The Schism

Daisy slammed the driver’s side door shut with far more force than intended. Next, she whipped open the back seat door to grab her large bag and the overflow of folders and notebooks. Feeling a vibration, she checked Heidi's incoming message. The sweet girl complained about a splitting headache.

“Girl, you need to develop some tolerance,” Daisy muttered about her lightweight friend. Instead, she typed a sympathetic response. The reporter also grimaced at the need to find a way to reveal Louis and Hazel’s ongoing affair without devastating Heidi. That wouldn’t be easy.

Shivering in the cold air, the dark blonde could at least be thankful that the school parking lot wasn’t packed on a Saturday. Sure, there was more than usual because of the junior varsity basketball game. Scanning the rows of cars, she didn’t spot the one familiar vehicle she wanted to see. Speed-walking to the main door, Daisy burst into the slightly warmer school commons with relief.

Immediately, her keen eye caught the sparse group of spectators filling the commons from the fieldhouse. Some headed for the restrooms, while a few went to check out the remaining items leftover from the Sugarbees’ bake sale.

“Fuck, bro, this is embarrassing,” Braxton Bascom said, shaking his head.

“See? This is why I played soccer. Ready to go?” his older brother Beaumont asked.

Daisy frowned upon seeing the college freshman visiting from Breakwater University. She’d already heard through the grapevine that he’d come home to take Kaitlin out on a date. A clusterfuck waiting to explode, as Beaumont and Palmer, Katie’s ex, were archenemies, if that existed in high school.

“I can’t. It’s only halftime,” Brax pointed out. When his brother mentioned a slaughter rule, the sophomore shook his head. “I can’t bail on my friends, no matter how shitty they’re playing.”

“Damn right, we’re staying,” Gennadi Doig insisted, joining the Bascom brothers. “If our boys go down, we go down with the ship.”

Another incoming message made Daisy stop. It was from Prof. Trimble in Arbor Corners. This was a rare weekend when Clive Stratton’s sister hadn’t come home on Friday to help run her brother’s re-election campaign. However, she promised to return to Honey Hollow in the morning, as the district attorney’s friends and family planned to take advantage of his Super Bowl party the next day. In the meantime, Blair had a pair of requests for Della’s daughter.

“No problem. I’ll make sure they’re handled.” Daisy wrote. She’d need to do the first task herself, but could delegate the other. Immediately, as she typed Norah, she stopped and deleted it. No, Norah is busy enough. Odie can deal with this. It’s somewhat respectable, which she needs to learn to do.

Finished asking for that favor, Daisy felt her stomach rumble. Realizing she’d skipped breakfast again, the always-busy reporter walked over to buy one of Mrs. O’Dell’s remaining muffins from the bake sale. A favorite of hers, the selection was limited by this point.

“You know what, I’ll take two,” Daisy told Tandy’s mother.

With a Saturday morning JV game after a varsity night game and a big party, the entire dance team had skipped the final, limited stage of the sale. Only a trio of their mothers were in attendance. However, Daisy did notice Ciara Barber helping behind the table. The sophomore’s presence made sense. Not only was her twin brother playing in the basketball game, but their older sister, Cristina, had been a Sugarbee captain two years ago.

I wonder if Cat is regretting blackballing Ciara from the cheer squad this year yet? Sure, everyone knows the girl is going to be a dancer next year, but it’s not that different from Delilah or Uma. I bet they’d rather have a solid performer in her than Fern right now.

Cutting across the commons, Daisy heard Miss Brass shouting orders before the Babybees launched into a halftime routine. She also ignored the urge to check on Dexter. Her brother needed to cover the JV games on his own. They were practice for next year, when he replaced her as the paper’s sports reporter. Dex had potential. He just needed confidence, and every game he covered on his own built the experience that led to confidence.

“What the hell? You assholes left me alone in there,” a loud voice complained to a group of junior high school students who sat on the floor in a corner of the commons. Each of them had their phone out.

“Not our fault. You didn’t even notice us leave,” Reed Swift pointed out. “Dammit, Banjo! Watch my back.”

“He can’t hear you,” Declan Gibble reminded him, as their friend was playing from home.

“It’s not my fault. Did you see the goddess in that sweater? Damn!” Samson O’Dell shouted. “Did you see those beauties popping out from her chest? How can you think of anything else?”

“She’s my cousin,” Declan reminded his friend. Nearby, his ten-year-old brother nodded with a disgusted expression.

Daisy smirked before rolling her eyes. Sammy had a much louder crush on Zoey Gibble than Dexter. Taking a moment, she noted which members of their gaming clique were missing. Watching Yoshio Nakano focus intently on his phone, Daisy wondered about his sister’s whereabouts. She’d already seen their mother at the bake sale, but if Yumi was around, she’d have heard her by now.

“Hey, Millie. Bored?” Daisy asked Max’s younger sister, who looked bored to death. She wasn’t a gamer like Talon Clawfoot, her best friend.

“Dais! Do you need help with anything?” Millie asked, noticing how many items the school reporter carried.

“Well, if you need a distraction, I could use an extra hand until I reach the office,” the dirty blonde said. A hyper thirteen-year-old, Millie couldn’t sit still, plus she was always a great source of gossip about her brother’s friends. A walk with her might be amusing, and Daisy could use the pick-me-up. “Just wait a second.”

Millie nodded, already taking the stack of folders and notebooks from the high school senior.

“Yo, Swift. Swift!” Daisy yelled, waving her hand in front of Reed’s face to block his view of the phone. “Have you seen your cousin today?”

“Nope. Shouldn’t you know better than me?”

“I should!” Daisy responded, her anger returning. Nodding at Millie, the newspaper’s office manager and de facto den mother stormed away. Ramm is going to hear about this. Not only is it rude, but it’s also unacceptable.

“Everything okay?” the younger girl asked, skipping ahead, then turning around and walking backward while chatting with Daisy.

“Bee business. Don’t worry about it. Is Max at the game?”

“Nah. I woke up around three last night to find Marcus helping him to bed. I guess he had a rough night. Did she…was it the usual?” Although a bratty little sister, Millie did worry about her older brother.

“Honestly, Whitney was relatively well-behaved last night with guys. I don’t think she did anything to upset your brother,” Daisy relayed, not mentioning that Max should’ve been pleased that the queen bee set up a threesome for Tarver with the volleyball team.

“I wish he’d move on and date a different girl. Somebody nice,” Millie hinted, climbing the stairs while looking back.

“I’m with Evan. If you want Max set up, then talk to Lacey,” Daisy suggested, entering The Buzzy Bee office.

Formerly an extra office on an isolated section of the second floor above the art, music, and shop wing, it had been converted into the newspaper’s new office almost fifty years ago. It had a small sitting area in the middle and was divided into eight cubicles by halfwalls. The center portion of each wall was made of frosted glass that had turned smoky with age. For many years, the office barely held any occupants, but during Cleopatra and Finn’s stewardships, the cubicles had slowly filled up. If Daisy had her way, they’d be packed next year.

In one of the cubicles, a girl with neck-length black hair glanced up. Within a second, she hurriedly covered a couple of papers with a strategically placed notebook. Aware of everything around her, Daisy rolled her eyes at the obvious cover-up attempt. Heading to her cubicle, the dark blonde dropped her bag on the desk. Taking the material that Millie held, she thanked her for the help.

“No problemo. Tal gets too competitive with those guys,” the youngest Moxey sibling remarked before leaving.

After emptying her bag of the items she needed, Daisy placed most of the folders in her filing cabinet. Feeling thirsty, she walked into one of the unclaimed cubicles that served as their break area. Grabbing a bottle of water from the mini-fridge, Daisy checked the other cubicles for any signs of life. Only Dex’s messy office held a coat.

“Seen Ramsey today?” Daisy asked.

“She should be here soon. I was asked to come in today to help with an article,” the new transfer bragged.

“On a Saturday? Wow, you’re special,” Daisy replied sarcastically. She knew better than to goad the uppity newcomer, but couldn’t help it. “What article requires your help?”

“Is that any of your business?” Khloe Hale challenged, her green eyes narrowing. “Ramsey is in charge of me, not some glorified office manager. And I use that term loosely.”

“Is that so?”

“It is, and Ms. Resto has confirmed it,” Khloe gloated. “The rest of you don’t matter to me.”

“Aren’t you a confident one? I’ll only point out that we’re not the Young Gazette, which isn’t a very respected publication. You’ll find The Buzzy Bee has a different, more independent way of reporting the news. We’re not mouthpieces, nor will I allow this paper to turn into one after I graduate,” Daisy declared, flashing a tiny hint of her hidden side.

“Please, your dumb-sounding newspaper needs a major overhaul, starting with its name. Ms. Resto agrees,” Khloe stated, implying a close relationship with the Bee’s faculty advisor.

“Honey, you don’t want to play this game, but if you do, then watch your back,” Daisy warned, walking back to her cubicle.

“Once Ramsey and I break the ultimate scoop around here, your opinion won’t be worth a damn.”

Rolling her eyes, Daisy wasn’t surprised by the threat. She’d already suspected that Khloe’s weekend appearance had to do with Ramsey’s Nosy Nectar obsession. What pissed her off today was the editor no-showing for their recruiting trip to Meadowmilk Junior High, Ramsey’s old school. Recruiting the three junior highs for future staff members had been put in place during Cleo’s two-year editorial run. After she single-handedly revived the newspaper, Finn carried on the strategy, creating a tradition that worked quite well. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let this interloper ruin what so many have worked to fix. Ramsey should know better, but this damn obsession of hers is going to wreck the Bee if she’s not put in check.

After pulling out her notebook, Daisy crossed off a name. The main reporter for Meadowmilk had been one of Ramsey’s few suggestions. Already wary, Daisy dismissed the Lundmore boy’s potential within three minutes. He’d spent two of these minutes more interested in checking out the gymnasts at the junior high meet. The guy came across as flashy and self-centered, traits that reminded her of Austin. What the hell, Ramm? Are you that clueless these days?

After crossing off Lundmore, Daisy added a new name. If this idea paid off, then her trip to the upscale junior high wouldn’t be a waste. An unconventional selection? Yes. But while the hyper girl had zero journalistic experience, she had a thirst for adventure. With the right mentorship, that daring attitude could be honed into legitimate investigative journalism. Typing a message to one of her old mentors, Daisy asked about the person.

“Daisy, this is Ms. Resto’s territory now. I can’t get involved.” Topaz wrote.

“Come on, Ms. Brass, I’m merely asking for advice. You know her.”

“Fine. But don’t throw my name at Marissa when Ramsey objects.”

“Please. This is me. I’m a vault with secrets.” Daisy replied.

“You prospect has zero experience. That’s obvious. However, if osmosis exists in our world, then she should’ve picked up stuff between the two of them. It could work, but she’ll need to be trained.” Topaz pointed out.

“I’m not abandoning the paper on graduation, and you know it. I’ll be in the office until the day I leave for college. She has leadership qualities.”

“That girl is certainly a take-charge type.” Topaz wrote. Daisy could almost hear the chuckle. “I do see what you’re going for. She’d be the opposite of Matthew.”

Daisy nodded. As Finn’s successor and Daisy’s first editor, Madeline Stringham had run The Buzzy Bee quite well. Often forced to tag along, her younger brother had certainly learned a thing or two from Maddy. If Daisy’s plan worked, Matt would take over the editorial reins when Norah and Dex graduated. The one problem was Matt’s shyness. Today’s unexpected discovery could be the kick in the ass that Matt might need.

“I’d still like two more recruits. We need to fill out the staff more properly. I like my choice from Fairwater, but Harborside is an issue.”

‘Daisy, don’t let Terri affect how you view her students. It’s not fair to them.” Topaz warned.

“I know. I try not to.” Terri Torkelson had been the faculty advisor at Harborside Junior High who kicked Daisy off the school newspaper. The young reporter wasn’t blind to the similarities between Torkelson taking over as a new advisor and Ms. Resto. The situations felt all too hauntingly familiar. “I also have a few more ideas on my list of current students. I’ll run those past you in person later.”

Ending the conversation with her former advisor, Daisy doodled around the names. The Bee needed a few seniors next year, mostly to balance the staff. The only junior currently on board was Odette, and she wasn’t an actual staff member. Not to mention, she had her other activities. In Daisy’s mind, Khloe couldn’t be counted on.

Berry Thirlby was already slightly in place. Suggesting that the junior write the New Year's Eve dress reviews had been a stroke of genius. As she hadn't been at the ball, she'd taken a neutral stance, which worked well. Ramsey had been pleased with the review, while Norah had muttered about people being allowed to live since she hadn't been forced to write the article. Beyond the fashion angle, Berry could bring knowledge not only of the social happenings around school, but also a rare look into the Bumble Girls.

Nancy Weller was a recent addition to the list, and one added mostly out of spite. The entertainment-obsessed chatterbox would fill the long-abandoned entertainment reviewer slot. While likely not a full-time staff member, Nancy could add a different voice in the office. Daisy also took glee in imagining how Nancy would drive Khloe mad next year.

Sadly, the prospects of junior-year guys weren’t great. So, Daisy had looked around at sophomores. Chris Schipper might work in some form. Already busy with his podcasting, he was a natural interviewer. Maybe The Buzzy Bee could expand its media reach by having Schipp conduct interviews.

In a perfect world, Zoey Gibble would already be on the staff. However, that never happened, as the overbooked girl already had too many hobbies and clubs. Also, word had it that Whitney might approach Zoey again about the cheer squad. April had fucked things up last year by not giving a damn about recruiting. While Daisy and Ramsey tried to find more people besides Norah and Dex, not having the current editor's help hurt. With that high-level prospect never happening, Daisy had her eye on Zoey’s cousin, Liam. He was currently on a terrible JV basketball team, and she wasn’t sure he’d make varsity next year. That might give her a chance at bringing Liam into the fold. If that happened, Daisy could shift her brother away from sports and into something else.

Outside of Matt, everything else was in flux. So it would’ve been nice if Ramsey had done her duty and shown up this morning. That she didn’t pissed Daisy off. If I can’t count on Ramm, then I’ll need to ask around. See if anyone is interested in investigations or mysteries. That could be a hook to pull in another person.

After texting Evan again, Daisy spent the next thirty minutes working on her article for next Friday’s physical copy of the newspaper. While The Buzzy Bee constantly updated its website edition with sports and breaking news, Daisy still preferred to write a recap about the various games and matches. With another basketball matchup on Wednesday, she liked to mix up last night’s late article with one that covered both games.

“Hiding out in here? You’re missing more drama in the gym,” Kaitlin greeted, barely knocking as she walked into the office.

“What now?” Daisy asked, looking up from her desktop computer. While she often used her laptop, she preferred the larger screen and keyboard of a hand-me-down she’d brought to the office sophomore year.

“Nothing as dramatic as last night, but I still got called in to whip the brats into shape,” Katilin said, sitting on the spare chair in the cubicle. Aware of Khloe’s presence, she leaned forward to whisper, “I think Tuesday had a shitty date last night. She’s distracted. Roxie tried to help, but Rory is a terrible authority figure. So my little sis and her friends were out of control until I cracked the whip.”

“And that’s new?” Daisy chuckled. “Sounds like just another day at your house.”

“I thought they might behave without Tarver around, but I guess they didn’t need to impress him,” Katie said, picking up the notebook with the list of potential recruits. “Interesting.”

Snatching the notebook back, Daisy picked up her buzzing phone. Sighing, she read Fawn’s message about the trip to Ladybug Elegance. Eyes wide, she shook her head, then checked for any missed messages.

“Evan?” Katie whispered, recognizing that kind of sad sigh. Raising her voice, she addressed Khloe. “Hey, Super Reporter, beat it for a few minutes.”

“Excuse you? I have work to do.”

“Drop that haughty, self-important attitude, Guzzle Girl, and get lost.”

“You can’t talk to me like that. I’m–”

“Resto and Swift aren’t around for your ass-kissing, but I’ll gladly kick yours,” Kaitlin threatened.

Daisy held back a smile as Khloe loudly stomped out of the office. That just left her with an uncomfortable conversation with her next-door neighbor. As much as she liked Katie, the girl wasn’t who you wanted for relationship advice. Besides her soap opera-style drama with Palmer, Kaitlin had just enough knowledge picked up from her mother to consider herself an expert.

For once, Daisy thanked Odette for getting into trouble when the text came in.

---

“Shit! Tuesday is keeping the brats behind for a meeting. I don’t have time for this. I need to get ready for my date,” Kaitlin complained, reading the message.

A stroke of luck, Daisy had just listened to the second round of advice before the message came in. She already had to deal with Odie’s crap, which forced her to dispatch Norah again to get the troublemaker out of harm's way. At least it could be viewed as practice for next year.

“Is it wise to go out on a date with Beaumont of all people?”

“It’s merely a double date! Cat’s going with one of his dormmates.”

“Still…I hope this isn’t a ploy to–”

“I’m not trying to make Palmer jealous. I’m not!” Katie insisted. “Sure, a little revenge might be nice, but I’m not trying to spark any drama.”

“It doesn’t feel like it,” Daisy remarked as they left the office. She wanted to check on Dex. “I hear Amberly is in town.”

“Oh, hell no! I’m not letting Strattington do shit. Do you know Lace said they have a list for me?” Katie questioned.

“Everyone knows that. It’s been around since before you started dating Palmer. Wait, have you ever gone a month without a boyfriend?”

“It’s been a while.”

“A while? I’m thinking sixth grade,” Daisy recalled.

“Alright, fine! It’s been almost six years, but I’m fine. I’m certainly not desperate. I’m not!”

“Sure you’re not.”

“Whoa! Are you sticking around for a little longer?” Kaitlin inquired.

“Sure. Why?”

“Wanna give Kizz a ride home? I bet Tuesday is going to keep them for at least an hour. Topaz has been harping about her being a better leader and role model. And I do need to get ready. The little brat needs to be punished, so not hanging out with her friends should please Whitney.”

“If Kizzy is willing to wait around until I’m finished, then I can take her home.”

“Thanks. You're the best, Dais.”

Wasting little time, Kaitlin messaged her sister with the update before leaving. Avoiding an in-person conversation shut down any of Kizzy’s complaints. Daisy barely noticed, distracted by her brother’s presence in the commons, not the gym.

“Dexter, why aren’t you in there interviewing the team?”

“I tried…Ramsey…she ordered me out,” her brother revealed.

“Rammy? She doesn’t do sports!”

“Don’t yell at me! She’s not…I mean, Ramsey is…well, she’s interviewing the team about last night’s party,” Dexter relayed.

“The party? She was at the party. Why in the world would she…” Daisy trailed off as the reason hit her.

“It’s not just the guys. She’s interrogating the cheerleaders,” Dex revealed. “Zoey, Robin, and Winnie, too.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!”

Storming into the fieldhouse with her brother in town, Daisy surveyed the assembled group. Ramsey wasn't only conducting interviews; Khloe had joined her. This didn’t look good.

“Dex, get out there and eavesdrop.”

“Me? Where’s Norah? She’s the spy!”

“Norah is helping Odie. Get over–Wait, forget it. Go do your job and interview the team about the…27 points? Wow, that’s a terrible game,” Daisy commented, giving her brother a soft shove to nudge him forward. Then she yelled for someone else. “Kizzy, get over here!”

Harley joined her other neighbor in hurrying over.

“Okay, what’s the deal with Ramsey? What’s she asking about?”

Kizzy explained that the school newspaper editor wanted to know about last night's party. “But she got pissy when we brought up the dancing and Sir Sean. I mean, what’s more important?”

“Ramsey is asking specifically about where everyone was at when the blast came in about Prudence,” Harley clarified.

“Shit,” Daisy muttered. “Okay, tell me what she wants to know.”

The Beal and Peel Team ran down the questions they’d been asked. Where were you located just before and after the gossip blast dropped? Who else was nearby? Did anyone seem unsurprised? Act suspicious? Did anyone smirk or gloat? Ramsey also held up her phone to ask about two pictures. She wanted to know where in the house they’d been taken and if they saw who took them.

Daisy groaned out of concern and embarrassment. The scattershot nature of the questions was downright embarrassing for a solid journalist like Ramsey. Shit. I’m going to need to talk to Fawn. She’s been through this before. Ramm has officially lost her rocker. This is bad; so frigging bad.

“Okay, we need to shut this down, girls. Ramsey is obsessed with Nosy Nectar, and we don’t need her cracking any further. I need to talk to her. Focus on pushing the interviews of your friends to that other nosy bitch, okay?”

“Who acted suspicious? Fletcher. He was sneaking around…skulking. That’s the word, right?” Fern asked.

“Dammit, Fern! Fletcher wasn’t even at the party,” Yolanda roared, shaking her head in disgust.

“He was too!”

“No, he wasn’t, Fern. It was a Cork party. If Fletch had shown up, Charlie would’ve made a scene,” Beatrice explained, causing her fellow cheermate to say, “Oh.”

“I bet it was Almond. That’s one sneaky, prying bitch,” Jacqueline declared.

“Everyone knows where Norah was at. Barrow complained loudly enough about her cock-blocking him with those Guzzle girls,” Zoey reminded the crowd.

“I bet Miss Nosy is Nancy Weller!” Tevin Nemeth, one of the JV players, yelled.

“Why do you think that?” Ramsey challenged.

“Uh, I don’t think it was Nancy,” Will Winkie said, having guilt-tripped Kessler into attending the game with him.

“Wink is right. I’m almost certain that I heard Weller giving a season three synopsis about Allure Academy, or I might have just been drunk by then,” Kona Sango recalled.

“No, she did, and you snapped at her,” Kessler said.

“Me?” Ramsey repeated.

“Yeah, you. Weller cracked her usual joke about you living on Allure Avenue and the show,” Kessler reminded.

“Alright, alright, let’s not bring that up,” Daisy said, pushing past people, grabbing her friend’s arm, and yanking her away.

“Oww! What the heck, Dais?” Ramsey complained.

“Me? Have you lost your damn mind?” Daisy questioned, dragging her toward one of the basketball hoops. “First, you interfered with Dex’s post-game questions.”

“It’s a junior varsity game. It’s not a big–”

“It’s practice for my brother, and you know that! You even agreed with the idea,” Daisy pointed out. ‘Second, this is humiliating. You’re acting like a rookie; a seventh-grade rookie at your old Meadowmilk newspaper.”

“How dare you?!”

“I’m saying it because it’s true. You’re throwing out random questions to groups of people at once. Even if anyone knows anything, you’ll never know because others around them might influence their responses. Gawd, remember your damn training!” Daisy screamed.

“I…I have my reasons. You don’t need to know them,” Ramsey stated.

"Doubtful. This is what we've been warned about. Others have gone down this rabbit hole, and we agreed two years ago not to do the same. Do you remember that pledge?" Daisy asked.

“It’s not the same. That gossip rag ruins people’s lives. They spout lies for attention. Look at what they did to Lacey and Whitney’s dad.”

“You’re talking about The Stinging Truth, not Nosy Nectar,” Daisy responded.

“They’re the same thing!”

“No, they’re not. And everyone knows that,” Daisy shot back before sighing. “Ramm, you’re my friend, but this needs to stop. I can’t have you going all Captain Ahab on me. Please stop this nonsense.”

“I’m not chasing my white whale, Daisy. This…it’s my destiny. I’m the one who’s taking down those bastards, and they’re going to pay,” Ramsey vowed.

“Jesus! Your destiny? You’ve lost your marbles,” her longtime partner mumbled painfully. “Ramm, this last semester is about us strengthening The Buzzy Bee for our successors. It’s our legacy.”

“Taking down that site is my legacy.”

“No. You're chasing fame…and I can’t be a part of that. I won’t be selfish. The Bee needs me. Did you forget where you were supposed to be today? You were supposed to meet me over at Meadowmilk to interview your potential reporter. We need to recruit solid people to ensure the Bee doesn’t die like other school papers.”

“Oh, right,” Ramsey said, showing momentary guilt about skipping the trip. “It’s fine. Lundmore is a lock for next year.”

“No, he’s not. I eliminated him from the list,” Daisy revealed.

“You did what?! Lundmore is a future star. He oozes charisma that leads people to talk to him. He’s an–”

“A selfish asshole. You can tell that within minutes, Ramm. If he’s on the paper, every article will be about him, his friends, and girls he likes. We’ve known this to happen.”

“He is not! I’ve known his family for years. They live two blocks away,” Ramsey argued. “You don’t get to make that decision. Put him back on the list. This is my newspaper.”

“Is it?”

“I’m the editor-in-charge!”

“Are you? I do most of the actual editing and mentoring.”

“I’m the lead reporter. The…editor,” Ramsey said. What she left unsaid was that she was the star reporter, and Daisy knew it.

“And I’m the person who keeps the Bee from falling apart! You barely know what’s happening.”

“How dare you?” Ramsey growled, unaware that they’d drawn a crowd of onlookers. “I’m the one who carries the paper. And I decide who’s joining next year.”

“And who the editor will be? I think not. That new bitch isn’t taking over. I’m not going to allow her to destroy it. Don’t piss me off, Ramm.”

“Khloe is the perfect person,” Ramsey stated. “Ms. Resto agrees.”

“Resto doesn't know what the fuck she’s doing!” Daisy screamed, eliciting a reaction from the spectators.

“Mrs. Brass’s days are over. Let it go, Kirby. Times change. Khloe will knock off the nonsense with the new staff she puts in place,” Ramsey proclaimed.

“New staff? Oh, in this utopia of yours, will Dex and Norah be replaced?”

“I’ll conduct evaluations with Khloe and Ms. Resto toward the end of the semester. Miss Torkleson has recommended several of her students,” Ramsey stated, smirking at the name.

“You dumb…Fine, we’ll see about all that. Your plan will toss the Bee back into the gutter where Cleo lifted it out of. Gawd, Finn is going to be ashamed of you,” Daisy stated, noticing her erstwhile friend flinch. “I just hope you realize what you’re doing before it’s too late.”

“As you said, we’ll see,” Ramsey shot back. “Now, if I have your permission, I have a potential source to interview.”

Daisy shook her head as she watched her misguided friend walk off. She heard the murmuring around her, but the upset teen ignored it. If she wanted to know her classmates’ opinions, she’d check later when the footage hit Nosy Nectar.

“Don’t worry, Miss Office Manager. We’ll quickly expose your favorite gossip queen. Her target last night has evidence,” Khloe boasted, strutting away.

“Targ…No, you can’t be that…Shit, Rammy, not Prudence. You can’t believe anything that zealot says,” Daisy moaned. Ignoring the people milling around with sympathetic expressions, she realized that Ramsey needed help.

“Ramm lost her mind. NN obsession sending her to Goodley for help. Need you at school ASAP.” Daisy wrote to Lacey. “She’s lost.”

A second message, then a third, were sent.