With her errand complete at the library, Tawny decided to pay Maddie a visit at Ivoree Gates. She still had a few hours before starting her shift, so what better way to spend the time than with her friend?

When Tawny approached her old boarding room, she could hear loud music emanating from behind the door. She knocked and then she heard a flurry of activity followed by the music being abruptly cut off.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and Tawny was surprised to be face-to-face with Audrey, wearing an oversized shirt as a nightgown.

"Mornin'," Audrey said.

"Oh..." immediately Tawny was flustered. "I didn't expect to see you here...is Maddie available...?"

"Tawny!" a voice came from behind the door. Maddie emerged in her bathrobe, looking equally as flustered. "I wasn't expecting you...!"

"I just thought I'd pay you a visit," Tawny said. "But you obviously seem preoccupied..."

"Mads and I were just having a little sleepover," explained Audrey, wrapping her arm around the redhead affectionately. "We were trying to hash out the finer points of Sarah's master plan, and find out what we could do to make her ideas truly pop."

"Yes, pop!" Maddie said. "The brainstorming went a little late, so I offered to let Audrey spend the night. I hope that was alright..."

"Of course," Tawny said. "I'm not sleeping here anyway, so it's totally fine for you to use my bed."

"Your be--?" Audrey began, but was given a sharp elbow to the side by Maddie, causing her to cough profusely.

"Let's see if the cafeteria is still serving breakfast," Maddie said. "I am really craving some eggs right about now!

---

Initial awkwardness aside, the girls enjoyed a nice brunch together in the cafeteria. Sitting across from her friend, she was struck by how carefree and effervescent she seemed sitting beside Audrey. She didn't feel any jealousy or animosity toward this newfound pairing...in fact, Tawny felt a twinge of joy in her heart for Maddie. It was like she was catching true glimpses of her friend for the first time.

After their meal, Audrey offered to take both herself and Tawny back to Westinghouse Manor.

"Sarah lent me one of her motorcycles," Audrey explained as they walked to the parking lot. "Said it would be easier for teamwork to occur if we could travel back and forth with our own transportation.

"Wow, she must really trust you," Tawny said.

"Yeah, well," Audrey said. "To be honest, it was a bit of a compromise. I wanted to take the Ferrari, but no dice. A Harley is an okay compromise."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Will you be back next Sunday?" Maddie asked.

Audrey sat on the bike and fastened her helmet. "Of course, we still have so much more brainstorming to do. Wouldn't miss our sleepover for the world."

Maddie beamed. "Get back safely, you two. See you around during the week."

Once Tawny put her helmet on, Audrey revved the motor and the bike sped out of the parking lot into the open road.

"You two really seemed to have hit it off!" Tawny yelled over the noise of the motorcycle.

"I like Maddie," Audrey yelled back. "She's good people!"

---

It was back to the reality of servitude as soon as the two girls arrived at Westinghouse Manor. No sooner had they passed the threshold of the servant's quarters after putting on their uniforms were they confronted by Madam Fraus.

"I hope you enjoyed your little vacation," Madam Fraus said, her lack of smile betraying whether she really meant the statement. "Come. There is work to be done. Audrey, you come with me. Tawny, you are to serve tea in the West Wing parlour, special request."

Special Request? Tawny inwardly groaned; she knew exactly what that meant.

Sure enough, as soon as Tawny brought the tea tray into the parlour room, she was met with the haughty stares of the Evil 3 - Elaine, Violet, and Prudence.

"Took you long enough," said Elaine, scowling.

Tawny said nothing and set the tray on the table in front of them before serving them each tea.

"Good help is insufferably hard to find these days," said Violet. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"I suppose it can't be helped," quipped Prudence, who loaded her tea with an ungodly amount of sugar before taking a sip. "I mean, just look at what stock they pull the help from..."

"At least this stock gets to be around Dylan..." muttered Tawny under her breath.

The chatter instantly quieted so that only the rhythmic stirring of Violet's metal spoon in her saucer could be heard.

"What was that?" Elaine said evenly.

Perhaps it was the invigoration of riding with Audrey, or the joy she felt hanging out with her and Maddie in the morning, but today Tawny felt emboldened. And rather than affecting her usual mode of shrinking violet, Tawny was going to make herself heard.

"I said, at least I get to be around Dylan," Tawny said, this time with the full volume of her voice so there was no mistaking her words.

Violet and Prudence both let their jaws drop, aghast. They then both looked at Elaine, whose face remained impassive save for two wide eyes that stared back at Tawny in shock.

"Excuse me?" Elaine said.

"You heard me," Tawny said. There was no stopping her now; she was on the warpath. "You constantly come here and expect to be waited on hand and foot, all the while complaining why Dylan never gives you the time of day. Well, it's not hard to see why. While you act all high and mighty and like you're above it all, the Dylantantes are in the trenches, behind the scenes, ready and willing to do it all. That's why Dylan entrusted ME to help with the dinner for his father, NOT you. That's right...I bet you didn't even know Mr. Westinghouse was coming. No wonder you were stood up at the social."

Elaine stood up, slamming her saucer on the table with such force it shattered into a thousand pieces, splattering liquid and ceramics everywhere. Her fists shook at her sides for a moment before she closed the distance between herself and Tawny. Tawny thought that Elaine was going to deck her, but no, she merely got close enough so that though she whispered, her message would be heard loud and clear.

"You watch your back, Tawdry" she said. Elaine then snapped her fingers and the other two girls stood up and followed her out of the room without another word.

Tawny pulled a brush and tiny dustpin out from her apron, expecting there would be some sort of spill, accident or otherwise. She got on her hands and knees and proceeded to clean up the mess. She was happy she finally stood up for herself, but also knew that Elaine did not make idle threats.

What did she have in store for her?