Bittersweet Candy Bowl

37. A Different Side, original chapter posted 7/4/07

Page 11 of 16

Transcript

*Daisy falls backward, terrified.*
Daisy: !!

*Daisy manages to flip and land on all fours. Her skirt flies up.*

*Daisy realizes she’s just flashed everyone in the stands. Behind her, everyone watches with their mouths open.*
Everyone: …

*Paulo, Mike, Abbey and Yashy all cover their eyes. Paulo and Mike turn away but Lucy keeps looking straight ahead.*
Paulo, Mike and Abbey: GUHH!!

*David stares blankly, a blush on his face. Paulo glares at David, waving a hand in front of him.*
David: Hot
Paulo: HEY!! STOP THAT!!

*Daisy looks nervously at the crowd.*
Paulo: DON’T LOOK AT HER THAT WAY!!
Crowd: Nice curves~ ♥
Paulo: SHUTTUP!! MIKE, YOU TOO!!
Mike: What?! I’m looking away!!
Daisy: …

*Katie and Stacy look at Daisy with concern. The shadowy crowd behind them starts chattering. David and Paulo keep talking in the distance.*
David: Isn’t she great?
Paulo: SHUTTUP DAVID!!
Katie: Um, like, Daisy?

*Daisy blushes, still on her knees.*
Crowd: Damn! (whistle)
Katie: Are you, like, okay?
Daisy: Heehee

*Daisy blushes and looks up with big, innocent eyes. She’s surrounded by sparkles.*
Daisy: Silly me. I must have slipped ♥

*Katie stares at Daisy, who continues to smile sweetly.*
Katie: Your butt was, like, totally on display.
Daisy: Oh, was it~?

*The principal tries to get things back on track.*
Principal: Even after a little, um.. mix-up.. at the end there, our cheerleader squad always brings the school together! A round of applause everyone!!
*Paulo frowns. Lucy ponders while Yashy scowls.*
Lucy: ..?
Yashy: Whore!

*The principal smiles. In the background, Tess pumps her fist and grins at the gym teacher.*
Principal: And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for the storied teachers versus students competition! Get ready for the first game!

[Caption: TEN EXHILARATING GAMES LATER…]
*A smiling clock in a top hat dances across the panel.*

*The principal, now in a bandanna, smiles.*
Principal: Oh, what a brutal match of ping pong!
*The gym teacher looks angry. Tess laughs while another student glares at her.*
Mike: JUST END IT ALREADY!!

Principal: Congratulations to the students for a well-deserved victory! Can a team representative provide us with some closing words?
*The principal looks over at Tess, the gym teacher and the student. The student roughly shoves Tess onto the stage.*

*The principal attempts to hand the microphone to Tess, who refuses to take it.*
Principal: Come on up! Don’t be shy!
Tess: Buh-wait, I..

*Tess, blushing and sweating, takes the microphone.*
Tess: .. Uhh, hi everyone! What a.. year it’s been so far, huh?
*An anonymous voice shouts from the crowd.*
Student: Get off the stage!

Tess: Haha, yeah, so, I just wanted to take a moment to recognize all the hard work we’ve--
*Another anonymous voice shouts.*
Student: Nobody cares, bitch!
*Tess smiles uncomfortably. The principal looks unnerved.*

Author commentary

Veronica: I like that Lucy literally doesn’t care, it’s just some underwear! Half the time we’re just wearing accessories and nothing else, you guys, get with the program!

This segment of the chapter was considerably rewritten because I wanted to find a good way to get Tess up on stage that wasn’t hackneyed or forced, and I thought her family donating computers (as they did in the previous version) was super lame because you should be thanking her parents for doing that, not her! It doesn’t make any sense!!! What a random thing to get her on stage for!

Meanwhile I remember pep rallies having nonsense teacher-vs-student games and I can see Tess participating in those, but not wanting to actually speak.. and being shoved into an uncomfortable situation by another, bitter student. I just felt that sequence flowed better.

Oliver: It was also pretty fun rewriting the taunts and jeers, I think.