Glitz Gurlz on Deck

Chapter 10: The Binge

Maddie and Claudia went into the bathroom to have a conference. Maddie always found she could think more clearly when someone was around she felt superior to. It could have been another bobble head, but Claudia was always like a security  blanket for her. They'd been together since kindergarten.

"Ok. Let's just think about this rationally. It's not as if Sabrina walked away. Obviously someone is toying with us. We need to figure out why. And who. And do it fast. I'm thinking it's the cruise director, Cassie. She looks like a truck. And you know she wanted to be a cheerleader. As if. She doesn't want us to perform the Friday. Now how do we prove it?"

She waited for Claudia to say something dumb. That's how it worked. Then her anger at Claudia's remark would ignite a brain spark. Claudia stared in the mirror on mute. Maddie's temper was flaring, but not in the productive way. She yanked the back of Claud's hair to wake her up and get her focused.

"Claudia!!!! Pay attention. You know how this works."

Claudia was shivering. Maddie wrapped her in a towel and turned on the ceiling lamp heater. The clicking of the timer calmed her and she sat on the closed toilet seat and waited for Claudia to thaw.  She decided a pep talk was in order.

"I can't do it without you Claud. I never could. It's always been us. It will always be us. These other girl are team members. No more. Kewpie dolls that blow in the wind. But you and me, we are sisters. Better than sisters. I can't do it without you. Say something. Anything."

Claudia sighed. She took off the towel and kissed Maddie on the cheek.

"I love you too Maddie. And I'm not going to kill you. I was supposed to. But I can't. And I won't frame you for the others either. But we are going to have to do some fast thinking to keep up with her. And I mean fast. Your supposed to be dead by dinner tomorrow night. In fact, the others may kill you anyway. They've been promised food. All the food they want. And new uniforms, with booty shorts. And a chance to decide if they like every routine. If it's not unanimous, it's scrapped. Those are big dreams."

Maddie blinked with her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. She felt the heat from the overhead light cooking her skull.

"Claudia, your in shock. Sit down. Your saying crazy shit right now. I don't even know how to deal with a breakdown. When my mom has them I call the maid and go shopping. Then I blame her for the credit card bills. I don't even think I could get Frieda out here, she doesn't have a visa."

Claudia straightened her shoulders and grabbed Maddie's shoulders.

"Maddie, pull yourself together. You've been a bitch. All year. Ever since we won states you've pushed and pushed and starved us and worked us half to death. No one wants to be part of your team. Well, no one living. We took a vote. About a month ago. Decided to move you out as Captain. The girls who voted to keep you in were supposed to be injured. Out for the season. The others would then vote you out fair and square and we would go back to being popular and cheer would be fun again."

Maddie thought about all those dead girls. Those were her supporters. The ones she thought nothing for. The ones that she should have seen for their true trusting spirit.  She felt like Daphne from Scooby Doo, hot, but the last one to get a clue. She always assumed everyone loved her. She loved herself, why wouldn't they. And then it dawned on her.

"Claudia, you?  You led the resistance?  You voted against me?"

" I didn't at first.  Well, I did at first. You slept with Jake and I was pissed. I've loved him since third grade Maddie. You slept with him because you were bored. You said he was good, but not good enough for a second helping.  You knew how much I loved him. We exchanged promise rings!!"

Maddie hung her head. It was true, he wasn't good enough for seconds. He was quick. Too quick. And he smelled like pastrami.  And after seeing Claudia moon after him for months she thought he would be earth moving.

"I'm sorry Claudia."

"I know you are. After we took those glamor shots and got matching piercings I knew I wouldn't be able to do it. Your my bae. But when I tried to get out and stop it all she killed Ree Ree. To teach me a lesson. I guess she liked it because now she's killing everyone. And I don't know how to get out of it."

Claudia cried and Maddie patted her arm like a puppy. She let her get it out while she thought about how to fix this mess.

"Who Claudia, who is taking my team. Who is killing and offering to give fat cheerleaders booty shorts and a vote in the cheers?  Tell me who it is and I will grind that bitch into the floor. I'll disfigure her so bad she won't even be able to try out for mascot."

"Jessie."

Maddie got up and looked into the mirror. She fixed her hair and applied a fresh coat of make up. She hugged Claudia and put some of her pink tinted Mac shine gloss on her bae's lips.

"Don't worry about a thing Claud. I got this. Let's feed these girls and give them what they want."

Claudia went stiff. She blocked the closed door snd put her hands back on Maddie's shoulders.

"They want your head on a platter Maddie."

Maddie gently pushed her hands away. She reached for the doorknob and as she strutted into the bedroom she looked over her shoulder at Claudia saying just one word.

"Exactly"

Maddie walked into the room where the small circle of girls still stood staring in the closet. Jessie's shoes were still in the same spot and the room was eerily silent.

"Listen up whores. It's binge day. Get some sleep and at breakfast you can eat whatever you want. All day actually. Claudia and I have a bit of planning to do to work out the new score for the finale Friday. It's only two days away and we gotta work it out. No practice today but tomorrow we work from top to bottom. So you sluts do what you want today but this cabin is off limits. We have serious Captain issues to work on. Got it?"

The girls stood staring at Claudia. She turned sheet white and nodded at them. Managing to whisper out a small sentence.

"You heard the Captain."

"Vamoose skanks. Have fun. It's free form. Do what you want but tarnish our team name and I will throw you to the Sharks."

The girls jumped and giggled. Running for a few hours sleep before a day without structure and with the promise of food.

Maddie showered and got her pajamas on. Claudia got into her bed fully clothed and stared at the ceiling. Maddie noticed a chair was up against the door so no one could open the handle. She smiled at Claudia's brain trying to work hard.

"Keep your hands to yourself tonight Claudia. You kill me and I'll make sure you end up a friendless fat lonely cow who never gets another chance at happiness."

"I love you too Maddie. But what are we going to do about Jessie?"

"Easy, we're going to kill her. But that's the easy part. First, we gotta kill me."

Maddie clicked off the light and smiled. For the first time since boarding the ship she felt like she was home. As she drifted off to sleep her ultra whitened teeth couldn't help but shine through her smiling lips.

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So it seems Maddie isn't down for the count yet. Can her and Claudia make it off the ship alive? 
Can Maddie let the girls eat whatever they want?  Will the girls even be able to order without Maddie? 
And what is Maddie planning that has her smiling? 

I'm thinking this is a horrible piece of cult fiction. Like that movie Grosse Point Blank!  Never heard of it?  That proves my point. But if you saw it, you remember it. Lol. Thanks for reading.