Remind me to get my friend a bib.

Four hours of scouring, scrubbing, and rinsing only to be left with a big purple stain. On my favorite lab coat too.

"It's just grape juice."

"Yeah. And that's just a crack in your glasses," I muttered. Moriah shook her head and set her empty cup by the sink with a notion to fill it up later. Again. I held the material up to my face and stared at that gargantuan splotch on the right side. And it stared right back. It was the result of a girl with a big sense of humor but a too small mouth to hold it in. And with me in her path, I was in the line of purple fire. "I can't show myself to the Final looking like a petunia," I spat to myself.

"Then don't," Moriah shrugged coming up behind me.

"That's easy for you to say. You never show up. I, on the other hand," I gestured to myself. "have to go. I've come up with the most brilliant machine this puny-minded school has ever seen."

"It's called a stain remover Nikki, we have one in the storage closet upstairs."

"I don't have time to walk back and forth all day cleaning up silly messes," I shook my head and walked around her to my-(let me clear my throat)-greatest invention since the Goggle Umbrella. The Fictional-Character-Come-To-Life...inator, if you want to get in the cartoon vibe. I'd go off on some coffee fueled monologue about what it does and what was my inspiration for such a magnum opus, but I'll save my breath and waste it for my professors.

"That's why most people don't spend their times in the school's basement."

"Laboratory!" I shouted pointing up for dramatic effect. It adds a nice touch, don't you think? Moriah sighed, rolling her eyes at my correction. Ignoring her had become too routine nowadays. "I didn't bribe our dear Principal Morgen with eighteen trays of homemade lasagna for nothing. I have inventions to build! Lives to change! That dinky science lab is too small for my largish brain, I simply had to come down here."

"Largish?"

"Don't question my adjectives. Now..." I continued on my way to my project covered in a pure white satin cloth. Two if Moriah's drinking habits keep up. I slipped on my gloves and pulled down my goggles from my head. Moriah stood there with her arms crossed waiting for my reveal. Underneath this cloth was my-Fictional-Character-Come-To-Life...inator! "Gaze upon its magnificence Moriah, 'cause I'll only show this once before the Final tomorrow."

The dark atmosphere of the baseme-I mean laboratory gave my creation a certain glow. Sleek black wheels carrying the silver machine for easy transport. A perfect condition base supporting the laser. And a sealed shut compartment where all my wires were. I kept a handy dandy screwdriver around just in case any bugs were to arise. As if that could happen with my expertise.

"It looks like a life size version of a cereal box toy," Moriah said wiping her ungloved finger on the side. I shooed her hand away.

"Don't touch it! It must be perfect! Not only must it work and bring any character to our world, but it must be presentable in front of Professor Morgen." Yep, same woman as the principal. It's one hell of a class let me tell you.

"Picky," my somewhat friend scoffed as she made her way around it. I admiringly brushed my hand across its beautiful structure, once in a while wiping off my breath fog. "So...you're gonna wheel this thing up from the basement-"

"Laboratory."

"-and waltz it in the gym and plug it in, with the chance it might not even work?"

"Moriah don't be silly," I said rolling my goggled eyes. "I'm using the elevator. I can't afford to sweat on this thing."

"No! I mean-" She came around to my side and pulled me up to face her. "What if this machine of yours doesn't work? What if it can't do everything you say it can? What if-what if your brain isn't as smart as you think or-" I put my hand up.

"If I can resuscitate a cat who choked on your step mother's new engagement ring with my hand built defibrillator, extract the ring without a scratch and return it in the box before anyone notices, I think this piece of cake will work just fine." I patted her head.

"Wait, what were you saying about my mom's-"

"Now then! I must get this to the gym today, or we'll be stuck behind some slow ignoramus who made a paper mache volcano as their Final," I chuckled to myself as I placed the cloth on my project again.

"Hey, I made one of those," Moriah said quietly.

"And what a fabulous craft it was!" I laughed nervously. "All that paper, and mache, the smoke making the sprinklers go off, and..." I cleared my throat after a moment of unpleasant glares. "Just help me get this on to the elevator."

This Final was not some ordinary school final. Nay. Our school was the most prestigious academy in the whole state of Nebraska. Miss Morgen's School For Fandoms. Yes, fandoms. And yes, the same Morgen. She leads one busy life I'm sure. This school was the home of any and all fandoms. From tv to movies, from books to video games. Anyone who was a fan of anything was allowed to attend. I'm surprised more people don't come here. Maybe 'cause it's Nebraska...or maybe it's our shady lunch lady...stomach virus my foot.

Anyway, us students attended this school with the hopes that we might gain some knowledge and wisdom about the fandoms we love. We had classes on how to ship, what types of obsessions are acceptable in public, and even how to write fanfictions like the one you're reading right now.

Before I get too self aware, let me introduce myself. I'm Nikki Richter and that Debby Downer you saw in the b-laboratory was my number one friend, ('cause I don't have any others) Moriah Camby. I'm shaking your hand in case you didn't know.

...

Okay that's enough. I am a huge fan of cartoons. More than the average young adult should be. But I'm not afraid to admit it. And all my life, even when I was a fetus, I have dreamed of bringing any cartoon character to our world. Just imagine. Live concerts from Jem, catching those pesky Warner brothers (and sister) and even-(gasp)-Dora the explorer... Nah, let's not get those creepy stares from that near-sighted seven year old in our world. My mother is bad enough... But now I've finally done it. A machine to bring any character I want-even from books or movies-into our real life world. Just one press of the button, and poof, here they are.

A perfect project for a Fandom Final. Wouldn't you agree?

What could go wrong?