Unruly Hall

“Hold on right there, ladies!” a stern voice ordered.

Hobbling on his cane, Sean ignored the directive. Feeling sore, he sat down at the only terminal table in the reception area, with chairs; the other two were standing-only terminals. Carrying the injured teen's bag, Harley stopped in confusion while Mercedes sulked off to the side.

"This is a place of learning, not lust. Need I remind you that you're not to fornicate in between the stacks?" Silence followed before the woman continued. "I'm talking to you, Miss Melrose. I'm also referring to oral sex or any non-chaste handholding activities. Well, I guess even using a hand can get out of—never mind that. I understand that Sean is a heroic, strapping stud, but you need to keep your panties up and bra clasped. Control your emotions while in school, even if it's in the library."

“Wha?! I did–I would never! He is beneath me!” Mercedes shrieked, emphasizing ‘he’ while jabbing her finger in Sean’s direction.

“I do know. That's how I found you yesterday: beneath the cheerleader savior while practicing your bronco busting moves.”

“I…I did no such thing, Miss Graff! Never! Who told you these lies?” Mercedes stammered.

Although an attractive sophomore with long, blonde hair, blue eyes, medium-to-large breasts, and a firm ass, the uppity cheerleader had a rotten personality. Mercedes' attitude likely came from her parents similarly spoiling her, leading to childish tantrums whenever she didn't get her way. Almost a perfect embodiment of how Sean envisioned the Bumble Girl clique, he knew her mother had led the high society group during his mom's senior year. After getting to know Saylor over the past month, the injured teen couldn't fathom how she could be close friends with Cadence and Mercedes, but Sean admitted that people often make friends at a young age who later don't seem to fit. In his mind, Ramsey and Whitney were another example of an odd friendship.

Harley’s inability to keep a straight face and descending into Lacey-like giggles finally tipped Mercedes off to the head librarian’s joking.

“Miss Graff! That is inappropriate behavior from a faculty member. My mother will hear about this,” the bitchy blonde warned.

“Lighten up, girl. Your attitude is why you're so easy to trick,” the librarian pointed out.

“I bet that’s what all the Bumble boys say,” a voice mumbled from the doorway. The owner didn’t think she’d said it very loudly, but the young cheerleader caught it.

“Shut up, band geek. This doesn’t concern your kind!”

“Mercedes!” Harley yelled. Mouthing a “Sorry” at Polly Gettinger, Harley continued, “Beatrice will hear about this.”

“So?”

“Fine. Whitney will hear about this. If you forget, Polly is Finn Singer’s cousin, and you know that–”

“Whatever! I’m finished here,” Mercedes declared, giving each person a glare before turning around.

“Tell Midge that I said hello,” Fawn called after the sophomore. “It’s been forever since Brandy and I ran into her.”

Sean shook his head, smiling down at the floor. He knew the name-dropping of his aunt would keep Mrs. Melrose from complaining about the librarian’s teasing of her daughter.

“Sorry about that. But she had quite the attitude the other day when you couldn’t bring Sean,” Miss Graff apologized.

“Oh, we know and understand,” the red-haired Babybee agreed, waving bye to Sean before heading off to class.

“Was that necessary, Fawn? I don’t need Nosy Nectar starting rumors about the Bumbles and me,” Sean complained, wincing as he stood up.

Although he nearly always referred to the librarian as Miss Graff while on school grounds, Sean’s use of her first name hinted at his feelings about the teasing. A cute thirty-year-old with shoulder-length, dirty blonde hair, green eyes, medium-sized breasts, and a toned ass, Fawn Graff also happened to be one of Brandy Fallon’s best friends. In fact, she’d been a regular babysitter for Sean in his toddler years. So he’d been thrilled when Fawn not only moved back to Honey Hollow five years ago, but would be in place when he finally attended high school.

Short and slim, with a charming, if not mischievous personality, most people who saw Fawn with Aunt Brandy might never guess that she worked as a librarian at Honey Hollow High School. Although the black 1960s-style cat-eye eyeglasses helped the hot nerd look. Despite her professional demeanor, the teen knew that the respected librarian had been more his aunt’s partner-in-crime, rather than a voice of reason. That role usually fell to their other best friend, Wrenn Whelan.

“You know her mom was a stuck-up bitch, right?” Fawn whispered while Polly walked behind the circulation desk. “Besides, I can think of a few senior-year Bumble beauties that you wouldn’t mind moving from your fantasies to reality. Bridget would probably love for that to happen.”

Wincing again, Sean shook his head at his mom's likely reaction. As practically a family member, Fawn knew his mother well. Now standing in front of the circulation/help desk, the teen wondered which direction to take.

The library’s reception area held the circulation desk, along with an office and storage room behind it, which filled most of the lobby. The rest of the open space was filled by the three previously mentioned tables with computer terminals. Once cutting-edge technology, the monitors that the school switched to when it moved from card catalogs to a computer database often confused students with their simple interfaces and graphics, delighting Fawn.

Despite past assurances of funding for updated software and hardware, the high school library was often among the first items on the cutting-room floor when budgets shrank. Not that Fawn minded. Nope, she got a kick out of showing students that technology from a quarter-century ago could still be useful.

With its walls lined with glass, Sean glanced left and right. To the latter's direction lay the main stacks, along with the periodicals section. In the other direction sat the section of the former stacks that had been turned into a computer lab. Placed smack-dab in the middle of the room, the lab still had a distinct old-school vibe, with the reference section on one side and the microfiche readers on the other. Also, the old huge card catalog system sat in the corner. On the sides of both rooms behind the lobby, sat private reading rooms. Supposedly soundproof, certain rooms failed to deliver on that promise.

“How are you feeling?” Fawn asked as the bell rang. Her expression showed concern about his wincing.” I heard you visited Wanda earlier.”

“Seriously? Is there an alert network in this place about my health?”

“For the golden boy? I’m sure,” Polly commented, pushing a cart from behind the desk. “I’m going to drop these off to Mr. Grummitt, okay?”

“Thanks, Pol,” Fawn told her student aide before addressing the other teen’s question. “If you must know, I do leave the library for lunch. I heard Gail mention you to Wanda when I walked into the teacher’s lounge. Oh, crap. I forgot.”

Initially, Sean felt like freaking out. Did Fawn know what his mom arranged for the school nurse to do for him? If so, would Aunt Brandy find out? Knowing his aunt would have a field day teasing him over that special medical procedure, the injured teen sighed with relief when he followed the librarian’s eyes to another student who had entered the library.

“Good afternoon, Khloe. What don’t you drop your stuff over by the reference section, and I’ll be along shortly. Alright?” Fawn greeted the newcomer.

“Sounds acceptable, Miss Graff,” the student said, nodding curtly.

More than a newcomer to the library, Khloe Hale was also a recent transfer from Guzzle Crossing to Honey Hollow High. Supposedly a respected member of her former school's newspaper, Sean had already heard a few things about the transfer joining The Buzzy Bee. A junior with neck-length black hair, green eyes, medium-sized breasts, and a firm ass, Khloe had already coldly rejected several guys who came sniffing around their next potential conquest. Word around school was that the new girl didn’t suffer fools kindly.

“Crap, crap, shit,” the librarian hissed, waiting until the glass door closed behind the new student.

“What’s the problem?” Sean asked.

“I shouldn’t have sent Polly away. Hopefully, she won’t be gone long, but you know how much Grummitt likes to chat with history buffs,” Fawn explained. “Topaz should be bringing her composition class in here any minute. I don’t have the time or the patience to deal with this girl.”

“She seems okay. I heard she and Ramsey have hit it off,” Sean mentioned, causing Fawn to shake her head.

“Well, the rest of the Bee prefers to slap her,” the librarian passed along.

Ah, by that, she means Daisy, Sean noted. As anyone close to Fawn knew, she'd taken Daisy Kirby under her wing, or as her protégé, as Brandy often derided the relationship. It wasn't particularly a surprise as Fawn had previously mentored Keeley Keady after her return to Honey Hollow. A big difference between the two young women was that Keeley had been almost like a little sister to Fawn growing up as neighbors, while Daisy didn't have that same connection. The senior had somehow earned Finn's interest and trust, which had seemed to intrigue Fawn.

“I wouldn’t go by the newspaper office politics, you know.” Sean’s point caused the librarian to roll her eyes at his naivety. “Plus, aren’t you supposed to be nice to every student?”

Grumbling about his being right, Miss Graff started to head over to the other room before stopping. Sean immediately regretted getting cheeky with her when he spotted the mischievous grin.

“You know, if you want to give our new student the benefit of the doubt, then you can give her a hand. I mean, think about it. Who better to welcome a poor, lonely girl to Honey Hollow than the town’s latest hero? It’s not like you don’t know your way around the library.”

This time, Sean winced over his mistake rather than his injury. He couldn’t say no to helping Fawn. Not only was she a family friend, but the librarian had stepped in to help him at the beginning of the new semester. Initially expecting a study hall, Sean had been shocked and upset to find it replaced on his schedule by a shop class. Even if he had any interest in construction, his injured foot would’ve made it difficult to move around in a room with dangerous items all around.

Then, there was the matter of Rolf Grimm not liking Sean. Although the teen didn't have a reputation for misbehaving, the basketball coach sure acted as if he did. Twice, Coach Grimm had cut him from basketball tryouts despite his success in junior high school. It had all felt unfair to the disappointed teen, as Coach Grimm seemed influenced by the bad blood that existed between himself and Sean's mother and aunt. In all fairness, the teen could understand why Coach Grimm didn't like Bridget if one believed the rumors, which Sean knew were true. Her actions as cheer captain might have helped the team win their school's last basketball championship, but the rumors also clouded Grimm's legacy.

With all this as background, Sean couldn't be in shop class. That hadn't been a big issue with his broken foot, but then he'd landed in a study hall with Rex Thorne. Being under the football coach's watchful eye also didn't feel like a good idea, since Austin was in the same room. Fortunately, Fawn came to the rescue, offering to let him use the library for his study hall.

“I guess I do,” Sean sighed, giving in to the request. “What does she need to find?”

“That’s my boy,” the dirty blonde responded, slapping his shoulder. “You’re going to have to travel back in time to the days of microfiche. Apparently, the girl is interested in old school newspapers. I’m not even talking about The Buzzy Bee; she wants to look through old issues of the Herald. Not that there is anything worthwhile in there. I’ll send Polly over to relieve you once she returns.”

Nodding, Sean agreed. The precursor to the current school newspaper hadn’t been as independent from faculty and school board oversight during the first part of the 20th century. As he’d learned from reading some of the issues, the Honey Hollow Herald had published nothing but puff pieces or regurgitated school administration talking points.

Hobbling over to the door, Sean reached it as English students from Ms. Brass’s class started to trickle in. He nodded at Howie Cline and Chet Ragg, realizing the class might have mostly juniors in it. Waking through the glass door, Sean made his way around several pieces of barely used equipment to find a firm ass shaking in the air before him. Of course, a head turned to catch his gaze over a shoulder.

“Yes?” The sharp word came out like a threat.

“Um, hey, so, I’m going to give you a hand until Polly gets back.”

“Why? What is Miss Graff doing?” Khloe responded in an accusatory tone.

The hell? Is everything this girl says an investigative question?

“Uh, Mrs—I mean, Ms. Brass just brought her English class in here. So, Miss Graff needs to help set them up,” Sean explained, reaching behind to scratch the back of his neck. Something about this new girl felt like an uncomfortable case of déjà vu.

“I see. Are you a library aide?”

“Me? No, no, Polly is the student aide. I’m, um, just in here for study hall. It’s, uh, a personal class, as Miss Graff is, well, that doesn’t matter,” Sean stammered before remembering his manners.

Crap. I should probably remember this stuff after Yumi’s lunch lesson.

“I’m Sean Tarver. Uh, happy belated welcome to Honey Hollow,” Sean greeted, wincing over the line, while holding out his hand.

“Yes, I know,” Khloe replied, ignoring the offered hand until Sean awkwardly lowered it. “Do you think I wouldn’t know the current flavor of the month in my new city and school? The January editions of the newspaper spent far too much time and energy on your lucky exploit for my tastes.”

“Well, I don’t know. I wouldn’t presume that you’ve heard of me or know me by sight,” Sean replied. “I’m not that kind of person.”

“You’re not? We shall see,” Khloe stated before raising an eyebrow. “Now, are you going to show me around this quaint library or stand there and mumble about your false fame?”

“Right, right, so you're interested in old editions of the Herald. Uh, the microfiche readers are over in the corner that way,” the flummoxed teen said, pointing past the rows of computers.

“Oh, thank you, kind sir. You’re quite perceptive to pick up on my blindness,” Khloe shot back. “Where are the sheets or rolls?”

“In the storage room on the other side, next to that reading room,” Sean revealed, already walking in that direction. He’d started to see why Daisy didn’t care for the new girl, but why did Ramsey and Ms. Resto like her?

The raven-haired girl’s sharp bark dissipated after Sean took her inside the cubby hole of a room. With her needing his help, Khloe seemed almost decent up to the point that she memorized where everything was located. Then, pointing at several microfilm rolls, she ordered him to carry them over to the reader.

“Hi, Sean!” an attractive brunette tittered, flirtily waving at him from a computer. Next to her, a more serious blonde added a wave to go along with her best friend’s.

“Hey, Berry, Teagan,” Sean greeted, smiling at two of the pretty junior year Bumble Girls.

The Tuppence trio of sisters had reputations for flirtiness, if not outright seduction, especially the college-aged Talia, the oldest. Unlike her distant cousin, Sienna, Berry Thirlby came across as a sweet, polite girl. Both girls represented the less hostile, less shrewish side of the high-society clique.

“We'd better see you back at our table after school. You skipped lunch with us,” Olivia called over.

The likely Sugarbee captain next year sat with her best friends, the twins on the dance squad. Sean could never tell Isla apart from Ilsa, but he tried, stopping behind their row of computers.

“You’d need to taste our cookies, Sean. They’re gooey–” one Astle twin began.

“And filmed with the tastiest cream,” the other Astle twin finished.

“I made those cookies, too,’ Olivia reminded, throwing her hands out.

“But ours are mouthwatering,” Isla and Ilsa promised simultaneously.

“I see. I’ll keep that in mind,” Sean promised, blushing at the innuendo from the twins. Despite his mom’s efforts to keep him away from younger girls, they often seemed the boldest when hitting on him.

“Harrumph!”

“Right, right, sorry,” Sean apologized, after Khloe cleared her throat in annoyance. “Excuse me, girls. I’m helping Miss Graff.”

“Ah, isn’t he the most adorable?” Teagan asked.

“You’re sure eating up your fifteen seconds, aren’t you?” the new addition to the school newspaper remarked, directing Sean to place the microfilm rolls on the reader next to the one she sat down at.

“Not really. You know, it’s considered rude to make assumptions about people before you know them.”

“Is that so?” Khloe responded, scoffing at his remark.

“Do you know how to use a microfiche reader?” Sean shot back, running out of patience with Miss Hale.

“I don’t know. Is this the latest technology in Honey Hollow?”

As if Guzzle Crossing isn’t a smaller town. If she wants to trade town insults, I can start with the low-class ones about her ridiculously named city. Oh! I bet Whitney would loved to trade barbs with his girl. Her mom is from there, Sean recalled. Still, he maintained his composure and asked politely if she needed any help with the old newspaper.

“Are you searching for anything in particular? I know the town history pretty well,” the teen noted.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m only acquainting myself with the local history. I should have a general breadth of knowledge before next year begins,” Khloe stated.

“Why? What happens next year?” Sean asked, wondering if he missed a history show or exhibit coming to town in the fall.

“Really?” the dark-haired reporter responded, a dismissive look on her face. “Have you seen your newspaper’s staff?”

Sean sensed that the newest addition wanted to make a point, so he didn’t respond.

“Don’t mistake me. Ramsey has solid journalism skills, but she’s graduating and lacks the discipline to be a chief editor. Who lets a glorified office manager run her staff? The staff is unprofessional at best. But what should I have expected with a ludicrous name like The Buzzy Bee? I have no idea why they dropped the Herald name, do you?”

“I think people prefer a unique name. It’s not like you can change it. Can you?” Sean asked, more as an afterthought.

“Things will be different once a firm hand is in place. Ms. Resto and I see eye to eye on that. I believe this Ms. Brass over there is the source of most of the blame,” Khloe accused, glancing over the English teacher and longtime advisor to the school newspaper until this school year.

Is she seriously talking shit about Daisy and Ms. Brass? Even I know that Daisy keeps the paper together. Oh, fuck, Finn is going to flip out when he hears about this girl. Did Ms. Resto promise her…no, she couldn’t have.

“Hold on. Do you think you’re going to be the editor next year? Talk about presumptuous. You just started classes here last month,” Sean pointed out. “Besides, everyone knows that Norah or Dex…okay, Norah is going to be editor next year. These things are planned ahead of time.”

“Wow, I guess you do have a brain. Dexter Kirby was never an option, and Norah Almond lacks any of the social skills needed to run a competent operation,” Khloe declared, shaking her head in disgust. “Those two will be fortunate if they have a role next year. Ramsey agrees that I need to find new reporters.”

“No, Daisy and Ramsey agreed to recruit new junior high reporters who are starting here next year. They’ll be additions to The Buzzy Bee, not replacements. That’s how things are done. I know because Finn Singer was editor for two years, and he carried on a tradition that Cleo Monroe began,” Sean argued, now pissed.

“Traditions are made to be broken, especially the worthless kind,” the rabble-rouser proclaimed. “Adherence to them is why you people get embarrassed daily by a juvenile gossiper.”

“I don’t think you should underestimate Nosy Nectar,” Sean replied.

“Shouldn’t I? Should I instead read articles about your family on The Stinging Truth? This town needs an informational reckoning,” Khloe declared. “Guzzle Crossing had none of this nonsense. By the way, you may go. I have what I need.”

How the hell does someone show up in a new town and start acting like that? Shaking his head at the nerve of this newcomer, Sean completely missed a person in Ms. Brass’s class observing him from one of the computers. Only when he passed through a row of shelves in the reference section did he hear the whisper from the other side of a shelf.

“Psst. You wanna help me cut the bitch?”

Lowering his head to peer through the opening, Sean kicked himself for even checking. Only one girl would ask that question: Odette Manske. While not an official member of The Buzzy Bee, she worked as their technical support, if one could call it that. A junior with neck-length hair, currently dyed orange, hazel eyes, medium-sized breasts, and a firm ass, Odie might be the school's biggest bundle of energetic delinquency since Aunt Brandy roamed these halls. The niece of Principal Manske, Odette, often found herself in trouble for breaking school rules or laws. Still, her uncle usually brushed them under the rug, or she deleted any evidence.

“What? No, I don’t want…Shit, I don’t know,” Sean admitted, confused and thrown off by his encounter with the new reporter. “Does Daisy know about her plans?”

“The little cunt is quite open with her disdain. Tried to get me banned from the office, but I know things,” Odette declared ominously. “If anyone is going to burn, it’s her.”

“And Ms. Resto is cool with this?” Sean hissed, wondering what they looked like, whispering between the bookshelves.

“She’s so taken by this newbie. I guess her friend teaches over in Cocksucker Crossing, and highly recommended Halestorm. Besides, Resto is a softie for rule followers,” the delinquent noted, rolling her eyes.

“What about Ramsey? This girl sounds like a female version of Geoff,” Sean commented.

“Geoff is so confused by her; it would be funny if she weren’t stirring shit up. As for Ramsey, she’s too obsessed with her dumb Nosy Nectar witch hunt to notice. The two of them seem to have shared opinions about taking it down.”

“Odette! What are you doing now?”

“Nothing, Topaz!”

“You’re supposed to address teachers by their last name, Odie,” the English teacher reminded. “Who are you–Oh, hello, Sean! Is Odette bothering you?”

“Why would I bother Tarver? He’s not a threat,” the orange-haired teen pointed out.

The conversation ended abruptly when Sean slipped away, and Ms. Brass ordered her student to stop acting so suspiciously and return to her assignment. Walking as fast as he could with his cast, the confused teen found himself leaning against the circulation desk in no time.

“Please tell me you didn’t already fall in love.”

“Huh?”

“Khloe, the new girl. You didn’t develop a crush, did you?” Fawn asked, springing up from behind the desk. The move should’ve startled Sean, but he hadn’t even noticed that the voice came from an unseen person.

“Why the fuck would I fall in love with her?” Sean challenged, emphasizing ‘her’ in his response.

“No, don’t use that naughty language, Mr. Tarver. Or I’ll need to write you up,” Fawn admonished in a hollow voice. Once she finished that obligatory scolding, the librarian continued. “Why? She seems like your type?”

“My type? First off, I don’t have a type. Second, it would never be someone like her.”

“I don’t know. Doesn’t Khloe seem familiar?”

“No.”

“Not even like a supercharged version of a certain girl that you fawned over for two years?”

“What? No way. She’s nothing like Ramsey,’ Sean insisted, whispering his old crush’s name.

“I’d reconsider that if I were you. There are similarities,” his family friend said. “And I’m not the only one to see them. Think of it like this: imagine a go-getting reporter who cares about a story rather than playing nice, in ways like remembering all her classmates’ names. Now, imagine this same ambitious journalist, who also didn’t grow up across the street from one of the sweetest girls we know.”

“I…I don’t see it,” Sean muttered.

Shit, is Khloe how Ramsey would be without Lacey in her life?

“See what?” Polly asked, returning from her errand.

“The new girl. You might need to take over for Sean in helping–”

“That won’t be necessary,” Sean announced, cutting off Fawn seconds before the phone on her desk began to ring.

“Why not? You look weird. Did something happen with the new girl? Did she proposition you?” Polly rattled off.

“No, she didn’t! Why would you even think that?” Sean questioned, staring at Polly as if she’d grown an extra head.

A sweet, kind girl with long, straight light brown hair, brown eyes, medium breasts, and a firm ass, Polly had dealt with a small acne problem and had to wear braces while in junior high school. The combination left her painfully shy, which Sean knew worried her cousin, Finn. While the acne finally cleared up last summer, she still wore the braces because of a complication. A band geek, she seemed to have some weird, like-hate relationship with Newt while at the Diamond cabin over the winter break.

“Polly, it’s for you,” Fawn called over, holding the old-school phone receiver up in the air.

“Me? Did something happen?” the suddenly concerned girl asked. With an alarmed expression, she rushed around the circulation desk when Miss Graff didn’t answer.

With students forbidden from receiving calls directly like this, Sean grew worried as well. When Fawn walked over, he immediately asked the first thing that came to mind.

“Is Fred okay? Did something happen to Finn’s dad?”

“Fred? No. Just wait,” the mischievous, dirty blonde told him.

“What? No! Who is this?” Polly asked before screeching. “Ohmigawd!”

“Um, this sounds–”

“Just wait,” Fawn interrupted her best friend’s nephew.

“I’m not doing that! Why? Because I don’t care about your stupid show. That’s why!” Polly screamed, forgetting that she currently stood in the school library. “No, we’re not cousins! I’m your cousin’s cousin. That’s why.”

“Ah, it’s one of the Bank sisters,” Sean realized.

Finn’s pair of cousins on Aunt Cassie’s side of the family lived far away in Eldermoss, in the northwestern part of the country. Despite the distance, the two younger teens had developed an obsession with Nosy Nectar. Treating it like a real-life reality show, Serinda and Sanna had their own blog and video channel, where they discussed each week’s postings while speculating about future events.

“My problem? You can’t just call me at school…Wait, how did you know to call me here?” Polly questioned, sounding as suspicious as she looked. “How the hell did you get my class schedule? You did what?!”

“And you allow this?” Sean queried, noticing the librarian’s amused expression.

“Polly needs to lighten up more, and those girls are adorable. Look so much like Cassie at that age,” Fawn recalled, wistfully. “It’s better than dealing with Khloe or listening to Ramsey harp about Nosy Nectar.”

Nosy…Oh, shit! If I help Ramsey’s investigation, will I have to deal with the new girl, too?