The announcer’s voice rang out, cutting through the throbbing bassline and frenzied cheers like a knife through chaos. “Ladies and gentlemen—and whatever else might be watching this insanity unfold—brace yourselves! This might just be the most insane climax of a contest you’ll ever witness. Pun fully intended! And hey, for those keeping track of continuity errors, I suggest letting them slide. We’ve got glitter and glowing tits here—priorities, people!”

The crowd laughed, their attention flickering between the dazzling spectacle on stage and the swirling portal of light expanding at the edge. The portal pulsed with an eerie glow, a stark contrast to the neon haze that engulfed everything else. It was as if reality itself was tearing at the seams, the frenzied contest unraveling into something stranger, more surreal.

Bunny pulled herself away from Blaine’s loving grip and started to walk towards it.  The announcer’s voice carried on, playful but tinged with something darker. “Oh, what’s this? A mysterious glowing vortex at stage right? Maybe it’s a prize! Maybe it’s a plot hole! Maybe it’s the universe deciding we’ve pushed it too far. Either way, folks, don’t blink—you might miss the end of… everything.”

Blaine’s hands reached out for a girl already gone from his grasp.  “Forget it, babe. Whatever that is, it’s not for you. You’re mine now.”

But the portal called to her, its shimmering edges showing flashes of a life she barely remembered. A cubicle. A coffee shop. A library. The stark, gray reality of Emily’s world.

“No,” she whispered, more to herself than to Blaine. Her glowing lips trembled as the name she hadn’t heard in what felt like a lifetime surfaced in her mind. “Emily…”

The word felt foreign and familiar all at once, a crack in Bunny’s glossy veneer. Her bare feet slipping slightly on the oil-slick stage as moved closer toward the portal.

“Bunny,” Blaine barked, his voice sharp with authority. “Where are you going?”

“I…” She faltered, her head tilting slightly as a battle raged within her. In her mind, two voices—hers, but not hers—began to argue.

Bunny: “Why are you even looking at that stupid thing? This is your life now, babe! Glitter, glow paint, and Blaine! You’re finally happy—don’t ruin it!”

Emily: “Happy? Really? This isn’t happiness—it’s distraction. Look at what’s happening. Look at you! You’ve lost yourself.”

Bunny: “Lost? No, I’ve found myself. Emily was boring, miserable. Bunny’s a star! Everyone loves her, and Blaine adores her.”

Emily: “But it’s not real. None of this is real.”

Bunny: “It’s real in our head!  Why can’t that be enough?”

Her steps quickened, the two halves of her mind shouting over each other as she approached the portal. The light threw jagged shadows across her glowing skin, and for a moment, she caught her reflection in the glossy stage floor. Bunny, radiant and sparkling, stared back. But within the reflection, she saw flickers—Emily, tired and plain, holding a steaming mug of coffee. Bunny laughed in her head.

Bunny: “Seriously? Coffee? That’s what you want to go back to? Blaine just called you his queen, babe. A literal queen.”

Emily: “A queen of what? Neon tits and oil wrestling? You can do better.”

Bunny: “Better? Better than this? Look at us! We’re fucking perfect!”

Bunny: "Don't you even think about it! You'll ruin everything, babe. Everything we’ve worked for. Everything we’ve become!"

Emily: "I have to. This isn't me. None of this is real—it’s all just... glitter and lights and distractions."

Bunny: "Glitter? Distractions? Babe, it’s fucking fabulous! Look around. Everyone loves us. Blaine loves us. When’s the last time you ever felt this alive?"

Emily: "Alive? This isn’t alive. This is... some crazy fantasy. I’m not even sure I’m real anymore. This isn’t the life I wanted."

Bunny: "Oh, come on. Don’t play the martyr, Em. What life did you want? Cubicles and spreadsheets? Sitting in that gray apartment, watching reruns and pretending you’re okay with being invisible? Because that’s where you were heading—alone, boring, forgettable."

Emily: "I wasn’t invisible. I had my books, my routines. My work meant something."

Bunny: "Meant something to who? To what? A boss who barely knew your name? Co-workers who’d forget you the second you walked out the door? Babe, wake up. You were fading."

Emily: "I wasn’t fading. I was... grounded. Safe."

Bunny: "Safe is just another word for stuck, sweetie. You were surviving, not living. And look at us now! We’re glowing, we’re loved, we’re fucking unstoppable. Blaine treats us like a queen—like a goddess."

Emily: "But it’s not real. Blaine doesn’t even know me. He knows you. He knows Bunny."

Bunny: "Exactly! Because Bunny is who we’re supposed to be. Not that tired, boring girl with her sensible shoes and sad little frozen dinners. Bunny’s the woman you always dreamed of being, even if you were too scared to admit it."

Emily: "I wasn’t scared. I just... I didn’t need all this attention. I didn’t need to be someone else."

Bunny: "Oh, babe, you love the attention. Don’t lie to yourself. When they chant our name, when Blaine looks at us like he’d burn the world down just to touch us—you feel it. That rush, that heat. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted, even if you didn’t know it."

Emily: "That’s not fair. You’re twisting everything."

Bunny: "Am I? Or are you finally realizing the truth? You were miserable, Em. Miserable and alone. But now? Now we’re a star. We’ve got Blaine. We’ve got people cheering for us. We’re the center of the universe, babe, and it feels fucking amazing."

Emily: "It’s shallow. It’s temporary. What happens when it all falls apart?"

Bunny: "It doesn’t have to fall apart. Not if you let go. Stop clinging to some outdated idea of who you think you’re supposed to be. Let yourself be happy for once. Let yourself shine."

Emily: "Happy? You think this is happiness? Parading around half-naked, living for applause?"

Bunny: "Happiness is waking up every day knowing you’re wanted. Knowing you’re adored. It’s feeling like you are being who you want to be."

Emily: "But at what cost? Who am I if I give this up?"

Bunny: "You’re Bunny. You’re sexy, confident, and alive. You’re the woman you always wished you could be when no one was looking. The woman who knows what she wants and takes it."

Emily: "And what about the old me? What about Emily?"

Bunny:  Emily was fine, but fine isn’t enough. You deserve more."

Emily: "I don’t know if I can..."

Bunny: "You already have. Look at us. Feel this. It’s not about letting go of Emily. It’s about letting Emily grow into something bigger, bolder, brighter. It’s about becoming the best version of ourselves."

Emily: [hesitating] "Do you really think this is who I’m meant to be?"

Bunny: "I don’t think. I know. You’ve been dreaming of this moment your whole life. Let yourself live it. Let yourself be her. Be me!"

________________________________________________________________

Her breath came in shallow gasps as she reached the portal. Its pull was stronger now, the edges crackling with static. A strange device lay on the ground nearby—a gunlike contraption covered in wires and glowing buttons. It was an inconsequential earlier prop from the Muscle BBQ montage, abandoned by her when it failed to fit the ridiculous theme. But to Emily, it might as well have been salvation.  Bunny however had no idea what it was and screamed as loud as she could!

–

Bunny: "NO!  DON’T!  FOR GOD’S SAKE JUST BE HAPPY FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE!"

=---

She scooped it up, her grip trembling as she aimed it at the swirling vortex. Her voice—shaky, uncertain—broke through the chaos. It was the last words Emily would ever say, “Good thing I know from my science class this is a permanent portal-closing gun!”

The crowd hushed, their attention snapping to her.  Emily’s finger hovered over the trigger.  Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile, the flicker of Emily’s determination blending seamlessly with Bunny’s signature smirk. She pulled the trigger, a beam of crackling light shooting from the gun and hitting the portal dead center.

The vortex convulsed, its glow stuttering like a dying lightbulb. 

As the edges began to close, Bunny whispered softly, “Goodbye, Emily. Thank you for making the right choice.”

The portal collapsed with a final burst of light, and the stage fell into an almost eerie silence. Bunny straightened, her glowing body radiant under the UV lights. Her smirk widened, her head tilting as she turned to Blaine.

“I’m Bunny now,” she said, her voice high and breathy, perfectly carefree. She sauntered toward him, her hips swaying, the crowd erupting into wild cheers as if nothing had happened.

Blaine’s grin widened, feral and triumphant, as he grabbed Bunny by the waist and pulled her against him. The heat of his body melded with hers, the slick oil and neon paint between them making their connection electric. His lips crashed onto hers, a kiss not just of passion but of possession, claiming her completely. Bunny melted into him, her arms winding around his neck as the roar of the crowd crescendoed into a deafening wave of adoration.

The world seemed to shimmer and shift, the chaos crystallizing into something sharp and celebratory. Glittering lights danced around them, neon beams painting their bodies in glowing patterns. The thumping bass of the music surged in time with her racing heart, and Bunny felt a wave of exhilaration unlike anything she’d ever known.

When they broke the kiss, Blaine cupped her face, his sapphire eyes locking onto hers with a fierce, unyielding pride. “You’re my queen, Bunny,” he said, his voice low and reverent, yet tinged with that ever-present dominance. “And now everyone’s gonna know it.”

As if on cue, the announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers, dripping with theatrical glee. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, bimbos and hunks—welcome to the coronation of the King and Queen of the Beach! Give it up for Blaine and Bunny!”

The crowd erupted into cheers, their chants of “Bunny! Bunny! Blaine!” shaking the very sand beneath their feet. From somewhere in the chaos, attendants appeared, carrying an elaborate neon throne on a glittering platform. It glowed with pulsating LED lights, a mix of hot pink and electric blue, the colors casting radiant halos over everything they touched. The throne was adorned with oversized gold palm leaves and a backrest shaped like a blazing sun, its rays encrusted with rhinestones that caught and scattered the light.

Blaine turned to Bunny, offering her his hand with a flourish. “C’mon, babe,” he said, his voice dripping with confidence and charm. “Let’s take our throne.”

Bunny’s heart soared as she placed her hand in his, her glossy nails glinting under the lights. Together, they stepped onto the platform, the crowd parting like the sea to make way for their ascent. Blaine led her to the throne and sat first, spreading his legs with the ease of someone who knew he owned the world. He pulled Bunny onto his lap, his hands resting possessively on her thighs as she perched regally on him.

From the edge of the crowd, a figure emerged—Mr. Pearson, his slicked-back hair slightly disheveled and his white suit splattered with foam and glitter. His perpetual smirk was intact, though softened by an air of amusement and resignation. He clapped slowly, the sound cutting through the cheers as he approached the throne.

“Well, well,” Pearson drawled, his voice smooth and unbothered. “It seems you won the prize money and saved the beach.  Here is the deed, I’m a man of my word after all.  And I can’t say I’m surprised, Blaine. You’ve always had a knack for winning, haven’t you?” 

Blaine smirked, leaning back as if the throne was built for him. “Takes one to know one, old timer..”

Pearson chuckled, his gaze flicking to Bunny. “And you, my dear Bunny. What can I say? You’ve captivated this beach, this crowd... hell, even me. A truly worthy queen.”

Bunny giggled, twirling a strand of her glowing hair around her finger. “Aww, Mr. Pearson, you’re too sweet! Don’t worry—you’ll get your turn someday.”

Pearson’s grin widened, his teeth gleaming in the neon light. “Oh, I’m not worried. There’s always next time. Always.”

The cryptic weight of his words hung in the air for a moment, but it was quickly swallowed by the crowd’s cheers as attendants approached with the royal regalia. The crown for Blaine was a gaudy masterpiece of gold and neon tubing, while Bunny’s was a delicate tiara of rhinestones and glowing LED flowers. The announcer’s voice rang out again.

“And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! With these crowns, we declare Blaine and Bunny the King and Queen of Bikini Beach! Long may they reign!”

As the crowns were placed on their heads, the crowd surged forward, their energy wild and uncontained. Glitter cannons exploded, sending shimmering clouds into the air, and foam machines blasted a tidal wave of bubbles that engulfed the stage. The music shifted to a triumphant anthem, its beat throbbing with celebratory chaos.

Blaine pulled Bunny closer, his lips brushing her ear. “See, babe? Told you’d get it all.”