40. TOTAL DRAMA SCHOOL

Olimpia: Yep, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation. Well, it all started on one nice autumn day…

Baba O'Riley - The Who

Out here in the fields
I farm for my meals
I get my back into my living

I went to school, like always. Well, almost always. At least lately I’ve been attending pretty regularly.

I don't need to fight
I don't need to be forgiven
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't cry
Don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland

To prove I'm right

This is Flamenco Caliente High School, named after a guy who burned bright in life and then went out in a dramatic blaze. Bright enough to be remembered. And here I am in this lovely institution—an average student with a complicated relationship with fire. Just don’t think too hard about the irony...

*The build "Copperdale High School" is by SakuraLeon

Everyone says it’s a very good school. A place full of passion, spark, the burning embers of young talent… Yeah, okay, now I’m making fun of it a little. Because on one hand, it’s obvious I don’t really belong here. But on the other… well, you can probably see that karma had a hand in this.

That day, classes were exceptionally hard to sit through. We were covering frog anatomy. After the break, there was supposed to be practical work. Good thing poor Teodora was at home and didn’t have to witness the torment of her frog relatives.

Olimpia: I’m not cutting up a frog! No way! I’d just see Teodora lying there on the table the whole time.

Elena: Then maybe we should just ditch altogether?

Olimpia: Nooo, that’s out. I can’t mess up again. I promised my mom I would behave.

Elena: Then maybe pretend you’re feeling sick?

The illness idea appealed to me more. Elena had a knack for this sort of thing. Yeah, it could work. Besides, at the sight of a dissected frog, I probably wouldn’t have to pretend anything. A planned fake-out could easily turn into a spectacular, completely unplanned puke.

While thinking about this perfect plan, I didn’t notice the bell ringing. Also didn’t notice the principal. But he noticed me. With only imaginary vomit in my head, I blurted out that I’d eaten something bad and was just coming back from the restroom. He bought it. A win is a win. And technically, I only lied halfway.

Mrs. F. was not nearly as understanding and completely failed to appreciate my joke about how she’d never find her prince if she kept cutting up all the frogs. What? I mean, it’s true.

F.: You find this funny, Drozd? You can polish your sense of humor all afternoon, because you’re staying for detention!

I also had to finish the task on the board during the break. Better than cutting up a frog. Unfortunately, mom was supposed to be called in. So yeah, messed up again. When it rains, it pours. Lost in thoughts about the tragicomedy of my life, I kind of drifted off and created a real masterpiece.

Carmen: And what is this monstrosity? Is that your self-portrait, Drozd?

Olimpia: Carmen. What are you doing here?

Carmen: I came to pick up books for Mrs. F. And I have to admit, it’s pretty satisfying to see you right where you belong. In detention! Hahaha!

Olimpia: Well, well. Saintly, sensitive Carmen. Who would’ve thought you’d allow yourself such nastiness? What would your mommy say? Or Mrs. F.? Or the principal? Whew.

Carmen: You think you’re so clever, Drozd?

Olimpia: I know I am! And unlike you, I can do more than just flap my mouth.

Olimpia: I’m not afraid to turn ideas into action!

Without thinking much, Olimpia grabbed a container of colorful liquid from Mrs. F.’s desk.

Carmen: ¡Idiota! That was gentian violet!!! That will never come out!!!

Olimpia: Good!

Carmen: Not good. Not for you. Look what you did to my clothes. And the floor. I’m going to Mrs. F. right now and I’ll tell her everything. We’ll see who’s laughing then. Oh, I see your face just fell.

Watching Carmen leave, I thought this was it. Total disaster. I’d really screwed myself over. What to do. WHAT TO DO? There had to be a way. Something. Anything…

My eyes landed on the back of the classroom. This might work.

You probably thought I started a fire? Well, surprise. I’m smarter than I used to be, so I don’t set my problems on fire anymore. Plus, I really didn’t want to burn down my school. But a little hack to the PA system hooked up to the fire alarm? That’s something else entirely…

Who would’ve thought it’d be that easy? The perfect distraction. I had a clear escape route. And everything probably would’ve worked out if not for…

…the half-open door to the principal’s office. Such an opportunity. Impossible to pass up. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. Hack the grading system and get the password to that worm Carmen’s account. Three birds, really, since the distraction was already a success.

I got Carmen’s account password without any trouble. That little saint is in for a surprise.

Unfortunately, when I tried to hack the grades, I ran into unexpected problems. Instead of improving them, I made them even worse. And on top of that, I think I triggered a silent alarm…

You can probably guess what happened next. Everything went down very fast.

The principal’s computer must’ve had way better security than I thought, and the alarm must’ve gone off earlier than I noticed, because suddenly the principal burst into the office—with some very unexpected company. I was toast.

And that brings us to this moment in my story. Of course, my mom soon arrived at the school and nearly had a heart attack on the spot when she heard what I’d done. The principal said he’d never had such a degenerate in his school before. Oops.

Then something happened that I was completely unprepared for. I got expelled.

You know… I felt like things were really bad. But even in my worst nightmares, I didn’t think they were that bad.

As you can imagine, my mom was devastated. She was so angry she didn’t say a word to me all the way home. Or afterward. I’m a little scared she’ll never talk to me again.

I know that what I’m about to do is total overkill, but I just have to.

I have to talk to someone about all of this. 

Wren: Oh, Ollie. I told you, one day you’d land yourself in real trouble.

Ollie: Yes, you did.

Wren: So what are you going to do now?

Ollie: I don’t know. I really don’t know, Wren.

Wren: You know, getting expelled isn’t the end of the world. It could’ve been worse.

Ollie: For real???

Wren: For real. Not everyone finishes school. And they still turn out okay. Like in very decent way.

Ollie: I don’t know if my dad would agree with that point of view.

Wren: You should finally talk to him and make peace.

Ollie: How? How, Wren? And now, of all times? He was probably already mad at me before, and after this stunt he’ll never forgive me!

Wren: You won’t know unless you try.

Ollie: I’m a total failure. Nothing ever works out for me.

Wren: Don’t say that, Ollie. You’re just going through a rough patch.

Ollie: More like a rough incarnation.

Wren: You’ll see, one day you’ll laugh about all of this.

Ollie: Yeah… kind of hard to believe right now.

Wren: Ollie… promise me one thing, okay?

Ollie: What?

Wren: Don’t do anything stupid. Please. Promise me.

Ollie: Uhhh… I’ll try.

That same evening—though a few hours earlier—Carmen, happy that she’d managed to scrub the gentian violet off her skin, logged into Social Bunny and, to her horror, discovered that someone had hacked it! And posted an embarrassing photo of her, all purple. Just wait until she finds out who did this…

<<<Previous chapter: 39. IT WILL GET BETTER

>>>Next chapter: 41. NEW CHAPTER