Most of the original cast is back for the new story, but I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of their new attitudes and perspectives before I throw the story at you. Here are the profiles of the OA characters:
Michael Chandler
Although now a highly recruited PRO baseball protégé, Michael has his sites on going to Haywood University to major in Biochemistry. Still occasionally suffering from the after effects of the last blast of plutonium, he does his best to hide his declining health while hoping to attend Haywood next fall.
Michele “Meesh” Chandler
After a sudden return, Michele turns Michael’s ambitions into a bed of rusty nails, as she tries to carry out his dream of attending Haywood by sneaking into the college tour. Our young friend soon discovers that she’ll have to confront a ton of unresolved issues that have plagued her circle of friends all year.
Patricia “Treecy” Shaw
Going against her parent’s wishes of attending an Ivy League school, Treecy rebels, and expresses a strong desire to attend an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities), as well as stay close to her boyfriend, Michael. Although deeply in love with him, she wonders if she’s passing up the opportunity of a lifetime.
Xanthia “Zant” Murray
Zant is the most excited in the group about attending college, but her family is rerouting her dreams. Her mother has decided that Zant will return to Jamaica after graduation to take over the family business. Maybe she should have ask Zant first.
Denise Blackwell
This time around, Denise is having a personal struggle. Fighting a sliding grade point average, she's afraid she’ll never get into college unless a Softball scholarship comes through. She only goes on the college trip because her friends have convinced her to.
Lisa Jackson
Still the "cute" one of the group, Lisa looks forward to reuniting with her boyfriend Dexter, who's at Banneker. As long distance relationships go, this one is no different from most, filled with many challenges and a few surprises.
Professor Struball
Still the bumbling chemistry teacher at Westside, the professor is given an opportunity to redeem himself, as the chaperone of the college tour group. Haywood University, which is on the tour, is Professor Struball’s previous employer. The professor has secretly dreamed of someday being reinstated at Haywood to full professor status, and being reunited with old colleagues.
Kareem Wallace
A sophomore at Haywood, Kareem is one of the tour guides assigned to the group. He’s a cool character, but he’s very suspicious of Michele, who doesn’t appear to be officially registered with the tour. He keeps a close eye on her, which turns out to be more disarming for him than her.
Nikki Evans
A sophomore at Garvey, Nikki’s the other tour guide of the group. She gives the girls a complete perspective on being a black woman in college, preparing for the real world. A bright, intelligent political science major, with a minor in biology, she bonds well with Michele, until they both realize they have something else in common!
Thomas “King” Streeter
Accepting a full football scholarship to Garvey, King made 2nd string quarterback as a freshman, and will be the starting QB spot next fall. Having never really gotten over Michele, his relationship with his new girlfriend never seems to reach true intimacy. And just when he seems to be coming to terms with the breakup, guess who shows up on campus?
Ricky Chandler
Michael’s younger brother has barely dealt with his suppressed guilt since the last transformation. When Michele returns, life pushes him right back into it. However, he's also on a "mission" this time around. Tired of dreaming from afar, he decides to approach his "Westside High Dreamgirl" that's stolen his heart, and let her know how he really feels about her.
Elaine Simmons
A former assistant professor of Chemistry, under Dr. Struball while he was at Haywood, she now holds the position of Chairperson of the Science Department. A staunch admirer of the professor’s radical research theologies, she looks forward to reuniting with her former colleague during the tour. It also appears that she used to have a crush on the Prof back in the day, but never let him know it.
Curtis Jackman
Formerly the chairperson of Chemistry, and now the Dean of the College of Science, Dr. Jackman is the person who fired Struball from Haywood. Tormented by the professor’s many accomplishments, and jealous of his “working relationship” with Elaine, he is determined to make sure the professor never teaches at the college level again.
Tina Trudeau
A serious-minded Haywood freshman, the first one in her family to go to college, doesn't seem to have time for distractions. Right after kicking out her "second" roommate (for stealing), she discovers that due of a previous written commitment, she must reluctantly take in Michele, as a temporary border.
Franklin Chin
Another student on the tour meets the girls, and wants to hang out during the breaks. He meets Treecy, and tries to ease her personal frustrations about her parents feelings about Black Colleges. Franklin, who is of Chinese-Jamaican descent, knows Treecy's pain because he is also the son of a doctor. Their time together causes Treecy to question her commitment to Michael.
Robert "Brooklyn" Brown
Chapter rush chairman of Nu Phi Gamma Fraternity on the Haywood campus. Brooklyn, the baseball team captain, is in college on an athletic scholarship. An infamously known "ladies man", he sets his sites on Michele, as his next winner. But not if Kareem has anything to say about it. (Sidenote: Kareem and Brooklyn have been bitter competitors in sports since junior high. Now, on the same college campus, their intense resentment for each other's values, burns red hot behind their cool demeanors.)
Dr. Della Banks
An emergency room resident doctor at BaySide Medical, she has the misfortune of tending to Michael's tests. When she discovers what's really happening to the Chandler kid, she sets off on a quest to see what she can do about his condition. The journey leads back to her alma mater, Haywood University, and reunites her with former teachers, Dr. Struball and Dr. Simmons.
MORE TO COME!!
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What's the NEW story about?
This story takes place approximately a year after the ending of the OS. The gang is in their senior year at Westside High, and they’re preparing for their College Tour Trip, which will involve visiting 3 colleges in the state. The three campuses, all in the same city, are Garvey College, Haywood University, and Banneker-Carver College. Michael, interested in biochemistry, wants to attend Haywood, which was Professor Struball’s previous teaching post. However, Michael is still suffering from occasional side effects associated with the last blast of the Professor’s machine. When his condition becomes unbearable, he winds up in the hospital. They decide to quarantine Michael while they investigate his unusual blood cell activity. It all seems pretty routine, until a medical test reactivates his dormant mutation cells, and starts the transformation to “Michele” all over again. This time, however, the professor has no machine to change her back. Not wanting to miss the college trip, the Chandler family figures out a way to get Michele on the college tour. They succeed, and once on the college campuses, Michele’s mysterious charm weaves its universal effect on everyone she encounters.
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