Later, very much later, Sandy arrived at Connie's table with a tray of food - spaghetti for the redhead, curry rice for herself, and jelly for both of them. Sandy saw that Connie had busied herself talking with a couple of boys.
When Connie saw that Sandy had returned, she dismissed the boys. "Oh, my friend's here," she told them, "Sorry, but she's going to need that seat."
The boys were disappointed to be sent away but who would argue against the glamor queen.
Connie accepted the spaghetti and one of the bowls of jelly from Sandy. "So what clubs have you visited?"
Sandy sat down with her food. "I've seen the Sewing Club."
"The Sewing Club - their clothes are too garish for me," Connie said, "Have you seen the Dance Club?"
"No, what's it like?"
"They look like a fun club. Their dances were wonderful and their costumes were colorful."
"Are you thinking of joining?"
Connie shook her head. "No. Looks like a lot of work, what with the practices and the costume-making. Maybe the Drama Club, though." She leaned closer for a whisper. "Get a start on becoming an actress one day."
The girls continued talking about the school's clubs as they ate. Once lunch was over, Connie bought them each a can of soda from the vending machine. When they were done with drinks, Connie invited Sandy for a walk. It was a clear, windless day. It was cold, though, so the girls each had a jacket on.
As they walked along the school wall, Connie glanced about. They were alone, sort of. The closest people were a couple of students a stone's throw away.
Connie leaned close to the brown-haired teenager. "Sandy, I wanted to give you this." She held out a folded piece of paper. "To show you what you've missed."
Sandy opened the paper. She saw that it was a colorless picture of a girl seemingly asleep on the ground. The girl had long black hair. She had no clothes on.
Then Sandy looked up in amazement at Connie. "You did it?"
Connie smiled and nodded.
Sandy stared at the image in her hand. So that was the picture of the girl who had not paid her. She felt some small satisfaction.
"Now, part two begins," Connie added.
"What are you going to do?" Sandy asked.
"Oh, you want a piece of the action now?"
"Well..."
"Okay, I'll let you in, only if you ask."
Sandy brushed her forefinger with her thumb.
"Look, this is to punish Annie for not paying you that time," Connie pointed out.
Sandy looked up at Connie. "Okay, I want in. What do you want me to do?"
Connie took out a few more folded pieces of paper from her handbag and handed them to Sandy. "Here. Pass these around. Distribute them among your friends. Let everyone see Annie humiliated."
Sandy accepted the papers. "Okay."
"If you need more, there's a website where you can get them." Connie jotted down an address on a small notebook and tore off the page for Sandy.
Sandy took the page and hid them with the other pieces of paper in her heavy schoolbag. "Okay."
"One more thing," Connie added, "Don't tell anyone where you got those from. Don't mention me. Understand?"
"Okay," Sandy agreed.
Connie smirked and walked away after that.
Sandy took out one of the pieces of paper with Annie's image on it. She stared at the picture. Yeah, that was for not paying her, Sandy told herself. Annie should be punished for not paying her.
She did not realize that she had not asked for monetary compensation from Connie.
***
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