Overview: Backstory of how Professor Shum fought odds winning the “Step Up 2 The Wave” competition, where he subsequently became Special Agent Shum, with the help of his BFF Mandy.
“Today class, we will be studying the thermodynamics of the latest nanobot from The Walt Disney Company,” Jeremy started in lecture theater GP1-03, the largest auditorium on campus, which fit a total of up to 1000 students, though the class was maybe, 800 students or so. Many students though, brought their friends, and the lecture theater was almost filled to its extent.
Although successful as a University engineering professor, Jeremy was unsatisfied with being just another worker in the Waverly Place. He was committed to one day getting the hand of Princess Selena, although he didn’t know how that would happen.
That afternoon, after class had finished, although Jeremy thought it would be another average day, little did he know that his chance was approaching.
As he passed out from GP1-03 and walked through the waiting area, he noticed a poster which had been blutacked to the wall, with the words “Step Up 2 The Wave”. Grabbing his iPhone out, he immediately jotted down the details, because it was an opportunity to work with MI5, which was the special force that protected Princess Selena. Decennial, meaning every ten years, a competition would be held for new recruitments to MI5 of people from “The Commons”, but only those with the absolute top notch physique and mentality could apply. The last time it was on, Jeremy was seventeen, not yet eighteen, so he couldn’t apply. This was the first time he would have an opportunity.
The competition of “Step Up” was different every ten years. This decennial, the competition was to be based upon a dance battle. Jeremy was trained in many arts, but dance was not one of them. His BFF Mandy though, was a brilliant dancer, because her mother had taught her since a young age.
‘Oh hi Jeremy’, I said, excitedly. Was I too obvious? Did I sound too desperate for friends? Maybe he’d think I was a loser? What did he think of me? Would he think I’m an ugly duckling? Maybe even fat? You see, we were in grade ten, and it was everybody’s first year of being a senior, and nobody at the school knew each other. We didn’t meet much people in week one, far it was only filled with wondrous tours of our school to be.
‘Hi Miley’, Jeremy replies, seemingly overwhelmed by the first week of school, ‘how’s school going?’
‘It’s going good,’ I shrugged. It sure didn’t sound so in my voice.
‘Let’s go and get some recess’, he says, smiling, realizing things weren’t going as well for me as I’d hoped. I guess you could say I am that emotional type of girl. I never got into the hand-cutting thing because I mean, what do you get out of it? However, I’d always secretly go into the toilets and have cries in between lessons; despite I don’t think anybody knew.
‘Sure’, I said, ‘Actually I’ve got to put my books into my locker; can you please save me a place in the line?’ No. What was I doing? I had just opened myself to the chance of being rejected. What if Jeremy were to reject my request? What if when I got back the others in the line didn’t let me in with Jeremy and told me not to push in? This surely wasn’t my day.
‘Yeah that’s fine’, he said gleefully.
It didn’t take me long to return, and I slipped into the line next to Jeremy with no problems, Sometimes, I just wonder how much we worry about things that never come to pass – it’s almost like our happiness depends on the acceptance of others.
The teacher counted the next five in. You see, our school canteen was quite small, and to prevent theft, the canteen only allows around twelve or so odd people in there at once. I then tried to predict whether the teacher would let us in, for the number the teacher let in wasn’t always five. It was arbitrary, and often depended on the benevolence of the teacher. Bad teacher and it would seem the entrance pass would always extend to the person just before you; good teacher and you would always seem to be the last person to be allowed in the canteen.
It was a grumpy looking blonde woman, who looked like the serious sort of person. She looked like the sort of person who may have been good looking when she was younger (but probably still quite serious); but still not the sort you could imagine being married to an ordinary man. However, to define an ordinary man in his forties is impossible. I just can’t see how any woman could find them attractive.
‘Okay, next five’, the teacher utters in a rather whisky tone, counting the next five. It seemed like me and Jeremy was so dose to the front that this would be both our turns. We quickly scurried forward. Jeremy takes one-step past the teacher with no problem, with me tailing him. No problem. He takes another one. He is clearly past the teacher, but then the unthinkable occurs. The teachers hand drops right in front of me.
‘That’s it, Miss’, she says. I couldn’t believe it. My newfound friend and I would be separated, like Romeo and Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, or Mr. Darcy and Miss. Bennett in Pride & Prejudice. Unbelievable! How could an education system, which vows to teach children, attempt to destroy the social psychology of young teens by ripping one from another?
A tear left my eye, and I dropped my head, so that my light brunette hair covered my face. I had spent hours on my makeup but I knew my tears would ruin all of the work I had put in. My mascara wasn’t waterproof, and nor was my eyeliner. I rubbed my eyes with my palms, trying to cover my eyes so nobody would see me in tears. Suddenly I felt a tug on my hands. I didn’t want to know who it was, for nobody could make it better. Who knew me or wanted me at school anyway? Lifting my head slightly, realized it was Jeremy.
”But…’’ I said, trying to figure out why he wasn’t in the canteen, such as whether the evil teacher had asked him to come back out whilst I was crying.
‘It’s okay’, he says, I’m here for you’. That was all needed to hear. I put my arms over him and rested my head on his shoulder.
‘You can go in as well’, the teacher says, rolling her eyes backward. Maybe she wasn’t as mean after all.
Jeremy had come to me and had rescued me and I was grateful. We have been great friends since. The canteen was one of our favorite places to hang out at school, as they stocked the yummiest muffins in the whole of Franklin, which won first place in the Tennessee State Fair, dubbed the ‘Moo Shoo Muffins’, Isn’t that such a hilarious name? I have no idea why it was named after the little dragon from Mulan, but they are some delicious muffins.
Mandy was my other dose friend. I had first met her in math’s class. She’s one really smart cookie, but she’s also extremely pretty. She’s a brown-haired person, but her hair’s a lot darker than mine is is. In addition, my eyes are a lot more grey and blue than her greener eyes. Probably the only similarity is our ceramic straight hair that rolls down to our back.
I had met her back in Week 1 however. Like her. I’d always liked math’s, since I was good at it, and I usually got on with the teachers, they’d let us talk in class whilst doing work, and once I’d had finished my work, the teachers let us do things we liked, such as making paper airplanes, and playing with our tech decks.
My classroom was in the A-Block, which was near the front of the school. It was still quite early in the morning, early in the week, and despite it was a little windy outside, the sun was up, and shone through the window, illuminating the reasonably sized room naturally. The room had an old school blackboard, and was painted all white. There was a door to the front left of the room, which seemed to be a doorway to the classroom next door.
I was running late. The lesson said ‘10:00am’ but it was already 10:06am. It was the first lesson of mathematics at the new school, and I’d be late? What would the teacher think of me? I’d have to make up an excuse. I guess it really wasn’t my fault, for I had no idea where or what ‘A2’ was. You see, in Junior High, we didn’t go around to different rooms for lessons – all of the lessons were in the one room, with the one teacher. How was I supposed to know ‘A2’ meant A-Block, Room 27 I had to prepare my extensive speech in my mind, which I would present to the class, like the Abraham Lincoln’s address to the United States Congress?
Moreover, there it was ‘A2’ in large print on a piece of white plastic nailed to the door. I peeked through the door to see my embarrassment. I saw most of the seats filled with students, so I was a little worried. However, the teacher didn’t seem to be there.
‘Move it little girl’, I heard from behind me, as they pushed me to the side. It was some fat kid. Gosh, why can’t people these days get some manners? I walked in after him, a little worried. The seats seemed to be all filled up. Moreover, it seemed like it would be harder to get a seat than it would be in a game of musical chairs.
The fat kid walked up to the back, and not wanting to sit next to him, and not seeing many free seats around anyway, I walked in a perpendicular direction across the front of the classroom. I hoped the entire class didn’t see me, for I only wanted a seat. At least I wouldn’t have to do my Lincoln speech.
‘Hey, sit here’, I hear a voice. Had I known somebody from the school? I quickly turned to see whoever made the remark.
‘Hi there, there’s nobody sitting here, do you want to sit here?’ she says, whilst moving her bag off the chair to her right. She was pretty; amazingly pretty actually; the sort of girl that every person would like. She seemed nice, but also a bit of a rebel.
‘Sure’, I reply, unsure why a girl as pretty and popular as her would be interested in me.
‘I’m Mandy’, she says.
‘Hi, I’m Miley’, I reply smiling.
‘So Miley’, what’s up?’
‘Not much, you know – school’, I reply.
The door in front of us suddenly swings open; and a little clean-shaven man, with glasses the size of his face, in his mid fifties walks out.
‘Hi class’, he says. The whole room silences.
‘My name is Mr. Mercury and I will be taking t his Year 10 math’s class.’
After explaining to us the details of the first chapter of Year 10 mathematics – moderately difficult arithmetic, we are given time to work. The chatter in the room increases, and people start moving around, ‘Ouch’. I said quietly, reacting to something that hit my head. What was it? In addition, who could have a grudge on me already, I thought to myself. Looking down at the ground, it was half a rubber, somebody threw at me. Turning around, the fatty from earlier laughs.
‘What’s your problem?’ he exclaims
I quickly look forward, knowing that I will burst out into tears any
second and my newfound friend will discover I am a newfound freak. Crying was the last thing I could do to introduce myself to Mandy. After all, I had been given the opportunity to become friends with the hottest, most popular girl on the planet -I couldn’t let an eraser sacrifice all that.
My eyes began to swell with tears. Miss Popular was sure to desert me. She’d probably think I’m a crybaby, a wimpy whore, a sobbing slut.
‘Hey, what’s wrong’, I hear as Mandy pulls my left hand away from my red eyes.
‘Nothing’, I say.
The fatty, who threw the eraser at me, and his friends, are now all laughing.
‘Look fatty’, Mandy turns around saying, ‘stop being a prick, and find something useful like losing some weight on America’s Biggest loser, rather than being a girl basher.’ I couldn’t believe it. Mandy actually stuck up for me.
‘Here you go Miley’, she says, handing over a few tissues, ‘everything’s okay’.
‘Thank you Mandy’, I stutter.
I surely couldn’t find a better friend. Literally love at first sight; and we have been BFF’s ever since.
As if that wasn’t cool enough, Mandy and Jeremy are best of friends, and should I say, I reckon, more than just friends do. I’ve always thought Jeremy was hot, but since we’re so close, he’s like my brother, and I’m just happy that he and Mandy have it going on.