By Friday afternoon, there was no containing the excitement on campus. The votes were in, and SU was abuzz with rumors as to who was going to be Homecoming Queen. For Nia, it was a mixture of stress and elation. She was stressed over all the things she had to do before the game tomorrow afternoon, but she was elated from the support she'd received from both her friends and people she'd never met just coming up to her and telling her they'd voted for her.
One thing, or rather, one person, concerned Nia: Nikki Bella. He'd heard from several different sources how catty Nikki could be when provoked, and there was no doubt she wanted to be Queen. According to several mutual acquaintances, she'd been gunning to be SU's top crown holder since she got there. And now, with the rumors that she'd split with longtime boyfriend John Cena, Nia feared that even more of Nikki's attention would be on her. Nia was not one to fear something easily, especially dumb bimbos with fake breasts and shit attitudes.
And now Nia was trying not to let her nerves get the better of her. These waters were definitely shark infested, and at this moment she felt like she was just trying to avoid being chum. One thing she was grateful for was the increased amount of time her best friend had gotten with her. After their run in with Adam's aunt, Alexa spent the rest of the night with Dean but was back to her normal self by the next morning. Dean's BPO commitments the week of Homecoming bordered on oppressive, but he'd still almost thrown a fit when coach Layfield, along with Dr. Sandow, informed him that he wasn't going to be medically cleared for saturday's game. His knee injury had flared up at wednesday's practice, and Stamford was expected to walk all over UMass, whether Dean played or not, so the decision was made not to even let him dress for the game. Instead, in a turn that made Alexa jump for joy on the inside, Dean was going to escort Alexa onto the field at halftime of Saturday's game when all of the homecoming competitors were presented to the crowd. This did two things for Alexa. One, it gave Alexa a legitimate option to walk her onto the field and stand with her while the entire crowd at SU cheered, and two, it kept him away from Mandy Rose. Traditionally at SU, if someone was both nominated to men's court and an escort for someone else, the escort responsibility took priority. So, regardless of what happened with the votes, Dean would be steadfastly next to his baby's mama for the duration of the ceremony.
Friday night, for Nia and Alexa, was all about spending some time together. Dean spent most of the day with Alexa before reporting to the team hotel that night. They'd given him some leeway with his reporting time, but hadn't been willing to budge on him spending the night with the team. Coach Anderson interceded on his behalf with Coach Bradshaw, who finally agreed to let Dean (and the rest of the players who could potentially be involved) skip out on most of the halftime stuff if the first half went well. Later that afternoon, Coach Anderson informed Dean that since he wasn't playing, he would be allowed to be there for Alexa no matter what. For the moment, however, Dean was stuck at the hotel, and Alexa wasn't at all happy about it.
Across town, Charlotte Flair had her own problems. The week started out okay enough. Her mom came into town with her usual fanfare, with her driver and step-son and staying at the same deluxe hotel and spa her father did when he came to town, leaving her some two hours by car from Stamford proper. She'd been somewhat standoffish with Roman at first, giving him no more than a perfunctory once over upon meeting him. By the time dinner was over, however, Sheila was laughing and joking with her daughter's boyfriend like they'd known each other for years. David, however, sat in the seat opposite Roman, silent and sulking, prompting his stepmother to tell him to wait in the car if he "wasn't going to be more fun than he was being." That had been Tuesday. Now, it was Friday, and his sullen disposition hadn't changed. Sheila and Charlotte, on the other hand, were determined to make the best of the time they had together, which is why Sheila told David to stay at the hotel while she and Charlotte went to dinner. Sheila wanted to go to some trendy, overpriced eatery in Manhattan, but Charlotte, feeling as stubborn as ever, insisted she come to Connecticut and take in some of the local fare.
Which is why they found themselves at Blackjack Mulligans, corner table all to themselves, while the line stretched out the door on a busy Friday evening shift. Sheila, never having met a maitre'd she couldn't bribe, slipped an undisclosed number of twenty dollar bills into the overwhelmed man's palm in order to insure their movement to the front of the line. It was just one of many perks that came with being a Flair.
"So, Charlotte," Sheila began, pausing briefly to sip from her glass of overpriced white wine. "Are you expecting to win your class tomorrow?"
Charlotte smiled briefly. "Yeah. Honestly, it won't be close."
Sheila chuckled. "Wow. Feeling confident, are we?"
Charlotte returned her grin and shrugged. "Hey, I play two sports and spend most of my free time at a fraternity house. People see me a lot. That's how I won last year."
Sheila nodded slowly, indicating that she understood Charlotte's point. "Good for you. And you don't mind David escorting you onto the field tomorrow?"
Charlotte sighed deeply, turned her gaze toward the ground and shook her head. "I'd honestly prefer he didn't. I was hoping Roman would, but he's not sure if the coaches will let him or not."
Sheila turned her head to one side, confused by what Charlotte said. "What? Why wouldn't they say 'yes' or 'no?' Why leave it ambiguous like that?"
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I think their coach is trying to motivate them. Said he'd let some of them participate if the team is winning by enough."
Sheila scoffed. "That seems...counterproductive."
Charlotte lightly threw her hands up at her sides, then snickered. "I know. That's what Roman said, too. But Coach Layfield thinks he's being General Patton by trying to motivate the guys, so…" Her voice trailed off as their server approached the table, somewhat hesitant to interrupt their conversation.
"Are you ladies ready to order?" The young woman asked with a gentle smile.
Sheila beamed in response. "Yes, dear. I'll have the 9 ounce filet, add the lobster tail, grilled asparagus and potato puree, please."
The young woman taking their order was taken slightly aback. At Mulligan's, that was a fifty dollar plate, since a dinner salad and bread was also included, and each steak also left the kitchen with a garnish of onion straws. "Just so you know, ma'am, there will be an extra charge for the lobster tail."
Sheila smiled. "Of course, dear, I expected it would be a tad more expensive." She gestured across the table to Charlotte. "What will you be having, sweetie?"
"Uh, I guess I'll have the same thing; Make it easier for that poor chef."
The three girls shared a chuckle before the server left them again.
"So," Sheila continued, folding her hands together under her chin to lean closer to her daughter. "This Roman? How serious is it?"
Charlotte blushed. "Mom. Stop. We JUST became official like a week ago."
Sheila scoffed in response. "So before last week you were…?"
This time Charlotte grinned, glancing down at the table. "We were...involved. But since we became official he's become much more affectionate. Like he was holding something back before." She smiled wide again, and pushed a bit of her golden hair back behind her ear. "He's really great, though. He treats me really well, but he isn't a pushover."
"Is he planning on proposing?"
"Mom!" Charlotte shook her head. "We've barely known each other for three months. Even dad doesn't marry someone that fast."
"I suppose," Sheila said with a sigh. "I just have a hard time seeing my little girl grow up so fast. It seems like yesterday I was taking you to your very first volleyball practice, and you came home crying because you got bruises on your elbows."
Charlotte nodded her head. "Yeah, I remember: You told me to wear the pads, but I thought they looked dumb; I learned my lesson that day."
"I want you to have the best life possible; I know your dad can be difficult at times… And I know it's been hard for you ever since Reid-"
"Mom, really, I'm ok," Charlotte took a drink of her wine, taking the extra time to calm herself down. "It's been over a year; I've moved on."
Sheila always knew when her daughter was lying to hide how she really felt. Charlotte's younger brother, Reid,died in a car accident just before Charlotte started attending SU; She almost considered dropping out, but her older half-sister, Bethany, convinced her to continue with her enrollment. Charlotte and Reid were as close as two siblings could be; They were often inseparable.
"Honey," Sheila slid her hands over her daughter's. "You're drinking wine with dinner; You never do that when I'm around unless you've got something on your mind. I know you miss him. I do too. It's ok to let your guard down and open up every once in awhile."
Charlotte chuckled dryly. "Maybe after another glass of wine. Or two."
Sheila was about to respond, but the waitress returned with their massive orders of expensive food. Deciding to wait until after the meal to continue their talk, Charlotte and Sheila silently began digging into their dinner.
It was a marginally awkward few minutes, before Charlotte asked her mom how her steak was. Sheila commented that, though it was a little undercooked, it was still incredible.
Polishing off her potatoes, Sheila cleared her throat. "I want to apologize for bringing up Reid. I know how much he meant to you. It's still hard for me to bring him up sometimes, too."
Charlotte gently nodded her head. "I know, mom, and you don't need to apologize. I mostly feel bad for dad, which sounds crazy."
"Ever since your brother… passed on, your dad has put a lot of pressure on David to take over his share in stocks so he can peacefully retire in Columbia or a sorority house in California, if he gets his way. Ever since his I divorced Ric after his mother divorced him, it's been hard for David. I'm not saying be his best friend, but at least try to get along with him."
"He's a big baby."
Sheila chuckled. "Yes, he is. But be nice to him, ok? Your father isn't the most loving parent sometimes, and he's all David has left."
Charlotte, sighing and nodding her head, figured her mom was right and decided to change the subject. "I have to use the restroom, ok?" She excused herself and walked in the direction of the bathrooms.
When she passed the bar, Charlotte couldn't help but recognize two identical girls she recognized as the Bella Twins. She didn't really care for them, but hearing Nia's name mentioned more than once made Charlotte slow her saunter slightly so she could get a better listen.
Nikki's voice caught Charlotte's attention first: "Those freshie bitches better not screw us over tomorrow. I paid too much money for them to mess up. I trust Mandy, but I don't know about the other two."
Brie chuckled. "Relax, sis. If they know what's good for them, they'll be ready."
Nikki rolled her eyes. "They better. I mean, who the hell does Nia think she is anyway? Like, did I give her permission to run for homecoming court? Hell no," She scoffed. "Won't matter; No one will vote for that cow."
Brie giggled. "Right? She's disgusting! Like, how does any girl let herself get that unhealthy? I doubt she knows what lettuce is."
Both girls shared a laugh; Charlotte shook her head in disbelief. Nikki continued. "God, I'm gonna look so hot tomorrow on the float. I got a top that'll make John wish he never broke it off with me. Maybe I'll hook up with a BPO boy to get him mad. Maybe that big Samoan kid? What's his name? Ronald?"
Brie shook her head. "Roman. He's dreamy, but I think he's dating that Flair girl."
When Brie said that, Charlotte positioned herself to stay out of the twins' peripheral, just in case they took a look around.
Nikki chuckled. "Yeah? John was dating some other chick before I rocked his world; Won't take too much to get Roman in my capris. Maybe that cute Ambrose guy from the football team."
"Oh, yeah, he's cute when he's ballistic; It's sexy."
"Oh, please, Brianne, you'd suck Randy off and let him jizz on your tits."
"Nicole, stop it!" Brie playfully swatted at her sister, getting a giggle in response.
"It's true. But, anyway, we need to drop by the house and make sure the pledges are still working on the float."
"Maybe make a man out of one of the BPO pledges."
Nikki giggled. "They wouldn't know what to do with a woman like me."
Charlotte stared daggers at the two twin girls as they exited the restaurant. "I can think of a few things." She muttered under her breath, clutching her fists angrily at her side. Forgetting her previous objective, Charlotte returned to her table; Her mother immediately noticed her shift in mood.
"What's wrong, dear?" Sheila questioned,
Charlotte rolled her eyes and shook her head, trying to keep her composure. "These two bitchy seniors over at the bar. They're twins, and they honestly believe their shit doesn't stink. They're talking shit-"
Sheila interrupted. "Charlotte, calm down, dear." She slid a hand over one of Charlotte's, which were still balled up in anger. "Tell me what they said that upset you so much."
Charlotte scoffed. "I'm trying to, mother." The young blonde took a deep, composing breath, then began again. "I have a good friend who's been nominated for Homecoming Queen. Nia. I play basketball with her."
Sheila nodded in recognition. "The big girl?"
Charlotte gave a tight lipped smile and nod. "Yeah. She's really pretty, I think, and very nice, but some of the girls on campus talk shit about her because of her weight. And she tries so hard to stay in shape, it's just that she's Samoan, like Roman, and sometimes they have health issues."
Sheila chuckled. "Like what Samuel Jackson says about Tony Rockyhorror in Pulp Fiction?"
Charlotte laughed before replying. "Exactly." Her face grew serious as a realization washed over her all at once. "Mom, you've seen Pulp Fiction?"
Sheila gave her daughter a sideways look. "Charlotte Ashley Flair, I was 22 when that movie came out. I waited in line to see it with my roommate and these two Lambda Sigs we were dating for almost three hours." She grinned. "You know I haven't always been this boring 'mom' you seem to think I am."
Charlotte did her best not to blush, but her efforts were insufficient. "I'm sorry mom. It's weird to think of you as a twenty two year old Gamma Psi. I only know you as my mother."
"I know, dear. It's ok." She switched gears again. "Now, what were we talking about?"
"Nia and the Bella twins."
Sheila chuckled again. "That sounds like a Sex in the City episode."
"Mom!" Charlotte exclaimed, though not loudly enough for any surrounding tables to be disturbed. "Stop getting sidetracked. I have a genuine problem here."
Sheila laughed again, harder than she had at any other point during dinner. "Call her. Let her know what you heard and how serious you think they were. Is there any chance it's just two idiots who had too many martinis?"
Charlotte pondered this for a minute. "I suppose it's possible, but these two are notorious. Especially Nikki. She's WAY more evil than her sister. My money is on them being serious. They'd do it, even though votes have already been cast. They're petty like that."
Sheila nodded. "Then you should tell Nia. Let her decide what to do."
Charlotte wanted to disagree, because her first instinct was to always disagree, but even she had to admit that that was pretty good advice. "I…" She paused, redirecting her reply. "That's pretty good." She snickered. "It's weird having a parent here who's answer to a problem isn't either 'fight it' or 'fuck it.'"
Both women laughed. Sheila, having been a recipient of Ric's "advice," simply shook her head and patted her daughter's hand. "You have a good heart, Charlotte. Now," she continued, looking around for their server, "what do you say we get a bit of dessert to go and you can call your friend on your way to my suite?"
Charlotte gave her mother a puzzled look. "Am I staying with you?"
Sheila nodded. "Yes. I want you to be able to get your hair done in the morning for the parade. You're a Flair and you're going to look spectacular. No questions asked."
Charlotte shrugged. "You drive a hard bargain, mom. Can you swing me by my dorm so I can get my dress and a few other things?"
"Anything you need, dear." With that, Sheila motioned for their waitress to return, and placed their dessert order "to go."
Even though Saturday's football game was the main event for homecoming week, SU's other sports teams still celebrated in their own way during their games: The women's soccer team wore an all gold uniform for their away game against UMass; The volleyball team also wore an alternate attire: All black uniform with red and gold lettering.
Fortune came to the soccer team; They beat UMass, 4-0, in a lopsided beatdown that saw Becky and Renee as the notable stars once again. The volleyball team was not as lucky, however; They lost both sets against UMass; Charlotte had injured her left hand during the first game. It didn't seem like anything was broken, but the next few days were going to be tough for her.
Victory (for the soccer team at least) meant a celebration; A celebration meant Roadie's. A special 'dollar pitchers and dollar pizzas' deal had been running all week in honor of homecoming week. The entirety of the SU women's soccer team filled the bar room, as well as the boys soccer team who had also won their game earlier in the day. The sports bar closely resembled downtown Manchester after the city's beloved soccer team won a championship game; As a Brit might say, the bar was full of rambunctious hooligans looking for beer, pizza, and maybe a fight or two if someone bad mouthed their team.
Becky, adrenaline flowing through her veins as thick as the copious amounts of whiskey and Corona, had her left arm locked securely around her purple haired girlfriend's waist while her right hand clung to a half empty bottle of beer. The girls stood in the center of the dance floor; Becky drunkenly sang along with her teammates and the boys from the soccer team in a tune from the 'motherland'. Sasha wasn't sure what the song was about (or what language Becky was singing in) but she was too intoxicated to care either way.
Becky continued slurring along to the song, swaying and laughing with the other soccer players; Sasha was still unsure what was going on, until a familiar string of words was yelled.
"Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!" The crowd exclaimed then broke down into drunk cheers and laughter.
Sasha wished she had more to drink so she could have fun with her girlfriend, but her volleyball game was keeping her from enjoying the party. She wasn't sure, but Sasha could've sworn she was getting side glances and dirty looks from her teammates from around the bar; Charlotte was drowning her pain away in a bottle of something cold, but hadn't said much to Sasha since they left the locker room.
Becky moved her left arm from Sasha's waist to wrap it around Sasha's neck, bringing her close to her person but annoying her in the process. Becky started yelling over the thumping pop music, but it was in her native tongue; Sasha was not fluent in Gaelic, as one could assume.
Sasha rolled her eyes and did her best to yell over the music. "English, Becky!"
Becky snickered. "Righ'. Ya nee' anot'er drin'? I gotta ge' more."
Sasha shook her head. "No, babe, can we just go sit and talk for a bit? I'm having a bad day."
"Wha', an' ruin the fun?" Becky sloppily kissed Sasha on her cheek.
Sasha recoiled in disgust. "Dammit, Becky, knock it off!" She shoved Becky away.
Becky hadn't gotten pushed away from Sasha before. It was really unlike her to act cold. It occurred to Becky that she was probably still bitter about her team's loss. "Understandable." Becky mused to herself. "Hey," Becky said out loud. "Sorry, Sash. I'll come si' with ya."
Sasha's stress eased slightly; The corners of her mouth curled in a small smile. "Really, Becks? You'll do that for me?"
"I'm a lil' smashed, really," Becky smirked when Sasha rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I'll give you ma bes'."
Sasha chuckled again. "Thanks, baby," She gave Becky a quick but still loving kiss to the lips. "How about I get us a beer and order a few pizzas?"
Becky smiled brightly. "I love ya so much."
Sasha sauntered over to the bar; Becky took the opportunity to find a table away from the soccer hooligans still occupying the floor. She found a booth near the back with no one around it. Figuring it was suitable, Becky stumbled into a side of the booth facing the bar so she could watch Sasha.
A sudden blur of blonde hair attacked Becky and slipped into her side of the booth. "Hey, B-Becky," Renee giggled, obviously very intoxicated. "Good game today, babe."
Becky nodded her head. "Righ'? We were superstars again!"
Renee nodded her head. "Yes! Dynamic Duo killed again."
Becky kept her eyes on Sasha, but with Renee pressed up against her in the booth her hand was resting on her hip tattoo; She loved the sensation that gave her, but Becky also felt uncomfortable about it. "Rey? Can ya move yer han'?"
Renee giggled and nodded her head. "Sorry, Becky, I didn't mean to make things weird."
Becky looked up just in time to see Sasha approach her table with a pitcher of beer and a pizza. "Hey, baby, there ya are!" Becky gestured at Renee. "You remember Renee?"
Sasha flashed a tight lip smile. "Hi."
Renee steadily pushed herself out of the booth. Swaying slightly, she giggled. "H-hey, Becky?"
Becky smirked. "Yeah?"
"I'm drunk."
Becky giggled, but Sasha remained stone faced. Renee said goodbye and shuffled off towards the large mass of soccer fans.
"Glad to see you're still buddies with Renee." Sasha commented stiffly.
Becky sighed. "Sash, I though' ya were cool wit' it? We agree' ya wouldn' be mad anymore."
Sasha shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, well I'm still upset about it. So…"
"Do I still talk abou' wha' ya used ta say?"
Sasha narrowed her eyes. "I didn't threaten to get you kicked off the soccer team."
Becky shook her head. "Wha' is wit' you? We won today, an' we were jus' celebratin'."
Sasha sighed. "Fine, whatever. Sorry I keep bringing it up."
Becky slid her hands across the table to cover Sasha's; Even while drunk, Becky could tell Sasha was frustrated. "I won' talk to her the res' of ta nigh', ok? You 'ave ma full attention."
Sasha grinned partially again. "Ok. I guess that's fine."
Becky leaned across the table and gave Sasha a kiss on the cheek before sitting back and stealing a slice of pizza.
"Pepperoni and mushrooms ok?" Sasha asked.
Becky nodded her head while taking a hungry bite. "Yes, Sash, wonderful."
Despite saying differently, Sasha was not happy about Renee talking to Becky. From where Sasha was sitting, Renee was in the middle of the dance floor dancing with some tattooed girl she figured was her girlfriend judging by the way they were grinding against each other. Sasha rolled her eyes. She was happy Becky had friends and got along with her teammates, but why did it have to be Renee of all people?
"Hey," Becky said, breaking Sasha's train of thought. "I love ya. I really do. Yer tha bes' girlfrien' a girl could ask fer."
Sasha dropped her head to hide the giant smile that came across her face. "Yeah? I love you too, Becky. I couldn't be happier with anyone else."
Becky, pizza grease coating her lips, leaned across the table and gave Sasha a kiss; She let it linger, letting her tongue slip out and wrestle with Sasha's for a moment before sitting back and stealing another slice of pizza.
Sasha smiled and decided to pour herself a beer to at least try and get on Becky's level of intoxication.
"Shit." That was Nia's first reaction after she hung up the phone with Charlotte. She appreciated the fact that Charlotte warned her about a possible prank from the always irritating Bella Twins. "I'm going to tear those bitches to shreds." That was her second thought after it dawned on her that those two spoiled brats had the audacity to actually try to humiliate her.
Nia glared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror; Ever since Adam showed up to her dorm, she had been staying at Titus' apartment. She was having a relaxing night with Alexa, watching their favorite movies and eating mass quantities of popcorn and chocolate covered pretzels. They went on got their hair done at Stamford Hair Care in Shagadelic Town Mall a handful of hours before for the parade tomorrow; Nia and Alexa both decided on "up-do's," and were both more than pleased with the result they'd gotten from Victoria, their hair stylist. She'd even provided instructions for what to do if their hair got slightly mussed while sleeping.
But that wasn't what was on Nia's mind. What was on Nia's mind was Trish Stratus. More specifically, her best friend and what came between her and Trish. She knew the jist of it: After Adam's expulsion, Alexa went into a deep depression that Nia surmised had mostly to do with Adam's teammates saying horrible things about her and her feelings of worthlessness after Adam was gone. Alexa came dangerously close to falling back into her high school eating disorder, which nearly killed her the first time around. One night, as Nia heard it, Trish, in a bout of frustration which finally reached its boiling point, slapped Alexa while trying to get her to take in more food. The resulting screaming match was, to Nia's knowledge, the last conversation the two had had. Trish stormed out of their dorm, leaving Alexa a sobbing mass of tears. As cheerleading season was over, the two hadn't seen each other since.
Truthfully, Nia understood Trish's frustration, though she didn't blame Alexa. Nia grew frustrated in the months after Adam, but not with Alexa. She was always irritated that she didn't know how to help her tiny blonde friend. Nia considered herself a "problem fixer." She watched Alexa cry and shrink into herself and desperately wanted to take all her friend's problems away from her, but all she could do was be there for Alexa's breakdowns and encourage her when she had a good day.
It struck the tall Samoan girl as more than a little ironic that she found herself, as she often did during that tumultuous chapter in Alexa's life, sitting on a couch with her best friend's tiny head rested against her shoulder. Alexa did this often when she was tired and sharing a seat with Nia. It was just one of a thousand ways Nia knew Alexa considered her like a sister.
"So, Lex," she began cautiously as the credits rolled. "You know Trish is going to be here tomorrow to crown this year's Queen, right?"
Alexa furrowed her brow. "I thought about that. Fuck her."
Nia chuckled wryly and shook her head. "That's not gonna help. You two used to be dear friends. You think you might be able to forgive her one day?"
Alexa shrugged and began drilling a hole in the floor with her eyes. "I dunno." She muttered. "She really hurt my feelings."
Nia nodded. "I understand. And you're not wrong to feel that way. But, in fairness, she was just trying to help. You were in rough shape, and we all were running out of ideas on how to help you. Even your parents didn't know what else to do for you."
Alexa sat up and folded her arms, leaning away from Nia and into the corner of the sofa. "I know. And I know I was hard to be around for a while. But she hit me. Like Adam did. I don't know if I can ever get past that."
Nia shook her head slightly. Her friend wasn't making this easy. "Well, Christian told Titus that Trish is gonna be here a few days. Would you be willing to sit down with her on Sunday and talk?"
Alexa let her eyes find the floor again, this time as much to disguise the tears welling as anything else. "I'm not sure. Part of me wants to." She looked up at her roommate. "I miss her. I do. She made me feel so welcome when I came in as a freshman, and she never let Adam mistreat me in front of her. But she slapped me and then stormed out of my room without saying another word. And, on top of that, she never tried to apologize. I don't know if I can excuse that."
Nia patted her friend on the shoulder lightly, being careful not to touch Alexa's expensive hairstyle. "Just think about it, ok? I'll be there too. Word from Christian is that she wants to see you. Talk to you. Maybe try to clear this up. She even told Titus that she 'really misses you.' That's a direct quote." Nia gave the obligatory "air quotes" with her fingers at the appropriate time.
Alexa nodded, though it was almost too small to be perceived. "Okay." She acquiesced. "I'll go. But I reserve the right to leave whenever. Ok?"
Nia sighed. "I won't stop you from leaving. But, try not to leave until you at least talk to Trish, ok?"
Alexa folded her arms and exhaled. "Fine. Now," she switched gears, hoping Nia would allow her focus to change, "what are we gonna do about those sleazy Bella twins? You don't think they'd actually try to like, do something to you?"
Nia scoffed. "Like, jump me? Hell no. I'd snap both of them in half like the cheap plastic toys they are. I think they're going to try to embarrass me somehow."
Alexa nodded. "I agree. What do we do?"
The larger girl shrugged and threw her hand haphazardly to her sides. "Well, Titus said he'd have his pledges watching them. My worry is that they'll use some of their DXA pledges to do their dirty work, since Nikki is in the parade."
Alexa smiled and nodded. "I hope they do. That means I'd get to rearrange Mandy Rose's stupid perfect little face."
Nia laughed and high-fived her roommate. "Easy, killer, hopefully nothing like that goes down."
Alexa chuckled. "What's the point in being hormonal if you don't get to kick anyone's ass?"
"You can imagine kicking their ass. You just can't actually physically do it."
Alexa whined. "Why not?"
"You're starting to sound like AJ Lee."
Alexa, eyes slowly widening in horror, realized Nia was right in comparing her thirst for violence to her pint sized psychotic friend. "Hey, I'm pregnant. My body is sending my brain a thousand conflicting messages a minute. I have a good excuse. AJ just likes the sight of blood."
Nia chuckled. "Fair enough. I can't imagine what you're going through."
Alexa's eyes grew wide. "You don't know the half of it. The other day I cried at a grocery store commercial."
Nia nodded. "The one where grandpa shows up at the last minute?"
Alexa nodded back in affirmation. "Yes! The whole family's in the kitchen cooking and they set a place for grandpa and it makes you think he's passed away and then he shows up at the last minute?" She chuckled lightly and wiped a forming tear from her eye. "Bastards got me again, and the commercial's not even on."
Nia smiled and held her arms straight out, offering Alexa a hug. Gladly accepting, the tiny girl lunged into her friend's embrace, causing both girls to cackle uncontrollably.
"C'mon, Tinkerbell," Nia continued, breaking the embrace, "there's a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream in both our futures."
With that, the two girls hurried into the kitchen, carefree, and with the stress of the following days festivities temporarily banished from their consciousness.
Dean Ambrose was pretty irritated. He knew why he'd had to stay at the team hotel the night before, though he thought it was bullshit, but now it felt like his coaches were making him stay at the hotel just to mess with him. They'd had their quick run throughs, which Dean wasn't even allowed to participate in, and team breakfast, which wasn't anything he couldn't have gotten at the dining hall, and now he was waiting for the coaching staff to give the order to load the busses. Once there, the team would walk through the parade route for something they did before big games called "March of the Titans." Just like many other schools, the team would often walk from the busses to the locker room through a sea of fans, though their path was cordoned off, and allow their devoted fan base a look at the team before they entered the seclusion of the locker room. Once they did that, Dean was told by Coach Anderson that he could slip out and spend a few minutes with Alexa before heading to the sidelines with the team. They'd further agreed that in the second quarter, he could go back to the locker room and change into his clothes he was going to escort Alexa in. It was a tight timeline, but it was the only way the coaches were going to be amiable to him escorting Alexa onto the field at halftime as she was introduced. They'd texted extensively the night before, and one thing Dean hadn't been ready for was how nervous Alexa said she was. When Dean pointed out that she routinely cheered/danced in front of that many people, Alexa said that it was different somehow. Dean was no expert on the human psyche, but he wondered if cheerleading was a way for Alexa to escape the outside world. After reassuring her that he'd be there for her, no matter what, she told him not to worry and bid him goodnight...and maybe sent him a picture of her in the skimpy underthings she was going to wear underneath her dress the following day.
And now they were finally corralling the team off onto the busses. Dean sat with Bobby, as he always did, and the two talked for a moment about who they thought would win for each class. Both hoped Nia took the title of Homecoming Queen, and Bobby got a good laugh out of Dean's dreading a Mandy Rose win. As they made their brief trek across town, Dean's stomach grew tighter and tighter, a result of both his own anxieties and his nervousness for Alexa.
"The votes are cast," Dean thought to himself. "Nothing to do now but wait." And, as the convoy of busses drew closer to the insanity happening on the main streets of campus, a strange sense of calm overwhelmed him…
Main campus was busy. No, to say it was busy wouldn't be giving the situation enough gravity. Main campus looked like an early scene in a disaster movie. The parade started promptly at 9 am, with the parade's "Grand Marshal," famous SU alum and action movie star Steve Austin, declaring the festivities open. Depending on the year, and how good the football team was playing, there were usually between twenty five to thirty five thousand spectators lining the parade route. With the added appeal of the world-famous Austin, close to an estimated fifty thousand people were gathered to watch the celebration of the University and it's alumni coming back to the school they loved.
Austin rode in the lead float as "Grand Marshal," along with Head of Administration Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, her husband Hunter, and several other school officials. Behind them was a large marching band, made up of both the SU marching band, nicknamed "TitanSound," and the local high school band. They played a predetermined set list consisting of the school fight song and several pop songs.
Behind the large combined marching band, the floats began. Most of the time, when people think of "parade floats," they think of complex floats like they see at the Thanksgiving day parade. These were not those kind of floats. These floats were crudely built out of baling wire and colored tissue paper. Given a theme of "Island Paradise" and given only four days to complete the massive undertakings, every fraternity, sorority, and any other campus organization that chose to participate attacked the challenge with gusto, if only because there was a five hundred dollar cash prize to the float that was judged the best by the Grand Marshal and a special alumni committee. Once the marching band had cleared out and traversed a sufficient distance from the launch zone, the floats began driving forward, one at a time.
The cheerleading squad, rather than construct a float in the traditional sense, opted to secure a sponsorship from a local luxury car dealership. The resulting agreement led to Alexa simply riding in the back of an expensive foreign automobile. The tiny blonde didn't know much about cars, but when she'd told her dad she was getting a ride in a 2017 BMW M6 convertible, he'd sounded excited. And a tad jealous.
Alexa was fine with not being at the center of attention in a giant student made parade float. She felt self conscious in her dress, and no one else would've noticed, but she was losing definition in her midriff. She figured it wouldn't be long before the baby dropped into the lower part of her womb, making it visually apparent to anyone interested that she was in fact pregnant. She caught herself once again running her hands gently over her midsection. That motion was becoming habit whenever she was stressed about school or Dean or the pregnancy or anything else. Still, she knew she had a responsibility, so she swallowed her insecurities, put on her best "future Homecoming Princess" smile, and waved to the massive crowd gathered to take in the festivities.
Charlotte's situation was slightly different. Nominated by the volleyball team, she was riding on a long float, built over a flatbed trailer, depicting a scene of beach volleyball in some gorgeous locale. Charlotte found it mildly ridiculous that she had to wear her formal dress to participate in this part of the ceremony, but it was custom, so, like Alexa, she waved to the crowd and smiled, just hoping it would all be over soon.
Mandy's overly extravagant float, which served not so much as a theme contest entrant but instead a showcase for her overgrown sense of opulence, had a distinct luau theme. Several of the other DXA pledges surrounded her, doing a graceful, if not slightly ethnically tone deaf, dance. Rumor was, she'd just hired a dozen or so art students to build it. Conspicuous by their absence, however, were Mandy's two best friends and fellow DXA pledges; Charly Caruso and Cathy Kelley. Caruso and Kelly, having been drafted into Nikki's scheme to humiliate Nia, were currently stashing buckets of a mystery substance into the back of a van Mandy rented for the occasion.
"What is this shit?" Cathy was by far the less mean-spirited of the two, and had only agreed to this because she'd felt that telling Nikki and Mandy "no" would've been social suicide at DXA.
Charly chuckled menacingly. "Red paint. Nikki wants us to pour it on Nia and her float as they pass under Bundy Bridge." Bundy Bridge was one of the oldest landmarks on campus. Every fraternity and sorority on campus had legends they told their pledges about former members from decades earlier who'd met unfortunate and mysterious ends at Bundy. In truth, it was simply an old stone structure that predated the Civil War and marked the only underpass the parade route would utilize today, giving Charly and Cathy only one chance to carry out the petty malice Nikki had planned for Nia.
"I don't know if I want to do this," Cathy opined. She really didn't want to. She'd had a few interactions with Nia, with Nia being Professor Foley's TA and Cathy being in his Monday/Wednesday class, and Nia having always been fair to Cathy. "But," she admitted to herself, "I need Brie and Nikki to like me, and this is what they want, so…" Her thoughts trailed off as Charly admonished her to keep loading buckets into the van.
"Well, the twins want us to, and I'm not pissing Nikki off so close to 'big/little' night. I heard she took her last little on spring break last year and paid for everything." "Big/Little night," for the uninitiated, is a Greek tradition during which older actives in both fraternities picked pledges to serve as their "little" brothers and sisters for the duration of their college careers. Even when the "bigs" graduated, it was customary to further guide the "littles" during the rest of their college days. Most Greek organizations even hosted annual retreats for those who could make it.
Cathy crossed her arms. "If the twins told you to run in front of traffic would you?"
"If it meant unlimited popularity and a place in DXA? Yeah."
Cathy slammed the back door to the van shut after finally hauling in the last bucket of paint. "Why couldn't we leave sooner? What happens if we miss our chance?"
"Because, genius, if we go too early someone will see us and we'll be in deep shit. Now, please, get in the stupid van so we can get this done already."
Wasting no time to do what was ordered, Cathy and Charly piled in the van and took off for the designated spot for the ambush.
"Hurry up!" Dana Brooke called to her girlfriend frantically. The two had hoped to be there for the beginning of the parade, so as to procure prime seating for the scene and support their friends. Instead, they hurried to the bridge they knew the route would run right under.
"Hey! Wait for me! I have short legs!" AJ hollered after her girlfriend, who was seemingly miles ahead of AJ's position.
Dana chuckled. "Dammit, AJ, if you keep working me in the bedroom like you are we're going to have to start stretching first." She reached her hand back for her tiny lover to take.
AJ grinned seductively. "Hey. Technically, we weren't even in the bedroom."
Dana rolled her eyes as AJ slid her hand into Dana's. "Yeah. We need to institute a policy with showers. There are 'fun showers,' and there are 'hurry the fuck up we're late' showers."
AJ shook her head at Dana. "Nope. It's like Johnnie Cochran would say...if he were still alive." She did her best lawyer impression with the next part. "If the water's on you, we're gonna screw."
Both girls erupted with giggles as she finished her impersonation. "You're an idiot," Dana lovingly kidded her girlfriend as they continued their short hike to the overpass on Bundy bridge. Stopping briefly to kiss her gorgeous but temporary lover, Dana led AJ to the top of the stone structure, stopping twice to let cars go by, and noticed that there weren't many observers gathered in this particular spot yet. Dana slid her hand around her tiny lover's shoulders. "Where did Alexa say she was in the parade?"
"She's towards the end with the other nominees; She's the one with a pink sparkly dress and the baby bump. You can't miss her."
Dana chuckled slightly. "She doesn't have a baby bump yet, babe. It's still way too early."
AJ was bouncing in her spot so much Dana could've sworn she was about to take off like a rocket. "Yeah, but still," AJ chirped excitedly. "She's got a little Dean baby in her, and I'm almost an aunt, and even though I'm not the godmother I'm still going to spoil that baby." Her cheerful dance stopped suddenly; AJ's face sank and her smile twisted into a sad frown. "You're gonna miss the baby being born. If you leave in December, and little Alexa is born in April, that means you'll miss her being born."
Dana calculated this a moment in her mind before shaking her head at AJ. "Bullshit. Dean and Lex made that baby after the BPO kickoff party Labor Day weekend. It won't be nine months until June." She pulled AJ toward her by her belt loops, which made the smaller girl squeal. Dana planted a solid kiss on AJ once the smaller girl's body had come to a stop against her own. "Good try, though," she continued, after breaking the kiss.
"Fuck you," AJ fired back playfully. "Forgive me for trying to keep my smoking hot girlfriend with the ridiculously fuckable body close instead of giving her up to Italy."
Dana blushed. As much as she tried to hide it, it made her hot when AJ told her how attractive she found her. For all the men Dana had had in her life, she found it ironic that other than maybe Seth, the partner who'd made her feel better about herself than anyone was a girl so small she qualified for handicapped parking stickers. She grinned at her lover and planted a small, affectionate kiss in the center of her lips.
"You really think my body is 'ridiculously fuckable?'" She ran her hands softly up AJ's sides as the two continued talking quietly. In the distance, both young women could faintly hear the noise of the parade getting closer, and Dana knew the bridge would begin attracting spectators soon. AJ grinned seductively and nodded slowly.
"I do. I've never found anyone, male or female, as attractive as I find you." As she whispered these words, her face about six inches from Dana's, she traced a finger along the waistline of Dana's camouflage army surplus pants. AJ broke eye contact to glance down at the area her minuscule hand was grazing over. "You're super fucking hot, Dana," AJ intimated, pausing to lightly nip Dana's bottom lip between her own lips, "and if there weren't going to be people up here any second, I would make you fuck the daylights out of me right here on the side of this bridge."
Dana snickered, while trying to contain the fire AJ had just ignited within her. "You won't be satisfied til we get thrown in jail for doing each other in public, are you?" She leaned over and kissed AJ on the forehead, eliciting a small sigh of happiness.
AJ peered intensely at her buxom lover. "Maybe we can't bang here, but the woods are like thirty yards away." AJ raised her eyebrows, waiting for Dana's response.
Dana, always surprised at the levels of AJ's brazenness, rolled her eyes and snickered. "You wanna fuck in the woods again?"
AJ shrugged and nodded. "Why not? You can't tell me you didn't have the time of your life in that boathouse we snuck into by the lake."
Dana's face and chest turned bright red at the memory. That particular encounter had been the one that made Dana start wondering if AJ was more than a "fuck buddy." She'd have never told AJ this at the time, but a tiny tingling in Dana's heart grew slightly stronger that day. Dana discretely looked over at the pathway that stretched from the bridge to the forest. The bridge was on a dirt road that was no longer in use. It had once accomodated a road that ran from east campus to the outskirts of Stamford. Now, with the school having closed that road for dorm and parking expansion, that once proud path now more closely resembled a deer trail. Which is why it was so perfect for the naughty intentions Dana had for AJ.
"C'mon," Dana intimated resolutely at the smaller girl. "Consider your bluff called."
The surprised look on AJ's face made Dana giggle. "Wait, really?" AJ's face lit up; She wrapped her arms around Dana's waist and began playfully pushing her towards the wooded area. "Hurry up!" AJ's voice grew quiet. "Boobies, boobies, boobies."
Dana snickered and obediently traveled in the direction her small girlfriend was hastily pushing her. The two girls vanished quickly beyond the treeline, a mixture of desire and giggly playfulness descending on both of them.
They wandered into the woods, stopping every few seconds to kiss one another, frantically, then peering around their immediate surroundings for a suitable surface on which to consume each other. Initially finding none, Dana's eyes eventually settled upon one of those concrete raised up manhole covers. "Better than nothing," she thought to herself. Hastily pulling AJ towards the low, flat, round structure, she unzipped her black hoodie and laid it down over the metal disc. "Milady," she joked, extending her arms toward the structure in a big exaggerated motion. AJ grinned, then made a beeline for the platform Dana chose. She pulled her own long sleeve t-shirt from her waifish frame, and her torso immediately exploded in goosebumps, both from the erotic situation she found herself in and the chilling air of Connecticut mornings in November. She laid her shirt carefully next to Dana's, giving the girls enough covered room to embrace one another.
Ordinarily, Dana and AJ took their time with one another. There was usually oodles of foreplay, some cuddling, maybe even some gentle laughter. Not this morning. The two girls attacked each other with a hunger neither had displayed since the first time they were together. AJ's back had barely come to rest on Dana's hoodie before she felt the taller girl's hands invading her jeans. Not that she minded. Her own hands were probing Dana's waistline for her zipper. In less than a minute, both girls found what they were looking for, and a minute or so after that, both girls were moaning into each other's mouths (or wherever their lips happened to be on the other girl in that moment). AJ finished first, her lips feasting on Dana's neck and chin as she panted in ecstacy, with Dana's climax coming soon after, her fingers running through AJ's hair as the slightly built brunette had her tongue swirling over one of Dana's nipples and her hand dancing forcefully down the front of Dana's pants.
There was another deviation from the norm on this morning. Ordinarily, the two would spend some time post-coitus snuggling, or joking, or watching tv. This time, it seemed as though neither girl's libido would be slowed, even after completion. Instead, the two continued swapping lines of soft, sweet kisses down the other's necks, earlines, and faces.
Finally, Dana whispered huskily into AJ's ear. "My dorm is jut on the other end of this path. The game isn't until three. I can think of seventy four bad things I want to do to you between now and then."
AJ gave Dana a grin that the blonde had never seen from her girlfriend. Dana knew why, too. Normally, AJ was always the aggressor. Dana played along, and would even initiate intimacy, but AJ always felt like the one that turned "innocent making out" into "illegal in thirteen states." Now Dana was telling AJ how much she wanted her, and almost begging her to come back to her dorm room. AJ contemplated making Dana plead, but, in all honesty, she was every bit as teeming with lust as Dana apparently was. So she just bit her lip and nodded at Dana, who responded by roughly taking AJ's hands and pulling her to her feet, handing her her shirt and nonverbally encouraging AJ to hurry up.
"Hey," AJ cooed to her well-endowed lover. "First of all, that was unbelievable." She drew Dana's face down to her own for a steamy kiss. "Secondly, if Alexa asks, we saw her, she looked gorgeous, and we couldn't for a second tell she was pregnant. Deal?" Dana nodded.
"Deal." She began walking deeper into the woods, pulling AJ along, desperate for more intimate time with her girlfriend. AJ stopped her in her tracks.
"I'm serious. Alexa's hormonal as fuck right now, and her feelings get hurt very easily. If she asks, we saw her, and she was the best looking girl in the parade. Ok?" She forced her gaze into Dana's eyeline, the look on her face letting Dana know how serious she was.
"AJ, I got it. Now please," she continued, hungrily kissing her miniscule paramour, while running a hand under her shirt, grazing AJ's nipple in the process, "come back to my room with me. Emma isn't there. We can bang on the coffee table like you said you wanted to."
AJ smiled and nodded, trying not to let Dana's probing hand distract her. "I did say that. I just need you to know how important it is to me not to hurt Lex's feelings."
Dana removed her hand from AJ's shirt and took AJ's face between both her hands, kissing her decisively. "I know, boo. I think it's amazing how loyal you are to her. Now please come to my room with me and let me ravage you."
AJ pretended to consider this a moment before relenting. "If you insist, lover. I don't have anything on my agenda the rest of the day."
Dana chuckled, then pulled AJ in for a final kiss, before pulling her by her hand down the abandoned road that would lead them to new campus, where Dana's dorm, equipped with hot tub, awaited them…
"Hurry the fuck up, Cathy!" The two DXA pledges were running out of time. From what they could see, Nia and the other queen nominees were less than 200 yards from the bridge. Time was running out.
"You don't need to swear at me!" Cathy threw open the back doors of the van then frantically grabbed for two buckets of paint. Charly quickly followed her lead and removed the other two buckets.
Below the two girls, the parade float with the homecoming queen nominees was approaching quick. Nikki smiled brightly at the cheering crowd and waved with a sense of self confidence she didn't deserve. Brie stood proudly next to her sister and waved along with their DXA sister, Candice Michelle. The trio stood at the front of the massive float, claiming that they brought the whole thing together. Nia simply rolled her eyes and agreed to keep towards the back of the float.
Nia was nervous at first about being paraded around town in a dress and dolled up hair. But, after a pep talk from Alexa and the adoring cheers from the crowd, she realized maybe she was just as beautiful as her opponents. Her dress was a midnight blue, with a black shoulder cover. Her hair was curled evenly and seemed to flow from her head like water. She couldn't be certain, but she sensed jealousy from the Bellas. "Serves you bitches right." Nia mused to herself with a faux smile aimed at the Bella twins.
"Ok, Cathy get ready." Charly set her buckets of paint on the ledge of the bridge. "If we mess this up, we are do dead."
Cathy hauled her buckets next to her friend's. "Isn't this kind of mean, Charly? I mean, what did Nia even do to Nikki?"
Charly scoffed. "She got nominated without asking for permission. That's like, a felony here. If Nikki says Nia should be punished, then who are we to argue?"
Cathy nodded her head slowly. "I mean, I guess that makes sense."
Unbeknownst to the DXA pledges, Dana and AJ Lee were crossing the bridge to head back to Dana's dorm for more early day coitus. Dana had her right arm snuggly wrapped around her tiny girlfriend. AJ had her hand resting on Dana's extended bottom, giving it a squeeze every time Dana whispered something naughty to her about what her plans were when they got to Dana's dorm.
"Can we do that with nacho cheese instead?" AJ asked, visibly bouncing as she walked.
As was the case for most of the things AJ said, Dana wasn't sure what to say next. "Um… Yeah, what the hell, right? Why not ruin my sheets with processed cheese?"
AJ gigged. "Exactly!" She was about to suggest another item of food when she spotted an idle van parked in the middle of the bridge. Thinking quick on her tiny feet, AJ pulled Dana towards the vehicle. "Hey, maybe we can bang in this dude's van. Chances are there's candy in there too."
Dana shook her head. "No, AJ, that's incredibly dangerous." It was as they passed the van that Dana noticed the two girls standing near the ledge. She recognized one of the two, Charly she thought, until she saw the red stained buckets in front of them. "Hey," She muttered to AJ. "You recognize those two?"
AJ followed her lover's gaze. "Nope. Don't know them."
"Hey, Charly," Dana called to the familiar woman.
Charly spun around quickly. "Shit!" Startled she took a step back. Unfortunately, that quick movement caused her to elbow two of the paint buckets and cause them to topple over. "Shit!" Charly and Cathy grabbed for the two buckets but, in the chaos, knocked over the remaining buckets. Watching in shock and horror, Charly and Cathy witnessed the red liquid spill over the edge of the bridge.
Nikki smiled at the crowd and waved to the people cheering for her. On the inside, she was laughing. In a few short moments, her plan to humiliate Nia Jax would come to fruition. She shot Brie a quick side glance as the float began driving under the tunnel. Suddenly, her vision turned bright red.
Nia's eyes shot open. Directly in front of her, at least four gallons of dark red paint spilled on the Bella twins and Candice Michelle. She took a few large steps backwards to get out of the splash zone. The angry screams from the twin girls and their friend rang out through the early morning air, making Nia cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Just as the float rolled under the bridge, Nia looked up. Leaning over the edge, were two freshman girls she didn't really know and Seth's ex girlfriend. She wasn't too close to her, but she knew who she was because of Alexa. What surprised her the most, was the sight of Alexa's pint sized other best friend, AJ Lee.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Nikki screamed at the top of her lungs; Brie had slipped and fallen in the paint and resorted to curling up in the fetal position while she wept.
"Uh oh." Cathy muttered, horror scribbling across her face.
"We are so dead." Charly added.
"That's so cool." AJ said with a bright smile, getting an eye roll from Dana in return.
When the float came out the other side of the underpass, the crowd was surprised to see three quarters of the queen nominees screaming and covered in red paint. Nia smiled brighter with a sudden boost in confidence and waved to the onlooking crowd.
"Serves them right for trying to prank Nia." Dana said to AJ.
"How do you know what we were trying to do?" Charly pointed an accusing finger at AJ. "Aren't you supposed to be with the cheerleaders on their float?"
"I was getting my dick wet, bro, back off." AJ replied, crossing her arms across her chest.
Charly and Cathy shared a confused look. Cathy spoke up. "You don't have a… p-penis."
"You wanna find out?" AJ waited for Cathy's response; Cathy shook her head. "Good. Now, you wanna tell me why you were trying to prank Nia?"
"What makes you think we were doing that?" Charly chimed in.
"Why else would you be trying to dump paint on the float? I know you two are too spineless to try that on Nikki."
"Ok, fine, we were trying to prank Nia. What are you gonna do about it?"
AJ uncrossed her arms and folded her hands behind her back. Her mouth formed into a small grin, sending a chill up Charly's spine. "I'll fuck you. Make you scream my name, pull my hair, and cum on my face." She skipped in Charly's direction, stopping when Charly's back hit the ledge of the bridge. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, sweetheart?"
Charly rapidly shook her head. "No! I don't want that! I have a boyfriend!"
"Oh, too bad," AJ lunged at Charly, grabbed her by the collar off her shirt, and shoved her against the wall until she was nearly falling over the ledge. AJ's quiet, seductive voice was quickly replaced by a darker, deeper, more sinister tone. "Who sent you? Why'd you do it? WHERE ARE THEY?!"
Charly screamed at the top of her lungs, fearing that the miniature cheerleader was actually going to kill her. "Let me go! I'm sorry! Nikki made us do it!"
AJ released Charly, giggled, gave her a kiss on the cheek, then sauntered back to Dana. Charly hopped off the ledge, grabbed Cathy by the arm, then dove back into their van and sped off.
Watching the van disappear into the distance, Dana entangled her fingers with AJ's once again. "Wow." She whispered. "That was… Awesome."
"Right? Doesn't physical violence turn you on? Like, I wanna fuck the entire wrestling team right now."
"Excuse me?"
AJ spun on her heels to face Dana. "Just kidding, babe." She gasped and ran over to the ledge of the bridge. "Look! It's Lexi!" AJ cupped her hands around her mouth. "LEXI! I LOVE YOU! YOU LOOK SO FUCKING HOT!"
Alexa waved back to AJ and Dana, laughing her head off at what AJ was yelling.
"What do we tell Nia and Alexa? About the prank." Dana said once AJ hopped off the wall again.
AJ shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno. Maybe we tell Nia that we totally went Batman on their ass and foiled their evil plans."
"They got scared when I said hi to Charly."
"Then I threatened her life. Stupid bitch tried hurting my friend."
"Were you really supposed to be on a float?"
AJ shook her head. "No. Cheerleader's don't have a float… I don't think."
"Nice, AJ," Dana threw her arm around AJ's shoulders. "Come on. I think this deserves a nacho cheese party."
AJ's face lit up; She grabbed Dana by the hand and once again began dragging her towards her dorm hall.
The end of the parade route ended in the ever historical Strongbow Field, which is where BPO's poultry night came to a head a few weeks prior. Dean waited impatiently for Alexa's float to arrive at the drop off area. But, unluckily for him, Mandy's had arrived before Alexa's. Trying to keep to himself while a short blonde woman that wasn't his fiance tried to gain his affection was the second most annoying thing that day (not counting his aching knee).
At the moment, Mandy was talking herself up while trying to hold Dean's hand. Despite several attempts to pull his hand away, and heavily reminding Mandy that Alexa was still his and pregnant with his offspring, Mandy stayed persistent in her attempts to seduce him.
Mandy grabbed for Dean's hand again, which Dean pulled away once again. Mandy stuck out her bottom lip like she was a pouting toddler; Dean sighed and mentally pictured himself just laying Mandy out instead of taking more hassle.
Mandy traced her index finger down Dean's left arm. "Dean, sweetie, you and I both know Alexa isn't half the woman I am. Only a girl like me can be flexible enough and strong enough to hold up the smaller cheerleaders and do the stunts."
Dean cocked his head. "Then who the hell are Sarah and Beth? Don't they do the exact same thing you do?"
"Sure, but they aren't as visually stunning as I am. I'm like a James Cameron movie, hun."
"Cool, do you think you could tell that to, like, Axel or literally anyone else?"
"They don't interest me as much as you do. You have a certain way of holding yourself that makes me… Well, I'm sure you understand what I mean."
"Where the fuck is that float?" Dean mused to himself, staring towards the end of the long line of floats and still not spotting his wife to be.
Mandy continued. "Maybe I can show you just how flexible I am. Maybe how good I am at 'oral presentations'."
Dean chuckled dryly. "A homework joke to try and hit on me? That almost sounded as bad as 15-year old Roman," He spotted his beloved Alexa finally arrive on her float, looking as stunning in her dress as only his wildest dreams could ever come up with. "Look, kid," He turned back to the blonde girl in front of him. "How about this? One kiss."
Mandy's face lit up. "Wait, seriously?"
"Sure, just make it quick, yeah?"
Mandy quickly nodded her head and closed her eyes. Dean took a step back, waited for Mandy to lean in, then side stepped her and let her fall into a mud puddle he was standing in front of, soaking and covering her dress in disgusting black muck.
"Shit, I missed," Dean said unemotionally, quickening his pace to join his true blonde paramore that was laughing uncontrollably at the scene she had just witnessed.
Alexa greeted her fiance by jumping into his arms and locking her arms around his neck. She leaned her head back to praise his handling of Mandy but was quickly silenced by a deep and affectionate kiss from Dean.
Letting the kiss go, Dean gave his girl a once over. "Damn, babe, you look absolutely incredible," He let her drop softly to her feet so he could get a better look at her dress. "Pink. Of course," He grinned and kissed Alexa again. "You look… I can't form words in my head to describe how fantastic you look."
Alexa matched Dean's smirk with a smile of her own. "Are you just trying to get laid? Because if you are... good work."
"That's not why, but I'm glad I'm the lady killer my mom says I am." His attention was taken momentarily by the angered shrieks of Mandy Rose. Turning on his heels to check the scene, Dean bit his lip to keep from laughing at the sight of the aforementioned cheerleader covered head to toe in black mud; Mandy roughly shoved away Chad Gable when he offered his hand and stormed away from the scene. Dean turned back towards Alexa. "Well, if that doesn't get her to back off her juvenile attempts to get in my pants, I really don't know what will."
"I did confiscate most of AJ's knife collection. So, maybe, some of her hair gets cut off in her sleep… Or mama shanks a bitch, whichever."
Dean laughed heartily. "Goddamn, I love you so much." With an excited squeal from his better half, Dean lifted Alexa off her feet once again and gave her another deep kiss. He set Alexa down after a few short moments. "Listen, I'm already in deep shit for sneaking off, so I gotta get going. I love you, I can't wait to see you win at halftime."
Alexa smiled. "Me neither. I love you too, baby."
With one last quick peck on the lips, Dean hurried off as fast as he was physically able to on his bum leg in the direction of the athletic field.
Co- A/N: Sorry for the delay on this chapter. This one was a bitch to write, because of how complex it is and how many things are happening at once. We should be back on track after this. Couple quick things;
Christian is not a villain in this story. I'm not sure why it was interpreted that way, but just FYI, he isn't. Also, Alexa isn't lying. In today's climate, that's not an avenue we'd go down with one of our main characters.
When we get to 50 Favorites, we'll announce some of the character's we'll be adding second semester AND next year. Tell your friends to get over here.
