It's a Winterful Life/Transcript

Explore an alternate reality in this classic HSS quest!
There's a bright flash of light, and suddenly you find yourself standing in a vacant lot that is oddly familiar...
MC: Hello? This looks like where my school started...
MC: But where did my friends go? And where are all the Classrooms and Hangouts?
Autumn: Classrooms? Hangouts? You must be new around here. There's no school in this area, and there never will be.
MC: Autumn! There you are! I'm so glad to see you...
Autumn: Huh? I don't know you. Is this some kind of prank? I bet Max and Kara put you up to this, didn't they?
MC: What? No! I... I was just trying to be friendly. What did you mean there's never going to be a school here?
Autumn: This place isn't much to look at yet, but I always hoped someone would come and build a school here... a place for outcasts.
Autumn: But that dream is dead. In a few weeks, the Warren Auxiliary Football Stadium is going to be built right here.
MC: What? That's awful!
Autumn: It's just how things are.
Autumn: Anyway, it's nice to meet you. I go to Hearst High.
Choice
What do you say?
   Nice to meet you, Autumn.
   Wow, you're beautiful.
   So you're trespassing...
if "Nice to meet you, Autumn." then
   Autumn: There's nothing nice about anything these days.
   MC: So, uh, do you usually hang out in empty lots?
   Autumn: I come here to get away from all the people at Hearst. They can be real jerks, you know?
if "Wow, you're beautiful." then
   if MC is Male then
       Autumn: Ugh, you're pretty flirty, aren't you?
       MC: Yep. I'm also good-looking, a lot of fun, and an amazing kisser...
       Autumn: ...
       MC: So, what's a pretty girl like you doing all alone out here?
       Autumn: Actually, I come here pretty often to get away. The people at Hearst can be... well, they can be jerks.
   if MC is Female then
       Autumn blushes and looks down.
       Autumn: Oh, um, thanks. You're much prettier, though.
       MC: You're blushing. I'm surprised... don't you get told that a lot?
       Autumn: Not really. The people at Hearst can be... well, they can be jerks. I actually come here pretty often to get away from them.
if "So you're trespassing..." then
   Autumn: What? No! I was just hanging around here... where I'm not supposed to be... all alone...
   Autumn: Okay, so I'm trespassing. You wanna get into a turf war?
   Autumn pulls a pair of nunchucks out of her purse and glares at you menacingly.
   MC: No! I was just wondering. I don't want to fight.
   MC: So why do you hang out in empty lots?
   Autumn: Actually, I come here pretty often to get away. The people at Hearst can be... well, they can be jerks.
MC: So what do you do here?
Autumn: Well, people use this place as a dump for trash and broken-down cars... so I just throw rocks at the cars to pass the time.
MC: Oh... does anyone know you're out here, all by yourself?
Autumn: Not really. I mean, no one cares what I do... not my dad, nor my friends... no one cares.
MC: I care about you, Autumn. And what about Julian? And Payton? And all your other friends?
Autumn: You mean Max's #1 lackey? And that girl who used to throw parties? Yeah, right. They wouldn't give me the time of day.
MC: I... I don't believe this. Julian would never give in to Max! And Payton's so friendly--
Autumn: Friendly? Ha! Payton doesn't talk to anyone.
MC: Huh? And you're acting so different, too...
MC: What's going on?
Ever wonder what would have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did? What if you never started your school, never recruited Julian away from Hearst, never made friends with Payton, Nishan and Autumn?
In short, what would High School Story be like in a world without YOU?
We've got the answer right here. Find out... if you dare.
MC: Couldn't someone build a school here?
Autumn: Ha! I wish.
Autumn: I used to hang around here, waiting for someone to start one so I could transfer out of Hearst, but it never happened.
MC: And how long have you been waiting?
Autumn: Long enough to have given up hope. You should give up, too, whoever you are.
MC: My name is MC, remember? I'm your friend. We started a school together.
Autumn: In your dreams, maybe. Just give up. This place could have been the start of something big... but it wasn't.
MC: I'm not giving up, Autumn! I don't know what's going on, but there should be a school in this vacant lot, not an auxiliary football stadium!
MC: Where are our friends? I'm sure they'll help us set things right.
Autumn: What friends? Relationships are just meaningless connections in this vale of tears.
MC: Sorry, I meant... where's Julian? Maybe he'll help us.
Autumn: That guy? You sure you want to talk to him?
MC: Um, yes?
Autumn: Well, I don't have anything better to do... so I guess I can take you to see him.
You follow Autumn to the Hearst football field...
MC: There he is! I see Julian!
MC: But why is he benched? He's the star player!
Julian sits on the sidelines, watching the game in progress.
A teammate tosses the football to Max, who runs it into the end zone!
Max: Take note, everyone... I'm the bomb!
Autumn: I'm pretty sure Max is the star player here.
When football practice ends, all the cheerleaders swarm around Max.
Classmate 2: Amazing job out there, Max.
Classmate 3: You're the best football player at Hearst High!
Max: Greatness is such a heavy burden.
MC: But... what about Julian? Why wasn't he on the field?
Max: Who cares about that loser?
MC: I do...
Classmate 2: Who's Julian?
Classmate 3: Julian... he's just the water boy, right? I've never seen him play.
You see Julian head to the water fountains. You run over, waving to him.
MC: Julian!
Julian: Sorry, who are you?
Autumn: This is MC... some weirdo who showed up at my lot, talking about starting a new school.
Julian: Bad idea. Max's family is building a luxury indoor stadium there.
MC: So I've heard.
Julian: Trust me. You do not want to mess with the Warrens.
MC: Yeah, I know they're bad news.
MC: So why were you benched? Are you hurt?
Julian: No, I'm fine. It's just... last week, I made a touchdown, instead of letting Max do it, so he benched me for stealing the show.
Julian: If I want to get back on the field, I have to grovel for the next month and do everything Max says.
MC: You're not going to do it, are you?
Julian: I have to, if I want to play.
From across the football field, Max beckons to Julian.
Max: Loser boy! Get me a grapefruit soda from the vending machine!
Julian: Yes, Max...
Max glances in your direction and grins.
Max: Oh, and Julian? Get rid of the riff-raff.
MC: What? I'm not leaving! You can't make me do anything!
Julian: If Max wants you to go, then you've gotta go.
Julian ushers you and Autumn away from the football field.
Julian: Sorry about that, MC.
MC: Why is Max ordering you around? You're the best football player in the school, not him! Why don't you stand up to him?
Julian: I don't have a choice.
Julian: The last time I tried standing up to Max, I got benched for months! I can't risk that again. Football is all I've got going for me!
MC: That's not true. You're a great leader... you're smart... you even beat Nishan at chess once!
Julian: What are you talking about? I don't play nerd games like chess!
MC: Look, the Julian I know would never let Max get away with this, not for all the football scholarships in the world!
Julian: I'd like to meet this other Julian. He sounds like a cool guy.
MC: He is.
Julian: Thanks for the pep talk, but it's too late for me. Don't bother.
Julian awkwardly pats you on the shoulder and walks away.
MC: I've never seen Julian like this!
Autumn: That's what Hearst does to you. It chips away at your soul until all that's left is a pile of sad, hopeless dust.
MC: Sounds about right...
MC: Well, we should track down Payton.
Autumn: Like I said, she's a total anti-party loner now.
MC: Even if she's changed, I'm sure she's still a cheerful person at heart! We can still get through to her!
MC: So where is Payton usually?
Autumn: I don't know. I haven't seen her in a while.
MC: Not to worry. If we throw a party, I'm sure she'll show up!
Your dance party is in full swing...
MC: This is sure to lure Payton out of hiding! She loves dance music played at full blast!
Autumn: I'll admit, this is more fun than the usual parties around here.
Just then, the music cuts out! Everyone looks around in confusion. You turn and see Payton has pulled out the electrical cord!
Payton: Whoops. My bad.
MC: Payton! I knew you'd come. You can't resist a good party!
Payton: It's true...
Payton: I can't resist trashing a good party!
Payton pushes over the snack table, sending drinks and chips flying!
MC: What are you doing?
Payton: Can't you tell? I'm ruining your party!
Payton kicks a trash can over, then grabs a fire extinguisher and sprays a couple dancing in the corner!
Payton: It's over!
MC: But... I thought you loved parties!
Payton: Sure, I was a party girl, once upon a time.
Payton: And then one day, I didn't plan a birthday exactly the way Kara wanted, and she banned me from all the social events at Hearst. That was the end of my reign as party princess...
Payton: I went three long years without partying.
MC: That must have been horrible...
Payton: Hah! It was liberating. I realized that parties are futile and happiness is fleeting. You've got to embrace the chaos!
Outside, Jack Carver pulls up on his motorcycle.
Jack Carver: Hurry up, babe! I want to get to makeout alley before all the good dumpsters are taken.
Payton: Later, losers!
Payton climbs onto the back of Jack Carver's motorcycle, wrapping her arms around him as the engine revs to life.
Choice
What do you say?
   NOOOOOOOOO!
   NOT JACK CARVER!
   I think I threw up a little.
if "I think I threw up a little." then
   Autumn: Ew... please keep that to yourself.
   MC: Payton and Jack Carver? Not a pretty sight.
if "NOOOOOOOOO!", or "NOT JACK CARVER!" then
   Autumn: Ugh. I don't know what Payton sees in him.
   MC: Say no more. I really, really don't want to know.
MC: Well, that was a huge failure.
Autumn: No surprise there.
MC: I know Max and Kara have a lot of pull at Hearst, but I never realized it was this bad.
MC: We've got to do something about this!
Autumn: I wish... but no one can stand up to Max and Kara. They're too powerful. Everyone knows they've got a secret weapon--
MC: Wait! Is that...?
You hear cheering and shouting in the distance.
Autumn: Yeah, cheer practice. So what?
MC: Where there's cheer practice, there's Mia! And she doesn't let anyone push her around. I'm sure she can help us.
At cheerleading practice...
MC: Oh! There's Mia with the cheerleading squad!
Autumn: And there's Kara! Quick, hide!
You and Autumn quickly duck behind an ornate, marble fountain.
Kara: You call that a routine? Pathetic!
Kara: That was worse than the last place performance at regionals.
Mia: Yeah, it was like watching ugly ducks learn to dance.
Kara: Go run ten laps, and then we're doing the whole thing again!
Mia: Now get out of our sight!
The cheerleaders retreat, looking downtrodden and exhausted.
Kara: Whew, good riddance.
Mia: Ugh, I know, right?
Mia: Hey, Kara... I heard about this new frozen yogurt place that opened up, and I thought you might like it. Maybe we could go together?
Kara: Froyo? That's so last month, Mia. What did I tell you about keeping your dumb ideas to yourself?
Mia: Oh... yeah. Sorry.
Kara picks up her gym bag and saunters away.
With Kara out of sight, Mia sinks to the ground and buries her face in her hands! Soon, you hear tiny, hiccuping sobs.
MC: We've got to help Mia!
MC: Mia? Are you okay?
Mia: Do I look okay? Talk about a stupid question.
MC: Seems like Kara's being pretty mean to you.
Mia: That's my own fault. I deserve it.
Mia: I'm just her boyfriend's annoying little sister and nothing more.
MC: Well, I think she's being unfair to you.
Mia: What do you know? And who are you, anyway? I bet you're just a loser loner, like Autumn over there.
Autumn: I feel like I should be offended, but she's right.
MC: I know you're hurting, but that doesn't give you the right to insult us.
Mia: I can do whatever I want! And that's what you get for sticking your nose in my business!
MC: You were crying. I was just trying to be nice.
Mia: Well, I don't need your pity, dork. Know your place!
MC: What's that supposed to mean?
Mia: Let me spell it out for you.
Mia: At Hearst, Max, Kara, and I are at the top. We're royalty and everyone else at this school... they're just peasants, crawling around in the mud.
Mia: Now get out of my sight.
You and Autumn retreat, leaving Mia alone.
MC: Wow, it's like Mia's a totally different person.
Autumn: What do you expect from a spoiled, rich kid like her? Everyone at Hearst hates Mia. She's almost as bad as Kara and Max.
MC: But Mia's actually really sweet and kind underneath her tough exterior.
Autumn: Mia? Yeah, right. What kind of alternate reality do you live in?
MC: That's it! An alternate reality!
MC: Nishan knows all about alternate universes and realities! Let's go find him and get some answers!
MC: All right, Autumn. Let's go find Nishan!
Autumn: Actually... let's not. This isn't a good idea. Trust me, you do not want to meet Nishan.
MC: I have to. He's the only one who'll know what's going on.
Autumn: Well, I can't stop you. If you really want to find him, go into that building and head down the hall.
MC: Thanks, Autumn.
You enter the building. You're scanning the halls for any sign of Nishan when you see a shadowy figure scurry past!
MC: Hey! Wait! I want to ask you a question!
Classmate 2: I never deny anyone with an inquiring mind. What is it?
MC: Do you know a guy named Nishan? He likes science and has a mohawk?
Classmate 2: I know who Nishan is. We all know him.
MC: Great! Where does he usually hang out?
Classmate 2: What, the 'Victor Frankenstein of Hearst High'? In his private lab, of course.
MC: So where is this private lab?
Classmate 2: Actually, I was headed there myself. I'll take you.
You follow Classmate 2 past high-tech computer labs, fancy classrooms, and luxurious student lounges.
MC: 'The Warren Private Study Room'? And there's a door to the... 'Mia-Only Gazebo'?
Classmate 2: You mustn't forget the 'Kara Sinclair Personal Spa' and a restricted-access movie theater for Max.
MC: Talk about spoiled.
Classmate 2: This is what happens when your school is helmed by a wealthy principal with loose morals.
Classmate 2 leads you outside to a towering warehouse at the edge of campus. You walk inside and...
MC: Oh!
You walk into Nishan's gigantic lab. Along one wall are glass cages with several people inside.
At the other end of the room, you see Nishan bent over an array of test tubes, filled with a bubbling green solution.
Classmate 2: Someone to see you, Doctor Nishan...
Nishan: Minion #8... there you are! Get back in your cage!
Classmate 2 joins Classmate 3 and several others sitting in glass cages. Classmate 2 casts you a look of sheer hopelessness.
Classmate 2: Help...
Nishan: A visitor to my humble science cavern? Lovely!
MC: Hey, Nishan--
Nishan: Hold on, random stranger.
Nishan: Minion #8! Specimen #1104 and #228 are showing signs of rebellion. Give them the injections!
MC: What's going on over there?
Nishan: Pursuit of science in its highest form... pure, unadulterated inquiry without the constraints of ethics and government regulations.
Nishan: MWA HA HA HA!
Classmate 3: I'm so tired, Doctor Nishan. Can I take a break? I promise I'll record my results right away. I'll even give you a blood sample--
Nishan: Return to your pod, Specimen #1104!
Suddenly, red lights start flashing overhead, and an alarm begins to wail.
Nishan: Max is here!
Nishan quickly switches off the alarm, straightens his shirt, and paces over to the entrance to let Max in.
Max: Hello, dorkface. What've you got for me today?
Nishan: I came up with a force-absorbent gel for football pads--
Max: Boring! I give you all this money and you invent squishy stuff?
Max: Where's my T. Rex? My invisibility cloak?
Nishan: I'm not sure that's possible...
Max: I saw the Jurassic World trailer, nerd. Don't tell me what's possible!
Max: You'd better have something awesome for me by the time I come back!
Max punches Nishan in the shoulder and leaves in a cloud of pungent deodorant.
Nishan: So mystery student, what are you here for?
MC: Nishan... do you know anything about alternate realities?
Nishan: I might. Why do you ask?
MC: Everything's all wrong here. In my, um, reality, I started a high school on the site of a vacant lot. You, Payton, Julian, and Autumn are my classmates and my friends.
MC: But instead, that same lot is going to be the site of a Hearst football stadium!
Nishan: Interesting. Where's your proof?
MC: Well, I know you're scared of cyborg were-panthers. You love the show Star Journey, and you have a crush on--
Nishan: Whoa! Okay, I get the picture. You have this information because, in an alternate timeline, we're friends.
Nishan: This sounds like a type of temporal shift. Did you travel at high velocity? Meet a handsome doctor in a police booth?
MC: No, I just found myself in the vacant lot, as if the last few years hadn't happened!
Nishan: This is amazing! If we can discover the cause, we'll revolutionize science as we know it!
MC: That's the Nishan I know and love!
Nishan: I find your problem fascinating! So fascinating, in fact, that I'd like to conduct some experiments on you!
Nishan: Specimen #1104! Minion #8! SakuraBot! Secure the test subject!
A robot with a pink wig suddenly jerks to life! Classmate 2, Classmate 3, and SakuraBot begin closing in on you.
MC: ...
MC: Nishan! Please! You don't want to do this.
Nishan: But I do! Science invigorates me, and I've never felt more alive!
Just then, the room begins to fill with thick, grey smoke!
Nishan: A smoke bomb?
Someone grabs you from behind and drags you out of the lab!
MC: Who...? What?
Wes: Whew, that was a close one.
Wes: Nishan almost had you, MC.
MC: Wes! You know who I am!
Wes: Naturally. I know everything that goes on in this school. I had my eyes on you from the moment Julian pushed you off the football field.
MC: That's not what I meant, but I'll take it!
MC: Thanks for the rescue. I really appreciate--
Wes: Don't waste your breath. I didn't rescue you to be nice. There's something you need to see...
Wes takes you to the library, where he pulls a thick, leather bound volume off one of the shelves...
And the bookcase swings back to reveal a staircase leading down into the darkness.
Wes: Watch your step.
You follow Wes down the hidden passageway and through several corridors, until you reach a dimly lit room.
Autumn: Oh, good! You're finally here.
Wes: I ran into Autumn, and she told me what happened...
Wes: I hear you've been speaking out against Max and Kara all over Hearst. We could use a person like you.
MC: 'We'?
Wes: Welcome to the underground resistance, MC. We're going to end the tyranny of Max and Kara once and for all!
MC: So what's your grand plan?
Wes: Shhhh! The walls have ears!
Motioning for you to keep quiet, Wes drags you and Autumn into a blanket fort behind a dingy couch.
Wes: We can't talk outside. The FBI and the Warrens have this place tapped.
MC: Uh... okay? So what've you been up to?
Wes: So far, we've got several secret propaganda campaigns going. Leaflets, podcasts, messages written in bathroom stalls... the works! And our undercover agents are working to get an 'in' with Max and Kara. Quite a few long cons have been in the works for years now.
MC: Wow. Just how many people are in this resistance?
Wes glances around furtively. Finally, he lowers his voice and whispers...
Wes: There's just me... I'm the core of this whole operation.
Autumn: But you can't bring down Max and Kara all by yourself. They've got Nishan and his technology to protect them!
Wes: Hey, I've got a few favors to call in. There's this bus driver who owes me... and the guy I gave gum to five years ago... the girl I made eye contact with once...
MC: That's useless, Wes. Our best bet is to expose the corruption at Hearst High.
Wes: Hmmm... if we pull that off at the big, ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new football stadium, that'll be a real coup.
Wes: But how can we prove that Hearst High is corrupt? Nishan's the only one with the hacking skills we need to get that information.
You think of SakuraBot in Nishan's lab.
MC: We need Sakura. She can get the data and beat Nishan at his own game.
You find Sakura in the computer lab, wearing a virtual reality helmet.
Sakura: What do you want? I'm busy gaming, if you can't tell.
MC: Uh, we'd like you to join our underground resistance to defeat Max and Kara.
Sakura: You're wasting my time. I've long since lost hope for this school...
Sakura: ...which is why I've immersed myself in virtual reality for the last few years. I might be powerless IRL, but in-game, I'm the best!
Sakura: In here, I built my own high school and filled it with my friends. I get to live high school my way.
MC: But what about Nishan? Isn't he your friend?
Sakura: Sure! He's in my game, too.
MC: I mean, real-life Nishan...
Sakura: He used to be my friend... until he went all mad scientist.
Sakura: You can't defeat Max and Kara. With Nishan's robot army, they're invincible! It's only going to keep getting worse.
MC: That's why we have to rise up now! If we get Nishan away from Max's influence and money, I'm sure he'll go back to being our old friend! Don't you want to save him?
Sakura looks wistfully down at her virtual reality helmet.
Sakura: Fine. I'll help you... for Nishan.
You and Sakura ride her motorbike to one of the underground's outside entrances where Wes and Autumn wait.
Wes: MC! Sakura! I'm glad you're here. I just sent a sonar message to the rebel dolphins, and I'm putting together my string map right now...
MC: That's... great, Wes.
Sakura: No, it's not. It's a waste of time! We don't have time for Wes's conspiracy theories...
Wes: That's just what the Illuminati are counting on!
Autumn: Come on, guys... please don't argue. We need to focus.
Autumn: The ribbon-cutting ceremony is tomorrow. Once stadium construction starts, there'll never be another school in this area!
MC: Autumn's right. It's now or never.
Sakura: Okay, MC filled me in on the plan. It sounds like I need to get data that exposes the corruption at Hearst...
Wes: Can you do it?
Sakura: You just watch. Someone, keyboard me!
The day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony...
Sakura: I've got it! I've got proof of Hearst's corruption! We can leak this to the press at the ceremony.
Autumn: That's great! But how are we going to do that again? Max and Kara aren't exactly going to let us waltz in and ruin their lives...
MC: We need to create a scandal. Wes, you distract Max and Kara while Autumn and I get the media's attention.
Autumn: What about Nishan's robots?
Sakura: I'll take care of Nishan. I've got a device I can plant on him that'll prevent him from activating his android army!
MC: Everyone knows what to do?
Everyone nods.
MC: Now... move out!
You and your friends meet at the abandoned lot, which is crowded with media outlets, city council members, and students from Hearst High.
Max: Today, we're going to cut this huge ribbon...
Kara: And a new stadium will be built for cool people like us!
After Sakura texts you with the go-ahead message, Wes sidles up to some of the cheerleaders guarding Max and Kara.
Wes: Hey, wanna see a card trick?
Other cheerleaders step in front of you to block your path to the media! One of them asks what you're doing.
Choice
What's your cover?
   Student journalist!
   Literature professor!
   Spooky ghost!
if "Student journalist!" then
   MC: Let us pass! We're press.
   Autumn: Yeah, I'm the photographer!
   MC: Kara is going to be pretty mad if no one writes an article about the groundbreaking ceremony for the school newspaper.
   You pull out your wallet and flash it quickly at the cheerleaders...
   And they let you pass!
   MC: Sweet! We're in! Now we just have to leak the proof to the media...
if "Literature professor!" then
   MC: See this copy of 'Beowulf'? I'm totally an English professor!
   Autumn: And I teach... art?
   The cheerleaders eye you skeptically...
   MC: I know I look really young for my age, but I'm actually super old. Like, old enough to be a professor.
   Mia: Hey! You guys aren't professors! Especially not Little Miss Quirkface.
   Autumn: Oops.
   MC: Let's get out of here!
if "Spooky ghost!" then
   MC: You see nothing... I'm just a ghost, an apparition, a figment of your imagination...
   Autumn: Boo?
   The cheerleaders look at you in disbelief.
   Mia: Nice try, losers.
   MC: Let's get out of here!
Suddenly, you hear a commotion in the distance! A platoon of steel robots roll into view, forming a wall between you and the ceremony! Leading the army are... Sakura and Nishan!
MC: Sakura, what are you doing?!
Sakura: I can't let you succeed, MC.
Sakura: I was so lonely without IRL friends. I thought if I saved Nishan, I wouldn't be friendless anymore. But it turns out, I'm not alone.
Nishan puts an arm around Sakura.
Sakura: Nishan's promised to join forces with me.
Nishan: We're going to rule cyberspace... together!
Autumn: Ah, betrayal, my old friend...
MC: We can still disrupt the ceremony if we help Wes!
You duck and dodge Nishan's robots, pulling Autumn along with you.
Wes: Just in time, MC. I'm going to knock out Max and then...
Wes: I WILL DESTROY ALL OF HEARST!
MC: But that's not our mission--
Wes: If I go down, Hearst goes down with me!
MC: You're out of control, Wes. All that scheming by yourself... it's ruined you.
Out of the corner of your eye, you see Nishan's robot army advancing...
Mia: SECURITY! Take the trash out, please.
Several cheerleaders grab you and Autumn, and bring you before Max and Kara.
Max: Who are these losers? You know what we do with intruders...
Kara: We give them to Nishan!
Nishan: Ah, Specimen #2283. I knew you'd come back to me.
MC: No! I don't want to be a test subject!
Your vision darkens as robots surround you on all sides...
You wake up with a start!
MC: Whoa! That was a scary dream...
MC: That was a dream, right?
Around you, your friends are chatting and decorating the Artist Hangout with cutout snowflakes.
Winter sunlight streams through the glass windows, bathing the room in brightness.
Payton: Have a nice nap, MC?
MC: Uh, it was all right... I had a nightmare.
Julian: Was it the kind where you're taking a test and the clock is ticking and...
Payton: OMG! Those are the worst. I don't even want to think about it.
Payton: Nightmares suck. Want some hot cocoa?
MC: Yes, please!
Your nightmare weighs heavy on your mind as you sip your hot cocoa...
MC: So, Payton. How do you feel about parties?
Payton: Is this a trick question? I love parties!
MC: And, uh, Autumn... do you still hang around empty lots?
Autumn: Not since I started going to this school. Why?
MC: I was just wondering...
Nishan: Ah, the spirit of inquiry. It's the foundation of all science!
MC: Speaking of science... would you do anything in the pursuit of knowledge? Even illegal things? Like experimenting on human test subjects?
Nishan: What? No! I mean, I wouldn't be opposed exactly, but human subjects are notorious for introducing error into experiments!
MC: ...good enough.
Wes: What's with all the questions?
MC: Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about what we'd be like if we didn't go to this school.
Autumn: Heh, I don't even want to think about it! I'd probably still be hanging around this place, hoping someone would show up!
Julian: And I'd be sitting on the bench, waiting to get some time on the field.
Nishan: I'd still be doing Max's dirty techwork for him.
MC: Yeah, something like that.
Julian: Hey, we're here, and we have MC to thank for that. Right, guys?
Payton: Right! Group hug?
Autumn: Group hug!
MC: It is a wonderful life we have here, huh?
Thanks for playing! We hope you enjoyed this special look at a very different High School Story.
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