[LNH2] Generation Zed: The New Class #11

[Jesse Willey]

Blackbird, Blur and Analysis sat at the kitchen table. Johnny Stomper
sat across from them.   They were all anxious to know what Stomper had
to say.

	"Onion Man and myself spoke to Captain Continuity and
Ultimate Ninja about the situation here at the academy," Stomper told
them.
	"Oh," said Blackbird.
        "Yeah.  They said that, under the circumstances, they'd be
willing to grant you full LNH status and provide you with rooms at LNH
HQ."
        "Oh?" Blur said.  "That's good!"
        "There's a catch though," Stomper said.  "Captain Continuity
insisted that you take exams based on the material that you've covered
to date.  I told them that I could prepare something for you for the
weekend.  If you pass all the exams then you'll be able to move into
LNH HQ.  Otherwise, you'd just have to get used to studying with
little kids and obnoxious aliens."
	"Interesting," said Analysis.
	
	The wooden floor creaked.   Stomper turned around.  Dran was walking
over to the fridge.   Analysis, Blur and Blackbird excused themselves,
got up and left.

	"What are you doing here?" Stomper asked.
	"I couldn't sleep.  I thought I'd get some milk and
cookies," Dran said.
	"Ah," Stomper said.  "Get to it then."

	Generation Zed: The New Class #11
	Strange Visitors Part Three
	Dran's Day
	Plot by Jesse N. Willey
	Written by Jesse N. Willey and Martin Phipps

	Seductress and Alvin walked swiftly through the TV room.  Seductress
sat down on an old chair.   Alvin kneeled down on his knees and sat
next to her.  The TV blinked in the room though oddly they didn't see
anyone watching it.

	"I'm just saying you should talk to him," Alvin said.
	"He abducted my ill son," Seductress said.
   	"Vel's the kid's father.  He did it to save his life.   You
admitted as much last time his past self was here.   Heck, I heard you
saliva swapped with him," Alvin said.
	"You believe all the gossip you here?" she asked.
	"No," Alvin said.   

	The blankets on the couch in front of the TV moved.  There was a loud
crash as a glass fell to the ground.  Seductress turned to go clean it
up.    Dran was pulling the blankets off himself.

	"Dran, what are you doing up?" said Seductress.
	"I couldn't sleep.  I got some cookies and milk.  I still couldn't
sleep.   So I decided to watch the Scooby-Doo marathon on Cartoon
Network," Dran said.   He stared up at the woman.  "Wait? How.. how
did you know my name?"
	"I.."
 
	She looked familiar.   There was a holocube that his father got out
some nights when he thought the kids had all gone to sleep.   There
was a woman who looked a lot like her in there.

	"I saw your nightshirt.  I haven't heard of many
Dorfs who like Garfield," she said.
	Dran just sat there for a moment.  "Are you my
mother?"
	"Go to sleep Dran," Seductress said.

	He began to walk out of the room.  Seductress changed the channel for
a minute, hoping to catch the first few minutes of the morning news.

	"After almost thirty years in prison, the net.villain known as the
Disco King is a free man.  Good morning, I'm Phil Standing and this is
Channel 8 news," said the newscaster.

	=========================================

	Dran stumbled into class close to the bell.   Kaalix and K'Haleem had
taken seats in the back corner of the room.  Dran rushed in and took a
seat in the front of the room between SoWhat and Cheesecake Eater
Lass.
	
	"You look tired," said Cheesecake Eater Lass.
	"I had a little trouble sleeping," he said.
	"You chose a good seat then.  Cake Girl would be more than happy to
be your pillow at nap time," SoWhat said.
	"What??!" Cheesecake Eater Lass said.

	Onion Man walked in.   He was waving a flier in his hand.  He walked
around to the back of the room.  Kaalix and K'haleem began to kiss.

	"As some of you might know, this Friday the Net.tropolis Academy is
having a dance.  Some of you even have dates," said Onion Man.   He
bumped Kaalix and K'haleem's desks with his meter stick.   "Cut that
out you two."
	
	Within seconds of Onion Man's speech, all the girls started writing
notes on folded up little sheets of paper.  Soon almost all of the
boys in the room had a little `suggestion' on their desk.
        
	 "Ha!" Token Boy chuckled.

	  He figured if Whining Girl really could see the future then she
would have known that he wasn't going to ask her out.  Obviously this
was his opportunity to make the move on Skateboard Repair Lass.  It
would have been nice if she had sent him a note though.

	"What is it with these kids lately?" Onion Man said.

	=========================================
		
	Dran, SoWhat and Cheesecake Eater Lass walked through
the halls.   Dran walked off to use his locker.  Kaalix and K'Haleem
were waiting for him.   They snarled.

	"She didn't send you a note, did she?" Kaalix said.
	"Not aside from the one under the cake slice, no," Dran said.

	K'Haleem muttered something in Dorfan.

	"No, I don't know what that means.   Why don't you just tell me?" he
asked.
	"It means she doesn't want you to ask her," Kaalix said.  "Ha-Ha! 
Dran is so pathetic he can't even get a date with a fat human chick."

	=========================================

	While Dran went to check his locker, SoWhat and
Cheesecake Eater Lass continued walking down the hall.

	"So, did you send him a note?" SoWhat asked.
	"Him who??
	"Your boyfriend," SoWhat said.
	"What?"
	"You know, Dran,"  SoWhat said.
	"He's not my boyfriend," Cheesecake Eater Lass said.  "He's just a
friend- who happens to be a boy.  That's it."
	"Then why'd you give him that cake with the note in it?"	
        "You know about that?" Cheesecake Eater Lass said.
	"Everybody knows.   Putting the note under a piece of cheesecake is
about as secret as the recipe for ice," SoWhat said. "I can't blame
you.  If I hadn't already sent a letter to Token Boy, I'd probably
gone for him."
         "Um, isn't my brother closer to your age?"
         SoWhat sighed.  "No offense, but your brother is a child."
         "I realize that, but you also have to accept the fact that
you aren't much older than him whereas you're a lot younger than Dran
or Token Boy.  You may think you are emotionally mature enough to date
someone much older than yourself but most people are going to think
it's really creepy."
         "Yeah, okay.  It's not as if he'd have been interested
anyway."

	Dran came ran up behind them.

	"So, what were you ladies talking about?" Dran asked.
	"How cute Cheesy here thinks your butt is," SoWhat said.
	"What??
	"Kidding."

	=========================================
  	
	Dran, Token Boy, and Kaalix sat in study hall bored out of their
minds.   Normally, it was a time for catching up on homework, getting
help with any other classwork they were having trouble with.   Kaalix
was working on his laptop.  Token Boy was having trouble with
Trigonometry.   Dran was just sitting there, eyes half glazed over.

	"Psst!   Put your headphones on and turn on your laptop monitor,"
whispered Kaalix.
	"Why?" Dran said softly.  
	"You'll see."

	Dran did as he was told.   The sound of running water filled his
ears.

	"How the...?" Dran said.
	"I snuck in there last night while you were getting cookies and
placed a wireless camera," he said.

	  The screen was filled with steam.   Human figures were vaguely
visible.  Dran covered his eyes.   He couldn't believe Kaalix would do
something like this.  Yet, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't
help but listen.
	
	"You do so like him," said SoWhat.
	"Do not," Cheesecake Eater Lass said.
	"C'mon, when he saved us last week, I saw the way you were looking at
him," said SoWhat.
	
	The there was a soft snickering in the background of a voice that
Dran didn't recognize.

	"I heard about that.   With the extra weight and speed the engine
probably blew a valve," the girl's voice said.  Dran pulled out the
headphones and shut down the feed Kaalix was sending him.   He could
still hear the sound softly leaking from Kaalix's machine.  "If you
aren't going to ask him out, maybe I should try to, um, fix his
skateboard."
	"What?  No!" said Cheesecake Eater Lass.  "Besides, I heard Token Boy
was going to ask you."
        "Token Boy?  Ewww!? Skateboard Repair Lass said.
	"What's wrong with Token Boy?" SoWhat asked.  "I think he's cute."
        "Well, okay, if an eight year old girl thinks he's cute."
        "Hey!"
        "I just think it's ironic, don't you?  I mean, if we want a
real manly boy then our best option, really, is someone who isn't even
fully human."

 	The girls walked out of the shower.  Kaalix smiled evilly.  
	
	=========================================

	It was three o'clock at last.   Dran was finally finished with his
day and could catch up on his much missed sleep.  Vel came walking up
to him.

	"Hey son, how are things going?" he said.  "Onion Man told me you
looked tired all day."
	"I didn't sleep well last night, dad," Dran said.
	"You still have to help us haul in the audio equipment for the dance.
 It's going to take us two days to set up," Vel said.
	"Do I have to?" Dran said.  "I'm tired."
	"Well, your mother was going to be there and I thought it was about
time you two were formally introduced," Vel said.
	"Mom?  Really?"
  	"You were so little when you got sick.  I know you don't remember
her.  I know how important this is for you," Vel said.  "Now, perhaps
you can tell me why you had trouble sleeping."
	"Well, I have this friend," Dran said.
	"You have a friend.  Why am I the last to know," Vel said with a
laugh.
	"Well, I have three friends really, but because of this dance thing I
don't know if one of those friends is more than a friend."
	"Oh boy, here we go," Vel said.
	"I'm mean she's kinda hot and we hang out all the time, and when
Kaalix beat the snot out of me with that board she made me some
medicinal cake," Dran said. "But I don't know.  I've never had really
had many friends before let alone a girlfriend.  Dad, what the frig am
I supposed to do."
	"First, don't swear like that around humans.  Two, take things
slowly.   If Cheesecake Eater Lass can't accept that it's her loss,
not yours," Vel said.
	"But Dad, I never said..."
	"How many times do I have to tell you son, your father sees all and
knows all."
	
	=========================================
	  
	Dran put the last box of sound equipment together.  It was already to
go.   This after school activity was a big disappointment.  His mother
never showed up.   Dran, Vel and Johnny Stomper were there.
Most of them time they had been auditioning DJs.  

	"This one's the last one," said Johnny Stomper.  "Why do all the
people who ask for checks payable to cash or ask what our `killed on
the job' policy is?"
	"Because the Net.Tropolis Academy has ties to the LNH.  We have a
very bad reuputation," said Vel.
	
	A man in a white suede jacket with a crown symbal made of gold sequin
designs sewn into it approached them.  He smiled widely and began to
play music.  That was all he did.  He didn't scratch any CDs or
records. He didn't dance around.  He simply played music.

	"May we ask your name sir?" Johnny asked.
	"Yes.  The name is Myers.   Ulysses Myers" he said. "But some call me
the king of Disco."

	To Be Continued?
______________________________________________

Vel, Dran, Kaalix, K'haleem, Skateboard Repair Lass, Alvin, and Disco
King created by Jesse N. Willey.  Johnny Stomper created by Josh
Geurink.  Token Boy, Whining Girl, Seductress and Cheesecake Eater
Lass
created by Martin Phipps.  SoWhat, Blur, Analysis, and Blackbird
created by Lalo Martins.  Onion Man created by Tom Russell Jnr. and
Dane Martin.  This Document copyright Jesse N. Willey and Martin
Phipps.