The small group stepped silently through the doors of the restaurant. The maitre d’, recognizing the sole male in the group, hurried forward and, speaking brief greetings, brought the group to a private dining room.

“Will you require anything else, sir?” the maitre d’ asked.

“No, we’ll be fine for now. Send someone in about fifteen minutes with drinks and menus,” the young man instructed.

“Very good, sir,” the maitre d’ responded, bowing slightly. “And I might add, Mr. Diggory, that you have rather lovely dining companions.”

“Thank you. Now please leave. We must speak in private,” Dunstan instructed.

The maitre d’ bowed again and left, shutting the door behind him. Dunstan looked at the five young women, smiled, and began to speak.


“Ladies,” he said, addressing them, “I’ll be brief. It has been brought to my attention by Miss Paxton--” here, he indicated Angela, seated beside him-- “that as of late, you ladies have been troubled by the members of a certain campus organization.”

“Yeah, the Clique News Crash team,” Sherrie spoke up. “Tiffani, an ex-member of our group, brought us to Student Court a few weeks ago.”

“She lost, of course,” Veronica added, “but things have changed since then.”

“Changed?” Dunstan echoed.


“Yeah,” Heather replied. “The losers and unpopular people have been… they’ve been…” She trailed off, unable to voice her concerns.

“They’ve been talking back!” Sawyer blurted out. “They’re getting in our way, taking up the good seats, stuff like that. Thinking they’re better than they are. And it’s all Tiffani’s fault.”

Dunstan held up a hand, indicating that her rant should cease. “If I may,” he said, “I would like to propose a solution. A group is only as strong as its weakest member. If we remove what links this group together, they will all weaken, and thus, will present no further problems for you.”

“But how?” Sherrie asked.

Dunstan smiled ominously. “You ladies have a lot of power and pull in the high school social structure, correct? Well, get different campus organizations in on it.”

He held a hand out to Angela, who presented him with a set of notes. Dunstan glanced at the notes and announced, “Emily Desjardin, nerd. As of late, she has been working on a play with Samuel Verona. Perhaps the school drama club can find a place for her.

“Aiden James ‘AJ’ Desjardin, jock. He was kicked off the football team for his grades, and, by default, all other sports teams as well. I understand that his grades have significantly improved, through tutoring sessions with Charise, Emily, and Ophelia. Perhaps whatever team is currently in season can be persuaded to allow Mr. Desjardin to rejoin.

“Ophelia Foley, alternative/goth. She’s a very talented artist and photographer, having won several awards in those fields, starting from a relatively early age. I think the art club or photography club will consider her a more than welcome addition.

“Angela, as we’ve already agreed, will be part of the cheerleading squad. In exchange, I will donate money to provide for whatever expenses your organization will face.”


“And what about Tiffani?” Sawyer asked.

Dunstan read the notes several times before responding. “Tiffani Royale, ex-popular girl, now semi-outcast, semi-popular. She’s the hardest one to place. It seems her biggest weakness is food…”

“I think there’s a home ec-type club,” Heather volunteered.

“Yeah, you’re right. They tend to focus more on cooking than cleaning or sewing. It’ll be perfect for her,” Sherrie agreed.

“Well, then, that’s the plan,” Dunstan remarked. He sat and nodded at the waiter who had just stepped in and began handing out menus and drinks. “I highly recommend both the lobster and the steak,” Dunstan said, looking over the menu. “I think I will have the ribeye.”