The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 273: Chapter 273 - Her Name

Roxie stepped into place while Bianca raised the camera.

"Chin up."

Roxie lifted her chin.

Bianca stared through the viewfinder for a few seconds before lowering the camera slightly. "You can relax your face. Nobody’s trying to steal your boyfriend. Whoops, sorry. Forgot Zac dumped you."

Roxie’s eyes narrowed, but Coach Miller was still close enough to notice if she walked over and shoved the camera into Bianca’s face, so she stayed where she was. "Take the picture."

The camera clicked.

Bianca checked the screen. "Wow."

"What?"

"I thought Kendall was going to be harder to photograph."

Roxie folded her arms. "And I thought you’d have learned when to shut your mouth after I pulled half your hair out."

Lily immediately looked over while Bianca’s fingers moved toward the side of her hair before she caught herself. Roxie saw it anyway, and the little rush of satisfaction that went through her was worth the way Bianca’s expression hardened.

"You better shut your mouth if you don’t want camel toe shots on the internet tonight."

Roxie’s heart thudded at the possibility that Bianca had actually taken something while they were tumbling or being lifted through stunts. That fucking camera had been pointed around the gym for most of practice, and Roxie had no idea what angles Bianca might have caught, but she refused to let the worry reach her face and smiled instead.

"You don’t have the guts. Why? Isn’t yours enough?"

Bianca smiled sweetly. "I don’t know. Should I add yours?"

"Try it."

For a moment neither of them moved. Bianca still had the camera raised between them while Roxie stared directly at her, and the tension between them had changed enough that Lily stopped messing with the equipment and started watching instead.

Coach Miller looked over. "Jones."

Roxie considered telling him exactly what Bianca had threatened, but that would mean admitting Bianca had actually gotten under her skin. She could deal with her later, somewhere Coach Miller was not standing close enough to blow a whistle every time Roxie moved.

She gave him an innocent look. "I’m posing."

Bianca smiled behind the camera.

Roxie looked right back at her. "Enjoy it while you can."

"Threatening Photography Club during your Nationals fundraiser seems smart."

Roxie kept smiling, but her voice dropped. "Keep hiding behind that camera. Maybe it’ll save your hair this time."

The camera slowly lowered.

Bianca could talk about Zac all she wanted, but mentioning the hair always worked. Roxie watched the fake sweetness disappear from her face while Lily shifted closer as though she already knew exactly where this was going.

"You really think pulling my hair was some huge achievement?" Bianca asked.

"You’re still mad about it."

Bianca stepped closer, and Roxie stayed exactly where she was. "Keep talking."

Roxie deliberately looked toward the shorter section near Bianca’s hairline before meeting her eyes again. "Still growing back?"

Bianca’s jaw tightened.

Lily said her name quietly. "Bianca."

"Stay out of it."

Roxie laughed. "Yeah, Lily. Stay out of it. Let her handle herself this time."

Bianca took another step until barely any space remained between them, and Roxie felt her whole body tense as the memory of their last fight came rushing back. She remembered the grabbing and scratching, Bianca screaming while people tried pulling them apart, and the feeling of Bianca’s hair wrapped around her fingers. Her hands stayed at her sides, but it would take almost nothing for that to change.

"You want to touch my hair again?" Bianca asked quietly.

Roxie looked at it once more. "Maybe."

"Try it."

Karen stopped laughing several feet away while Angela muttered something under her breath that sounded a lot like, "Oh, shit."

Roxie barely heard either of them. Bianca was standing close enough that Roxie only needed to lift one hand, and the way Bianca held herself made it obvious she was thinking exactly the same thing.

"You really want another round?" Bianca asked.

"You came into my practice."

"I came here to take pictures."

"And somehow my breakup came up thirty seconds after I stood in front of you."

Bianca laughed. "Everybody talks about your breakup. You made it everybody’s business."

Roxie felt her anger rise another level. "Careful."

"What?" Bianca looked her over. "You gonna rip my hair out because Prescott finally got tired of your shit?"

Roxie stepped closer. "Keep his name out of your mouth."

"Why? Everybody already knows he dumped you."

"And everybody knows you lost half your fucking hair the last time you tried me."

Bianca’s face tightened as she moved forward, and Roxie immediately matched her. Karen caught Roxie’s arm before she got any closer while Lily grabbed Bianca by the elbow.

"Enough," Kendall snapped.

Bianca jerked her arm. "Get off me."

Roxie tried pulling free from Karen. "I’m fine."

"You are absolutely not fine," Karen said.

"I didn’t even touch her."

"You were about to."

Bianca laughed. "She wishes."

Roxie looked at her. "Say that again."

Bianca pulled against Lily’s grip. "You heard me."

Roxie moved again, forcing Karen to tighten her hold while Kendall stepped directly between them before either of them could get around the people holding them.

"Jesus Christ. Can everyone keep their hair attached for five fucking minutes?"

"Move," Roxie said.

Kendall stared at her. "Absolutely fucking no. We need these pictures, Jones."

"We’re just bonding."

Karen gave her an incredulous look. "That’s what you’re calling this?"

Roxie ignored her while Lily slowly released Bianca. Bianca adjusted her shirt and looked directly at Roxie.

"Coward."

Roxie smiled.

Karen grabbed her arm again before she could even move. "No."

"I wasn’t doing anything."

Roxie pulled her arm free without taking her eyes off Bianca. "You really want to test that when Coach Miller isn’t standing ten feet away?"

Bianca tilted her head. "Is that another threat?"

"No." Roxie smiled sweetly. "It’s scheduling."

Angela made a strangled sound behind her while Kendall rubbed both hands over her face.

"You two are fucking exhausting," Kendall muttered.

Bianca continued staring at Roxie for another few seconds before she let the camera hang from her fingers. Lily immediately took it from her, and Roxie raised an eyebrow when Bianca stepped away from the setup.

"Hey. Break it up," Kendall snapped from the side.

Bianca looked toward Kendall. "Lily’s gonna take her picture. Don’t worry."

"Good. Then go stand somewhere else."

Bianca rolled her eyes before walking past Roxie.

Roxie expected another insult. Something about Zac, her clothes, her hair or whatever else Bianca could think of while she had the chance.

Instead, Bianca slowed beside her.

Her voice was low enough that Roxie almost missed it.

"Maybe Claire should’ve spent less time getting high and more time teaching you some manners."

Roxie froze.

Bianca kept walking.

For several seconds, Roxie could only stare ahead because the rest of the sentence barely registered.

Claire.

Bianca had said Claire.

Her fingers went cold at her sides as her mind immediately tried to make sense of it. Karen did not know that name. Angela did not know it either. Roxie had spent years making sure nobody at Briarwick knew anything about the woman who had left her alone in that bungalow whenever she disappeared.

Coach Miller knew.

Zac knew.

That was it.

Neither one of them would tell Bianca.

Roxie slowly turned her head.

Bianca had stopped several feet away.

She was watching her.

The second their eyes met, Bianca’s smile widened.

Fuck.

She had been waiting for Roxie to react.

Roxie wanted to go after her immediately. She wanted to demand where she had heard that name and what the fuck she knew about Claire. The questions were already pushing against her throat when she caught Karen and Angela standing nearby.

Kendall was even closer.

Roxie shut her mouth.

If she demanded to know how Bianca knew Claire, everyone around them would immediately know the name mattered. One question would become ten more, and Roxie had no intention of explaining her mother to half the fucking team because Bianca wanted to play some stupid game with her.

"Jones."

Roxie stayed focused on Bianca.

Kendall snapped her fingers. "Jones."

Roxie finally looked at her.

Kendall pointed toward the mark on the floor. "Picture. Now."

Roxie looked back toward Bianca one last time.

The bitch was still smiling.

Roxie walked into position.

Lily raised the camera. "Chin up."

Roxie lifted her chin, but her eyes immediately moved past the lens toward Bianca.

What the fuck did she know?

"Jones," Kendall snapped again.

Roxie breathed through her mouth and forced herself to look toward the camera.

The shutter clicked.

"Smile," Lily said.

Roxie gave her one, although her mind was nowhere near the fucking photo anymore.

Claire.

Bianca knew Claire’s name.

There was no way she had guessed both.

Lily continued taking pictures while Roxie followed whatever instructions she gave her. Turn slightly. Move her shoulder. Look toward the camera. Smile again. Roxie did all of it automatically because every few seconds her attention slipped back toward Bianca.

Every time it did, Bianca was watching her.

That smug little smile never completely left her face.

When Lily finally lowered the camera, Roxie stepped away.

"Done."

Bianca took the camera back and started checking the pictures while Lily packed some of the equipment. Roxie watched her carefully, waiting to see whether she would say anything else.

She didn’t.

Bianca glanced up once, caught Roxie staring and smiled before turning her attention back to the camera.

Karen came beside Roxie. "Please tell me that means this is over."

Roxie glanced at her. "Practice?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

Roxie looked back toward Bianca. "She started it."

Karen sighed. "There it is. But I’d be here if you need another hand."

"I’m not planning anything."

"I also saw you staring at her hair like you were choosing where to grab."

Roxie shrugged. "Old habits."

Karen stared at her. "You’re insane."

Roxie smiled because that was easier than giving Karen any reason to think something else was going on.

Photography Club continued working around the gym while Roxie tracked Bianca without making it obvious. She knew she needed to get her alone. Starting another argument with everyone standing around would only make Karen, Angela and Kendall curious, and Roxie was already sure Bianca would enjoy that.

Eventually Lily folded the tripod while another student collected the rest of the equipment. Bianca zipped the camera bag closed and slung it over her shoulder.

They were leaving.

Bianca still had to get through the hallway before she reached the parking lot.

And Roxie was going to make sure she caught her alone before she did.

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