The Fallout: The Conversation

"We need to do something!" Nate exclaimed, throwing his arms out to emphasize his point. "Like somebody going in there to talk to him."

"I told you that Barney did that already before you showed up. All Finn kept asking for was some privacy," Eoin recounted again. The whole situation already had him growing upset over his inability to help Finn, but adding in Nate's arrival, his patience had evaporated.

"Privacy? He's in the fucking bathroom!"

"Nathan, please," Barney scolded, gesturing to the three teenage girls.

"Don't worry about us. No virgin ears here, unless you count Polly," fourteen-year-old Sanna Banks giggled.

"This has turned into a real clusterfuck. Isn't that so cool?" sixteen-year-old Serinda chimed in.

"This is not cool," Polly Gettinger scoffed with a shake of her head at her cousin's other immature cousins. "And you two are certainly still virgins."

"That's not what she meant," Serinda rolled her eyes. Finn's cousin on his dad's side could be so uptight.

All six stood just outside the main men's bathroom for the ballroom. Barney had been the one to spot Finn briskly walking out of the ballroom. He'd alerted Eoin, which the Bank sisters noticed, and led them to drag Polly along. No one knew how Nate learned of Finn's chosen hiding hole.

"Then you go in there," Nate told Eoin.

"Gawd, don't you listen? I did that after Barney tried. Finn is sitting in the stall with the door closed. He asked me to leave as he wanted to be alone."

"Go again. And I have an idea. How about not coming out without him?" Nate listened as Eoin asked how he should do that in a sarcastic tone. "I don't know! Stick your head under the door to talk to him. Or crawl in there, unlock the door, and drag him out."

"Are you fucking serious? Sure, I'll stick my head under the door and catch my buddy dropping a deuce. He's on the toilet, for fuck's sake," Eoin speculated as the Bank sisters giggled. "Why don't you go do it?"

"Me? Whoa, whoa, whoa! This is your town," Nate stated, appearing shocked at the idea.

"It used to be yours too," Eoin countered.

"Like a dozen years ago. I don't know many people around here anymore, especially the cops. I'll get caught and arrested with my luck," Nate replied, showing actual concern over that possibility.

"The cops? Why would they--The worst that could happen is that hotel security throws you out."

"I don't think Mr. Pierce would allow that, considering why you did it," Barney suggested. "He knows that your family is close to Finn's."

"And who knows who in this town still has a grudge against my mom. She's pissed off plenty of people with her pranks. Fuck, she might even have warrants out here still," Nate conjectured.

"Your mom does not have warrants out, and your grandpa is a well-liked dentist," Eoin responded, rolling his eyes at Barney.

While the older guys bickered over who would try next to get Finn out of the bathroom, the younger girls held different concerns.

"This feels like a pivotal moment in tonight's episode," Serinda said to her younger sister.

"Think we should record it for our aftershow report?" Sanna queried.

"We should livestream it!"

"Um, what?" Polly asked in confusion.

With an ear in both conversations, Barney couldn't help but smile at how the two younger girls from out of town viewed Honey Hollow and its gossip site.

"A lot of our friends in Eldermoss love Nosy Nectar," Serinda began to explain.

"It's like one of their favorite shows," Sanna added, meaning the various videos posted.

"And because we have ties to Honey Hollow, we're expected to explain anything they don't get."

"Or have the inside scoop!"

"Yeah, ever since Season 14 with Finn and Lana, everyone assumes we know more since he's our cousin. So we occasionally post a short message or video after a big event," Serinda continued as Polly's eyes narrowed.

"That way, people would stop bombarding us with messages," Sanna chimed in.

"Episodes? Seasons? This is not a TV show. It's not made up. This is real life!" Polly exploded after the slow buildup.

"Well, duh, we know it's not made up," Sanna responded first with an eye roll.

"But is it real? Reality shows aren't really real. They have real people in them, just like Nosy Nectar," Serinda pointed out.

"No, this isn't a reality show. Your cousin is not in the bathroom for added drama. He's in there because he's genuinely upset over a fight breaking out at your aunt's event," Polly nearly screeched.

"Geez, lower your voice."

"Yeah, try not to cause another scene."

"Hey, could you girls stop fighting for a minute? We're trying to figure this out," Eoin called over. "C'mon, Polly, keep your little cousins in line."

"We're not fighting! And we are not cousins!" Polly snapped before balling her fists up to control her anger.

"Wow, that was mean," Serinda remarked.

"I meant that we're not technically cousins. I'm Finn's cousin on his dad's side, while you're his on his mom's," Polly explained.

"Still, that was mean. We consider you a cousin by marriage."

"Girls, cut it with the fighting!" Eoin snapped again.

"We're just trying to decide how this scene will play out," Sanna called over to him. Then, turning to her older sister, she asked, "So how should we set this up?"

"We should definitely use Finn's friends as part of this moment. We got the local heartthrob--"

"Didn't we agree to call him a Casanova? It sounds more worldly."

"Right, we did," Serinda agreed. "So we have former Casanova, Eoin O'Hara--"

"Is he really a former?"

"Well, he doesn't live in Honey Hollow anymore except on school breaks."

"But doesn't former imply that he settled down with one woman?" Sanna questioned.

"Ahh, I got you! Okay, we'll just keep calling him Casanova. Then we got the sweet but bumbling photographer--"

"Jimmy Olsen."

"What?"

"I said that we should call him Jimmy Olsen, remember?"

"And I told you that I don't know who that is," Serinda spat back in annoyance.

"Gawd, he's Superman's best friend!" Polly explained, even more annoyed than the sixteen-year-old.

"Oh! I guess we could--wait, wouldn't that make Finn into Superman?"

"Exactly!" Sanna cried as her sister finally got it.

Polly watched as the two sisters giggled over an unsaid joke. Despite herself, she had to ask why they found it funny.

"Because Finn has to be superhuman to keep up with Lana in bed," Sanna explained, giggling even harder.

"Eww! That's your cousin," Polly pointed out in disgust.

"And we're damn proud of him," Serinda proclaimed. Shifting her attention back to their planned update, she asked, "So the prodigal son returns angle for Nate, right?"

"No doubt," Sanna agreed. "Oh, we need a few possible endings for our viewers to consider. Maybe which friend comes to Finn's aid?"

"Absolutely! But I like the idea of a girl rather than a guy."

"Good call! How about Peyton? Maybe this is the turning point when they go from friends to lovers."

"I don't know. Doesn't that feel too soap opera-ish? I think this is the night where Lana returns," Serinda suggested.

"Look, I know you want Finn/Lana to happen again--"

"It will!" Serinda insisted.

"Maybe it will. But tonight is too early. That can't go down until next year with their graduation. Facing adulthood and the real world is when that recoupling happens," Sanna reminded her older sister with practiced patience. "Now I do expect callbacks from Season 14 tonight."

"There has to be."

"So who's going to soothe away Finn's pain tonight? Will it be another friend? A younger girl? Or an older woman? Maybe even a bad girl?"

"I don't like the term bad girl. Good vs. evil seems so clichéd."

"Hmm, you're right. How about Stratton vs. Zuccaro?" Sanna suggested.

"I love it!"

Barney cracked a grin as Eoin and Nate glanced over with what-the-hell faces before resuming their bickering.

"Okay, here's my list, but we should narrow it down. We have Poppy as the surrogate for Lana. Stephanie as the ultimate apology."

"That sounds like the dirty route," Serinda remarked.

"And you have a problem with that?"

"Oh, no. Just pointing it out."

"Alright, Finn could go younger. Merritt Moxey seems like a great good-girl option. Sorry, I mean the Stratton option. Priscilla is also single right now. Lana's protégé with Lana's soulmate could be scandalous."

"Finn should totally go the scandalous route. Maybe a teacher because Aunt Cassie was one," Serinda said before glancing around and lowering her voice. "Maybe even a married woman."

"I don't know. That's getting pretty bad. How about a Romeo and Juliet situation?" Sanna asked.

"As in Teresa? Wow, that would be a twist."

"Or it could be her friend Jewel. That way, Lana and Teresa would have to agree to allow it."

"That's another good idea," Serinda praised her sister. "Too bad none of their college friends are here."

"I know! Well, are you ready to start filming?"

"Um, wow. You two sure put a lot of thought into this," Polly remarked. She wasn't sure if she should be impressed or terrified.

"I gotta go!"

Eoin's sudden announcement set off a chain of reactions. Sanna mumbled about a plot twist while Polly joined Nate in demanding to know why. Only Barney nodded with a shrug.

"Some friend you are," Nate remarked. He planned to say more, but a person trying to push past them stopped him. "Hold up. What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to use the bathroom," Dawson Fox replied.

"Yeah, that ain't happening. Go find another one," Nate replied.

"I'm not doing that. I'm using this one. It's not your bathroom," Dawson responded with a snarky attitude. Although he also caught sight of Serinda and gave her an eye wink.

"Fuck off, kid. Go find another one, or you'll be pissing in your pants for a different reason," Nate threatened.

Usually a cocky brat, Dawson backed down as he sensed in Nate's menacing demeanor that he meant what he said. Continuing down the hall, the sophomore waited until he reached the corner before acting tough again with a parting comment.

Having settled that minor blip, Nate turned to use the same bullying tactic to keep Eoin from leaving. Sensing Barney to be the weaker link, he attempted to tie the two together.

"You're his best friends--male best friends--around here. It's your job to do something."

"I seriously need to go," Eoin stated, glancing down at his phone.

"I'm not forcing Finn to do anything. This is about his mom," Barney declared, raising his chin in defiance of Nate's glare.

"Hey, I got an idea," Eoin said, turning back around at the corner. "Why don't you think of something, Toone. Your moms were best friends."

While Nate mumbled to himself about Eoin's parting words, the Bank sisters prepared to go live with their breaking news update from outside the hotel bathroom. Yet, once again, another person interrupted their chance to get noticed by Nosy Nectar.

"Uh, excuse me," an older man said, attempting to get past them to use the restroom.

"Sorry, you can't use it," Sanna said before Nate could threaten another person.

"Why not?" the man asked.

"Well, you could, but I don't know what you'll walk in on," Serinda replied. "We saw Harvey Diamond drag some bimbo in there."

"And I'm pretty sure that I saw a ring on her finger," Sanna added.

Believing that the teens were playing a joke, the man glanced around at the others. Then, with Barney staring at the floor, the man mistook Polly's shaking head as confirmation.

"Uh, I think I can wait."

"Good idea!" Sanna agreed.

"I got it!" Nate roared after he had an epiphany.

---

"I should've known. I should've expected it to happen," Finn said to himself for seemingly the millionth time. "But couldn't they control themselves for one night? Not for me, but for Mom?"

For such a renovated restroom, the door held a slight squeak. Most guests would never notice it, but Finn caught it sitting on the toilet for as long as he had. Bracing himself for another friend attempting to get him to talk or leave, he was shocked to hear an unlikely voice filled with awe.

"Whoa! This might be one of the nicest bathrooms...ever!"

"Sanna?" Finn asked.

"Oh, hey, Finny. Um, how's it going?" His fourteen-year-old cousin inquired awkwardly.

"You shouldn't be in here. Wait, who sent you in here?" Finn inquired, already growing upset with whoever used his youngest cousin.

"Hmm, I can't say one person decided to send me. It was more of a group thing. Sorta like a process of elimination. Once Eoin ran off, Barney refused to disobey your previous order, and Nate kept on babbling on about cops and his mom's warrants."

Finn could've sworn he heard another faint voice. Yet when he asked, Sanna replied that she was alone.

"Nope. As I was saying, Polly nearly had a meltdown when she got suggested--"

"Sanna, would you hurry--Wow, talk about fancy! Hey, Polly, is the women's bathroom fancy too? Well, I was just asking. You didn't need to scream," Serinda said before turning her head back inside the door that it peeked through. "Yeah, you better hurry up, San, Polly's about to pitch a fit about breaking the rules."

"You know, she's nice enough, Finn, but I'm kinda happy that Polly isn't a direct cousin to us. She's...uh, what do you call it? High strung?"

"That's the word. But you girls shouldn't be in here."

"Did you give it to him yet?" Serinda questioned from the doorway.

"I'm trying to get to that part," Sanna responded in exasperation. "Maybe you should've come in here if you wanted it done quickly."

"Just give it to him!" Serinda hissed.

"Yeah, yeah. Uh, Finn, are you decent in there? I need to hand you something under the door."

"Yes, I'm decent, but I don't think--Is that a phone?" Finn asked needlessly as a tiny hand waved it back and forth under the stall door.

With the two Bank sisters urging him from different spots to just take it, Finn finally leaned down to grab it after Polly screamed that more people were coming to use the bathroom. Once in hand, Finn heard Sanna scampering back to the doorway. Still confused over why he needed someone else's phone, Finn flipped it over and saw why.

"Hi, Aunt Tinny," he greeted.

"Hiya, Finno," Tinsley Toone greeted back, holding up her half-filled wine glass in salute. "You know, it must be frigging weird to have such polite, well-behaved kids. Not that I'd expect anything less from Sandy. I swear your uncle never got in trouble while growing up. It was weird. If I sent the twins in there, one would be scaling the stall as a distraction while the other slipped under it. They wouldn't give one fuck if you were decent or not. Wait, you are decent?"

Finn couldn't help but smile as one of his mom's best friends scrutinized whether he was clothed or not. Every other friend would look away until confirmation.

"Yeah, everything is properly covered."

"Good, good. But, I wouldn't sit on a toilet seat with dress pants on, no matter how fancy the hotel, kid."

"No, there is an actual seat lid on this one. So I'm sitting on that."

"Really? Damn. I've never seen that out here with all the resorts, but leave it to Dalton Pierce to make sure his hotel had style, even in the public bathrooms. But whatever," Tinny said, telling herself to get back on track. "Look, I realize that I'm the third choice for a moment like this."

"Aunt Tin--"

"No, no, I totally get it. Rachel should be the one consoling you. But we both know that she's off scolding her girls. Trust me, I know those scoldings. Hell, I should get some loot for helping her practice for this day. And if it's not Rachel, then it should be Bridget. Yet, Sean got conked on the head again, and that takes precedence. But that's cool. If anyone has been in the role of Lacey and Lana tonight, then it's me. So how's it going?"

"I'm hiding in the bathroom."

"Yeah, your mom did that a bunch, too. And usually at places where Bee and I got a little wild. Oh, those were the days! So we'd usually be the ones banging on the door while apologizing. I crawled in a few bathroom windows to get your mom to come out. Big-titted Bridget always used those as an excuse to make me do the window climbing. Don't think I ever had to con Cassie to leave a public rest--no, wait, I did that one time at the waterpark! So this is almost like history repeating itself."

How did Mom ever survive with TWO wild friends? At least Peyton's helped calm Lana down over the years, Finn pondered, shaking his head.

"I can't say that we ever lost our tops in a ballroom. The Witzler was a real shithole back in those days. We came close at a couple of school dances, but not on purpose. Senior banquet got real interesting. Oh, there was one time at Shelly Penfold's lakehouse. Cassie got so mad when I flung my top off while chicken fighting, but it was worth it as I met Ned that--"

"Aunt Tinny, no offense, but I've heard these stories before," Finn interrupted.

"Sorry. I've been sitting here, sipping wine and crying while looking at old pictures. I'm so sorry, honey, for not being there. Still, the videos have been entertaining. Especially the one that sent you into the bathroom."

"You saw the video?" Finn questioned in shock. Then, he felt like an idiot as he realized that there might be a dozen videos of the fighting.

"Absolutely, the squad is supposed to keep me updated all night. Although, Fawn sent me the big one. Well, I think Brandy ordered her to do it. I tell ya, I think Dee took after me more than Bee, which is really funny, as Teddy took after Cassie more than me. Hmm, I don't know who Sandy took after. Probably a relative on the other side of your family. His personality has always been a bit of a mystery. Honestly, I don't know how he turned out so well when you consider what he grew up around."

"I've heard that from many people," Finn admitted. Although, I bet Serinda and Sanna would fit in with Honey Hollow's craziness.

"Huh, speaking of strange offspring. I would've never thought that Kathy Wynwick's--or whatever her name is these days--daughter would pull a stunt out of my playbook. She could be so prim, proper, and image-conscious--check that! I do recall hearing that she let loose in college. Turned into quite the party girl once she got far away from home. Some richy college out east, I think. Whoa! I don't mean party as in snorting **** or anything. That was her oldest brother. Dumb fool overdosed and died. I think that's why--what's the asshole's name?"

"Kermit."

"Yep, like the frog! I think that's why Kermit turned into such an asshole. He worried that if he ever lightened up, he'd end up face-first in a gutter. Which is a fucking ridiculous way to think. Whoops, sorry. What were we talking about again?"

"I-I can't remember," Finn admitted as Tinny's tangent veering left him confused.

"The video! Yeah, that's it. I bet witnessing Lana and Teresa getting disrobed was something. Not that you haven't seen Lana up close and personal on plenty of occasions. But you'd never seen Teresa--wait, could you see anything? Fawn's video was too far away and from a bad angle. I couldn't see any of the good stuff for either girl."

"It doesn't matter what I could see. What matters is that it happened!" Finn replied, growing annoyed.

"Ah, there's the fiery Finn. So are you pissed at Lana and Lacey?"

"Shouldn't I be? Lacey started it with Bianca. I know that she's certainly filled with guilt by now, as that's Lacey. However, I'm still mad that she lost control. And while I heard that Lana tried to stop it at first...well, Lana turned back into Lana. Even crazier is that Poppy acted the most like a grown-up while other adults joined in. I should be pissed at Steph. Yet, pulling tops down seems to be her thing this week. She did the same to Estelle Wynwick at Brian and Becky's engagement party."

"Ooh, I need to meet Steph again. It's been years since she visited her family branch out here with all you guys. She might be a good one for Nate," Tinny speculated before returning to the main topic. "So, are you planning to hold a grudge against them or even end a friendship?"

"What? No! I'm pissed right now, but it's what they do. I shouldn't be surprised. If anything, I'm the fool for thinking they could behave for one night. Even if it was special for me."

"Good!" Tinny clapped. "Cassie would be disappointed in you if you did hold a grudge or worse. Your mom would get so mad at us that her face matched her hair. Still, she never let that anger linger. Why? Because we're like this." Tinny crossed her fingers for Finn to see. "Saying that we're like sisters is an understatement. Bridget, Cassandra, and I are closer than sisters. And it hurts to this day that Cassie isn't here anymore. You, Lana, and Peyton are the same, if not more. What happened ten years ago and how those two pieced you back together can never be forgotten. Lashing out at Lana by saying the wrong thing is an action you'd regret for the rest of your life. Your mom would tell you to wait before saying anything."

"But it was a special night for Mom," Finn responded with glistening eyes as he recalled what Peyton and Lana did for him.

"And Bridget and I ruined far, far more special events for your mom than Lana and Lacey ever can. Or, as I preferred to call it, spicing up Cassie's life," Tinny said cheerfully. Finn wasn't sure if it was the wine or the memories. "Imagine all those birthday parties that Bridget and I made way more fun. It brought Cassie out of her shell. And her graduation party...boy, that was something insane. Your grandparents wisely went to the Ridges across the street once the afterparty started down in their basement. Now talk about showing skin. We got into a striptease competition--I totally blame Bridget and Gemma's feud for that. Hey, that's just like Lana and Teresa. Of course, as the girl of the hour, we made sure that your mom got a lap dance from--"

"Aunt Tinny!"

"Huh? Right, right, sorry. Not the time or the place. Huh? Would you look at that? I went through that whole bottle." Tinsley demonstrated this by turning the wine bottle upside down.

"I get that Mom had an adventurous childhood because of you and Aunt Bridget. It's just that I wanted tonight to be perfect for her. A perfect start to her lasting legacy," Finn said.

"Shit, Finno. Nothing is ever perfect in life. If anything, what's happened so far fits your mom's life. I'm sorry that you're disappointed. I truly am, but you can't let it ruin your night. You need to stand tall and make sure that this literary foundation rakes in support and money," Tinsley said softly while wiping away tears. "Hey, look on the bright side. They say any publicity is good publicity. Your mom's night is already legendary. Lana Stratton and Teresa Zuccaro showed their tits! People will be talking about this for the next thirty or forty years."

"I guess so. It's kind of hard to see the bright side right now."

"Kid, I wish I could be there to give you a hug, but I can't," Tinny replied with a warm smile and quivering lip. "But honestly, this night was never going drama-free. Not with your dad, your mom's friends, or your friends all there. I'm just hoping any more drama is of the fun variety. And if you don't believe me or Bee, then see what your grandparents think. I can guarantee that they aren't the least bit shocked. Now, Sandy might be a grumble bug, but ignore him. His daughters seem to see things the right way."

"They think my life is a reality show!"

"And that is so fucking awesome! It is!" Tinny insisted after seeing Finn's face. "Those girls think that you're a star. They adore and idolize you. Don't take that away yet. Let them enjoy the idea until they discover how cruel the world can be."

"I don't know. Perhaps you have a point in your own weird way," Finn admitted begrudgingly.

"Okay, now to the fun stuff again. Who's going to be the lucky girl tonight?"

"What?"

"C'mon, Finno, you're the star of tonight. Well, Sean is getting a lot of attention too, but forget that. This is your night. Every girl, every woman is going to want to reach out and help heal your pain tonight."

"I'm not using my mom's foundation to get laid," Finn stated, dismissing the idea.

"Now, Cassie wasn't a big believer in casual sex--although we did convince her a few--sorry! Look, your mom would want you happy no matter what. A way to feel happy is to start dating again. What about that sweet ranger you met the other day? Apple, I think her name was."

"Oh, for fuck's sake! Who told you that? Aunt Rachel?"

"Yep, Second Mommy was thrilled despite the shit going down around your meeting."

"I'm not hooking up with anyone. I'm focused on ensuring this foundation goes off without any more hitches. That's all I'm thinking about," Finn declared.

"Are you? Sitting on your butt on a toilet for this long is a funny way to be focused," Tinny responded with a light mom tone of voice. "Now listen up. I have a few ideas for after the charity ball ends."

"I just said--"

"And I'm pointing out that the ball ends at like two in the morning or something, doesn't it? Well, it's also New Year's Eve. Sure, it's an overrated holiday, but there is no way you aren't getting laid. Not after all the sorrow you've dealt with this week. And yeah, I heard about your dad's dumbass night on the lake."

"Fine. I'll listen, but that doesn't mean I'll do what you say."

"Good enough. I have my agents there to make sure it happens," Tinny cackled. "Okay, you need to show those two Strattons and everyone else that there are consequences for their actions. I'd suggest tying them up for a spanking, but they'd likely enjoy it."

"Lana would."

"So you need to strike at the heart of what caused tonight's fight. You need to fuck Teresa Zuccaro," Tinsley stated in all seriousness.

"Wha--Y-You...How drunk are you?" Finn sputtered his question in disbelief.

"Pretty drunk. However, that doesn't matter. You need to do it if Teresa is willing."

"And set off a bigger fight. Hell, that would cause a war!"

"No, it won't. I know the girls in that family, whether you call them Stratton, McCracken, or whatever. Will this hurt Lana? Yes, it will. Will it finally teach her a lesson? That it will also do. Not only will it be Teresa's apology, but it will also light a fire that you've never witnessed in Lana before. Don't you want to know if the two of you are meant to be together? This will decide it."

"It's more likely to destroy our friendship."

"Don't you listen? Your friendship can never be broken. Lana knows she fucked up. She'll also know that she deserves this payback."

"Lana's also likely to break my nose and then go screw Reece Kittle to equal things out," Finn speculated.

"Don't ruin my night even further by bringing up Didi and her kids. What's wrong with you?" Tinny half-asked while spotting movement off to her side. "Oh, Ned, my love. Can you be a dear and get me another bottle?"

"Oh, shit. I'm an idiot. I forgot to ask how Uncle Ned is doing. I'm sorry," Finn apologized.

"Please, you have plenty on your plate to worry about. And Ned is going to be fine. He will have to make a few changes to his diet and exercise routine, but we're lucky the doctors caught it before anything bad could happen. Thanks, love," Tinny said as a bottle appeared.

"Hey, buddy! I heard the show started already. Honey Hollow sure is a colorful town," Ned Toone barked, laughing as his face appeared behind his wife's.

A couple of minutes of pleasantries and details about Ned's health scare followed. Then, wrapping up the conversation, Tinsley reminded Finn to follow her advice.

"I'll keep it in mind," Finn replied, not planning to do so. "I have to say, I thought you'd be in a foul mood when you called."

"How so?"

"I mean, with the earlier drama with your brother's ex-girlfriend showing up," Finn relayed.

"Ex-girlfriend? What ex-girlfriend? You don't mean...is Crystal at the ball?" Tinny practically jumped out of her chair as Finn nodded. "Crystal fucking Soversby is there? That fucking whore!"

"Okay, Tin, take it easy," Ned said off-camera.

"Take it easy? That traitorous bitch broke my little brother's heart!" Tinny shrieked. "Wait a fucking minute! How come nobody told me? Oh, Bridget is going to hear about this! Brandy too! Oh, your son is going to hear about this," she yelled at Ned. "Where the fuck is Nate at? Give him his phone back, Finn."

"Calm down," Ned ordered soothingly. "I'm sure your parents and friends have their--"

"My parents! Everyone is keeping me in the dark over here. Oh, I knew we should've sent the twins to Honey Hollow," Tinny said, staring daggers at her husband.

"Whoa! That was just as much your call as mine. We didn't want to saddle your parents or Teddy with them."

"Unlike Nate, at least the twins would've called me. Hell, they'd already have a plan in motion. You know what? I need to call Brandy or Fawn. They handled her in the past. They can do it again," Tinny stated.

"Think what you're talking about, Tin. Finn's upset over there after what already happened," Ned argued.

"Cassie would be totally down for this ****. She saw what that bitch did to Teddy," Tinny said, looking at the camera and Finn. "But don't worry. Those two are sneaky. Whatever they do, it will be silent but effective."

"Geez, now that sounds like **** talk," Ned grumbled.

There was a long pause that left both Finn and Ned uncomfortable.

"Nah, we won't go that far."

"And you won't drag Brandy and Fawn into this," Ned ordered.

"I got it! I also have another special agent I can use," Tinny cackled while rubbing her hands together.

"Uh, let me handle this, Finn. You enjoy your night, okay?" Ned said, reaching to take his wife's phone away from her.

---

"It lives!" Nate exclaimed as Finn exited the restroom.

"Nathan, that's not appropriate considering the reason for tonight," Polly admonished as the Bank sisters met Finn with hugs.

"I might be alive, but I don't know how long you will be," Finn said, tossing Nate his phone back. "Your mom only now found out that your uncle's ex-girlfriend is at the ball."

"Ooh, they're overbooking tonight's stories," Sanna remarked.

"There is no way we don't get on Nosy Nectar tonight. No way!" Serinda vowed.

"My mom knows?" Nate repeated, gulping.

"And she's pissed that not one person told her," Finn said, adding to Nate's worry.

"Oh, fuck." Nate moaned, rubbing his head.

"What's next?" Barney queried.

"I don't know. What should I do next?" Finn asked, placing his forehead in his hand while looking at the floor.

"How about a hug and a Happy New Year?"

Finn's head shot up at the sound of the voice, leading to his jaw dropping open in shock. Standing before him were three people that he never expected to see tonight.

The charismatic speaker was a dirty blonde with blue eyes, medium-to-large breasts, and a toned ass. Kirsten "Kiki" Heeter commanded the attention of any room that she entered. And right now, Finn expected Lana and Peyton's housemate to be commandeering the spotlight on the stage of Seventh Heaven, the strip club where she worked part-time.

"Kiki? How? Work?" Finn sputtered as he returned her hug.

"I figured it was a longshot at best. Shit, I almost thought I'd be fired halfway through asking for a busy night like New Year's Eve off," Kiki began recounting. "But when my boss heard why, his demeanor changed like the flip of a switch. I remember Peyton mentioning that Hoyt was from here and even graduated with her mom."

"So he graduated with my mom, too," Finn finished what came next.

"I'm not a gal easily stunned, but I shit you not, I was stunned. Hoyt fucking started tearing up. He not only gave me tonight off and pushed my day shift tomorrow to a night one, but he also gave me this:" Kiki reached into her small clutch, pulling out a folded piece of paper. "This is one fat check for you."

"Hey! You need to do that over," Serinda cried out.

"Yeah, the check needs to come out from your bra," Sanna added.

"San, I don't think she's wearing a bra under that dress," Serinda clarified.

"Uh, what?" Kiki asked with a confused smile.

"You remember my little cousins? I think you met them our freshman year when they visited," Finn reminded.

"Of course! Hi, girls! Do you remember me?"

"How could we ever forget you?" Serinda challenged.

"The stripper with a heart of gold," Sanna stated. Unbeknownst to everyone else, that was the bio description on their review page.

"Excuse me?"

"They consider my life and Nosy Nectar a cross between a reality show and a soap opera," Finn explained.

"That's adorable!" Kiki squealed, moving to hug the two teenagers.

"That's plain weird," another newcomer commented as she replaced Kiki's hug.

"Hey, thanks for coming down," Finn told Jamie-Lynn Masterson.

Another of Lana and Peyton's housemates, Jamie-Lynn, could be called even more focused on good manners and schoolwork than Peyton. And just like the eldest Tarver sibling, Jamie-Lynn wanted to be a doctor. Besides her intelligence, Jamie-Lynn had long, straight dark-brown hair, green eyes, large breasts, and a firm ass.

"She's just here to meet more of Peyton's doctor relatives," the lone guy of the group joked.

"I am not, Auggie," Jamie-Lynn hissed. Yet, she also showed that it wouldn't be a bad thing. "Uh, are many of them here?"

"Her mom is obviously here. Haven't seen Peyton's dad yet. But my mom was never close with his side of the family. Oh, Grandma Fallon is here. I'm sure you could talk to her as she was a nurse like your mom," Finn suggested before clutching hands with August Sneed.

As it turned into a half-hug, Finn slapped his housemate on his back. The only non-Honey Hollow occupant of their house, Auggie, had entered their group for two reasons. First, he lived on the same dorm floor as the three guys during their freshman year. And secondly, he and Kiki have been close friends since childhood. The outgoing girl had naturally clicked with Lana from day one at Zurbrugg. Auggie also showed surprising success with women as a bookworm, with his short, dark-blond hair, blue eyes (eyeglasses), and thin frame.

"How did this happen?" Finn questioned, still shocked at their appearance.

"Those two helped organize it," Auggie admitted, pointing toward Barney and Eoin, who stood several feet down the hallway.

Finn's gaze swung over to where Kiki had one arm around Barney's neck as the Bank sisters reintroduced Polly to Finn's college friends.

"Still want to question my level of friendship?" Eoin remarked toward the pacing Nate.

"It will be okay. I can change my flight. Yeah, I can do that and stay here a few more weeks until classes resume," Nate said, talking to himself. "My grandparents will love it, and I can give Mom and the twins time to cool off."

"All the credit goes to Mrs. S. as she's the one who thought the idea up," Eoin revealed once he reached his friends.

"Peyton and Lana were able to keep this a secret from me?" Finn questioned in further disbelief.

"Hell, no!" Kiki laughed. "They're going to be as shocked as you."

"Everyone knows that Lana can't keep a secret," Eoin pointed out. "And Peyton can't hold out for long under Lana's barrage of questions."

"Mrs. Stratton called me to help with neither of us ever expecting that I could come too," Kiki recounted before piquing Finn's interest more. "And we aren't the only ones."

"While Sadie is from here, she's up in my hometown tonight. Rattle Ridge's big New Year's Eve party is at the ski resort. And as Neve's family owns it, Sadie wanted to be there for her," Jamie-Lynn relayed. "Still, most of that younger clique is here. Harper and AJ performed the most vital chore by stopping at the airport in Blackbridge before coming up."

"The airport?" Finn questioned. Then, as if on cue, he spotted Lana, Peyton, Kiki, and Jamie-Lynn's remaining housemate coming down the hall behind Nate.

A sexy native of Nate's hometown, Breezy Bay, Zaylie Dunday held a finger up to shush everyone else. If Lana had a blonde counterpart for looks, it would be Zaylie with her long, wavy, creamy blonde hair, blue eyes, large breasts, and curvy ass. Screaming sexy beach bunny, Zaylie had a tendency to flirt unknowingly with everyone.

"Why's everyone looking at me?" Nate challenged, already paranoid.

"Does anyone know where I can find Peyton's aunt or her friend? I'm supposed to meet up with them, according to Mrs. Toone."

"Oh. No." Nate's face fell as his head did.

"What's wrong, sugar? Worried about the call I just had with your mom?" Zaylie inquired. Stopping to kiss her ex-boyfriend's cheek, she added, "Don't worry. I'm under orders to help with your uncle's ex before I can get another sliver of ****. See ya later!"

Sashaying forward, Zaylie enthralled the other men while Nate took a deep breath. He swore it had only been a prank, one he never meant to go as far as it did. Yet, Nate had tricked Zaylie, his friend and girlfriend, into rejecting every acceptance offer but Zurbrugg College. The premise had been that they'd go there together, even though he'd already decided to stay local for college. Unfortunately, Nate didn't have his mother's or sisters' prank skills, and Zaylie was ditzy enough to actually do it. That led to one explosive breakup at their high school graduation. Ever since then, the bubbly surfer chick had shown an unknown skill at getting slivers of **** here and there.

"You flew all the way here for me?" Finn asked. Then, remembering how his friends had to be careful with their money as broke college students, he added, "That had to be expensive."

"We'd all do it for you, sugar," Zaylie replied, smashing her large breasts against his chest with her hug. "And Mrs. Toone paid for my flight. She insisted because she wanted as many of your friends here for support."

"Aunt Tinny did that? And Nate has no clue? Oh, this is hilarious," Finn remarked, forgetting his earlier troubles. "I can't wait to see the looks on Peyton and Lana's faces."

"We'd better hurry. Harper and AJ went to find Prissy and Merry," Kiki warned. "And what's this about Lana trying out for my job again? Auggie is so mad about missing it."

"It wouldn't have happened if we had been here," Jamie-Lynn declared. Never pleased by Lana and Kiki's antics, she'd been the only one in the two cars not amused at the news.

"You don't know much about Honey Hollow, do you?" Serinda challenged.

"Let us tell you about a few things," Sanna stated as the Banks sisters moved to each of the dark-haired coed's sides.