Blackwell home
Friday. July 2, 1982
About 9 AM
The phone rang in the kitchen. Debbie was busy playing catch up. She'd been downtown in Dallas most of the day handling some business. With everything that had happened over the past few days, she was dreading Karl's return. She knew her husband was going to be in a foul mood when he found out about Tabby and her friends getting into trouble.
Debbie prayed for a moment that it wasn't him. Karl hadn't called the past few days to her relief. He was due in late tomorrow and Tabby and her friends music group was playing at the city's Fourth of July celebration. That alone would be enough to get him in on her 'social schedule'.
Karl disliked his daughter being out so much 'partying her life away' as he put it. He wasn't really tuned into what she was doing but when he eventually found out she was in a rock and roll band with boys, it was sure to come to a quick end, especially when he would inevitably learn that she was with these people when she got tangled up in criminal activity and had been abducted. Hopefully, that would naturally end anyway since she was going to be a cheerleader this fall.
Debbie breathed a sigh of relief when it wasn't Karl. It was Tabby's supervisory, Riley. Tabby wasn't allowed to work as much at the little hamburger stand because she was only 14. It made it hard when her friends were there and she had to stay home. She was equally disappointed when she remembered she was supposed to be off again today, too. It was more about the socialization than the money.
"Hello," Debbie said. "Yes, can I ask who's calling?" There was a pause. "Someone called in today? Okay, sure. Let me go get her up. I bet she'd love to come in. Her friends are up there and she always seems bored and unsure of what to do with herself when she has a day off and the rest of them are working. Let me check. I don't think she has any plans..."
Debbie sat the phone receiver down and went to Tabby's bedroom and tapped on the door. "Tabby? Tabby, it's your boss. One of the girls called in today at work and he wants to know if you can cover for her," Debbie called through the door.
Friday. July 2, 1982
About 9 AM
The phone rang in the kitchen. Debbie was busy playing catch up. She'd been downtown in Dallas most of the day handling some business. With everything that had happened over the past few days, she was dreading Karl's return. She knew her husband was going to be in a foul mood when he found out about Tabby and her friends getting into trouble.
Debbie prayed for a moment that it wasn't him. Karl hadn't called the past few days to her relief. He was due in late tomorrow and Tabby and her friends music group was playing at the city's Fourth of July celebration. That alone would be enough to get him in on her 'social schedule'.
Karl disliked his daughter being out so much 'partying her life away' as he put it. He wasn't really tuned into what she was doing but when he eventually found out she was in a rock and roll band with boys, it was sure to come to a quick end, especially when he would inevitably learn that she was with these people when she got tangled up in criminal activity and had been abducted. Hopefully, that would naturally end anyway since she was going to be a cheerleader this fall.
Debbie breathed a sigh of relief when it wasn't Karl. It was Tabby's supervisory, Riley. Tabby wasn't allowed to work as much at the little hamburger stand because she was only 14. It made it hard when her friends were there and she had to stay home. She was equally disappointed when she remembered she was supposed to be off again today, too. It was more about the socialization than the money.
"Hello," Debbie said. "Yes, can I ask who's calling?" There was a pause. "Someone called in today? Okay, sure. Let me go get her up. I bet she'd love to come in. Her friends are up there and she always seems bored and unsure of what to do with herself when she has a day off and the rest of them are working. Let me check. I don't think she has any plans..."
Debbie sat the phone receiver down and went to Tabby's bedroom and tapped on the door. "Tabby? Tabby, it's your boss. One of the girls called in today at work and he wants to know if you can cover for her," Debbie called through the door.
Tabby was in a deep sleep when the tapping on her door abruptly woke her. The dream she was having faded and as she drifted into consciousness, it vanished from her mind. It took her a moment to realize her mom was calling her through the door. When she got awake enough to remember she was off work today, she became annoyed, but she caught just enough to hear someone had called into work.
"Huh, what? They need me at work," Tabby called through the closed door groggily.
Debbie opened the door a moment later. "Yes," Debbie affirmed. "Your boss is on the phone. Someone can't come in today and he wanted to know if you were available to cover the shift."
Tabby sat up. "Did he say who," Tabby asked.
"No," Debbie replied. "Just one of the girls. He's on the phone if you want to ask."
Tabby shook her head. "Just tell him I'll do it," she instructed. She glanced at the clock. She wasn't going to be rushed to get ready but she wouldn't get there much before opening. The others would have to prep without her. "I'll figure out who didn't make it when I get there."
Tabby hoped it wasn't Starla or Shelley. If it was, she wondered if something had happened. For a moment, she regretted not taking the call herself, but her mother had already headed back toward the kitchen. Tabby again decided she'd know soon enough and got up and looked for her uniform, hoping it wasn't in the wash.
About 30 minutes later...
Tabby hopped out of her mom's car, skates in hand and spotted Starla. Denise and Lauren already had their skates on and were cleaning up the parking lot with brooms and dustpans. Tabby hurried up to Starla as soon as she realized the absentee was Shelley.
"Hey! Where is Shelley? I got called someone couldn't make it in today, but didn't know who," Tabby said as she made her way to the door to clock in. "Is she okay?"
*Tag Starla*
"Huh, what? They need me at work," Tabby called through the closed door groggily.
Debbie opened the door a moment later. "Yes," Debbie affirmed. "Your boss is on the phone. Someone can't come in today and he wanted to know if you were available to cover the shift."
Tabby sat up. "Did he say who," Tabby asked.
"No," Debbie replied. "Just one of the girls. He's on the phone if you want to ask."
Tabby shook her head. "Just tell him I'll do it," she instructed. She glanced at the clock. She wasn't going to be rushed to get ready but she wouldn't get there much before opening. The others would have to prep without her. "I'll figure out who didn't make it when I get there."
Tabby hoped it wasn't Starla or Shelley. If it was, she wondered if something had happened. For a moment, she regretted not taking the call herself, but her mother had already headed back toward the kitchen. Tabby again decided she'd know soon enough and got up and looked for her uniform, hoping it wasn't in the wash.
About 30 minutes later...
Tabby hopped out of her mom's car, skates in hand and spotted Starla. Denise and Lauren already had their skates on and were cleaning up the parking lot with brooms and dustpans. Tabby hurried up to Starla as soon as she realized the absentee was Shelley.
"Hey! Where is Shelley? I got called someone couldn't make it in today, but didn't know who," Tabby said as she made her way to the door to clock in. "Is she okay?"
*Tag Starla*
Tabby hopped out of her mom's car, skates in hand and spotted Starla. Denise and Lauren already had their skates on and were cleaning up the parking lot with brooms and dustpans. Tabby hurried up to Starla as soon as she realized the absentee was Shelley.
"Hey! Where is Shelley? I got called someone couldn't make it in today, but didn't know who," Tabby said as she made her way to the door to clock in. "Is she okay?"
Starla, also armed with a broom and dustpan, paused her sweeping when she saw Tabby hurrying up to her. “Oh, hi Tabby! Shelley’s fine, but there was some big news last night, and Shelley’s taking the day off to cover it for the paper! I don’t have a lot of details, but apparently they caught one of those car thieves! You know, the one who went with Jerry to try to steal Shelley’s car!
*tag Tabby*
“Like I said, I don’t know a lot of the details, but from what I heard that Mouse guy broke into a house and took some Renier student and her family hostage. There was like a stand-off with the police, and the newspaper sent Shelley and Felicia to cover it. They were there covering it when it happened, and Shelley saw it when they arrested Mouse and rescued the girl. I think she got pictures and everything! And today I think she’s supposed to go to the police station to get more info. Maybe she’s going to get to interview the victims, or the arresting officers. Or maybe even Mouse! I don’t know if I could talk to him if I were her, though.
*tag Tabby*
"Hey! Where is Shelley? I got called someone couldn't make it in today, but didn't know who," Tabby said as she made her way to the door to clock in. "Is she okay?"
Starla, also armed with a broom and dustpan, paused her sweeping when she saw Tabby hurrying up to her. “Oh, hi Tabby! Shelley’s fine, but there was some big news last night, and Shelley’s taking the day off to cover it for the paper! I don’t have a lot of details, but apparently they caught one of those car thieves! You know, the one who went with Jerry to try to steal Shelley’s car!
*tag Tabby*
“Like I said, I don’t know a lot of the details, but from what I heard that Mouse guy broke into a house and took some Renier student and her family hostage. There was like a stand-off with the police, and the newspaper sent Shelley and Felicia to cover it. They were there covering it when it happened, and Shelley saw it when they arrested Mouse and rescued the girl. I think she got pictures and everything! And today I think she’s supposed to go to the police station to get more info. Maybe she’s going to get to interview the victims, or the arresting officers. Or maybe even Mouse! I don’t know if I could talk to him if I were her, though.
*tag Tabby*
Starla, also armed with a broom and dustpan, paused her sweeping when she saw Tabby hurrying up to her. “Oh, hi Tabby! Shelley’s fine, but there was some big news last night, and Shelley’s taking the day off to cover it for the paper! I don’t have a lot of details, but apparently they caught one of those car thieves! You know, the one who went with Jerry to try to steal Shelley’s car!
"What? Where? Did the thieves go back to that farm," Tabby asked. That certainly wasn't the answer she was expecting. However, that was good news not just in the fact that she was safe, but that one of the gang members had been apprehended and Shelley was making money with an actual story again.
“Like I said, I don’t know a lot of the details, but from what I heard that Mouse guy broke into a house and took some Reiner student and her family hostage. There was like a stand-off with the police, and the newspaper sent Shelley and Felicia to cover it. They were there covering it when it happened, and Shelley saw it when they arrested Mouse and rescued the girl. I think she got pictures and everything! And today I think she’s supposed to go to the police station to get more info. Maybe she’s going to get to interview the victims, or the arresting officers. Or maybe even Mouse! I don’t know if I could talk to him if I were her, though.
"Holy shit," Tabby gasped. She flashed back for a moment when she spent hours in the closet bound and gagged. She wondered if something similar had happened to this other person and how Mouse had come to be on the other side of town.
"That's crazy," Tabby added after a moment of processing things. "I wonder if he'll be able to lead them to the rest of the gang members. I've specifically not wanted the news on because I don't want my mom reminded of everything that happened. We were watching other stuff last night so we missed the story."
Tabby realized she still needed to clock in and help get the parking lot cleaned up so they could get the restaurant open. A little while later she was skating around as cars began pulling into the bays. Speedy's hadn't been open more than a few minutes when a familiar car pulled in. It belonged to Tanya Wells, one of the senior members of the squad. Her father was the mayor of Teal Cove.
Several other seniors including Doreen and Marie were in the car with Marie being in the front passenger seat and Doreen in the backseat. Lauren skated over to take their order.
"Nope," Marie said when she saw the other girl. "We want her." Marie pointed at Tabby.
"Sorry, these spots are the ones I cover," Lauren informed the senior cheerleader.
Tanya cocked an eye, gave Marie a smug look and turned to Lauren, already knowing what to do before the head cheerleader had to give instructions.
"So which bays are hers," Tanya demanded. Lauren pointed across the parking lot. Without another word, Tanya threw the car into reverse and quickly pulled into one of the bays Tabby serviced.
Meanwhile, Tabby and Starla were both at the window dropping off tickets to Riley. Tabby turned around and took note of what was going on. She couldn't hear the conversation but saw the seniors looking her way and pointing. When the car moved to her section, Tabby immediately knew there was going to be trouble.
She turned to Starla. "Shit," she mumbled, exhaling a deep breath clearly looking to the older girl for some advice.
OOC: Feel free to sprinkle Starla and Doreen in as you see fit.
"What? Where? Did the thieves go back to that farm," Tabby asked. That certainly wasn't the answer she was expecting. However, that was good news not just in the fact that she was safe, but that one of the gang members had been apprehended and Shelley was making money with an actual story again.
“Like I said, I don’t know a lot of the details, but from what I heard that Mouse guy broke into a house and took some Reiner student and her family hostage. There was like a stand-off with the police, and the newspaper sent Shelley and Felicia to cover it. They were there covering it when it happened, and Shelley saw it when they arrested Mouse and rescued the girl. I think she got pictures and everything! And today I think she’s supposed to go to the police station to get more info. Maybe she’s going to get to interview the victims, or the arresting officers. Or maybe even Mouse! I don’t know if I could talk to him if I were her, though.
"Holy shit," Tabby gasped. She flashed back for a moment when she spent hours in the closet bound and gagged. She wondered if something similar had happened to this other person and how Mouse had come to be on the other side of town.
"That's crazy," Tabby added after a moment of processing things. "I wonder if he'll be able to lead them to the rest of the gang members. I've specifically not wanted the news on because I don't want my mom reminded of everything that happened. We were watching other stuff last night so we missed the story."
Tabby realized she still needed to clock in and help get the parking lot cleaned up so they could get the restaurant open. A little while later she was skating around as cars began pulling into the bays. Speedy's hadn't been open more than a few minutes when a familiar car pulled in. It belonged to Tanya Wells, one of the senior members of the squad. Her father was the mayor of Teal Cove.
Several other seniors including Doreen and Marie were in the car with Marie being in the front passenger seat and Doreen in the backseat. Lauren skated over to take their order.
"Nope," Marie said when she saw the other girl. "We want her." Marie pointed at Tabby.
"Sorry, these spots are the ones I cover," Lauren informed the senior cheerleader.
Tanya cocked an eye, gave Marie a smug look and turned to Lauren, already knowing what to do before the head cheerleader had to give instructions.
"So which bays are hers," Tanya demanded. Lauren pointed across the parking lot. Without another word, Tanya threw the car into reverse and quickly pulled into one of the bays Tabby serviced.
Meanwhile, Tabby and Starla were both at the window dropping off tickets to Riley. Tabby turned around and took note of what was going on. She couldn't hear the conversation but saw the seniors looking her way and pointing. When the car moved to her section, Tabby immediately knew there was going to be trouble.
She turned to Starla. "Shit," she mumbled, exhaling a deep breath clearly looking to the older girl for some advice.
OOC: Feel free to sprinkle Starla and Doreen in as you see fit.
Doreen had mixed feelings about this trip to Speedy’s. On the one hand, something clearly needed to be done about Tabby and Starla. But on the other hand, that creep Jerry and one of his hoodlum friends had tried to break into her house…HER house… and might have done who-knew-what. Had she come close to being tied up in some closet like Tabby supposedly had been? From that perspective, she could feel a little sympathy for the red-headed first year. Not that she would ever let Marie or any of the other cheerleaders know about her conflicted feelings.
Doreen wasn’t exactly sure what Marie hoped to accomplish with this trip to Speedy’s, other than to cause problems for Tabby. She wanted to ask Marie for clarification, but she had to do it in a way that didn’t make it seem that she didn’t understand what they were doing.
“You know, it’s important that we present a united front and we all know what we’re supposed to doing when we get to Speedy’s. Before we get there, I think we should go over what we want to do and what we want to accomplish, just to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Doreen said, trying to sound authoritative.
*tags*
A few minutes later they arrived at Speedy’s, and things didn’t start off well. Tanya parked in the wrong section of the parking lot, necessitating a move to a different part of parking lot once the carhop pointed out Tabby’s section. Doreen gave a little eye roll that nobody saw and remained quiet. That had been an embarrassing blunder, one that Doreen felt made the cheerleaders look stupid. But Doreen didn’t give any thought to how Tanya was supposed to have known which section was Tabby’s, even though she herself didn’t know.
Doreen wasn’t exactly sure what Marie hoped to accomplish with this trip to Speedy’s, other than to cause problems for Tabby. She wanted to ask Marie for clarification, but she had to do it in a way that didn’t make it seem that she didn’t understand what they were doing.
“You know, it’s important that we present a united front and we all know what we’re supposed to doing when we get to Speedy’s. Before we get there, I think we should go over what we want to do and what we want to accomplish, just to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Doreen said, trying to sound authoritative.
*tags*
A few minutes later they arrived at Speedy’s, and things didn’t start off well. Tanya parked in the wrong section of the parking lot, necessitating a move to a different part of parking lot once the carhop pointed out Tabby’s section. Doreen gave a little eye roll that nobody saw and remained quiet. That had been an embarrassing blunder, one that Doreen felt made the cheerleaders look stupid. But Doreen didn’t give any thought to how Tanya was supposed to have known which section was Tabby’s, even though she herself didn’t know.
Tabby realized she still needed to clock in and help get the parking lot cleaned up so they could get the restaurant open. A little while later she was skating around as cars began pulling into the bays. Speedy's hadn't been open more than a few minutes when a familiar car pulled in. It belonged to Tanya Wells, one of the senior members of the squad. Her father was the mayor of Teal Cove.
Several other seniors including Doreen and Marie were in the car with Marie being in the front passenger seat and Doreen in the backseat. Lauren skated over to take their order.
"Nope," Marie said when she saw the other girl. "We want her." Marie pointed at Tabby.
"Sorry, these spots are the ones I cover," Lauren informed the senior cheerleader.
Tanya cocked an eye, gave Marie a smug look and turned to Lauren, already knowing what to do before the head cheerleader had to give instructions.
"So which bays are hers," Tanya demanded. Lauren pointed across the parking lot. Without another word, Tanya threw the car into reverse and quickly pulled into one of the bays Tabby serviced.
Meanwhile, Tabby and Starla were both at the window dropping off tickets to Riley. Tabby turned around and took note of what was going on. She couldn't hear the conversation but saw the seniors looking her way and pointing. When the car moved to her section, Tabby immediately knew there was going to be trouble.
She turned to Starla. "Shit," she mumbled, exhaling a deep breath clearly looking to the older girl for some advice.
Starla had also seen the car full of cheerleaders pointing towards Tabby and then moving their car into Tabby’s section. She tried to tell herself that the cheerleaders were just there to get some of Speedy’s delicious burgers, but she knew better. Clearly Tabby knew it too, based on her one-word response. If Starla had been Matt, she might have said, “I have a bad feeling about this,” but Starla wasn’t Matt.
When Starla saw Tabby look to her for advice, she said, “Look, I know you don’t want to serve them, but you kind of have to. The best thing to do is to be friendly, be courteous, and be professional, and do the best job you can serving them. They might give you a hard time…” (There was no MIGHT to it, Starla thought, but didn’t say that part out loud.) “…Don’t let them upset you or make you angry. Think of it as a test, one that you pass by keeping your calm and acting professionally. Remember, you need to find a way to get along with them if you’re going to be a cheerleader.” That last bit of advice sounded hollow to Starla, since she now knew that Tabby believed she would be taken away from Teal Cove and so wouldn’t be a cheerleader, and she didn’t really want to be a cheerleader anyway. In retrospect, Starla wished she hadn’t said that last sentence, but it had come out before she thought things through. “Well, just try to do your best,” Starla added.
*tag Tabby*
Several other seniors including Doreen and Marie were in the car with Marie being in the front passenger seat and Doreen in the backseat. Lauren skated over to take their order.
"Nope," Marie said when she saw the other girl. "We want her." Marie pointed at Tabby.
"Sorry, these spots are the ones I cover," Lauren informed the senior cheerleader.
Tanya cocked an eye, gave Marie a smug look and turned to Lauren, already knowing what to do before the head cheerleader had to give instructions.
"So which bays are hers," Tanya demanded. Lauren pointed across the parking lot. Without another word, Tanya threw the car into reverse and quickly pulled into one of the bays Tabby serviced.
Meanwhile, Tabby and Starla were both at the window dropping off tickets to Riley. Tabby turned around and took note of what was going on. She couldn't hear the conversation but saw the seniors looking her way and pointing. When the car moved to her section, Tabby immediately knew there was going to be trouble.
She turned to Starla. "Shit," she mumbled, exhaling a deep breath clearly looking to the older girl for some advice.
Starla had also seen the car full of cheerleaders pointing towards Tabby and then moving their car into Tabby’s section. She tried to tell herself that the cheerleaders were just there to get some of Speedy’s delicious burgers, but she knew better. Clearly Tabby knew it too, based on her one-word response. If Starla had been Matt, she might have said, “I have a bad feeling about this,” but Starla wasn’t Matt.
When Starla saw Tabby look to her for advice, she said, “Look, I know you don’t want to serve them, but you kind of have to. The best thing to do is to be friendly, be courteous, and be professional, and do the best job you can serving them. They might give you a hard time…” (There was no MIGHT to it, Starla thought, but didn’t say that part out loud.) “…Don’t let them upset you or make you angry. Think of it as a test, one that you pass by keeping your calm and acting professionally. Remember, you need to find a way to get along with them if you’re going to be a cheerleader.” That last bit of advice sounded hollow to Starla, since she now knew that Tabby believed she would be taken away from Teal Cove and so wouldn’t be a cheerleader, and she didn’t really want to be a cheerleader anyway. In retrospect, Starla wished she hadn’t said that last sentence, but it had come out before she thought things through. “Well, just try to do your best,” Starla added.
*tag Tabby*
“You know, it’s important that we present a united front and we all know what we’re supposed to doing when we get to Speedy’s. Before we get there, I think we should go over what we want to do and what we want to accomplish, just to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Doreen said, trying to sound authoritative.
"What is there to go over, Dori? We're just here to order lunch," Marie replied innocently as if she had no idea what her second in command could possibly be talking about. Dori had this annoying tendency to want to overthink things and go into all of this unnecessary planning. This was not rocket science. Tanya pulled into a vacant spot. Both Tabitha and Starla had just skated over to the pickup window, presumably turning in orders.
Another girl rolled up to the car. "Welcome to Speedy's," She said. "Can I..."
"Nope," Marie said when she saw the other girl. "We want her." Marie pointed at Tabby.
"Sorry, these spots are the ones I cover," Lauren informed the senior cheerleader.
Tanya cocked an eye, gave Marie a smug look and turned to Lauren, already knowing what to do before the head cheerleader had to give instructions.
"So which bays are hers," Tanya demanded. Lauren pointed across the parking lot. Without another word, Tanya threw the car into reverse and quickly pulled into one of the bays Tabby serviced. Having never actually worked, it didn't occur to Marie that each carhop had a section, much like waitresses in a restaurant each had their own sections that they handled. Marie did note that both of the girls had spotted them.
"Well done," Marie complimented Tanya. There were two things she liked about this girl. Besides the fact she was the daughter of the town's mayor which meant she had influence, she also didn't need a lot of direction, unlike most of the rest of her team members who were a bit... slow. It was good to have someone close to her that "got it".
Marie glanced impatiently at the building and saw Tabby and Starla talking to each other. Rather than telling Tanya to do it for her, Marie reached across Tanya and gave two loud blasts from the car horn.
"Well, Miss Blackwell, just lost her tip," Marie informed the car., turning to the backseat to make eye contact with Doreen. "She definitely isn't insuring prompt service today..."
Tabitha finally nervously skated over. It was clear she looked fearful to the team captain. "Ah, about time," Marie snapped when Tabby skated over to the car and peered into the driver side window. "What took you so long, Tabbycat? We're hungry!"
"What is there to go over, Dori? We're just here to order lunch," Marie replied innocently as if she had no idea what her second in command could possibly be talking about. Dori had this annoying tendency to want to overthink things and go into all of this unnecessary planning. This was not rocket science. Tanya pulled into a vacant spot. Both Tabitha and Starla had just skated over to the pickup window, presumably turning in orders.
Another girl rolled up to the car. "Welcome to Speedy's," She said. "Can I..."
"Nope," Marie said when she saw the other girl. "We want her." Marie pointed at Tabby.
"Sorry, these spots are the ones I cover," Lauren informed the senior cheerleader.
Tanya cocked an eye, gave Marie a smug look and turned to Lauren, already knowing what to do before the head cheerleader had to give instructions.
"So which bays are hers," Tanya demanded. Lauren pointed across the parking lot. Without another word, Tanya threw the car into reverse and quickly pulled into one of the bays Tabby serviced. Having never actually worked, it didn't occur to Marie that each carhop had a section, much like waitresses in a restaurant each had their own sections that they handled. Marie did note that both of the girls had spotted them.
"Well done," Marie complimented Tanya. There were two things she liked about this girl. Besides the fact she was the daughter of the town's mayor which meant she had influence, she also didn't need a lot of direction, unlike most of the rest of her team members who were a bit... slow. It was good to have someone close to her that "got it".
Marie glanced impatiently at the building and saw Tabby and Starla talking to each other. Rather than telling Tanya to do it for her, Marie reached across Tanya and gave two loud blasts from the car horn.
"Well, Miss Blackwell, just lost her tip," Marie informed the car., turning to the backseat to make eye contact with Doreen. "She definitely isn't insuring prompt service today..."
Tabitha finally nervously skated over. It was clear she looked fearful to the team captain. "Ah, about time," Marie snapped when Tabby skated over to the car and peered into the driver side window. "What took you so long, Tabbycat? We're hungry!"
She turned to Starla. "Shit," she mumbled, exhaling a deep breath clearly looking to the older girl for some advice.
When Starla saw Tabby look to her for advice, she said, “Look, I know you don’t want to serve them, but you kind of have to. The best thing to do is to be friendly, be courteous, and be professional, and do the best job you can serving them. They might give you a hard time…Don’t let them upset you or make you angry. Think of it as a test, one that you pass by keeping your calm and acting professionally. Remember, you need to find a way to get along with them if you’re going to be a cheerleader.”
"Yeah," Tabby responded glumly. She didn't want to be a cheerleader. As far as she was concerned, she might have well been enlisted in the US Army on her way to boot camp come August.
Just then, there were two blasts of a car horn in the parking lot. It was obvious which vehicle they had come from.
“Well, just try to do your best,” Starla added.
Tabby nodded and skated off toward the bitchmobile. "Welcome to Speedy's, can I...," Tabby started to say.
"Ah, about time," Marie snapped when Tabby skated over to the car and peered into the driver side window. "What took you so long, Tabbycat? We're hungry!"
"My apologies," Tabby answered, taking a deep breath. "What can I get for all of you?" Tabby made a point to look right at Marie and address her directly, making it clear that she was asking the captain first.
"Well, I need a moment to look over the menu," Marie replied rather pompously. "Hmmm, let's see here..." Marie intentionally took a long hard look at the menu as if she'd never eaten here before. Tabby knew she was doing it deliberately and knew better than to skip her and go to the next one in the car.
"How about a #1, with a cherry limeade, no pickles, no ketchup, just a little mustard, actually sub that with mayo, no tomatoes, wait. No, add the pickles back, light onion though, but extra lettuce and upsize the fries. Got all that, Blackwell," Marie demanded.
Tabby nodded. She had been taking notes.
"No wait! I changed my mind again," Marie suddenly said. "Scratch that! Hotdog with onion rings. Relish, sweet, NOT dill, mustard and a vanilla shake."
She then looked to Tanya who pulled the same stunt, changing her order several times as Tabby frantically took notes. Tabby knew good and well they were doing this on purpose to make sure there was at least a minor mistake in the order. Clearly, they were looking for something to complain about when the food they received wasn't completely correct.
A flustered Tabby then glanced to Doreen. "And what can I get for you," she asked, trying hard to keep her cool.
When Starla saw Tabby look to her for advice, she said, “Look, I know you don’t want to serve them, but you kind of have to. The best thing to do is to be friendly, be courteous, and be professional, and do the best job you can serving them. They might give you a hard time…Don’t let them upset you or make you angry. Think of it as a test, one that you pass by keeping your calm and acting professionally. Remember, you need to find a way to get along with them if you’re going to be a cheerleader.”
"Yeah," Tabby responded glumly. She didn't want to be a cheerleader. As far as she was concerned, she might have well been enlisted in the US Army on her way to boot camp come August.
Just then, there were two blasts of a car horn in the parking lot. It was obvious which vehicle they had come from.
“Well, just try to do your best,” Starla added.
Tabby nodded and skated off toward the bitchmobile. "Welcome to Speedy's, can I...," Tabby started to say.
"Ah, about time," Marie snapped when Tabby skated over to the car and peered into the driver side window. "What took you so long, Tabbycat? We're hungry!"
"My apologies," Tabby answered, taking a deep breath. "What can I get for all of you?" Tabby made a point to look right at Marie and address her directly, making it clear that she was asking the captain first.
"Well, I need a moment to look over the menu," Marie replied rather pompously. "Hmmm, let's see here..." Marie intentionally took a long hard look at the menu as if she'd never eaten here before. Tabby knew she was doing it deliberately and knew better than to skip her and go to the next one in the car.
"How about a #1, with a cherry limeade, no pickles, no ketchup, just a little mustard, actually sub that with mayo, no tomatoes, wait. No, add the pickles back, light onion though, but extra lettuce and upsize the fries. Got all that, Blackwell," Marie demanded.
Tabby nodded. She had been taking notes.
"No wait! I changed my mind again," Marie suddenly said. "Scratch that! Hotdog with onion rings. Relish, sweet, NOT dill, mustard and a vanilla shake."
She then looked to Tanya who pulled the same stunt, changing her order several times as Tabby frantically took notes. Tabby knew good and well they were doing this on purpose to make sure there was at least a minor mistake in the order. Clearly, they were looking for something to complain about when the food they received wasn't completely correct.
A flustered Tabby then glanced to Doreen. "And what can I get for you," she asked, trying hard to keep her cool.
"What is there to go over, Dori? We're just here to order lunch," Marie replied innocently as if she had no idea what her second in command could possibly be talking about. Dori had this annoying tendency to want to overthink things and go into all of this unnecessary planning. This was not rocket science. Tanya pulled into a vacant spot. Both Tabitha and Starla had just skated over to the pickup window, presumably turning in orders.
Doreen’s only response was to frown at the back of Marie’s head, which was fine because nobody was looking in her direction. Marie’s reply irritated her; it almost sounded like Marie was talking to a child rather than to her best friend. Doreen knew good and well that they weren’t going to Speedy’s just to order lunch, and Marie should absolutely know that Doreen knew it. The answer verged on being downright insulting. If that’s how Marie was going to be, fine; she would just play it by ear, then. Doreen turned her head to look out the side window, and didn’t say anything more until they got to Speedy’s.
A few minutes later they arrived at Speedy’s, and things didn’t start off well. Tanya parked in the wrong section of the parking lot, necessitating a move to a different part of parking lot once the carhop pointed out Tabby’s section. Doreen gave a little eye roll that nobody saw and remained quiet. She had seen the exchange of glances between Tanya and Marie, and realized that it hadn’t occurred to Marie that Tanya’s blunder had made the cheerleaders look stupid.
"Well done," Marie complimented Tanya. Doreen was glad she had stayed quiet and not pointed out Tanya’s blunder. She wasn’t quite sure, but Doreen thought she might be sensing an undercurrent in the exchange. Was Tanya starting to become a threat to her own position as Marie’s second? She was going to have to be on the watch for signs of that, and start thinking about how to respond.
Marie glanced impatiently at the building and saw Tabby and Starla talking to each other. Rather than telling Tanya to do it for her, Marie reached across Tanya and gave two loud blasts from the car horn.
"Well, Miss Blackwell just lost her tip," Marie informed the car, turning to the backseat to make eye contact with Doreen. "She definitely isn't insuring prompt service today..."
“No, she isn’t,” Doreen agreed, and gave Marie a little smirk. The facial expression conveyed the idea that she knew Tabitha never had a chance to begin with, and was amused by that. Internally, though, Marie’s behavior bothered her. This kind of harassment seemed like something they should be reserving for a Renier student, not an actual member of the pep squad and potentially a future Teal Cove cheerleader. Granted, Tabitha’s recent behavior hadn’t been up to snuff, but still, this seemed wrong. It occurred to Doreen that she might be feeling this way (in part at least) because of her irritation at Marie’s response on the way here. Still, that didn’t make her feel any better.
Tabitha finally nervously skated over. It was clear she looked fearful to the team captain. "Ah, about time," Marie snapped when Tabby skated over to the car and peered into the driver side window. "What took you so long, Tabbycat? We're hungry!"
"My apologies," Tabby answered, taking a deep breath. "What can I get for all of you?" Tabby made a point to look right at Marie and address her directly, making it clear that she was asking the captain first.
"Well, I need a moment to look over the menu," Marie replied rather pompously. "Hmmm, let's see here..." Marie intentionally took a long hard look at the menu as if she'd never eaten here before. Tabby knew she was doing it deliberately and knew better than to skip her and go to the next one in the car. Doreen also knew Marie was doing it deliberately; imagine having the nerve to ask for time to look at the menu after honking the horn at Tabitha and then getting on her case for not being there soon enough. This was straight-up asshole behavior in Doreen’s opinion, but she kept that opinion to herself. After dealing with Marie for years, she knew how to put on a façade that would keep Marie’s favor.
"How about a #1, with a cherry limeade, no pickles, no ketchup, just a little mustard, actually sub that with mayo, no tomatoes, wait. No, add the pickles back, light onion though, but extra lettuce and upsize the fries. Got all that, Blackwell," Marie demanded.
Tabby nodded. She had been taking notes.
"No wait! I changed my mind again," Marie suddenly said. "Scratch that! Hot dog with onion rings. Relish, sweet, NOT dill, mustard and a vanilla shake."
So that’s the game we’re playing, thought Doreen: make the order confusing enough so that Tabitha was bound to screw up. Doreen didn’t approve, but she put that smirk back on to make it look like she did. After Marie’s “We're just here to order lunch" comment, Doreen was sorely tempted to make her own order very simple and straight-forward. But she knew it wasn’t a good idea to antagonize Marie, especially if Tanya had her eye on Doreen’s spot as Marie’s Number Two, so she started figuring out ways to complicate her order.
She then looked to Tanya who pulled the same stunt, changing her order several times as Tabby frantically took notes. Tabby knew good and well they were doing this on purpose to make sure there was at least a minor mistake in the order. Clearly, they were looking for something to complain about when the food they received wasn't completely correct.
A flustered Tabby then glanced to Doreen. "And what can I get for you," she asked, trying hard to keep her cool.
Doreen had planned to make her order somewhat confusing, but perhaps not quite as confusing as Marie’s order, just to take it easy on Tabitha. That changed when Tabby made the mistake of asking for Tanya’s order before her own, which pissed Doreen off considering her realization that Tanya might by trying to pass her on the pecking order. “I’ll have a chicken bacon ranch sandwich, no lettuce, no tomatoes, and make the bacon extra crispy, with a large order of fries, and…no, wait. Actually, I want what Marie ordered. I don’t mean the hot dog, I mean what she was going to order before she changed her mind. You remember that, right? You know, the #1 with extra pickles and extra ketchup, no mustard. All the same additions and subtractions she requested originally. Hmmm…on second thought, I need to watch my figure, so I think I should just get a salad. Oh, wait, you don’t have salads on the menu, do you? That’s okay, I’ll just order the chicken bacon ranch sandwich, but put extra lettuce and extra tomatoes on it, and cheese; but I want the cheese shredded, not a slice of cheese. Also, like I said before, the bacon should be extra crispy, but crumble it up so there are like little bacon bits scattered through it. And add extra ranch, and hold the chicken and the bun. That should be almost as good as a salad, don’t you think? And since I’m going with a salad, I’d better get a diet drink too, so bring me a medium Tab. Don’t put any ice in it, though; I don’t want it melting and watering down my drink. Make sure you bring me a fork, too; I’m not eating a salad with my hands.” That order ought to make Marie proud, she thought. At least she hadn’t asked Tabitha to hold the chicken between her knees, as Jack Nicholson had done in Five Easy Pieces.
Doreen’s only response was to frown at the back of Marie’s head, which was fine because nobody was looking in her direction. Marie’s reply irritated her; it almost sounded like Marie was talking to a child rather than to her best friend. Doreen knew good and well that they weren’t going to Speedy’s just to order lunch, and Marie should absolutely know that Doreen knew it. The answer verged on being downright insulting. If that’s how Marie was going to be, fine; she would just play it by ear, then. Doreen turned her head to look out the side window, and didn’t say anything more until they got to Speedy’s.
A few minutes later they arrived at Speedy’s, and things didn’t start off well. Tanya parked in the wrong section of the parking lot, necessitating a move to a different part of parking lot once the carhop pointed out Tabby’s section. Doreen gave a little eye roll that nobody saw and remained quiet. She had seen the exchange of glances between Tanya and Marie, and realized that it hadn’t occurred to Marie that Tanya’s blunder had made the cheerleaders look stupid.
"Well done," Marie complimented Tanya. Doreen was glad she had stayed quiet and not pointed out Tanya’s blunder. She wasn’t quite sure, but Doreen thought she might be sensing an undercurrent in the exchange. Was Tanya starting to become a threat to her own position as Marie’s second? She was going to have to be on the watch for signs of that, and start thinking about how to respond.
Marie glanced impatiently at the building and saw Tabby and Starla talking to each other. Rather than telling Tanya to do it for her, Marie reached across Tanya and gave two loud blasts from the car horn.
"Well, Miss Blackwell just lost her tip," Marie informed the car, turning to the backseat to make eye contact with Doreen. "She definitely isn't insuring prompt service today..."
“No, she isn’t,” Doreen agreed, and gave Marie a little smirk. The facial expression conveyed the idea that she knew Tabitha never had a chance to begin with, and was amused by that. Internally, though, Marie’s behavior bothered her. This kind of harassment seemed like something they should be reserving for a Renier student, not an actual member of the pep squad and potentially a future Teal Cove cheerleader. Granted, Tabitha’s recent behavior hadn’t been up to snuff, but still, this seemed wrong. It occurred to Doreen that she might be feeling this way (in part at least) because of her irritation at Marie’s response on the way here. Still, that didn’t make her feel any better.
Tabitha finally nervously skated over. It was clear she looked fearful to the team captain. "Ah, about time," Marie snapped when Tabby skated over to the car and peered into the driver side window. "What took you so long, Tabbycat? We're hungry!"
"My apologies," Tabby answered, taking a deep breath. "What can I get for all of you?" Tabby made a point to look right at Marie and address her directly, making it clear that she was asking the captain first.
"Well, I need a moment to look over the menu," Marie replied rather pompously. "Hmmm, let's see here..." Marie intentionally took a long hard look at the menu as if she'd never eaten here before. Tabby knew she was doing it deliberately and knew better than to skip her and go to the next one in the car. Doreen also knew Marie was doing it deliberately; imagine having the nerve to ask for time to look at the menu after honking the horn at Tabitha and then getting on her case for not being there soon enough. This was straight-up asshole behavior in Doreen’s opinion, but she kept that opinion to herself. After dealing with Marie for years, she knew how to put on a façade that would keep Marie’s favor.
"How about a #1, with a cherry limeade, no pickles, no ketchup, just a little mustard, actually sub that with mayo, no tomatoes, wait. No, add the pickles back, light onion though, but extra lettuce and upsize the fries. Got all that, Blackwell," Marie demanded.
Tabby nodded. She had been taking notes.
"No wait! I changed my mind again," Marie suddenly said. "Scratch that! Hot dog with onion rings. Relish, sweet, NOT dill, mustard and a vanilla shake."
So that’s the game we’re playing, thought Doreen: make the order confusing enough so that Tabitha was bound to screw up. Doreen didn’t approve, but she put that smirk back on to make it look like she did. After Marie’s “We're just here to order lunch" comment, Doreen was sorely tempted to make her own order very simple and straight-forward. But she knew it wasn’t a good idea to antagonize Marie, especially if Tanya had her eye on Doreen’s spot as Marie’s Number Two, so she started figuring out ways to complicate her order.
She then looked to Tanya who pulled the same stunt, changing her order several times as Tabby frantically took notes. Tabby knew good and well they were doing this on purpose to make sure there was at least a minor mistake in the order. Clearly, they were looking for something to complain about when the food they received wasn't completely correct.
A flustered Tabby then glanced to Doreen. "And what can I get for you," she asked, trying hard to keep her cool.
Doreen had planned to make her order somewhat confusing, but perhaps not quite as confusing as Marie’s order, just to take it easy on Tabitha. That changed when Tabby made the mistake of asking for Tanya’s order before her own, which pissed Doreen off considering her realization that Tanya might by trying to pass her on the pecking order. “I’ll have a chicken bacon ranch sandwich, no lettuce, no tomatoes, and make the bacon extra crispy, with a large order of fries, and…no, wait. Actually, I want what Marie ordered. I don’t mean the hot dog, I mean what she was going to order before she changed her mind. You remember that, right? You know, the #1 with extra pickles and extra ketchup, no mustard. All the same additions and subtractions she requested originally. Hmmm…on second thought, I need to watch my figure, so I think I should just get a salad. Oh, wait, you don’t have salads on the menu, do you? That’s okay, I’ll just order the chicken bacon ranch sandwich, but put extra lettuce and extra tomatoes on it, and cheese; but I want the cheese shredded, not a slice of cheese. Also, like I said before, the bacon should be extra crispy, but crumble it up so there are like little bacon bits scattered through it. And add extra ranch, and hold the chicken and the bun. That should be almost as good as a salad, don’t you think? And since I’m going with a salad, I’d better get a diet drink too, so bring me a medium Tab. Don’t put any ice in it, though; I don’t want it melting and watering down my drink. Make sure you bring me a fork, too; I’m not eating a salad with my hands.” That order ought to make Marie proud, she thought. At least she hadn’t asked Tabitha to hold the chicken between her knees, as Jack Nicholson had done in Five Easy Pieces.
Tabby sighed. She was now on the third page of her little order taking pad. When Doreen finished, she quickly consolidated her notes. She read each order back.
"No that's not what I said,"Marie argued. Marie made a few corrections, including 2 changes she never mentioned. Meanwhile, the cars were building up in other spots Tabby served.
Finally, she completed the seniors' orders. She really should get the other orders from the other cars before turning this one in, she realized. However, Marie would then probably belittle her further for not giving preferential treatment and turning her group's order in before serving the other customers.
Starla was also inbound to the window when Tabby handed her order to Riley. She glanced at the older girl but realized there wasn't time to talk for more than a moment. Her customers were piling up in her bays as the lunch rush approached.
"No that's not what I said,"Marie argued. Marie made a few corrections, including 2 changes she never mentioned. Meanwhile, the cars were building up in other spots Tabby served.
Finally, she completed the seniors' orders. She really should get the other orders from the other cars before turning this one in, she realized. However, Marie would then probably belittle her further for not giving preferential treatment and turning her group's order in before serving the other customers.
Starla was also inbound to the window when Tabby handed her order to Riley. She glanced at the older girl but realized there wasn't time to talk for more than a moment. Her customers were piling up in her bays as the lunch rush approached.
Starla tried to keep an eye on Tabby as she went to deal with the cheerleaders. Some of her bays were close to Tabby’s section, and the customers she was serving weren’t trying to give her a hard time, unlike Tabby’s. So when she was serving those customers in the bays closest to Tabby’s section she was able to pick up on a little of what was going on with Tabby. Although she couldn’t witness the whole thing, she saw and heard enough to realize what the cheerleaders were doing.
On one of her trips back to the window to drop off her customers’ orders, Starla encountered Tabby coming to do the same with the cheerleaders’ orders. Starla touched her on the shoulder and said in a low voice, “I know what they’re doing. If you want, I’ll cover the two bays in your section that are closest to mine to take off some of the heat while you’re dealing with them.”
*tag Tabby*
As Tabby skated away, Starla went to the window and called to Riley. When she had his attention, she said, “Hey Riley, there are some customers trying to cause problems for Tabby. I think they’re trying to confuse her so she’ll mess up an order. Just thought you should know.” She hoped if Riley knew about this beforehand, it might keep Tabby from getting in much trouble if she did mess up any of the cheerleaders’ orders and they complained.
*tags*
On one of her trips back to the window to drop off her customers’ orders, Starla encountered Tabby coming to do the same with the cheerleaders’ orders. Starla touched her on the shoulder and said in a low voice, “I know what they’re doing. If you want, I’ll cover the two bays in your section that are closest to mine to take off some of the heat while you’re dealing with them.”
*tag Tabby*
As Tabby skated away, Starla went to the window and called to Riley. When she had his attention, she said, “Hey Riley, there are some customers trying to cause problems for Tabby. I think they’re trying to confuse her so she’ll mess up an order. Just thought you should know.” She hoped if Riley knew about this beforehand, it might keep Tabby from getting in much trouble if she did mess up any of the cheerleaders’ orders and they complained.
*tags*
On one of her trips back to the window to drop off her customers’ orders, Starla encountered Tabby coming to do the same with the cheerleaders’ orders. Starla touched her on the shoulder and said in a low voice, “I know what they’re doing. If you want, I’ll cover the two bays in your section that are closest to mine to take off some of the heat while you’re dealing with them.”
Tabby simply nodded. "Thanks," she said before she skated back out to take more orders. She had to keep things moving and didn't want Marie and her cronies to see her having a long conversation with Starla. They were watching her and she knew it.
As Tabby skated away, Starla went to the window and called to Riley. When she had his attention, she said, “Hey Riley, there are some customers trying to cause problems for Tabby. I think they’re trying to confuse her so she’ll mess up an order. Just thought you should know.” She hoped if Riley knew about this beforehand, it might keep Tabby from getting in much trouble if she did mess up any of the cheerleaders’ orders and they complained.
Riley nodded. "I saw," he replied. "I can't hear what is going on, but I saw them change bays and honk at her. Must be some sort of hazing thing for cheerleading."
Meanwhile, Tabby skated around and took some more orders. Thankfully, they were all pretty straight forward with nothing complicated and no large groups. With Starla's help, things seemed to go a bit smoother.
"I saw those girls bullying you," an elderly woman informed Tabby. She was in the next bay over. "I heard the whole thing. Don't let them intimidate you, dear."
Tabby just smiled politely and nodded. As she went to turn in round 2, there was another honk from Marie's bay. Tabby sighed, rolled her eyes while her back was turned away from them and skated over to see what the queen bitch needed now.
Tabby simply nodded. "Thanks," she said before she skated back out to take more orders. She had to keep things moving and didn't want Marie and her cronies to see her having a long conversation with Starla. They were watching her and she knew it.
As Tabby skated away, Starla went to the window and called to Riley. When she had his attention, she said, “Hey Riley, there are some customers trying to cause problems for Tabby. I think they’re trying to confuse her so she’ll mess up an order. Just thought you should know.” She hoped if Riley knew about this beforehand, it might keep Tabby from getting in much trouble if she did mess up any of the cheerleaders’ orders and they complained.
Riley nodded. "I saw," he replied. "I can't hear what is going on, but I saw them change bays and honk at her. Must be some sort of hazing thing for cheerleading."
Meanwhile, Tabby skated around and took some more orders. Thankfully, they were all pretty straight forward with nothing complicated and no large groups. With Starla's help, things seemed to go a bit smoother.
"I saw those girls bullying you," an elderly woman informed Tabby. She was in the next bay over. "I heard the whole thing. Don't let them intimidate you, dear."
Tabby just smiled politely and nodded. As she went to turn in round 2, there was another honk from Marie's bay. Tabby sighed, rolled her eyes while her back was turned away from them and skated over to see what the queen bitch needed now.
Marie watched Tabby skate off with a satisfied smirk on her face. "She's going to screw this up," Marie announced. "And we're going to get free dessert or a refund when she does... bonus points if she cries."
Tanya didn't respond as she watched Tabby skate to the window to drop off their order. Starla tapped her on the shoulder and they exchanged quick words before Tabby came back out to the parking lot and continued taking orders.
She started with a car on the opposite side from the one Marie and her minions were in and then to the car beside theirs. A large menu board blocked direct view.
"I saw those girls bullying you," an elderly woman informed Tabby. She was in the next bay over. "I heard the whole thing. Don't let them intimidate you, dear."
Tabby just smiled politely and nodded. As she went to turn in round 2, there was another honk from Marie's bay. Tabby sighed, rolled her eyes while her back was turned away from them and skated over to see what the queen bitch needed now.
"How long is this going to take," Marie demanded as soon as Tabby appeared again. The younger girl bit her lower lip and fidgeted with a lock of hair.
"I just put your order in," Tabby explained fighting hard to maintain her composure as she felt a knot forming in her stomach. 5 minutes had barely passed since she dropped Tanya's car's ticket at the window.
"Yeah, I get that, but it says fast food," Marie argued. "We're in a bit of a hurry. We have a croquet court reserved at the club and we don't want to get bumped."
"Okay, I understand. They should be able to get it out in about 10 minutes or so," Tabby replied.
"Well check on it and tell them to step it up," Marie demanded. "We're hungry."
"I'll see what I can do," Tabby replied. "But I really don't have any control..."
"Look, Blackwell. You tell the pimple-faced loser virgin at the grill that we are VIPs. Inform him he doesn't want to get a complaint from the mayor's daughter. That will not go well for this dumpy little shit hole," Marie threatened. "Besides, you don't want to disappoint your captain. Making sure your leaders are taken care of will get you far this fall. That is today's lesson."
"Okay," Tabby said, trying her best not to roll her eyes. She skated off to the window to drop the tickets off. Marie watched as she paused to say something to whoever was inside. She pointed their direction.
"See girls? You just need to know how to work the system," Marie informed Tanya and Doreen gleefully. She turned back to get Dori's reaction.
A moment later, Tabby left the window, but did not have their food. Marie glanced at her watch. "Seven minutes, she has three left," she announced.
Tabby went to another set of bays. "Well, she said ten minutes and we don't have our food," Marie remarked. "Looks like we're going to have to speak to a manager. I think lunch is going to be free today."
After collecting another order, she finally began to skate their way with a tray full of food. Tabby made a point to go to the passenger side door so Marie would get her food first. She began reading the order back. Marie kept a tight lipped smirk, but didn't say anything until Tabby gave the total.
"That will be...," she started to say when Marie cut her off.
"Totally free because you told me 10 minutes and it's been more than that," Marie stated bluntly.
"That isn't what I said and I can't do that," Tabby replied quickly.
"Manager, NOW," Marie demanded.
"But, I said it would be about ten minutes. We don't offer," Tabby tried to explain.
"MANAGER NOW OR IT'S YOUR ASS," Marie yelled loud enough to draw the attention of everyone around them.
Tabby turned on her heels with their food still on the tray.
"Hey, where are you going? Give us our damn food first," Marie insisted. As Tabby began to skate back to the kitchen with Marie and her friends food, Marie threw the car door open and attempted to snatch the tray. In doing so, she slammed the door into Tabby's hip sending her and the food to the ground.
Tabby skinned both knees as she hit the pavement and was splattered by the drinks and various condiments as the contents of the tray went flying. Tabby turned bright red and hadn't even processed what had happened yet.
"You fucking stupid bitch," Marie seethed exiting the car and standing over her.
That was all Marie had time to get out of her mouth. The next thing Tabby knew she was back on her feet and launched herself at the Teal Cove cheer captain sending the girl backward. She slammed into the car and then the pavement hard.
"FIGHT," a patron yelled enthusiastically as customers began leaning out of their car windows.
Tanya didn't respond as she watched Tabby skate to the window to drop off their order. Starla tapped her on the shoulder and they exchanged quick words before Tabby came back out to the parking lot and continued taking orders.
She started with a car on the opposite side from the one Marie and her minions were in and then to the car beside theirs. A large menu board blocked direct view.
"I saw those girls bullying you," an elderly woman informed Tabby. She was in the next bay over. "I heard the whole thing. Don't let them intimidate you, dear."
Tabby just smiled politely and nodded. As she went to turn in round 2, there was another honk from Marie's bay. Tabby sighed, rolled her eyes while her back was turned away from them and skated over to see what the queen bitch needed now.
"How long is this going to take," Marie demanded as soon as Tabby appeared again. The younger girl bit her lower lip and fidgeted with a lock of hair.
"I just put your order in," Tabby explained fighting hard to maintain her composure as she felt a knot forming in her stomach. 5 minutes had barely passed since she dropped Tanya's car's ticket at the window.
"Yeah, I get that, but it says fast food," Marie argued. "We're in a bit of a hurry. We have a croquet court reserved at the club and we don't want to get bumped."
"Okay, I understand. They should be able to get it out in about 10 minutes or so," Tabby replied.
"Well check on it and tell them to step it up," Marie demanded. "We're hungry."
"I'll see what I can do," Tabby replied. "But I really don't have any control..."
"Look, Blackwell. You tell the pimple-faced loser virgin at the grill that we are VIPs. Inform him he doesn't want to get a complaint from the mayor's daughter. That will not go well for this dumpy little shit hole," Marie threatened. "Besides, you don't want to disappoint your captain. Making sure your leaders are taken care of will get you far this fall. That is today's lesson."
"Okay," Tabby said, trying her best not to roll her eyes. She skated off to the window to drop the tickets off. Marie watched as she paused to say something to whoever was inside. She pointed their direction.
"See girls? You just need to know how to work the system," Marie informed Tanya and Doreen gleefully. She turned back to get Dori's reaction.
A moment later, Tabby left the window, but did not have their food. Marie glanced at her watch. "Seven minutes, she has three left," she announced.
Tabby went to another set of bays. "Well, she said ten minutes and we don't have our food," Marie remarked. "Looks like we're going to have to speak to a manager. I think lunch is going to be free today."
After collecting another order, she finally began to skate their way with a tray full of food. Tabby made a point to go to the passenger side door so Marie would get her food first. She began reading the order back. Marie kept a tight lipped smirk, but didn't say anything until Tabby gave the total.
"That will be...," she started to say when Marie cut her off.
"Totally free because you told me 10 minutes and it's been more than that," Marie stated bluntly.
"That isn't what I said and I can't do that," Tabby replied quickly.
"Manager, NOW," Marie demanded.
"But, I said it would be about ten minutes. We don't offer," Tabby tried to explain.
"MANAGER NOW OR IT'S YOUR ASS," Marie yelled loud enough to draw the attention of everyone around them.
Tabby turned on her heels with their food still on the tray.
"Hey, where are you going? Give us our damn food first," Marie insisted. As Tabby began to skate back to the kitchen with Marie and her friends food, Marie threw the car door open and attempted to snatch the tray. In doing so, she slammed the door into Tabby's hip sending her and the food to the ground.
Tabby skinned both knees as she hit the pavement and was splattered by the drinks and various condiments as the contents of the tray went flying. Tabby turned bright red and hadn't even processed what had happened yet.
"You fucking stupid bitch," Marie seethed exiting the car and standing over her.
That was all Marie had time to get out of her mouth. The next thing Tabby knew she was back on her feet and launched herself at the Teal Cove cheer captain sending the girl backward. She slammed into the car and then the pavement hard.
"FIGHT," a patron yelled enthusiastically as customers began leaning out of their car windows.
Doreen could scarcely believe what she was witnessing. She had been okay with giving Tabby a hard time, especially after Tabby asked for Tanya’s order before hers, but trying to stop Tabby from going to get the manager after twice yelling at her to go get the manager NOW (and loudly enough for all the nearby customers to hear) was going a little too far, in her opinion. Marie was now drawing attention to herself being unreasonable and petty, which wasn’t an image the captain of the squad ought to be projecting in public. This was going to make them all look bad, Doreen thought. And when Marie threw her car door open, knocking Tabby to the ground and sending their food flying all over the place, Doreen was left gaping in shock. This was turning into a public relations nightmare, not to mention they were going to have to wait even longer to get any food now that their orders had been ruined.
If Doreen thought things were bad, it only took a couple of seconds before it got worse. Marie got out of the car and started cussing at the girl she had just knocked down with a car door, in front of everybody. Tabby then got up and retaliated, managing to knocking Marie down, and somebody yelled “FIGHT!” This was a straight-up catastrophe, and Doreen felt compelled to intervene, but she had to do so in a way that wouldn’t turn Marie against her. One way or another, this had to be deescalated.
“Stay in the car, Tanya,” Doreen said, and quickly got out of the car on the driver’s side, keeping the trunk of the car between her and Tabby and Marie. “BLACKWELL! STOP!” she yelled in a commanding voice, trying to draw Tabby’s attention away from continuing her attack. “Things are getting out of hand. Please go get the manager.” Doreen needed to talk to Marie quietly so nobody else could hear, but she couldn’t do that until Tabby moved away. The trip to get the manager and bring him back ought to give her long enough to whisper a bit of advice to Marie. Doreen watched Tabby to see if she would go get the manager, and to make sure she didn’t continue to attack Marie. Or worse yet, try to come after her.
If Doreen thought things were bad, it only took a couple of seconds before it got worse. Marie got out of the car and started cussing at the girl she had just knocked down with a car door, in front of everybody. Tabby then got up and retaliated, managing to knocking Marie down, and somebody yelled “FIGHT!” This was a straight-up catastrophe, and Doreen felt compelled to intervene, but she had to do so in a way that wouldn’t turn Marie against her. One way or another, this had to be deescalated.
“Stay in the car, Tanya,” Doreen said, and quickly got out of the car on the driver’s side, keeping the trunk of the car between her and Tabby and Marie. “BLACKWELL! STOP!” she yelled in a commanding voice, trying to draw Tabby’s attention away from continuing her attack. “Things are getting out of hand. Please go get the manager.” Doreen needed to talk to Marie quietly so nobody else could hear, but she couldn’t do that until Tabby moved away. The trip to get the manager and bring him back ought to give her long enough to whisper a bit of advice to Marie. Doreen watched Tabby to see if she would go get the manager, and to make sure she didn’t continue to attack Marie. Or worse yet, try to come after her.
Covering a couple of bays in Tabby’s section during lunch hour was keeping Starla particularly busy, but maybe once the cheerleaders got their food things could get back to normal. She was in the middle of distributing an order to several people in one of the cars in her own section when she heard someone yell “FIGHT!” Then a couple of seconds later she heard a female voice yell “BLACKWELL! STOP!” Her heart sank, and she quickly looked across the parking lot toward the sound of the voices, which were coming from the direction of Tanya’s car.
She saw Doreen standing on the driver’s side of Tanya’s car looking across the trunk to where Tabby stood on the passenger’s side, looking downward. Doreen seemed to be talking to Tabby, but Starla couldn’t hear what she was saying. Knowing she shouldn’t allow herself to get distracted in the middle of serving her customers, Starla returned her attention to them; the sooner she could finish this transaction, the sooner she could go help with whatever trouble was brewing in Tabby’s section. A couple of her customers were craning their necks, trying to see what was going on across the parking lot, but one of the others was still waiting to receive his food. Starla finished distributing the food and collecting the money, accidentally returning a dollar too much in change. She then thanked her customers and skated off to find out what was going on with Tabby.
She saw Doreen standing on the driver’s side of Tanya’s car looking across the trunk to where Tabby stood on the passenger’s side, looking downward. Doreen seemed to be talking to Tabby, but Starla couldn’t hear what she was saying. Knowing she shouldn’t allow herself to get distracted in the middle of serving her customers, Starla returned her attention to them; the sooner she could finish this transaction, the sooner she could go help with whatever trouble was brewing in Tabby’s section. A couple of her customers were craning their necks, trying to see what was going on across the parking lot, but one of the others was still waiting to receive his food. Starla finished distributing the food and collecting the money, accidentally returning a dollar too much in change. She then thanked her customers and skated off to find out what was going on with Tabby.
Tabby wasn't quite sure what had just happened. Her knees felt like they were on fire. The next thing she knew, she was back on her feet.
"You fucking stupid bitch!"
“BLACKWELL! STOP!”
Tabby heard the voices but they seemed distant and she didn't fully process them. Marie was on the ground looking up at her. Blood trickled from her nose. Time froze for a moment. Marie wiped her nose and looked at the blood on the back of her hand. Then her eyes cut to Tabby, filled with hate.
"How fucking dare you," Marie hissed as she got to her feet and took a threatening pose. Still in a trance-like state and not fully in control of herself, Tabby instinctively lunged at the head cheerleader. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her from behind, hooking her under the arms and pulling her back by the shoulders to restrain her. Both arms were forced outward away from her body to prevent her from throwing a punch or clawing Marie's eyes out.
"You fucking stupid bitch!"
“BLACKWELL! STOP!”
Tabby heard the voices but they seemed distant and she didn't fully process them. Marie was on the ground looking up at her. Blood trickled from her nose. Time froze for a moment. Marie wiped her nose and looked at the blood on the back of her hand. Then her eyes cut to Tabby, filled with hate.
"How fucking dare you," Marie hissed as she got to her feet and took a threatening pose. Still in a trance-like state and not fully in control of herself, Tabby instinctively lunged at the head cheerleader. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her from behind, hooking her under the arms and pulling her back by the shoulders to restrain her. Both arms were forced outward away from her body to prevent her from throwing a punch or clawing Marie's eyes out.
"How fucking dare you," Marie hissed as she got to her feet and took a threatening pose. Still in a trance-like state and not fully in control of herself, Tabby instinctively lunged at the head cheerleader. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her from behind, hooking her under the arms and pulling her back by the shoulders to restrain her. Both arms were forced outward away from her body to prevent her from throwing a punch or clawing Marie's eyes out.
Marie had no idea who grabbed Tabby from behind nor did she care. She assumed it was Tanya or Doreen who had moved in to offer backup, but didn't take time to glance around to confirm it and couldn't see anything but the hands of the person behind her dragging the carhop backward. With Blackwell restrained, Marie had an open shot.
The younger girl's entire uniform was covered in spilled soda and milkshake. She even had a french fry tangled in her hair. The skin had been taken off both of her knees and blood streamed from them getting all over her socks and skates. The wounds were full of dirt and gravel from the pavement.
Without hesitation, Marie took a swing, aiming for Tabby's mouth. Instinctively the other girl jerked her head to one side since it was impossible for her to move out of the way. Marie's knuckles connected with Tabby's left eye socket sending her head back and slamming into the nose of the person holding her.
Tabby fell back to the ground and landed on her butt right in the center of most of the spilled food, squishing what was left of the order. It was then to Marie's horror she realized who had tried to hold Tabby back from going after her a second time. Karen North stood clutching her nose after losing her grip on the younger girl.
Slowly, the cheer coach raised her head and made eye contact with the captain after a moment. There was no blood, but clearly the impact hurt. "Marie," She exclaimed in complete shock and disbelief. The world suddenly seemed to come to a stop.
Marie's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide as she involuntarily raised a hand to her mouth. Her nose was still dripping blood all over the very expensive blouse she was wearing.
Marie had no idea who grabbed Tabby from behind nor did she care. She assumed it was Tanya or Doreen who had moved in to offer backup, but didn't take time to glance around to confirm it and couldn't see anything but the hands of the person behind her dragging the carhop backward. With Blackwell restrained, Marie had an open shot.
The younger girl's entire uniform was covered in spilled soda and milkshake. She even had a french fry tangled in her hair. The skin had been taken off both of her knees and blood streamed from them getting all over her socks and skates. The wounds were full of dirt and gravel from the pavement.
Without hesitation, Marie took a swing, aiming for Tabby's mouth. Instinctively the other girl jerked her head to one side since it was impossible for her to move out of the way. Marie's knuckles connected with Tabby's left eye socket sending her head back and slamming into the nose of the person holding her.
Tabby fell back to the ground and landed on her butt right in the center of most of the spilled food, squishing what was left of the order. It was then to Marie's horror she realized who had tried to hold Tabby back from going after her a second time. Karen North stood clutching her nose after losing her grip on the younger girl.
Slowly, the cheer coach raised her head and made eye contact with the captain after a moment. There was no blood, but clearly the impact hurt. "Marie," She exclaimed in complete shock and disbelief. The world suddenly seemed to come to a stop.
Marie's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide as she involuntarily raised a hand to her mouth. Her nose was still dripping blood all over the very expensive blouse she was wearing.
Karen was over at the Fitness Factory sitting in the back office working on her exercise plans for the next class. It was lunch time and Speedy Burger was just across the parking lot. Not particularly healthy, but it was close and one of the junior team members, Starla Baxter worked there. Also, the Blackwell girl who would be a first year was there as well. It wasn't uncommon for Karen to see some of her other girls as well as fellow faculty members stopping over there.
Karen grabbed her purse and headed out. There was no point in driving. As she got close to the restaurant, there seemed to be some sort of commotion. Karen was going to place an order at the walk up window when she suddenly recognized the car of Tanya Wells in the bay where the disturbance was happening.
Teacher instincts kicking in, she immediately realized there was a fight in progress. She didn't realize who was involved yet, but it was clearly with an employee. Karen ran across the parking lot to realize a carhop was attacking Marie Evans!
"How fucking dare you," Marie hissed as she got to her feet and took a threatening pose. Marie had been knocked to the ground and got to her feet. The carhop, who happened to have red hair, had apparently shoved or punched Marie.
The coach hadn't completely put together the employee in question was Tabitha Blackwell. The redhead looked like she was about to go after Marie again, so Karen grabbed her from behind and locked her forearms under the girl's armpits and yanked her backwards on her skates. Karen's intent, of course, was to prevent her from attacking Marie again.
However, that was not quite how things worked out. Marie took a swing at Tabitha, slamming her fist into her left eye and causing the girl's head to smash into Karen face. Karen released her and she fell to the ground as she instinctively clutched her nose.
Slowly, the cheer coach raised her head and made eye contact with the captain after a moment. There was no blood, but clearly the impact hurt. "Marie," She exclaimed in complete shock and disbelief. The world suddenly seemed to come to a stop.
Marie's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide as she involuntarily raised a hand to her mouth. Her nose was still dripping blood all over the very expensive blouse she was wearing. She went white as a sheet. Meanwhile, Tabby was on the ground and her face had gone as red as her hair.
Marie cut her eyes between the downed girl and her coach.
"What in the hell is going on here," Karen demanded, lowering her hand from her face. She reached down and helped Tabby to her feet. Tabby got up and immediately turned and skated away. She didn't skate toward the restaurant, however. Instead, she took off in the opposite direction as fast as she could.
"Tabitha! Tabitha, wait," Karen called after her, but she didn't answer and continued to move as fast as she could away from the parking lot on her skates. The back of her top and skirt were covered in ketchup, mustard, mayo and milkshake.
The woman in the next car over had gotten out of her vehicle. Riley was also moving across the parking lot to the scene as well as Starla and the other two car hops. Almost every customer was leaning out of their car windows to see what was going on.
Karen grabbed her purse and headed out. There was no point in driving. As she got close to the restaurant, there seemed to be some sort of commotion. Karen was going to place an order at the walk up window when she suddenly recognized the car of Tanya Wells in the bay where the disturbance was happening.
Teacher instincts kicking in, she immediately realized there was a fight in progress. She didn't realize who was involved yet, but it was clearly with an employee. Karen ran across the parking lot to realize a carhop was attacking Marie Evans!
"How fucking dare you," Marie hissed as she got to her feet and took a threatening pose. Marie had been knocked to the ground and got to her feet. The carhop, who happened to have red hair, had apparently shoved or punched Marie.
The coach hadn't completely put together the employee in question was Tabitha Blackwell. The redhead looked like she was about to go after Marie again, so Karen grabbed her from behind and locked her forearms under the girl's armpits and yanked her backwards on her skates. Karen's intent, of course, was to prevent her from attacking Marie again.
However, that was not quite how things worked out. Marie took a swing at Tabitha, slamming her fist into her left eye and causing the girl's head to smash into Karen face. Karen released her and she fell to the ground as she instinctively clutched her nose.
Slowly, the cheer coach raised her head and made eye contact with the captain after a moment. There was no blood, but clearly the impact hurt. "Marie," She exclaimed in complete shock and disbelief. The world suddenly seemed to come to a stop.
Marie's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide as she involuntarily raised a hand to her mouth. Her nose was still dripping blood all over the very expensive blouse she was wearing. She went white as a sheet. Meanwhile, Tabby was on the ground and her face had gone as red as her hair.
Marie cut her eyes between the downed girl and her coach.
"What in the hell is going on here," Karen demanded, lowering her hand from her face. She reached down and helped Tabby to her feet. Tabby got up and immediately turned and skated away. She didn't skate toward the restaurant, however. Instead, she took off in the opposite direction as fast as she could.
"Tabitha! Tabitha, wait," Karen called after her, but she didn't answer and continued to move as fast as she could away from the parking lot on her skates. The back of her top and skirt were covered in ketchup, mustard, mayo and milkshake.
The woman in the next car over had gotten out of her vehicle. Riley was also moving across the parking lot to the scene as well as Starla and the other two car hops. Almost every customer was leaning out of their car windows to see what was going on.
"What in the hell is going on here," Karen demanded, lowering her hand from her face. She reached down and helped Tabby to her feet. Tabby got up and immediately turned and skated away. She didn't skate toward the restaurant, however. Instead, she took off in the opposite direction as fast as she could.
"Tabitha! Tabitha, wait," Karen called after her, but she didn't answer and continued to move as fast as she could away from the parking lot on her skates. The back of her top and skirt were covered in ketchup, mustard, mayo and milkshake.
The woman in the next car over had gotten out of her vehicle. Riley was also moving across the parking lot to the scene as well as Starla and the other two car hops. Almost every customer was leaning out of their car windows to see what was going on.
Starla skated away from the car she had just delivered food to. A quick glance around showed her that none of her customers were trying to get her attention at that moment; apparently they were all as interested to know what was going on as Starla was. She started skating in the direction of the commotion, and spotted Riley emerging from the building and heading in the same direction. As she was pulling up to Tanya’s car, she saw Coach North helping Tabby up from the ground. Tabby was a mess, her uniform covered with food, drinks, and condiments, and there was blood on her legs. “Oh no…” Starla thought; things were even worse than she’d suspected.
As soon as Tabby was back on her feet she immediately darted away, heading across the parking lot away from the restaurant. Coach North called to her, but if Tabby heard her at all she completely ignored her. “Tabby! Stop!” Starla yelled pleadingly. She started skating in pursuit, but she had to skate around the car to get to the open parking lot that Tabby was fleeing across, which gave Tabby a bigger lead. “Tabby! Please, come back!” Starla called. By the time Starla was halfway across the parking lot, she realized that Tabby was moving too fast for her to catch up, and that Tabby wasn’t going to come back. Starla gave up her pursuit and came to a halt, slumping in despair while watching Tabby’s retreating back. After a few seconds, she turned around and skated back to Tanya’s car.
“I’ll tell you what happened,” the woman who had emerged from the next car over was saying, loud enough to make sure both Karen and Riley could hear. “Those girls in that car were harassing that poor carhop something awful! They should be ashamed of themselves! They were trying their best to confuse her so she would mess up their orders; they figured they’d complain and get themselves a free meal. Then that one there…” - she pointed at Marie - “yelled at the carhop to go get her manager, but when she started to leave to go get him, she opened her car door into her and knocked her down. That’s why their food and drinks are all over the parking lot. The poor girl snapped, and I don’t blame her. Just disgraceful.”
"Tabitha! Tabitha, wait," Karen called after her, but she didn't answer and continued to move as fast as she could away from the parking lot on her skates. The back of her top and skirt were covered in ketchup, mustard, mayo and milkshake.
The woman in the next car over had gotten out of her vehicle. Riley was also moving across the parking lot to the scene as well as Starla and the other two car hops. Almost every customer was leaning out of their car windows to see what was going on.
Starla skated away from the car she had just delivered food to. A quick glance around showed her that none of her customers were trying to get her attention at that moment; apparently they were all as interested to know what was going on as Starla was. She started skating in the direction of the commotion, and spotted Riley emerging from the building and heading in the same direction. As she was pulling up to Tanya’s car, she saw Coach North helping Tabby up from the ground. Tabby was a mess, her uniform covered with food, drinks, and condiments, and there was blood on her legs. “Oh no…” Starla thought; things were even worse than she’d suspected.
As soon as Tabby was back on her feet she immediately darted away, heading across the parking lot away from the restaurant. Coach North called to her, but if Tabby heard her at all she completely ignored her. “Tabby! Stop!” Starla yelled pleadingly. She started skating in pursuit, but she had to skate around the car to get to the open parking lot that Tabby was fleeing across, which gave Tabby a bigger lead. “Tabby! Please, come back!” Starla called. By the time Starla was halfway across the parking lot, she realized that Tabby was moving too fast for her to catch up, and that Tabby wasn’t going to come back. Starla gave up her pursuit and came to a halt, slumping in despair while watching Tabby’s retreating back. After a few seconds, she turned around and skated back to Tanya’s car.
“I’ll tell you what happened,” the woman who had emerged from the next car over was saying, loud enough to make sure both Karen and Riley could hear. “Those girls in that car were harassing that poor carhop something awful! They should be ashamed of themselves! They were trying their best to confuse her so she would mess up their orders; they figured they’d complain and get themselves a free meal. Then that one there…” - she pointed at Marie - “yelled at the carhop to go get her manager, but when she started to leave to go get him, she opened her car door into her and knocked her down. That’s why their food and drinks are all over the parking lot. The poor girl snapped, and I don’t blame her. Just disgraceful.”
Marie found herself in an extremely awkward and unfamiliar place. Suddenly, all eyes were on her and not in a positive way. She continued to stand there stunned for a moment as she took it all in. There was a brief flashback to Dori wanting to plan out what the group was going to do. Was Marie feeling a moment of regret? If so, she certainly didn't show it. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with a plausible explanation to spin the events of what had just unfolded in her favor.
She looked around as the lady from the next car over got out and the manager approached. Tabby took off the minute she was on her feet and Starla chased her across the parking lot. Clearly her efforts to catch the younger girl were in vain as she called out to her little to stop and come back.
Slowly, Marie's eyes met Karen. The coach lowered her hand from her face and called her name out in shock and disbelief as if unable to process what she was witnessing herself. Not knowing what to say or do, Marie quickly turned away to face Dori waiting for her wing girl to jump in and defend her. Tanya was still in the car and not visible.
"What on Earth happened," a stunned Karen finally managed.
“I’ll tell you what happened,” the woman who had emerged from the next car over was saying, loud enough to make sure both Karen and Riley could hear. “Those girls in that car were harassing that poor carhop something awful! They should be ashamed of themselves! They were trying their best to confuse her so she would mess up their orders; they figured they’d complain and get themselves a free meal. Then that one there…” - she pointed at Marie - “yelled at the carhop to go get her manager, but when she started to leave to go get him, she opened her car door into her and knocked her down. That’s why their food and drinks are all over the parking lot. The poor girl snapped, and I don’t blame her. Just disgraceful.”
Riley finally arrived in the bay. "I couldn't hear anything," Riley added. "But one of the carhops told me what was going on. I did see her intentionally knock Tabby off of her skates with the car door, though."
There was an awkward silence as everyone stared at Marie to explain her behavior, yet she was speechless. It was all on Dori to bail her out. Marie hoped her second in command wouldn't fail her now. If her best friend wanted to keep her position on the squad, she'd better come up with something quick to defend Marie's actions. Not being able to face the crowd, she clutched her bloody nose and lowered her head but Doreen could clearly see the captain's eyes lock with hers. Marie's gaze obviously was screaming DO SOMETHING!
Marie stood with her back to everyone, playing up her injury as the reason she couldn't look their direction. About that time, Starla had given up her pursuit of Blackwell and was now standing beside the manager.
She looked around as the lady from the next car over got out and the manager approached. Tabby took off the minute she was on her feet and Starla chased her across the parking lot. Clearly her efforts to catch the younger girl were in vain as she called out to her little to stop and come back.
Slowly, Marie's eyes met Karen. The coach lowered her hand from her face and called her name out in shock and disbelief as if unable to process what she was witnessing herself. Not knowing what to say or do, Marie quickly turned away to face Dori waiting for her wing girl to jump in and defend her. Tanya was still in the car and not visible.
"What on Earth happened," a stunned Karen finally managed.
“I’ll tell you what happened,” the woman who had emerged from the next car over was saying, loud enough to make sure both Karen and Riley could hear. “Those girls in that car were harassing that poor carhop something awful! They should be ashamed of themselves! They were trying their best to confuse her so she would mess up their orders; they figured they’d complain and get themselves a free meal. Then that one there…” - she pointed at Marie - “yelled at the carhop to go get her manager, but when she started to leave to go get him, she opened her car door into her and knocked her down. That’s why their food and drinks are all over the parking lot. The poor girl snapped, and I don’t blame her. Just disgraceful.”
Riley finally arrived in the bay. "I couldn't hear anything," Riley added. "But one of the carhops told me what was going on. I did see her intentionally knock Tabby off of her skates with the car door, though."
There was an awkward silence as everyone stared at Marie to explain her behavior, yet she was speechless. It was all on Dori to bail her out. Marie hoped her second in command wouldn't fail her now. If her best friend wanted to keep her position on the squad, she'd better come up with something quick to defend Marie's actions. Not being able to face the crowd, she clutched her bloody nose and lowered her head but Doreen could clearly see the captain's eyes lock with hers. Marie's gaze obviously was screaming DO SOMETHING!
Marie stood with her back to everyone, playing up her injury as the reason she couldn't look their direction. About that time, Starla had given up her pursuit of Blackwell and was now standing beside the manager.
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