Mischievous Function

Topping from the Bottom

Later...

"Well, someone's happy," Golf Ball smirked as Test Tube skipped through the door into backstage with a stupidly wide smile. "Don't worry; I've got a drone up there picking up that story of yours—and you'd better frame it. So, I'm guessing something else happened after we left?"

Test Tube rolled her eyes and lightly shoved Golf Ball with her shoulder. "Shut up," she smirked back. "Don't act like you didn't do anything with Tennis Ball the day you two got together."

"Actually, we didn't," Golf Ball corrected her. "Tennis Ball's ribs were broken and he was in excruciating pain at the hospital after having a burning building collapse on top of him, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"Hey! Over here!"

Golf Ball and Test Tube turned to find Mic waving them over to the other side of backstage. As they made their way over to her, they looked around and noticed that about five other 10–12 groups were backstage as well. The groups all seemed fidgety and nervous, but what caught their attention the most was that they were all holding their ribbons, medals, and/or trophies. The two of them had never taken their silver medals off—they simply hadn't thought about it—but upon seeing that Mic was gripping their trophy with nervous, trembling hands, they decided to ask her about it.

"What's going on?" Golf Ball asked. "Why's everyone so nervous?"

"We don't know for sure," Dot replied, walking up next to Mic and frowning. "All they told us was to return to the stage, and to bring our awards."

"Yeah," Suitcase added, walking up to them as well. "But rumor has it that...well, they're saying that one of the placing teams got disqualified."

Golf Ball's and Test Tube's eyebrows shot up in concern. They understood why everyone was worried now. "Disqualified?" Test Tube asked, worried. "Who?"

"We don't know," Mic sighed. "Technically, we don't even know if someone did get disqualified. But it makes sense if you think about it; whoever got disqualified gives up their awards, and everyone below them shifts their awards as well. And then they need to take a new picture of the top 5 teams and captains, so we don't even have a clue as to which of us it is."

"But the Mountaineers are here," Dot pointed out with a subtle nod toward where the YMD group was chatting excitedly. "They're the only one of the six groups here that didn't place. And if one of the top five really did get disqualified—"

"—Then they'd get bumped up to fifth, no matter who it was," Golf Ball finished.

Suitcase let out a low exhale as she ran a hand through her hair. "So...I know speculation doesn't really help, but...who do you think it is?" she asked.

"Well, S☆TOP could probably win this thing in their sleep, so I doubt it was them," Dot replied. "I'm pretty sure we all performed live—well, to the extent we could, anyway. I doubt the line dancers would get disqualified for not performing and singing their own music, after all. There's no rule that songs have to be original—all of our songs were covers, even S☆TOP's. I don't think anybody was sabotaged, either. And as for illegal substances...well, I doubt a high school group from the HPD would want to try that, but it doesn't really seem like Compass Rose or the line dancers would take any, either. And obviously, S☆TOP wouldn't, and neither did we—or at least, we'd better not have."

"Nah, don't worry, I don't think any of us are drugged up," Golf Ball smirked. "Unless you count Four and X's mystery lunches—who knows what's in that."

Test Tube, Suitcase, and Dot all stifled a laugh and shook their heads. Mic, however, was staring at Golf Ball with wide eyes. Her eyebrows were flat, and her jaw hung slightly open. "Golf Ball..." she muttered, though it was more of a hiss, "...what is in that lunch?"