Episode Five:

The scene opens where the soap last left off: at Lake Flora with Bryce and Allison standing on the shore, Allison looking pissed off as usual, and Bryce looking very uncomfortable. He was just accused of having a crush on his best friend Nydia. The lovely Latina, however, has been having a great time swimming around the lake with her best friend Paul. The four kids just spotted each other, and Nydia and Paul are wading in to greet Allison and Bryce. They are still some distance away.

Allison: “So are you going to admit that you like Nydia, or are you going to stand there with your mouth all open, staring at me?”

Bryce shakes his head to clear his mind, then looks nonchalantly down at Allison.

Bryce: “Yeah, I like Nydia, but ONLY as a friend. Why would you think otherwise?”
Allison: (pouts) “I’ve seen how you look at her. You never look at me like that anymore. And you ALWAYS talk about her.”
Bryce: “Allison, I don’t look at Nydia in any certain way; I just look at her. I’ve known her all my life…since before we could walk or talk. There’s NO WAY I could ever like Nydia as anything more than just a friend.”
Bryce voice-over: “At least, that’s what I used to think. But looking at her right now…”

The camera cuts to a shot of Nydia, walking in the shallows next to Paul, running her fingers through her wet, curling hair.

Bryce voice-over: “God…she’s gorgeous! Argh! What’s wrong with me?”

Nydia and Paul finally make their way to Allison and Bryce. The guys shake hands; the girls wave casually. Then, Nydia attacks Bryce with a mischievous grin on her face and hugs him until he’s soaking wet. The two scuffle playfully, but stop due to icy, uncomfortable glares coming from Allison. There is an awkward silence for a few minutes.

Paul: (eyeing the picnic basket in Bryce’s car) “So…I see that you brought something to eat…” (grin) “Did you bring enough for the whole class?”

Nydia playfully shoves Paul.

Nydia: (grinning) “What do you think, Paul? That they came up here to give you food? They’re probably up here on some romantic get-away. Anyway, we just ate an hour ago!”
Paul: (shrugs) “Yeah, but I’ve got a high metabolism. Plus, we did all that swimming, so I probably burned it all off. I need to replenish my nutrients.”
Nydia: “I swear, Yogi Bear, if I see even one finger of yours anywhere near their picnic basket, I’ll saw it off, and this time, I’ll make sure that it doesn’t get reattached!”

Paul looks mock-scared and protects his damaged pinkie finger by gripping it to his chest. Everyone laughs—even Allison manages a chuckle.

Bryce: “Well, Nydia, you’re right: we DID come up for a little romantic get-together, but I’m sure Allison wouldn’t mind putting our plans on hold for a day…”

Bryce looks to Allison, who quickly puts on a big fake grin.

Allison: “Oh no! Bryce and I can go out anytime, but how often do we get to eat a nice picnic at Lake Flora with friends? Of course you can join us!”
Nydia: “Oh, God, Allison, are you sure? We don’t want to impose…”
Paul: (interrupting) “Nydia, we’re not imposing—they both said so themselves. Now come on, let’s take a look at that pic-a-nic basket!”

The group of four walks off to the car, Paul, Nydia, and Bryce in the front, and Allison trailing behind a little. She is obviously fuming and is muttering something underneath her breath, but it is inaudible to the audience. (How un-soap-like!)

A twenty-something Asian girl is walking down a hallway in Dominica High, chatting with a tall, mysterious-looking black girl of about the same age. They stop in front of the janitor’s closet and appear to listen intently. After a few seconds, much grunting, squeaking, and clattering can be heard. The Asian girl rolls her eyes and, without knocking first, opens the door wide and flicks on the lights. Through the doorway, a very embarrassed-looking David and Jessicka can be seen, frantically trying to put various articles of clothing on. They were obviously taken off-guard, because David has put on Jessicka’s bra and has his pants on backwards, while she is wearing only his boxers and her blouse (which is buttoned all wrong, by the way).

Asian girl: (rolling her eyes) “Christ, David, have you no shame? There are kids in the building still. And I’m in the building—I’m your sister, for God’s sake! I don’t need this; I’m emotionally scarred enough anyway.”
David: (fuming) “Well, Tiffany, if you didn’t want to see it, then why the hell did you open the door?”
Tiffany: (grinning maliciously) “To embarrass the hell outta you. I wonder what Principal Alan would say if he somehow found out about the lewd behaviour going on within his school walls?”
David: (unhooking Jessicka’s bra) “You know as well as I do that Divad the Dumbass wouldn’t do a damn thing. What could he do? Fire me and become even more unpopular? The kids would riot; there’d be a big to-do; Divad would be lynched…I don’t want that on your conscience. Like you said, dear sister, you’re screwed up enough. Now, could you close the door so that Jessicka and I can get decent again?”
Tiffany: “Sure, whatever. Just next time, if you two are gonna have a romp in your ‘office,’ make sure you lock the door.”

She shuts the door and turns to her friend.

Tiffany: (dryly) “Aren’t you glad you’re an only child, Julia?”
Julia: “I never was until I met you, hon. My God, twin brothers…”
Tiffany: “Yeah, it’s double the emotional turmoil.”

The girls walk off down the hallway, laughing and chatting.

Friends since they met at Dominica State University while earning teaching degrees, Tiffany Alan and Julia Raven are inseparable. They both have a love for the Arts—Tiffany is the high school’s music teacher, and Julia is the art teacher. They are a favourite of students due to their lax classroom policies, their eccentric behaviour, and, with the male population at least, their good looks. The guys constantly do extra favours for them, and the girls confide their laments to these two young ladies. Both Tiffany and Julia share an obsession with the paranormal—UFOs, witches, vampires, faeries, anything at all fantastical and “not real.” They’ve conducted after-school seances, patrolled the local graveyards, and even started interest in a school-supported summer visit to Roswell, New Mexico.
The girls do have their differences, however. Tiffany is the younger sister of David and Divad, the most infamously famous set of twins in Dominica. She is one of the few people who suspects that her brother Divad is not “the evil twin,” and is constantly looking for proof to support her theory. Tiffany’s life is not as lamentable as she claims it to be—she was always her parents’ favourite (as is often the case with younger siblings…), and was always popular amongst her peers. She even won the Miss Chesapeake Bay beauty pageant four years in a row in high school.
Julia, on the other hand, has not had a life as nice as Tiffany’s. Julia was orphaned at the age of fifteen and stayed with her paternal grandmother on her farm until the woman’s untimely death in a freak tractor accident. After that, Julia rented an apartment in Annapolis and worked as a waitress during the day while she got her GED in night school. Once she had received her diploma, Julia managed to get a scholarship to Dominica University. She met Tiffany, and the two soon became roommates, renting a small apartment in the same complex that Eliza (the masseuse) lives in. She claims to have a “sixth sense” with animals—she can understand them. Needless to say, Julia is an animal rights activist and usually the life of every party.

The girls are walking in the parking lot towards Tiffany’s purple Chevy Corsica. They are stopped by a tall, pretty teenage coffee-coloured girl with long braids that reach down to her waist. The braids are dyed every colour of the rainbow, in a ROYGBIV pattern. She is wearing big movie-starlet sunglasses, a Women’s World Cup Soccer tee-shirt, and baggy blue jeans shorts with scruffy sneakers. She is jogging lightly towards them, waving and calling out their names.

Meet Ariel O’Neal, the high school’s star soccer player. Hailed as better than the entire boys’ soccer team combined, but still praised for being a “team player,” Ariel is every gym (er, “PE”) teacher’s dream. She has earned the school enough money to build a new gymnasium, complete with a swimming pool, and has been on television numerous times. The most amazing thing about this jockette: she’s a straight-A student in all of her Honors classes. For Pete’s sake, the girl is Dominica High’s public relations wet dream. Even more amazing is that Ariel has no enemies. Of course, that could be because she is sponsored in large part by the Cumino family, Thomas in particular. Ariel’s family is from the same part of Dominica that Paul’s family is, but thanks in large part to the Cuminos’ kindness, they are not as poorly-off as the Lozzies.

Ariel has reached the teachers by this point and is giving bear hugs to both. The three exchange greetings and make the usual chit-chat about summer plans.

Tiffany: “So, Ariel, are you playing in a summer soccer league?”
Ariel: “Ms. Tiffany, c’mon, that’s a really dumb question! Of course! I have to commute to Annapolis to participate, but Mr. Cumino gave me a car for my seventeenth birthday—a real sweet forest-green Jeep—so the commute isn’t that bad.”
Julia: “I wish some rich old guy would give me a brand-new car. Maybe if I learned how to play soccer and dyed my hair all kinds of colours, I’ll get scholarships and Jeeps and oodles of cash.”
Tiffany: “But instead, you’re just a poor little art teacher, struggling to make ends meet, and riding in a broken-down Chevy with your wannabe-composer friend. What a tragic life!”
Julia: “You’re damn right it is!” (to Ariel) “Hey, Ariel, do you think you could convince ‘Papa Tommy’ to buy some of my paintings? They’re on sale at Angie’s Art Gallery on Lumbar Street. He knows where it is; I’ve seen him checking out Angie Farstro, the owner on more than one occasion.”
Ariel: (sincerely) “I’ll mention it. Mrs. Cumino has been talking about redecorating their house in the Hamptons for some time; I’m sure she’d like some new paintings to go with her new décor.”

Ariel looks at her sports wrist watch and shuffles around for a few seconds.

Ariel: “Well, Ms. Tiffany and Ms. Julia, I have to go. My mom and I are checking out colleges in Pennsylvania tomorrow, and I need to pack for the overnight trip. It’s been great seeing you two again, and I’ll remember about your paintings, Ms. Julia. Oh, Ms. Tiffany, when and where is your band playing next?”
Tiffany: “Um…oh yes! Demon Brownies just got a gig at Moesha’s Night Club this upcoming Saturday at 9:30. Can you make it?”
Ariel: “I’m pretty sure I can. Nydia Alvarez and I were supposed to go there anyway to see if we can find some guys.” (grins) “I guess we can go to hear Demon Brownies as well.”
Tiffany: “Well, good luck with the colleges…”
Julia (interrupting): “Screw that! Ariel can go to any college she wants. I say, good luck with the guys!”

All three laugh and exchange hugs and promises to meet again at Moesha’s on Saturday. Ariel jogs off, waving to her teachers behind her. Tiffany walks around to the driver’s side of the Chevy, while Julia goes to the passenger side. Tiffany unlocks the door and opens it, but pauses before getting in. Instead, she turns towards Julia.

Tiffany: “Could you be any more bitter about Ariel getting sponsored by Thomas Cumino? You should be proud of the girl, encourage her! Instead, you rag on her about all the special treatment she gets. What’s wrong with you?”
Julia: (defensively) “It was all in good humour, Tiffany. She knows it. But don’t you think that it’s odd how she gets absolutely smothered by ‘Papa Tommy’ when his own kid is driving a used convertible that he paid for, with his own money. I remember that he took that job at the after-school center for, like, three months, every day, just to pay for it. Divad lent him some money and Bryce paid him back, every cent, plus interest in less than a month. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Ariel is a great kid, but there are other charity cases Thomas Cumino could be focusing on. I wonder if maybe there isn’t some other reason why he has so much interest in Ariel’s life.”
Tiffany: (scoffing) “Yeah, I bet there is, too. Ariel is really Thomas’ bastard love daughter, created while Thomas was ‘vacationing’ in the ghettos of Dominica. Or, better yet, she’s really an alien spy sent to live among human high school students. She and Thomas Cumino are in cahoots with the American government, and Thomas is buying Ariel’s silence.”

Tiffany laughs loudly and gets into the car, unlocking the other side for her friend. Julia opens the door and climbs in.

Julia: “You never know…but I’m telling you: Thomas Cumino is not investing so much into Ariel O ‘ Neal’s future out of the goodness of his heart.”

Julia shuts the door while Tiffany starts the motor. She backs the car out of the parking space and goes tearing out of the parking lot, punk rock music blaring from the speakers.