Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Is Max leaving Victoria’s room again?” Juliet leaned over to Brooke as they flipped through their phones, spending another evening hanging out in the halls together. “Isn’t that the third time this week?”

“No surprise. You heard what Victoria did the other week? Completely trashed Max’s room for some reason. All of her precious wall selfies just ruined.” Brooke didn’t even look up from her phone as she scrolled past yet another John Cena meme on tumblr.

“I can’t see Max taking revenge though. She’s not exactly a Blackwell bitch like Victoria and her cronies.”

“She’s probably taking it in small doses. I’ve seen Victoria diving into her room once in a while and stealing Max’s cookie boxes. Whatever. I’d rather not get into-” Brooke looked up at Juliet, finding her hand rubbing her chin with a small grin brimming her features. Juliet’s classic scheming face. “Juliet, no. We’re not butting in.”

“Why whatever do you mean?” Juliet only looked shocked, placing her hand on her chest in false indignation. “These two are obviously in some sort of feud. It’s our right-, no, our duty to solve this for them! The very fabric of this dormitory is at risk!” Juliet placed her hands on her hips, “If we just so happen to nab a story out of this, that would just be a bonus!”

“Juliet, I don’t even know how to begin to tell you all the reasons why that’s a bad idea. If we mess up we’ll get dragged into their bullshit and just-”

“And if we haaaappen to find dirt on Max that Warren happens to find out… I wonder if he would still invite her to the drive-in mov-”

“I’m in.”

“Good good, now here’s the plan-” Brooke was already packing up her drone and leaving for outside. “Wait hold on!”

“So how do you fly this thing?” Juliet fiddled with the control pad of the tiny drone. Brooke slapped her hand, quickly catching the tablet. “No. Stop. If you turn it on while I'm holding it you'll cut my face off with the blades.”

Juliet rubbed her hand gingerly. “Yeesh with that kind of hit you should have joined the volleyball team.”

“We don’t have a volleyball team.” Brooke started flicking on a series of switches along the body of the drone. In a second the machine whirred to life and began to fly.

“Well we would have if you and the others just signed my club petition form…” Juliet leaned over Brooke’s shoulder and watched the bird’s eye view get higher and higher. “Victoria’s room is 221. Circle around the far left of the building.”

Brooke just stared at Juliet, one eyebrow raised quizzically. “Yeah, I know. I live here too remember?” The drone buzzed off into the distance and the pair watched as it approached Victoria’s window.

“There there! Keep high so they don’t see you.” Juliet pointed and tapped at the screen as Brooke tried to swerve it just out of her reach. Eventually they settled, and the drone started to hover just outside Victoria’s window.

“The inside is a little dark…” The young journalist chirped up, “Do you have a dark vision mode on this thing?” “Of course I do. I shelled out nearly $500 for this baby.” Brooke flicked a switch and the screen turned black and white. While somewhat grainy, the screen was clear and capable of seeing into the darkened room. They could see Victoria’s desk, the bags on the ground, expensive camera on the coffee table… Typical Victoria stuff.

They just didn’t expect to see Max straddling Victoria’s lap, furiously making out on her couch.

The scene was obviously intense as Max’s hoodie was tossed haphazardly off to the side, her shirt bunched and bundled over her chest, only kept modest by the bra still covering them. Victoria was buried into Max’s neck, leaving bites and kisses in high frequency and it looked like Max was saying something between her moans and whimpers.

Juliet wondered for a moment if the drone had sound.

Just as Victoria’s hand began to snake around Max’s back, the fingers inching closer to the bra, just moments from turning the scene R-rated, the view suddenly changed as Brooke flew her drone up and away back to her.

The pair of sleuths just stood around somewhat awkwardly as they attempted to process what they had just seen.

“So uhh. Never speak of this again?” Juliet suddenly piped up as she fixed her suddenly uncomfortable skirt.

Brooke just stared at her as her drone flew back into her hands. “Are you kidding?” she smiled, her small sly devilish ‘I know something you don’t’ smile. She flicked on the tablet in her hands and opened up the gallery. Brooke tapped a photo and suddenly a picture of Victoria and Max furiously making out popped out of the screen.

“Oh wow that’s a really good photo Brooke! Can I see it?” Brooke nodded and passed it over. She knelt down and started to box her drone back into its case.

“It just seems fair and all; Warren wouldn’t want to go to the drive-in with someone just thinking about Victoria the entire time. In a way I’m doing him a favor-”

“Bwoop. Done.” Juliet passed the tablet back before she made her way up the dormitory steps.

“Wait. Done?” Brooke looked confused as she flipped through the gallery. She quickly realized that she was missing a photo. “Juliet!” she stood up, quickly snatching up her drone case.

“Sorry girl! Finger slipped!” Juliet laughed loudly as Brooke gave chase, the pair slipping into the dorms as the sun began to set.

Chapter Text

“…and there’s currently rumors that members of the swim team have been doing, hold your hat, drugs!” Juliet exclaimed as she gently flicked through her notebook, her legs dangling off the edge of Brooke’s bed.

“Juliet.” Brooke sighed. “You’re in the Vortex Club. You’ve seen them. I’ve seen them. The teachers have probably seen them. Literally everyone in this school does drugs except me.” She closed the science textbook on her lap, uncrossing and recrossing her legs from her spot on the floor.

“Yeah, but I meant like, the bad ones.”

The pair just went back to laying around in Brooke’s room, yet another lazy evening to pass by. A knock erupting from the door broke them out of their reverie.

“I knew it!” Juliet practically skipped to the door. “A client is here! This is the start of my Private Investigation business!”

“Why would they come look for you in my room?”

Juliet swung open the door, expecting a young lass whose looks told her ‘help me’, but legs whispered sin. Instead it was Kate Marsh. Holding a cream colored box.

“Hello Juliet,” she beamed “I was wondering if you and Brooke would like some Halloween cookies, I baked some for everyone.”

“Of course! We would love some! Come in!” Juliet sat on the floor next to Brooke, her elbows nudging into the Asian girl. “Yeah, sure.” Brooke muttered.

“I finished making these in the home economics room.” Kate pulled away the lip of the box and the pair could see the steaming heat of fresh baked cookies ripple through the air. The cookies had images of tiny cats on brooms and ghost pumpkins decorated on the soft crumbs. “Would you two like some? I was going to share these with the rest of the girls in the dorm.” Kate shared an awkward smile, “Kind of like an apology for causing such a fuss a few weeks ago.”

Juliet took a single bite and instantly her eyes seemed to twinkle heart shaped sparkles. Without a thought she attempted to take another bite, only to find she had consumed it all in her bliss. She turned to Brooke in awe only to find the nerdy Arcadian with three other cookies stacked on her hand, the original long gone by the crumbs evident on her lips.

“Oh my god these are delicious Kate! I would go through these in a single night, screw my diet.” Juliet whimpered. Her eyes constantly glanced between the box on the table and the door to the room. She wondered if she could make the dash. Suddenly she felt a chill as she turned her head; Brooke gave her a steady wide-eyed look that screamed ‘I will hunt. You. Down.’ if she so much took a step in the wrong direction.

“Ahaha… just kidding…”

The trio spent their time chit chatting, listening to music, while Kate had an excellent time observing the constant repertoire between the two companions. After some time however, Kate began to fidget, her eyebrows furrowing in worry.

“Hey Kate, what’s the matter?” Juliet peeped up, “You look bothered.”

“I’m wondering if we should turn down the music. I would hate to interrupt Victoria’s movie.”

“A movie?” Juliet’s nose twitched; the familiar scent of juicy info only moments away.

“Well I tried to give some cookies to Victoria earlier but all I could hear were ghost noises. It’s starting to get louder so I assume she’s getting to a good part.”

The music stilled to a halt as Brooke tapped a button on her smartphone. Slowly sounds emanating from the adjoining room, Victoria’s room, started to fill the small dorm. Juliet pulled Brooke and Kate along and pressed their ears against the wall. Rather than the haunting noises of a ghost movie all they could hear were moans, groans, and the rumbling of rampant breathing. Juliet quickly pulled away, her ears a vibrant red.

Juliet stammered, memories of the last time she caught Victoria… playing… flashing through her incredibly vivid imagination. “…Kate… that, that’s not a ghost movie… it’s uhm…”

Kate tilted her head to the side, her eyes wide and innocent, yet curious.

“Well you see, there’s this thing called the birds and the… birds?”

Brooke sighed, stepping up in front of Juliet, gently pushing her face off to the side.

“Sin Kate. They’re sinning.”

“Now Brooke, I’m not that kind of Christian.” Kate huffed, puffing up her cheeks and placing her hands on her hips. “Despite what some of my friends believe, ghost movies aren’t sinful or teach the dangers of witchcraft or the occult. It’s not like we’re talking about Scooby Doo.”

“No no no no,” Brooke leaned in close and started whispering into her ear. Kate went through a variety of expressions: confusion, unease, wide eyed shock, a very very bright blush, and then eventually… anger. “What!?” she cries out, sharp enough to cause Brooke to reel back in surprise. Suddenly Kate stood up and trotted out into the hallway.

“Victoria! Victoria!” Kate pounded the primadonna’s door over and over. “I know what you’re doing in there!” Juliet and Brooke quickly followed, the former attempting to pull Kate away while the latter just stood and watched, a thinly suppressed smile on her face.

Kate quickly broke away and placed her hand on the doorknob.

“You two are having sex!” she yelled loudly, swinging the door open to the point it clattered against the wall. Suddenly the indignation she held quickly washed away as, on the bed on the far side of the room, sat Victoria and Max, the blonde holding a book as the brunette fiddled with her camera. Their lower halves were huddled in a blanket.

“Jeese Max, let me know next time. I would have put down my book.” Victoria snarked as Max just chuckled uncomfortably.

“Oh gosh, oh, I’m sorry!” Kate apologized loudly, her hands quickly coming up to cover her flushed face. She continued to apologize over and over as Brooke and Juliet stepped into the room. Juliet also started apologizing alongside Kate; not missing a beat however, Brooke began to speak.

“Max’s shirt is inside out, Victoria’s book is upside down, you’re both covered in sweat and-” she pointed at the ceiling, “someone’s underwear is hanging off the light.”

“Not to mention-” Brooke’s speech was quickly cut off as a small cookie was stuffed into her mouth. “AHAHA WHAT A KIDDER. OKAY WE’RE GOING BYE!” Juliet grabbed the science geek by the waist and practically hoisted her under her arm as she bolted out of the room.

“We can explain!” Max and Victoria sung in unison, quickly stumbling over each other to reveal that no, they were not wearing pants. Actually, they weren’t wearing underwear either.

“Pre-martial hanky panky!” Kate screeched in the growing distance.

“Pre-marital hanky panky!”