Getting the Feet Moving

Rory dragged Lacey and Roxie toward one circle of cheerleaders. With the night still young and the music only beginning, the DJ's selection leaned toward family-friendly tunes. The three varsity girls turned their friends' semi-circle into a full one. Having a blast, Yumi's joyful laughter proved contagious as even the usually scowling Caterina started to warm up.

Not far away, the Babybees, along with Zoey Gibble and Ariel Satine, danced and celebrated even more boisterously. Shy Harley and studious Zara stood out as exceptions to the enthusiasm. However, Kizzy and Yolanda worked to bring Harley out of her shell, while Zoey and Beatrice did the same with Zara. Ariel ignored the glares she could feel on the back of her head from the graduated Sugarbees.

As for the current dance squad, no sign of Bianca, Yelena, or Jasmine could be seen. Delilah wasn't around either, but she'd been last seen having an animated conversation with Jayden, her cousin. Only Ariel noticed her squadmates' absence and began to worry about what they might have up their sleeves.

More recent Sugarbees, such as Violet Fitch, Honey Yarwood, and Elin Helsing, along with her cousin, Malin, stood around. They seemed to be watching and waiting for the perfect moment to take over the dance floor with their moves. Several of the graduated cheerleaders wondered if they waited for Cristina Barber, Izzy Fazzini, and/or Helen Krogh to appear and take charge.

That college-aged or slightly older crop of ex-cheerleaders also waited to join the dancing. However, Kelly Nomura, Molly McSweeney, and Yanet Fuentes didn't have a plan like the Sugarbees. No, they were too busy flirting with all the guys, who still worked up the courage to show off their moves.

And most of the high school and college guys were in that camp. Kessler waited for one of the older coeds he wanted for the night to take the floor. While he did that, Kessler also worked to boost Winkie's confidence. Weston seemed lost without Austin around to give him an order, while Howie Cline and Chet Ragg bided their time until Abby Pharr returned for Chet. Then there was Dawson Fox, the cocky JV quarterback, who paced the outer edges of the dance floor, almost as if stalking potential prey.

The basketball team appeared to be the closest group of guys about to join the fun. Dennis Conway's eternal optimism about his The Denster persona got held in check as his best friend, Louis McCall, waited for his girlfriend, Heidi Ceet, to return from the restroom. Louie's wish to wait for Jayden also to arrive back kept his newish teammate, Tyler Blick, from joining the cheerleader circle.

Much of this stalemate would change once Whitney and Lana decided to hit the stage and move their bodies.

"Alright, so we straight on what to do?" Brandy double-checked.

"I'm just informing Daisy of the plan now," Fawn responded, typing on her phone. "I'll get up to the seventh floor and keep an eye on the situation while you put the rescue in motion."

"Got it. C'mon, kids!" Brandy motioned for the two grade-schoolers to follow.

Eight-year-old Trey nodded eagerly before hugging Fawn's leg again. The blonde librarian leaned over to pat ten-year-old Tenille's arm in reassurance. However, the Toone girl still didn't seem at all comfortable about what she had just heard.

"Don't worry. Just head back to your mom. I'll see you later," Fawn said in parting.

"Yeah, if we get arrested, we get arrested. It's not a big deal, and besides, I got a connection to the DA's office," Brandy remarked, inadvertently frightening the two children. Their mom always warned them that only bad people went to jail.

Showing a bare minimum of patience, Brandy stopped a couple of times on her brisk walk to let the two kids catch up. Eventually, they entered the ballroom from the rear entrance. Situated close to the bar, she found the kids' father and several people she needed for support.

As they approached, Brandy noticed Teddy's expression, the paper bag in his hand, and the behavior of those around him. Swearing under her breath, the blonde correctly surmised the situation.

"Great. He found out about Crystal, and it wasn't because someone did the right thing and told him, was it?"

"B-Brandy, you knew? Why didn--"

"Mom told me not to," Brandy interrupted, giving the only explanation needed.

"Oh," Teddy sounded, nodding that he understood. He also crouched down to hug Trey.

"Daddy, what's wrong?' his son asked, lips quivering.

"Well, Daddy saw a person he didn't expect to see. It's complicated, and I'll tell you about it when you're older. Don't--"

"I already explained everything about Crystal like twenty minutes ago," Brandy revealed, rolling her eyes. "What the hell is wrong with Olympia? You can't shelter your kids. And I also need to give her a piece of my--"

"Yeah, yeah, okay!" Teddy cut the blonde off. Then, sounding more like his usual self, he challenged, "Are you really going to listen to your mom and not make Crystal pay?"

"What do you think? Fuck yeah, I am!" Brandy replied, punching her old next-door neighbor's shoulder. "So, what did I miss?"

Finn, Nate, and Barney swiftly filled Peyton's aunt in on what she missed. Teddy and Sander added a few details, but Sandy shut up after Brandy punched him hard in the arm for inviting Crystal. A few choice words from Brandy led him to complain, and she warned Sandy to remember the last time he pissed her off.

"See? This is precisely why I wanted to tell Teddy about Crystal. But, oh, no! Everyone shot me down," Brandy mocked before turning back to face Tinsley's younger brother. "Now, don't worry about the bitch. I'm working on an idea for later tonight. Yes, later tonight. The only restrictions your parents and my dad put in place are to do it quietly and outside."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Olympia isn't going to like this," Teddy admitted. Of course, he then remembered his two children standing at his side. "Uh, listen, kids, it's for the best if you don't tell Mommy about this thing."

"Ah, finally corrupting the next generation," Brandy teased, rubbing her hands together sinisterly.

"Dee, cut that out," Teddy growled. Next, he added his own restriction to Brandy's plan. "I don't want a scene. Finn's already dealt with enough of them tonight."

"Whoa! Don't worry about me, Uncle Ted. It's not like Lana, Eoin, or whoever else won't cause another one tonight. That woman betrayed you in the worst way. She deserves a little more of a comeuppance," Finn stated.

"Spoken like a true Bank," Brandy responded, slapping Finn's shoulder while shooting an I-dare-you-glare at his uncle. "However, before I get started on Crystal, I need to assist Fawn. It seems our sweet librarian's protégé went and got herself into a pickle."

"Who...Daisy?" Finn questioned.

"Yes. So I'm going to need to deal with that first. Nate, you're with me," Brandy ordered. Then, the blonde's eyes narrowed as another blonde moved to follow Nate. "Hey, beach girl, what do you think you're doing?"

"Nathan's mom gave orders not to let him out of my sight," Zaylie revealed, speaking up for the first time in a while. Nate shot her a dirty look. "So I go where he goes, and you can't stop me."

"Well, didn't Tinny also tell you that Peyton's aunt is in charge? Yeah, I thought so. Oh! I have the perfect thing for you. But...Hold on!" Brandy commanded, raising her hand. Then, stepping out of the group, she scanned the ballroom and smiled when she found the two little eavesdroppers she expected. Motioning them over, Brandy asked a question. "Do you girls know how to tail a suspect?"

"Now wait just one minute, Brandy! You are not roping my daughters into one of your schemes and corrupting them. This will not happen. I'm putting my foot--" Sander began to protest.

"And I'll remind you of what happened the last time you stuck your nose into one of my plans. You were sixteen then, Sandy. So that makes it....twenty-one years ago," Brandy added in her head. "Aww, we missed the big anniversary!"

"Wait, is that when..." Finn started to ask, but trailed off due to Teddy's vigorous head shakes.

"Now, do you girls know how to tail a suspect?" Brandy repeated her question to Serinda and Sanna.

"Is it like the same as stalking a celebrity to get dirt?" Sanna inquired, surprising her dad.

"Close enough," Brandy replied.

"Cool! Then we know how to do it," Serinda stated, shocking her dad.

"Awesome! Now, you girls are going to work with Zaylie, okay? Crystal doesn't know her, and that's who you're going to tail," Brandy explained.

"No, I am not allowing--" Sander argued as his two daughters skipped away excitedly.

"Enough, Uncle Sandy. I'll go get Grandma if I have to," Finn warned.

"Yeah, you better take her and Cherry their drinks. I'm sure your mom is getting antsy," Teddy teased, turning his old neighbor's body toward his table.

"Alright, Nate, let's--Wait, Barney, you're with us too," Brandy announced, starting the young man.

"If Daisy's in trouble, I'm helping," Finn declared.

"Nope! We can handle this. Your job is to have fun. Go dance, flirt with a girl, better yet, go find a girl to sneak off with and fuck."

"Dee!" Teddy exclaimed, motioning to his two young children.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Brandy apologized sheepishly with a shrug.

"Hey! Where have you been, honey?" Bridget asked after she spotted Whitney wheeling Sean into the ballroom.

Sean's mom stood with a relatively large group of her friends. Besides the usual Rachel and Gabby, there was also Lauren Rogers, Addison Lago, Cookie Flavin, and Shelly Wexler. Nearby, a slightly younger trio chatted. Lemon Leighton, JoJo's cousin, looked up from her conversation with Shayla O'Dell and Maura Fawcett to smile at Sean. Further off to the side, Miranda Rusk and Annette Baris engaged in an animated discussion.

The sight of all his mom's hot MILF friends in sexy dresses, along with memories of the pictures from the other night, particularly the notorious carwash fundraiser, caused several tiny twitches to Sean's groin. Thankfully, Whitney's expert relief work kept his cock deflated.

"Oh, you know, taking Sean for a tour of the Witzler," Whitney responded. "I wanted to start showing him off to a few of the ladies."

"The ladies?" Bridget repeated, a grin forming.

Sean couldn't help noticing how his mom's interest perked up, the twinkle in her eye, and the nearly empty tall glass in her hand. Oh, no! If Mom gets even a little tipsy, this is going to go bad!

"Not many, Bridget. Think of it like the teaser trailer before the big showcase," Whitney explained sassily.

"You girls see? Doesn't she remind you of someone?" Bridget asked her old friends.

"Ohmigawd! How did you never see it, Rach?" Shelly questioned.

"Me? Miranda and Annette have girls on the squad with her, too," Rachel responded.

"But Lacey is best friends with her," Addison pointed out.

"I thought I saw a little something at games, but seeing them standing together...Wow!" Shayla commented.

"Shit, did you give an extra kid to Harvey Diamond to raise?" Shelly questioned Bridget.

"You sure Harvey didn't make her with Bee?" Cookie asked.

"Are you already drunk, Cook? Kinda hard to pop two kids out of me a couple of months apart," Bridget responded as Sean cringed.

"You hear that, Seanie? You're a delayed twin," Tinny called out from Lauren's phone.

"It's like I'm seeing the future," Whitney remarked, nudging Sean in the back of his head. "Twenty years from now, that's going to be my squad. And hopefully, I have a son to tease as your mom does."

"Alright, stop making the kids uncom--Well, stop making Sean uncomfortable," Rachel corrected, coming to the male teenager's aid. "Now, I think Lacey was looking for you."

"Where is she?!" Whitney questioned, scanning the tables and dance floor.

"Oh, honey, I'm so disappointed that you can't dance tonight," Bridget stated, ruffling Sean's hair. "I thought I could test your moves and teach you a few good ones before college. Well, I guess we still have plenty of time until you leave."

"Sean's got plenty of slick moves," Gabby teased, causing Sean to sit up straighter in alarm.

"Does he?" Bridget inquired, appearing surprised.

"While you were playing dress-up with JoJo, I spun Seanie around on our makeshift dance floor the other night," Gabby explained, winking at the teen. "Honestly, your boy proved impressive."

"Really?! Who's been giving you lessons? Peyton? Brandy?" Bridget inquired.

Whitney choked on the names as her eyes met Gabby's.

"Uh, Sean can tell all about it later, Bridget. I need to find Lace and start the showcase event for our hero," the school's current queen bee said. "Are you going to do a little dancing?"

"Oh, we're definitely going to bust a few moves. Aren't we girls?"

A chorus of cheers answered Bridget's question.

"Your mom is so fantastic!" Whitney gushed, pushing Sean over to the nearly empty cheerleader table. Only Dexter Kirby occupied a seat while looking nervous. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

An awkward silence ensued at the table. Sean didn't know what to say to the sophomore that he'd never spoken to before, while Dex fidgeted as the teen of the hour sat just two seats over from him.

"Uh, so you're Dex, right? Daisy Kirby's brother?" Sean asked, mostly to end the silence.

"Y-Yeah."

"I'm Sean; Sean Tarver."

"I-I k-know!"

"Um, I guess I'm kinda the talk tonight, but I'm nothing special. So don't feel weird about being around me," Sean said.

"Oh! It's not that. I'm on The Buzzy Bee and need to conduct an interview," Dexter replied.

"With me?" Sean asked, feeling embarrassed that that had suddenly become a possibility.

"No, no. Uh, the person assigned to do that has changed a few times. I think it's Norah now," Dex revealed. "My person is vital in a lot of ways."

"Well, you look pretty nervous. Want to talk about?" Sean offered.

"S-Seriously?"

"I'm stuck in this chair, and to be honest, I once considered joining The Bee when I was your age," Sean admitted. It had been a strong suggestion of Finn's, but he also didn't want to push Sean too hard. As for Sean, he once thought it might have been an excellent way to get closer to Ramsey. "I'm not sure if I'm happy that I didn't or if I regret it."

"Oh, right! Dais did say that you're close to Finn."

"So, what's the big story you need to cover?"

"Uh, it's still about you and Whitney," Dex replied.

"Me? Who are you supposed to interview about me?"

"Zoey," Dex mumbled so softly that Sean didn't understand.

"I'm sorry. Who?"

"Zoey!"

"Huh. Really? I guess Zoey does live next door, and she is Jo's sister," Sean said, taking a few seconds to understand the reason. "So why so nervous? I imagine Zoey would love to talk to a school reporter. She's friendly and easy to talk to."

"E-Easy to t-talk to?" Dex stammered.

"Yeah, she is," Sean reconfirmed. He wondered if he had missed something. Isn't Zoey friendly to others? No, she has to be! "Just walk up to her and ask your questions."

"One doesn't just walk up to Zoey Gibble and ask questions! She's out of my league. She's a goddess," Dex stated before covering his face with his hands.

"Wait, what? Oh!" Sean exclaimed.

He suddenly realized why Dex's appearance seemed so familiar. Sean often stared at that same expression in the mirror over the years. It's how he looked when he agonized over how to approach Ramsey. Holy crap! Zoey is his Ramsey. The poor kid. I need to help--

"Right this way, girls." Whitney's voice pulled Sean from his thoughts.

Dexter's troubles suddenly paled with the trainwreck that Sean saw coming. Whitney herded ten girls over with about the same number following out of curiosity. Sean noticed Caterina, Kaitlin, and Aurora from the cheerleader squad, along with London Olmstead and Marcie Huff from the tennis team. In addition, several visitors, like Loren and Rowan Rogers, were among the girls Whitney directed.

"Gather round, ladies," Whitney continued, pulling Sean out from the table. Then, she motioned for the crop of eighteen-year-olds to form a circle around Sean.

"What's going on?" Beyza asked Rory as she joined the group.

"Shhh! I'll explain everything," Whitney shushed. Then, once satisfied, the blonde leader began. "As you are all well aware by now, I nearly died several days ago. A bad breakup with yet another boyfriend led to stupid behavior." The assembled girls laughed at the another boyfriend comment. "I ended up tumbling down and off a cliff and onto frozen Wasp Lake. I'll save the details for my big interviews, but in that frightening moment, I found hope. That hope came from this wonderful person."

Sean squirmed from the attention as Whitney stood behind him, slapping her hands on each of his shoulders.

"Sean attempted to help me, even after the ice started cracking around us. He risked his life even more when I fell into the icy waters. If it hadn't been for Sean Tarver, I'd be dead. There is no doubt about that."

The assembled crowd, which had grown, went silent. Several people could be heard crying, especially Yumi. The only other sound came from Kaitlin muttering about having to fix her friend's makeup yet again.

"However, Sean's heroism left him injured," Whitney continued, pointing at his leg and the cast on his foot. "Many of you have been to Wasp Lake. Maybe you've visited Whistle Cove. Sean injured himself climbing down the cliffs there to help me."

Multiple gasps sounded.

"It's true!" one girl exclaimed, meaning the rumors out there.

"Have you seen how high those cliffs are?"

"Whitney fell off one, and Sean climbed down it too?"

"Holy shit!"

"Tarver is a hero!"

Utterly embarrassed by the attention, words, and stares, Sean braced himself for whatever Whitney had up her sleeve.

"So, as you can see, Sean can't stand up and dance. That's not right. How can a person celebrate New Year's Eve by not dancing?" Whitney questioned the crowd. "How can a fucking hero not enjoy New Year's Eve?"

Murmurs began as the girls agreed.

"Well, just because Sean can't stand up and dance doesn't mean he can't enjoy dancing. Am I right?"

Several girls nodded knowingly at the cheerleader captain's questions. Others whispered in each other's ears as they realized what the queen bee meant.

"So for Sean, my hero, this right here is his dance floor," Whitney declared, leaning over to pat his lap. "I'm not ordering anyone to do it, but don't you all think a hero deserves a reward? And isn't a lap dance just a small token of appreciation?"

Sean's eyes bugged out as the girls began to agree with Whitney.

"So let's wheel Sean out onto the dance floor and give him a round of dances!" Whitney exclaimed.

"I get first!"

"No, I do!"

"Dammit, Kizzy, I said no!" Whitney stated, turning on a dime to face Kizzy and YoYo. "The Babybees are Sean's candy-stripers, not his lap dancers."

"But you promised," Kizzy whined, stamping her feet.

"I did no such thing," Whitney declared.

"Yeah, you did," YoYo argued.

"You kind of did, Captain Diamond," Beatrice agreed. "You told Mrs. Tarver that we'd get pictures just like his cousin got. Or that's what we were told."

"See!" Kizzy exclaimed.

Whitney turned, ready to argue, but also saw everyone watching her. Slowl,y a smirk formed that scared Sean.

"Alright, you can get your pictures with Sean. NO! Not now! Get off him, Kizzy!" Whitney ordered after the sophomore had already started to climb onto Sean's lap.

"Jesus, Mom is going to love this story," Kaitlin mumbled.

"However, for your pictures, you have to sit on Sean's knees," Whitney explained, earning protests. "Think of it as when you used to sit on Santa Claus's lap and tell him what you wanted for Christmas."

"Oh, I have plenty of goodies to whisper into Sean's ear," YoYo stated suggestively. "Are you going to make our wishes cum true, Sean Claus?"

Note: When I initially planned the story out, I had expected Sean (Zack) to dance a lot. However, the addition of a foot injury ended that. Hopefully, the lap dances even that out a bit. The dancing overall will start out fun, then goofy, with some sweet romantic moments before turning sexy, and eventually steamy as the night goes on.