[ Have Connie | None | 1000c ]
CONNIE: Addison! I’ve been looking all over for you!
ADDISON: What’s up, Connie?
CONNIE: This school is awesome, and spirits are high, but that’s no reason to rest on our laurels! As Homecoming King, it’s my sworn duty to lift school spirit all year round. And there’s no better way to do that then to show our classmates the best time ever! Nobody knows this school better than you. Together, we could send school spirit into the stratosphere, but I can’t do it alone.
ADDISON: I’m always in when it comes to making our school the best it can be. What do you have in mind?
CONNIE: You know what the best royalty all throughout history would do if they wanted to keep spirits up?
ADDISON: Um… make propaganda?
CONNIE: They’d throw awesome celebrations reminding their people of everything that made them so great!
ADDISON: Oh, like a pep rally!
CONNIE: Exactly! Our school deserves only the best. And that’s what we’re gonna give them at this rally. But to show we’re the best, we have to go up against some stiff competition. My last school once had giant fireworks at a rally! And I saw another school rent out an entire pro hockey arena for theirs!
ADDISON: Whoa! They weren’t messing around.
CONNIE: You see? If we don’t out-decadent all those other schools, no one will know how great ours is. That’s why this rally has to be the most amazing thing ever.
ADDISON: Okay, Connie… what do we need to make this the best?
CONNIE: For starters, we need to buy supplies to make banners. And I’m not talking about just any banners. These have to be state of the art!
ADDISON: We’ve still got some decorations and materials left over from Payton’s last party.
CONNIE: This school deserves more than leftovers, Addison. We need to raise money for all-new stuff!
ADDISON: From where?
CONNIE: From our loyal subjects, silly!
[ Spend 5000 coins | None | 20b ]
ADDISON: Look what I’ve got!
CONNIE: Supplies for the banners! Thanks, Addison! The Homecoming Court is really impressed with your work. In fact, I’m appointing you to a position of great honor. Henceforth, you shall be known as the Hand of the Court! You know, ‘cause you’re giving me a hand with all this stuff. Here. Follow me.
You trail Connie into the empty, cavernous gymnasium. Connie’s voice echoes in the vaulted ceilings.
CONNIE: This… is a grand hall worthy of our school’s wonder!
ADDISON: Good thing we got so many supplies. How many banners will we need to cover all this space?
CONNIE: Just one.
ADDISON: Only one banner?! It’d have to be three stories tall!
CONNIE: Precisely. But we’re gonna need some help to pull off something so daring. First off, we gotta have someone with a ton of spirit to decide what the banner will say. Then of course, we’ll need someone skilled enough to design and paint it. And last… the banner’s going to tear under its own weight unless we get someone really, really smart to figure out how to hang it.
ADDISON: So we need a cheerleader, an artist, and a nerd. Got it!
CONNIE: Perfect! Quick, Addison! Find the best bannermen you can!
ADDISON: I don’t think that word means ‘people who make banners’, but I’m on it!
[ A Level 5+ Cheerleader, A Level 5+ Artist, A Level 6+ Nerd except Addison (Emery, Avery, Bailey) | 4h | 1200c ]
CONNIE: So, are you guys ready to make the banner to end all banners?
EMERY: Addison said you want it to be three stories tall? I’m all for pumping up spirit, but is that even possible?!
AVERY: It’ll take too much paint to cover that much space, Connie! It’ll just drip down the banner and look awful!
BAILEY: I’m compelled to agree… I was doing some calculations, and I don’t think this is feasible.
CONNIE: ‘Feasible’?! Did Addison worry about whether or not it was ‘feasible’ to stand up to Hearst and start a school where we could be ourselves?!
EMERY: ...well, no.
CONNIE: Nothing worth doing is easy, guys. What I’m asking is a challenge, but every challenge is an opportunity to make our mark.
ADDISON: I think Connie is right. If anyone can do this, it’s us.
CONNIE: Now is our moment to show the world who we are, and that we’re here to stay. The only question is… are you up to the task?
The others look at each other and smile.
AVERY: I’m convinced. Let’s make a masterpiece!
EMERY: Go big or go home!
BAILEY: So say we all!
You walk into the gym to check on the progress… and there, dangling from the rafters, hangs the largest banner you’ve ever seen!
ADDISON: Wow, it’s amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it!
Emery, Avery, and Bailey approach you, covered in paint, but grinning broadly.
BAILEY: It was tough. I couldn’t figure out the load-bearing struts until Emery talked about how they do the pyramid at cheer practice! So I placed the struts that way, and TA-DA!
EMERY: Turns out cheerleading is basically structural engineering, when you think about it!
ADDISON: How’d you keep the paint from dripping, Avery?
AVERY: Come close and look!
You and Avery step up near the banner’s swirling colors…
ADDISON: Wow! The letters are made out of tons of tiny dots!
AVERY: The separate dots keep the paint from bleeding, but when you step back, you can’t tell! They all come together into one image!
ADDISON: That’s really clever, Avery!
AVERY: Well, Bailey was rambling about the pixels in flat-screen TVs! That’s what inspired me!
EMERY: And the dots coming together to make something way bigger than themselves gave ME the idea for the slogan!
ADDISON: ‘All Together Now’. That’s really sweet, Emery.
EMERY: The way we inspired each other to accomplish something great was pretty much the cheeriest thing I could think of. I’m really happy you brought us all to this school, Addison.
ADDISON: It wouldn’t be the same without you guys. So, Connie… what do you think of the banner?
Connie gazes up at the towering banner.
CONNIE: I can’t believe you guys did it! Well, I knew you could, but still, seeing it in person… it’s more amazing than I could have imagined!
EMERY: Thanks for convincing us to try.
CONNIE: But now we have a problem.
ADDISON: Wait, what?
CONNIE: This banner is so phenomenal that we need to step up everything else in the rally to match! And to do that, we’re gonna need some more funds.
[ Spend 10000 coins | None | 60b ]
CONNIE: You’re a miracle worker, Addison! I knew you’d make a great Hand of the Court!
ADDISON: What do you plan to use all that money for?
CONNIE: We’re going BIG. Come on, I’ll show you!
Connie leads you into the gym, where delivery trucks are dropping off towering wooden crates!
ADDISON: Whoa, what’s all this?
CONNIE: All the amazing stuff we’re going to have at the rally! It’s so exciting, isn’t it?
ADDISON: Is… is that a chocolate fountain?
CONNIE: Yep. That’s going under the basketball hoop. And over here are the snow cone machine and the popcorn stand.
ADDISON: Look, Connie, I think it’s really awesome how hard you’re working to keep school spirit up… But are you sure about all this stuff? It seems a little much.
CONNIE: If I don’t make this rally the absolute most amazing, jaw-dropping event, then we’ll have no school spirit! No one will want to transfer here, and our own classmates won’t even realize how incredible our school is! I… I can’t let that happen.
ADDISON: Don’t forget that a rally isn’t just about money. It’s mostly about PEOPLE!
CONNIE: Oh my gosh, you’re RIGHT! It’s all about the people! This rally has to be a showcase of talent! The possibilities are endless! We can have the dance team perform! We can get the drama club to put on a skit! We can even see if the A/V club will make a highlight reel of our sports teams to play on a huge screen at the rally!
ADDISON: Let’s go recruit some classmates!
[ A Level 5+ Dancer, A Level 5+ Actor, A Level 5+ Filmmaker (Sheridan, Laurie, Morgan) | 8h | 1400c ]
MORGAN: What’s up, Addison? Do you need something?
ADDISON: Connie and I are throwing a pep rally in the gym to celebrate all the great people we’ve brought together.
CONNIE: But it’s not going to be awesome unless we all pull together to make it that way.
LAURIE: What do you need from us?
CONNIE: We want to stun the crowd with the cutting edge in popping, locking, and breaking. Is the dance team up to the challenge?
SHERIDAN: You can count on us!
CONNIE: Morgan, we’ve accomplished so much at this school already. Do you think you can cut together a highlight reel for our sports teams?
MORGAN: You got it! The cuts will be even tighter than the ones our running back made on that touchdown!
CONNIE: Perfect. But this rally isn’t just about what we’ve done in the past. It’s also about our exciting future! Can the drama club tell that epic story?
LAURIE: I’ll write a skit for us to perform at the rally! It’ll touch on archetypal themes such as camaraderie, the human spirit, and… um… awesomeness!
SHERIDAN: All right, gang, we all have a lot of work to do! Let’s get started!
ADDISON: How are rally preparations coming, everybody?
LAURIE: We’re set! The actors know all their lines backwards and forwards, though if we perform them backwards, it won’t make any sense.
MORGAN: Come check out the highlight reel I put together, Addison!
You huddle around a computer monitor with Morgan and the football team.
ADDISON: Wow, Morgan! You made Julian look like a total stud!
JULIAN: Hey! I AM a total stud!
ADDISON: This is gonna look great. Is the dance team ready, Sheridan?
SHERIDAN: Yeah, but our routine is a top secret surprise. You can’t get me to spill the beans… Aah, I can’t resist! We’re setting our show to a mash-up of all the most popular songs since our school was founded! You know, all the songs that represent our time here!
ADDISON: That’s such a cool idea, Sheridan! This rally is coming together nicely.
LAURIE: Just like us!
You find Connie in the gym.
ADDISON: All of the student performers are ready and raring to go. Are we--
You notice the fleet of construction workers erecting something in the center of the gym. Huge spotlights dangle from towering tresses!
ADDISON: Whoa! What’s going on here?
CONNIE: They’re setting up the main stage. We’re going to have a huge pyrotechnics display for all the performances. Just think of the spectacle when the dance team goes on! Worthy of the VMAs!
ADDISON: Seems kinda crazy, but I guess it WILL be fun for our classmates to perform on a stage like that.
CONNIE: Well, about our classmates… I was going to have it be a surprise, but you’re my Hand of the Court, so you get to find out first… We’re going to have professionals perform too!
ADDISON: Professionals?
CONNIE: We need world-class talent if we’re going to show we’re a world-class school! And we can’t do that with just amateur performers, right? Is that what we are? A school for amateurs?
ADDISON: Well, yeah! That’s exactly what we are!
CONNIE: Look, Addison, we just do this one last thing, and we’ll have the best, most school-spiriting rally this town’s ever seen! All it will take is just a little more money.
[ Spend 30000 coins | None | 100b ]
CONNIE: The stage is set! The performers are paid and present! The rally is ready to begin! I arranged for an NFL quarterback to come talk! I got an award-winning special effects house to re-do the highlight reel! I even managed to land a performance from the Bandersnatches dance crew! Nothing but the absolute best for my school!
ADDISON: Wait, what about the student performers?
CONNIE: They’re going too, don’t worry! The moment of truth is at hand, Hand! I hope you’re wearing socks.
ADDISON: Why?
CONNIE: Because this rally’s about to knock them off! Time to get everybody to the gym! Well? Where is everyone?
ADDISON: How do I put this… No one wanted to come, Connie.
CONNIE: What?! Why?! I brought in all these amazing acts for them!
ADDISON: I think that’s the point. They’re sad that you upstaged all their hard work.
Connie slumps down on the gym bleachers and sighs.
CONNIE: I don’t understand. The students at other schools loved stuff like this.
ADDISON: Have you thought about why everyone transferred here in the first place? It’s because they didn’t like the way things were done at other schools.
CONNIE: You’re right. I blew it. I’m the worst royalty of all time. I’m like Richard the Third, the Queen of Hearts, and Count Chocula all wrapped into one!
ADDISON: I can’t really picture that, but I know it’s not true.
CONNIE: It is! School spirit’s gonna go out the window… all because I got so wrapped up in being the best that I forced my friends out of their own rally.
ADDISON: But the fact is, they WANTED to participate. And you know what that means, right?
CONNIE: …it means they had school spirit all along! But how can I make it up to them?
ADDISON: By giving them the rally you always wanted for them. One that makes them proud of themselves and their school.
CONNIE: We showcase the school, not outsiders! Aah, you’re a genius, Addison! I’ve just got to sent all these professionals away, and then we’ll get the students back in here.
ADDISON: Whoa now, not so fast. We already paid them, so we should still use them.
CONNIE: Huh? What do you have in mind?
ADDISON: We can’t have a rally without students, so first we need to get them back on our side.
[ Addison, A Level 6+ Classmate except Connie, A Level 6+ Classmate except Connie (Bailey, Hadley) | 12h | 5r ]
ADDISON: Hey, everyone, Connie has something to say to you.
BAILEY: Wouldn’t he rather hire some professionals to say it?
HADLEY: Give him a break, Bailey. Let him talk.
CONNIE: I’m really sorry I let you all down. When I was elected to Homecoming Court, it was the first time I ever felt special in my life, the first time I ever felt like I belonged… I wanted to do something the school could be proud of, because I’m so proud of it. And I thought the way to do that was to bring the best here. But the best were already here. You guys are the reason I’m proud of my school. You guys are why I’m honored to serve you on the Homecoming Court. This school is the best place on earth, but that’s not something I need to prove to anyone else. My duty is just to make sure it stays that way… for me and for every one of us who came here so we could be ourselves. So will you give me another chance to do this right? To give you a rally that celebrates us? A rally for the people and by the people?
The students look at each other…
BAILEY: Hm… Why not? I could go for some pep.
You watch from the gym’s packed bleachers as the school dance team combines with the Bandersnatches to nail a jawdropping routine! The crowd explodes in applause as the pyrotechnics sizzle!
HADLEY: Wow! That was incredible!
BAILEY: And check out the filmmakers!
You spot the A/V club excitedly talking shop with a professional film editor. On stage, the dance team takes a bow while Connie snags the mic.
CONNIE: Next up, we’ve got a hilarious skit from the drama club, followed by a scrimmage game where our city’s own NFL quarterback will be tossing passes to our wide receivers! But first, I wanted to thank you all for celebrating our school with me. It took a very special friend to show me how to do it the right way. Addison, you gave us a hand as Hand of the Court. Time for us to return the favor.
The Homecoming Court rises from the bleachers and applauds you. You beam, blushing.
ADDISON: Thanks, guys.
The rally ends, and the students stream out, a smile on every face. Connie finds you in the crowd.
CONNIE: Good work, Addison. We kept school spirit up… for now… But what about next week? And the next? We have to get started right away!
ADDISON: Oh boy…
CONNIE: Relax! I’m just messing with you. But seriously, Addison, thanks.
ADDISON: Any time, Connie. I think people will be talking about this rally for a long time.
CONNIE: Yup. After all this craziness, we ended up throwing the best rally ever anyway.
