1.10 School Daze

Thanks to Kat (Chase) for the majority of the summary this week! Yay Kat!!

Chase: “But Fred, you left Ginger on the dance floor.”

Lone Star. Strella and Chase party, extra wide-eyed style. Geoff arrives with some friends, and is heralded as a minor god when Strella drags him onto the dance floor. As the two dance, Geoff continues to scan the room, prompting Strella to chastise him. He apologizes and focuses on his current dancing partner. At the end of the dance, he leaves Strella with an admiring crowd and asks Chase to dance.

She harasses him a bit for his involvement with Strella. He quickly realizes that she’s stoned. Geoff grins and “reminds” her that he’s their ride home and that she promised to go camping and white water rafting with him next week. She doesn’t remember whether or not she said yes to either one, so she agrees. Geoff smiles brighter and begins to spin her around the room; he knows she’ll find it amusing in her state.

On the car ride home, Chase is passed out in the back while Strella rides in the passenger seat. They pull into Strella’s apartment complex and Strella points directions. She looks into the back and turns to Geoff, “I know it isn’t my place to say, but,” dragging her fingers down his shoulder, “it’s more fun when they like you back.” Geoff begins to stutter something out, but she puts a finger to his lips. “I like you, Geoff, and I’m a horrible loser. I think it only fair to warn you that I will change your mind.” Geoff nervously picks up a pencil and twirls it around, wishing she’d get out of the car quicker.

Strella reaches into the back seat and grabs her purse. She looks at Chase a moment. “She’s pretty when she sleeps. So peaceful.” Strella glances her up and down and smiles archly at Geoff. “The things I’d do for you.” The pencil snaps in half. Strella slides out of the car and shuts the door, but leans back in the window for an ample cleavage shot. “Do think about it.”

PeanutGalleryChase: “All that incense must make you horny.”

Gabe delivers the letter from Dorothea to Aislynn, leader of Cernunos Grove. Aislynn tells Gabe that Dororthea has requested that he be welcome at their meetings. She extends the invitation, though she admits that this is unusual as allowing members or potential members of the DoH into their meetings has resulted in more than a few fires (literal, figurative, and magical). Gabe thanks her for the invite, and tells her he’ll think about it. She gives him a calendar of events.

Gabe and Jade are initiated into the Daughters of Hecate, with robes and incense, and a lady wielding a big sword. They go home and host their own little celebration. Can we say rabbits much?

Geoff and Chase are on the camping trip. They swap funny stories from when they were younger and get a long almost sweetly. Geoff leans over and kisses her. Cut to campfire, moon, sleeping bag, and more kissing. [Two shirtless man alerts in one episode; ‘bout time]

Hilltop outside of town as the sun sets. Two women in robes sit in a circle of salt, a bubbling cauldron between them.

“The date is set. And we have come.”

“The city is ours; our will shall prevail.”

“As we prepare for the blessed event, let us take time to reflect on what has brought us here.” They pause. Both throw powder into the cauldron, which fizzes. They look at each other and smile.

“Think there will be hot boys here?”

Gabe: “That’s right … pogo with me, baby! … C’mon, pogo like you mean it!”

Nikki’s place. Banners read “End of Summer” and “Happy (Late) Birthday Chase!” Nikki has invited EVERYONE to join. The gang is here, members from both covens are here, the vamps are here, several Spanish speakers are running around, Strella struts around with a group of sycophantic sorority girls from Kappa Kappa Gamma, and for everyone else, the best bet is that Nikki ran through the freshman dorm knocking on random doors inviting people. She greets everyone at the door with, “Welcome to my party! Hurt anyone and my friends will kill you. Literally.” The house is decorated to the nines, music blares, and Nikki’s specialty – sangria – flows readily.

Gabe pogos on the dance floor, eventually convincing Jade to join him. The Daughters announce to him that they have a mission for him soon.

Raveena, Strella, Nikki, and Chase chat. Strella convinces Raveena to join her for Rush the following week. Strella says she’ll be horribly bored most of the time because she knows she’s going Kappa, but they’re making her go to all the different houses. Geoff shows up and kisses Chase on the cheek. Sees Strella and recoils. The girls get him to sit down, and Nikki makes him promise a dance as Alex has locked himself in the kitchen. Geoff realizes he’s the only guy in the circle. Offers to go get sangria, hops up, and heads to the alcohol. Raveena and Strella cast questioning glances at Chase, but she just smiles.

As the girls continue to talk, Strella notices the fang gang heading over towards Geoff at the sangria table. She rolls her eyes and strolls that way. The others watch as she snaps her fingers and the vamps form up behind her. She grabs Chase’s arm conspiratorially, and marches away, the vamps in their wake. “I got them to bring something special for your birthday.” On the way out of the room, Strella motions at two Kappas who follow them.

Nikki leaves to find Alex, and Raveena is suddenly alone. Ethan approaches and asks her to dance. Raveena stutters for a bit, then agrees, and they move onto the dance floor.

Nikki follows Alex as he brings a glass lamp into the kitchen. The kitchen is full of lamps and other breakables. Alex finds a new clear spot to set his latest save down. She worriedly asks him if he’s having a good time, which he assures her she is, then asks if the lamp is a Waterford. She ignores the question and continues to ask why he’s not enjoying himself.

He admits he’s worried about seeing some of his students. Geoff shows up and asks if Nikki would mind if he had a look around her house – he’s wanted to see it since last year. Alex asks if Geoff thinks the lamp is Waterford. Geoff asks if it says Waterford on the bottom. Alex looks. Nikki tells Geoff that he’s free to wander wherever he wants, but “if you want to see the secret attic, please don’t break down a wall. There are stairs.” Geoff assures her that he has no intention of breaking down walls and leaves. Nikki turns to Alex and tells him that she has a surprise for him on Monday.

Gabe pogos. Jade pogos with him, laughing.

Geoff wanders, poking his nose into rooms with open doors. He passes by a closed door, and Chase’s laughter rings through it. He pauses and looks at the door. Breathes, continues on his way. The door opens and Strella glides out. She notices Geoff, pokes her head back in the room, and tells them she’s headed for the ladies’ room. Kevin tells her that that isn’t the room for her. She smiles, grabs a pill off the table, and tells them that she’ll have to find “the slutty vixen’s room then,” and licks the pill off her finger seductively. She shuts the door behind her and smiles at Geoff, moving closer to him.

“You know, you could join us if you want. I’ll keep the boys away from you.”

“Uh, no thanks. I uh, was just, uh, looking around the house.”

She continues forward, backing him into a wall. “But you want to join us, don’t you.”

“No.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Uh…”

Strella leans forward and kisses him. He freezes up, then slides out from between her and the wall, firmly placing her arms’ length away. With an angry look, he spits the pill into his hand. “You don’t understand. I have to go.”

He turns to leave but stops when she says, “I think I do. And you still have my pill.” He turns back, puts the pill into her hand, and backs away.

“Be careful. Eric doesn’t know what he’s doing. Or if he does…” Geoff shakes his head and leaves.

Strella leans against the doorway, thoughtful. “I think I agree with your second assessment.” She pockets the pill and slinks back into the room.

Back at the party in general, Geoff finds Nikki. “Sorry Nikki, great party, but I, uh, gotta go.” She smiles at him, looks closer, and rubs her mouth. He imitates her and there’s lipstick on his fingers. With a frown, he leaves.

PeanutGalleryDeaver (re Raveena tutoring physics): “Gotta have friction …”

As the party winds down, Ethan asks Raveena if he can walk her home. She agrees, knowing that these poor normal people need protection. Ethan grins. They both live in the freshman dorm, so before long they’re back there.

Ethan walks her to the divide between the girls’ and boys’ hall. She pauses. A couple walks right past them. Ethan watches them go, but pauses with Raveena. He asks if Dr. Deaver’s class is hard. Raveena doesn’t think it was too bad. He says he was thinking of getting somebody to help him out who’d already taken the class. Raveena knows there were a lot of people who could do that. He asks how she did in the class. She did well. … Would she mind helping him, then?

With a look of not quite recognition, Raveena agrees. He offers to take her out to dinner next Friday, seeing how she’s helping him out and everything. She agrees, and he says he’ll pick her up at 7:00. He pauses for a moment, tells her goodnight, and with a cheery smile, Raveena leaves him there.

RUSH DAY 1:

Nikki: “I should let you get back to your party.”
Raveena: “Oh please don’t send me back in there!”

Nikki cheerfully bounds down her stairs, waves to her cleaning crew, gets her lunch and a kiss from the cook, and heads out the door and off to Phillipi. She runs into Strella & Raveena walking to rush on the way, and offers them a ride to convocation, although she is still very cold to Strella. She orders Strella to stay away from Geoff, and doesn’t get much other than a smirk in response.

Raveena and Strella pick up their schedules and a bottle of water to keep cool on the walk to their first party. The day is a whirlwind of perfectly manicured hands and smiling faces and names. Some of the other rushees surprise Raveena with their rude candidness – she overhears one girl criticizing the color of the walls and one of the houses and others criticizing the clothes of some of the other rushees. The last party on the list for Strella and Raveena is the Kappa Kappa Gamma House. Strella seems the most excited about this one. The mood here is more intense, and once again Raveena hears strange comments whirling around her: girls earnestly telling the Kappas that they will die or kill themselves if they don’t get into this sorority.

Deaver is having his first day of class of the fall semester. He decides the best way to start a physics course is with a demonstration, and he brings out a bucket of liquid nitrogen. He has poured it out on the desk in front of him and is sliding items across it when he looks up and suddenly notices Nikki in the center of the front row. He knocks the bucket of liquid nitrogen over onto the floor, and starts sliding around uncontrollably behind the desk. Class ends a bit early, and Deaver runs to his office before Nikki can catch him. [Suddenly cold feet has a whole new meaning.]

Nikki corners Deaver in his office shortly after class. She expected him to be excited that she was going to be in his class, but instead he is greatly distressed. Deaver tries to explain university policy on dating students, and that it could cost him his job. Tells Nikki that he still desperately wants to be with her, but he can’t as long as she is in his class; he just got kicked out of one university and he doesn’t want to get kicked out of another. Nikki is crushed, explaining to him that she has to take this class this semester to pursue her degree in architectural engineering. He knows there is no other teacher teaching this class this semester – so he tells her that they will just have to put their relationship on hold until the semester is over. She leaves totally distraught.

Strella and Raveena have had a long day, and are at their sixth party at the Kappa house when Nikki arrives looking for Raveena. Raveena left her purse in Nikki’s car that morning. She comes in to the Kappa house to find her, still sobbing. Raveena comforts her and escorts her outside, where Nikki explains what happened. Raveena gently tries to defend Deaver and explain the policy. She points out to Nikki that Deaver wouldn’t be the man she loved if he had agreed to be involved with one of his students. They agree to talk later, and Raveena grimly returns to the party.

That night, the gang gathers at the coffee shop to chat. They don’t invite Strella. [like she wanted to hang with you people anyway… hehe] They do invite Nikki and Geoff. Nikki doesn’t show, and before Deaver arrives, Raveena and Chase dish over the breakup while Geoff listens. The others arrive, and Raveena complains about rush. About then, Kyp walks in arm and arm with two beautiful women, one of whom Raveena recognizes from rush that morning. The gang is stunned, but ducks down to avoid notice, indulging in fond reminisces of acceleratin’ particles.

DAY 2:

Raveena (to Rushees): “You guys should take a trip to Portland.”

Phillipi has four rush parties on day two, and Strella and Raveena have two of them together, including Kappa. Raveena decides to attempt to sabotage her own chances at rush by wearing her hair in pigtails and doing her make up like a five year old who snuck into her mother’s Forbidden Drawer. Strella takes one look at Raveena and is completely appalled. At the second party of the day for Raveena, something very strange happens. Raveena overhears one rushee says cruelly to another, “Why don’t you just go jump in the pool?” And the girl does it! After a moment of total bafflement, a sorority girl jumps in after the rushee, who still hasn’t come up for air. She manages to drag the girl out of the pool.

During the third party the word is spread over the ever-present bottles of water – by fourth party, the whole world is talking about it. Raveena takes her hair down and rubs off the worst of the makeup before the fourth party: Kappa house. Strella and Raveena reconvene there. Strella eyes Raveena from afar before approaching, relieved to see that Raveena has toned down the makeup. Raveena calls her on it, and Strella cheerfully admits that Raveena looked hideous that morning [refreshingly honest, our Strella].

The party is proceeding quite normally, until the second strange event of the day happens – a rushee who is convinced that she won’t get into Kappa throws herself off the upstairs balcony where a group of rushing folk is congregated. Raveena’s fast reflexes get her to the stairs in time to catch the girl as she pitches over the rail headfirst. Chaos ensues. After things calm down a bit, a young woman approaches Raveena, praising her for her quick thinking. She tells Raveena that she is still unsure about this whole rush thing, but is thinking about doing a service fraternity instead. Since Raveena seems to be the helpful type, would she be interested in attending an info session that evening? Raveena says yes, and the girl tells her to be at in front of the Admin Building at 8:00 pm.

In front of the Admin Building, 8:00 pm. Raveena is the only one standing there. Not another soul in sight. Raveena is unsure why she was put up to this, and turns to return to her dorm. All of the sudden, a vamp dragging a screaming girl comes in to view. Raveena immediately springs into action, dusting the jerk quickly. She tries to help the girl to her feet – the poor thing is in complete shock. Raveena supports the girl under one arm and starts quickly towards the dorms.

Two guys watch from the darkness. “Nice reflexes. That must be her. Should we get her now, or later?”

The second responds, “Why not? Let’s go.” They move out into the moonlight.

As Raveena is carrying the frightened girl, two guys approach. They call out a hello, and ask Raveena if she can help them with something … over there. Raveena feels somehow hazy, and finds herself agreeing to help. She sets the girl down on the pavement and starts off with the two guys. Before she gets too far away, she shakes off the cloudy feeling, excuses herself, and goes back to the girl hurriedly.

Along a path that runs on the outer edge of the Admin Building, a snuffling and disconsolate Nikki is taking an evening stroll. She sees Raveena leave the terrified girl and walk off with the two strangers with great concern. Something isn’t right here.

DAY 3:

Nikki (to Alex): “I’m young, I’m smart, and I’m rich.”

It is the second day of Deaver’s Physics class. Alex can’t help but notice that Nikki is nowhere in sight. His lecture is much less enthusiastic than usual. After class is dismissed and Deaver is cleaning up his materials, Nikki comes in to the room, looking tired. She looks at him and says, “You didn’t look at your roll again today, did you?” Deaver admits that he didn’t. Nikki tells her that she decided that the Chemical Engineering department desperately needs her, and she can always get another degree later. So she is no longer his student. A slow and brilliant grin crosses Deaver’s face, and he scoops her up and spins her in a circle, knocking a pricey beaker off the desk. Neither one notices or cares.

Cut to Nikki’s bedroom later that evening. [Another shirtless man alert!] Nikki starts suddenly and with a gasp asks Deaver what time it is. He tells her it is close to 8:00 pm. The rush party!

Nikki quickly tries to explain to Deaver the she sensed something very, very wrong with the rushees at the Kappa house when she met Raveena there to return her purse. She sensed it again when she saw Raveena last night by the Admin Building. Nikki has a talent for … sensing things.

She tells Deaver that they have to call the Gang and get to the Kappa house as quickly as possible … Raveena and Strella will be at that party, and they have to get to them before anything bad happens. They reach Gabe, Chase, and Geoff, and the three agree to meet them [after lots of long-winded cryptic ramblings by Nikki] at the house in fifteen minutes. Deaver grabs a sword from the gallery before they leave Nikki’s place … just in case.

Rush is finally drawing to a close, and Strella and Raveena are at the Kappa house for their second and final party of the evening. Raveena is dressed in her Portland best. The girls leave their purses at the door. They are offered refreshments, and are escorted through the house to the back yard, where chairs are set up all around the pool. The ceremony begins.

Nikki: “There are weird people at the house, who are weirder than the weird people at the house. Sometimes I get the feelings of the … weird.”

The Gang comes to a screeching halt in front of the Kappa house. They stride towards the front door, where a well-dressed sorority girl who is keeping an eye on the rushees’ purses stops them. Gabe fakes undue interest in the contents of the purses, and the girl is so convinced that he is about to walk off with them that the others walk directly past the girl and into the house. She calls after them, but doesn’t want to leave Gabe here with the purses. Eventually Gabe cheerfully tells the girl that she can keep them, and he goes inside after the others.

Raveena (to the vamp that ripped her outfit): “Hey! This dress was from Portland!”

In the back yard, the gang finds all the rushees sitting in rows, with their water bottles next to their chairs in exactly the same place. Every one of them has a glazed expression, including Raveena and Strella. Deaver assesses the situation and realizes that the water must be somehow responsible. Just as our heroes step out into the yard, approximately half a dozen vampires come over the outer wall and attack the girls. Most of the sorority members seem to be coherent and therefore freaked, but the rushees sit like docile lambs while one after another becomes dinner.

Nikki rushes around ordering sorority girls and rushees alike into the house as quickly as possible. Chase and Geoff smash a couple of chairs, and after Chase does a quick scan to make sure none of the vamps are anyone she knows, they team up on the closest one with their makeshift stakes. Deaver and Gabe take a second. Raveena looks on bemusedly. Exasperated and confused by Raveena’s inaction, Geoff calls out to her, ordering her to start fighting vampires. She docilely complies, and starts after the largest of the vamps. The vamps are quickly dealt with, and the gang is left with a pliable group of sorority wannabes.

To test the situation further, Gabe asks Raveena to get in the pool. She does so without hesitation. They ask her to get out again. Hmmm. Geoff and Chase grab one of the bottles of water and head to the lab at the hospital to see if they can work up an antidote.

Raveena (when Geoff misses the heart): “Honey, you just have to go a little lower.”

While at the lab, Geoff gives a halting speech aimed at the beaker on the table in front of him about Eric’s concoctions, and that he doesn’t know what he’s doing, and that Chase should be careful. He doesn’t give details, though. Upon microscopic inspection, there is indeed a compound additive in the bottled water – Geoff has found traces of it before at the morgue and has been studying it. He hasn’t figured out what it is, but he has a rough idea of what it does, and he’s been able to work a little with and around it. He quickly comes up with something that should work as an antidote. They test both water and antidote on Chase, and take the successful result back to the Kappa house.

Meanwhile, at the house, Nikki has managed to corral everyone indoors. Chase and Geoff arrive and start administering the antidote. When they realize that they’ll have to hit every rush party on campus to undo all the damage, they decide to deliver anonymous kegs that contain the antidote to every house for bid day the next morning instead.

Raveena: “I’m wet, and I’m 18.”

Gabe places a framed picture in a place of honor in his dorm room: it’s a shot of himself, surrounded by the entire sorority of Kappa Kappa Gamma smiling into the lens. He smiles to himself.

A misty graveyard at dusk. The hills of Maine rise above encircling, forested in black. A small path leads out of the walled cemetery. A large mausoleum rises in front of our gang. A rustle sounds from a nearby grave and a hand rises from the earth, clawing its way up. Chase turns to Raveena, “What should I do about it?”

An alarm sounds and Raveena awakes with a start.

FINIS.

Note: The director does not hate sororities and fraternities, and was in fact in one. It is a Jossian tradition to harass Greeks, and so I have followed suit. Plus Rush is just stupid. It is not, however, a coincidence that the director chose Kappa as a good place for Strella. ;) Thanks and love ITB. (Kat says: or AOT.)