The Origin of the Junior Squad

"How long are we supposed to sit here and watch that woman?" Sanna Bank grumbled. She stood beside a table while watching the traitorous Crystal Fetty reminisce with old classmates. "I think we've done reconnaissance long enough."

"It has been a long time. And we haven't seen any of the adults since we started," Serinda noted, agreeing with her younger sister.

"Plus, Zaylie wandered off to flirt," Sanna complained, motioning toward their erstwhile chaperone.

The beach blonde stood surrounded by five attentive young men. However, the Zurbrugg College student seemed most interested in chatting with the sixth guy, Reece Kittle.

"Can you blame her? That's Reece!" Serinda squealed, fanning herself.

"More like Ken to her Barbie," Sanna remarked grumpily. However, she did glance down at the giggle from the table next to her.

Trey Day's laughter didn't last long as he struggled to hold up his tired head. It seemed inevitable that his head would make contact with the table very soon. So the exhausted eight-year-old gave his slightly older sister a solid excuse for escaping.

"We should give up. Trey needs to be in bed, sleeping," Tenille stated. "I think the others forgot about us."

Sanna audibly scoffed at the suggestion.

"Give up? That woman broke your dad's heart. You have more at stake here than any of us," Serinda pointed out, shaking her head at the girl.

"Yeah!" Trey cheered, attempting to blink the drowsiness away.

"Outvoted. So suck it up," Sanna declared.

That made the seated girl scowl, then fold her arms across her chest and throw her head back in frustration. However, she quickly found an ally when her mother, Olympia, walked over.

"Somebody looks sleepy," she said, rubbing Trey's head. "Honey, I think it's time for you two to head upstairs. Your brother is far past his bedtime."

"No!" Trey exclaimed. Sitting up straighter, he attempted to look wide awake. "I can't. Having fun playing a game."

"A game? What game?" Olympia questioned, glancing around the empty table.

"We're using our imaginations, Mrs. Day," Serinda responded.

"It's a good learning practice for Trey," Sanna added.

Tenille scowled at their lies. However, she didn't snitch. The point about getting justice for her father gnawed at her, even if she didn't like rule-breaking.

"Hello, dears," Virginia Day greeted, patting Tenille's shoulder while shooting her grandson a warm smile. "Having a good time?"

"Grammy, Mommy wants us to go to bed, but we playing a game," Trey said, beating his sister to the punch.

Tenille's scowl deepened as she knew he sought to get their grandmother on his side. Standing halfway around the table, Sanna grinned at the kid's effort.

"A game?" Virginia repeated her daughter-in-law's search for the game.

"It's an imagination game," Sanna and Serinda said simultaneously.

"Oh my...How wonderful! That's the sort of game your aunt would play," Virginia recalled, smiling at the Banks sisters and the memory. "Of course, Tinny and Bridget never had enough patience to go along with her efforts. This is such a delightful moment."

"Well, it's over. Trey is far past his bedtime, and Tenille is too," Olympia stated, glancing at her expensive watch. "Game-time is over."

"Mom!"

"Sounds go--" Tenille began to agree, but got cut off.

"It's New Year's Eve!" Serinda exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're supposed to stay up late," Sanna reminded, looking at the older woman.

"Very true. This is a holiday where breaking bedtimes is the norm," Virginia agreed. "I find it an absolute joy to see Sandy's daughters bonding with Teddy's children. Cassie would love this development."

"She sure would," Serinda agreed, nodding eagerly.

"And we should do what Aunt Cassie would like for her night," Sanna added.

Olympia appeared ready to argue, but her mother-in-law's expression warned her to back off.

"Well, I guess you can stay up a little longer. At least until I find your father."

"Oh, I came over hoping you knew where Teddy went," Virginia revealed. "I thought he might know Brandy's whereabouts."

"I'm sure Ted doesn't know," Olympia replied.

"Hmm, it's just that I'm worried about Brandy. I assume she doesn't know about Bridget's di...development." Virginia avoided using the word divorce in front of the young ears. "I don't want Brandy to get upset and do anything rash over the news."

"Like she'd ever do anything rash," Olympia remarked sarcastically.

"Well, yes, she can be a bit impetuous. That's why I'd like Teddy to find her. He knows how to calm Brandy down...well, once in a while."

"I'm certain that Ted doesn't need to be involved. That's the Fallons' family business, not ours. Brandy's a grownup, even if she doesn't act it. She can learn to deal with adult issues by herself," Olympia proclaimed in an annoyed tone.

Virginia caught the sarcasm and annoyance. Her expression shifted in response. Out was the friendly, fretting grandmother. In its place fell a look of disappointment.

"I don't care for that tone or attitude, Olympia. The Fallons are family to the Days. And I'm not exaggerating. Bridget spent nearly half her childhood in our home. Brandy followed after her sisters left for college, and she found herself lonely. She and Teddy are like siblings. You might only want to see the squabbling or Brandy's adventurous antics, but that girl loves your husband. She's completely loyal to him and has proven to be his defender in the past. You would help yourself greatly by keeping that in mind," Virginia explained sternly. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go find Wrenn, as Fawn has also vanished."

Then, mulling it over for nearly three seconds, Virginia mumbled, "Oh, dear, I hope they aren't in trouble again."

She followed that by leaning down to kiss the top of Tenille's head. The same followed for Trey, with a warm smile reappearing for the Bank sisters.

"Hrmph!" Olympia sounded after her mother-in-law walked away. Then, she did the same after telling her children that she needed to find their father.

Once she left, Serinda and Sanna launched into a discussion over the latest news.

"Brandy and Fawn have vanished?!" Serinda questioned.

"Where the hell are they?" Sanna asked, brushing off Tenille's glare for cursing.

"When are they coming back? We're supposed to watch that woman for them," Serinda pointed out. "Maybe we should go looking for them."

"No, we can't leave the cheater. What we should do is create a backup plan," Sanna stated.

"What backup plan?" Tenille queried with a concerned expression.

"That we take charge of getting ****--no, justice for your dad," Sanna announced. Then, she held out her hand, "Give me your phone."

"I'm ten. I don't have a phone," Tenille replied incredulously.

"Really? I had one at your age," Serinda revealed, with Sanna nodding.

"Alright, then, hurry after your grandma. We need help, and she will have the number we need." Sanna gestured for Tenille to go, but the younger girl refused. "Alright, whatever. Trey, go ask your grandma for--"

"Fine! I'll go," Tenille said, jumping to her feet.

---

"Do we look like a bunch of senile old maids?" Natalie asked sharply in reply to Sanna's opening question.

"You're Finn's cousins. We remember you two from all the graduation parties in Honey Hollow three years ago," Noelle recalled. "What's up?"

"Yeah, why are you calling on our grandma's phone?" Natalie inquired, peering at the Bank sisters through the video chat.

"Uh, well, we sorta had Tenille lie to--"

"Wait, little Miss Proper lied?!"

"I did not! I only told Grandma that Serinda and Sanna wanted to talk to you," Tenille explained, defending her honor.

"Hey, is Trey there too?" Noelle inquired.

"Hi, Nat. Hi, NoNo," Trey greeted, perking up and waving at his older cousins.

"Hiya, little buddy!" Noelle greeted.

"Happy New Year, favorite cousin," Natalie practically sang, needling Tenille.

"So, uh, we called because we need help. And, well, you two have a reputation for pranks," Sanna explained.

"More like troublemakers," Tenille muttered.

"Alright, so what kind of--hold on a second," Noelle said, looking off to the side. "Yes, we had mozzarella sticks down here, too. Thank you."

"Onion rings as well. Although I can see Eden already hoarding them," her twin remarked, earning an off-screen stuck-out tongue.

"Nachos and chicken wings for apps? Yeah, the guy at the end of this table is not planning properly for tonight," Noelle commented, shaking her head.

"Uh, did we interrupt your dinner?" Serinda asked with a guilty expression.

"Nah, we're just getting started with appetizers," Natalie reassured.

"Eating? It's bedtime!" Trey squeaked with wide eyes.

"There is a time difference, Trey," Tenille reminded her brother.

"Don't be nasty, Tenny!" Natalie scolded before shifting her expression to a smile. "Yes, little buddy, you're five hours ahead of us. So it's dinner time here."

"And we're having dinner with our friends before the big party," Noelle added. Then, she shifted back to the previous topic. "Now, what did you need help with?"

"Okay, so Brandy and Fawn were in charge, but they disappeared. So we're going to take charge of the **** plan," Serinda explained.

"What **** plan?" one of the twins asked while dipping her mozzarella stick into a cup of sauce.

"Oh! Sorry, we forgot to tell you that Crystal Fetty is here. Well, that's her married name; she used to be called--"

"Crystal the Cheater?!" Noelle shrieked, cutting Sanna off.

"Fuck that bitch!" Natalie roared, flinging her mozzarella stick at the other end of their long table.

"Nat!"

"The hell?"

"Thanks a lot, Toone! Now I got sauce on my sleeve!"

"Sorry, Frisco," Natalie said to the complaining teenager.

The noise from the twins' end of the phone drowned out Tenille's gasp at the language. She also turned to order her little brother to cover his ears. Trey did so until she looked away.

"Okay, we're so in on this **** plan," Noelle stated.

"The bitch is fucking going down," Natalie declared.

"Natalie!"

"Lighten up, Tenny! Now is not the time for proper etiquette. It's time for payback," Natalie told her cousin.

"What's the plan?" Noelle asked.

"That's why we called you," Serinda responded.

"Yeah, we're not experienced in these things. We usually record and offer commentary on events," Sanna explained.

"Okay, so who's on your team?" Noelle queried.

"Just us four," Sanna admitted, with Tenille protesting that she was only partially involved and Trey couldn't be.

"Oh, that's not going to work," Natalie replied.

"Definitely not. We can help create a plan, but you'll need people to help execute it—people with skills. As for suggestions, we got help at our table," Noelle said, looking past the camera. "Eden, scoot over here for a few minutes. We need another idea person."

"Just don't throw any food on me. This dress is the only real option for tonight. So who's on the phone?" Eden Bledsoe, the twins' joint best friend, asked. Noelle explained swiftly as her friend carried her chair the short distance around the table. "Your little bitchy cousin?"

"Trey too. The redheads are Serinda and Sanna Bank. Our Aunt Cassie's nieces," Noelle supplied names to the faces that Eden now saw.

"Right, Finn's cousins. Ooh! Hello, Theodore the Third! You're still just so adorable," Eden cooed at the grinning eight-year-old, who waved hello vigorously.

The Toone twins and the Bank sisters provided a brief rundown of the situation. Having been best friends with the twins since shortly after they moved to Breezy Bay, Eden knew the story of Teddy Day and Crystal Soversby.

"I bet your mom regrets sending Nate and not you two," Eden commented.

"Ohmigawd!"

"We didn't even think of that!"

"Wait, where is our brother?"

"Missing too. When we got our orders to tail Crystal, Brandy and Fawn took him and Barney with them," Sanna recounted.

"They took Barney?" Noelle repeated. "That can only mean--"

"Pictures," Natalie finished. "Well, now I want to hear about that."

"Let's focus on the **** plan. We have food coming soon," Eden reminded, knowing how the twins could get distracted. "So, public or private humiliation?"

The twins both made it clear they wanted public humiliation.

"Uh, we don't have permission for that," Sanna admitted.

"Permission? We don't need permission! Wait, who even gave it to you?" Natalie responded.

"Um, your grandpa," Serinda revealed.

"Grandpa?!" It was too close to tell if Noelle, Natalie, or Tenille sounded more shocked.

"Yes, we heard that he told Brandy to handle it, but not make a scene. Um, you know, because of Aunt Cassie's stuff," Sanna relayed.

"Oh, right," Natalie responded, sounding a little somber. She made eye contact with her twin and nodded. "We'll go with private humiliation."

"Soiled, bruised, or treated?" Eden asked, referring to the level of damage.

"The cheating bitch deserves to be hospitalized, but we need to keep it private," Natalie hissed.

"Let's say soiled and bruised. Sound good?" Noelle inquired, earning shrugs from the Banks. Tenille didn't respond as she gawped with her mouth open at the implied option of putting somebody in the hospital.

"We're going to need a list of resources available to you guys," Noelle said next. "A hotel should give us options. That's if you don't have any issues with borrowing supplies."

"Nope," Sanna replied rapidly.

"I'm sure Mr. Pierce would understand," Serinda said, seeking to convince herself more than anyone.

"Th-That's stealing," Tenille sputtered in a hushed voice.

"No, it's borrowing. Unless you want to whip out your purse and pay," Natalie replied.

"I don't have any money; I'm ten!"

"Okay, let's see. What does a hotel even have?" Eden asked, glancing around for ideas.

"Luckily, we know somebody with a wealth of knowledge about resorts," Natalie replied.

"I guess we could ask Coco, but she's fairly busy flirting with Frisco," Eden countered, leaning forward to see the other end of the twelve-person table.

"Oh! I didn't even think of Coco," Natalie admitted, slapping her forehead. The Sandberrys owned a resort in their hometown.

"I know who you mean. But, saying she has a wealth of knowledge is kinda overstating her time at work," Noelle observed.

"Well, if you wanna drag Coco away from Frisco--like he won't be kissing an older girl at midnight anyway--feel free to try. Hey, do you girls have a phone? Good. Give me your numbers, and I'll message our hotel expert to call you," Natalie said.

---

"Holy shit! This sounds so cool!" Juliana Lockett squealed at the end of another video chat.

Serinda turned her phone to the one that Tenille now reluctantly held. Sanna was too busy recording a behind-the-scenes view for their post-party account.

"Are you still working?" Noelle asked.

"At this time? Hell, no. Bethany and I stayed around for the big Snowbird New Year's Eve party. The owners have kids that we sorta hang out with. Oh! Let me get Eppie over here," Jules said, calling Eppie Etter, her best friend and partner-in-mischief, over to the phone.

"Hi, girls!" the petite blonde greeted with a huge grin.

"Are you two drunk?" Noelle asked, unsure since she was looking at them through two phones.

"Not really! Just had some punch," Eppie replied with a goofy grin.

"Yeah, just a bit," Jules agreed, miming a big glass.

"So, who's getting tarred and feathered?" Eppie inquired.

"Ooh! Is that what we're doing?" Jules questioned, her mischievous eyes lighting up.

"No!" the Toone twins responded. "Nothing that bad. We need to keep this as private as possible. That's why we wanted your expertise about hotels," Noelle clarified.

"You're an expert?" Eppie challenged, turning to stare at Juliana in disbelief. Then, she burst into laughter. "You've been working at this place for like a month."

"I know things!" Jules shot back, sounding like her mother. Then, she turned back to the phone screen. "I do!"

"Maybe we should get Coco over here," Eden suggested.

"No, my girl knows her shit," Natalie countered. "Right, Jules?"

"Uh, what do you want to know?"

"We need to know what a hotel has for supplies we can use to get justice," Noelle stated.

"Like what?"

"Um, I don't know. Maybe we should get Lewis over here," Noelle said, glancing down the table at their nerdy friend who lived across the street.

"Hey, Epp, where's Topher? If they get to use their smart boy sidekick, then we do too," Jules said.

"Forget the boys. We need help over here," Sanna pointed out.

"Oh, right! We need boots on the ground for you girls," Natalie remembered,

"Should we get one of my brother's friends?" Jules asked.

"No, we should probably get someone that won't get charged as an adult if this goes south," Natalie said.

"What?!" Tenille shrieked.

"She's exaggerating," Sanna reassured.

Noelle glanced at her sister and shrugged. "Sure, that's right."

"Oh, I have the perfect helper! She'll have to say yes," Jules announced, bouncing up and down.

---

"No! This sounds crazy. We could get in a lot of trouble," Zoey Gibble declared, shaking her head.

"You said she'd be down to help," Serinda pointed out, looking at Juliana through the phone.

"Oh, she will. Zoey needs to make things right for her family," Jules proclaimed with a sinister smirk.

"What's that mean?" the younger Gibble sister asked.

"Well, if you do this, then Nat and Noelle won't terrorize JoJo," Jules replied.

"Why would we do that? We like JoJo," Noelle pointed out.

"Because she and my brother have been keeping the whole cabin up the last few nights," Jules hinted. That tease brought confused looks. "They're fucking!"

"Language!" Tenille screamed, gesturing for her brother to cover his ears.

"What?! JoJo and our JarJar?" Noelle gasped. "But they're just friends."

"That fucking bitch! We're gonna **** her!" Natalie spat into the phone, recalling JoJo's face during their video call.

"Wait, is that what Peyton meant before?" Noelle asked.

"I thought she was just getting us back," Natalie shot back before glaring into the phone.

"Hey, you don't have a claim on Jared. So back off my sister or else," Zoey warned.

"Ooh! What are you gonna do, tough girl? You know what we can do," Natalie stated.

"Uh, girls, our food is here," came a male voice off-screen.

"Shut up!" the twins roared.

"Geez, it's not that big of a deal. It's not like Jared is going to marry JoJo," Jules said.

"Marriage?!" Noelle exclaimed, looking ready to faint.

"I bet you wouldn't say that if Sean was fucking a girl," Natalie speculated.

"I admit to being jealous in the past, but my mom made a good point. I can't stop Sean from getting experience while living in a different city. Instead, I should view it as a positive. It means that he'll rock my world when it's our time," Jules said, barely holding in her anger at the talk of Sean and another woman.

"That's a dumb way of--"

"Now, hold up," Natalie told her twin. "That might make sense. Jared could use more experience."

"He's got plenty already!" Noelle responded.

"Yeah, but there are two of us. He's going to need to be a sexual god at fucking for when we--"

"Would you all just shut the hell up?!" Tenille screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Language, Tenny," Natalie scolded.

"I don't care! Stop swearing and talking about sex. We have **** to get for my dad," Tenille reminded.

"She's right," Sanna interjected before more fighting started. "Zoey's going to help us, right? Maybe even get a few friends to help also?"

"I guess. But only if you leave Jo alone."

"Agreed!" Jules confirmed, sending the twins into a round of grumbling and mumbling, but they didn't argue.

"Let's hurry. My food is here," Eden announced. "So a hotel would have supply closets and a kitchen. What else?"

"A gift shop?" Eppie questioned from Rattle Ridge.

"Does your hotel have one?" Noelle inquired.

"Uh, I think so. I'm not sure if it's still open," Serinda replied.

"We'll check," Sanna added.

"Hey, Coco! What does a hotel have a lot of?" Natalie yelled off-screen.

"Uh, beds," came the response.

"That sure helps," Natalie muttered sarcastically.

"No, wait, it does," Eden said, the wheels turning in her brain. "Noelle, something they said before gives me an idea. It might be a bit public."

"What ground rules did our grandpa actually give?" Noelle asked the Bank sisters.

"I think I heard Brandy say her dad and your grandpa said to do it later tonight and outside," Sanna recalled.

"We can't do anything outside. It's freezing out there," Serinda said, shivering.

"And there is that fight out front," Zoey pointed out.

"Fight?"

"What fight?" came the questions from Breezy Bay and Rattle Ridge.

"Don't worry about that right now," Sanna replied, tapping her finger to her chin. "Perhaps we can make this work inside but out of sight. Like one of the hallways."

"Or the restrooms," Serinda added.

"Ooh, I like that," Natalie announced.

"Listen, if I'm going to ask a few friends for help, I need to know what you have planned. So what's...oh, the poor guy," Zoey remarked sadly. Her hand also went to her chest.

Sanna and Serinda followed her gaze. The Babybees were wheeling Sean back into the ballroom. The teenage hero looked exhausted.

"What's going on over there?" Natalie questioned.

"Sorry. It's just that Sean is going by," Sanna replied.

"Sean? What's going on with my beloved? Tell me!" Jules ordered.

"Oh, sorry. I guess you didn't hear yet. His parents are getting divorced," Zoey revealed.

A glass-shattering scream followed.