The Squad

The small compact mirror flipped open as the brunette rechecked her lipstick for the umpteenth time. The Girlfriend held an almost obsessive need to look the most ravishing of anyone tonight. In her mind, she had the perfect dress on for that purpose. It flaunted her assets as if a spotlight shone on them. The goal for tonight? To drag the wandering eye of her boyfriend firmly back to her. If not, The Girlfriend would begin the process of finding a new boyfriend--one that would appreciate her.

Besides her, The Harlot preferred to use the reflection of the brass elevator doors to check her appearance. The shiny sparkle of her mini-dress should catch the eye of every man in the ballroom, while the garment's limited coverage should keep their attention long enough for their desires to inflame. A slight tug raised the bottom of the dress to show off more of her toned legs. Her hands moved higher to cup the pushed-up medium-sized breasts right as the elevator chimed.

The elevator doors slid open on the sixth floor. The thirtysomething-year-old couple that started to walk forward abruptly halted. The woman saw six teenage girls who looked far more fabulous than she ever had at their age. Almost immediately, she felt a tiny bit of resentment. That feeling would grow as her husband's jaw dropped down as he gawked at The Harlot, who continued to cup her breasts. Now, she added a wink at the married man.

Suddenly, the seventh head of a teenager popped out from the side of the elevator, near the control panel.

"Party of two?" The Sweetheart asked in a cheery voice, mimicking a restaurant hostess. All she lacked was a pair of menus to hand out. Glancing over at her fellow elevator occupants, her nose wrinkled as she surveyed the lack of space. Pushing the Open button on the panel, she said, "Just a moment, please."

"We don't really have any more room on here," The Girlfriend informed The Sweetheart, who frowned at the possibility.

"I'm sure we can squeeze together to make room. We'll just need to be careful with the long gowns," she replied, always looking on the bright side.

"I'm already squished into the corner," The Tomboy complained.

"That's okay. We can wait for the next elevator," the wife stated from the hallway.

"No! We can figure something out," The Sweetheart reassured.

That earned an eager nod from the husband, who peered around to check the hot teens in the back row for a second. Then, his eyes zeroed back in on the suggestive manner of The Harlot.

It turned out to be one of those back row members of The Squad that ended any further consideration. In a commanding tone, she shut down the idea of any more elevator occupants.

"We don't have any room, Yumi. So they will have to wait." Yet, wanting to be polite, The Queen Bee added, "I'm sure the other elevator will be here momentarily."

"Oh, alright," The Sweetheart responded, sounding almost in despair over not being helpful. Letting her finger off the Open button, Yumi apologized. "I'm sorry that you couldn't join us."

"I'm not," The Tomboy mumbled from her corner. "Cat was egging on a catfight with the wife."

"Hey, it's not my fault that married men like the look of me," The Harlot shot back, sounding proud.

"Yeah, they can sniff out the ones that will spread their legs without any cash changing hands," The Thespian commented, earning a chuckle and elbow nudge from The Tomboy.

"Whatever. The guy might have forked over a small fortune once he realized that you two have never been despoiled," Cat responded.

"I'm confused. Are we supposed to charge people to share our elevator?" Yumi questioned.

"No, we're not," The Queen Bee stated with a sigh. "And stop confusing her. Worry about how you look for our entrance."

"I can't believe I have to wear a dress. It's bad enough that I have to wear a cheer skirt," The Tomboy grumbled.

"Lighten up, Roxanne. That dress is the first step in my plan to get a hard cock between your--" Caterina cut off her comment as The Queen Bee poked a finger into her back with ****.

"C'mon, Roxie, it's nice to see you in a dress when it's not a school formal," Kaitlin remarked.

"I think you look pretty," Yumi announced.

"And looking pretty is required to find yourself a boyfriend," Kaitlin, The Girlfriend, hinted.

"Do you have a guy in mind? Or want help?" The Matchmaker queried, her face showing excitement. "Think about how wonderful it would be to start the new year with both yourself and Rory dating your first-ever boyfriends."

"Whoa! Slow down, Lace. Kieran and I are not a couple," The Thespian denied, waving her hands.

"Not yet," Lacey replied, winking. "I'll keep Austin distracted tonight, and you can do the rest."

"And help Roxie come out of her shell," Kaitlin added.

"Oh no, Lacey's already got the job of distracting Dr. Mayfield, one of my chaperones," The Queen Bee reminded.

"You girls can do whatever you want. I'm only about scoring the biggest stud tonight," Cat interrupted. "I'll be ringing in the new year the right way."

"Got anyone special in mind?" Aurora questioned, wanting to know who to stay clear of so she didn't get near the sleaziness.

"Do you like a boy?" Yumi questioned in surprise.

"Oh, I have my eyes set on a man."

"Ooh, a man!" Roxie teased.

"So a college student," Rory clarified.

"No, a grown man," Cat stated.

"Really?" The Queen Bee responded, raising an eyebrow. "Anyone I know?"

"Is there any worthy man that you don't know?" Cat countered with extra sass in her voice and a twinkle in her eye. "Maybe I'll tell you...someday."

"All I know is that I'm going to make Palmer jealous as fuck," Kaitlin proclaimed after waving off more waiting people on the second floor.

"We're sorry!" Yumi yelled out the closing doors. "And owe you a raincheck!"

"Here we go again," Roxie mumbled at Rory.

"How are you going to do that?" Lacey asked, feeling that someone should.

"Oh, I got myself a list of options. I can go after his friends, such as Josh or Bobby," Kaitlin said, referring to Josh Radburn and Bobby Hooper.

"Bobby's not worth the two seconds that he'll last," Cat reminded bitterly.

Behind her, Lacey wondered what that meant, as she hadn't been at Metropolis the other night. The Queen Bee knew but had more important items on her mind.

"Then I'll go after an older guy. Eoin O'Hara showing interest in me might make Palmer regret grinding on that skank, Hazel," the brunette growled. "Or I can go after one of his rivals. I bet if Beau Bascom was on my radar then--"

"Hold the door, Yumi," The Queen Bee ordered as they reached the first floor. She didn't want the doors to open before issuing a reminder for the holiday.

"Hey, I was--"

"Katie, we don't have time for your soap opera drama," Whitney stated as the rest of the seniors on the cheerleading squad turned to face her. "Now, Cassandra Singer wasn't an actual uniformed cheerleader, but she was one of us. Some of your mothers liked or loved her, even the Sugarbees. We will honor her contributions to the legacy that we all share. That means tonight is a cheerleader event, and we will act appropriately, got that?"

Several nods came back. It was those heads that didn't move that caused the cheer captain to continue.

"Lacey, earmuffs on Yumi." Whitney waited until the most innocent squad member's ears were covered. "Cat, that means no blowjobs under the table, no fingerbanging or handjobs on the dance floor, and absolutely no public fucking. Katie, keep the Palmer drama crap behind closed doors. I don't want to see you attacking any girl who dances with him. And Lacey, distract Austin so that he doesn't tackle Kieran. A repeat of Metropolis does not happen on my watch. Understand?"

Motioning for Lacey to uncover Yumi's ears, The Queen Bee asked The Sweetheart to repeat the rules.

"Don't do anything that Cat would do...or Katie."

"Hey! Who told her that?" Kaitlin questioned as the elevator doors opened.

The hush that began in the hotel lobby flowed down the hall toward the ballroom like a tidal wave. Conversations stopped mid-sentence as guests noticed the seven young women move in a semi-orchestrated fashion. Many shook their heads knowingly while out-of-towners watched quizzically.

At the forefront of the procession, the two petite highflyers flashed their cute smiles. The Sweetheart skipped ahead, often too far, only to have The Matchmaker stretch forward to grab her hand. An under-the-breath reminder to Yumi slowed her hurry to reach the ballroom. Not that Lacey didn't get distracted as she often veered off her route as she greeted friends and acquaintances.

Keeping a steadier pace behind the two cuties, The Girlfriend and The Harlot scanned the handsome men lining the lobby and the hallway. While Kaitlin's eyes only appraised the single men close to her age, Caterina sized up any man worth a romp in the sack, regardless of their age or relationship status. Although Cat held the role of co-captain, it was Katie who hissed several times at Lacey to keep Yumi close.

Men and women who paused to admire the two teenagers in their mini-dresses inevitably found their attention drawn to the star of the procession. Even without her near-**** experience, Whitney Diamond would always find the spotlight shining on her. With crackling charisma, the blonde Queen Bee carried herself with the elegance of royalty. Of course, her flowing, stunning dress didn't hurt to belie that royal image. Well, the fictional kind of royalty that people wanted to believe could exist.

Despite knowing the attention she garnered, Whitney held her head high with a serious composure. People might gossip or gawk about her tonight because of the ice incident, but she knew the ball wasn't about her. Tonight belonged to Cassie, her favorite teacher and the kindest, most caring person of all her father's friends or their spouses. Although she never formed a close bond with Finn, she considered him an extended member of the Diamond family. So for Whitney, honoring his mother mattered on several levels.

The least excited members of the procession rolled their eyes at how they moved in their specific order, yet they also felt the somber vibe that flowed off Whitney. Roxie had never met Mrs. Singer, but she could appreciate what tonight's charity ball meant. And for Aurora, she had memories of the few times that her mother managed to reunite with her old cheermates despite her father's displeasure. In those fleeting memories, Rory just knew in her heart that she and Cassie would've gotten along superbly. The teacher loved dressing in costumes to role-play characters from the books she read to students. The Thespian already vowed to do the same as part of the new literary foundation's activities, no matter what her father or brother said. This would be a subject that she'd defend to the fullest.

Inside the ballroom, guests noticed the silence roll over those standing near the double-door entrance. Those on the lower level of the ballroom glanced over toward the doors. Any residual arguing amongst the Fallons ended as Brandy barked out a short burst of laughter. Bridget felt a pang of regret that Peyton had never experienced these moments before recalling that her daughter had while around Lana. And Peyton hated those times.

Rachel placed her hand over her heart with pride as she watched Lacey enter through the doors with Yumi. When Caterina and Kaitlin followed, the former cheer captain marveled at how Yumi and Cat fit in so well with the squad. While they had lost Shayla's daughter to the Sugarbees, the cheerleaders had gained with Felicity and Valentina's offspring. Even more amazing was the defection of Gemma Harlow's daughter to the sophomore squad.

Next to her best friend, Gabby clapped and whistled to fill the silence. She loved how this next generation turned into such showstoppers. The only regret she had was that Juliana wasn't here to witness how a cheer squad should act. Still, she loved that Jules had already begun to push Honey Hollow traditions onto her Rattle Ridge junior varsity squad. If everything worked out, her little girl could someday be the cheer captain or co-captain that Gabby never could.

Almost as if they had choreographed the moment, the cheer squad stopped at the top of the short staircase. With a nod and a quiet, "This is our night," from Whitney, the seven girls began their descent. Lacey and Yumi flanked out to the outer edges of the stairs, with Kaitlin and Roxie following the petite redhead. Cat and Rory followed the tiny brunette. And down the middle, Whitney descended, flashing a broad smile as the two photographers kneeled on the floor.

And where did the two photographers come from? Well, Lacey had sent the messages when the elevator doors opened. Thus, Barney and Evan had time to prepare to capture the squad's grand entrance. Fortunately, Eoin had been standing with Barney. That allowed him to be present at the very moment when the clumsy photographer began to trip over his own feet. This time, Barney didn't tumble to the floor.

"You sure you don't regret not joining up," Daisy inquired, unable to hold back a smile. She'd gladly let her boyfriend handle this performance. "You're missing out on being a star."

"Oh, shut it," Ramsey ordered. The strawberry blonde also couldn't hold back a giggle as she pictured herself as part of such a cringe-worthy spectacle.

"Whitney does have a way with stagecraft. Imagine if she went into politics," the high school reporter remarked.

"Don't you dare mention that in front of her," the editor replied. "She's got enough of an ego."

"I'll let Geoff make that mistake," Daisy teased, earning a slight shove into her shoulder.

Gathered at the bottom of the stairs, Whitney finally cracked a smile as Yumi performed a curtsey to the clapping crowd. With a beaming face, she nodded to the crowd, signaling that they could go back to their business.

"Fuck me! Diamond looks totally fuckable," Denny declared, way too loudly in his friends' minds.

"Dude, don't embarrass us tonight," Louie warned, getting agreement from the other basketball players.

"Wait a sec. You just decided now that Whitney looks fuckable?' Tyler questioned.

"Well, no...it's just that I never--"

"No one cares what you think," Jayden interrupted, shaking his head. Maybe I should hang out with Sean tonight.

Back over by the stairs, the cheerleaders held a partial huddle.

"I'm gonna head over by my mom before I find Beyza and Delilah," Rory informed her squadmates. She met Roxie's gaze as if to ask if she wanted to come with.

"Hey, is Lana interested in Archer Bowe?" Kaitlin whispered toward Lacey.

"She's always wanted to add him to her conquests. Why?" the younger Stratton replied. Lacey wasn't aware that Stephanie winning the bet between Lana and Poppy had soured her older sister on that notchmaking.

"Oh, nothing. I just saw him out in the hallway and thought he'd be a great person to make Palmer jealous."

"Damn, Katie looks hot! You think she and Palmer are finally finished?" Linus "Digg" Digby asked his circle of baseball friends.

Several shrugs came back in reply. However, their star player didn't respond.

"What do you think, Jess?" Digg asked Jesse Yegge.

"Huh?" Jesse sounded, prying his eyes off of Lacey. "Uh, yeah, I doubt it. But if Katie is single, there is going to be a line out into the lobby for her."

Over by the bar, a disgruntled teen took a sip from his beer bottle. He wasn't thrilled at all to discover that most of his friends were at Milner's New Year's Eve party. So already bored out of his mind, Austin mumbled, "It's about time," upon seeing his girlfriend's arrival.

"Okay, girls, let's remember that this is our party. So have fun within restraint...and keep an eye on Yumi," Whitney reminded, allowing the squad to break up.

"And where are you headed to?' Lacey inquired once she was alone with Whitney.

"I need to return the favor and rescue my gentleman in distress," the blonde remarked while smirking and motioning her head in the direction of Sean.

Lacey's eyes narrowed as they found her sister clearly teasing Sean.

"Don't worry. I'll handle her. You better scurry off before Austin gets pissed," Whitney said dismissively. Then, she turned toward where Barney and Eoin stood. "I believe we're headed in the same direction. Care to escort me?"

Lana heard the huff from Peyton. Turning around, she chuckled at the sight of Whitney with her arms interlocked with Eoin and Barney's. The interaction with Eoin might get Nosy Nectar running wild with speculation.

"I see I taught you to arrive in style."

"Priscilla taught me that," Whitney responded, smiling at her big cheersister behind the ginger. She also knew the comment would get under Lana's skin.

"And who do you think taught Prissy?" the redhead questioned, waving her hand at her little cheersister. Priscilla merely laughed at Lana's indignation.

"Hmm, I don't know. Perhaps Peyton?" Whitney mused, tapping her chin.

"Oh, no. Don't drag me into this," the blonde warned.

"Yeah, us smart girls learned to avoid cheer politics," Merritt remarked, backing up Peyton.

"Don't worry. I'm only passing through. I'm just here to get my hero," Whitney stated, using her hip to push Peyton away from Sean's wheelchair.

"Hey, I wanted to spend time with my little brother. I just rescued him from our mom," the older Tarver sibling complained.

"And I'm rescuing him from his overprotective big sister," the cheer captain explained, already wheeling Sean away. Glancing down, she snorted. "Seriously? You're already hard again? And in front of your sister. Gawd, I hoped you didn't push out that tent toward other relatives."

"No, I did not. Lana caused this," Sean defended himself. Hunching over, he moodily asked what Whitney wanted with him.

"Don't get sullen with me, young man. My role from now on is keeping you well taken care of and that thing down."

Zooming around people, the buxom blonde slowed down as she approached an empty table. It wasn't precisely empty as several personal items littered the table and chairs. However, there wasn't a soul in sight. That seemed to perturb Sean's kidnapper.

"Oh, for fuck's sake! They knew to be here, waiting for us."

"Uh, who?" Sean dared to ask.

The only response he got back was a grumble, a sigh, and a high-pitched whistle from Whitney that rang around the ballroom.