BLJR Are Finding Nemo Chapter Two

Chapter Two
Field Trip

Mr. Ray: (Singing) Oh, let’s name the species
The species, the species.
Let’s name the species
That live in the sea.

Nemo and Team: (In unison) Whoa.

As they emerged among the coral, like flying in the water, the Fantasy Adventure Team, Nemo, and all the students could see a vast majority of coral, all of different shapes and size, standing before them like a colorful jungle. A great assortment of fish passed by these reefs, some above the coral and others below. So much abundant in these parts, there was hardly any time to name all the species. But of course, they wouldn’t have to as Mr. Ray continued to sing his jingle the rest of the way, as they all gazed upon the coral and it’s inhabitants.

Mr. Ray: (Singing) There’s porifera, coelenterate
Hydrozoa, scyphozoa
Anthozoa, tenophora,
Bryozoas, three!
Gastropoda, arthropoda, echinoderma
And some fish like you and me.
(Speaks) Come on, sing with me.
(Sings) Oh…!

Rae: Oh my gosh! Have you ever seen anything more wonderful in your entire life?

Talon: You certainly can’t get enough of this view.

Claw: (Nods in agreement)

Bryce: (Sighs) Chaps, I think we’re all going to love this place.

Mr. Ray: (Speaks) Just the girls this time.
(Singing) Oh, seaweed is cool.
Seaweed is fun.
It makes it’s food
With the rays of the sun…

It was undoubtedly a place of wonder, the world below the sea. It almost made Bryce forget about all the conflicts that they’ve been through back at the surface, whereas down below everything seemed to be in perfect harmony with one another. For a moment, Bandervilt turns to watch as some of the girls in the group sang along with Mr. Ray and he couldn’t help but smile after seeing how much fun everyone was having. How could he ever imagine there could be any danger amidst this world of color and beauty?

Soon enough, after what seemed like hours of singing, Mr. Ray finally reaches their destination: The landing surface just near where the Drop-off supposedly stood.

Mr. Ray: Okay, the drop off. (Lands) All right, everyone, feel free to explore but stay close. (Gasps) Stromalitic cyanobacteria! Gather.

Johnny: (Raises a brow) Stroma-what?

Sunlight: Oh, I’ve heard about this: A phylum of bacteria that obtains energy through photosynthesis. Also commonly known as Cyanophyta.

Johnny floats silently in the water, throws his paw over his head as if implying “You lost me” followed by a swishing noise indicating all that information swept pass him.

Tye: (To Palladon) I don’t think this kid’s ever set foot in a marine biology class.

Palladon: You think?

Mr. Ray: Sunlight’s right, take a look. (Observes the speck) An entire ecosystem contained in one infinitesimal speck. There are as many protein pairs contained in this…

While several members of the Fantasy Adventure Team, along with a majority of the students, seemed fascinated of how such a tiny organism contained such a great many wodners the three students Nemo met were clearly bored and more anxious to explore.

Tad: (To Pearl and Sheldon) Come on, let’s go.

Just as the three students trudged away, their escape from the group was seen by Nemo and Bryce. Curious as to where they were heading off to, but not wanting to cause trouble with three potential friends for Nemo, they both swam together hoping to get them back before they all got in trouble.

Mr. Ray: Come on, sing with me!
(Singing) There’s porifera, coelenterate
Hydrozoa, scyphozoa
Anthozoa, tenophora,
Bryozoas, three!

Nemo: (Calls out) Hey guys, wait up!

Bryce: (Calls out) Little lads, I don’t reckon we’re supposed to… (Gasps) Whoa.

Nemo and Bryce stand right next to their three classmates, right at the edge of the Drop Off itself. It appeared reminiscent to a rather familiar scenario from long ago, something that Nemo had no memory of and a place Bryce had never been to before. They were too breath-taken with how big the Drop-Off truly was and nothing but miles upon miles of big, blue water stretching endlessly from way ahead.

Tad: Cool.

Bryce: Soarin! Who would’ve imagined how big this place was? Surprised no one thought to build a house around here.

Growing more curious, they peered over the edge of the Drop-Off, as if trying to see how far below the surface was from where they stood.

Tad: (Pulls Pearl back suddenly) Saved your life!

Pearl: (Shrieks, Releases ink) Aw, you guys made me ink.

Pearl’s friends couldn’t help but chuckle at that embarrassing moment, even Bryce found himself unable to sustain a laugh.

Bryce: (Stiffles a laugh) Sorry, lass. But… You should’ve seen your face. (Chuckles)

Nemo: (Sees something) What’s that?

Bryce: (Turns to Nemo) What is it, Nemo?

Bryce Bandervilt looks over to where Nemo was looking at, causing the other students to look. At what appeared to be a great distance, there appeared to be the bottom of a rather strange craft floating near the top of the water. There appeared to be a lengthy chain stretching downward towards the dark sea and what appeared to be a motor at the back. To the fish, it was far too alien for their eyes as they’ve hardly seen anything like this and the object was so far Bryce had to squint for a proper look.

Bryce: Hmm… Looks too far to know for sure.

Tad: I know what that is. Sandy Plankton saw one. He called, he said it was called a… A butt.

Nemo: Whoa.

Pearl: Wow. That’s a pretty big butt.

Bryce: (Raises his brows) A butt?? Okay, that just sounds weird. (Looks again) Although, something about that looks strangely familiar.

Before Bryce could have time to think, Sheldon suddenly leaves the group as if he was actually going to touch the strange-craft they named “the butt”.

Bryce: (Sees Sheldon) Hey, where you going?

Sheldon: (Teasing) Oh, look at me. I’m gonna go touch the butt. (Sneezes) Whoa! (Swims a back)

The students giggled towards Sheldon, who clearly was not going farther than where he stood afloat. Bryce, on the other hand, was trying to understand just what this seahorse was trying to prove.

Sheldon: (To his classmates) Oh yeah? Let’s see you get closer.

Pearl: Okay. (Swims a few inches from Sheldon) Beat that.

Tad: (Swims slightly ahead of his friends, to Nemo and Bryce) Come on, guys. How far can you go?

Bryce: What? That’s it? (Plays along) I bet we can swim to that craft and back in ten seconds flat. (To Nemo) What do you say, lad? Shall we show ‘em?

Nemo: (Nervously) Um, I don’t know.

Bryce: Aw, there’s no need to fret, I understand. If it’s too much a swim, I’ll carry you the whole way.

Nemo: It’s not that. My dad says it’s not safe.

Suddenly, before they could get anywhere, a familiar shout causes Nemo, Bryce, and the others to turn. Bursting through the sea coral, Marlin furiously approaches his son and the remaining half of the Fantasy Adventure Team follows, along with their friends who were shocked to see what was going on.

Marlin: (Shouts) Nemo, no!

Benny: (Shouts) Bryce Bandervilt!!!

Nemo: (Confused) Dad?

Bryce: (Confused) Benny?!

Marlin: (Drags Nemo aside) You were about to swim into open water!

Nemo: No, I wasn’t gonna go out--

Benny: It’s a good thing we arrived; Bryce, what were you thinking?

Bryce: Benny, wait a minute! I can explain…

Leo: (Confronts Bryce) If we hadn’t shown up, we wouldn’t know--

Bryce: Guys, listen! It’s not what you think!

Pearl: (To Marlin) Sir, they weren’t gonna go.

Tad: Yeah, they’re too afraid.

Nemo: (To his friends) No, we’re not!

Marlin: (To the kids) This does not concern you, kids. And you’re lucky I don’t tell you parents you were out there. (To Nemo) You know you can’t swim well.

Nemo: (Frustrated) I can swim fine, dad, okay?

Marlin: No, it’s not okay. You shouldn’t be anywhere near here.

As the confrontation between the whole group continues, their bickering draws the attention of Mr. Ray and his classmates, who cautiously peered from a bed of coral wondering what was going on.

Palladon: (To Bryce) What were you thinking, Mr. Bandervilt?! We told our friends we would stay together!

Bryce: Give me a break! You really thought I was stupid enough to pull a stunt like that? And even if we did, it’s not like we’d intentionally run into anything over there!

Panthy: (Sarcastically) Oh sure, swimming to some boat that just “happened” to be docked there which would “seemingly” appear marooned and abandoned?

Bryce: Oh so when Johnny cracks a joke, it’s okay. But when Bryce tries to cut loose and have fun, you’re suddenly pointing fingers like it’s the end of the world!

Dagnino: (Groans in frustration) Urgh, I should’ve known this would happen. Lately, every time there’s trouble, you get us in the middle of it!

Bryce: (Outraged) What’s “that” supposed to mean?

Xiro: Hate to break it to you, Bryce. But for once, Dagnino is right.

Teresa: For quite some time, we’ve been getting ourselves caught up in some form of trouble that almost gets us killed.

Benny: (Points out) You talk us into confronting Farquaad, who almost got our heads chopped off in the tournament. You drag us into helping rescue a Princess in a castle housing a Dragon that nearly ate us. Then you put up a fight with some deranged maniac, who nearly took advantage of your hesitance to kill him…

Johnny: And need we bring up having some of our friends eat the food from the spirit world, turning you guys into pigs, and having us work in a bathhouse for days just to find a way to free you.

Benny: (Unison with Bryce) He did WHAT?!
Bryce: (Unison with Benny) I did WHAT?!

Aurora, Sunlight, Eliza, and Mutants: (Together) He did WHAT?!

Johnny: (Realizes) Oooh, right… You don’t remember that. (Gets smacked by Rafiki’s stick) … Ow!

Bryce: All right, look. I admit I have made a few mistakes in the past, though I can’t help but question that last part… Either way, whatever I did, I’m sorry.

Benny: That’s the problem, Bryce.

Queen Eliza: I’m afraid Benny makes a good point. You’ve always said you were sorry, but then you end up doing something again without ‘thinking’.

Rafiki: The problem is not the amount of mistakes you’ve made, but getting somewhere at a reckless pace does not get any close to the end of the journey.

Kairel: Whether you meant to or not Bryce, you did put an innocent child in the middle of all this. It’s not saying you can’t avoid it, but the least you can do is think of how your actions effect others once in a while.

Leo: The bottom line Bryce is that whenever there’s trouble, we always have to drag “you” out of it. You barely take account to your own actions.

Maggie: Which does “bother” us.

Bryce: Wait… You’re saying that I’m… A bother? *To Rae* You don’t really think that… Do you?

Rae: (Shrugs) Sometimes.

Bryce: But… I really didn’t mean it…

Benny: Bryce, I’m sorry. You and the others were given a chance to show Marlin you’re responsible enough to keep an eye on Nemo and you made them look bad. If acting irresponsibly is how you behave as a leader… You’re not ready.

The last few words coming from his own friends seem to strike Bryce where it hurts. Whereas for Marlin, it seemed his mind was made up.

Marlin: Ok, I was right. *Tries to Drag Nemo away* You’ll start school in a year or two.

Nemo: *Pulls away* No, Dad! Just because you’re scared of the ocean--

Marlin: (Interrupts) Clearly, you’re not ready and you’re not coming back until you are. You thin you can do these things but you just can’t, Nemo!

Nemo: (Angrily looks away, quietly) I hate you.

All at once, Marlin’s expression from frustration switched to utter shock. Those three words that Marlin didn’t want to hear were suddenly said and by his own son too. Nemo wasn’t the only one upset, Bryce was clearly mad at his own friends for accusing him of something he had no intention to do. They both turned away with a look of anger, while some members of the team felt bad for reprimanding Bryce the way most of their friends acted. Not to mention, in front of an entire group that was watching all this unfold, embarrassing the two in front of everybody. Bryce and Nemo could relate well to what they were put into. Mr. Ray, seeing there was some friction, decide to see what he could do.

Mr. Ray: (Sings) There’s-- (Speaks) Nothing to see. (Shoves the students aside) Gather, uh, over there. (To Marlin) Excuse me, is there anything I can do? I am a scientist, sir. Is there any problem?

Marlin: I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to interrupt things. (Motions to Nemo) He isn’t a good swimmer and it’s a little too soon for him to be out here unsupervised.

Bryce: (Mutters under his breath, arms folded) What did I look like? Chopped liver?

As Marlin and Mr. Ray talked, while the majority of the team looking away, Bryce and Nemo looked back to where the “butt” still remained docked near the Drop-Off. Still angry at the way they were treated, the way they were embarrassed, they both had something in mind to prove everyone they were wrong of them.

Mr. Ray: (To Marlin) Well, I can assure you, he’s quite safe with me.

Marlin: Look, I’m sure he is. But you have a large class and he can get lost from sight if you’re not looking. I’m not saying you’re not looking--

Suddenly, as everyone was watching the pair talk and just before Marlin could finish his opinion, one of the students, with large front teeth, saw something ahead that made his eyes widen with shock.  

Fish Kid: (Shouts) Oh my gosh! Nemo’s swimming out to sea!

Palladon and Tye: (Simultaneously) What?!

Lion: (Turns, shocked) Uh… Guys?

Drawn to attention, the Fantasy Adventure Team turned and everyone was confirmed of the shock: Bryce and Nemo, swimming out into the open water and heading straight towards the “butt”…