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Fanny wasn’t sure where she was. A classroom, of some kind. Empty desks- one had her name on it.
“No!” The word burst from Fanny’s mouth. She turned and kicked the door behind her. “Let me out! You hear me, Four?! I hate you!”
She backed up, panting from her outburst. How long will I be stuck here?
She surveyed the room, noting a sign.
Eternal Algebra Class With Four.
Or…the E.X.I.T.
She sat down at her desk.
…
Time was hard to keep track of. Fanny only knew that Four didn’t come every day; his visits were a way to mark the time.
When he was there, she did her work without complaint- she could feel his eyes on her, waiting for a reaction she wouldn’t give.
In the meantime, she spent a lot of time kicking the door and yelling.
…
“What-? Where-?” Leafy stuttered, looking around the classroom.
Is this what happens when we get eliminated?
Leafy felt a bit sad. She’d done her best to lead her team..but clearly she’d failed.
“Oh, hey, someone else.” A voice said.
Leafy turned around. “Fanny?” She put on her usual cheerful grin. “Nice to see you! Where are we?”
“Algebra class,” Fanny replied. She kicked the seat in front of her. “You sit here.”
Leafy took her seat. “So..what do we do here?”
“Nothing, for now. When Four shows up? Math.”
“Alright..” Leafy said uncertainly. She didn’t know what to do, and she didn’t know Fanny all that well either.
“If you’ll excuse me..” Fanny turned and began to pound on the door.
…
Gelatin eased open the door to the classroom. Leafy turned to look at him.
“Hi, Gelatin!” She said.
“Oh, uh. Hey, Leafy, how’s it going?” He gave her a little wave.
Fanny whirled from where she’d been pounding on another door across the room. “Hey,” she said with a scowl.
“Er..hey?” Gelatin took a seat at a desk. He watched Fanny return to pounding on the door.
This is gonna be a long, long eternity… He rested his head on the desk.
…
“Ah, well..” Pie sighed. She pushed open the door in front of her. It creaked loudly.
Gelatin sat up blearily at a desk, blinking sleepily. Actually, the room was full of desks- must be a classroom. “Huh-? Oh. Hey, Pie.” His head flopped back down.
Leafy glanced up from her drawing. “Nice to see you, Pie!” She said cheerfully.
“Hello, Leafy,” Pie replied.
Fanny turned to her. “Are you gonna help me?”
Pie sat at a desk. “Nah.”
Leafy jumped up. “I’ll help!”
…
“No one’s come in a while, yeah?” Leafy said. “I wonder if the game ended…”
“And they just left us here?!” Fanny shouted.
“Probably,” Pie said despondently,”We’re all nothing but forgotten relics..”
Leafy looked alarmed. “H-hey now, don’t say that! What do you think, jelly man?”
Gelatin shot up. “Huh?” He said groggily. “What’d you say?”
Fanny kicked his seat. “Pay more attention!”
“Ugh, you sound like Four..” Gelatin muttered.
“I hate you!” Fanny yelled.
“Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard..”
“Nothing but this for eternity…this is the end.”
“Be more positive!”
“You-!”
Everyone began to talk over each other, word twisting together.
…
The door to the E.X.I.T opened, and a group of people spilled in.
“Where are we?!” Golf Ball demanded.
“You’re in algebra class,” Pie responded. “For all eternity..”
“Eternity?!” Eggy scowled. “You’re joking!”
“Ahh..!” Woody exclaimed nervously.
“We really have to stay here?” Puffball asked.
“Yep,” Fanny said. She kicked the back of Gelatin’s seat. He sat up, rubbing his eyes.
“It’s not so bad,” Leafy said.
Rocky gave a discontented ‘mhm!’
With a soft pop, Four appeared in the room. “Take your seats!”
The new arrivals quickly sat at their desks.
“We're having a very special class today. One of you will rejoin the Battle for BFDI!”
Gelatin, for once, looked wide awake. “Really?!”
“Thank goodness,” Eggy said. “I’m already sick of this place..”
“Try being here for months!” Fanny yelled.
Gelatin winced. “Please, no more yelling..”
“Everyone! Tell the viewers why you should rejoin!” Four gestured to a projector in the front of the room.
The EXITors formed a queue, pushing and shoving as they lined up.
Fanny stood in front of the projector. “I’ve been here way too long! I never even got to play! I hate this!”
Leafy pushed Fanny along and took her place. “Look. I'm sorry about slipping up before. I promise l'll be more trusting of my teammates this time.”
Gelatin shoved Leafy away, grabbing the projector. “Please! Get me out of here! I can’t stand this any more! I’m so bored, you guys!”
Gelatin walked off. “Your turn, Pie. I’m going back to sleep..”
Pie sat in front of the projector. “Do whatever you want…it doesn’t matter anyway..” She went back to her desk.
Woody stepped in front of the projector. “Ahh..wanna…go home..” He managed.
Eggy shoved in front. “I can’t stand this stupid place! You viewers better vote me back in! I don’t deserve this!”
Golf Ball kicked Eggy. “Get off!” She turned to the projector. “I have to get out of here and lead my team! They need me!”
“OUT OF THE WAYYY!” Puffball shouted. She rammed into Eggy and Golf Ball, shoving them off. “I can’t believe I got eliminated so early! Why do you viewers hate meee?!”
Rocky wandered in front of the projector. “Bleh!” He covered the screen with vomit.
Four glared at Rocky. He thrust out his arm, shooting a beam of white light at the small object.
Woody grabbed Rocky away, clutching him tight. “Uh-uh!” He said, sounding upset.
Four rolled his eyes and turned towards the projector. “Viewers! Vote in the comments using the letter in square brackets for who you think should return! The person with the most votes has another chance to participate in BFB.”
…
“The one rejoining the Battle for BFDI is…Leafy!” Four announced.
Most of the EXITors scowled or looked upset. But not Gelatin and Pie.
“Congratulations, Leafy,” Pie said.
“Thank you!” Leafy grinned.
“Yeah, congrats Leafster! Win it for us!” Gelatin said, fixing on a smile. He could hide his disappointment, at least for now.
Leafy looked uncertain. “I’ll…do my best.” She turned to Fanny.
“Good luck,” Fanny said shortly.
Four grabbed Leafy in one giant fist and the two disappeared.
…
Snowball pushed open the door of the E.X.I.T. He looked around.
“Huh? What’s this? Some kind of classroom?”
Eggy looked at him from her desk. “Welcome to hell, snowbrain.”
“Don’t call me that.” Snowball took his seat. “Hey, Fanny.”
Fanny paused her kicking long enough to bark out a short ‘hi.’
“What’s been going on in the competition?” Puffball asked.
“Uh..Leafy rejoined- I guess you guys knew that- we climbed some stairs…the usual.” Snowball glanced over at a passed-out Gelatin. “He always like this?”
“Uh-huh,” Woody said.
“Usually,” Pie added.
“Great.”
…
Eggy watched Fanny pound on the door, aided by Puffball.
“Does she always do that?” She asked Gelatin, who was, for once, awake.
Gelatin grinned at her. “Oh yeah. Wait til she starts yelling..”
“Great..”
Golf Ball jumped up. “Quiet, you two!” She yelled.
Fanny turned around, glaring. “Shut it, new stuff!”
“New stuff?!” Golf Ball shouted. “How dare you!”
The door pushed open. Naily stepped inside. “Am I interrupting something?” She asked.
Gelatin hopped up, standing on his seat. “Naily!”
Naily grinned. “Hi! How do we get out of here?”
“We don’t,” Pie said dejectedly.
“Seriously?!” Naily sighed and threw herself into a seat.
“Best to occupy yourself,” Pie advised.
They all had something- Fanny pounded on the door, aided by Snowball, Gelatin slept, Pie contemplated life. Woody fidgeted, Eggy looked angry and complained a great deal, Puffball helped Fanny or sat and hummed to herself in turns, and Golf Ball studied- really studied. She found the work relatively stimulating. Rocky quite possibly had it worst of all, as he could barely write. Four tended to punish him for his stupidity.
Naily scowled. “Fiiine.” She grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil.
…
Lollipop sauntered into the classroom as if she owned the place- but then again, that was how she acted everywhere.
“Ha!” Naily snickered. “Guess Eight Names finally lost, huh?”
Lollipop crossed her arms and closed her eyes, maintaining her superiority. “I don’t associate with failures.”
“Hey, you’re here too,” Puffball snapped.
“Yes, well…I cannot be blamed for my team’s incompetence.” She sat herself in one of the remaining desks.
The others scowled at her. Lollipop smiled to herself, either not knowing or not caring about the unpopularity she’d already garnered.
…
Donut shuddered as he felt himself enter Four. It was poetic or something…Four had been inside him, and now he was inside Four.
He supposed he deserved it. He hadn’t exactly been the best host.
He shook himself- he didn’t want to be in this blank blue place anymore. He shoved open the door in front of him.
A classroom. Somehow he’d known it was going to be.
“You!” Eggy jumped up as he entered. “What are you doing here?!”
Donut flinched. “What? What did I do?”
Gelatin frowned sleepily. “Yeah, leave him alone!”
“Why should I?! We can’t trust him at all!”
“To be fair,” Lollipop said, “he did gain Four’s powers…who knows if we can trust him, especially here.”
“He- what?!” Fanny asked. “Was that why the eliminations stopped?!”
Donut breathed a small sigh as the others continued to discuss him. He took his seat.
Gelatin glanced over at Donut and gave him a small wink. I trust you.
…
“..I don’t think anyone is coming,” Donut said after time had passed- too much time. He seemed to track it better than most.
The others looked at him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“What now?” Naily asked finally.
“Now you all help me get us out of here!” Fanny snapped.
“H-how?” Woody asked.
“He’s right, you know..” Lollipop said. “Your door idea hasn’t been working.”
Pie stood up. “I think I have another idea.”