Milk Shakespeare DIXI

Hello, hello!

It's Echo, Echo!

Popular girls.

Popular girls be like...

Do my eyebrows look good in this?

Popular girls be like...

Why do people always look at me

when I walk down the corridors?

Popular girls be like...

It's so unfair popularity isn't a subject at school.

I'd ace it.

Hashtag "#PopularGirlProblems."

Poor old Echo.

It's no wonder she's so fed up with popularity when you see

the newest election poll.

Harsh.

There's no chance of us stopping Blake if we carry on like this.

Unfortunately, that's not our only problem.

Amani's dropped off the grid!

No messages, no v-mails, nada!

I can't really blame her for wanting to keep a low profile

after that bowl of linguine Alessandro posted on her wall.

Beyond harsh!

Now we're at Shaky Moe's to meet Abi.

She's at Aster Rathburn Academy with Alessandro.

So, she can investigate him!

SLURPING

Hey! None of that.

Bubs, this is serious! I feel sick.

I'm so worried I can barely finish my triple chocolate fudge,

extra cream, no crispy bits, toffee sauce, no whip, full fat milk shake.

That's your third one.

Poor Amani.

She's not at home, she's not on Dixi...

Couldn't imagine how she's feeling.

And this morning, she was all excited about bringing

Alessandro to prom.

Maybe I should invite her to Anti-Prom Anime Night.

Hey, I love anime as much as anyone, but it's not quite the same.

True. It's better.

Bubs...

Have you ever thought about maybe going?

Pff. No-one I'd want to go with.

I'd rather stay home and watch Kino's Journey.

Were you going to go?

It could be fun.

I don't know. I haven't decided yet.

But anyway, Amani's massively gutted about Alessandro.

I know. If I ever get my hands on that Alessandro, I'd...

..give him a strongly worded letter on dating etiquette.

Maybe a Paddington hard stare while you're at it.

-I just hope Abi can help.

-She has to!

She can follow Alessandro and suss him out

and see if Selene's theory stands up.

I'm not convinced yet.

Why would he do all the other stuff?

What's his motive?

Babes! Sorry, sorry.

Come on, then. Tell me all the things!

Bubs said Echo is doing terribly in the online election polls.

Poor thing. What else is new?

Oh, guys, I've missed this.

Abi, we need you to do us a favour.

-It's about Amani.

-Of course.

How is she? I saw what Alessandro wrote on Dixi.

Do you talk to him? What's he like?

He's at your school!

Oh, right. Well, I mean, obviously he's expert-level hot.

I thought he was nice until I saw what he did to Amani.

He's an absolute shower hat.

But, is he behind all the other stuff?

Cyber attacks, trashing Miss Malik's office - it doesn't add up.

That's why you have to go undercover.

I don't know. I mean, I don't have any lessons with him.

Follow him between classes.

Think of it as a role.

The clandestine cop.

Oh, OK.

I mean, I could do that.

Can I wear a wig? And a cloak?

I do a great French accent.

Yeah, sure. Why not?

-So you'll help?

-Mais oui. Of course.

Babes, I can already see the reviews.

"Abi dazzles in performance as undercover detective."

Over hill, over dale,

Through bush, through brier...

What?

Over park, over pale...

Oh, sorry, guys.

That's my drama teacher.

OMD, is this a flash mob?

-I love flash mobs!

-Oh, please don't make me sing.

You know the words, Ab-Fab?

Through floods, through fire...

I do wander everywhere,

BOTH: Swifter than the moon's sphere.

Ha-ha. Very good.

-Ab-Fab?

-He's come up with nicknames for everyone.

He's one of those hilarious teachers.

He's always quoting Shakespeare at us in the corridors.

I'd better go.

I have a lot lines to learn for acting class.

I'll message you and tell you what I find out about Alessandro.

Bye, guys.

If my teacher started shouting at me

when I was trying to have a milkshake with my friends,

I would literally move to another country.

PHONE CHIMES

Oh, no.

Could this day actually get any worse?

What now? A milkshake brain freeze?

Another message.

Anonymous again?

Worse. It's Echo.

She must have seen the latest online polls.

She's dropping out of the election race.

I can't let Echo drop out.

She's our only hope.

I agree with you, Amy.

She can make a comeback.

But how can I convince her to carry on her run for president?

Luckily, I have a very powerful secret weapon.

Hello, beautiful people,

and welcome to a special presidential edition of Just Jane.

Co-starring my favourite sister, Silly Billie.

I'm her only sister and I'm not silly.

My time as student president is coming to a close. Sad face!

But as they say, don't cry because it's over,

smile because it happened.

And don't cry because it's over,

cry because Blake the Snake is about to take the throne.

He's planning on installing a doughnut machine

exclusively for him and his mates.

We know in our hearts that Emma is the best person for the job.

Who's Emma? We're supposed to be helping Echo.

Oh, right. Emma is Echo. All right, got it. Yeah.

But she's kind of having cold feet at the moment.

Slash - having a complete meltdown!

To help Echo win her campaign,

I want to pass on some of my Just Jane public speaking wisdom.

She's coming over for some TLC.

Which stands for The Last Chance.

DOOR OPENS

If Echo doesn't run, Blake will win and humanity

and the Anime Club are doomed.

Not necessarily in that order.

I get it.

Blake's evil and I'm the only alternative.

But I'd rather have a terrible president then ever

speak in public again.

-Don't worry, Echo. Public speaking is a piece of cake.

-There's cake?

I know you want to help, but I have no interest in trying to get

people to like me so they'll vote for me.

It's not my style.

-It's not about making people like you.

-It literally is.

It's about inspiring them.

The only thing I inspired was ridicule.

Echo, I know how nerve-racking it is to stand up in front of people.

But the key is to breathe.

Try it with me. Close your eyes.

Inhale the positivity...

..and exhale the negativity.

You too, Billie.

Next tip.

When you're making a speech,

imagine you're chatting to your bestie.

Find a smiling face in the crowd...

There were no smiling faces.

I just stared at the ground,

hoping it would swallow me up.

My final piece of advice.

Talk slowly.

When we get nervous, our heart starts pounding,

and we get all hot and sweaty.

Except Jane. She doesn't sweat, she sparkles.

Resist the urge to speed up,

and you'll sound calm and in control.

Have a go.

And don't forget your breathing.

Hi-i-i-i-i-i, I'm Echo-o-o-o.

That was a good start.

Jane, I appreciate all your top tips, but I'll never be you.

You just have to be yourself.

I didn't even want to run for election last year.

Every single person in the school nominated you.

Technically, yes.

But if I can do it, then so can you, Echo.

OK, fine.

PHONE CHIMES

-But stop inspiring me.

-Oh, Dixi message from Selene.

"Alessandro's going to meet Amani in the park.

"I'm going to confront him."

OMD! This could get messy.

I've got to get to Amani before Selene goes steaming in.

Vo-o-ote Echo for pre-eside-en-t.

You're in my sights, mysterious Alessandro.

Oddpenguinfrog is totally right.

Amani can do so much better than you.

Can't get into it now, though. In a rush!

I'm tailing Selene, as she tails Amani,

as she goes to meet Alessandro.

You know how they say cut to the chase?

This is the chase.

Selene, wait!

Oh, it's you.

Yeah, your partner.

We're not partners.

I'm in the middle of some very important individual detective work.

Well, I'm individually here to help.

The way you helped get me sent to the Greenhouse? No, thanks.

I work alone.

Amani is my bestie.

She's much more likely to tell me what's going on than you.

You're right. We can exploit her affection for you to get the truth.

-That's not what I said.

-I'm paraphrasing.

Fine, just tell me what you've found out so far.

I asked Amani for Alessandro's number.

-Bit soon after the break-up.

-Not to ask him out!

I wanted to confront him about all the awful things he said online.

But Amani said to leave it alone, that she'd have it out with him.

As if.

She's so blinded by that ridiculous romantic attachment

that she'll let him off easily.

So, I followed her and as soon as he arrives,

I'm going to pounce.

He won't know what hit him.

He definitely won't.

Look. There she is.

OK.

The Sweetheart Spinner.

There's no sign of Alessandro.

What if he stands her up?

She looks really down.

I can't take any more staking my friend.

-Let's just go talk to her.

-Fine.

This was my idea, so I'm doing the interrogation.

It's a chat, not an interrogation.

CLEARS THROAT

GASPS

OMD! You scared me!

Expecting someone else?

-Were you guys following me?

-No, no.

We were just out on a bike ride and thought we'd say hello.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-How's the boyfriend?

Why would you ask me that?

You know it's over between us.

Amani, I'm so sorry. You know that we're here for you.

Well, I'm here for Alessandro.

When's he arriving?

Alessandro isn't coming.

-Ugh! He stood you up.

-Then we have to go to where he is.

He can't get away with attacking people.

Yeah, or breaking people's hearts.

I wasn't heartbroken, I was annoyed.

I meant Amani.

Oh, right. The romance.

But Billie's right. He hurt you.

You've got no reason to protect him.

-But I'm not protecting him...

-Then give us his number.

Or tell us where to find him.

But you can't find him or phone him because...

Well, he doesn't exist.

I made him up. I made his Dixi profile. None of it's real.

There is no Alessandro.

This is Selene, and you're watching early-morning guitar practice.

As always, I begin with scales.

STRUMS GUITAR

Do you hear that?

BIRDS CHIRPING

That's bird song.

There's music everywhere.

And what I love is how the guitar can recreate those sounds,

so birds and I can play a complex song together.

But, I won't be able to play anything

if I can't practise my scales.

Excuse me.

Will you birds be quiet?!

BIRDS FLY AWAY

That's better.

Now, where was I?

STRUMS GUITAR