//------------------------------// // Phoenix Academy // Story: A Love Story in 30 Days // by Phantom-Dragon //------------------------------// Notice: "At this moment, the all-boy boarding school, Phoenix Academy shall be running a Co-Ed experiment with all-girl boarding school, Alicorn University. All students are required to attend the courtyard in preparation of the welcoming committee. "Wow, what are the odds?" A voice narrated. "Uncle's Academy becoming Co-Ed? Wow. And that's such a big deal since a lot of guys here are at that age where our teenage hormones are killing us on the inside, begging us to–Ahem!" The voice coughed, clearing his throat, before apologizing, "Sorry. I almost lost my bearings there. Introductions." Walking down the hall, with a clipboard in hand is a young teenage boy, roughly around the age of 14, with piercing emerald green eyes and matching spiky hair. For attires, he wears a green jacket with dark purple stripes on the front, sleeves, and a matching purple hood, blue jeans, and black sneakers with blazing designs of green dragons printed on the sides. "That's me. My name is Samuel Scorpio. But my friends call me Spike. And right now, I'm the head of the welcoming committee assigned by my uncle. You heard me right. The headmaster of Phoenix Academy, Scorpan Scorpio, is my uncle. If there's one thing you should know about my uncle, he demands absolute respect and honor, befitting to that of a gentleman. He's very strict about it. And he wants all of us boys here at his school to be like that. And that's a big deal, since we're all tasked with making good impressions on the girls who will be here with us for an entire month." "But deep down, beneath that tough exterior, he's an awesome uncle. He was once a reigning champion of 15 martial art tournaments, 10 years in row! And before, he and my parents were close. Long story short, my parents died in a car accident, and uncle took me in and raised me as his own. But that's a story for another time." "Now about Phoenix Academy, it's an all-boy boarding school, or at least until it becomes a co-ed boarding school. Besides that, it's an awesome school to attend to. It's got just about everything a school has to offer. For anyone who is techie, we've got computer labs, equipped with the latest, up-to-date technologies, including the VR(Virtual Reality) systems for robotics, programmings, and video game designing. Or at least, that's what my friend Button Mash told me." "Other than that, we also have an auditorium the size of Broadway for anyone interested in the acting and filming department, like my friends, Tender Taps and Pipsqueak. Also, for anyone who is an athlete looking for some intense competitions, the school also has a huge gym and stadium, with equipments for rock climbing, parkour, archery, and for guys like me and uncle, we've got martial arts clubs ranging from Karate, Kendo, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and well, you get the rest. Now that's a competitive subject my friend Rumble and his older brother Thunderlane are so hyped up about. You should see how passionate they are when they were trying out for the upcoming competition, Canterlot Ninja Warriors." "Sounds like a lot of fun, huh? And the best part is, there's a list of events for each and everyone's field of expertise, like the Robotics Competitions, International Film and Thespian Festivals, and a whole lot more. And in charging of keeping us all up-to-date for these events is the school's newspaper society, the Phoenix Coverage, with my pal Featherweight as its reporter, under the employment of his mentor and editor-in-chief, James P. Jameson." "Yeah, yeah. I hear you out there. Button Mash? Tender Taps? Pipsqueak? Rumble? Featherweight? Who walks around with names like that? Don't worry, you'll know soon enough. Right now, I've got to–" "Oh no," Spike muttered, looking up to see three boys, sitting at the edge of a balcony, each looking through their pairs of binoculars, scanning the horizon across the school. The first boy is short and chubby with messy orange hair. For attires, he wears a black t-shirt with the image of a scissor printed on the front, dark blue jeans, and green sneakers. The second boy is albeit lanky with a slightly combed moderate turquoise hair. For attires, he wears a green, open front jacket with a picture of snail on the left side of the chest, over a red shirt, tan long pants, and red sneakers. Finally, the third boy is the tallest among the trio, with a messy long blonde hair tied up in a bun, with grayish cerise eyes. For attires, he wears a brown hippie vest, with worn blue jean, and brown shoes. "These clowns – or was we call them, the Three Stooges – are Snips, Snails, and Zephyr Breeze in that order. They're real troublemakers around these parts. Why are they still attending the school? Well, you could say that their folks happen to be one of the school's biggest sponsors, and they threaten to cut their fundings if any of them gets suspended, or expelled. Worst still, remember what I said earlier about us boys having raging teenage hormones? Well, these guys got it real bad. "Guys! What do you think you're doing?" Spike called out to the trio. "You should be helping out with the Welcoming Committee! C'mon, everyone's all down in the courtyard!" "Well we've got an even more important task to do up here, Spike!" Snips answered excitedly. "Yeah! We're keeping a lookout!" Snails added. "A bus full of beautiful sophomore and junior girls are supposed to show up any seconds now. We just can't wait!" "That's right," Zephyr Breeze added. "And those beautiful babies are gonna learn the ABCs of love, from one and only, moi," the boy said, with a flick of his hair. "Oh yeah! All our teenage boy dreams will soon be made a reality when we get to see these beautiful babes, and get a full load of their best assets yet!" with that, the three boys were completely zoned out, lost in their own raging hormone driven worlds of fantasy. "Seriously guys?" Spike grumbled, pinching his temples. "Are you even listening to yourselves? Uncle's counting on us to get everything ready for the welcoming committee, and you're just going to sit up there, acting like pirates searching for ships to loot." "Well forgive us, your majesty, if we can't help but have raging hormones and are in need of some sexy babes to please ourselves," Zephyr scoffed. "And don't forget, just because your uncle's the headmaster, doesn't make you the king of us!" Snips added. "So ha!" "Well unless you guys want our school to be co-ed, so we and the ladies can see each other 24/7, you'll start helping us with the welcoming committee, and I mean now!" Spike ordered. In response, Zephyr Breeze circled his hand in the air, "Ehhhhh...." he muttered. "See, here's the thing, Spike," Snips began. "We're not exactly the best option for a 'welcoming committee' and you know it." "We'll let you on a little secret," Snails added. "We're a little....slightly.....stupid." the boy finished with a dope grin on is face. Spike shook his head, sighing in annoyance, knowing he's not getting anywhere with this conversation, "Sometimes, I forget who I'm talking to," he muttered. "I'm wasting valuable times. I better get to the courtyard and make sure everyone there are on schedule." "Good talk to you man!" the three stooges called out to Spike. "Yo Spike! Lend us a hand here, will ya brother?" "Got your back bros!" Spike smiled as he ran over to a group of five boys, who were setting up a large banner over the front gate. "Remember those unique names I mentioned earlier?" Spike narrated. "Well, these are the guys I've been telling you about. The more decent and upright kind of guys." The first boy has a moderate scarlet hair with moderate orange streaks, moderate vermilion eyes, light brown skin, and speaks with a raspy voice. For attire, he wears a moderate orange jacket, over a Minecraft t-shirt, white tanned baggy pants, black socks, red and white sneakers, a yellow, white, and red striped beanie with a green propeller. "That's Michael Maximus. But we call him Button Mash. He's a fan for comic books and he's into science. Science-fiction to be precise. And he's where we get all our nicknames from. Don't let his beanie hat fool ya though. He's one hardcore gamer. He's aspiring to develop his own video games in the future. Also, he has a current agenda of being school mascot by day, and by night, hardcore gamer of the trades." The second boy is an athlete with two shades of dark grayish sapphire blue for his hair color. For attire, he wears a light bluish gray jacket over a dark blue shirt, gray cargo pants, and dark sapphire sneakers. "That's Joe Spartacus. We call him Rumble. He and his brother Thunderlane are co-captains of the school's football, soccer, and basketball teams. Both he and Button Mash tend to have this dynamic clash that's best described as on the level of Batman vs. Superman, Raphael vs. Leonardo, Iron Man vs. Captain America, etc. But despite their rivalry, they're good pals." The third boy is slender with a smooth, grayish and moderate mulberry hair, and moderate purple eyes. His attires are a brilliant orange shirt, black short jeans, and black shoes with long white socks with red stripes. "That's Terence Jones. But we call him Tender Taps. He's my roommate here at Phoenix Academy, and he's a really talented dancers. He can do the freestyle hip hops to the graceful tap dances. But he does have a slight case of the stage frights, whenever he's under too much pressures." The fourth boy is thin with a low cut, light brown hair with a lighter streak, and buck teeth shown. His attires are a simple white shirt, long blue jeans, and red sneakers with pictures of a feather on both sides. "There's the ace report of the Phoenix Coverage. Or at least, its only reporter. Featherweight is his nickname. He's in charge of getting the latest, up-to-date scoops on the school grounds and events beyond that we'd be interested in participating. When he's working together with the techie people of the academy, he has a blog for all of us to chat online." Finally, the last boy is the shortest of the five, plus Spike. He has matching hair colors with Featherweight, has deep reddish brown eyes, and speaks with a Cockney accent. For attires, he wears an open, dark blue vest, over a white shirt with the picture of a red tailed hawk imprinted on the front, short brown pants, and matching shoes with white socks. "Lastly is Featherweight's cousin from Nottingham, Pip Sparrow. But because of his small size and quiet demeanor, he's been the target for a lot of bullies since childhood, thus earning him the nickname Pipsqueak. Nevertheless, he's quite energetic and adventurous whenever we do of our weekly LARPing in the weekend. If it's pirates, then he dons up his favorite persona, Captain Pip Sparrow the Pirate." "Together, they're called – wait for it – the Five Guys! Yes, I know that name is already taken and it's copyrighted to a fast food joint. But that's the name Button Mash coined and it's got a nice ring to it. So Five Guys's been stuck with them. And these guys are the best. Like most of us sane boys here at Phoenix Academy, we know how to keep our raging hormones in check, unlike the three obvious exceptions at our school. But that doesn't mean they're perfect. They still have their quirks. Just tolerable. That's all." After half an hour has passed, the welcoming committee was finished. The banner is up, the caterers are set, and the decorations have brought the committee to life, giving it a welcoming appeal for the school's upcoming VIPs. "Alright! Way to go you guys!" Spike smiled proudly. "I'd say we've outdone ourselves." "You said it, Spike," Tender Taps agreed. "Huzzah!" Pipsqueak cheered. "Game on!" Button Mash added. "Oh if only mother and big brother could see me now." "This will make for a scoop on the Phoenix Coverage!" Featherweight added, holding up a set of flash cards for all the questions he's prepared to ask for the girls upon arrival. "Now all that's left is to make sure those three jokers don't mess this up for us, if not the whole school," Spike sighed. "Ah don't let those three losers get to ya, Spike," Rumble insisted. "We can handle them. Besides, if those three clowns so much lay one finger any of the girls, then so help me I’ll break every bones in their hands that they can’t even hold up their precious binoculars up to their eyes.“ “That’s assuming you don’t get expelled first,” Spike pointed. “Remember, they’re practically untouchable until uncle could find another sponsor to our school. Someone with more ethics, perhaps.” “Don’t remind me.” “Look, I want the girls to have the most memorable and pleasant month-long retreat at our school as badly as you guys. Especially when this is Gabby we’re talking about.” “Ooh!” the guys exclaimed in awe together. “The famous Gabby Gryphon you’ve been going on and on about?” Featherweight teased. “The Gabby who you’ve been writing love poetries to in your letters?” Rumble added. “W-What?!” Spike blushed. “I don’t write love poetries! Gabby and I are just pen pals. That’s all. We’re just really close friends who keep in touch, that’s all.” “Which essentially means you two are distant lovers,” the young athletic boy continued. “C’mon, don’t deny it. You got it real bad for the girl.” With a roll of his eyes, Spike continued to deny the guys, “I don’t," taking in a deep breath, Spike sighed, "But just say that I do, what if she doesn't like the school? What if something goes wrong and I get held accountable for it? What if the Three Stooges get to her because I wasn't around to save her and she deems her stay here the worst school ever? I might never see her again, and we'd never share texts with each other again." "Whoa, whoa, Spike. Calm down," Button Mash consulted. "You're overthinking these things." "Besides, you and Gabby have been in touch for two years now, so that's saying something," Rumble added. "You two must be in a serious engagement, and from what you've told us about her, she seems to be really into ya. Plus, she sounds like a sweet girl. She'd never blame ya for anything beyond your control bro." "Besides, you handle the girl," Tender Taps added. "And we'll take care of the losers." Samuel looked to his best friends and could feel his faith in the restored. They’ve never once steered him wrong, and he knows they’ve never let him down before. “Thanks guys,” Spike smiled. “I knew I can count on you.” Button Mash stepped forward, raising his hand up in the air, “High five boys!” Button Mash said, and they all clapped their hands together. Meanwhile, on its way towards Phoenix Academy is the bus, packed with 40 selected school girls from Alicorn Academy. Among these chosen few, one girl sat in her chair, happily looking at her phone, reading the many messages she's been getting from a certain pen-pal of hers, "Wow, Spike is just so awesome!" she cooed, before turning to the girl next to her. "Isn't he something, Gilda? Gilda? Hello?" there wasn't a response, for the girl dubbed Gilda was fast asleep, while listening to some calming musics from her earbuds. "Hey Gilda! Wake up," the girl tapped Gilda on the shoulders repeatedly, until at last, the girl was awake. "Uh, what?" Gilda snorted. "Are we there yet?" "No, not yet. But I'm so excited!" the girl squealed happily. "I can't wait to meet Samuel again! I've missed him so much. He just has to know how much I still love him!" "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya for the last two years," Gilda grumbled, trying to resume her nap. Somewhere on the bus, sat a girl who was happily watering a potted plant, with the use of an eye dropper, "Ah, Phyllis," the girl sighed motherly. "Before you, my life was just so bleak and dull. But with you, you really spruce things up." Just then, the authoritative voice of a woman announced, "Listen up everyone," the girls all looked up to hear what the woman has to say. "We'll be arriving at Phoenix Academy soon. Now remember, it's very important for us to be the model case for all the students who will be enrolling next year. Therefore, I expect you all to be on your best behavior with the boys." The girls all exchanged agreements, "So if I may, Vice Principal Luna?" a haughty, yet smooth, melodious voice began. "What are these boys like? Will we get to see some really cute ones?" "It would depend, Ms. Dazzles," the woman, Vice Principal Luna replied. "Though I expect both you and your sisters to be on your best behavior, if you wish for this program to be a success and both our schools to merge and become co-ed." "Us?!" a low gruff voice exclaimed, feeling offended. "It's Sonata you gotta worry about." "Oh yeah?" a high-pitch snooty voice began. "Well, if you weren't so scary, then nobody would have to worry so much." "Please don't mind them," Dazzles said. "They're idiots." "HEY!" the two girls exclaimed in outrage. "That's quite enough you three!" Vice Principal Luna shouted in a booming voice. "My sister and I have high expectations for each and every one of you. And that goes for you three. And I'll have you know that if I hear so much as one report of disturbance of any sort, then not only will this trail run be a failure, but the student responsible will find themselves expelled from both schools in the coming year. Do I make myself clear?" Intimidated by their vice principal's stern and strict demeanor, the entire girls onboard the bus all voiced their agreements, before they resumed kicking back in their seats and enjoying the ride. In meantime, an idle chit-chat was exchanged between a group of eight special girls. "Ooh! I'm so nervicited, I can just explode at any seconds now!" a loud hyperactive voice squealed with excitement. "You do realize that's not a real word, right?" a low, southern accent voice asked. "Oh, it will be so wonderful to finally see my darling, Spikey-Wikey again," a Trans-Atlantic English accent voice added in a formal tone. "It's been so long since we've last seen each other. I hope he hasn't forgotten all about me." "I just hope he's alright after what happened to him years ago," the girls all turned to the girl with glasses, who voiced her concern. "Hardly anyone could ever survive an accident like that, with nothing more than a concussion." "Hey, Spike's a tough guy," the girl with low, raspy voice said, in her attempts to console her friends in reassurance. "Don't forget, he made it big on the news a few months back, when he won first place in the Canterlot Kendo Tournament!" "Oh my! That's quite a feat for him," said the shy girl of the group who talked in a soft, quiet voice. "I hope he's still alright after that." "Of course, he's alright, Fluttershy!" the girl with low, raspy voice replied. "His uncle is Scorpan Scorpio. Reigning champion of 15 martial arts, 10 years in a row! That guy's a legend! He's like Bruce Lee reincarnated, or something." "Yeah, but even Bruce Lee had his limits," the country girl voiced her opinion. "Besides, even if it has been ten years now, I'm sure Spike is still recovering from the accident. I think it's best if we just give him some space first." The six girls all exchanged agreements, "You're probably right, Applejack," the girl with glasses then turned to the seventh girl. "What do you think, Sunset?" "Huh? Oh yeah, sure," Sunset sighed, dismally.