More Problems, More Solutions

“That’s why you’re blaming me? Really?” Lacey questioned sarcastically.

After the initial commotion, with Marcus repeatedly demanding a nurse, things quieted down. Not a nurse, Dr. Fort had walked into the waiting room to bring the pale Kip back into an examination room. Cheryl briefly smiled at Lacey before insisting that only one person could accompany the bleeding boy. Kip had clutched onto Marcus, insisting he'd be the one while asking Max to deal with the clerk. It had been the left behind Max who realized they didn't have any of Kip's insurance information. Having been delegated the newsbreaker, the easygoing Kona called Kip's parents again to notify them they'd reached the ER. They were already halfway to the hospital.

Then, with only a couple of seats empty by Lacey, Xavier managed to convince a few people to move to the other side of the waiting room. Rosita and Tandy weren't thrilled about the seating arrangements, shooting glares at the cheerleader. Finally, Max and Xavier told Lacey about the events at Milner's party that led them to end up here.

Lacey was shocked to hear how Kip got injured. She remembered the large curio cabinet from previous parties in Milner's dining room. Tandy had raised her leg to show off her swollen ankle. She'd twisted it by dodging the falling cabinet and mentioned that it better not be broken. Next, Lacey looked crestfallen to learn that some of her classmates and people she thought were friends had readily jumped to conclusions by blaming her behavior for the breakup.

“Austin caught your slutty ass cheating, didn’t he?” Tandy accused for the second time since arriving.

“Austin did not dump me. I broke up with him. How many times do I have to say that?” Lacey shot back.

“Yeah, yeah, we already know that from Nosy Nectar,” Xavier responded.

“What did Austin do?” Max asked.

“What didn’t he do?” Lacey replied with a deep sigh. “Well, he started off the trip by making a scene when we found out that my mom’s best friend’s son was at the cabin.”

“Notice how she never denied cheating?” Tandy commented to Rosita. Xavier put a stop to that conversation by raising his hand.

“The Lockett guy? The linebacker from Rattle Ridge?” Max queried.

“Thank you! At least someone remembers him. Austin totally forgot and stormed out of the cabin once he realized that he played for the school that beat him,” Lacey recounted.

“How did Austin forget about him? Marcus spent several minutes talking to um…”

“Jared.”

“Yeah, Jared Lockett about their matchup after the game,” Max finished after Lacey supplied the name.

“Whoa! I didn’t know that you knew that guy. He put on an impressive showing against us,” Xavier admitted.

“Wait, that hot linebacker from our last game?” Rosita inquired before turning to Tandy and fanning her face.

“The Polar Poles said he’s a beast in the sack up at dance camp last summer,” Tandy recalled.

"And that was only when we arrived. Austin started a brawl with Jared the next day. They broke some of Mr. Diamond's new furniture." Lacey omitted the part about Jared and Ramsey watching Lacey and Austin have sex. "Then, the day after that, he attacked Sean. None of us even knew about that for days. I think only Owen knew because he broke it up."

“Damn,” Max muttered.

“That boy sure got a bug up his butt at the lake. What kind of a guest keeps starting fights? Austin Rusk, that’s who,” Xavier remarked, shaking his head. Then, noting how Kona always insisted they behave as model guests while in other people’s homes, Xavier realized their large teammate hadn’t joined them. “Anybody see where Kona went?”

A round of shrugs followed.

“Uh, Lace, what about…the ice fall?” Max inquired, unable to say Whitney’s name.

“Don’t even get me started,” Lacey dropped a rare growl.

The petite redhead commenced a recounting of Sean rescuing Whitney. Max appeared to grow queasy at hearing how Whitney had stopped breathing. Even Rosita gasped upon hearing that kernel of information. Hearing a firsthand account made the details more stark and real.

“Wait, Owen confused Sean performing CPR with making out with Whitney? What a fucking moron!” Xavier exclaimed. “I never liked those Nevin brothers.”

Lacey continued by saying how fortunate they were for Dr. Tarver's presence on the trip, along with a ranger finding them. She also mentioned how Sean had mainly hurt himself by climbing down the cliff, which impressed everyone who knew that spot in the park.

“And Auss tried to take credit for what Sean did?” Max questioned. He felt actual shock that his old friend would do something so selfish. It went far beyond his usual need for attention.

Tandy and Rosita raised eyebrows at each other over Austin’s audacity.

“Wait, you didn’t break up over that?” Xavier questioned.

“What else did he do, Lace?” Max questioned with a knowing sigh.

“Well, you saw what happened with my dad and Mr. Singer, right?”

After learning that none of them had seen the news, Lacey informed them about Orrin Rusk and Edward Laffont's attempt to hijack the charity ball for their political ambitions. She also showed a few pictures of the eggs and tomatoes pelting Mr. Laffont during the announcements. Having known Austin's dad since childhood, Max couldn't believe that he'd actually run for mayor.

“I swear Auss never said a word to any of us,” Max said.

“Oh, his dad never told Austin. I guess even Mrs. Rusk had no clue. Rory said her mom snapped at their dad,” Lacy revealed. “What’s even worse is that people at the ball were speculating that Austin’s dad is one of the people behind those awful Stinging Truth articles about Mr. Dunkley.”

“Austin’s dad was behind those?” Rosita gasped.

“My dad thinks it’s more than one person behind it, but Austin’s dad is likely one of them.”

“But why? Mayor Dewey is one of the nicest people ever. He literally walks into The Spout and brightens up the place,” Rosita said, referring to The Gassy Spout, where she worked as a barista. “That site has said awful things about him.”

“I know. Whitney’s dad sounds furious about it,” Lacey relayed, planning to say more before they all jumped as Marcus walked into the waiting room.

Everyone immediately asked about Kip’s health.

"He's going to be fine. They're stitching up his cut right now. It will likely leave a scar as it's pretty deep," Marcus reported. "The only issue is his blood loss. I think they're going to give Kip a blood infusion."

“And you left him alone?!” Tandy screeched.

“Do you want me to go back there with him?” Max inquired.

“Nah, Kona found his way back there somehow. I overheard him laughing with Lacey’s parents down from Kip’s exam room,” Marcus revealed with a big grin. “Boy, your parents sure are a blast when drunk.”

“Yeah, they’re a riot. What’s happening with my dad?”

"Sounds like they took X-rays, and his hand is broken. So I guess a cast is up next," Marcus relayed. "Damn, he broke it by punching Mr. Singer's face? Yeah, I heard he's back there, too, with a broken nose."

“Lacey just filled us in on the big news,” Max said. However, Marcus wasn’t finished.

“How come no one ever told me that Denton’s mom is so damn fine? Whoa! Talk about a hot mom. You gotta get a look at her, Glove,” Marcus told Xavier.

“Newt’s mom? What’s she doing here? She was at the ball,” Lacey said in confusion.

"Some kid swallowed stuff he shouldn't have. She was back there talking to your mom for a minute," Marcus responded. He planned to gush more about Samantha Denton, but Tandy's cry stopped the topic.

“Oh. My. Gawd! Get to Nosy Nectar now!” the brown-haired dancer ordered, sending everyone to pull out their phones.

Every teen read the alert and watched the video. On some level, Lacey felt sympathy for the humiliated person, but she pushed that feeling aside. Still, tonight kept getting weirder and weirder when it came to her family's feud.

“Damn, Bianca just murdered Austin,” Xavier remarked needlessly.

“Shit. Oscar and those ogres are headed that way,” Marcus reminded everyone but Lacey.

---

The bob-cut blonde’s hazel eyes lit up as the perfect song for her feelings started. Almost as if she could read minds, Roxy beamed as she glanced over. She mouthed, “It’s your life!” before giggling as Yumi attempted to decipher the unspoken words. Dancing with Jesse Yegge, Delilah spun around, placing her back to her dance partner while motioning for her friend to do the same. For a moment, Aurora wondered where Beyza had gone before laughing as she spun around to mimic her Sugarbee friend. Now seven or eight feet away from Delilah, Rory lifted her long black dress up to allow for faster dancing.

We're not scared to lose it all, security thrown through the wall
Future dreams we have to realize
A thousand skeptic hands won't keep us from the things we plan
Unless we're clinging to the things we prize

Delilah sang along to the first round of lyrics. Then, she motioned for Rory to do the same for the upcoming chorus. Although new to flirting with guys in this way, the blonde heeded her friend’s advice, turning her head to the side to sing at Kieran.

And do you feel scared? I do
But I won't stop and falter
And if we threw it all away
Things can only get better

With the biggest grin possible, Rory lived in the moment, dancing with her new potential beau. Kieran might or might not be her very first boyfriend. Yet, on some level, it didn't matter. Deep in the previously sheltered girl's heart, she knew that Howard Jones was correct. Things could only get better from now on.

Once the chorus came around for the second time, Rory lifted her gown almost to her knees as she danced energetically while serenading her college man. Of course, with friends and cheermates like hers, Roxy and Delilah joined in as Yumi began yelling the post-chorus.

Whoa, whoa, whoa-oh-oh, whoa-whoa, whoa-oh-oh
(Whoa, whoa, whoa-oh-oh, whoa-whoa, whoa-oh-oh)
Whoa, whoa, whoa-oh-oh, whoa-whoa, whoa-oh-oh
(Whoa, whoa, whoa-oh-oh, whoa-whoa, whoa-oh-oh)

Having the time of her life with a few of her friends and a guy she liked, Aurora scanned the crowd absentmindedly. Never once did she worry about her father or brother rushing over to break up the dance. For an unexplainable reason, she felt safe at this moment. That feeling increased as she spotted her mother standing off to the side of the dance floor, watching her daughter with obvious happiness.

Actually, Rory thought her mother glowed with happiness. Miranda had a look about her that her daughter couldn't ever recall seeing before. Plus, she must have been dancing up a storm with her old friends as Miranda appeared sweaty and a bit disheveled. However, as the song ended, Rory's mom's expression shifted as she motioned for her daughter to come over.

Dragging Kieran by the hand, Rory hopped to a stop before her mom. She asked what was up.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt you two,” Miranda apologized before looking over her daughter’s shoulder. “Happy New Year, Kieran. It’s wonderful to see you gain.”

“Same to you, Mrs. Rusk. Hey, how about I get us some water?” Kieran asked Rory, who agreed.

Left alone, Miranda hemmed and hawed over what she wanted to say. Finally, she asked, “You still want to stay here tonight, right?”

"Why wouldn't I? Did Dad say something?"

"No, no, not about you. However, he's upset with what happened during his announcement and…well, a repercussion over his decision to run for mayor," Miranda replied.

Miranda didn't say a word about her tense faceoff with her husband when he demanded to know if the panties in his hand were hers. Although afraid to cause a scene at the hotel, she knew a blowup would occur whenever she returned home.

“And?” Rory asked, checking to see that Kieran wasn’t already returning. Now, her concerns grew as she feared her dad would demand that she go home.

"He's going home. I'm not sure that's the wisest decision, as I hear it's gotten slippery outside. But he's been screaming at Eddie Laffont for embarrassing himself," Miranda revealed, rolling her eyes. "I'm staying, so it's your choice."

“I’m staying too,” Rory said firmly.

“Good. You need tonight,” her mother replied before glancing around. “Have you seen your brother?”

“No. He slinked away to the bar after Lacey dumped him,” Aurora said slightly gleefully.

"Now, don't pile on your brother. Lacey was one of the best things going for him," Miranda responded with a concerned expression. "I'm worried about how he's going to handle the breakup."

“Probably make a move on Bianca,” Rory guessed. Then, she motioned for her mom to cut the talk about Austin as she spotted Kieran returning.

Nodding, Miranda told her daughter to have fun before disappearing into the crowd. However, her potential Prince Charming now wore a worried expression. Knowing that he’d just come from the bar, Rory growled her question.

“What did my brother do?”

“Your brother? Austin? Uh, nothing.”

“Then what’s with the look?”

“Oh, that. My cousin messaged me. He’s on his way here,” Kieran explained.

“Palmer’s on his way here?! Crap! I need to warn Katie,” Rory stated, immediately turning to scan for her cheermate.

---

“Seriously, I just left Brandy. How the hell did she start a fight already?” Peyton grumbled as she followed Zoey and the Babybees.

Walking next to her slightly older friend, Merritt shrugged at the question. Both coeds began to turn toward the direction of the bar before Kizzy noticed and waved at them to follow in the opposite direction. Rather than follow, Peyton abruptly halted.

“What are you doing?” Yolanda questioned.

“This way, Miss Tarver,” Kizzy beckoned.

“Hold on. I can see Fawn over there. I’m sure Brandy is with her.”

“Peyton!” Zoey cried. “This way!”

“But I swear that Aunt Brandy is over–”

“It’s not that aunt! It’s your Aunt Beverly,” Zoey exclaimed, knowing the Tarvers and Fallons better than any of the younger girls.

“Aunt Bev? Of all the damn crap tonight, how do I get stuck…Crap!” Peyton nearly shrieked in frustration before she resumed walking.

It turned out that Peyton didn’t need the Babybees to point her and Merritt in the proper direction any longer. The raised voices carried over the music as the group grew closer. The leggy blonde only slowed in surprise upon seeing the assembled faces of those bickering.

Beverly Baccaro stood face-to-face with Willow Rycroft. On some level, Peyton wasn’t shocked. She knew about her aunt’s history with Harvey Diamond. So seeing his ex-wife staring her aunt down with a heated face while both spat insults actually made sense. What left Peyton perplexed dealt with Nate Toone’s presence. However, that mystery got resolved as Aunt Bev’s body shifted to reveal a frightened Brynn standing near her mother. Peyton might not be a wannabe detective like her brother, but she could put two and two together.

“Aunt Bev, what is the meaning of this?” Peyton questioned, her voice already raised.

"I was trying to save your cousin from that pervert, but this bitch decided to meddle in our family's business," Beverly replied, barely taking her eyes off Willow.

“Meddle? You’re the one who commented on Harvey while I walked by. I believe you accused him of being like my ex,” Willow responded, motioning toward Nate.

“I call them as I see them,” Bev replied. “I know how men like Harvey and Nathaniel think. They treat women as nothing but playthings to toss aside when they grow bored. My daughter won’t be a victim of their games.”

"Um, my name is actually Nathan," Nate muttered, raising his hand slightly.

That caused Peyton to wave her hand at him as an order to be quiet. It also led to several giggles from the younger girls. The overheard laughter appeared to inflame the two women further.

“What womanizers do is not a laughing matter, ladies!” Bev snapped. “You need to wise up and avoid men like her husband. Or at least be smart enough to dump that scumbag at the first sign of cheating. I did. However, this blonde bimbo stayed around for years.”

"Bimbo?! Why, you uptight bitch!" Willow raised a hand with the intention of slapping her ex-husband's first love. However, Merritt grabbed her forearm while Peyton stepped between the two women.

“That’s enough!” the future doctor roared. “You both need to be quiet.”

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that,” Bev told her niece.

On the opposite side, Willow pulled her arm free from Merry’s grip. She issued a similar comment while demanding to know Peyton’s identity.

“I’m Bridget Tarver’s daughter and the sister of the boy who saved Whitney’s life.”

“Just fucking wonderful. There is a fourth Fallon bitch. Wait, make that five,” Willow corrected herself as her gaze flickered over at Brynn. “Are you planning on also throwing yourself at my ex-husband? I hear your mother already made her move.”

Despite her animosity toward Willow, Beverly chuckled at the remark about her sister. It matched her own view of Bridget rushing off with Harvey after asking for a divorce. Yet, the young woman in between them didn’t find it amusing.

“You shut your fucking mouth!” Peyton ordered Willow. “I’ve already had enough of your antics this week. Yes, I heard all about how you behaved toward my brother and Chastity at the Diamonds the other day.”

“What did you do to my neph–” Beverly began to demand to know.

“And you shut your big mouth too!” Peyton screamed at her aunt, who recoiled in shock.

“Um, Peyton?” Zoey sounded in concern.

“Maybe you should take a moment,” Merritt suggested.

“No! I’ve had a horrible fucking week. My brother nearly died saving that woman’s daughter. I’ve watched one of my best friends suffer over the tenth anniversary of his mom’s ****. And my parents just decided to get divorced. So I’ll be damned if I’m going to take a moment or be quiet any longer,” Peyton rattled off. “We are here to honor Aunt Cassie, not act like a bunch of toddlers. You two are grown-ass women. Start acting your freaking age!”

“The nerve of young women these days. Is this how your mother raised you to–”

“No! We aren’t doing this any longer. Get out of my face right now!” Peyton ordered Willow after cutting her off. “Go!”

Unsure how to respond and noticing ballgoers watching the scene, Willow issued a loud “Humph!” along with a few mutterings before storming off. That left one remaining woman for Peyton to deal with.

“And you will also shut–”

"That's enough, Peyton. I'm your elder, and you will speak to me with respect," Beverly declared.

“The way you’ve been acting, you don’t deserve my respect. But would you like me to go get Grandma? Maybe you can explain to her why you’ve ruined Cassie’s night. Or how about I go get his grandma?” Peyton suggested, pointing at Nate. “You can explain to the nice lady next door how you basically called her grandson a predator. Or would you prefer I use this and call Aunt Tinny?”

Beverly looked at the phone that Peyton raised in the air and glared at it. However, she didn’t say a word.

"First off, Nate is not a pervert. No, don't you even dare open up your trap," Peyton commanded upon seeing the argument coming. "I don't care what you think you've heard about him, but he's a good guy and a loyal friend. Second, don't think I won't forget how you acted toward my mom tonight. You should be supporting your sister. Sean nearly died, and my father couldn't even bother to show up at the charity honoring her dead best friend. Instead, you make your little digs about her."

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Bridget and I–”

“I said to shut the fuck up and listen to me,” Peyton stated, now walking closer to her aunt. “The whole family is sick of your imagined rivalry with my mom. That will end right now. What’s also going to end is your blaming Brandy for everything that goes wrong. You will also stop micromanaging your children’s lives. Let Jana have the wedding she wants. Don’t pressure Gino over her wishes and cause problems for them.”

“I would never do such–”

“Yes, you would and already do. Finally, Brynn is transferring to Zurbrugg next year. Grandma and Grandpa are fully behind the idea. And if you try to fight it, I’ll have Brynn share a room with Lana and Poppy. You got that? Well, do you?” Peyton challenged.

"I…you cant talk…how I raise my children is none of your business," Beverly stammered her reply. It was the first time Brynn could recall her mother struggling to find the right words. Yet, she also watched as her mom stood up straighter, preparing to lash back at Peyton.

“Kizzy, it appears my aunt has a problem with what I said. Would you be so kind as to fetch my grandmother? Oh, grab Mrs. Day and Mrs. Bank as well. Maybe Bev can explain to Cassie’s mom why she ruined the charity by being a jealous bitch,” Peyton said.

“I’m on it, Miss Tarver.”

“No, wait!” Beverly said, stopping Kizzy. The prospect of dealing with Mrs. Bank caused her to have second thoughts. “We’ll leave this discussion for another day. Come along, Bry…Ugh! Fine, dance with Tinny’s boy. But you better not get into trouble.”

Peyton waited for her aunt to storm off before turning around on a dime to face the younger girls.

"Okay, listen up. Aunt Rachel and my mom asked me to keep an eye on things. So since I'm in charge, I'm taking charge. There will not be another scene under my watch. We won't tolerate any additional disrespect toward Aunt Cassie. Is that clear?"

All the younger girls, along with Nate, nodded in agreement. Satisfied, Peyton began issuing orders to her helpers.

“Beatrice, you’re my eyes and ears. Keep a lookout for any potential trouble. Zara, go check on Chastity and Mr. Whelan. See if they need any help with the book signings. Yolanda, see if you can find Lana. The same goes for Finn, Zoey.”

The Babybees and Zoey acknowledged their orders and dispersed, leaving three girls behind.

“You, Sugarbaby, or whatever, what’s your name again?” Peyton asked.

“Ariel.”

“Alright, Ariel, go see if you can find where Teresa went. Ask Bianca if you need to.” Assuming that her directions would be followed, Peyton turned to face the pair of best friends. “Kizzy, inform my grandma what happened here. Then, come back as you’re my second in command.”

"Aye, aye, Miss Tarver," Kizzy responded with a salute.

“And Harley…go have fun for once. Join the other cheerleaders and dance,” Peyton told the shy redhead. Then, she saw Harley hesitate. “What’s wrong?”

“Uh, I need to use the restroom first. Is that okay?”

"Of course it is. Take care of that, and then have fun," Peyton replied, finally flashing a smile. Eventually, she turned back to the pair that apparently initiated the scene. "Brynn, go back to dancing with Nate. Have fun–"

“That…That was so hot,” Nate gushed with awe and lust written all over his face.

With a sigh, Peyton changed her mind.

"You know what? Never mind the dancing part. Nate, go find someone less innocent to grind on, and I'll find you a new dance partner when Kizzy returns. Okay, Brynn?"

Twenty feet away, a pair of onlookers saw Brynn nod.

“Holy mother of…I don’t know! She’s my mom!” Brandy exclaimed.

“I guess you were wrong in saying she took after Bev, huh?” Fawn responded.

"This is pretty freaky. First, this morning's video of Bee going all Pepper on Whitney, and now this! Am I the only one who doesn't act like my mom?"

“I bet you regret calling Peyton your second-favorite niece now. She’s kind of frightening when she loses it,” Fawn commented.

“Yeah…No, nah, I’m good with calling her that. Somebody needs to tease Pey still. And I’m best suited for that dangerous chore,” Brandy boasted, causing her BFF to laugh.

“I guess you earned experience with Wrenn,” Fawn said.

“Ooh! Let’s go tease Wrenn.”