"Dad? What are you doing here?" Bobbi asked as she stepped out of Missy's room and saw her father standing in the Coopers' living room.
The little girl happily threw herself into his arms, showing off her new treasure. "Look, isn't this puppy cute? Missy gave it to me."
Bobbi was holding a small white plush toy—a return gift from Missy. It was clear that the two girls had become fast friends in a very short amount of time.
Meanwhile, Missy came out of the room and immediately sought out Mike, looking for credit. "Mike, I fixed Sheldon's problem. pretty awesome, right?"
Seeing the little girl blinking her big eyes, fishing for a compliment, Mike smiled and ruffled her hair. "Our Missy is amazing."
Having received the praise she wanted, Missy giggled happily.
Nearby, Herschel breathed a sigh of relief seeing his daughter getting along so well with the Cooper family. He comforted Bobbi for a moment, exchanged a few polite words with the Coopers, and then took his daughter home.
The tension between the neighbors had thawed, marking a great new beginning. The atmosphere at the Cooper dinner table returned to its usual relaxed vibe.
---
"Did you hear?" Cady whispered to Gretchen in the school cafeteria the next day. Gretchen was balancing two lunch trays. "Regina was complaining to me that the lunch you got her yesterday was totally gross and not what she wanted at all..."
Determined to drive a wedge between Regina and the group, Cady seized every opportunity to whisper in Gretchen's ear.
Gretchen, who had a milder temperament, was the one the "Queen Bee" bossed around the most within "The Plastics." That made her the perfect target for Cady.
Of course, the intel Cady was feeding her was actually true. Given the Queen Bee's domineering personality, micromanaging her minions came naturally.
"Not what she wanted? Well, what does she want?" Standing at the tray return, holding two identical meals, Gretchen's voice wavered with emotion.
Clearly, Cady's constant instigation was working.
It was understandable. No matter how nice someone is, if they spend all their time buying water, fetching food, and carrying bags for someone else, only to be criticized for it, they're eventually going to snap. Anyone would.
Plus, Gretchen had a bit of a crush on Mike, which subconsciously fueled her resentment toward Regina's control. It was a subtle shift that even Gretchen probably hadn't fully realized yet.
Watching Gretchen fume while holding the Queen Bee's lunch, Cady shrugged helplessly, pretending there was nothing she could do.
In reality, watching Gretchen's emotional state shift, Cady knew she had her. The chance to overthrow the Queen Bee's reign of terror was right in front of her.
Bang!
Gretchen returned to their table in the center of the cafeteria and slammed Regina's lunch down in front of her. Then, without a word, she sat down at the side of the table.
"What is up with her?" Regina, oblivious to the storm brewing, frowned slightly at Gretchen's rude behavior.
"Who knows? Maybe she's just having a bad day," Cady said with a smile, sounding like she was trying to smooth things over.
But then, as if it just occurred to her, Cady added, "Regina, isn't today Wednesday?"
"I know what day it is. What about it?" Regina asked, sounding a bit defensive.
"On Wednesdays, the Plastics wear miniskirts..." Cady glanced pointedly at the baggy jeans Regina was wearing.
"Ahem." Regina cleared her throat, tucked her legs under the table, and gave an awkward explanation. "Actually, I think jeans are fine. At least they're comfortable..."
The truth was, Regina had no choice but to wear jeans today. She had gained over ten pounds recently, and none of her cute skirts fit anymore.
Sitting at the side, seeing the jeans and hearing the lame excuse, Gretchen finally snapped. All her repressed anger exploded.
"You're wearing jeans! That's against the rules! You can't sit with us!" Gretchen yelled, venting all her dissatisfaction.
Startled by the outburst, Regina tried to explain. "I have a reason for wearing them..."
"What reason?" Gretchen shouted over her. "Just because you're Regina George and everyone likes you, you think you don't have to follow the rules? Don't forget, the last time I broke the dress code, you screamed at me and kicked me out of the cafeteria!"
As she spoke, Gretchen's eyes turned red with tears of frustration.
It was peak lunch hour, and the commotion drew the attention of the entire cafeteria.
Trapped in the eye of the storm, Regina looked around helplessly. She turned to Karen, who had a vacant expression, hoping the veteran member of the clique would back her up.
However, the Queen Bee was about to be disappointed.
Karen looked back and forth between Cady and Regina, seeming to realize something. Then, she said flatly, "Regina, Gretchen is right. You're wearing jeans. You can't sit with us."
"Fine. I get it." Hearing Karen's verdict, Regina picked up her tray and stood up.
Before leaving, she tried one last time to save face. "I wanted to wear a skirt, but I gained like ten pounds..."
"Whatever... enjoy your lunch..." Noticing the weird looks she was getting from the other students, Regina didn't want to stay a second longer. She dejectedly carried her tray toward the exit.
Many of the "Plastic Rules" were created by Regina herself. She knew that trying to get sympathy points now was unrealistic.
"Look at her thighs, they're huge. Like an elephant..."
"Yeah, and her waist... she looks like a barrel..."
"Total cow..."
As Regina walked away like a loser, exaggerated mockery erupted across the cafeteria.
Regina's tyrannical behavior meant her popularity was fragile at best. Most of the people laughing now were people she had bullied in the past. You could say she was reaping what she had sown.
Back at the center table, with the Queen Bee gone, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
The remaining three members of the clique let out a collective breath, as if they had just accomplished something monumental.
Cady and Karen exchanged a look—almost telepathic—and the corners of their mouths curled up into subtle smiles.
Just then, Mike and his "fan club" happened to walk by.
"Hey, Mike! Lena! Do you guys want to sit with us?" Karen asked with a bright smile.
Currently, Mike's group and the Plastics were the two most high-profile cliques in the school.
Lena glanced at the smiling Karen but left the decision to Mike.
Seeing that Regina wasn't there, Mike had no reason to refuse.
Mike, Lena, and the others sat down with Karen and Cady. The students sitting near the center table quickly realized what was happening and cleared out some space for the rest of Mike's entourage.
Just like that, Mike and his crew became the absolute center of attention in the cafeteria.
Countless guys watched with silent envy as Mike enjoyed the unique treatment of being the star everyone revolved around.