Showdown in Aisle 12

Thursday, September 26th

With a purpose in each step, the teenager weaved her away through the crowded hallways of Honey Hollow High. Glancing at her watch, she saw little time left before the school day started. Keeping that in mind, the cheerleader burst into the classroom with her loud voice already ringing out.

“Yo, Topaz, things got fucked up. You're going to–Oh, wow, your class arrives early,” Tinny murmured upon seeing the seats mostly filled already. “Sophomores. That explains it.”

While the class giggled and whispered over the loud intrusion, their English Composition teacher sighed deeply. Only twenty-four years old and a month into her second year of teaching, Topaz Brass struggled to get the cheerleaders, especially the varsity squad, to treat her as they would any other faculty member. A lovely strawberry blonde with blue eyes, very large breasts, and a curvy ass, Topaz had been the school’s cheer captain a little over five years ago. A role the older cheerleaders still viewed her as having only recently vacated.

“Can I help you, Miss Day?” Topaz questioned in an overly professional voice.

“Whoops, sorry,” Tinny muttered before turning her voice extra sweet. “Yes, I’d like to have a moment of your time for an important matter if you could spare it.”

The cheer co-captain spotted a pair of Babybees that she particularly didn’t care for, laughing a bit too much at Tinny’s voice for her liking. I better tell Sabrina to make those two work extra hard at the next practice. Crap, what are their names?

“Very well. Let’s step inside the supply closet,” Mrs. Brass suggested, motioning to the rare tiny closet in a classroom that she adored. With the senior following, they left the door open halfway as there wasn’t enough room for both to stand comfortably apart. “What on earth caused you to behave like that?”

"We got major fucking problems. What? I can't swear around you all of a sudden. Geesh! Okay, okay, I won't do it inside a classroom…or the halls."

“Carry on.”

“We totally had to change our float idea,” Tinny began before she got cut off.

“Please don’t tell me that Annette insisted it be sexier,” Topaz responded, pinching her brow.

“For once, that’s not happening. We’re actually toning it down to be more family-friendly.”

“Why am I suddenly feeling worse?”

"Beats me. Did little Tuesday keep you up late again?" Tinny asked before continuing. "Look, I can't say why yet or what the new theme will be. You're going to have to trust us."

“Hold on. Does Sal–Miss Stall know about this change?”

“Nope. Sally knows even less than you now. What?” Tinny challenged as the teacher shook her head at the ceiling. “What we need is for you to cancel the JV practice on Saturday. Oh, and not to push it back to Sunday either.”

“So now you’re telling me how to coach the JV squad?” Topaz asked. Unbelievable! We would have never talked to Coach Kessler this way when I was Tinsley's age. Well, they are responsible for forcing her into retirement.

"Not real…Okay, I guess we are. This isn't a power struggle. We like you and Sally. We just need the Babybees desperately. Float building and the tryouts–I mean, the float building will be intense this weekend."

“Tryouts?! What are you–” The school bell to start the day rang. “That part can wait until later. You’re already tardy for your class, Tinny.”

“No big deal,” Tinny replied, walking out of the supply closet. “Mr. Grummit is well aware of my history of tardiness.”

Topaz didn’t laugh at the petite brunette’s joke about the ancient history teacher. Instead, she turned toward her class to maintain some order. However, after exiting the class, Tinny popped her head back around the door.

“I almost forgot. We’re having another bake sale tomorrow.”

“Alright, so everyone knows their assignments and where to go?” Shayla double-checked after Maura and Cassie handed out the plan for this afternoon and evening.

“Um, what if we don’t have money to buy this stuff?” one Babybee asked.

“Yeah, I thought we used the cheerleader funds, not our own money, to buy the supplies,” another Babybee complained.

“Gawd, if you don’t have money, then get jobs,” Tinny groused. The varsity co-captain lay on a bench in the school commons during their lunch period.

"How? We don't have any extra time between school, homework, and cheerleading," Regina Grell argued. That earned a head raise from Tinny, with her pointing two fingers at her eyes and then at Regina's. "What the heck does that mean?"

“I work… occasionally,” Zita stated.

“At your family’s restaurant. Not everyone else can just pop in and out to work a few hours whenever they like,” Haley teased her friend.

“See?” a different Babybee pointed out.

“Hey, you gotta spend money to make it,” Zita countered.

“Look, we’ll pay you all back after the bake sale, okay?” Bridget clarified.

“If we make enough,” Kimberly muttered.

"That sounds like a promise, girls," Miranda proclaimed in an overly excited voice. The blonde had done that during the entire meeting, making it evident that she was trying to keep the peace while covering for Annette's absence.

“And it is. So ask your parents to borrow some money if you need to,” Bridget suggested.

“My dad already said my cheerleading career is a money pit,” the more whiney Babybee added.

“Knock it off,” Tanith Penfold, the JV co-captain, ordered before lowering her voice. “You three are embarrassing us.”

"Don't worry, Bridget, we'll handle our end," promised Sabrina Rinaldi, the JV captain and Bridget's little cheersister.

Suddenly, a trio of young women descended the three steps to the slightly lower level of the commons. Then, continuing a few more paces, they turned to face the older cheerleaders, putting their backs to the Babybees.

“I see you’re lazy as always, Day,” a petite blonde with a pixie haircut commented.

“Aw, suck it, troll,” Tinny replied, never opening an eye but recognizing the voice to flip her the bird. She’d once claimed to be able to smell Didi Bing’s perfume from across a football field.

“If the rumor mill is correct, then it seems you chickened out of our rematch, Fallon,” a cherry redhead with large breasts addressed her archrival. “Such a shame that Annette will be crushed in a landslide so that you can save face.”

“Oh, I’m not skipping anything, Gemma,” Bridget responded, standing up to face the Sugarbee captain. “Annie and I are both running, and we’re both going to kick your uptight ass.”

“Y-You can’t be serious,” Gemma Harlow sputtered.

The cheerleaders' nodding acknowledgments shifted the shock from the dancer's face to triumph. Then, glancing at Didi on her right and Danika Huskova on her left, Gemma cackled her response.

“You hear that, girls? My election just turned into a breeze.”

“Sounds like we can skip the election and head straight to the coronation,” Didi added.

“I wouldn’t count on it," Shayla shot back.

“Do you honestly think Midge can win with the cheerleader groupie vote split?” Danika mocked.

“Who said anything about a cheerleader not winning?” Bridget questioned.

“There are plenty of regular non-voters that just might hit the polls with the proper incentive,” Cassie warned.

"And if Annette or I don't win, I'd place any bets on Paula. She's far more likable than you," Bridget pointed out.

“I don’t care about being liked nor need it. All the guys desire this,” Gemma ran a hand down the front of her cleavage. “And all the girls fear my wrath.”

Tinny started the round the laughter that the other cheerleaders picked up on. Only a few Babybees failed to laugh as they appeared frightened of the dance captain. Still, when several male spectators added their laughter, Gemma spun around and marched away without a parting shot.

“Miss Day!” a loud, gruff voice bellowed. “You know that napping is not allowed during lunch.”

“Aw, come on, Grimm! I’m just resting my eyes,” Tinny shouted, but she begrudgingly sat up before the gym teacher came over.

“Why are you so tired again?’ Bridget asked.

“You know damn well why! Mom gets a sugar high when it’s Ginny and Tinny bonding time over baking. She kept me up until one in the morning to go over recipes,” the petite brunette grumbled.

“Aww, somebody loves spending time with her little girl,” Bridget teased while poking her next-door neighbor in the side.

"Keep that up, and I'll tell Pepper that you're getting rowdy again and need to spend more time with her," Tinny threatened.

“Do that, and I’ll bribe Brandy to make your life a living hell," Bridget threatened.

“Really? Brandy likes me more than you."

“You both should spend more time with your mothers,” Cassie suggested.

“Don’t even start!” Bridget and Tinny responded simultaneously.

Hollister’s, a regional grocery store chain, had many busy locations, with the store located down the road from Westgate Mall generating some of its highest revenue. So, the workers were used to hectic bursts of business or unusual sights. However, even the most experienced employees paused to watch two dozen teenage girls rush through the sliding glass doors and grab a dozen shopping carts.

Besides the varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders, Cassie Bank and Baily Thirlby joined them for the supply run. A recent hire, Chad Schipper, looked over at Jerry Yegge in awe. Jerry, a senior basketball player at Honey Hollow High, had experience with these moments. So, with a chuckle, he gave his sixteen-year-old coworker some advice.

“Get used to it, and these moments are why it’s important to know the store’s layout. And bring some extra cash to school tomorrow.”

“Why?” Chad asked.

"Obviously, a bake sale is happening. And you want to get in good with the prettiest Babybees, don't you?" Jerry asked, slapping the younger teen's back before approaching the aisles the girls were headed toward.

“C’mon, Bee, we gotta go down this aisle!” Tinny ordered.

“I need to hit the cereal aisle first,” Bridget countered.

“Oh, right! You only know how to make Rice Krispie Treats,” Tinny teased.

“I’m also making cookies,” Bridget yelled indignantly down the aisle at her friend’s back.

“Yeah, the already-made dough ones!” the petite brunette shot back.

While most of the girls flocked to the aisles needed to make their goodies, Cassie and Rain headed toward the aisle for plastic wrap, mini paper plates, and napkins. Wednesday "Posey" Winkie followed them leisurely, more interested in food coloring and other items she could make art with.

Kimberly split off with two Babybees to get the eggs, butter, and milk.

“No, not that brand of mix. Those ones!” Lemon Leighton scolded Shalya Cooke, her big cheersister. She also shot a hard glare at Maura Afton until she removed her hand from a different type of muffin mix. Although only a Babybee, the younger girl assumed command of the former JV squad captains. And with her early success at their first two bake sales of the school year, Lemon had earned the right to issue orders.

“Haley, Zita, how are the cupcake ingredients coming?” Lemon yelled over toward the next aisle, earning shocked looks from other customers.

One elderly brunette commented on how rude teenagers are these days. If she had found Lemon’s shouts rude and unladylike, she would have fainted at the foul language Tinny spewed.

“I said fucking caramel and butterscotch, Tanith, not either fucking one! Hey, what’s-your-name; why the hell are you getting that brand of chocolate syrup? It’s fucking disgusting. My mom would disown me if I brought that home. Jesus, I should’ve brought Brandy and her friends with me instead. At least they know how to shop!”

“Would you shut up?!” came from a different aisle.

“Nice of you to finally show up, Annie!”

“Huh, that wasn’t me!” Annette yelled from two aisles away. “It’s some old broad. What? You are old, lady.”

"Sorry, ma'am. The cheerleaders can get super stressed before a bake sale," Jerry apologized to the woman Annette insulted. He'd joined her, Miranda, and Regina Grell as he had his eye on Miranda lately.

While that older woman threatened to find a manager, he’d already found Tinny.

“Don’t talk to me like that! My parents are regular, loyal customers of this place. And no, I will not leave until I buy this crap,” Tinny snatched her arm back before the manager could grab it. Then, raising her voice to another level, she shouted, “Bailey, I need you over here!”

Bridget arrived first to find her next-door neighbor daring the manager to call the police. But, before she could intervene, Bailey appeared at the other end of the aisle.

"You see that young woman, buddy? She's a Thirlby and related to the Hollister family. You know, the store owners and your bosses, " Tinsley announced.

“Uh, actually, the Hollisters are pretty distant relatives–” Bailey began to say.

“No, I said I will not leave. I’ve done nothing wrong. Oh, you pussied out and called for help, huh?” the petite brunette challenged as an assistant manager and store security official arrived in the aisle.

"Just go out to the car, Tin. We'll get your stuff," Bridget said, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Fine! But I know this level of disrespect wouldn't happen if my name were Sela Wynwick! Next time, I'm bringing Fiona with me. Her dearly departed mother was a Hollister," Tinny declared, storming past the two newest arrivals. Then, kicking a cart, she added, "This place reeks of classism."