Making News

While Peyton held her tongue, she did throw her arms up in frustration. Although Kizzy wouldn't reveal the message she got on her phone, Peyton assumed it'd be another fire that she'd need to put out. The Babybee ignored the apparent signs of annoyance from the coed's body language. Instead, she insisted repeatedly that the blonde follow her through the lobby until they reached a small alcove.

Once Peyton looked around the small corner, her sour expression faded at the bright light shining. Confusion, understanding, and finally, delight replaced it.

“Aren’t they adorable?” the gorgeous brunette in the rainbow sequin dress stated more than asked.

“And you thought it was more drama,” Kizzy laughed before moving over to stand by Harley.

Her best friend stood with Cecelia Bank, who occasionally wiped tears away. They weren’t sad tears as she beamed with pride.

Moving over to Poppy, Peyton watched as a brown-skinned young woman with long black hair and medium-sized breasts interviewed Serinda and Sanna. A camera with the letters WFSH and the number 13 shone its light on the two redheads. Dressed in a power suit, Cleopatra Monroe's dark-brown eyes briefly flickered in Peyton's direction. A pleased expression formed as she spotted one of Finn's best friends.

Although two years older than Peyton, Cleopatra knew her well. Credited as the editor-in-chief who revitalized The Buzzy Bee in her two years in charge, Cleo had served not only as Finn's predecessor but also as his mentor. Cleo's ideas about creating a pipeline of reporters from the junior high schools gained steam under Finn's leadership and still thrive today, with Daisy handling those duties. After graduating last year from Breakwater University, Cleo stayed in Muskie Harbor, taking a job as a telejournalist at WFSH, "The Fish." Better known locally as Channel 13, the small college-town station served all of the greater Blackbridge region.

“They’re naturals,” Poppy commented about the Bank sisters.

It didn’t take Peyton long to realize that Serinda and Sanna were indeed naturals in front of the camera. They came across as sweet, funny, and perfectly in tune, switching back and forth with their answers and stories several times to keep the banter flowing. But what came across the most were their heartfelt responses about their aunt and the new Cassandra’s Story Society. Funny enough, Peyton didn’t know that her mom had picked up on the sisters' ability in front of cameras earlier in the night. Bridget had noticed how shy they could be speaking in front of a large group in person, but with potentially more watching their videos, they came alive.

“Our memories of Aunt Cassie might be limited, but they are everlasting,” Serinda declared.

“Absolutely! And we plan to make similar everlasting memories for all the wee ones that come out for the future Storytimes. The readers/actors will be funtastic!” Sanna promised.

“Don’t forget to join us!” Serinda added when Cleo wrapped up their joint interview. “Many of your favorite Honey Hollow celebrities will take part.”

"How did…" Peyton's question trailed off as the television reporter hugged Finn's cousins.

“I found this when I went looking for Barney. Those girls have been talking forever. Cleo appears delighted with them. Barn and Finn’s grandma helped ensure that the girls got interviewed,” Poppy relayed before answering the other unasked question. “I kicked Barney out as it was Merry’s and Jamie’s turns to dance with him.”

“That was wonderful, Cleo!” CeCe praised, hugging the familiar reporter. “We can’t thank you enough for making this happen. Having Cassandra’s charity featured on the news can only help.”

“Don’t thank me, Grammy B. Mrs. Stratton deserves all the credit for suggesting I ask to come up here. Honestly, this is my first solo field assignment that wasn’t just assigned to me. My news director is even more thrilled since I was here for the big political story,” Cleo relayed. “It stinks that it’s about Mr. Stratton. And I’m sorry that I’m only getting around to the interviews about Finn’s mom so late into the night.”

"Nonsense. Clive will be fine, and we're thrilled that you are squeezing in the time with all the breaking news," Cecelia responded. "I just wish Finn hadn't vanished with all the foolishness surrounding his father and Lana."

“I have people searching for Finn at this moment,” Peyton announced. Then, motioning toward Kizzy, she asked for a status update.

“On it, Miss Tarver,” the younger Beal sister confirmed. She pulled out her phone while Harley passed Sanna back hers.

“Thanks!” the youngest Bank sibling said.

“We’re going to have to find the perfect way to introduce our cameo in Honey Hollow events,” Serinda said, already itching to watch the interview that Harley recorded for them.

“We should hold a roundtable discussion when we get back home about our trip here,” Sanna suggested, already thinking about which friends to include.

“Peyton, it’s so great to see you,” Cleo greeted, smiling at the younger blonde. “I hope you’ll grant me an interview as one of Finn’s closest friends.”

“Absolutely. Anything to help Aunt Cassie’s foundation,” Peyton replied, shocked that there would be any doubt. “I just wish my mom were here for you to interview. Or Tinsley. They were Cassie’s best friends.”

“I’d hoped to interview Mrs. Stratton, but I understand things spiraled earlier,” Cleo said diplomatically. Privately, she’d sighed with relief that the Strattons had left, as her news director would’ve demanded she ask Rachel about the corruption allegations.

“Shayla and Lauren have already volunteered to stop over for an interview in a little bit. At least a few old classmates of Cass will be available. Kimberly was supposed to talk about their old library readings, but she’s also disappeared,” CeCe revealed with a frown. “However, I’m not sure how many interviews you have time for to show.”

“I think I might get a two-minute segment or slightly longer,” Cleo admitted. She hoped for an extended segment as most employees at the station were off for the holidays, so content was mostly pre-recorded several days ago. “Sanna and Serinda, along with the interview before them, were entertaining enough that I expect they will take up part of the allotted time.”

Petyon raised her eyebrows at the mention of a previous interview. Poppy picked up on the inquisitive expression and supplied the interview subjects.

"Fletch and Paige had a joint interview about their favorite teacher. It wasn't quite as harmonious as Finn's cousins."

“We loved it!” Serinda proclaimed.

“Fletcher is awesome. He’s introduced us to several of our favorite–”

“And hated.”

“Right! Favorite and hated characters from Nosy Nectar,” Sanna agreed with her sister.

“Um, okay,” Cleo responded, confused over the talk of characters. However, she returned to the main topic. “I’m not making any promises. I don’t have the influence to do so, but I’m hoping this segment might spur more interest in the station. Specifically, I’m hoping our Sunday morning show about local events can cover the Cassandra Story Society when it holds its first Storytime event in the spring. If you’ve seen the show, it’s roughly a twenty-two-minute deep dive into local, cultural events.”

“Yes, I’ve watched those occasionally. That would be lovely,” CeCe responded, grabbing Cleo for another hug.

“It’s more wishful thinking on my part, but I think having plenty of interviews from tonight, along with footage of those amazing post-dinner speeches, would help convince my bosses to cover the debut of the CSS. We could show how much Mrs. Singer meant to her former students and then show how they’re passing it on,” Cleo explained.

“We need to be here for that, Grandma,” Serinda demanded.

Sanna agreed.

“Oh, I don’t know, girls. Your parents are already upset, and I’m still working on convincing them to let you stay for an extended period this summer to be here for the foundation,” CeCe admitted.

“No, we need to be here for the first one. It’s for Aunt Cassie!” Sanna proclaimed.

“If Mom and Dad won’t let us, we’ll find somebody to break us out of our jail,” Serinda threatened.

“Great idea, Rinda! We can get somebody that scares Dad, like Peyton’s aunt,” Sanna suggested.

“Brandy? Oh, I don’t know about that,” Peyton replied. “Your parents might decide to get her in trouble for helping.”

“Yes, Sander and Cherry might push for **** charges,” Cecelia admitted about her son and daughter-in-law.

“Whatever! We don’t need adult help,” Serinda stated, changing tactics.

“Damn right, we don’t. I bet Natalie and Noelle know how to escape from your home and fly halfway across the country,” Sanna speculated.

“Ooh, I bet they do, San,” Serinda agreed.

“The Toone Twins? They probably have already done it,” Peyton sighed in resignation. Then, seeking to change the topic, she suggested to Cleo that they start her interview.

“Wait! We have to interview Cleopatra first!” Sanna interrupted.

“Right!” her sister confirmed, pulling out her phone.

“You want me to use your phone again?” Harley asked the younger Bank sister.

“I knew I liked you. Thanks!”

“I’m sorry, what? You want to interview me about my job?” Cleo asked with an amused expression. “Is this for a school paper? Are you interested in television news?”

“No, this is for our blog. Or are we calling it a vlog still?” Serinda asked, looking at her sister.

“That doesn’t matter,” Sanna brushed off the question as she was still focused on Cleo. “We want to interview you, but not about dumb TV. We want to know about your Buzzy Bee days.”

"Specifically about Finn's earliest days and how he became such an important leading character," Serinda continued. "So this would be from Season 11 when you first recruited him as a staff member in junior high school."

“Right! We want to know what made our cousin tick back then,” Sanna explained. “Oh! Barney, too, as they came in together as a package.”

“Good call, San. We can’t forget about Barn. He’s such an underappreciated supporting character.”

“Besides that material, we also have a few questions about the Season 11 love triangle involving Cash Colcord, Blush Ashby, and Tuesday Brass. A couple of the rumors on Nosy Nectar from that time don’t quite make sense,” Sanna explained. “Oh! I also have a question about Senior Skip Day in Season 12 that I’m just dying to know about.”

“Excuse me. I’m not sure I understand what you mean by characters and seasons,” Cleo admitted with a baffled expression.

“Well, it seems as if my granddaughters–” CeCe began.

“Don’t worry. I got this, Grammy B,” Poppy interrupted.

Peyton palmed her face as Kizzy grew excited over hearing how the Bank sisters and their Eldermoss friends viewed Nosy Nectar and Honey Hollow. Harley didn’t know if she should find it humorous or worrisome about the gears clearly in motion in her best friend’s head.

---

“I’m so sorry,” Peyton apologized for the third time while blinking away tears.

"Don't be. You came across as genuine and heartfelt when talking about Finn's mother. I can't see how we don't use that. And I think your words will benefit the cause," Cleo reassured the tearful blonde.

“I wholeheartedly agree. You were amazing, dear,” CeCe said, wrapping her arms around Bridget’s daughter. “Cass would’ve loved to see the amazing young woman you’ve become, along with your incredible friendship with Finn and Lana.”

Sanna and Serinda joined their grandmother in hugging Peyton. Kizzy and Harley made eye contact, nodded, and joined the growing group hug.

Poppy understood the sentiment but chose not to join in.

“Did we miss something?” Shayla O’Dell asked as she and Lauren Rogers came over.

“Just me turning into a mess,” Peyton admitted, wiping away tears.

“Perfectly understandable, dear,” CeCe reassured. “And it looks like your next interviews are here.”

"Great! Now, I just need another former student or two, plus Finn, if he's found. Maybe Lana, too. She'd catch some eyeballs," Cleo admitted, winking.

“That’s Lana's main selling point,” Poppy joked.

"I had people out looking for them," Peyton repeated, glancing at Kizzy.

“I’m sorry, Miss Tarver. They are on their way over here. I don’t know what—Wait, I bet they got sidetracked over at Mr. Whelan’s table. You sent Zara over there to help,” Peyton’s second-in-command recalled.

Harley nodded as it sounded plausible.

“Let’s head over there and check. If I find Finn and Lana, I’ll send them down here,” Peyton promised before she and the Beal and Peel Team walked off.

Sanna and Serinda looked at each other, unsure about following, but they decided to spend more time with their grandmother. Poppy ended up shrugging before retracing Peyton’s steps.

They didn’t make it far before spotting the small group of YoYo, Ariel, Winnie, and Zoey walking toward them. Taking her role as Peyton’s right-hand woman seriously, Kizzy immediately questioned their tardiness.

“Geez, what’s up your butt, Kizz?” YoYo shot back.

“We stopped to see if Zara needed any help. They’re packing up the books,” Zoey answered Kizzy’s question.

“All the children are gone by now,” Winnie further explained.

“Status report!” Kizzy demanded in frustration.

“Okay, nobody is to ever vote for Kizzy as captain. Power obviously goes to her head,” YoYo muttered.

“Uh, we’re not cheerleaders, or at least Zoey isn’t right now,” Winnie pointed out. “And Ariel is a Sugarbee.”

“I know that!” Yolanda hissed.

“Get to it! Miss Tarver is waiting,” Kizzy barked, crossing her arms.

“Don’t have a stroke, Beal!” YoYo responded before turning to face Peyton. “No luck in finding Lana. The last time anyone saw her, she was heading upstairs with Skye Willows, but Skye was later seen in the lobby by herself.”

“That’s it?” Kizzy questioned sarcastically.

“As for Finn, it sounds like he was seen getting on the elevator with a dark-haired woman. Somebody thought she went to Zurbrugg with you guys,” Zoey passed along.

“Yes, Farah Vesper. We knew about that, but I’d hoped he’d come back down,” Peyton admitted.

“Come on, Zo. Miss Tarver already knew that. You need to try harder,” Kizzy admonished, causing Zoey to roll her eyes. “What about Teresa?”

“Oh, that’s me!” Ariel realized. “So Teresa supposedly demanded Barney Barrie’s keycard. I guess he’s sharing a room with Finn. Later, she gave it to Newt Denton to give back to Barney. Apparently, someone also witnessed Teresa bribing a desk clerk.”

“For what?” Kizzy questioned.

“I don’t know. I’m not Nosy Nectar over here,” Ariel defended herself.

“Pathetic, just pathetic. Where is your cheer pride?” Kizzy challenged.

“Uh, we’re not cheerleaders,” Winnie reminded again.

“Kizz,” Harley said. Her tone sounded cautious as she gently touched her friend's shoulder.

“What?!” Kizzy bellowed.

Harley didn't flinch as she turned her best friend around to look at her.

“You’re getting too stressed out. Take several deep breaths and calm down.”

“You’re starting to sound like Cadence,” YoYo remarked.

“I am?!” Kizzy gasped in shock.

“No, I’d say you sound more like Whitney,” Peyton commented.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I guess I have been stressed tonight. Making sure Sean survives can be nerve-racking… it can be!” Kizzy exclaimed, noticing the disbelieving looks. “It’s a lot of responsibility.”

“It’s fine. Just remember, no more scenes tonight, okay?” Peyton responded. “And maybe I should lessen your responsibilities. You’re no longer my second-in-command.”

“I’m being demoted?!” Kizzy wailed.

“No! No, you’re not demoted. Let’s consider this a well-deserved break, okay?” Peyton clarified hastily.

This is why I didn’t continue cheerleading after that failed experiment. These girls are all high-strung in different ways. It’s like ten different variations of Lana. Or Poppy. Or Stephanie.

“Alright, how about we pick up Zara on the way to the ballroom? You girls need to let off some steam,” Peyton stated, motioning for the sophomores to move.

---

“Are you leaving already?” Webster inquired, glancing around for the lobby clock.

"Unfortunately, yes. The hands on the clock are telling us it's time to go," Pepper replied, hugging one of the young men she'd viewed as family for years. Seamus, Virginia, and Theo were with her.

“Dagnabbit killjoy! That mean ol' clock and his sandman sent all the kiddies to bed,” Chastity groused in a strangely cheery way. “The New Year Baby is supposed to take over for Father Time tonight.”

“I take it that you had fun helping Webb?” Pepper asked, moving to allow Virginia to hug Webster.

“Goodness gracious, did I!” Chastity gushed. “It’s such an honor to assist a marvelous do-gooder. Mr. Whelan is a special stork who brings joy and happiness to the world.”

“And what did you think, Webb? Is Chastity a keeper for the Cassandra Story Society?” Pepper asked with a curious expression.

“She’s a keeper, Mrs. Fallon. You should’ve seen the magic she worked on the tired and cranky kids. She was definitely the star attraction. I might have to bring her along to my next book unveiling,” Webb half-joked.

“M-Me? Shut the front door!” Chastity squealed. Then, she suddenly recalled his announcement during his speech. “W-Would this be Ruffy’s first book?”

“Nope. I have a new Nat, the Ant book, coming out this spring. Ruffy’s solo debut should be out in the summer,” Webb explained. “Actually, if you remember our earlier conversation about the possibility of introducing a new animal to the Milo & Whiskers neighborhood, I think your comment made a lot of sense. Prada, the Pomeranian, does need competition. ”

“By Caesar’s ghost! Are you really going to introduce a new girl doggie? Will she be Ruffy’s girlfriend?”

“Maybe. However, I’ll need to think up a name for her. You certainly have a way with words, and you’re the president of my adult fan club. Would you like to create her name?” Webb asked.

“Sweet friggin' Christmas,” Chastity breathed.

Next, the bubbly blonde started to sway. Pepper immediately recognized the signs of a potential fainting and rushed forward. However, Chastity managed to stay conscious and plopped down on a chair.

“I think you just gave her the best Christmas present ever, Webb,” Virginia remarked before whispering. “You’ve always been such a sweetheart.”

“Yes, shocking how you managed to stay that way in our neighborhood,” Seamus teased. Then, placing a hand on each of Webster’s shoulders, he looked him dead in the eye. “I’m proud of you, kiddo. You turned into a creative genius and one of the finest men I know.”

Never having the honor of a son, Seamus always had two soft spots in his heart. One for Webb and the other for Teddy Day. They’d filled the role of surrogate son/nephew until his own grandsons came along. Although closer to Teddy, Seamus also had a fondness for the little boy who would quietly walk into his house, grab a box of crayons, and start drawing his fabulous pictures.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Ah, Dee, there you are. We’ve been trying to find you,” Seamus replied to his youngest daughter.

“Have you? Or were you planning on sneaking out?” Brandy questioned.

“Now, why would we sneak out?” Pepper replied.

“Have you been drinking, Uncle Theo?” Brandy asked Mr. Day. She knew he had. “Because I know Mom has had a few glasses of wine.”

“Your father is fine to drive,” Pepper stated, attempting to cut off her daughter’s line of thinking.

“Oh, really? We not only know that Dad’s eyesight sucks at night these days, but his bad leg also stiffens up on cold nights like tonight,” Brandy listed.

“Don’t worry, Brandy. Ginny hasn’t had a drop tonight. You know she’s never been a drinker,” Theo stated confidently.

“Is that so?” Brandy responded. Her tone and stare caused Virginia to crack.

“Well, the Witzler stocks this delicious sherry. I may have had a glass or three.”

“Virginia!”

“Actually, I’m not worried about the tiny amount that you’ve drank; it’s the icy conditions that mean you can’t leave,” the youngest Fallon daughter declared.

Pepper immediately sensed this was some sort of payback. They had reached that age where her daughter now felt comfortable giving her parents orders, and Pepper wasn’t about to have it. So she said so.

“Do you wanna argue with me, Mom? This isn't some elder **** shit. How about I go find Mrs. Bank and ask her about driving on ice roads?”

“That’s uncalled for, Brandy.”

“Nope, you’ll have to just stay here for the night. Ah, here comes Fawn with your new room keys,” Brandy turned to talk to her best friend. Immediately, they had a whispered argument that grew louder. “What do you mean that there aren’t any rooms available?”

“It means there are no empty rooms,” Fawn responded.

“Did you drop our names? Use my parents…hell, use Sean’s name. That’s got to mean something around here this week,” Brandy commented.

“I asked…hey, can you come over here, Graham?” Fawn called over after spotting him.

“What’s the deal, Diamond? My parents need rooms. It’s too crazy out there for them to drive,” Brandy asserted.

“Dee, this isn’t necessary,” Seamus interjected, but his daughter held up a finger.

“Yes, the Witzler is booked solid. Dalton knows it’s getting treacherous out there, so he has his nephew scrambling to free up space. They’re asking guests to share rooms while also working to add cots to the conference rooms and any other free space,” Graham explained.

“See? Treacherous,” Brandy pointed out to her parents and the Days.

“Stop being overdramatic. We don’t have far to drive,” Pepper insisted. She got backed up by her husband and neighbors.

“Um, actually, speaking of far drives,” Graham interrupted hesitantly. “Have any of you heard from Bridget? I asked Gabby to send her a message earlier, but I never heard back. They would’ve been driving straight into the freezing rain.”

“No, I haven’t,” Pepper replied, suddenly showing some concern.

Brandy shook her head. She immediately pulled out her phone to message her sister, Rachel, and Tinny.

"Harvey's driving, right? That boy knows his way around those roads. I'm sure he'll take it carefully," Seamus reassured his family.

“I thought the same thing, but considering all this,” Graham motioned around to the charity ball in honor of an ice victim. “I’d sleep better having heard back from my brother.”

Brandy received negative responses from Rachel and Tinsley, so she expanded the net. The argument about her parents leaving started back up. Brandy bickered back and forth with them until she spotted a likely supporter.

“Peyton, get over here. Maybe you’ll listen to the granddaughter with a good head on her shoulders,” Brandy said snarkily to her parents. “Peyton, talk some sense into your grandparents and the Days. They want to drive in this ice storm.”

Nodding at Fawn, Brandy listened as Peyton immediately argued against driving in these conditions. Hilariously, to Brandy, several of the sophomores following Peyton jumped into the fray.

“It’s far too dangerous, Mrs. Fallon,” Zoey argued, knowing Peyton’s grandparents since she was a baby.

“Oh, you can’t take the risk, Grandma Pepper. Sir Sean can’t have anything happen to you,” Kizzy stressed to the woman she’d only met tonight but instantly clicked with.

“Better listen to Pey, Mom. You heard how she put Bev in her place earlier. She’s definitely your miniature version. Hell, Pey might even be ready to challenge you as queen bitch in the family,” Brandy suggested.

“You’re really trying that angle?” Fawn questioned.

“Hush, Fawnie,” Brandy snapped as another idea popped into her head. “Say, Webb, maybe you should go find your sister. I bet she’d have an opinion on my parents' dumb idea.”

“Enough!” Pepper ordered her daughter. “It doesn’t matter what you argue. There are no rooms available, so we can’t stay.”

"Wait, is that the problem?" Peyton asked. "Then, it's not a problem. Grandma, you can stay in one of our rooms. Mom booked us two rooms with double beds. She and Dad are definitely not using their room. You can also use my room if you and the Days don't want to share a room. Sean's not around to use his bed, and I can always find a place to sleep. The Strattons have a suite. I can always stay there on a couch or something."

“Or we can find a bed with a guy for Peyton to share. That would take care of all our problems, including her dry spell,” Brandy announced, clapping her hands.

“Seriously?” Peyton and Fawn replied simultaneously.

“If you don’t mind my interrupting, Peyton could possibly stay in Harvey’s suite if she needs to. I believe only Skye is still up there,” Graham mentioned.

“See? It’s settled!” Brandy declared as she watched her parents and the Days hold a wordless conversation with looks.

“Very well. We’ll stay in Bridget’s room,” Pepper agreed.

“Great! It’s a glorious feeling to know you finally listen to me, Mom.”

“Knock it off, Dee,” her dad replied.

“However, I do have one condition,” Pepper added. “Peyton, you’ve been running around too much tonight. I know you want to fill in as hostess for your mother and Rachel, but I also know they’d want you to have a good time. So, we’ll stay, but only if you agree to let loose and have fun for the remaining time.”

“No need to fret, Mom. I'll make sure that Peyton gets back on track with finding a man,” Brandy said before her niece could open her mouth. “We gotta make sure that Pey pops out the first Fallon great-grandkid before Bev’s kids do.”

“I’m not getting knocked up, Brandy!”

“That’s Aunt Brandy, kid. Remember to show some respect,” Brandy winked over at Fawn before stage whispering. “Don’t worry, Aunt Ginny, I’ll push hard for Nate to be the babymaker.”

“Oh, dear,” Virginia made a sound that came across as a cough/chortle combination.

Pepper chose to ignore her daughter's teasing of her granddaughter. She had faith that Peyton would extricate herself from Brandy's plans. Instead, she suggested to Fawn that she stop over and talk to Cleo.

“I understand that Cecilia is looking for old friends of Cassandra’s from childhood without Bridget, Tinsley, or Rachel around. You might not have been her age, but I know you looked up to Cassandra.”

“Oh, indeed I did! And it would be nice to see Cleopatra again,” Fawn replied.

“I’d love to pass on what Cassie meant to me as well,” Webster added.

“Get on TV? Count me in!” Brandy declared.

Fawn started to make a comment about Brandy being on television plenty of times when something went wrong, but held back. It might be better and more memorable to catch her off guard with the remark while she was in front of the camera.

“Let me deal with my spinster niece first," Brandy finished.

Pepper and Virginia decided Brandy's comment was the perfect time to head upstairs. They took Peyton's keycard and made their goodnights before walking towards the elevators.

Once they vanished from sight, Peyton began to argue with her aunt. Only Brandy ignored her and made a show of nodding her head over at Yolanda.

“Right,” YoYo said, pulling out her phone. Making a quick call, she spoke into the device. “Operation: Niece Nookie is a go. I repeat, Operation: Niece Nookie is a go.”

“Opp-a what?” Peyton screeched.

"Roger! Target Wine Vine is in the zone. I repeat, Target Wine Vine is in place," Beatrice could be heard over the phone.

“Hell, no!” Peyton screamed as several of the younger girls grinned at her.

“Don’t ever underestimate me. You’re so getting laid tonight, ol’ second-favorite niece,” Brandy cackled.

“We'd better go now,” Fawn told Webb. He nodded in agreement.

“What the…Why didn’t anyone tell me about the plan for Miss Tarver!” Kizzy complained as Zoey and YoYo grabbed one of Peyton’s hands to start dragging her toward the ballroom.