Worst Possible Sitch: Peek1

Enter the PEP Squad

Bonnie was unsure of how she felt at the moment.

On the one hand, she was a Rockwaller, and as such she was used to summoning people to her, not the other way around.  

On the other hand, as a Rockwaller, she was used to being summoned before her father. Not that he did all that much, and certainly with less frequency as each of her failures brought more disappointment to the patriarch. So much so she no longer coveted an audience with Mister, instead dreading his summons and fearing his voice.

However it was not one of Mister's staff who had appeared at the door of the 'clubhouse', an actual full-sized bi-level ranch house at the edge of the family's property in which each of the Rockwaller progeny maintained secondary rooms for privacy and extra closet space. That, and Mister preferred the quiet stately manor itself to maintain a manner both quiet and stately. So while each of the children were allowed to grant only one friend access to the main house, it was only at the clubhouse they could entertain groups of friends, to hold parties and get-togethers. Scheduling was often a bitch. Especially with twins Connie and Lonnie colluding to tag-team their affairs, and Donnie the sole male child getting his way with Mister second only to favorite of his eye Lonnie.

No, it had been a young dark-skinned East Indian woman with a bejeweled bindi on her forehead, wearing a very sharp midnight blue uniform. On the porch behind her to either side stood a couple of stiff-backed men in grey versions of the same wear. A dark blue craft, almost invisible in the dark of evening but for a nearby streetlamp, sat at the end of the drive. As several divisions of Mister's businesses catered to military contracts, she easily identified both uniforms and vehicle, the latter actually a Rockwaller product, as belonging to Global Justice.

"Bonita de la Isla Rockwaller?" the officer verified in a softly clipped Indo-British accent. It was more courtesy than question as she was holding a PDA device, obviously satisfied with what she saw on it.

The brunette shivered. Only Mister ever used her full proper name; generally prior to and during a scathing review of her accomplishments, lackings far outweighing her successes. "Bonnie, please. Agent… ."

"Special Agent Nyn, Global Justice Network," she smiled briefly before stepping to the side with an arm gesture. "Bonnie Rockwaller, I need you to come with us."

Frown. "I have company. I can't just leave. What's this about?"

"Would that be any of your former Middleton High cheer squad?"

"Yes. Two of them," she nodded warily.

"Whom, may I ask." It too was not a question.

"Tara and Hope."

Consulting the handheld, "That would be Hōpe Inglee and Tara Blade?"

"The same," Bonnie wanted to close the door, end the conversation, but she knew that should GJ wish to continue the discussion they would simply barge in, one way or another. "Again, what is this about?"

"Excellent. Their families indicated this might be one of their possible locations." The agent revealed a pearly white smile, "Their presence is also required. Please call them to the door as well."

Bonnie hedged. "It's not that simple. I'll need to go relea… fetch them."

The global peacekeeping operative lifted an eyebrow but deigned to let the slip pass without comment. She nodded, but used a stiffed-armed hand to keep the brunette from closing the door, "We'll wait."

Which had been hours ago, during which time they were packed, although comfortably so, into the passenger compartment of the hoverjet along with the rest of the Middleton High's former First String cheer squad, plus a couple from Second and Fourth Strings. Questions and speculations ran rampant, but answers had not been forth-coming from Special Agent Nyn.

Soon enough, though, they had arrived. Coming to a landing aboard what could only be described as a flying supersized aircraft carrier hovering high above cloud level, held aloft by half a dozen huge ducted turbofans. Not that she kept track of such craft, but if she had to guess she figured it to be about three times the size and 'displacement' of the Gerald R. Ford-class supercarriers of the waterborne variety. Aerial traffic of all types buzzed about it; landing, taking off, or simply hovering around the thing's massive flattop.

Disembarking, a firm yet gentle wind nipping at their hair, a couple of the squad, Tara among them, whistled. However they were not given much time to fully appreciate the sights, being rushed off the landing pad to an open gangway to below deck. Short order found them entering a modest-sized amphitheater with tiered seating already partially filled with a number of girls, the newest arrivals making the count nearly forty. All of whom Bonnie immediately recognized.

The entire Middleton High and Middle School Mad Dog Cheer squad. All Five Strings.

Except for Kim.

"Excellent timing," a woman wearing a midnight blue uniform with officer's epaulets, an eye-patch covering her right eye, had just walked in from a doorway near a podium, itself offset to the left of the room and out of the way of a large whiteboard or screen. She took a larger pad-like PDA proffered her by Agent Nyn. "If you'll kindly take seats, we can begin forthwith."

'Forthwith'? Bonnie thought, What kind of literary retentive adult-speak is that? Sounds like it's covered in cobwebs. "What the hell is this all about, lady?"

With a 'have a seat' flourishing gesture, the one-eyed woman assured with an easy smile – which the débutante readily noticed did not reach her uncovered eye – the same sort of expression practiced by Mister, "Sitting down is the price of admission along with a complimentary explanation and a free set of answers to pertinent questions."  

Both brunettes, woman and teen, waited while Hope located three front row center seats, shooing occupants from two of them. Bonnie took the center-most with an air of royalty, Tara taking the right, Hope the left.  

All under the hawkish watchful eye of the officer. "Thank you, ladies, for accepting tonight's invitation, and welcome to the Global Justice Network. I am Dr Elizabeth Director, Chief Agent of GJ." She ignored a sotto voce comment of 'yeah, some invitation… if a draft and forcible removal from your home can be called an "invite"…,' along with resultant scattered giggles.

"Your country – indeed, the world – have need of your special talents.

"However, before we begin, you may wish to select one of you to act as your coordinator and spokesperson. We can take a moment for you to deliberate."

While there was a brief wave of murmurs and whispers among the body of the girls, Tara and Hope turning to face the group, Bonnie remained facing forward. Watching the Agent-in-Charge observing the group process.  

Thanks to Kim's obsessive compulsive level sense of order, a hierarchy was already in place. Each squad of eight cheerleaders had a Leader, each reporting to a Rep on the First String. Among them Tara had become by default the group's Deputy and Lead Rep with her answering to either Kim as Captain, or Bonnie as the Lieutenant during the redhead's frequent absences.  

And with Kim not here…, Bonnie felt the pre-established pecking order assert itself as expected. After her one brief bid for Squad Captain three years ago – and actually getting it – the brunette learned to appreciate and embrace her position as lieutenant.  

All of the authority with none of the headaches.