Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia

15: Mudslinging

"Gunmar..."

Jim walked around a room full of crystals that he could see his reflection through.

"Gunmar the Black..."

"Gunmar the Vicious..."

"Gunnar the Skullcrusher..."

Gunmar appeared behind him.

"Gunmar!"

Jim screamed and fell backward, falling off his bed. "Ow," he said, rubbing his head. He stood up and crawled back into bed.

***

Arcadia Oaks High's mascot dances around the gym. "Give me an A!" Coach Lawrence yelled.

"A!" The students said.

"Give me an R!"

"R!"

"Give me a C!"

"C!"

"This is taking too long. Give me an 'adia'!"

"Adia!"

"What's that spell?"

The students were bored and didn't say anything. "Arcadia!" Coach Lawrence said. The students clapped and the mascot bag an jumping in front of him. He showed her away. "Go moles, go moles," he mumbled. "Before we begin, I have a few announcements."

"And his eye was glowing," Jim told Toby while Coach Lawrence talked to the students. "And then, the dream just keeps reminding me that completely way out of my league, right?" He looked at Toby, who was staring at the mascot. "Tobes?"

"Who is that masked mole?" Toby asked. "You ever wonder?"

Jim rolled his eyes. "You didn't hear a word I said just then, did you?"

"Sure, I did," he said without taking his eyes off the mole. "You had no problem sneaking into the Darklands when it was to save Claire's brother but now that Kanjigar says you've got to face Gunmar, you're having nightmares about him and are freaking out that your way out of your league. I can multitask, Jimbo." He was still staring at the mole, who was dancing around the gym.

"It's Bill Aronstein," Jim told him.

"Bill moved to Wisconsin. This is someone else's artistry. Someone with feminine wiles."

"What? What feminine wiles? How do you even know it's a girl under there?"

"Trust me, dude. I know women and that is all woman under there."

He watched the mole dance around and run into Coach Lawrence. "Alright, mole!" He said. "That's enough! Go back into your burrow or whatever." The mole sat in its seat and Coach Lawrence looked at a clipboard. "Okay," he said. "Principal Levit has taken ill with the flu. He's asked me to handle announcing the students the faculty's nominated for the year-end adoring fling King and Queen. The nominees are Shannon Longhannon! I'll pronounce it soon, Shannon."

"Its gonna be you," Mary told Claire.

"No, it's not," Claire said.

"It is every year."

"And every year, I don't care."

"Darci Scott!" Coach Lawrence said. "The third and final nominee is Mary Wang!"

"Me?" Mary said. "Not you?"

"You?" Claire asked. "I mean, that's so awesome."

"And now, for the boys," Coach Lawrence said. "Steve Palchuk!"