Everyone sat in front of Bledsoe's desk, which cramped his office. Claudia noticed she wasn't the only one who hadn't showered yet. They were a motley crew of dirt and sweat. Tamara looked the worst of all of them. No one wanted to meet Bledsoe's eyes, but Shawna was making a show of not looking at him. She stared at the wall to her left with her arms crossed.
"I'm disqualifying your team from the rest of the flag football season," Bledsoe said.
"Are you doing the same to the Phi-O team?" Claudia asked.
"No, you attacked them."
"That's not true! Dana elbowed me. I fought back!"
"From what I hear, Miss Hill tackled their quarterback early in the game."
"That was an accident!" Tamara said.
"The Phi-O team says you were the aggressors, and witnesses back this up."
"Is Marla that witness?" Shawna asked, still focusing on the wall.
"She was one of them. Yes."
"More like she was the only one. She's putting that food on your table again."
"Watch your tone, Miss Davidson," Bledsoe said. Shawna turned in his direction again and opened her mouth. Everybody in the room braced for an onslaught, but Shawna bit down on her lip and remained quiet. Barb worried that Shawna would draw blood. "That's better," he continued, and Shawna bit harder. "Consider yourselves lucky. I will allow you to play other sports, but your flag football games are over. However, we will watch you closely. If this behavior continues, I will ban KMA from all intramural sports. And yes, that includes members and pledges."
"Yes, sir," Barb said, placing a hand on Shawna's arm when she saw her reacting. The gesture silenced her.
"Oh, and while we're on the subject, don't think I'm unaware of what KMA stands for. I will allow you to keep the name, but please refrain from any vulgarity. If I see 'Kiss my ass' written on any signs or other objects, I will punish KMA," Bledsoe said, looking directly at Shawna. She fought hard not to stick out her tongue at him. Part of her even wanted to fetch the mouth guard from her pocket and put it in her mouth.
"We understand," Barb replied, holding Shawna's arm as if reading her mind.
"You're dismissed," he said before sifting through papers on his desk. They all stood up to leave, except for Shawna. She stayed put, so Barb watched her with a growing pit in her stomach.
"Shawna..." Barb began, but Shawna held up her hand.
"I need to talk to Bledsoe privately," she said. Bledsoe eyed her warily when she said this.
"Is that a good idea?" Barb asked, but someone unexpectedly answered her.
"Sister Barb, I think Mistress Shawna needs to have this conversation," Kennedy whispered. "It's okay."
Barb glanced between Kennedy and Shawna questioningly, but she nodded and left. Once they exited, Bledsoe squirmed in his seat and cleared his throat.
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
"You told Marla about my parents," Shawna said. "Why?"
"I wasn't aware it was a secret."
"Bullshit. I told you last year I didn't want many people knowing about it."
"Watch your language. And I was trying to get her to sympathize with you more. I hoped it would ease the tensions between you."
"You know how she is. So, you had to realize how she would use it."
"I am sorry," Bledsoe sighed. "That was a mistake. I never intended for anything bad to happen."
"I don't believe you."
"Believe it or not, I care. I must regain your trust, but I promise I had no ill intentions."
"Whatever," Shawna said, standing and heading for the door without a proper dismissal.
"Oh, before you go, what's all this mistress business about?"
"It's just a silly nickname for my position in the club. Why? Were you in the market for a new dominatrix?" Shawna asked, grinning widely.
"Please leave!"
"Gladly!"
***
When club night arrived that Wednesday, the girls needed something to ease their minds. They could feel the tension in the air. Felicia found Shawna sitting in the club room with her feet propped on another desk. Shawna was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Felicia sitting beside her until she spoke.
"Are you okay?" Felicia asked.
"I'm good, Felly Belly. Don't worry about me."
"That's not true. I know you too well. Talk to me."
"What? Are you my therapist now?" Shawna asked, but she smiled sweetly at her.
"I could be if you let me."
Shawna sighed before speaking. "Holding in my anger isn't easy. I never expected to be Miss Responsibility, but now I represent KMA as an officer. If I keep bottling things up, I might explode. I don't want to hurt anyone, especially not you."
"I'm not worried about you hurting me," Felicia said. "I trust you. Don't let Marla or Bledsoe get to you," Felicia added, squeezing Shawna's hand.
"Thanks, Fel," Shawna said, returning the squeeze.
Shawna almost pulled her into a hug, but Hailey entered the room and took a seat at the teacher's desk. Hailey sighed long before glancing at Shawna's feet resting on the table. Shawna moved them to the floor, grinning sheepishly.
"So, we had a minor setback this week," Hailey said.
"That's putting it mildly," Shawna replied. "Screw Bledsoe."
"I've known that man for a few years. He's a moron. Don't sweat him. You've got this, girls," Mrs. Cynthia said.
"I know it wasn't our team's fault completely, but Claudia still needs to control her anger. We should still punish them somehow. Have the pledges get up and run early tomorrow morning," Hailey said to Shawna.
Shawna nodded, but a realization hit her a second later. "Hold on. Does this mean I have to get up and run with them?"
"Someone has to."
"Fine! But you owe me!" Shawna grumbled.
"Let's cover other matters before the pledges get here," Hailey continued. They told the pledges to arrive thirty minutes later to give the sisters time for a club meeting. "How is the haunted house coming?"
"It's going well. We have all of the walls up. Now, we need to paint and decorate. We had to give HRT their share of the rooms. Their ideas are—interesting. We'll make up for it with our stuff," Keisha said. "I'll let Tamara handle HRT. She can work with them in their rooms. Maybe she'll teach them a thing or two about acting," Keisha laughed.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"She'll love that," Hailey said. "Okay, follow me into the pledging room. I want to show you guys something. Barb had an interesting idea."
Hailey led everyone across the hallway. They stopped and stared at the strange sight before them when they entered the classroom. All of the desks were sitting on their sides.
"I don't get it," Felicia said.
"We needed a way to shake up Roll Call because we were running out of ideas. This will test their problem-solving skills," Barb said.
"Aren't you supposed to be on their side?" Keisha chuckled.
"They don't have to know I came up with this," Barb said. She felt a little bad, but that vanished when the pledges arrived. Amusement replaced the feeling upon seeing their confused stares. "Take your seats," Barb said.
"Um, how?" Kennedy asked.
"You have to figure it out. Use your problem-solving skills," Barb shrugged. She tried not to laugh as she watched them wedge themselves into the sideways desks. "Comfortable?" Barb asked, which elicited a groan from Claudia. "Okay, let's begin then."
Shawna and Keisha entered the room, but Shawna waited to start the evening greetings. Instead, she walked over to Claudia's desk and stood over her.
"Good evening, Mistress Shawna," Claudia said, and the other pledges tried to join her too late.
"I know what happened on the field wasn't your fault entirely, but you must control your anger."
"Yes, Mistress Shawna."
"So, we'll do a little morning run to get that aggression out of your system. I want you girls outside your dorm in running clothes at six o'clock! Understand?"
"Are you serious?" Claudia asked.
"If you keep complaining, I'll increase the distance we run!"
"Sorry, Mistress Shawna," Claudia said. She strained to look up at her from her awkward position.
"Don't eyeball me—or side eyeball me, I mean," Shawna said, trying not to laugh. Then she turned to Chloe and spoke. "Chloe! Do you have your weekly minutes?"
"Yes, Mistress Shawna!"
"Well, come up here, read them to us, and make it funny. I want to laugh!" Shawna almost got her wish as she watched Chloe lift the desk and squirm from underneath it. She stood and walked to the front of the classroom, but Chloe frowned while she watched Shawna lay the podium on its side. "Well, don't just stand there. Approach the podium."
Chloe fought not to grumble as she lay down on her side. She fetched a paper from her pocket and placed it before her. "This was an interesting week," Chloe began after clearing her throat. "We started the haunted house, but I don't know which was scarier, Tamara using power tools or Bart's haircut. We think Bart might go to the same hairstylist as Marla. But with as much time as Tamara is spending with him, we expect them to announce their wedding any day now," Chloe said, eliciting a light chuckle from Barb and a disgusted sound from Tamara.
Even Shawna smirked, but she remained silent as Chloe continued. "Flag football was a disaster. Claudia and Tamara thought we were doing pro wrestling instead. We got disqualified, but at least Claudia left Dana with a black eye," Chloe said.
"You're damn right," Claudia replied.
"Silence!" Shawna yelled. "Continue, Chloe."
"As for everyone else, Mama K is still a cougar on the prowl. At last count, she has at least three young boyfriends. Who knew so many guys at this school had mommy issues? And Hana's eye for interior design has made the haunted house look pretty cool. She might be able to salvage HRT's lame-ass rooms," Chloe continued.
"Language, Chloe!" Shawna said.
"Sorry, Mistress Shawna."
"Don't quit your day job, Chloe. You're not a comedian, but that will do. Go back to your seat," Shawna replied.
Chloe squirmed out from under the podium and quietly slipped back into her sideways desk before they started the usual roll call. Watching them crane their necks to see everybody proved more amusing than Chloe's minutes. However, things went smoothly. The girls all knew the sisters' names by heart. The real test came next.
***
Once they finished the greetings, they individually brought each pledge into another room. Chloe went first.
"Sit down," Hailey said, and Chloe sat at a desk across from her. Hailey seemed calm and friendly. She smiled at Chloe, and Chloe returned the expression. "How are you doing so far?"
"I'm good, Sister Hailey."
"How are things with your sister?"
"They haven't been great. I want Marla to open up to me more, but I can't tell her everything."
"I understand. What about your fellow pledges? How are you getting along with them?"
"Good."
"Are they doing well?"
"Yeah, they are."
"And what about Kennedy? Do you think she has been a good leader?"
"She's great."
"Okay, but I want you to tell me something you think each of them is doing wrong," Hailey said, leaning back in her chair and folding her hands. She fixed Chloe with a stare as she shifted in her seat. When Chloe hesitated, Hailey explained. "We're trying to help you, so we need to know what you think they could do better."
"I know, but..." Chloe started, but she closed her mouth and thought for a moment. "It doesn't feel right."
"I had a feeling you'd be a tough one to crack. That was the answer I was hoping for. Don't talk behind their backs. Sisters forever," Hailey smiled. "You can go now, but don't return to the club room. Barb will lead you when you leave."
Claudia entered next. Unfortunately, she didn't fare as well.
"Chloe talks too much. I like her, but she needs to stop running her mouth to Marla. I get they are sisters, but Marla is the enemy," Claudia said.
"So, you think she talks behind your back too often?"
"Yeah."
"Kind of like you're doing now?" Hailey asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Oh, shit."
"Language!"
"I'm sorry, Sister Hailey. You're right."
"You have to be loyal to your fellow pledges. We're not forcing you to say anything to us if you don't want to. That's not a requirement of pledging. You need to talk to Chloe about this, not me."
"Again, you're right. I'm sorry."
"You can go now. Follow Sister Barb when you exit."
Hana followed Claudia, and she was more nervous than any of them. She fidgeted in her seat and couldn't meet Hailey's eyes.
"I-I don't think they're messing up. They're doing fine. I'm the one who screws up most of the time," Hana said.
"You seem to be doing well. I simply want to know how the rest of them can improve. Are any of them mean to you?"
"No, I get along great with everyone. Claudia can sometimes be a little intense, but I like her."
"Very well. Good job, Hana. You stayed loyal," Hailey smiled and directed Hana toward the door. Hana beamed when she realized she passed her test. She stood up too quickly and almost slipped as she left.
When Kennedy entered the room, Hailey felt a surge of curiosity. She couldn't wait to see how their oldest member and leader performed this task. Hailey had to hide her expression as Kennedy eased into the desk.
"Kennedy, as one leader to another, tell me how your pledges are doing," Hailey asked with a straight face.
"I think they're doing well."
"Really? Is there anything they are doing wrong? Can they improve in some areas?"
"Obviously, Claudia needs to control her anger, and Hana could break out of her shell."
"What about the others?"
"I wish Tamara was around more, and Chloe could remain tight-lipped around her sister."
"Yeah, about that last part, she's not the only one who should be tight-lipped," Hailey said disapprovingly.
"Dammit," Kennedy said, hanging her head. "I messed up."
"This disappoints me. You're their leader, so I expected better from you. Talk to them about this."
"I do all the time, but I should have kept it between us."
"It's okay. Learn from this."
"Yes, Sister Hailey," Kennedy said before entering the hallway.
After Kennedy departed, Tamara joined Hailey. She looked anxious, but she still smiled.
"I can't always hang out with them, but everything has been good between us," Tamara said when Hailey asked her.
"That's good, but what do you wish they would do better? Have they done anything to upset you?"
"I can be a bit of an oddball. They give me a hard time about it sometimes, but It's okay."
"Does it ever make you angry?"
"Not angry, but I get annoyed."
"Who annoys you the most?"
"Um—no one in particular."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Sister Hailey."
"Good job. You can go now, Tamara."
Once everyone finished, the sisters gathered in the pledge room. Everyone stood at the front, but Barb addressed them. "Some of you disappointed me tonight. We're trying to teach you to be loyal to each other. If you have problems, work them out face-to-face, not behind each other's back. If a sister asks you a question you're uncomfortable answering, say 'Sisters forever' and be done with it," Barb said. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Sister Barb," they replied.
***
The following day, Chloe walked with Marla. They were having a surprisingly good day, which made Chloe feel better. Chloe suspected their parents had talked to Marla. She usually behaved better when they reprimanded her. The only downside was that Marla became more distant. Her answers were short, and she seemed more focused on her phone than Chloe.
"That's nice," Marla said when Chloe told her she made an A on a recent exam, but Chloe didn't think she even knew which class it was. "I'm glad your pledging isn't interfering with your studies."
"I told you it wouldn't."
"Yes, I know that," Marla replied, but she didn't look up from her phone. "So, how are your new friends?" The question made Chloe stop in her tracks, so Marla looked at her again with a puzzled expression. "What?" Marla asked.
"I wasn't expecting you to ask that."
"Look, I'm trying to be nicer. Isn't this what you wanted?"
"Y-yeah. It is. They're doing fine."
"Even that Claudia girl?"
"Do you have to refer to her like that?"
"I will be civil, but don't expect me to like her. After all, I'm sure she speaks worse about me. What has she said?"
"She—sisters forever."
"Say what now?"
"I'm not going to talk behind her back like that."
"You can't even tell me what she has said about me? I think I deserve to know if she's talking shit."
"What makes you think she is?"
"Because I know her. You're my sister, so tell me what I want to know!" Marla yelled, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at Chloe. This wasn't Marla's usual eerie calm. She always yelled when she wanted others to hear it, so Chloe looked behind her. She wasn't surprised to see Claudia was nearby. Claudia watched them closely.
"Sisters forever," Chloe repeated, widening Marla's eyes.
"You want me to open up to you, and then you give me an attitude. Make up your mind! This is why I didn't want you pledging KMA. I'm your sister, not them!"
"I know, but you're being ridiculous."
"Fine! Choose your friends over me. I don't care. Leave me alone," Marla said, storming off before Chloe could respond.
When Marla left, Claudia approached Chloe and touched her shoulder. "You didn't have to do that. I don't care if she knows what I say about her."
"I know, but I don't want to talk behind your back. Besides, Marla would use it against us. She needs to learn not to act that way."
"Thanks, Chloe," Claudia said and hugged her.