Shawna woke with a start the next morning. A sound from the kitchen stirred her, and she noticed a smell. Was somebody cooking? How was that possible? She leaped out of bed and exited her room with a fly swatter in her hand. It was the only weapon she could find. She laughed when she entered the kitchen and found the source of her troubles. A startled Felicia stood there staring at her. She was cooking breakfast in an adorable apron with "Kiss the cook" written on it.
"Fel, what the hell?" Shawna asked.
"Oh, sorry. I wanted to surprise you. Don't be mad at me. I let myself in," Felicia explained.
"It's okay. That's why I gave you a key," Shawna replied, pulling Felicia into a deep kiss. "Sorry about my morning breath," she said when the kiss broke.
"I don't mind," Felicia grinned. "This isn't much. I made bacon and eggs. Nothing fancy," she added before glancing at the fly swatter. "Were you going to swat me with that?"
"Maybe," Shawna giggled before playfully swatting Felicia on the butt. After putting the swatter down, Shawna grabbed a piece of bacon and took a bite. "Delicious, Fel. I love it, and I love you," she said, kissing her again. After all, she couldn't disobey the apron's request. "You know, you could just move in," Shawna added.
"Isn't it a little early to move in together?" Felicia asked.
"Yeah, maybe," Shawna shrugged.
Fel focused on her cooking momentarily, but a smile appeared. "I'll get my stuff later today and bring it over," she said.
"That's my girl," Shawna beamed.
***
Barb couldn't stop grinning when she saw Shawna and Felicia together later that day. Shawna eventually had to tell her to quit staring like a weirdo.
"I'm sorry, but I can't help it. You two are adorable," Barb said.
Meanwhile, they decided not to tell the pledges about the previous night's drama. Felicia didn't want them to feel responsible for what had happened. As far as they knew, Felicia had a beautiful party, and Shawna and Felicia were an official couple. The latter news made the pledges overjoyed. Felicia also found joy as she tried out her new camera. She was busy taking pictures of Shawna and Barb when Hailey arrived to rain on their parade.
"Bledsoe completed his investigation. He says there isn't enough evidence to link the attack to Marla," Hailey grumbled.
"Are you kidding me?" Keisha asked. "Is my word not enough?"
"No, he says it isn't."
"That man is a menace. I want to take him down as much as Marla now."
"Yeah, but how?"
"Hold on. Let me talk to Chloe. Maybe Kelsey found some dirt," Barb said.
***
Barb found Chloe in one of the study rooms. She was nose-deep in a book, trying to finish a pile of homework. When Barb saw her, Chloe smiled.
"Oh, hey, Sister Barb. I'm a little behind on my work," Chloe said.
"I understand, and I won't keep you long. Have you heard anything from Kelsey yet?"
"She said she thought she had a lead the other day. Here, let me call her," Chloe said, fetching her phone and dialing Kelsey's number.
"Yeah, I'm onto something," Kelsey said when Chloe asked. "But I don't think you'll like it," she added, sounding anxious.
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say this is worse than we thought if my hunch is correct. Are you sure you don't want me to leave this alone?"
"Kelsey, what's wrong? What did you find?"
"Um-it's probably better if I wait until I get more evidence before I tell you that. I'll call you back," Kelsey said, hanging up before Chloe could protest.
Chloe stared at her phone before explaining the conversation to Barb. "What do you think spooked her so badly?" Chloe asked.
"Maybe she found out Bledsoe is a serial killer or something," Barb laughed.
"Him? I doubt it," Chloe replied.
***
When Barb told Hailey the story, she had a different reaction. Hailey sat deep in thought, making what Barb called her detective's face. Barb let Hailey's wheels turn for a while because she was used to this behavior.
"I have a theory, but I'll keep it to myself for now," Hailey said once she processed the information.
"I hate when you do that. Just spill the beans," Barb replied.
"No, if I'm wrong, I don't want this getting back to Chloe. Let's wait until Kelsey finds more evidence."
"Fine, keep your secrets," Barb said, shaking her head and walking away.
Thankfully, they had a distraction to take their minds off of Bledsoe and Marla. Keisha planned a service project for the pledges. Instead of their usual club meeting, they went to the local soup kitchen to help serve the homeless. Keisha specifically picked the location because Marla had rejected the idea earlier in the year. Claudia stood next to Keisha in line and used the opportunity to visit with her. It was the last visit Claudia needed to meet her requirements.
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"I like this. It feels kind of nice to help," Claudia said as she ladled soup into a bowl. "What made you choose this, Sister Keisha?"
"My Dad and I were homeless for a few months during my junior year," Keisha explained.
"Oh, wow. What happened?"
"Dad was evicted because he couldn't pay rent. Times were hard, but he still ensured I went to school."
"Did people at your school find out?"
"Yeah, I got bullied for it, but some people banded together to help us. That's what made me decide to become a business major. I want to start my own company and be my own boss. That way, I never have to rely on anybody else," Keisha said. "I need to be able to stand on my own two feet. Then, I can help others."
"I respect that. That's awesome," Claudia smiled.
"Thanks," Keisha replied. She turned her head to hide the growing tears but saw the other pledges enjoying the experience. Keisha decided to let the emotions flow. It wasn't just their current environment that got to her. Pledging was nearing its end, and they were so close to successfully pulling off what they thought was impossible when they began the journey.
When they finished their shift in the kitchen, Hailey and the sisters pulled the pledges aside. "You're going to have another run on Friday morning," Hailey said.
"What? But we didn't do anything!" Hana said.
"We don't need a reason. Please be on the administration building steps at 6 AM on Friday," Shawna replied.
"Yes, Mistress Shawna," Kennedy said.
***
They had one more day before then, and the sisters had no idea what lay in store for them when they woke up that morning. During lunch, Kelsey approached Chloe and Barb, looking disheveled and worried. She wore her copper blonde hair in a loose ponytail that threatened to fall apart. Her appearance didn't ease Barb's worries.
"Are you okay?" Barb asked.
"I have your evidence," Kelsey mumbled. "Meet me in my dorm room around five."
"Okay. What is it..." Chloe asked, but Kelsey walked away in the middle of her sentence, muttering something about finding Tommy for some relief. "She looks shell-shocked," she added anxiously.
When they arrived at Kelsey's room, Barb knocked softly. Kelsey answered and let them inside. The room felt cramped as everyone huddled around Kelsey's desk. She didn't look much better than when they last saw her.
"What I'm about to tell you will come as a shock, but I won't sugarcoat it," Kelsey began, looking at Chloe while she spoke. "I found Marla's secret Fanservice account."
"Her what!?" Keisha asked, looking disgusted.
"That explains where she got money after Mom and Dad cut her off," Chloe muttered.
"Oh, it gets worse," Kelsey continued. "I apologize for what I'm about to show you."
"Don't do what I think you're about to," Keisha warned her.
"I have to. You wouldn't believe me if I didn't show you proof," Kelsey said and clicked on her laptop. The picture that popped up caused a plethora of reactions. It showed Marla having sex with a man, but you couldn't see his face.
"MY EYES! I'M BLIND!" Keisha yelled.
"Why are you showing us this?" Barb groaned.
Meanwhile, Shawna gleefully cackled while holding a hand over Felicia's eyes. Felicia tried to push her hand away.
"What do you see?" Kelsey asked.
"A big set of hairy balls!" Shawna laughed.
"Hailey, what do you see!?" Kelsey asked louder.
Hailey studied the picture carefully and nodded. "My theory was right. That's why Bledsoe does Marla's bidding," she said.
"Bledsoe? What the hell are you talking about, Hail?" Keisha asked.
"Look."
"I don't want to!"
"No, look where I'm pointing," Hailey said.
Keisha begrudgingly peered at the screen. When she saw what Hailey was pointing at, she moved in close enough to almost smack her head. Hailey was pointing at the man's wrist. It bore a gold watch with diamonds around the face. "Holy shit! Bledsoe, you dirty dog!" Keisha yelled.
Chloe looked ill. She turned away from the screen and leaned against the wall. "Chloe, I'm sorry," Kelsey said.
"Why would Marla put this on her Fanservice account?" Barb asked.
"Leverage. She wanted evidence if she ever had to throw Bledsoe under the bus," Kelsey said. "There's enough plausible deniability since you can't see his face, but the watch implicates him. I bet Bledsoe doesn't know she posted it."
"If we go forward with this, I don't want it getting out to the school. We only tell the people that need to know," Chloe said. Everyone looked at her. A few nodded. They understood why Chloe wanted this. "I know you want revenge on Marla, but this is about stopping her, not humiliating her."
Hailey briefly studied Chloe and said, "It's your call, Chloe. We'll respect your wishes."
***
Marla entered Bledsoe's office wearing a scowl. She didn't know why they called her there, and her mood only worsened when she saw who was waiting for her. Hailey, Barb, Shawna, Felicia, Keisha, and Chloe stood before the secretary's desk.
"What the hell is this?" Marla asked.
"You'll see," Hailey replied, leading Marla into the inner office. Bledsoe looked as confused and annoyed as Marla. He sat with his arms folded and glanced back and forth between everyone in front of him.
"Okay, what's the meaning of this?" he asked.
"Please close the door before I continue," Hailey said.
"Excuse me? I'm in charge here," Bledsoe warned her.
"Not for long," Shawna muttered, earning a glare from Marla and Bledsoe.
Once the door closed, Hailey pulled out a printed copy of the photo and slammed it onto Bledsoe's desk. He recoiled when he saw it and gave Hailey a dangerous look. Marla looked like she had seen a ghost and stumbled backward. She glanced toward the exit momentarily but decided to stay.
"Why are you showing me this pornography!?" Bledsoe stammered.
"Where did you get that!? That's personal!" Marla screamed.
"Personal? I paid money for that on your Fanservice account," Hailey said. It was a lie, but she wanted to protect Kelsey. "You're welcome, by the way."
"Dean Bledsoe, you know why we are showing you this," Keisha said. "Or should we call you Back Door Dave?" she added, poking the picture.
"Please don't," Shawna murmured. The nickname was too much even for her.
"W-what are you talking about?" he asked.
"Oh, give it up, David. The game is over," Marla replied.
Bledsoe stared at Marla in disbelief. He opened his mouth to deny it again, but his face fell. "Who knows about this?" he asked, not looking up from his desk.
"We sent a copy to President Cash," Hailey replied.
Bledsoe's face went as white as the paper in front of him.
"And the whole school, I bet," Marla grumbled as tears streamed down her face.
"No, Marla. We didn't," Chloe said. Marla looked at Chloe to see if she was telling the truth. Chloe didn't see anger in her eyes. Instead, she noticed pain and sorrow. The look wrenched at Chloe's heart.
"Are you happy? Is this what you wanted?" Marla quietly asked.
"No, Marla. I'm not happy," Chloe replied. "We just wanted you to stop terrorizing us."
"Well, you got your wish. I'll stop. Have fun with your new friends, Chloe," Marla cried before walking toward the door.
"Marla, wait," Chloe said, but Marla ignored her.
"Marla, where are you going? This meeting isn't over," Bledsoe yelled.
"Fuck off, David," Marla said, flipping him the bird as she left. "Oh, hello, President Cash," Marla added as she ran into the school's president on her way out. Cash eyed her with a concerned look.
"Stay close, Miss Knox. We will need to speak next," Cash said.
"Yes, sir," Marla quietly replied.
Meanwhile, Bledsoe almost jumped out of his seat when he saw Martin Cash enter his office. "David, some disturbing information just arrived in my email. We need to talk. If you will excuse us, girls," President Cash said, nodding at them.
They returned the nod and exited the room. As the doors closed, they sneaked one last look at Bledsoe. He looked like a man heading to the gallows. After they departed, Hailey turned to Chloe and hugged her. "I know that wasn't easy, but thank you for helping," Hailey said.
"You're welcome. I'm going to talk to Marla if she'll let me. Maybe I can finally get some answers," Chloe replied.
Hailey watched her walk away before turning to Barb and asking, "Did we do the right thing?"
"We did what we had to do," Barb answered.
"I hope you're right," Hailey said, watching Chloe.