Congratulations and Catfights

“Papi!” Tanya shouts upon seeing you enter the gym, before immediately rushing towards you for a hug and a kiss.

“I missed you all day!” Tanya tells you before giving you another peck on the lips.

“I missed you too, T.” You tell her with a sincere smile. Tanya breaks away from the hug and starts hugging the rest of the girls to greet them.

“So, it seems like today was eventful!” Tanya jokingly tells your group.

“At least it was ‘good eventful’, all things considered.” You tell her, calling back to your talk yesterday.

“I can see that.” Tanya replies, before glancing at Maddy and Viv, making you glance towards them as well.

Viv and Maddy glance at each other and smile at each other, before smiling back at you and Tanya to confirm that earlier today was a good day given the outcome. Viv has a more confident smile, while Maddy’s smile is a bit more shy.

“So~, what’s this story that I need to hear?” Tanya asks you.

“Later.” Brooke answers Tanya. “After your workouts.” Brooke explains, reminding everyone the reason why you all came to the gym in the first place.

“Yeah. I kinda don’t want to tell my life’s story in the middle of a crowded gym.” Viv points out.

“I didn’t realize it would be much more packed around this time.” Cassie responds.

“I guess that makes sense though. Everyone who has work would go around this…” Stella observes.

“BRO!” Chad shouts enthusiastically upon seeing you and your group, before making his way to stand next to Tanya.

“... time. Not to mention the gym nuts who seem to live here.” Stella jokes, poking fun at the fact that Chad seems to be at the gym no matter what time of day it is, despite him not being a personal trainer here.

“What!?” You hear another gym goer shout in response to Chad’s loud ‘bro’. Although you can’t pinpoint who shouted back.

“Not you gay bro! I’m greeting my new gym bro, Jay.” Chad replies to the other gym goer, who you see aggressively make his way to Chad after being referred to as gay bro.

“I told you to stop calling me ‘gay bro’. It’s offensive!” the other gym goer admonishes Chad.

Now that you have a good look at him, and the fact that he’s standing next to Chad; other than their difference in physique, they bear a striking resemblance to each other. Chad has a much larger frame compared to the other guy who looks more fit than buff. You’re assuming this other gym goer is Brad, Chad’s brother and Brooke’s ex-boyfriend.

“How is it offensive!? Bro, you were the one who told me ‘gay’ is the accepted… uh… what’s the word you used?” Chad asks Brad.

“Vernacular?” Brad answers Chad.

“Right. That! It’s the accepted… ‘that’! Besides,who’s the one who shouts ‘I’m gay and I’m proud! I’m gay and I’m proud!’ whenever we go to that parade every year with all the other rainbow people.” Chad argues.

“Did he just… Did ‘meathead’ just give a coherent argument?” Viv asks under her breath next to you, an obvious condescending surprise in her tone.

Brad just pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration, before taking a deep breath and addressing Chad again.

“Everytime I ask you to stop calling me ‘gay bro’ you always find another one…” Brad expresses before sighing. “I’m your actual brother, Chad. Do you have to say gay bro? Don’t! Answer. It was rhetorical. Everyone’s your bro. I know. You’ve explained it to me a million times. Just… Can you stop calling us rainbow people?” Brad negotiates with Chad.

“What’s wrong with being called a rainbow person? I think it’s fabulous.” Viv interrupts their discussion with her own personal opinion, getting Brad’s attention.

“Don’t encourage him…” Brad says before quickly looking Viv up and down, as if measuring her up. “... fellow rainbow person—” Brad playfully replies to Viv before Chad interrupts him.

“Chef Lady!” Chad reacts upon seeing Viv, who gives him a half-hearted wave to avoid being rude to Chad.

“As I was saying, Chef Lady—” Brad continues, but Brooke is the one who interrupts him this time.

“~Okay, I’m going to take that as a sign that formal introductions are in order.” Brooke chimes in, after noticing all the nicknames being thrown around. “Viv, Maddy, everyone, this is Brad. My business partner—” Brooke introduces Brad, who raises his hand to say hello. “— and this is Chad, his brother.” Brooke points to Chad who immediately flexes for the girls. Brooke then introduces you all individually to both of them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.” Brad greets all of you.

“‘Sup Chef Lady. Matilda.” Chad greets Viv, and who you assume is supposed to be Maddy, while continuing to flex.

“Aren’t you here with your date from the other night?” Viv asks Chad, confused as to why he would be flexing so hard to impress her and Maddy.

“It’s how he says hi to everyone.” Tanya assures Viv, assuring her that Chad means no harm.

“To women.” Brooke corrects Tanya.

“To hot women.” Brad corrects them both, making Maddy blush. Meanwhile, Viv takes it in stride and poses with both her hands underneath her chin while looking up to look cute; getting a chuckle out of Brad.

“Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. Hopefully, the third time’s the charm.” Brad jokes, referencing his two attempts to reply to Viv’s remark. “AS I WAS SAYING…” Brad says with emphasis jokingly, signaling he doesn’t want anyone to interrupt him this time. “You heard how he said ‘rainbow people’, Viv. I love my brother. I just don’t want to get him in trouble.” Brad informs Viv.

“Point taken.” Viv says with a chuckle.

“Where are the girls, Brad?” Tanya asks him.

“I excused myself for a ‘strangle my brother’ break while they were stretching. I better go call them, actually. They’ve been waiting for you. It was nice meeting you guh-AH!—” Brad says before gasping in surprise as Paige shouts out to Stella from behind Brad.

“Stella!” Paige enthusiastically greets Stella upon seeing her.

“Paige! Congrats on landing the job!” Stella shouts before giving her a congratulatory hug.

“Oh~, I landed more than that.” Paige replies, elated. “Hey, everyone!” Paige happily greets your group after her hug with Stella. “Hi, Ms. Brooke, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.” Paige greets Brooke specifically, as this is their first time meeting.

“Brooke, this is Paige. She was my high school volleyball captain.” Stella introduces Paige to Brooke. “Look at her butt! You’re going to love-OW!” Stella adds, before being nudged by Cassie in the ribs. “I’m going to get bruises if you keep up with the ****, you know that right?” Stella informs Cassie in playful annoyance.

“Then control your Lizzie summoning powers every once in a while!” Cassie fires back, before both of them just stick their tongues out at each other.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing your booty actually.” Brooke remarks, getting a smug “HA! In your face!” from Stella directed at Cassie, which gets a laugh out of Paige.

“Oh, wow. You weren’t kidding about Brooke and Stella’s equal fascination with butts, Cassie.” Paige jokes.

“You should see Courtney’s!” Chad jumps in.

“I have, Chad. Multiple times. She’s my roommate… or hasn’t she told you?” Brooke answers Chad.

“I know! You should still see it!” Chad tells her, blissfully ignorant.

“Who should see what of mine?” Courtney asks, as she walks towards your growing group.

“Babe!” Chad shouts upon seeing Courtney.

“Babe?” Brooke reacts in disbelief.

“This is my bro, Jay. The guy with the multiple girlfriends I told you about. My coach in the art of love and seduction!” Chad introduces you to Courtney, to the stifled laughter of all your girlfriends.

“Hi, Jay.” Courtney greets you. “So you’re Brooke’s new guy?” She then asks. Before you could respond to Courtney’s question, Chad interrupts you.

“Show Jay your ass, babe! He’ll love it!” Chad tells Courtney.

“Chad!”, “Babe?” Brad admonishes Chad; and at the same time, Brooke asks the latter question with a raised eyebrow towards Courtney. Courtney just gives Brooke an awkward shrug as a response.

“What, bro? I’m right here. No need to shout.” Chad tells his brother.

“I’m glad to see all of you are in lively spirits as usual.” Becca remarks, upon catching up to Paige and standing next to her and Tanya.

You notice that Becca doesn’t have her usual authoritative aura around her, almost as if she has **** to speak with all of you… well, with at least one of you in particular.

“Becca.” Viv greets her business partner, and you can hear an antagonizing tone in Viv’s voice. The **** in Becca’s eyes quickly fades, as she seems to notice the same tone in Viv’s voice as you did.

“Vivian.” Becca replies to Viv with the same antagonizing tone as Viv’s, and you can feel the animosity between them build up immediately. The group seems to feel it too as the liveliness that Becca commented on just a second ago dissipates in a heartbeat.

“I heard you didn’t go to work today.” Becca adds, no concern for what might have caused Viv to miss work in her tone.

“I’m allowed sick days, boss.” Viv replies pointedly.

“Of course.” Becca answers her with an obviously fake polite smile. “You’re clearly suffering an illness. I hope you get better soon.” Becca replies sarcastically. Making Tanya look at you for an explanation, as she was unaware that there was something going on between Viv and Becca.

“And you… are clearly here for something other than a work out.” Viv accuses her, before glancing at you, making Becca glance as well. “If I remember correctly, your ivory tower you call an apartment has a private gym you can use.” Viv replies, not backing down.

“Woah-woah-woah. Hey! I invited Ms. Hoffm-uh~ Sorry! Only when at work. I remember. I’ll get used to it, Miss-Crap! Becca! I invited Ms. Becc-uh~ JUST! Becca.” Paige stuttered out nervously before taking a deep breath to calm herself down. “I invited Becca tonight. Stella said it was alright when I asked her earlier this afternoon.” Paige informs your group, and Viv immediately turns around to look at Stella accusingly.

“What? It’s not my fault you didn’t tell us you had beef with Becca.” Stella says defensively.

“I told you when we were at my apartment earlier!” Viv argued in frustration.

“I’m on Stella’s side here, Viv. What you said earlier was that Becca liked Jay and that you didn’t want to share Jay with someone from your community like Becca. You didn’t tell us you’re beefing.” Cassie points out to Viv.

“Is your new girlfriend already tying you down, Jay? I’d be careful if I were you. She might make you choose between her and your other girl—” Becca started saying. It was an obvious dig at Viv, and it immediately riled your girlfriend up to the point of… well…

“AAAAAAGH!”