Taking Shots

"What you drinking?" the handsome man inquired, snapping his fingers repeatedly in the direction of the busy bartender.

"I believe that the proper way to ask that question is: What are you drinking? Isn't that correct?" Brandy Fallon queried.

"Yes, that is the proper way," Fawn Graff responded, curious over her best friend's reaction to the obvious offer.

The two blonde thirty-year-olds stood alongside the ballroom bar, chatting with old acquaintances while also flirting with potential dance partners for the holiday. As per her style, Brandy wore a classic little black dress. Although considering its tiny size, one might call it a TBD rather than an LBD, for it barely covered her ass. However, Brandy showed respect for the occasion with the dress's lack of cleavage. Its off-the-shoulder-style top satisfied her need to tease. And the youngest Fallon sister even showed her practical side for the weather with the dress's long sleeves.

While Brandy's dress would draw over the bold, increasingly intoxicated partygoers as the night wore on, it was Fawn's cute style that attracted men early on. The school librarian had chosen a pretty dress with a splash of sexiness. It featured a black halter-style top that left her back bare while the flair of the red skirt screamed preppiness. Yet, it turned out to be Brandy's turn to get hit on.

"You're Brandy Fallon, are you not?" the handsome man attempted again. Having politely ignored the brush off, his eyes impolitely devoured her body.

"Yes, I am," Brandy replied, immediately holding her hand up to cut off the follow-up comment. "I'm sorry, but I'm a barely functional alcoholic. So it's for the best that I don't drink. I tend to get a bit wild."

Amused smiles flashed from those around the two blondes who knew Brandy. Her prospective suitor seemed unsure how to respond, but his eyes flickered down at her glass.

"Oh, this is a Shirley Temple," Brandy explained, causing a snicker or two.

"That's unfortunate. I enjoy a woman who gets a bit wild."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean the slutty kind of wild that pulls this top down, hikes this skirt up, and rides you like a jockey. I meant, the violent kind of wild that searches our hotel room for a pair of scissors to cut your dick off," Brandy explained in a nonchalant voice.

"Uh, well, um, Happy New Year," the confused man wished.

He hadn't entirely walked away before the bartender that he rudely called over appeared. Brandy took the opportunity for herself.

"I need to loosen up my uptight friend. So we need two shots of tequila before we order our next round. Thanks, Tip," Brandy ordered. Of course, she noticed her rejected suitor glance over his departing shoulder with a scowl.

"What was up with that? He was good-looking," Fawn inquired. She didn't appear all that thrilled when the bartender slid her shot of tequila in front of her. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, I wasn't joking about loosening you up." Brandy downed her shot, going through the salt-and-lime process. "And he's a doctor."

"A doctor?" Fawn managed to repeat as her throat burned. Washing the taste away with the rest of her drink, she smiled to get the bartender's attention. "Easy on the eyes and a solid career. What am I missing?"

"His name is Adam Chase. The last name is fitting." Brandy nodded as Fawn ordered another of her favorite mixed drinks. "Ever since he came to town, he's been going after women with rings on their fingers. Engaged or married is his preference."

"Ah, one of those."

"Indeed." Brandy inched over to whisper into her friend's ear. "Apparently, his Moby Dick is Bridget."

"Seriously? He's got taste, but your sister is as loyal as they come." Fawn paused as she spotted two teenagers walking past. "Having a good time, guys?"

"Hey, Ms. Graff!" Mason Angle, the school's soccer goaltender, greeted. His gaze took in the two older blondes' dresses before bashfully looking away.

"Happy New Year, Ms. Graff. Same to you, Aunt Brandy," Annika Bergstrom reacted. One of the mainstays on the girls' volleyball team, the leggy brunette had long viewed Peyton Tarver as a role model.

"Are they a couple? They look good together," Brandy inquired after the teens moved out of earshot. As the school librarian, Fawn knew much of the scuttlebutt around the teenage dating scene.

"Hmm, not that I know of." Fawn's frown led Brandy to ask about it. "Oh, it's nothing. I've just pictured Mason as an excellent match with JoJo."

"Sean's JoJo? That girl needs to get laid. I've tried to help, but Jo always seems frightened of me," Brandy remarked, earning a chuckle from her friend.

"That's because she's heard all the horror stories about you." Fawn hesitated a moment before continuing. "JoJo's a different girl while playing soccer. That's why I thought one of the players on the boys' team might connect better with her."

"Maybe we should ask Sean or Bridget about your idea."

"Speaking of your nephew: Where did he go?" Fawn squinted as she peered around people. The bespectacled blonde had wanted to check on Sean as soon as they saw him enter the ballroom, but Brandy wanted to wait. She'd said to let Bridget show him off a bit before they swooped in to save him. Now, she couldn't locate one of her favorite students.

"Beyza wheeled him down the hall a few minutes ago," Brandy revealed.

"And?!" Fawn questioned, her face flashing alarm. She knew that Beyza still held some form of a grudge or hostility toward her ex-boyfriend. "Shouldn't we check on them?"

"Not yet. Seanie needs to deal with his first failed relationship, no matter how much we want to protect him," Brandy stated with a sad smile. "It's like what happened with Wrenn and Julian Seng."

"I hope not! That wasn't pretty. Maybe we should check on Sean in a minute," Fawn fretted, checking again for him or Beyza.

"You hear from Wrenn?"

"Not since lunch," Fawn replied, grimacing.

"Ugh, she's in one of her complaining moods, isn't she?" Brandy inquired.

Wrenn Whelan, now Whelan-Engram, was the missing third member of their childhood trio. Whereas Brandy had been the cheerleader and party girl, with Fawn serving as the kind and caring listener, Wrenn had been the brainy one of their bunch. The only brunette of the three, Wrenn, was also the uptight complainer. Usually, Fawn found herself playing peacekeeper between the other two friends. Things hadn't changed as Brandy wandered aimlessly through life, spending stints at different colleges, jobs, and men. Wrenn proved again to be the polar opposite. She'd decided early on that she'd found the man to be her life partner in Tim Engram while also skyrocketing up the ranks of a tech company as a hardworking executive. Throw in a six-month-old baby, and she seemed decades ahead in maturity compared to her two oldest friends.

"Oh, totally," Fawn chuckled. "She's anxious about leaving Tabitha with her parents."

"Doesn't she leave the kid with her nanny every day?" Brandy challenged, rolling her eyes.

"That's the problem. Wrenn says that the nanny is a professional, and her parents are amateurs," Fawn revealed, unable to hold back a snicker.

"Oh, I sooo hope she told her mom that," Brandy replied, cackling. The girls had practically spent a third of their childhood at the Whelan home. So they knew what wonderful parents their friend had.

"I wonder what Webb will think of that."

"Maybe we missed the broken home that led him to become a children's author," Brandy speculated teasingly. "You're just lucky that you moved back from Fountain Beach. Wrenn might have asked you to interview for the nanny position. Rejected in five minutes."

"Five minutes? I wouldn't even get an interview. She saw how I failed at keeping you out of trouble," Fawn pointed out.

"Do you miss it? I mean, living out there in the sun and warm weather," Brandy clarified her question. All three friends had lived together in the West Coast city for a time.

"Sometimes. But coming back was the right thing to do. Wrenn thinks I'm an idiot, but I love being back to help students that we have ties to," Fawn explained. "Maybe kids will soften her up."

"Doubtful. I think Webb got the patience and empathy in the family," Brandy said honestly about their friend.

"Hey, we talk shit, but Wrenn came back for tonight. Sticking around the extra days after Christmas drove her nuts, but she did it for Cassie," Fawn defended Wrenn.

"I know. I'm just tired of her playing twenty questions about my life again. I get that enough from my mom," Brandy grumbled. "And it's not like Webb would ever forgive his sister for bailing on tonight. He idolized Cassie."

"Whoa! Speaking of idols..." Fawn trailed off before taking a sip through her straw.

Brandy turned her head slyly to discover what caused Fawn's reaction. An old classmate had entered the ballroom by the hallway near the bar. A popular, good-looking boy back then, Pascal Gastaldi had aged into a dashingly, handsome man with a bit of a rugged vibe.

"Looking good. Looking real good," Fawn commented, pausing her long sip.

"Too bad he's got that Guillory stink still on him," Brandy responded. Her glower spoke volumes about the past history between herself and Trista Guillory, Pascal's high school girlfriend.

"As if you wouldn't still fuck him," Fawn muttered.

"Oh, you know it. I'd do it just to get payback at Trista." Brandy paused as the wheels turned inside her brain. "Maybe that Sugarbee taint has worn off."

"Doesn't cheerleader taint last longer?" Fawn twisted the knife further.

"I'm not in the mood to talk about Venus," Brandy hissed. "Besides, Trista dated Pascal for almost two years. That makes him hers."

"Whatever you say."

Fawn didn't push the issue. She let pass the fact that Venus Caprica had taken the younger Pascal's virginity in part because she knew that Brandy had an interest in him. Fawn also felt they'd gotten enough **** on Venus, but it never seemed enough for Brandy. That's what happens when you join the cheerleading squad as a sophomore, only to be bullied mercilessly by the varsity squad's captain. Still, Fawn could be grateful that Brandy preferred **** by a thousand cuts rather than a big blowout. Those usually got out of hand back then and sent Wrenn into freaked-out, worried tears.

"What's his story?" Brandy inquired, her eyes focusing on the potential holiday playmate.

"I'm not sure. I haven't heard much about Pascal lately. I think he's living down in Sweet Creek."

"No, not him. Him!" Brandy directed at the attractive guy, three years younger than them.

"Ethan Bowe?" Fawn questioned. "He's engaged. I told you that."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did," Fawn insisted. "It was in my October email."

"Ugh! I barely skim your emails. They're like those long-winded Christmas cards that people send out," Brandy complained. "Can't you just text me this stuff?"

"I do text you things. But I save the smaller stuff for our emails. You should read them." Fawn didn't order Brandy because she had a better idea. "Wrenn does, and she appreciates them."

"Can't you just go all Nosy Nectar on me?" Brandy almost pleaded before mimicking an over-the-top post from the gossip site. "Spotted! Ethan Bowe leaving Hezelberg Jewelers with a small bag. Did he buy a lifetime of misery?"

"You know that's not how they write those things anymore," Fawn pointed out. "Besides, it would be more like: OMG! BREAKING NEWS: Scientists discover that Brandy Fallon has the first-ever negative-rated attention span!"

"You know I hate it when you sound like my mom," Brandy pouted. Then, she had the next logical thought. "Is Bella coming tonight?"

"Bella Bowe?"

"No, our other friend named Arabella Bowe, who happens to be the older sister of the guy we were talking about," the model-like blonde responded sarcastically.

"I'm not sure. I thought she said something about alternating holidays now that they had kids. Maybe it's his family's turn." Fawn pulled out her phone to send off a holiday greeting and a question.

"Well, Archer's in town. Or at least that's the buzz."

"Ugh, I don't need that reminder," Fawn groaned. Fortunately, that conversation didn't continue as the school librarian spotted a familiar face slide up to the bar on the other side of the couple next to them.

"Is there a problem?" Brandy asked as Fawn politely cut past the couple.

"Hello, London," Fawn greeted the black-haired teen.

"I'll have a Malibu and a Sex on the Beach. Oh, hi, Ms. Graff!" London Olmstead exclaimed, her eyes darting between the bartender and the school librarian. Sure, Fawn wasn't technically a teacher in her estimation, but it was close enough to cause concern.

The bartender's eyes narrowed before shrugging off the thought. He moved off to make the eighteen-year-old girl's drinks.

"And what are you doing, London?" the bespectacled blonde inquired.

"Shhh! My name is Vienna," London emphasized, winking exaggeratedly.

"A fake ID? Is that a good idea after what happened on Halloween?" Fawn questioned. Her face showed more concern for London than for any lawbreaking.

"Oh, I learned my lesson, Ms. Graff. I swear," London answered solemnly.

"Leave the kid alone, Fawnie. It's New Year's Eve, so have a good time," Brandy said to the teenager while pulling Fawn away. "Nope, none of that tonight. No worrying about what the kiddies do. Let's worry about what crazy shit we're going to get into."

Unknown to Brandy, several people had slid into the spot they had left at the bar. So when she abruptly pulled Fawn away from London, she banged into one of the newcomers. That caused a drink to slosh and spill on one of the people behind them.

"What the hell!"

"Geez, I'm super sorry. Let me buy you a drink," the bumped into man apologized.

"Oh, I'll let you buy me a drink if you let me offer you a dance in return. I find myself in need of a strong, athletic partner," the woman replied. Her demeanor changed the moment she saw the man's handsome face and fit figure. "So, what neck of the woods are you from?"

Brandy had planned to apologize when she turned around. However, that notion vanished as she recognized the woman's voice. Fawn noticed the sinister smirk form and looked up at the ceiling with a sigh.

"Honey Hollow?! Why, that's odd that I never met you before. What year did you graduate?"

When Davy Earp answered with the year after Brandy and Fawn, the platinum blonde's face showed intrigue and hunger. Then, she spotted the youngest Fallon sister, and her face morphed into a scowl.

"You better watch it, Davy," Brandy began. "She might have taken her ring off, but this is a married woman."

Davy Earp didn't know whether to say hello to his beautiful ex-schoolmate or the cute one next to her that waved at him or if he should check the platinum blonde's finger.

"I am not married," Kimberly Not-Yet-Back-To-Goose hissed. "Stay out of this, Brandy!"

"Why? Is there a problem? Do you see a problem here, Fawn?" Brandy asked, glancing over at her best friend.

"I think there could be." Fawn nodded.

"This is none of your damn business!" Kimberly snapped.

"Sucks to be you, but it is our business," Brandy stated, with Fawn nodding more firmly. "Ya see, we like Davy. He's always been a nice guy, a great guy. So we don't want to see him in danger."

"Danger?! What danger?" Davy questioned, his face flashing concern.

"The danger is my forcing you to shut your fat mouth if you don't do it yourself," Kimberly warned Bridget's younger sister.

"Ooh! I think I just felt a shiver of terror. Did you feel it too, Fawnie?"

"Nope. Nothing here scares me," Fawn boasted. "All I see is a little girl playing big girl and failing."

"What's the matter, four-eyes? Still jealous that Larry married me?" Kimberly spat out.

"Wait, so you are married?" Davy challenged.

"No, I'm not!"

"Listen up," Brandy said, raising her voice. She'd noticed several other men in their twenties and early thirties taking extra special interest in the scene. Rightly guessing that Kimberly had been making the rounds, she decided to ruin as much of the night as possible for her sister's frenemy, especially after what she'd heard from Harvey. "This woman is Kimberly Lufflutz. She's married to Prof. Larry Lufflutz, who teaches at Zurbrugg."

Multiple heads nodded at the name.

"Did you know that he's been best friends with Harvey Diamond since kindergarten? Oh, he has been. And I, for one, wouldn't want to piss off Harvey Diamond by fucking his best friend's wife at an event honoring his other best friend's dead wife. Can you imagine how Happy-Go-Lucky Harvey might take that?" Brandy continued.

"I'm divorced!" Kimberly argued.

"Is it final? No, I didn't think so. So that makes you Larry's wife for now," Brandy declared.

"Hmm, I think Big Dick Diamond might want ****," Fawn speculated, tapping her chin. "Gee, I wouldn't want a girlfriend, sister, niece, daughter, or mom of mine to get their pussy wrecked by what he's packing."

"Oh, and the humiliation! Because we all know that Nosy Nectar loves to publicize Harvey's conquests. Do you want that to be you?" Brandy challenged, making eye contact with several of the men.

"Um, here's the drink I needed to replace," Davy announced, holding it out at arm's length toward Kimberly. His body language screamed fear of catching something by touching the platinum blonde. Then, turning his head, he mouthed a faint thanks toward Brandy and Fawn.

As Davy and other men scurried off, Kimberly seethed.

"I-I...I'll fucking...You're almost as bad as your fucking sister!" Kimberly screeched. Storming away, she checked the front of her dress to find it stained from Davy's drink. "Motherfucker!"

"I'm so much worse than my sister!" Brandy called after the platinum blonde.

"I mean, that was kinda mean, but she deserved it," Fawn stated. "And I never had a crush on Larry. Gawd, he's way older than us."

"I know. Bitch be crazy," Brandy remarked, turning to scan the crowd. "That two-timing slut!"

"What?" Fawn questioned, noticing Kimberly stomp her way out of the ballroom. She suspected that Bridget's old cheermate would be back after cleaning off her dress. The part of Fawn that felt guilty over exposing the platinum blonde came down to how she had been a good friend with Cassandra Bank.

Glancing over at her BFF's face, Fawn noticed two things. First, Brandy hadn't been following Kimberly out of the room. No, she stared at something about twenty feet left of the main doors. And second, Brandy's face burned with fury.

Following the furious blonde's eye line, Fawn adjusted her glasses as she scanned the growing crowd. Then, her gaze fell on a friendly-faced brunette with light hair and a perky figure, and she gasped.

"She showed up?!"

"Of all the fucking nerve," Brandy growled through gritted teeth. "Does she want a war with us? Does she?!"

Taking a deep breath, Fawn attempted to analyze the surprise appearance rationally. But it proved hard as her anger flared up as well.

"Maybe it's not that big a deal. I mean, it's been seventeen years since it happened. And we haven't seen her in almost a dozen years, right?"

"Not that big a deal?! It's never going to not be a big fucking deal!" Brandy bellowed, earning another round of looks. "Have you forgiven her?!"

"No!" Fawn screeched back before lowering her voice. "However, it's not my role to be the one who does forgive her."

"No, she only cut out the heart of the boy you crushed on for years before stomping on it for all to see," Brandy seethed.

Fawn closed her eyes, remembering the pain on Teddy Day's face when he discovered the treachery. It's one thing to find out that your girlfriend of two years had been cheating on you with the school's star quarterback. It makes it even worse to learn the truth at your junior prom as your friend and girlfriend are crowned prom king and queen. The unplanned, intense, and passionate kiss that followed caused all the missed signs to make sense. And it hadn't only clicked in Teddy's head. Word spread quickly as classmates realized what had been going on in secret.

Of course, Fawn, Brandy, and Wrenn hadn't been there to witness that humiliating moment. No, they had been seventh-graders holding a sleepover at the Fallon household when the word came. There hadn't been any such thing as Nosy Nectar yet, but phones worked for actual talking. So when the call to Brandy's mom came in just before midnight, the girls had rushed to see who would be calling at that hour. Usually, calls at that hour had been about Bridget, but Brandy's older sister was now married with two young children.

The girls had watched as a teacher friend of Pepper Fallon informed her about the prom scene, causing Brandy's mom to sag in sadness against the kitchen counter. Barely able to overhear the conversation, the three girls raced to the window and watched as Brandy's mom went next door to break the news to Teddy's parents. Frightened that Teddy had been hurt, they'd raced outside when his car pulled up. One look at his crumpled face completed the puzzle.

"Crystal did know Cassie from when she dated Teddy," Fawn said. It wasn't an argument or defense of Crystal Fetty, née Solversby, showing up for the charity ball. It was just a statement.

"If she's here to hurt Teddy, I'll bring the pain again. I'll fucking drag her around the ballroom by her fucking hair. I'll bash her head into the tables...I'll cut that bitch!" Brandy vowed.

"Dee, no! We need to do this calmly, rationally, and quietly. Just like we tried back then," Fawn said, recalling how that hadn't worked out. Their idea of **** had been one of those actions that led to an explosion.

"Fuck that," Brandy spat, inching forward slowly. "I want this out in the open. Crystal needs to know it was us. It was me."

"Oh, fuck! Wrenn's going to freak out when she sees Crystal," Fawn gasped. "Probably start panicking about jail again."

"Jail? Please. The statute of limitations for what we did passed long ago," Brandy scoffed, turning back to the bar. "Give me whatever is your biggest glass and fill it with something red. Got it?"

"What are you planning to do?" Fawn questioned as the bartender filled Brandy's request.

"First, I'm going over there and throwing this shit in her face," Brandy said, taking the large mug from the bartender. "Then, I'm ripping that dress off her. After that, I'm doing exactly what I said before."

"Brandy, think of Cassie," Fawn pleaded as the other blonde began to march toward the hated woman.

"She'd understand."

"Think of Finn," Fawn added. "We'll do it my way this time."

"No! I'm going to make this..." Brandy slowed to a halt.

"What is it?" Fawn asked, hoping that Brandy would go along with one of her ideas.

"I don't know. It's...it's as if I feel a presence," Brandy revealed, turning her head to her left. "Almost as if I'm being watched."

"Watched? By whom?"

"I don't know. It just feels as if I...oh, hell," Brandy swore, finding the source.

Fawn followed her best friend's gaze until she saw an older woman standing near the main entrance. She glared at Brandy with an all-knowing look.

Pepper Fallon had arrived.