While the sleepover at the McMillan mansion was unique in its own way, similar scenes were playing out in 14 other bedrooms across Lake Point that night.
At Tiffany Sanders's House
"We all know the rules of Spin the Bottle," Tiffany cooed. "You spin, and whoever the bottle is pointing at when it stops, you have to kiss. Full on the lips."
"But Tiffany," one of the guests protested, "I'm straight. Like, completely straight. I don't want to kiss a girl."
The host sighed. "It's not about kissing girls. It's about doing something that gets the boys excited. Don't think about who you're kissing, think about who might be watching."
Everyone nodded sagely at Tiffany's advice. Of course, this was just practice for how to tease boys.
At Amber Levine's House
"Okay, spill," Amber nudged the shoulder of the girl sitting next to her. "What juicy stories have you heard?"
"Juicy stories?" the guest replied. "I don't know any."
"Of course you do!" Amber encouraged her. "You just don't know the value of what you know. Information is currency, and we share what we have among our friends."
The girl turned to Amber, confused.
"We share what we have," Amber continued, "among our fellow cheerleaders."
"Okay," she began slowly, "well I know that my brother has a crush..."
The room burst into squeals and cheers and shouts of "tell us!" and "who is it?"
At Lucy Corinth's House
"I see a frown!" Lucy pointed a finger whose accusatory energy entirely contradicted the cheerful smile on the face of its owner.
"I'm sorry," said the target of Lucy's finger, as four more fingers rose up against her. "I just don't see how, uh, 'smiling practice,' is either fun or useful. Why are we doing this?"
"Oh, my sweet summer child." Lucy somehow managed to exude disdain even as her expression remained the friendliest in the room. "We always have to be pleasant to one another. We must always show the world the bright light that shines within us. Even when we don't feel it, we have to make sure that the people around us are feeling it."
"But why?"
"We're cheerleaders. It's what we do. Have you ever heard of a sad cheerleader?"
"N-no."
"That's because we all know how to smile." Lucy's expression somehow became even brighter.
Despite herself, the girl could somehow feel Lucy's brightness reflecting off of her. And, without quite realizing it, her lips began to curl upwards.
"Atta girl!" Lucy cheered, and the guest's smile only grew further from there.
