Stacking the Rules

***"How is everything I've heard... real?"***
This piece of *Evie and Mya* literature is outdated and is scheduled to be rewritten or tweaked in the future. Please note that some events currently depicted will be heavily altered or removed when said content is updated. Read at your own risk of discombobulating the series canon in your head!
And spare yourself from Av's old writing, please.

## Stacking the Rules

### Director

Potato Flakin

***Stacking the Rules*** is the second episode of *The Adventures of Evie and Mya* in Season 2, and the twelfth overall.

## Synopsis

Shetani adds two unorthodox rules, and Evie, Mya, and Winter rebel against them.

## Content Warning

*This episode contains light violence and some homophobia.*

## Transcript

*It is an overcast day in Pineshadow, Washington. Evie and Mya are in art class, watching a presentation from Mr. Alann.*

"Look at this here, class. The elements of a sketch are simple - first, you make your basic shapes. I want everyone to do that before we move to the next step."

"Easy peasy," Mya whispered in Evie's ear. She was one of the best artists in the class, and one of her favorite things to draw was an animal. She decided to draw a dog.

Just as she tapped her pencil on the paper, she heard two people arguing outside.

"Hey, you hear that, Ev?"

Evie nodded. "It doesn't sound too good." She laid her pencil down. It seemed like an adult and student were the ones arguing.

"Okay, class, let's move on to the-" Mr. Alann finally got wind of the argument. "What is going on out there?"

He creaked open the door, and walked outside. Two minutes later, he re-entered. "Just Cassandra and Principal Shetani, class. I'm sure it's nothing."

Mya grimiced. Then she worried. Cassandra was a near-deaf student in the school who had to wear hearing aids that could make her hear a bit better. She feared that Shetani forgot and believed that she was listening to music.

Evie shared her concern. "I really hope she'll be fine... Someone like her shouldn't get pushed around." She liked Cassandra, and she was very sweet despite her lack of words.

Suddenly, Shetani spoke, even louder. "You young child have given me ideas for new rules! I will make sure law is in order in this school!"

Evie froze. "This cannot be happening," she said. She began to dread going to the remainder of her classes.

**SEASON 2, EPISODE 2 - STACKING THE RULES**

*Much later in the day, cut to Mr. Gill's science class.*

Evie and Mya took their seats nervously in the lab section of the science room, alongside Winter. They were awaiting his instructions.

The teacher then walked up, holding his signature ruler. "Alright, class. Today, we are going to learn about minerals. Flip open your textbooks to the table of contents..."

Suddenly, Principal Shetani came on via the speaker at the ceiling. "Good afternoon, Pines. Today I've decided to make a rule change based on some personal experiences..."

Mya looked startled, and she began to quiver nervously. *Please have mercy on us!*

Shetani began speaking again. "The new rule is simple. You are simply not allowed to leave class at any point of the day. Anyone who does will face punishment. Have a good afternoon!" Her voice disappeared from the speaker.

Mr. Gill looked puzzled. "Well... That's strange. Oh well, carry on with your research, class."

*Boring Mr. Gill is really pathetic if he doesn't care about the new rule!* Winter thought to herself. *What more could go wrong?*

Later that day, history class was normal. It seemed like the trio could get through the day.

Then Principal Shetani came on the speaker again.

"Students, I saw another rule change needing to be made as I was in my office. A student passed by me, and I noticed one thing they had was a distraction. From now on, **no one** is to have dyed hair in this building!"

Evie put her hand on her open mouth, and Mya gasped in horror. Everyone in the class was looking at Winter.

"No... This can't be happening! I can't be blamed for my style!" She was shaky and was about to snap. She remembered the reason why her hair was dyed with four additional colors - to escape her old entity that Daniela shattered into pieces. It was special to her.

Mr. Naecher was in stunned disbelief. "I'm just as in shock as you are, Winter. I don't think this is fair to you - or anyone, at all."

Evie sighed in relief. *Finally, someone agrees with us!* "And I agree with you too. Most of the recent additions to the rulebook have been unfair. These new additions are minor, to say the least. But we need to talk about the anti-LGBTQ rule! Those who are gay, you don't deserve what makes you special taken away. Who's with me?"

"I am!" Mya declared.

Everyone in the class nodded.

"Well, class. Let's keep working on our history. Anyway, time to learn how Germany was taken under control by the Nazis. Open your textbooks to-"

The door opened, and Evie watched in terror as Principal Shetani appeared. She had her eyes laid on her, Mya, and Winter, burning with fire.

"*Winterlyn Heartley*!" Winter's blood stopped pulsing, but a look of angry confusion stayed on her face. *It's McCormick, thank you very much.* "Yes?" She squeaked.

"You are to come with me to my office. You're proving to be a distraction in this classroom with that *emo* hair of yours." The class began to protest loudly, and Winter's mouth hung open. Her hair wasn't a emo style. She had always dismissed that.

Shetani, tired of the noise, screeched. "**SILENCE**!"

The class hushed immediately.

Mr. Naecher stepped forward. "Shetani, leave her alone. You can't blame Winter for her style choice, or any student. Think of it, are you really being fair? Don't you think you're-"

"Honestly, Matthew, let me do my job," Shetani growled. She dragged Winter out of the classroom, and the door closed with a thud. The class watched the door intently, as if they were anticipating that Shetani would come back for round two.

Mr. Naecher was shocked. He turned to his students. "Something's wrong with her. I won't bother you further today. You can be on technology."

Evie and Mya were looking at the door in stunned silence. "What do we do, Mya?" Evie asked.

"I don't know... But Shetani better not hurt my sister for something she is being unfairly blamed for."

Soon enough, the bell rang. Evie and Mya grabbed their things and rushed out, passing Principal Shetani's office. Mya glanced in. Winter wasn't in there, and she presumed that she got released by now. Shetani was typing at her computer, thoughtful.

They headed outside. "Where's Winter?" Evie questioned.

Mya looked around, and suddenly noticed her. She was leaned up against a brick pillar, rubbing her face. She looked to be irritated and also in fear.

"Winter, is everything okay?" She paused. There, on her cheek, was a welt on her face, pink and swelled up. Mya gasped. "What did she *do* to you?"

"While I was in her office, she dragged me to a room and shut the door... Then, she threw me into a chair, and spat at me that my hair was a disgrace! I told her that it wasn't, but then she hit me on the cheek hard. No one witnessed me. As she dismissed me..."

Evie looked disturbed. "What did she do?"

"I thought I heard her whisper a homophobic slur behind my back." Her sister and best friend looked at her in stunned disbelief.

"**She WHAT**?" Mya was furious.

"I know. She's clearly not on the good side at all. She's also ordered me to get my hair colors out by Sunday, or I'm going to be expelled... Shetani's trying to take over the school by force! And this is only just the beginning."

"I've heard enough, Winter," Evie said. "Which is why it's time we confront her. Tomorrow, we take a stand. We get her to reverse these new rules. And Winter, I will **never** let you get expelled the way Shetani wants you to. What she muttered near you was unacceptable, and we're going to end it. Everyone with me?"

Mya and Winter nodded.

"Alrighty. Shetani better be prepared for our sensational standoff."

***The next day...***

After the bell had rang for the end of the day, Evie, Mya, and Winter headed down to the principal's office. Shetani was all by herself, typing on her computer. She looked to be planning something.

"Ready?" Evie asked. Her friends nodded.

She opened the door, and led them in. "Hi, Principal Shetani."

She looked up at them with her piercing blue eyes. "What do you want? If this isn't important, *get out* the door."

Mya leaned her body onto her desk. "It is pretty important. We'd like to talk about the two new rules you implemented, because we have a *problem* with them. And I have a problem with what you said to my sister!"

Shetani groaned, ignoring the last part of Mya's sentence. "Ugh... What's the issue?"

"We think it's unfair to students if they're not allowed to leave the classroom except for lunch. You do realize that the freaking bathroom can be more important at times than education!" Winter said pointedly. She winked at her friends. They knew exactly what she meant.

"They're fine," Shetani responded bluntly. "There is no reason why students need to leave the classroom. It is for important reasons!"

"Not for the ladies," whispered Winter. "Think of them... Think of the pain."

"***Okay***! Fine. You win. I'm reversing that one. Now get out before I punish you for defying your leader!" Shetani scrambled to write things down on her computer. Evie stepped forward.

"We aren't finished yet. Revoke the rule about dyed hair, and apologize to Winter for what you uttered behind her back. We know it was ***not*** pretty."

"It's a *distraction* to other students," Shetani stated. "It's not changing, that's that. And don't accuse me of something I didn't do, Miss Ly! All staff treat students with equality!"

"What if I told you that I dyed my hair for personal reasons? For things that affected me and changed my life forever?" Winter said, pointing to the dyed ends of her hair. "Students are allowed to express creativity. Everyone has a freedom to do that, Principal Shetani. You can't take that away. And I **know** what you said behind my back was homophobic."

"Winterlyn Heartley, stop this instant. You can't challenge that just because of things you apparently went through. That's absurd! And I did not say anything like that to you!"

*Absurd. Absurd. Absurd.* Winter was about to snap. She could imagine steam pouring from her ears. This principal had said a homophobic slur behind her back, disregarded her last name, and was now trying to oppress her in a suffocating matter. *Did I lie?* Suddenly, Mya spoke up.

"Don't you **dare** call what happened to her absurd, Principal Shetani! You can't take away everyone's rights to have their own style just because you thought the way Winter rolls is a distraction. You shouldn't blame Winter for dying her hair after having a life-changing incident happen to her, and you shouldn't blame anyone else. And she goes by *McCormick*. Just because she became my sister doesn't mean she lost her old name!"

Principal Shetani froze in utter shock at Mya's fiery remark. Evie was impressed. If there was one thing you didn't do besides ticking off Winter, it was ticking off Mya. As she remembered countless times before, you didn't mess with her girlfriend and get away with it. *That's the wisecracker I love,* she thought to herself.

"Ugh, you students are immeasurable pain. Yes, very well, revoking that. Now, **get out**."

"***Apologize to my sister***!" Mya screamed, hitting Shetani's desk hard with her fist and making her jump back. "I am not leaving this very office until you say you're sorry. My sister has been through hell, and all you have to do is hit her and say a homophobic slur! You may not support a lesbian like her, but you *will* respect Winter for who she is."

Shetani furrowed her eyebrows before standing up, and moving over toward Winter. "I'm sorry, Winterlyn Heart- McCormick. There!"

"Better." Mya seemed satisfied. "But revoke your rule on banning LGBTQ+ relationships. You know that isn't fair. You can't deny gay pride in this school!"

"I am NOT revoking that rule! Now all of you ***GET OUT***!" Shetani roared. "If all of you stay in this office for a minute longer, you're getting detention for three class periods! Learn to gain more respect for the adults around you!"

Evie, Mya, and Winter took her deep warning as a sign and dashed out of her office, then out of the school altogether. After getting near the street, they high-fived.

"Mission accomplished!" Evie said enthusiastically. "Well planned, Winter. I think the school's gonna be real proud of you once they find out."

Winter blushed. "Thanks, Ev. I think we can rest easy for now. But she didn't revoke the rule about gay relationships!"

"Well, that's one thing we can't challenge right now. There's a limit for trouble and rebellion - and in this case, we shouldn't risk it, knowing what she can do to us. But what we got today is a victory," Evie declared.

Shetani watched them from her window. *I'm quite suspicious of those girls. If you challenge my rule, I'll make you bend to it,* she thought. *Hardcore.*

The girls headed off. As they walked away from the school, the spotted someone leaning on the edge of the fence surrounding the sports field. *That's Cassandra!* Evie realized.

Mya happily waved at the deaf girl, who had dark brown skin and curly dark brown-black hair tied back in a ponytail. Her eyes were yellow and friendly. Using some knowledge of sign language, Mya communicated, *Did the principal do much to you?* to her. Cassandra quietly said, "No, not much. Just startled... Me."

Mya gestured okay, then turned to her friends. "She's okay."

Winter stepped forward to Cassandra, and handed her a small paper. Mya noticed it was a small hand-drawn image. *Aww, how sweet of her.* She communicated, "Winter wanted to give you this."

Cassandra nodded in understanding. "Thanks, Winter." She began walking home.

"Well, guys?" Evie said. "Let's go home! I'm about ready to check my YouTube notifications."

Mya lagged behind, talking with Winter.

"What did you give Cass?" She asked.

"It was a cat's head with a note. *We overturned those rules. You're welcome to help if you can.*"

"Cass is known to support good causes. If you ask me, she'd be willing to help. She has a great voice."

"I think we're on the grounds of a major rebellion, Mya," Winter said. She smiled.

They were not going to go down that easily.

## Cast

* **Hugh Bonneville** as Mr. Alann
* **Dakota Fanning** as Mya
* **Peyton Elizabeth Lee** as Evie
* **Treshelle Edmond** as Cassandra
* **Jessica Walter** as Shetani
* **Steve Blum** as Mr. Gill
* **Mae Whitman** as Winter
* **Rob Wiethoff** as Mr. Naecher

## Trivia

* This episode marks the debut of Mr. Alann, Cassandra, and Mr. Gill.
* It is revealed that:
	+ Shetani is homophobic.
	+ Cassandra is on the protagonists' side. She is a good friend of Mya's.
	+ Mya is talented when it comes to sign language.
	+ Shetani is seemingly plotting something dark.
* Although anything of the sort is not directly stated, this episode marks the first time a slur of any sort has been used in the series, as Shetani said a homophobic slur behind Winter's back.
* When Winter internally questions if she lied, she is referencing the popular Nicki Minaj meme, called *Did I lie?*.