it's time to begin

“Is it really?! Holy crap, I’ve never seen anything like it, Buck!”

She nearly got off track, but when he brought up the back, she was all business again. Well, as close to business as possible. 

Man, this girl had some gusto! He liked that! Someone as young as her startin up a band...when in reality, he was only a grade above. Maybe it was because of how tiny she was. Regardless, he thinks he's found a new friend in her.

awesome!!! k meet me at the foundtain tonite at 6pm. or b4 it gets dark lol. Im excited!!!

Working diligently, the little copycat continued to paste her posters to the corridors when she noticed a young man in her peripheral vision—how astute. She turned her head a bit, keeping a quiet watch on him as he eyed the flyer she had previously put on the corkboard. When she heard the chime of his mobile, she assumed that perhaps that boy was the interested messager. 

“Um, hello!!” Mimi called across the hall to the ginger, waving with both hands and, forgetting the papers under her arm, let her advertisements fall to the tiled floor. “Aw, shoot!” She scrambled the colorful fliers in her arms and scurried over to the upperclassman. 

“Are you looking at that flier?” Mimi tried to tuck the papers into her messenger bag, smiling up at him. She wasn’t doing such a super job. “Looks pret-ty neat, huh?” Her eyes were then drawn to his hair and she wondered how she would pull off copying that…

Her name was Copycat, at least, that was her better-known alias. She was here to be a little more social, make more friends…and make music. Under her arms were many colorful copies of fliers advertising a “Small Band looking for members”. Reaching her arms as high as they could allow, she stapled page after page across nearly every bulletin board she could find.

Looking for currently active musicians—looking to play music with friends! Let’s meet in the courtyard this weekend, I will bring snacks!!

Shit, music and snacks? Sounded good to him! Besides, it had been a while since he'd been able to play the drums. Too long, he thought.

The picture on it, he had to admit, was pretty cute. Four generic FP students happily playing a song together. But who put this together...?

If curious, please contact Mimi at 262-7928!!

Mimi, huh? Must be someone new here! He whipped out his phone and typed the number into his contacts, donning it with the name "Mimi?" before shooting a text her way.

Not particularly unnerved by how easy it seemed to be for people to believe he was dead, he laughed a little, rocking back on his heels a bit while he glanced around the room. “Oh, no, I just got sick for a while and needed to go home. I’m okay now!” More or less, anyway.

He flopped down on his bed, grabbing a ball made out of paper mache and tossing it in the air. He acknowledged Wally's question, but hesitated to answer it. To be honest, Buck was pretty bummed out that people had decided to leave. Barry left (again), his (ex?) girlfriend, prez, Ivory, and a bunch of others...

He was on his way to his new dorm when he heard singing— a vaguely familiar song, although somehow far sadder than he remembered. Intrigued, mostly by the possibility that someone may be deeply upset and in need of a comforting shoulder to cry on, he followed his ears to the source of such a sorrowful ballad—

Only to find Marina Diamandis reincarnated as a teenage boy “getting groovy” (as his uncle would say) in their dorm room. He then realized it was actually just Buck, a familiar acquaintance he’d met a couple times before.

"He's got good taste, heh."

Tying his hair back up, he shut off the music and gestured for the green one to come inside, making sure the door was actually shut this time.

Hmmmm….

….

STARK MOUNTAIN! Wow, impressive. I would never choose to stay up there…