Stratton Stress

"Damn, I think I screwed up," Cormac told Skye.

No, the easy to fall in love with law student wasn't talking about which of her friends he'd bedded in the past. Nor did he mean his offer to play warden at the punishment table. Instead, Cormac meant the pasta that he'd selected for dinner.

"I don't take you for the salad sort. Even a chef salad," the brunette remarked. She noted how the year younger guy's eyes followed the fork to her mouth. So when his mouth opened again, Skye expected a crude comment about what else she could put her lips around. It's what she usually heard from men.

"Nah, I mean, that chicken looks pretty tasty," Cormac said, referring to the piece she just gobbled down. Then, checking on his cousins, he asked Lacey about her chicken choice.

"It's delicious," the petite redhead answered. "Is something wrong with yours?"

"It's....okay," Cormac replied unenthusiastically. Then, still scanning the table, he noticed Cadence playing with the food on her plate. "Hey, if you're going to just pick around it, I'll take half that piece."

"Leave me alone," the sulking teen grumbled.

"See? That's your problem, Cory. You always pick the first option too fast," Lana criticized. "Although you didn't choose the breast option for once."

"Very funny, prison princess."

Skye watched the bantering between cousins. Her friends had given mixed reviews about Cormac Trimble, yet none had been harsh. Having spent time with the Strattons at the cabin, she began to see how easily her friends could develop a thing for this family member, as he had bits of Lacey, Lana, and Clive in his personality. Skye also could understand why her friends might've been peeved about losing their chance with the handsome guy.

"Eep!"

Lana's fork clanked onto the plate as her head swung toward her little sister's direction. There, she found Lacey staring at her phone with wide eyes. Next to her sister, Bianca tsked as she looked at her phone's screen.

"What is it? More about Dad?" Lana asked in her agitated state.

"It's about Austin," Lacey responded in a hollow voice.

"I don't give a shit about your stupid boyfriend," Lana snapped. However, she did notice her sister's troubled face. "Fine! What did the fucker do this time?"

"H-He's cl-claiming that he sa-saved Whitney and Sean," Lacey stammered, her eyes glistening.

"He fucking what?!" Lana practically screamed.

"Humph!" Bianca sounded, placing her phone back on the table. "Why am I not surprised. You sure can pick them, Lace."

"Damn right! She shouldn't be surprised that the little shit is embellishing his role. Time to kick the fucker to the curb!" Lana stated.

The petite redhead ignored her older sister's usual boyfriend advice as Bianca's comment pissed her off more. Turning her body to face her rival, she demanded to know why Bianca attempted to seduce her boyfriend if she thought he lied to her in the video.

"It's what we do," the dark-haired dancer stated, seemingly thinking that explained everything. "It's what we're expected to do."

"Not in my family," Lacey countered.

Teresa's **** on her water brought her into the conversation.

"As if Lana didn't go after my boyfriends and dates," the older Zuccaro sister pointed out.

"I barely made an effort," Lana responded, more to Lacey's look than Teresa's comment.

"Barely made an effort, my ass," Teresa shot back. "You and your squadmates concocted some pretty elaborate plans to steal my boyfriends."

"No, I didn't."

"You tricked one into a bedroom at a party, where you only had your cheer skirt on! Or how about the time you had Poppy help you poach my Valentine's date by altering the restaurant reservations," Teresa listed as she grew heated. "What about at Sloane's graduation party? Your slutty--"

"Whoa, whoa! Let's keep things calm, girls," Cormac reminded, motioning with his hands to lower their volume. A quick glance around confirmed that other tables had noticed the commotion.

"Fine, I'll keep calm," Teresa replied. "However, your cousin is lucky that she never dated anyone besides Finn."

"If you had come near Finn, you'd still be in the hospital," Lana growled.

"Call me scared." Teresa rolled her eyes. "I never went after Finn because he's too nice of a guy to be a casualty in our feud. Also, he's been through enough."

"And you better continue to keep away from him."

"Lana, please. Let's not fight over the past," Cormac pleaded. After his cousin agreed, he inquired about the events at Wasp Lake while scanning the Nosy Nectar article on his phone. "So what really happened? Did Austin do anything?"

"Oh, he did--"

"Austin did help...somewhat," Lacey started hesitantly after cutting Lana off.

"Lacey, if you don't feel like talking about it, you don't need to--" Skye began to say.

"No, no, I'm alright," she responded, wiping moisture from an eye. "Austin, Ramsey, and I heard Sean's cries for help. But by the time we reached the cliff, Sean had just dove into the water. We didn't know that he was looking for Whitney under the ice, but we could tell that something bad had happened. So, Rammy ran off to find our parents while Auss and I tried to find a way down to Whistle Cove."

"This all happened at Whistle Cove?" Cormac double-checked.

"Oh, sorry. Yeah, I guess Whitney had tripped, causing her to slide down an embankment before falling over the side of a cliff. Sean had witnessed it from a different spot. That's why he'd cut his leg and broke his foot while climbing down the cliff."

"Sean scaled down one of those cliffs? Holy shit!" Cormac exclaimed.

"That's insane," Teresa stated with bugged-out eyes.

"And brave," Bianca added breathlessly, placing a hand on her chest. Even Izzy and Cadence seemed enthralled by hearing the details from one of the eyewitnesses.

"Definitely crazy and courageous," Teresa continued. "We know that spot well, as we'd sunbathe in the cove on our vacations there."

"Way fewer creepy guys than the main beach," Bianca explained.

Lana nodded in agreement before prodding her sister.

"Tell them what that other asshole did."

"I'm getting there," Lacey replied, annoyed. "By the time we reached the beach, Sean had found Whitney and moved her closer to shore on the ice." The petite redhead paused as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Whitney wasn't breathing when Sean pulled her out."

"What?!" Bianca exclaimed for nearly everyone at the table who had just learned that detail. "Nosy Nectar didn't say anything about that!"

"While giving her mouth-to-mouth, Whitney's now ex-boyfriend, Owen Nevin, found them," Lacey continued, but struggled to do so. So Lana picked up the recounting while her little sister wiped her tears with a napkin.

"Owen's stupid ass thought that Sean and Whitney were making out or some shit on the ice. It sounds like he rushed over and sucker-punched Sean. Between that, the pain from his leg, and the cold water, Sean was down for the count."

"Jesus," Teresa swore. "I knew Owen had issues, but...fuck!"

"That's when Austin and I found them," Lacey recounted, composed enough to continue. "I ran to check on Whitney while Austin did the same to Sean. Before he ran off to find our parents, Austin did give me his coat to help warm Whitney up."

"Is that all your boyfriend did?" Izzy asked sarcastically.

"No, Austin did run up the trail to meet everyone else," Lacey defended weakly.

"I mean, he did help us get to Whitney and Sean faster," Skye admitted. "A ranger had heard the screams before running into us. However, he wasn't sure exactly from where, and Ramsey couldn't explain precisely where she saw Sean jump in. So Austin did shave off time with his finding us."

"The fucker still is exaggerating way too much," Lana grumbled.

"Damn, calling Sean a hero is almost not enough," Bianca remarked, her eyes sparkling.

"And my boyfriend looks to be jealous of him," Lacey muttered, shaking her head.

For a brief moment, Bianca reached over to pat her rival's arm sympathetically before yanking it back.

"Who cares about him? Just dump his ass. We got Dad to worry about," Lana stated, turning her head to check on her parents' table on the other side of the ballroom.

"Maybe that video doesn't explain everything," Skye hedged. That caused Lana to shoot a glare her way. "I'm not saying that Austin isn't a dick, just that Lacey shouldn't rush into doing anything rash."

"I think that Skye makes several good points," Cormac said, causing most of the women at the table to roll their eyes at his apparent reason for agreeing. "You two have been together for almost two years. Give him a chance to explain before ending it."

"I-I don't kn-know," Lacey responded through trembling lips. So much had happened recently that she felt overwhelmed. Not to mention that she had matchmaking to focus on for the night. "There is so much to do."

Whatever responses might have come were cut off as Lana jumped to her feet.

"I...I need to use the bathroom," the older ginger said over her shoulder, briskly walking away.

With a purpose in her step, Lana passed by the Rusks' table near the center. The aforementioned Austin spoke hesitantly as she passed by.

"Uh, hey, Lana--"

"You are so dead," she vowed, passing him without breaking her stride.

Not much farther, Lana neared the Tarvers' table, where Peyton mouthed her concerns toward her best friend. The ginger motioned for the blonde to stay seated while using her hand to indicate that she was only headed to the bathroom.

Denny Conway ran his hand under the cold water before bringing it up to his blond hair. Wiping the edge of his hair, the basketball player nodded in approval at how it looked. Then his focus shifted to the more problematic issue: his broken nose. Peering this way and that way, the small forward convinced himself that it didn't appear too bad with the bandage over it.

"It's alright. Maybe I should think up a better story for how it got broken." Smiling at his idea, the obnoxious teen added, "The Denster is so getting himself a little sugar tonight."

BANG

A startled Denny jumped due to the restroom door slamming into the wall. Any complaint about the intrusion died on his lips.

"Out!"

Gulping, the teenager rushed past an irate Lana Stratton as she entered the men's restroom. Still, even in his frightened state, Denny's brain ran over ways to make Lana storming in on him in the bathroom sound sexy to others.

Ignoring the insignificant twit that scrambled past her, Lana marched further into the bathroom with her attention set on a young man standing at the urinal. She watched as his brown eyes widened behind the wire-rimmed glasses at her sudden appearance. Then, realizing his situation, the slim young man shifted his body to block the ginger's view of his peeing.

"As if you have anything that I haven't seen plenty of times on other men, Barney," Lana stated, stopping less than ten feet from him. "Now, tell me what you know."

"Know about what? What the hell, Lana?!" Barney questioned while shaking his dick dry.

"What the fuck else would I be asking about? My dad!"

"This couldn't have waited another minute?" Barney challenged.

Attempting to zip up his pants, the clumsy reporter nearly fell over backwards. Fortunately, Lana saw the wobbling in time to move forward and push him upright.

"What. Do. You. Know?" Lana questioned furiously.

"I know what you know. Or even less," Barney replied, turning around after one final check on his zipper's status.

"Don't give me that bullshit! You're a reporter for the Daily Flyer. You know them!"

"I'm a photographer on school breaks. That's it, and you know that. Mr. Swift won't trust me to cover stories. I barely get to do that for the Zurbrugg Gazette."

"Yeah, whatever," Lana replied dismissively. The ginger knew all that but forgot everything in her agitated state. "Look, you need to find out what they know. All of them!"

"I don't think anyone will tell me what they know but haven't published yet."

"It doesn't hurt to fucking try!"

"Uh, I guess I could ask," Barney said hesitantly.

"I need to know what real trouble my dad might be in," Lana replied, turning to walk toward the sinks.

Barney took the opportunity to hurry over and start to wash his hands. "Uh, come on, Lana, your dad can't be in any real trouble. He's the last person who would be corrupt."

"You think I don't fucking know that!" the ginger screamed, causing him to flinch. "It doesn't matter what he did or didn't do. What matters is what people think he might have done. I need to know so I can fight back. And you need to get it for me!"

Due to his close friendship with Finn since early grade school, Barney had known Lana for roughly fifteen years. The ginger had always proven to be the strongest, most confident woman he'd ever met. And this dated back to the little girl who ordered him to remember that she and Peyton were Finn's bestest friends while he was only the closest guy friend. During that decade and a half, Barney had only seen Lana tear up over Mrs. Singer's ****. So it came as a complete shock when Lana's upper body collapsed onto the counter while she sobbed.

So foreign was the sight of Lana Stratton sobbing that Barney felt paralyzed for a couple of minutes. Only a middle-aged man entering the restroom caused the crying woman to scream, "Get out!" without looking up, snapping Barney into motion.

While the man left, grousing about girls being in the men's bathroom again and again tonight, Barney reached out to gently touch Lana's shoulder. That consoling gesture was met with a hard shove, which Barney admitted was far more in line with Lana's personality.

"Look, I'll ask around. Mr. Swift, the other Mr. Swift, and Ms. Swift won't tell me anything, but I can always ask Eva Marie. She's not a reporter, but I know that she overhears stuff. That's the best I can do at the Flyer as Levi treats me like an errand boy," Barney admitted. Then, he suddenly kicked himself for not recognizing the most obvious solution. "Hey, won't Ramsey tell Lacey what she knows?"

"Not when it comes to her precious articles," Lana said, her words muffled mainly by her hands. Struggling to control her emotions, she added, "Can't you talk those to people outside?"

"The TV news? I don't know any of them---Wait, I do know one of them. Cleo's out there."

Lana's head popped off the counter in a flash.

"Cleo's out there?" Her light-green eyes held a spark of hope before they narrowed. "Was she one of my dad's interrogators?"

Barney nearly buckled at the intense fury blazing off of the red-haired vixen. Gulping, he shook his head while revealing, "Finn said that Cleo appeared as shocked as everyone else. She's here as your mom had the idea of her reporting to Mrs. Singer's foundation."

"Yep, that sounds like Mom," Lana replied, sounding like her old self for a moment. "You need to get your ass out there and find out what Cleo knows or heard. Got that?"

"Well, yeah, I can do that. But you don't have to yell at me," Barney pointed out, standing up for himself. "Your family has always been nice to me, and I know what they mean to Finn. I would've done it if you just asked nicely. Can I at least wait until after the ceremony? I don't want to leave Finn alone--oomph!"

If Barney had been shocked previously by Lana's sobbing, he was doubly shocked by the redhead launching herself forward. The tight, firm hug also brought the realization that Lana Stratton's legendary tits pushed into his chest. However, unlike most guys, Barney didn't revel in the feeling of those wondrous mounds against his body. In the loyal friend's mind, Lana would always be Finn's girl, so it made him feel uncomfortable and awkward.

"Uh, how about if I check in with Cleo between dinner and the ceremony?" the friendly young man asked, hoping Lana would let him go. "Oh, maybe I can rope in some of the other former Buzzy Bee staffers. I'm sure Maddy would be happy to help."

"Maddy?" Lana repeated, breaking off the hug. "As in Madeline Stringham?"

"Uh, yeah," Barney responded. Madeline had succeeded Finn as editor-in-chief of The Buzzy Bee. He couldn't understand the glower on Lana's face as Maddy always like--Oh! Maddy always LIKED Finn.

"You keep that GIRL away from this. Got that?"

"Yeah, sure, I'll, uh, keep Maddy away."

"Thank you, Barn," Lana said, leaning in to hug him again.

"Uh, I'd better get back."

"I'll be right--holy shit! My face looks awful," Lana declared after glancing in the mirror. "Don't let any guys in here."

"Okay, sure," Barney said, fleeing the bathroom.

Out in the hallway, the photographer/aspiring reporter felt lightheaded at the new circumstances. Always wanting to be helpful to his friends, Barney suddenly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. If I screw this up...No, I can't screw this up! It's not an option. Not for Finn, who sees Mr. Stratton as a second father. Not for my sake if Lana attempts to **** me for incompetence. Oh, why can't I ask Maddy for help? I'm going to need help.

The sound and motion of the women's restroom opening snapped Barney out of his dilemma. Curiosity won out as his gaze flicked over to the young woman exiting. Happy to see the familiar face, Barney swiftly realized what her confused face meant.

"Uh, she's in this bathroom."

"Oh, crap. What did she do now?" Peyton inquired. Seeing Barney shrug his shoulders, Lana's BFF walked past him to enter the men's room.