Hana stood in awe as Ben guided her on a tour of the Malloy Modeling office. She approached the front desk, which sat in front of a large cursive M on the wall. LED lighting backed the letter, giving it a warm, peaceful glow. To the left, Hana spotted something rather strange. They had a dinosaur skull.
"Is that real?" Hana asked.
"No, it's a sculpture," Ben laughed.
"Right, I knew that. This place is so cool."
"You've only seen the front office. Wait until I show you the studio."
"Thank you for doing this. Do you think Mrs. Malloy will hire me?" Hana asked, wringing her hands.
"Of course, she will. We need new models, and you're beautiful," Ben winked. Hana sensed a little of the smugness Barb mentioned, but she found him charming and sweet so far. She thought Barb was being too hard on him. "Ah, speak of the devil," Ben added, nodding toward a tall woman entering the room.
Patricia Malloy was in her 60s, but you wouldn't know that by looking at her. She prided herself on her good health. "I've never had work done and never will," Patricia said. "Good diet and exercise are my secrets to success," she added. Patricia had gray hair pulled into a tight ponytail and piercing green eyes. Her gaze would have intimidated Hana if it weren't for the pleasant smile. "You must be Hana," she said, offering her hand.
"Yes, it's good to meet you," Hana replied, accepting the handshake.
"You are quite pretty. Ben's description didn't do you justice," Patricia said, making Hana blush. "I understand your sister is a model."
"Yes, she works for Hawthorne Modeling out in Bayshore."
"Really? Well, you have her tell old Mike Hawthorne I said hello. Mike and I go way back," Patricia replied. "Now, follow me. I'll show you the studio."
Mrs. Malloy led her through a door. Beyond was an open room with multiple photo shoots, each with a lighting setup and a set. Hana also spotted doors leading to private rooms for more intimate shoots. A few models were working, but others stood talking. Some were reviewing shots with their photographer.
"We'll start you with something simple," Patricia explained.
"Will I have to do nude modeling for art classes, like Ben?" Hana asked.
"I wouldn't make a newbie do that," Patricia laughed.
"What if I'm willing to do it?" Hana asked, making Patricia stop and look at her with widened eyes.
"Sweetie, learn to swim before you dive into the deep end," Patricia replied, patting her on the arm. "But I admire your enthusiasm. I wish more people had that fire."
Her reassurances and compliments helped ease Hana's worries. Hana relaxed as the tour continued. However, one thing still filled her with anxiety. She hadn't asked Ben to the social yet. Hana put off the task until the tour ended. She ran out of opportunities because Ben was ready to return to work. Hana steeled herself, taking a deep breath.
"Um, Ben, I was..." Hana began, but the words caught in her throat.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I just wanted to—I mean, I wonder if..." she stammered. Ben smiled at her, easing her tensions. "Would you like to go to my social with me?" she finally asked. "It's a Hootenanny."
"A hoot what?"
"It's a western theme. They will have line dancing."
"Oh, I get it. Sure, I'd love to," he said.
"Really? Thanks!" Hana beamed.
"I think we have some Western costumes. You and I could blow them away with our outfits," Ben added, gesturing toward the wardrobe department. This made Hana grin.
***
Elsewhere, the sisters stood over a large barrel and watched Barb open it. When she lifted the lid, the smell almost knocked them out. Keisha backed away, waving a hand in front of her nose.
"What the hell is that? It smells like a zombie lit his fart on fire," Keisha said.
"This is a special brew, but I'm keeping the ingredients secret," Barb replied.
"That's fine. I didn't plan to make that, but you still haven't said what it's for."
"This is for Dogging Night. We cover the girls in this mess and have them run around the campus completing the tasks on this list," Barb said, waving a piece of paper. "They call it dogging because you get messy like a dog playing outside, causing chaos."
Keisha took the list. The more she read, the bigger her smile grew. "Dance in the fountain. Serenade a boys' dorm. Complete a lap around the track," Keisha read while laughing. "Wait a second. Infiltrate Bledsoe's office?" Keisha asked.
"Don't worry. Bledsoe approved that. He thought it would be funny. Bledsoe will pretend to be outraged to scare the pledges. His only caveat was we have to clean up any mess we make in his office," Barb replied. "I might have forgotten to tell him how bad this smells."
"How big of a mess do we plan to make?" Shawna asked, grinning wickedly.
"As big as possible. It will be worth it," Barb said. "We'll make the pledges do the cleaning."
"This will be fun," Keisha laughed.
***
After Barb's presentation, Barb and Hailey returned to their dorm. They spoke as they walked, but Barb could tell something distracted Hailey. She was zoning out, and Hailey didn't have Barb's ability to dodge objects while talking. Hailey tripped twice.
"Okay, what's up?" Barb asked. "Are you okay?"
"No, Dan and Tamara are driving me crazy."
"Why?" Barb asked, stopping to look at Hailey in amusement.
"Stop it. I know what you're thinking. They're driving me crazy because of the Marla thing, not what you're implying."
"I think it's both."
"It's not. I told you I'm fine with Dan taking Tamara to his social," Hailey replied, shaking her head and resuming their walk.
"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"
"Will you stop? You're making this harder," Hailey replied, pausing to stare at Barb with her hands on her hips. Once again, Hailey reminded Barb of their mother. "Okay, it's bothering me a little, but I must get over it. This is for the best."
Barb didn't believe Hailey meant this, but she dropped the subject. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing that dropped. Hailey turned to continue their trek to the dorm and tripped for the third time.
***
Meanwhile, Kennedy searched the library for Mrs. Cynthia. She was going to have her visit with KMA's sponsor, but she was having trouble finding her in the maze of bookshelves. After a few minutes, Kennedy spotted her.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"Ah, there you are," Cynthia said, nodding at Kennedy. "How are you doing, Mama K?"
"I'm good, and you don't have to call me that," Kennedy laughed.
"Why not? It's a good nickname."
"Yeah, but we're almost the same age."
"That's right. We are," Cynthia said in surprise. "I'm only four years older than you."
"You and I are going to have to whip these kids into shape," Kennedy joked, earning a chuckle from Cynthia.
"You might be right, given recent events," Cynthia said, shaking her head. "Are you enjoying being the pledge president?"
"It has its ups and downs," Kennedy shrugged. She followed Mrs. Cynthia as she returned books to their shelves.
"I heard you're killing it at the haunted house. Everybody loves your work," Cynthia said.
"Yeah, I made a guy lose his pants."
"I would have loved to have seen that."
"Mrs. Cynthia!"
"Oh, not that way!" Cynthia replied, waving a book at Kennedy. "I'm happily married, thank you."
"How do you think the club is doing so far?"
"You're all doing great. I'm proud of you."
"Thank you," Kennedy said, and they hugged. Cynthia replaced a few more books. However, Kennedy could tell something was bothering her. "Is something wrong?" Kennedy asked.
"I'm a little worried about Hailey. It seems the stress is getting to her."
"Marla has her on edge."
"I don't like that girl. Bledsoe should do something about her, but he seems enamored with her."
"Ew, don't put it that way."
"I meant it. She spends an awful lot of time in his office. It isn't normal."
"Wait, are you serious?"
"I swear she's there every time I go to talk to him," Cynthia replied, making Kennedy stop walking. Cynthia didn't notice until she was a few yards away from her. When Cynthia glanced at Kennedy, she hurried to catch up. "It's probably nothing. I'm reading too much into the situation," Cynthia said. "Oh, speaking of Hailey, what did you say to spook her so much?"
"I told her about my ex-husband, but I regret it."
"Don't fret. I think she might have needed to hear it."
"Really? But she rejected Dan because of it."
"Let things play out. You might have set the wheels in motion. I have a good feeling about this. Call it a mother's intuition."
Her confidence made Kennedy feel better. "I'm surprised you haven't played matchmaker," Kennedy said.
"Dan made me promise not to," Cynthia replied. "But he didn't forbid me to matchmake for others. I heard you're having trouble finding a date for the Hootenanny. I can introduce you to someone your age."
"I'm not having trouble. That implies that I'm trying in the first place. I'm going alone."
"Are you sure?"
"I didn't come to college to find love. Been there. Done that."
"You know what? Good for you. After what you've been through, you deserve a break from that chaos."
"Ain't that the truth," Kennedy laughed.
***
Club night arrived, and Barb told the pledges to wear clothes they didn't mind getting ruined. They showed up in t-shirts and sweatpants. Everybody lined up on the lawn outside the administration building, and Barb opened the barrel of goop. The pledges recoiled when they smelled it.
"Oh, that's awful. It smells like the devil's armpits!" Claudia said.
"You're going to put that on us?" Tamara asked.
"Yes, and you'll run around campus doing these things," Barb said, handing them the list.
"Bledsoe's office!? He'll freak out!" Chloe said upon reading what they had to do.
"Yeah, probably, but I want you to make as much of a mess as possible," Shawna told them. "If you don't, I'll whip you," she added, brandishing her crop.
"Ooh, don't threaten me with a good time," Claudia joked, earning a scowl from Shawna. "Sorry, Mistress Shawna," she added when she saw the look.
"Okay, line up and get ready," Barb said, using a small bucket to scoop out some of the mess. Once they were in place, Barb dumped the slop on them. They rubbed it into their hair and clothes and prepared to start the gauntlet. "Okay, go!" Barb said, pointing toward Bledsoe's room.
The girls ran up the stairs, laughing as they went. When they reached the Dean's door, they pulled it open and ran inside.
"What is the meaning of this?" Bledsoe asked.
"We wanted to see you, Dean Bledsoe. How have you been?" Chloe asked, slapping him on the back and leaving a handprint on his coat.
Bledsoe peeked over his shoulder to see it, but he couldn't find the right angle to spot the mark Chloe left behind. Watching him attempt to look at it amused the girls. They continued their chaos.
"What's that over there?" Claudia asked. She pointed dramatically, flinging the concoction across the room. It landed on his bookshelf and dripped.
"Stop it! You're making a mess!" Bledsoe yelled.
"Oh, sorry," Hana replied, shrugging exaggeratedly, which sent more liquid flying. "Ooh, is that a picture of your wife?" Hana asked, grabbing the photo on his desk. Nasty-smelling ooze dribbled down the frame.
"Put that down!" Bledsoe ordered. "That is enough!"
"You're absolutely right, Dean Bledsoe," Tamara said, planting her dirty hands on his desktop calendar.
While she did this, Kennedy played with Bledsoe's trophies. He kept them on a shelf beside his desk. "I didn't know you played golf," Kennedy said, handling a large golfing trophy.
"That's it! Get out!" he said, pointing at the door.
They obeyed, but they had done their damage. As they left, Bledsoe motioned for Barb to come closer. "You never said it would smell this bad," he whispered.
"Oh, sorry. It was more potent than I expected," she lied.
"Make sure you come back to clean this," he hissed.
"We will. Don't worry."
Next, they ran to the fountain in the middle of the campus. There, they performed a can-can dance in the water while students watched and cheered. The spray washed away some of the nastiness, leaving them soaked, smelly, and messy. They shivered because it was a rather chilly evening. The girls welcomed the lap around the track since it kept them warm.
After the track, they moved to Horner Dorm and sang to the boys. A group waited for them because Barb had called ahead to warn them about their impending arrival. Their off-key rendition of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" received a standing ovation, but the boys all held their shirts over their noses to block the stench.
"How did we do, Sister Barb?" Claudia asked breathlessly. They had reached the other side of the campus and completed their run.
"You did good."
"Are we done?"
"Yes."
"Can we ditch these nasty clothes then?"
"Not here!"
"Why not? Hey! Let's go streaking!" Claudia said.
"No! That is not happening!" Barb said, pointing a warning finger.
"That sounds fun," Hana replied, causing shocked reactions from almost everybody. "What? I'm trying to become more comfortable in my skin. This could help."
"Public nudity is illegal," Barb said.
"Okay, how about we strip to our underwear instead?" Claudia suggested. "Come on! It will be fun!"
"That will get us in trouble."
"Oh, let them live a little. If they're in their underwear, it should be fine," Mrs. Cynthia said.
"Mrs. Cynthia!" Barb yelled.
"What? I did some streaking in college," Cynthia grinned. "Besides, other girls' clubs are doing worse things than running around in their underwear. Bledsoe has no room to say anything about this."
"That won't stop him," Hailey warned.
"Mrs. Cynthia says it's alright. Let's do this. I dare you guys to join us," Claudia said, staring at the sisters. "Unless you're too chicken."
"Excuse me?" Shawna asked. "Oh, I'm in. She dared me. I've gotta do it," Shawna said, removing her top to reveal a black lace bra.
"Shawna!" Hailey yelled. "Oh, this is out of control."
"Do you realize if you join them, we all have to do it?" Barb asked.
"What? Are you chicken like she said?" Shawna asked, sticking her tongue out at Barb.
"Shawna! You'll never convince Felicia to do it. That rules us out because it's all or none of us," Barb replied, hoping this would quell the uprising. She received a shock.
"Hey! Don't speak for me!" Felicia said.
"Fel? Are you going to do it?" Shawna asked, looking hopeful.
"Well, no, but I don't like people speaking for me."
"Make your decision because we're going either way," Claudia said. She pulled off her shirt and threw it on the ground. Hana followed suit, and so did Kennedy. "There you have it. Our pledge president is in. That makes it official," Claudia smiled.
Once Chloe removed her top, all bets were off. The pledges stripped to their underwear. Everybody reacted in shock when they saw what Tamara was wearing.
"Damn, Tam!" Claudia said.
"What? Just because I don't curse doesn't mean I'm a prude. I like the way thongs feel," Tamara shrugged.
"We'll go to the other side of the campus and stop," Claudia explained. "Are you in or out?" she added, looking at the sisters.
"This is insane," Hailey said, but she started removing her clothes.
"Hell yeah! We're doing this," Shawna said and unbuckled her belt. She got halfway done when something caught her attention. "Oh, my god. It's happening!" Shawna said gleefully. Felicia was stripping along with them after taking a deep breath. "Cute!" Shawna exclaimed upon seeing Felicia's smiley face underwear.
"Please don't make this more embarrassing," Felicia muttered.
This caused a round of laughter, which helped ease the tensions. Everybody, including Mrs. Cynthia, got down to their undergarments and prepared to run. "Okay, go!" Claudia said, and they ran as fast as possible. Their laughter and noise alerted students along the way. They heard the murmuring but ignored it and focused on their goal. As they passed the campus center, Dan spotted the group and dropped his bag.
"Hailey?" Dan asked.
"I'll explain later," Hailey yelled without stopping.
"Mom!?" Dan added upon seeing his mother.
"Oh, hi, Dan!" she waved.
They reached the other side of campus unscathed and caught their breath. Mrs. Cynthia carried a bag full of their clothes, but because of the weight, she lagged behind them. Everyone waited until she caught up.
"See, that wasn't so bad," Claudia said.
"Do you realize I'll have you doing morning runs all week for this defiance?" Shawna asked.
"Totally worth it," Claudia shrugged. "If that's the worst that will happen, I regret nothing."
***
"You took them streaking?" Bledsoe asked. He had everybody sitting in his office, looking sheepish and guilty. "This wasn't the pledging activity I approved."
"They were in their underwear, not naked," Barb explained.
"It still violates the school's rules!"
"Sir, you have some girls' clubs doing full-blown hazing, and you want to fault us for a little run in our underpants?" Keisha asked.
"You let me worry about the other clubs!" Bledsoe yelled, making Keisha jump.
"Ha! Yeah, right. Like that will happen," Shawna muttered, but Bledsoe heard her.
"I'm putting KMA on probation!" Bledsoe replied.
"What!?" Hailey cried.