Caramel was in a sallow mood for the rest of the day. She knew she shouldn't have risen to Connie's bait, but it was hard enough that everyone was bagging on her just because of one mishap. It was made worse that she apparently made the Ninja Twins look bad too.

Poor Nitroz did his best to cheer her up. He made jokes, told her about his history in animating, and even offered a game with her at Skywars, a minigame he excelled at. However, none of these attempts were enough to life Caramel's mood. At least, not all the way.

Caramel had been hoping the day would last forever when she woke up. Now, the end of it was the only thing that made her even remotely happy. As she made her way back to her dorm, Connie sashayed past her, nearly knocking her out of her way. "Clear the way, FREAK," she sniffed. "Only room for the REAL animators here."

"H-Hey, I go to this school too, in case you haven't noticed," Caramel shot back.

"Maybe so, but you will NEVER be an animator, much less a BPS worker," she snarled. "Wanna know why? Because the company only runs on HUMANS. You're nothing but a HALFLING, and that's all you'll ever be!"

With a triumphant smile, Connie strutted down the hallway to the dorm, leaving behind a very hurt Caramel.

"Ignore her," Nitroz assured Caramel, walking up next to her. "From what I heard from the sophomores, she's been held back YEARS. She's no true animator."

The new information made Caramel smile just a little bit. "Thanks, but...even a freshman freak like me is no match for a popular dropout like her."

"Says who?" Nitroz wrinkled his nose.

"Says the whole freshman class?"

"Well, not the ENTIRE freshman class, I mean--"

"BESIDES you, Nitroz..."

"Ooh. Hm, besides me. Um..."

"I'm never going to fit in here," she slumped over. "Maybe the BPS team should've kicked me out while they had my ears."

"Don't talk like that," Nitroz said sternly. "Social status shouldn't get in your way of becoming a good animator. Just focus on your work and don't get distracted by any cheesy highschool drama. And if you're ever feeling lonely, you have me now! That's all the interaction you really need, isn't it?"

Caramel couldn't resist laughing out loud. "Haha! Yeah, I guess you're right." Perking up, she gave Nitroz a hug. "Thanks for cheering me up."

Nitroz beamed and hugged her back. "I gotta get to the boy's dorm," he said, parting from her. "Keep your chin up, Caramel." With a final wave, he let a boy with brown hair and light blue eyes drag him off to the boy's dorm.

Feeling better, Caramel walked into the girl's dorm. As she dressed in her pajamas, Connie's drawling, snarky voice echoed in her mind.

"You're nothing but a HALFLING, and that's all you'll ever be!" her voice bounced around in her head. "The company only runs on HUMANS." The more she thought about it, the more upset and worried Carmel got, until she had to brush her eyes clean to prevent any tears from forming.

Sighing, she went to the washroom to freshen up. As she was brushing her teeth, she heard a knock at the door.

"Go AWAY, Connie! You've already bullied me once today, you're going to have to wait till tomorrow to get your kicks in!"Caramel snapped, still thinking of her nasty comments earlier. However, the door opened, and there stood Professor Yogibo.

"I'm afraid your angered shouts will have to force me to collect my 'kicks.'" Caramel's teacher said with concern.

"Oh...I'm sorry, Miss Yogibo, it's just that...well, today wasn't the best day," Caramel confessed, rubbing the spot the notebook had hit her earlier that day.

"First days are rough," Professor Yogi nodded, walking over to the young Humancorn. "But this one wasn't caused on your own. Who's bothering you, Miss Caramel?"

Caramel hesitated to tell her, but she felt so full of misery that it all came tumbling out: the shady rumors about her in class, Connie and her gang, the supposed admission policies for BPS. Professor Yogi listened carefully, nodding silently. Once Caramel had finished, she drew back and let out a big sigh.

"I see..." she said slowly. "Well, I suppose Miss Connie has a point about one thing: you'll never be a true animator with an attitude like that."

"W-What do you mean?" Caramel asked.

"True animators don't let one mishap ruin their whole reputation. They keep moving. They keep creating. If one animation gets a bad review, they make one ten times better. And I know you have the ability to do that," Yogi said, placing a hand on Caramel's shoulder. "If you heed my words well, despite what Connie said, then prove her wrong. Show her that a 'halfling' is not all you'll be."

Caramel felt her spirits lift. "Yes...you're right...my friend said the same thing, and you're both right..."

"Then, get to work, young animator," Yogi said proudly. "And remember, you'll always find a mentor in me."

"O-Of course! Thank you!" Caramel said happily.

"Now, get some rest. I have a special class for you tomorrow,"

"Yes, ma'am! ^^"

With a nod of farewell, Caramel quickly packed up her toiletries, shoved them in her bath cubby, then hurried back to her dorm. Yogi looked after her with a kind smile.

"She'll make a good animator for BPS...I just hope she doesn't have to deal with 'them'..."