Confessions of a Queen B*

Untitled Part 10

"Oh my God! My life is over!"

My sister's wail barely fazed me. I heard the exact same exclamation from Taylor at least once a week. I sighed and went back to reading my well-worn copy of The Taming of the Shrew, having finished my homework hours ago. For some reason, that book was calling to me.

My lack of response apparently didn't please her. She ran into my room with her MacBook Air and shoved the screen in my face. "Look at this, Lexi."

The fuzzy images from the YouTube clip played for about five seconds before I realized what I was looking at. The overly tanned skin. The excess of enhanced blondes. The fake giggles. "Who's been filming the cheerleading squad in the locker room?"

Taylor thrust her bottom lip out in a pout. "I don't know, but my reputation is ruined. Now everyone will know I use inserts in my bra."

Just as she said that, I saw the meat of the film-all the cheerleaders stripping off their underwear to hit the showers. I slammed the laptop shut. "Aren't you upset that people are watching you naked?"

Her brows furrowed together as if that thought had never crossed her airhead mind. I'm pretty sure all that "Ra Ra Sis-boom-ba" shit involved with cheerleading must have caused some brain damage. Either that or all the sunless tanner she applied to give her a glow that only an Oompa Loompa could call natural had seeped into her skull. "I mean, I suppose I should be upset about that," she said slowly, but then added in a rush, "but now they'll see how small my boobs really are."

I drew a deep breath and counted to ten while I fought off the urge to shake some sense into her. I gave up hope a long time ago that Taylor would develop into a woman of substance. Instead, she focused on the here and now, the superficial, and had only one goal in life-to become head cheerleader.

I held up the laptop. "This is an invasion of your privacy. Some guy has probably been jacking off while watching you and the rest of the cheerleaders prance around naked for months."

"You're right!" The anger I'd been waiting to see finally flashed in her blue eyes. "Some nerd is looking at my perfect ass. As if!"

She whipped out her phone and began texting at a rate that would put a professional transcriptionist to shame. "I'm going to tell Summer about this."

"It would probably be a better idea to remove the camera if it's still there." I turned back to my book.

She paused. "Oh, that would be a good idea."

Her phone buzzed, and she checked her message. "Summer agrees that we should do something about it. Where do you think the camera is, though?"

When I didn't answer, she yanked the book from my hands. "Hello? I'm having a bit of a crisis here."

"If you watch the video, you can probably figure out where it is." I wasn't going to get involved with this drama. Even though I did have a sick feeling in my stomach at the idea of someone violating the sanctity of the girls' locker room, I was more sick at the idea that discovering the culprit would help Summer. It was about time someone knocked her down a notch or two. She'd been full of herself for as long as I'd known her, and now that we were seniors, she'd become completely insufferable. She needed to get her comeuppance.

I tried to grab my book back, but Taylor held it up out of my reach. "Please. You don't want video porn of your little sister out there for everyone to see, do you?"

"It's not porn." I paused. Who knew what games those girls played after practice? "Unless you're into chicks."

"No, that would be Alyssa and Emma," she replied, full of sarcasm, "but they broke up once they sobered up."

Ooh, another story idea. Booze-induced cheerleader on cheerleader action.

But her plea spoke to something deep inside me and helped me focus on what was important. She was my little sister, after all. I had to look out for her because she obviously couldn't look out for herself. "Fine, I'll check out the locker room tomorrow morning and see if I can find it."

"Thank you!" She threw her arms around me in a hug. "I promise I won't tell anyone you agreed to help."

"You're so kind."