Peggy usually got her stories from expertly eavesdropping or searching for information herself. It took a lot of hard work. They didn't just fall into her lap.
They usually didn't anyway.
Once in a blue moon, good luck would befall her and she'd just come across something juicy.
Recently someone had been tormenting Amber and her friends, even Capucine. And tormenting was not an exaggeration. Spray painted lockers were just the beginning. Someone was stealing their notebooks, breaking pencils and pens, leaving false answer sheets in their backpacks, scrawling profanity in their textbooks. Amber was definitely getting the worst of it though. In addition to the other things, someone replaced her hairspray with peroxide, erased all the contacts on her new phone, shredded her gym clothes to tatters, and put worms in her gym shoes.
Whoever behind this was a real sadist, and everyone was dying to know who that secret sadist was. Especially Peggy. She made it her personal goal to find out who was doing this before anybody else, and expose them in the school paper. But the information surrounding the fiend eluded Peggy. Whoever it was, they were very careful and knew how to keep themselves in the clear. At first Peggy, like Amber herself, assumed the perpetrator to be Lynn. She definitely had the motive.
But Lynn vehemently denied any involvement whatsoever, and Peggy became doubtful. Lynn was many things, but not a liar. And the more Peggy really thought about it, the more she realized it couldn't be Lynn. Lynn wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box. To put it in the bluntest of terms; she was a total ditz. The culprit was much too intelligent to be Lynn.
After one week of vigilant eavesdropping, coded interviews, keen observations, and spying, Peggy hadn't discovered the offender. And she wasn't even onto a suspect, damn it! This kind of hair-pulling frustration was not good for her. But she wouldn't give up.
The following Monday the journalist was devising possible plans to lure out the crafty tormenter as she walked down the hall. Melody came into view and Peggy offered the delegate a smile. "Hey Melody."
"Hi Peggy."
The shorter-haired brunette was about to go well on her way, when something caught her ever-observant eye. There was a distinctly cylinder shaped bulge pressing against the fabric of Melody's purse. Without so much as another word, she snatched it from her.
"Hey!" Melody shouted, cerulean eyes widened in alarm as she made a mad grab for the bag. But it was too late, Peggy already zipped it open and peeked triumphantly at the can of spray paint inside.
"Oh Melody, I'm surprised at you," she declared in an excited whisper, "You're usually the best behaved person in this school. Imagine what everyone's going to say when they find out you're not such a good girl after all."
"I-It's not what it looks like!" Melody snapped quickly and made a swipe for her purse, but Peggy kept it out of her grasp with an easy swivel-and-lift. "Oh really? Then what is it?" The journalist didn't care what kind of excuse Melody fumbled for, she knew the other girl was guilty. She had guilt written all over her face and uneasiness swimming in her eyes. Especially when Peggy's own sharp blue orbs pinned her to the spot with the accusation.
"Okay fine," Melody relented, "I am the one who's been messing with Amber and her friends. I don't like it, but darn it! They deserve it." She waved her hands wildly, wavy brunette tresses bouncing with her motions. "Amber makes Nathaniel's life a living hell, and they help her! It's just not right. Not to mention all the other people they bully too, like Violette and Lynn."
Peggy nodded, tapping a finger to her chin. "Sure they deserve it, but it doesn't exactly give you the right to sabotage them. I don't think anyone thought you had it in you, Melody. I really, really wonder what Nathaniel is gonna say when he finds out you've been tormenting his little sister in his honor."
Cerulean eyes wavering and teeth snagging at her bottom lip, Melody took a step forward and grabbed Peggy's arm. "Please," she quavered, "Please don't put this in paper. I'm begging you not to, Peggy, please."
With Melody gazing up at her desperately, with her hands clasped onto the journalist's arm, Peggy's mood couldn't help souring. This was too big of a story not to put in the paper! But Melody was so pleading. Pleading not to have her entire reputation ruined. "I'll make a deal with you," Peggy muttered after consideration, "If you go on a date with me this Friday, this can be our little secret."
Melody's face went bright red. "A date? You mean a 'date' date?"
"That's exactly what I mean."
"But I don't-" she sputtered, shaking her head. "I mean, you know that I don't...Well okay, it is just one date. Right?"
"Just one." For now. "I'll be picking you up at six." Grinning in satisfaction, Peggy returned the purse, planted a delicate kiss to the brunette's pinked cheek and skipped away.