​​​​​Chapter Two: Debut

Soshi Auditorium
Despite having only a short ride ahead of them, the Crumpets followed LG tradition and buckled their seatbelts, softly whispering, “Ladies’ Code'' as they did. This is both a tribute to EunB and RiSe, two idols who lost their lives in a vehicle accident, and a way to remember to buckle up, no matter the length of the trip. No sooner had they settled in on the bus, than they were arriving at Soshi Auditorium. Once off the bus, and Tinsley was reassured that Harey was in good hands with the stage crew, the Crumpets went in to meet Dean Eobseo in the ready area. The Dean was wearing a tuxedo that gave him a decidedly Jack Skellington look. 

When the Crumpets presented themselves, Kari exclaimed, “Jack’s back!” 

At which point, Tabitha poked her in the ribs, saying, “Kari!” 

However, Tabby's concerns were unfounded as Dean Eobseo said, “I’m glad someone got it! You have no idea how hard the costume department worked on finding the perfect balance between too much Jack and not enough.” 

The girls, sounding rather like Minions, simultaneously said, “ooooh.” 

Dean Eobseo ran his hand over his neatly trimmed white beard as he looked his stars over. Then, beaming with pride, he exclaimed, “Our stages have never been graced by brighter stars! You truly are the Looking-Glass Crown Jewels!” 

The girls blushed. “Oh stop,” Yulia teased, even though she was actually eating this up and didn’t really mean for him to stop.

“Now, we need to get to a few last minute items,” the Dean told them. The first item was a rather delicate matter. As you may recall from her bio, Analey doesn’t have much in the way of a birth family. In fact, her grandfather is all she has, and he still lived in her home country. He was in delicate health, and there was a civil war happening there at that time. Regardless, he desperately wanted to come to her debut and Dean Eobseo was more than willing to pull every string that he could to make it happen. 

“Analey,” the Dean said softly. “I wasn’t sure if this was going to work out until just about an hour ago,” (That was when the plane carrying her grandfather landed in Zeitgeist.) “and I wasn’t sure when or how to tell you this, but your grandfather is here for your debut.” 

Analey’s eyes widened. Kari, realizing the gravity of this news, quickly grabbed her hand. Analey whispered, “Dedulya?” 

“Yes, he is here and he is doing well,” the Dean said. 

Everyone was immediately concerned about the emotional impact this news would have on Analey. She was, of course, very happy about this, but it was also a rather weighty piece of news to hear only minutes before the most important stage performance of her life.

Analey was completely aware of what was going through everyone’s minds, so with a calm air of confidence, she looked around at them and told them that she was fine...whereupon she burst into tears. The Crumpets and EinBe immediately rushed to her aid. 

Analey sobbed, “I’m so happy!” 

After having a good cry she regained her composure, blew her nose, and re-announced that she was fine, only to burst into tears for a second time. Again she regained her composure, blew her nose and re-re-announced that she was fine. Fortunately, this time she was laughing when she said it, so there was reasonable confidence that she was actually calmed. 

Still sniffling a bit, she asked the group, “So, do I look like a complete disaster?” I cannot begin to tell you how hard it was for Kari not to bring up just how much Analey looked like Alice Cooper at that moment, what with her makeup running down her face and all.

Tabitha, who I am sure sensed what Kari was thinking, brushed her aside and told Analey that a little touch-up was all that was needed to get her back on track. Fortunately, Bess and Enid were well-trained and prepared when it came to emergency wardrobe and makeup management (or E-Wamm as the girls call it). Mindful that something might happen at the last minute, Dean Eobseo had prepared a time buffer by way of a short film about the Glass to keep the audience entertained and unaware should there be any delays. Ultimately the pit-crew-like efficiency of Bess and Enid rendered the Dean’s film unnecessary, though it was shown anyway because it was really quite good. E-Wamm complete, Analey was as nearly as good as new, with only slightly puffy eyes to suggest that she had recently had a bit of a weep.

Back on track, it was time for the second last-minute item, which was to bring in the Raspberries, a very young dance troupe from Consortium, who had been asked to be the pendant-bearers at the “Pinning” part of the show. May, the Raspberries dance teacher, brought her girls out. The Crumpets and the Raspberries had met and practiced together before, but the Crumpets had yet to see their pendant-bearers in their stage outfits. When the tiny dancers, who had followed May into the ready area like ducklings following their mother, appeared wearing the cutest little witch dresses imaginable, all of the Crumpets teared up as they cooed about how cute the little ones looked. 

“Oh great,” Enid, who was also a bit misty eyed, whispered. “Looks like we’re in for more E-Wamm.”

Showing off for the Crumpets the Raspberries were supposed to line up, spin around clockwise while saying, “binggeul, binggeul,” stick out their tongues, give a raspberry, and then, with a big smile — whilst wrinkling their noses — finish by curtsying graciously. Naturally things weren't perfect. Some of the girls spun counter clockwise, some said, “dinggeul, dinggeul” or “pinggeul, pinggeul,” and their curtsying wasn't precisely synchronized, but that just made the whole thing all the more adorable. 

May, who was beaming with pride, told her girls, “Daebak. Now go find your person.” Each Raspberry was assigned to either a Crumpet, a manager, or Dean Eobseo, and they all found their person without much issue.

The Crumpets and their Raspberries held hands and posed for a few pictures before the little witches were whisked away to wait for their appearance. The Crumpets had to pose for some more pictures, and then were left largely alone as they awaited their cue to go on stage. 

To Puke or Not to Puke
“Well, this is it,” Tinsley said, a bit nervously. 

“I hope I don't throw-up, or trip, or forget my lines,” added an equally nervous Kari. 

Tabitha called the girls into a circle. “I doubt anyone is going to puke, but if you do, just dance your way behind Harey before you toss your cookies,” Tabby said, while receiving a shocked glare from Tinsley. Tabitha grinned. “You see no one is going to puke because Tinsley won’t have any of us making a mess anywhere near Harey.” 

“This is not turning into a great motivational speech,” Tinsley stated snarcastically. 

Tabitha ruffled Tinsley’s hair and continued, “We will all make some mistakes, but if we have fun, the crowd will have fun, so...” 

“Let's go have fun,” a still snarky Tinsley interrupted. 

“Yes, let's go have fun,” Tabby said as she put her hand out into the circle. The others quickly followed suit with Tinsley giving Tabitha a friendly hip check and a wink. 

They then recited, “Right now, we are Gothy Crumpets! From now on, we are Gothy Crumpets! Forever Gothy Crumpets!” 

Incidentally, they have never recited their borrowed motto in public, nor did they come up with one of their own for a rather long time. Regardless, saying it always got them in the mood to perform. Focused and ready, they pranced around excitedly like race horses in a starting gate awaiting the buzzer.

Pinning
With the Crumpets chomping at the bit backstage, Dean Eobseo took to the stage and greeted the crowd, who had just watched his video on how the Academy came to be. 

“Good evening,” he began. “Tonight marks the tenth anniversary of the Looking-Glass Academy and the first anniversary of the Looking-Glass Academy Campus.” 

The crowd applauded and the students chanted, “Looking-Glass, Looking-Glass...” 

The Dean smiled and continued, “As you may know, we have a week of events planned, but tonight is extra-special, because tonight we debut the LGC’s first unit group, a group that will be the face of the Looking-Glass Academy.” 

As the Dean spoke, the Crumpets found their marks behind the curtain. However, rather than standing on their intended marks, the girls decided, at the last second, to stand between them so they were closer and could hold hands. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” the Dean said, as a backlight brightened, silhouetting the girls. “Let me introduce to you Analey, Kari, Sarah, Tabitha, Tinsley, and Yulia!” (This introduction was alphabetical because they had yet to be pinned.) 

The curtain lifted and the Crumpets stepped forward to a nice round of applause.

Now if you have been to the LGC, you may know that Soshi Auditorium, which was used to ensure that weather wouldn't be a problem for the performance, only seats five thousand people and there are five thousand students at the Glass, and a thousand more at Consortium. Nonetheless, only twenty five hundred seats were made available to students via a drawing. The remaining tickets were given to the Crumpets’ families, contest winners, and the press. To make up for so many students not getting to go, the girls held another show at the amphitheater the very next night. In addition, their debut show was broadcast live on the internet. So even though they were only performing for a live audience of five thousand — as if that’s not enough — who knows how many people were watching the live feed.

Dean Eobseo addressed the crowd, “To help me with the pinning ceremony, which marks the official moment of debut, I would like to introduce to you unit group managers, Bess and Enid.” 

The crowd applauded, with Amber and the girls from the ninth floor whistling and whooping.

EinBe stepped up to the Dean's side. “Also here to help are Consortium’s own Raspberries,” he said, as he lifted his arm and the little witches emerged from a puff of smoke onto the stage. The audience oohed and aahed at the adorable little dancers, who lined up and performed their routine, which was little different from their ready-area performance, and could not have been cuter. The crowd laughed and gave the Raspberries a stirring round of applause, something that was completely lost on them, but at least didn't scare them.

May called her girls over to line up in front of her. She then helped Anna, who was the oldest and strongest of the Raspberries, with a tray that held all of the pendants. 

Anna then stood by Dean Eobseo who said “Before we pin the girls, we need to pin their managers. Enid, Bess, please step forward.” 

Neither Bess nor Enid knew that they were going to be pinned, so they looked rather surprised. You may recall that Dean Eobseo had rather abruptly left Crumpet Hall earlier that very day. On their way from Ravenhurst to Crumpet Hall, Tabitha and Sarah had approached him about having their managers pinned as well. The Dean had raced from the Campus into downtown, to a fancy jewelry store, and found two rather pricey watch pendants that he was able to have engraved on the spot. 

With the Crumpets, who were filled with admiration that he had managed to pull this off, excitedly looking on, Dean Eobseo called on Tae and Hani to deliver the pendants to Bess and Enid. Despite being impromptu, the two Raspberries took the correct pendants to the correct manager, whereupon the Dean slipped them over their bowed heads, and then announced them as official managers.

With Tae and Hani holding their respective manager’s hand, and Anna standing like a soldier at the Dean’s side, it was time to pin the Crumpets. The Dean began by briefly explaining the bit about rolling a die to determine the introduction order, which, in this case, made Kari first, something that gave him an uneasy feeling. He asked Raspberry Dara to bring him Kari's pendant, and for Kari to step forward. Kari bowed graciously and received her pendant. Then, as the Dean feared, Kari broke form. She squealed, hugged him, nearly breaking his ribs, kissed him on the cheek, kneeled down to give Dara a kiss, and then happily skipped back to her mark, where she stood grinning ear to ear. 

Dean Eobseo was clearly derailed, but he regained his composure and said. “Enthusiasm is definitely not something that this group is lacking!” 

The crowd laughed and he moved on. Sarah was next, which offered the Dean some comfort, in that Sarah was rather mild-mannered. The Dean's intuition was what I like to call “wrong,” because Sarah also attacked him, as did each of the remaining girls. In truth he loved their attention, not to mention that it was also good for laughs from the audience. Even the usually relatively refined Tabitha left a lipstick imprint on his cheek.

Once all of the Crumpets had been pinned, the now disheveled Dean raised his arm and announced, “Though they may be the death of me, I could not be more proud or happy to present to you the face of the Looking-Glass Academy of Arts, your Gothy Crumpets!” 

The crowd applauded warmly, but the students went crazy. This time the roar of the crowd did have a bit of an intimidating effect on the Raspberries, so Dean Eobseo began working to calm things down. Once the crowd was quieted, he announced that before the Crumpets performed, there was one last presentation. 

Tabitha stepped forward and said, “We want to thank May and the Raspberries for coming here and being a part of our debut.” Whereupon the self-proclaimed Screaming Beets, who had been waiting backstage, appeared and delivered roses to May and stuffed Harey’s to each of the Raspberries. 

A clearly flattered May wished the Crumpets all the best, and asked her now very distracted girls to take a bow. Clutching their new plushies like there were vultures circling overhead trying to snatch them, the Raspberries left the stage, entirely unaware of how much the cheering crowd loved them. Bess and Enid gave each of the Crumpets a hug and headed off of the stage as well. 

As they made their way to their marks, the stage lights began to dim and a curtain came down between Dean Eobseo and the girls. Much like a circus ring leader, the Dean said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you're all ready for a fast ride, cuz that's what we’re going for here tonight.  Let’s start the LGC's second year right.” He then raised his arms and declared, “And here we go!” 

The stage lights brightened and the curtain came up, revealing a perfectly Burton-esque Halloween village with a giant stuffed Harey sitting in the tiny town square.

Debut Performance
The Crumpets, who were posed around the set, began with, you guessed it, “Gothy Crumpets,” or just “Gothy” for short. Because the release of their album was held until this day, few people in the crowd knew what to expect. Regardless, the girls’ songs have catchy tunes, they put a lot of fun into their performances, and “Gothy” is the epitome of the Crumpets light side of a dark persona. So even before they had finished their first song, the crowd was on-board and eating out of their hands. 

After “Gothy,” which was very well received, the girls performed a cover, which was introduced by Analey, who finally spotted her grandfather sitting in the front row. “Dedulya!” she called out, while waving and blowing him a kiss. 

Naturally the audience was a bit confused, but they soon got over it. She went on, “Our next song is a tribute to the girls who inspired us to become performers. This is the first song of theirs that most of us Crumpets ever heard: Girls Generation’s ‘Gee.’” 

Their rendition of “Gee” was spot-on and greatly enjoyed by the crowd, who were starting to understand that the Crumpets were quite serious about what they do.

After the applause for “Gee” died down, Tabitha addressed the crowd, “Thank you. Thank you very much. It really means alot to us that you have come to our debut show, and we hope you are having fun.” 

“Before we move on to our next song, we want to say a special thank you to Dean Eobseo who has made this possible. In fact, he cooked up the idea of turning the Crumpets into a proper unit group,” she said, starting a round of applause. 

Tabitha went on to thank Bess, Enid, their families, and friends. Concluding the special acknowledgements, she had one last person to thank. “We owe so much to so many and this show is dedicated to all of you. But this next song is especially for one person, a person whose friendship and participation in our little group has been instrumental in our coming into being,” Tabitha said as she pointed to Jimmy. 

The Crumpets all flashed a stunned and misty-eyed Jimmy 'heart' signs, whereupon Tabitha announced, “Wonder Girls, ‘Like This!’” 

Now, “Like This” is a very upbeat and fun song as it is, but as this was a salute to Jimmy, the girls rocked it up even more, dropping a rendition that brought the house down. Needless to say, Jimmy was in seventh heaven, and Jimmy's parents, who were with him at the show, realized that all of the anxiety they endured over his being a resident student was well-worth it, as it let him truly be a part of the Looking-Glass legacy.

Continuing the momentum of “Like This,” the Crumpets rolled into "Tam O’Shan," a dark, hard-driving song that was easily the crunchiest song on their debut album. In fact, just to push the point home, Tabitha began the song with Taeyeon’s “Devil's Cry.” The audience was stunned by the Crumpets’ versatility and power. 

Before cooling things down. they put down one more hard-hitting song: Girls Generation’s “The Boys.” In this instance, they sang the English version, even though the Korean version was inarguably their preference. 

Having performed three high-energy songs in a row, it was time for a small break to mellow things out a bit. The Crumpets had a casual SNSD-style “conversation” with the crowd. These moments, which the girls called D-Cons, were a way to catch their breath and share some personal bits with the audience. I should point out that D-Cons are not scripted, they are completely free-form and their content ranges widely. 

For instance, in this case Tinsley, without enough thought, jumped in first. She had wanted to talk about Harey, but quickly realized that even though she would be presenting it as a thank-you to Dean Eobseo, it would also appear like self-promotion, which would be in poor form. Stuck in the spotlight with nothing to say, she threw Yulia under the bus and brought up rubber chicken juggling. 

Yulia’s eyes widened when she realized where Tinsley was going and she shrieked, “Tinsley!” 

Now fleeing a squirting water bottle assault from Yulia, Tinsley, still telling the story, ran several laps around the other Crumpets before she finished it. Winded from running, giggling, and trying to tell her story,Tinsley finally stopped to accept Yulia’s retribution. Unfortunately for Yulia, when she tried to douse the now cowering Tinsley, she found that she was out of water. 

Kari, who was standing nearby, gladly came to Yulia’s aid by giving up her fresh and frosty water so Yulia could dump it on a screaming Tinsley’s head. Yulia ruffled Tinsley’s well-soaked hair and trotted happily back into the line, high-fiving Kari on her way. 

Tabitha shook her head and said, “Okay, so now that we have had this nice personal time, we probably should move on.” 

Tinsley stood up, shook her hair out, and said with an over-acted pout, “I am sorry for my actions and I am glad that I wasn’t given a chance to accidently point out that all of the old Gizmo’s chicken juggling ads are still available on the internet.” Whereupon she covered her mouth, as if she were surprised by what she had said, thus receiving another squirt from Yulia. 

The students, who were used to the girl’s antics, had been laughing throughout this whole episode, while the Elpoeps (the student term for non-Glass persons, pronounced El-Pops) on the other hand were, at first, a bit shocked. It didn’t take long though, before the whole audience was on-board and laughing as well.

It was now Sarah's job to introduce their next song. Fearful of shenanigans from her mischievous mates, Sarah looked around like she was getting ready to cross a busy street. Stepping forward she said, “Our next song, ‘Crush Velvet,’ is a sad one, which seems a bit odd as follow up to our Three Stooges routine.” 

Sarah winced, fully expecting a blast of cold water from the “Stooges.” However when none came, she turned to see what kind of reaction the other members were having. Sarah screamed as she took a chilly blast, not just from the “Stooges,” but from all of the Crumpets. This marked the end of Sarah being treated with kid gloves. Though the youngest, and still very sweet and innocent, the self-proclaimed badass was now on even ground with her sisters. 

Tabitha stepped forward and hugged Sarah, telling her, “Welcome to the club.” With her arm over Sarah’s shoulder, Tabitha said, “I think you’re right, this isn’t a good time for “Crush Velvet.’ How about ‘No, No, No?’” 

Tabitha looked at Sarah for her approval, then to the other members, and finally to the sound booth. With everyone on board, the Crumpets sang the delightfully warm Apink song, “No, No, No.”
 
After charming the crowd with “No,No,No,” the girls had a quick meeting and decided that, although still a bit out of place, it would be best to just go ahead and roll on to “Crush Velvet,” so that is what they did. The crowd, who had just been given a warm fuzzy, were now hit with a very soulful, tear-inducing song. 

To avoid bringing the tempo up too quickly, their next song, “Sharp Edges Shine,” was done in an acoustic form to bring the tone down a bit. Now, changing from the version on their album was a risk, especially considering that this was also the album's debut. Switching on the fly like this was only possible because the song was sung in something of a round, and didn’t necessarily require their previously recorded music. Some chairs were quickly hustled onto the stage and Sarah was given an acoustic guitar to play. The Crumpets’ gamble paid off, as the crowd loved it. They later recorded the acoustic version and put it on their next album. Both versions of “Sharp Edges Shine” would go on to place within the top twenty on the charts and the acoustic version still stands as one of the most downloaded songs in LG history. The girls finished this set with "Luna," a mellow but upbeat song. 

Pausing before their final set, the girls, who were getting a tad fatigued, held a second and proper D-Con. Analey talked about her grandfather being there. Kari admitted being afraid of spiders but pointed out that she is rather brave when it comes to heights. Yulia denounced rubber chicken juggling as cheesy advertising. Tabitha shared her need for speed. Sarah discussed the merits of using a toaster oven rather than a microwave to warm cold pizza. And finally, Tinsley came clean about why she threw Yulia under the bus. 

For their last set of the night, they began with a cover of Girl's Day’s “Darling.” Upbeat and jazzy, “Darling” got things going again. The Crumpets then sang “Starlight,” which has an addictive sound that easily sticks in your head. They once again ad-libbed by adding a cover of AOA’s “Tears Falling,” as it just fit so well with “Starlight.”

The crowd was completely unaware that the girls’ debut show was going long, and it is no exaggeration to say that they had won four thousand nine hundred and ninety nine hearts. Despite having a strong second-wind, and never wanting this to end, the Crumpets came to their last song of the night: “Bibity-Bobity-Boo.” “Bibity,” as the girls call it, is one of those songs that just works. It may not be their namesake song, but it is one that became one of their most well-known. When they had finished, the audience gave “Bibity” a stirring round of applause.

Normally the Crumpets would say goodbye and leave the stage, hoping for an encore request from the audience, as this is a measure of how well they liked the performance. Tonight however, Dean Eobseo had to circumvent this, because there was a V.I.P. meet-and-greet immediately after the show, as well as a fireworks display for those not invited to said meet-and-greet. With the Crumpets lined up and holding hands behind him, the Dean explained this to the crowd. Well, really he just told them about the fireworks, and not about the V.I.P. meet-and-greet, as those who were invited already knew about it. The Dean also made sure to invite everyone to the next night’s show at the amphitheater, which had more than four times the capacity of Soshi Auditorium, and encouraged them to attend the myriad of events that would be held over the coming week. 

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time to say goodnight to your Gothy Crumpets,” he said as he stood aside and raised his arm for the girls, adding, “Let’s give it up for the Crumpets. How did they do?!” 

The audience gave them a standing ovation. In fact, according to Jimmy, who had brought a decibel meter, the roar of the crowd exceeded the volume of a 747 taking off (depending on how far away you are from it, that is). The girls bowed, and then they received roses presented by the Screaming Beets (the Raspberries who, despite having managed to stay awake for the entire show, would have been much too tired and intimidated by the thunderous ovation to have done the flower delivery). The ovation went on for quite a bit, but eventually it began to die down and the Crumpets left the stage, waving as they went.

Mission Accomplished 
The audience began filtering out, with most heading to the amphitheater for the fireworks display, while the girl’s families and a few other select folks were directed into a receiving area where there was a fancy dessert buffet and music provided by one of the Looking-Glass’s first graduates, playing a harp. As the V.I.P.s mingled, the Crumpets freshened up.

The girls gathered in a circle in the ready-room. Prancing excitedly, they put their hands in and recited the modified SNSD slogan. 

“We did it, we killed it!” Sarah exclaimed. 

“Everyone did so well, I think we really knocked it out of the park. All of you should be feeling pretty proud right now,” Tabby added. 

“Yes, and thank you all for not puking on Harey,” Tinsley said. 

Realizing that Bess and Enid were watching the victory rally from the sidelines, Kari hollered, “Hey, why are you two standing over there? Get in here!” 

While the Crumpets and their managers were hugging, laughing, and acting a bit crazed, a knock came to the door. From the other side, Dean Eobseo opened it a crack and asked, “Is everyone decent?” 

“Yes, come in!” they called out. 

Dean Eobseo entered and, grinning ear to ear, he exclaimed, “My Stars!” 

The girls squealed and quickly surrounded him, singing, “Neoreul Saranghae,” which essentially means “we love you,” and is sung to the tune of “It’s a Small World.” Holding hands, they danced in a circle around him as they sang the song. 

When they were done, Tabitha said, “I hope we didn’t cause too much trouble with our ad libs.” 

“Not at all,” the Dean said, giving her a reassuring hug. “You girls owned the stage and your performances, and that is precisely what I was hoping for,” he added as he flashed the girls a “heart” sign, although he didn’t do it correctly, which caused the Crumpets to laugh uncontrollably. 

“Did you mean this?” Kari said as she held up her hands with the heart going in the proper direction. 

The Dean blushed a bit, so the girls thought it only right to make it worse by repeating the “Saranghae” song, but making it even more obnoxious. The Dean sighed and said, “What am I to do!?” 

After a quick debriefing in which the Dean had nothing but praise for the Crumpets and their managers, he left to attend to the V.I.Ps. 

Soon the fireworks began, which could easily be seen through the large, arched windows of the receiving area. The Crumpets emerged midway through the display. Naturally they sought out their families first, with Analey making a beeline to her grandfather, whom she proudly introduced to anyone who came near. There was lots of hugging and crying, which kept Enid, Bess, and Jimmy, who had become the de facto tissue bearer, more than a little busy. Eventually things settled down and the girls expanded their mingling, making a point of, as much as possible, talking to every person there. As affable off-stage as on, they charmed the socks off of everyone they met. 

As the night progressed, the gathering began to thin, and the girls' fatigue started to slow them down a bit. At the Dean’s behest (he was a rather worried about how exhausted they might get), a plan was made that the girls would go back to their hall whilst their families, most of whom were staying at Ravenhurst or the Dunraven Inn (which is just across the street from the LGC), would go to their rooms for the night, and the girls would show off Crumpet Hall the next day after lunch at Ravenhurst. So the Crumpets, most especially Analey, reluctantly bid their families adieu and boarded their bus to return to their dorm.

During the bus ride from Soshi Auditorium, the girls had just enough time to decide that a hot chocolate party was in order. Shaking their heads, Enid and Bess looked at each other, wondering how in the world the girls could manage a party after the long day that they had. 

Arriving at Crumpet Hall, all of the girls, except Tinsley, who stayed back to help with unloading Harey, raced upstairs to wash their faces, change into PJs, and gather their things for a Dogpile. Once Harey was safely unpacked, Tinsley went up to her room to get ready while Bess and Enid got started on the cocoa.

It wasn’t long before the barefaced Crumpets began gathering in the kitchen. Once all of the girls had assembled, Bess and Enid passed out the hot chocolate. 

Enid led a toast, saying, “We are so proud of you. As you girls say, you killed it!” 

Everyone clinked mugs and took a sip. Bess then said, “And thank you girls so much for including us in being pinned. Dean Eobseo told us how it was your idea; that was very sweet of you.” 

“Well you are one of us, you know!” Sarah exclaimed. 

After a round of hugs and a few pictures, Bess and Enid announced that they were going to go to bed. 

“You’re not going to party with us?” asked a disappointed Analey. 

“No, I’m afraid that we’re all out of steam,” Enid replied. 

Bess then added, “You girls shouldn’t stay up too late either. Remember that there is a lunch tomorrow, and your families will be touring Crumpet Hall before the show.” 

“Aww, you guys didn’t need to make us cocoa, especially if you needed to go to bed,” Tabitha said, feeling rather guilty. 

“We were quite glad to do it. TTFN,” Enid said as she kissed Tabby’s cheek. 

Bess and Enid made their way up to their rooms, and despite only going up one floor, they took the elevator; they were indeed tired. 

Mugs in hand, the Crumpets headed into their new TV area for their party. As you may have suspected, no sooner than had they settled into their Dogpile they almost immediately fell fast asleep. Fortunately, they had the sense to put their half empty mugs onto the various end tables before they slipped into comas, otherwise there surely would have been quite a mess. Other than an occasional trip to the privy, or the two times that Kari shook Yulia and told her to stop snoring (even though it was Kari herself who was snoring), they scarcely moved a muscle until morning.

Established October 2015   ​All Rights Reserved 

Established October 2015   ​All Rights Reserved