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Steph Gingrich narrows her eyes. "What did you say?"
Mikey, the skinny kid who has been the hero of a thousand DnD adventures Steph has helmed for him, adjusts his glasses nervously. "I was just asking if you were excited about this being your last year in Blackwell Academy!"
They're sitting at one of the picnic tables on the grounds of that same institution of learning, one fine lunchtime.
Steph snorts. "Nooo, you asked me if I had any regrets, Mikey. What would I have to regret, exactly?"
Mikey ducks his head. "Well..." He peers up at her, suddenly grinning. "About never asking out the girl you've been hopelessly crushing on for the past three years? Y'know-"
"Don't you say it," Steph hisses.
But Mikey isn't really a skinny kid anymore, he's a lanky youth who towers over Steph these days, and that's made him bold.
Bold enough to say, "What? Rachel Amber? Even if I say it three times, it isn't going to summon her, Steph!"
"What about Rachel?"
Mikey jumps in surprise. Steph quickly turns her scowl into a smile for the newcomer. "Juliet! Hey, dude!"
Juliet Watson, Blackwell's school reporter and leading gossip, parks herself beside Mikey and waves at Steph. To Mikey she says, "Is she still pining for Rachel?"
Steph quickly says, "No!"
Because Steph is not pining. Nor has she been mooning over Rachel. Or crushing. Or any other such thing.
True, Rachel is mesmerisingly beautiful. And openly bisexual. And her enthusiasm for acting complements Steph's for stage direction. And, granted, she's smart, charming, witty, and generally great company.
But it's not like Steph still gets butterflies in her stomach whenever she's in the same room as Rachel. That would be pretty lame, considering she's never quite manged to be alone in the same room as Rachel.
Luckily, Steph really isn't interested in Rachel Dawn Amber that way anymore.
Mikey smirks at Juliet. "Yes. Yes she is."
Steph flashes him a glare while Juliet's giggling. It must be a good one, because Mikey winces, and loses his smirk.
Steph manages a smile. "So! Juliet. How's things?"
Juliet grins. "Well, as it happens, I have some good Rachel Amber gossip. If you have something for me...?"
On the one hand, Steph really wants to move the conversation away from Rachel. On the other, Juliet is one of her favourite customers and Steph has very much been looking forward to this moment.
"Ah, not much today Juliet. But...maybe you'd like to give this film a go?"
Steph slips the disc out of her bag and passes it to Juliet, whose eyes widen when she reads the label. "You found it..."
Mikey peers at the disc, raising an eyebrow. "Ek Tha Tiger? Huh?"
Juliet gives him a pitying look. "Bollywood, Mikey. It's...pure cinematic ecstasy. That's all."
Steph grins. She loves few things more than making people happy. "Juliet's a real aficionado."
Mikey stares at Juliet, who is gently caressing the cover of the disc. "Uh huh. I can see that..."
"We'll be together soon, Salman," Juliet whispers. She sighs and carefully puts the disc into her bag. "Steph...you're an angel. So, for my part of the deal...Rachel Amber landed herself a detention."
Mikey blinks. "What? The best, most perfect student in the school? How?"
Juliet shrugs. "Mrs Hoida caught her passing notes, apparently."
Steph frowns. "That's it?"
Juliet rolls her eyes. "I didn't get to read the notes, Steph! But...here's where things become relevant to your interests. Hoida's taken poorly, and she's leaving early today. So, Mr Keaton is going to be supervising Rachel. And you know what he's like..."
Mr Keaton is Blackwell's drama teacher. He's not the strictest enforcer of the rules. And Rachel is his star pupil. Steph is one of his students, too; one who not infrequently works on props in the drama lab after school. And if she offered to supervise his detainee for him, Keaton would probably be only too happy to leave the two of them alone.
"Oh," Steph says, trying to sound casual.
Mikey and Juliet exchange a look that suggests she wasn't very successful.
"Well, looks like my work here is done!" Juliet climbs off the bench. "Later, Mikey! Thanks again, Steph! And good luck!"
Juliet strides away, waving over her shoulder.
Steph waves distractedly. She's too busy thinking to notice anything until Mikey nudges her.
"What?" She blinks up at him.
Mikey is standing up with his bag slung on his shoulder. "Bell, Steph."
"Oh!" Steph grabs her bag and jumps out of her seat.
Mikey says, "So...I'm guessing we're not starting the Avatar game tonight?"
Steph thinks guiltily of the new campaign she's got ready to go in her bag, and of the fact that she promised the evening to Mikey. "I...might swing by the drama lab instead? If...that's cool?"
"It's cool." And even though she can sense his disappointment, he puts on a smile and says, "Go for it, Steph."
Steph goes for it.
After classes are finished, she makes her way to the drama lab. She thinks about what she's going to say to Mr Keaton, mostly because that way she doesn't have to think about what she's going to say to Rachel.
As it happens, Steph runs into a flustered Mr Keaton in the corridor. "Oh, hey sir!"
He wrings his hands. "Stephanie! How propitious that you approach in this hour of dire calamity!"
Luckily, Steph is fluent in Keaton. "What can I do for you, Mr K?"
He gestures towards the lab. "Duty to the school compels me to watch over the wayward youth. Duty to my vocation compels me to entirely rewrite the school play to accomodate the Principal's...principles. I think, between us, that he simply hates Marlowe."
"And you, requiring solitude for the rewrites, need someone to supervise her...uh, the youth?"
"Precisely! If that would not trouble you unduly?"
"Well, I'm definitely Team Kit, sir." Steph pats her bag. "And I happen to have all the material we need to run improv drills on me."
"Perfect! I owe you, Stephanie!"
Steph manages to hide her grin until Mr Keaton turns away. He leads her to the drama lab, and as they walk, Steph's heart quickens and she has to wipe her palms on her jeans.
Mr Keaton opens the door with a flourish. "Wayward youth! Stephanie here shall be your guardian. She has my full authority, so heed her every word!"
Steph steps round him into the room. Her grin dies.
Rachel Amber, she of the sharp hazel eyes and flowing blonde locks, is sitting at a cluster of desks in the middle of the room. She offers Steph a warm, if bemused, smile. "Hey, Steph!"
Which would be great, if it wasn't for the two other girls sitting with her.
A girl with a blonde pixie cut snaps, "You can't put her in charge of us! This whole thing is Rachel's fault! I-"
Mr Keaton says, "Much as I appreciate free artistic expression, Victoria, the rather...unflattering documents you and Rachel directed at each other have brought shame on both your houses. You must endure this rebuke!"
Victoria, a girl who wears tailored couture rather than clothes, says, "But-"
The other girl in the room leans forward. She has dyed blue hair, and is wearing shredded jeans and a wifebeater. She says, "Awww, Vicky! It's almost like you don't want to hang out with us!"
Victoria glares at her. "My name is Victoria. And I refuse to be stuck in a room with a burnout loser like you for an hour!"
Steph winces. Chloe Price might not be a burnout loser, exactly, but she's Blackwell's most troubled student and she isn't famed for her even temper. Or for suffering the jibes of mean rich kids gladly...
Chloe's blue eyes blaze. She opens her mouth, and Steph unconsciously takes a step back.
"Two hours, I'd think," Mr Keaton observes, mildly.
Chloe clamps her mouth shut and sits back, scowling.
Victoria looks like she wants to protest, but Rachel cuts her off. "We're sorry to be such an inconvenience, Mr Keaton! But I can speak for all of us when I say that we'll be as well-behaved with Steph as we would be if you were in the room."
Steph isn't sure she finds that comforting.
Rachel winks at Steph.
It doesn't help.
Steph says, "Uh, sir? I didn't think there'd be-"
"Wonderful! I'll leave them in your capable hands!"
Mr Keaton exits, leaving Steph with three metaphorical bears.
She smiles nervously at the other three. Victoria glares back at her. Chloe glares at Victoria.
Rachel smiles sunnily. "Victoria, relax. It's one detention."
Victoria huffs and pointedly looks away.
"Chloe...I am stoked we get to hang out properly again. It's been so long!"
Chloe looks uncertain. "You are? I mean, it was just that one gig..."
Steph frowns. She had no idea Rachel and Chloe knew each other at all.
"And Steph! The beating heart of the drama lab. We're all yours for the next two hours. What do you have in mind for us?"
Steph coughs out a laugh. "Um...so...about that...one minute!"
Steph darts out of the lab. There's no way she can do this without backup. She digs out her phone and sends an SOS to Mikey.
Mikey grins at her when he arrives at the lab. "Hey! Gaming's on? With Rachel?"
"Uh...yeah! So...go on in!"
Mikey stares at her. "You're being weird..."
"Am I? No, everything's fine! Uh..."
He raises an eyebrow. He opens the door a crack, peers into the room, and hastily slams the door shut.
"Victoria Chase is in there! She's the biggest, meanest snob there is! I am not doing this!"
"Look, I know Victoria and Chloe are a bit-"
Mikey gesticulates wildly. "Chloe Price, too?! The girl who scares my big brother?"
Mikey's brother Drew was Blackwell's leading football star and is the largest and most physically capable man Steph knows. He's been known to loudly and hotly deny being scared of Chloe at not infrequent intervals since...The Incident.
"That was one time, years ago! And Drew was way out of line picking on Justin like that. Chloe's not so bad, really."
And the thing is, Chloe really isn't. She's an occasional customer of Steph's. She has good taste in movies and has never given Steph a hard time. As far as Steph is aware, Chloe's never given any student grief. Not unprovoked, anyway...
Mikey snorts. "Well, Victoria is! So bad!"
And the thing is...Steph can't argue with him on that one.
Before she can even try, the door opens and Rachel pokes her head out. She smells like jasmine and t he realisation of a longed for utopian future. She says, "Steph, the inmates are getting restless. Oh! Mikey, right? Are you joining us, too?"
Mikey hesitates.
Rachel flips her long, shiny hair behind her ear and unleashes her gleaming teeth in a dazzling smile.
Mikey doesn't stand a chance.
Steph isn't sure how good her chances are, either.
"A role-playing game?" Victoria asks, suspiciously. "What are you trying to pull here?"
Mikey ventures, "It's just Dungeons and Dragons..."
Victoria glares at him. "That sounds worse! And why is he here?"
Steph shakes her head. "Mikey's an expert in this style of...structured improv! It's a game, but really it's about...taking on a character with minimal information and...inhabiting the role!"
Chloe snorts. Steph knows that Chloe isn't a drama student. She's just a veteran of detentions who looks like she wants to quietly do her time and get out of here.
Rachel says, "So what's this game about? Who are we playing as?"
Steph gratefully accepts the lifeline. "It's a homebrew setting, based on the Avatar shows? Uh, the new one that just aired, really. The Legend of Korra?"
Rachel's expression is friendly, but blank. Chloe has her arms folded and is glowering at the ceiling.
Victoria scowls. "Is this that dumb cartoon? Seriously?"
"It's not dumb!" Mikey snaps.
Before Victoria can say anything, Rachel says, "What's it about?"
Steph says, "It's a world where there are four nations: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Some people can control the element from their nation. So some people from the Fire Nation, for example, can create and direct fire. It's called bending. Not everybody can do it, so benders are kinda...highly valued in society. One person, the Avatar, can control all four elements. She -- in this case, Korra -- is also supposed to help keep the world...balanced. She and her friends stop bad guys from wrecking things, basically. Oh, and it's set in a kind of steampunk, industrialised place called Republic City."
Rachel grins. "Sounds cool!"
Victoria says, "I want to be the Avatar!"
They all stare at her.
Victoria flushes. "What? She's the star, isn't she? If I'm doing this weird crap, I want the leading part!"
Steph hesitates. "Yeah, in the show Korra is the main character. But...in an RPG, all players are equal. So Korra has crazy powers, but she's got a lot of weaknesses, too. Everyone...balances!"
"Besides," Mikey says, "you wouldn't want to be Korra. Korra's got no money."
Victoria blinks. "What? That makes no sense! She's basically the equivalent of the United Nations from the sounds of things. With superpowers. Why aren't all the governments paying her? Why isn't she making them pay her?"
Steph says, "Uh...that is a question you asked! Korra gets looked after by this secret organisation called the White Lotus, who take care of her needs. So that's why she doesn't have any money?"
Victoria scoffs. "A secret organisation? Is she an undercover UN?"
"Well, no...but she's only seventeen and she's untested. So people don't really listen to her yet."
Victoria frowns. "So...what? Does she have another job or is she just on secret society welfare?"
Steph takes a breath. "Korra is also supported by the Air Nation. A man called Tenzin is her mentor. Kinda..."
Mikey adds, "Korra's also hotheaded, stubborn, quick to anger, and tends to like punching her way out of problems. And she's hiding a ton of insecurities, but basically has the biggest heart in the world. So, Victoria, what I'm saying is-"
Rachel says, "Chloe? You're playing Korra."
Steph blinks.
Chloe yanks her gaze from the ceiling and gapes at Rachel. "Uh...what? Isn't she, like...the most important person in the world?"
Rachel smiles. "From everything I've just heard, you're born to play her!"
Chloe looks down at the table. And is maybe...blushing?
Mikey tugs at Steph's sleeve. "Sidebar real quick?"
Steph leans and whispers, "Uh, what was up with that? Do you think Rachel-"
Mikey hisses, "Steph! I was supposed to be Korra! I've been looking forward to this!"
Steph narrows her eyes. "Wanna argue that with Chloe?"
Mikey hesitates. He adjusts his glasses. "I...fine," he mutters. "Good sidebar."
He leans back.
"Who am I, then?" Victoria demands. "What are my options?"
"Well, you could be...hmm. What about-"
"Asami?" Mikey suggests.
Steph clenches her teeth. "Sidebar!"
They lean in. Mikey whispers, "What? She's rich, which will make Victoria happy."
"Victoria cannot play Asami! Asami is the most empathetic character on the show! Rachel should be Asami!"
Mikey scoffs. "What? Why?"
"Rachel should be Asami. Asami is a genius, and she's really kind, but she's not someone you should ever take for granted or mess with. And there's more going on with her than she lets on. Like, she's got real tragedy in her life, but she doesn't let just anyone close enough to see it? And she's...like...she does that hair flip thing, and she's really...uh, beautiful..."
Steph thinks every word of that statement is accurate. And it sounds heartfelt, sincere, and disarmingly sweet.
So it sort of sucks that Steph didn't say it.
Chloe Price, Blackwell's resident angry loner, did.
There's another round of shocked silence and staring.
Chloe's quite red-faced. She mutters, "I don't really homework, so...I watch cartoons...Korra was cool! Ending kinda sucked, but maybe season two will fix that? Uh...anyone else wanna talk?"
Steph's heart sinks. Rachel is blushing, and fiddling nervously with her hair.
Rachel says, "Ah. Uh...Asami sounds amazing. I'll give her a shot. If you really think I could pull it off..."
Chloe nods. "Yeah. Totally! You're, uh, perfect. For the part!"
Victoria, scowling like a gargoyle on the roof of a particularly self-important cathedral, says, "She...she sounds really lame! I'm glad I don't have to play her!"
Steph looks from Chloe to Rachel and back. She smothers a sigh and says, "Looks like we have our Korra and Asami!"
Steph passes them their character sheets.
Mikey frowns. "Well...okay, so can I be Mako, at least...?"
Victoria says, "Who's Mako? Is he cool?"
Steph seesaws her hand. "Eh...he's a powerful firebender, and a professional athlete, and he helps Korra save Republic City. He kinda dates Asami...and then dumps her for Korra, too. He's mostly well-intentioned, I guess, but he's a bit of a-"
Before Steph can say 'self-absorbed jerk,' Victoria says, "Whatever! I'll be him! Let's just get this over with!"
Mikey glares at Steph. "I'm not playing Bolin! He's the comic relief!"
Steph shrugs. "Nah, you couldn't pull that off. You're Tenzin."
Mikey sputters in indignation. "What?! The uptight guy who's a stickler for the rules? The one who tries to keep everyone else in line and mostly gets ignored?"
Victoria says, sweetly, "From everything I've heard, you were born to play him!"
Chloe says, "Lay off him, Victoria."
Victoria snorts and turns to Steph. "Who are you going to be? Bolin?"
Mikey groans. "She's the dungeon master! The DM! How can you not know this?"
"I don't speak nerd, obviously! And I think 'dungeon mistress' sounds-"
"It's like I'm the director!" Steph says hastily. "I set the scene, and let you know what the rules are, and then you guys run the scene! I will also play the other characters you meet, like, yes, Bolin!"
Rachel says, "Oh. So you're not playing the same way as us? It's still fun for you, though?"
"Yeah, but the fun is in making it fun for everyone else. I'm the storyteller. It's what the DM does!"
Victoria snorts. "Well, if I'd known that being in charge was an option..."
"It's not. For your first time, anyway. You need to know the rules and have a story ready." Steph tries to smile. "If you want though, Victoria, I could teach you the rules another time..."
Mikey looks horrified, but it's a safe offer to make. Victoria just rolls her eyes and diligently applies herself to her character sheet.
Steph looks at Rachel. She's smiling as Chloe nervously explains what the things on Asami's character sheet mean.
Steph has seen Chloe unleash verbal put downs that have made boys bigger than her run crying. She has seen Chloe in all her wrath facing down Drew North during The Incident.
She has never seen Chloe Price...nervous.
Mikey tugs her sleeve. Steph leans in. "Hey," he whispers. "Do you think Chloe...?"
Steph watches Chloe laugh at something Rachel says. "Yeah. I do," Steph says, sadly.
Mikey nods. "Me, too. She's definitely played DnD before."
Steph stares at Mikey. She wonders if he should have been Bolin, after all.
Steph sighs. "Okay, here's how we start! Korra, along with your good friends Mako, Bolin and Asami, and your mentor, Tenzin, are on a mission to settle a border dispute between two neighbouring provinces..."
"This sounds boring," Victoria says.
Steph grits her teeth. "From here on out, new rule! Unless you're asking about how something works, everything you say is what your character says! Okay?"
Team Avatar reaches the valley that is the cause of the recent dispute. Both sides are claiming that the valley is theirs.
Tenzin says, "We should explore the valley. Become familiar with the terrain. We might find something that could prove useful in our negotiations."
Korra says, "Uh...I could probably just flatten the valley, right? Wouldn't that save time?"
Mako says, "Sounds like a plan. Ugh! Babe..."
Asami sighs. "Korra, I love your enthusiasm, but it might be best to try diplomacy first. And Mako, could you please not call Korra 'babe'?"
Mako frowns. "Do you think I like it? We're dating, aren't we?"
Korra blinks. "Oh. Crap. I kinda forgot...right! Snookums...?"
Mako makes a sweeping gesture, accidentally incinerating a nearby shrub. "I'm not a...'snookums'. I'm a serious artist...uh, athlete. Serious people don't get called 'snookums'."
Korra puts her fists on her hips. "I know what I'd like to call you!"
"Perhaps we could focus on the valley? And the negotiations?" Tenzin says, nervously.
Mako studies the terrain intently. He says, "This looks boring."
Tenzin surrounds the team with a globe of clean air, pushing back the poisonous vapours released by the carnivorous plants.
He yells, "Who knew there even were carnivorous plants in the Earth Kingdom? That isn't anything a reasonable person could be prepared for!"
Bolin, tripping over a whipping vine, and crashing to the earth, says, "It's probably a spirit thing, Tenzin!"
Korra explodes the stamen of a ravenous flower with a fiery punch. "Whatever! We just gotta deal with it!"
Bolin mutters, "Heh! Nice!"
"So now can I flatten the valley?"
Mako cuts through another plant's stem with a precise jet of flame. "Oh, I thought we were a team, but apparently everything has to be done Korra's way!"
"What?! I'm raising the question with the team, dear! When I could just get my glowing eyes on and get things done, darling!"
Korra stomps her foot, launching a chunk of soil containing a plant into the air. Mako destroys it with a burst of fire.
"Huh. That was sort of cool. But I hate that we're dating! This has clearly been a huge mistake!"
"You know what else was a mistake?" Korra uses a gust of air to deflect a barbed vine from hitting Asami.
Asami crouches in the middle of the group, digging tools out of her pack and going to work on her gauntlet. "Maybe you guys should save some fight for the things trying to kill us?"
"Oh, do tell!" Mako says, ignoring Asami. He ducks another vine, only for a third to wrap around his leg. "Hey! Why don't you help me? Your...boyfriend?"
Tenzin says, "Stay focused! This is clearly a trap set by a dangerous foe. We must work together to prevail!"
Asami says, "Korra! Get ready to light it up!"
She hurls the power core of her gauntlet into the middle of the remaining plants.
Korra directs a huge blast of fire at the core, which detonates, taking out the every last razor leaf and lashing tendril.
Korra whoops in victory. "Nice thinking, Asami!"
Asami smiles, casually flipping her perfect hair. "Thanks, Korra. And thanks for looking out for me, there. You're very sweet."
Tenzin coughs. "You may have destroyed some vital clues as to who set this trap..." Korra glares at him. "But, yes, good job," he adds quickly.
Mako whines, "But fire's my only thing! And I can even do lightning! Asami, ask me to do the thing next time!"
Asami sighs. "Mako, you're hurt! I didn't want you...overexerting yourself. And that lightning power could be useful later!"
Mako huffs. "Fine! And...I guess that was pretty smart. Or whatever."
Korra eyes Mako suspiciously. "Hmm...don't get too friendly with the ex, sugar."
Tenzin says, "Chief Peng! I must insist that you listen to us! There are evil forces at work trying to start a war!"
Peng scoffs. "Do you bring evidence? Or merely bluster?"
Tenzin sighs. "A lot of the evidence...burned up..."
Mako folds his arms huffily. "That was not my fault!"
Korra says, "Eh. Kinda both of us, that time. Who knew that papyrus was so flammable?"
Tenzin mutters, "Everyone?"
Peng growls, "If you have nothing but empty words, I must insist that you leave. I must ready my people...for war!"
Asami says, "Wait! I only saw one page, but I transcribed it from memory. It implicates a group called The Green Vine. Perhaps this could convince you to delay your march?"
Korra's eyes widen. "Wow! You only saw that page for a minute! Less, even! You remembered all that?"
Asami shrugs, smiling wryly. "I've got a good memory. I spend a lot of time having to quickly memorise...uh, machine schematics?"
Korra smiles. "It's impressive..."
Asami grins back. "So are you, Avatar. The way you dealt with those Green Vine...bender guys, I mean."
Mako says, "You're both annoying. And how come you never say nice things about me, Korra?"
"Well, maybe if you'd do something nice, I'd say nice things about you, honey."
"I can't talk to you when you're like this! I can never win!"
Peng dramatically clears his throat. "Very well! I will prepare my people to defend our territory, but I will not march out. But you must convince that oaf Jiang to stand down, too!"
Tenzin says, "I'm glad we were able to resolve this diplomatically. We will visit Jiang at once!"
"Hopefully he'll be less boring than Chief Peng," Mako grumbles.
Tenzin glances at Mako nervously. "Peng can hear you!"
Mako sniffs and folds his arms. "Good."
Hanging upside down from his manacles, Tenzin says, "Is Jiang interesting enough, Mako?"
Mako, tied up and submerged up to his neck in a barrel of water, says, "I don't get it."
Asami, from the iron cage she's sitting in, says, "Jiang is being paid off by the Green Vine, is my guess. Oh, and Korra? Do you think you can work a nail loose and get it over to me somehow?"
Korra, locked into a set of stocks, squints thoughtfully at the head of the nail near her hand. "Yeah, definitely the vine guys are behind Jiang. And I can try..."
Mako says, "No, I don't get why Asami and I didn't work out."
There's a moment's silence.
Asami says, "Uh...what?"
"I mean...Asami's smart, beautiful, rich...and we've got so much in common. Whereas Korra..."
Korra snaps, "Yes, beloved?"
"Korra's a real brat. Korra...we're through. Asami...want to give it a go? Another one, I mean?"
Korra gasps. "What?"
Asami says, "Uh...actually...no. Because you treated me badly when I was still reeling from my father's betrayal. And after I put my all into making our relationship work, too. You...you're not a bad person...Mako. But you're selfish, sometimes. And not always aware of how much you hurt other people."
Mako stares at Asami, pale and wordless.
Asami sighs. "I think you've got it in you to change, Mako. For the better. But...you need to be willing to make the effort."
Tenzin strains against his manacles. "Oh, no! I think I hear the guards coming!" He looks at Bolin, half-conscious and wrapped in chains. "You hear them? Please?"
Bolin stirs feebly. "Not...yet...Tenzin."
Asami says, "Korra? I know a lot of people think you're some fierce, angry person. But I can see that there's so much passion and kindness in you. I'd love it if we could spend more time together. Maybe after we...escape this dungeon?"
"Uh...yeah. Yeah, okay. I...I'd really like that, too, Ra...ah, Asami."
Tenzin sighs. "Well, I always thought Asami would end up with Bolin..."
Bolin says, "Nah. I had a feeling from pretty early on it was going to go this way."
Mako says, stiffly, "Let's just get out of here..."
Steph jumps when the door to the drama lab opens. Mr Keaton strides in, smiling.
"Your durance vile is complete! Go forth my children, and sin no more!"
They all share a look.
Steph says, "Actually Mr Keaton, is it okay if we have a few more minutes to wrap up?"
He nods. "Just a few, though. I need to lock this place up."
He wanders into the dressing room, humming under his breath.
Steph looks round the table. "So...uh, I guess I could tell you how the story ends?"
Victoria scowls. "No! I..." She bites her lip.
Rachel says, "Leave it a mystery?" She looks at Chloe. "Or rather, trust us to make our own ending."
Chloe chuckles. "Yeah, I wouldn't trust me with that...I'd mess it up."
Rachel smiles at her. "I do trust you. But if you like, we can work it out together."
Chloe ducks her head, blushing.
And smiling.
And if Steph's heart hurts, just a little, there's this, too: she loves making people happy.
And Chloe and Rachel look pretty happy right now.
Mikey shrugs. "I'll find out another time. Steph and I will play this one to the end, later."
Victoria says, "Well...whatever. I don't care."
Victoria is the first to leave. Not quite believing that she's doing it, Steph follows her.
"Hey, Victoria?"
She faces Steph, arms folded and scowl in place. "What? I've got things to do."
Steph shrugs. "Well, next time you don't...you'd be welcome to join me and Mikey. If you want to see how it all ends."
Victoria freezes. After a long second, she says, "Not likely."
She strides away quickly. But she does look back, before she turns the corner, and she looks thoughtful when she does.
Steph smiles.
Rachel and Chloe leave together.
Steph takes her time packing up her things, wanting to give them their space.
They've got things to figure out.
Mikey hovers nervously, watching her. At length he says, "I...kinda regret encouraging you to come here today."
Steph shrugs. "I don't."
Mikey shakes his head. "You...missed your chance to ask out Rachel Amber, and basically...helped her work up to asking Chloe Price out. Steph, that's..."
"Giving other people happiness?" Steph slowly smiles. "It's what the DM does, dude."
Steph leaves the lab with Mikey and without a single regret.