asking him out."
"Asking him out?" Athena echoed, smiley as ever. "But, silly girl, what are you two supposed to do? There's no diner or bowling alley to hit-we're on international TV!"
"Well, yeah, but, we've been trading off on each other's interests. He'll suffer through basketball for me and I'll do music stuff with him. It's fun, and it shows me he cares. He gets sweaty and worn out and ends up looking really unflattering when we play basketball, but he puts himself through that for me. That's what I like in a guy. That's what's attractive to me."
Athena shrugged. "Okay, Jilly bean. Whatever makes you happy!"
"Do you- do you disagree?"
"Me? No, no, no, of course not! I love that for you! Just be sure you can really trust him-he could be trying to string you along for all you know. I would hate to see you get hurt. You really mean a ton to me."
"Oh, Iko's not one of those guys. I can tell."
"Can you? Just, please, play it safe, okay, Jilly bean?"
"I'm telling you, Athena, Iko is a good guy. Look, I've gotta go use the bathroom-"
"Oh, god, if I've offended you-"
"No, it's not that-"
"Jill, I'm sorry, I- I was just trying to look out for you."
"You're fine, Athena. Don't worry. I'll see you soon, okay?"
"O-tay," she replied playfully.
However, once both girls' gazes averted the other, with Jill walking away and Athena watching her go, their true feelings showed on their faces. Jill's radiant, emerald eyes had a twinge of impatience in them while a repugnant frown stained Athena's once smiley disposition.
Dropouts: Damien, MK, Athena, Holden, Iko, Jill, Kobe, Matcha, Queen, Brook
Grads: Cody, Bowie, Zee, Fish, Jayshawn, Londyn, Stephen
Some quick OC descriptions:
Athena: orangey-blonde, orange contacts, black and white dress
Holden: long, scraggly hair, heavyset, short, leather jacket
Iko: slim-fat, short, stylish overcoat and vest
Jill: athletic build, red hair, tan skin, emerald green eyes
Kobe: tall, big afro
Matcha: brunette, business casual
Queen: purple hair
Fish: typical influencer look
Jayshawn: fit, muscular, dreads, gym tank/shorts
Londyn: brunette, face tattoos, gorgeous features
Stephen: early 2000s emo look
Mercutio: chiseled face, suit, wide-framed
Tracy: slim, suspenders/bowler hat
Brook: silver hair, oversized cardigan