"You said you'd only submitted to Serena, but Brook seemed just as direct, totally confident you'd submit to her. The two are remarkably similar in attitude, not to mention appearance, even for cousins. I'd have thought them sisters." I began as we began our drive.
"Yeah, who knows how much inbreeding those families have done. I wouldn't be surprised to find they share more than just a pair of siblings for parents. I think their mothers are sisters because Brook's maiden name was Walters not Reynolds. Maybe one of their mothers stepped out and screwed her sister's husband." Beth snorted. "Believe me, that similarity drove some of Serena's power over me. I could see Brook every time I looked into her face. Two peas in a pod. They are two years apart in age, with Brook being the older at thirty-three now. But Serena seems to be the leader, which does not surprise me. She's a direct, take-charge woman. The two original girls, Susan and Crystal, who nailed me at that party, actually deferred to Serena once they got her involved. Later, they disclosed Serena was the leader of their cheerleading squad in high school, and they have just naturally followed her lead since."
"So Serena was still in her twenties when you met," I said, trying to not say what I was thinking. Beth was ahead of me.
"You might as well say it, Bas," Beth said. "Yes, I'm older by several years. I was wise to the ways of the world, not some naive child, and the girls still took me down as easily as a coyote might take a fawn. Susan might have tired of me and let me go after the first couple of sessions once she decided I'd learned my lesson and paid for my insults, but as soon as Serena got involved, well, that did not happen. She loved having me under her control. The only saving grace was she and Crystal had the inconvenience of having to make the drive over from Baton Rouge since Susan and I lived here."
"I'm so glad Serena had not told Brook back then about the stupid, submissive bitch she dominated. My life would have been far different," Beth said quietly. "Without outside help, I'd have been under Brook's thumb."
We stopped by Sue's former home, now the office for my computer company, to visit Sue. Beth told her the project was a 'go'. Sue was happy to hear that as she'd been busy working on the other images. At a glance at Serena's face in the photo, she said, "I know her. Or rather, I've seen her. She's a member of the Krewe but almost never attends any of the events. She's one of those who joined just to put it on her resume or enhance her position in society or some such nonsense."
"The first time I had any real contact with her was when she came over here to see Candi and her group about some kind of cheerleader alumni group or some such thing. No, I remember now, she was trying to get some support for a clinic to teach girls to cheer and needed money to get started. It was some side project she was into. I remember that much."
Sue blushed. "Well, that's all I remember about her project. I also remember she is a demanding bitch. She noticed how I was jumping to Candi's orders, and the bitch commented on how I was the perfect toadie. Candi demonstrated her control by raising my skirt to show how I was commando and shaved on her orders. The bitch, Serena, fingered me right there in the office and pinched and pulled my lips, daring me to protest. She told me how she loved to use girls like me, and if I stepped out of line, she'd redden my ass herself. Candi thought it amusing. None of that came about, fortunately."
I shook my head. The cruelty some of these women displayed to each other just amazed me. Out loud I said, "What is it with some of you women? You seem to love screwing each other over and putting others down. I just can't wrap my head around it."
Beth shrugged. "Some women feel better about themselves when they knock another one down. It's a manifestation of feeling superior." My eyebrows raised at the way she said that, but she was serious. "Look at it this way. You know Candi, Allie, Lana and their histories. Today, you observed and listened to Brook and Serena. There are many others just like them. They are getting a bit older, they feel their looks slipping and, with that, their power over others. They are not the queen bee they once were or thought they were. Some have not accomplished as much as they wanted or think they deserved. I see many in the Krewe in exactly that position. All are not ex-beauties with a sense of entitlement either. Many are struggling to get ahead themselves, but they share the same mentality. They are very smart but feel their life is lacking. They feel better about themselves if they get over on another woman. It's a competition, and they want to win." Sue nodded in agreement.
"Think of a bunch of rats in a barrel scrambling to get on top," Sue said. "The ones on the bottom have to put up with the shit and piss dumped on them by the ones above."
"You don't seem to be like that," I said to Beth.
"Oh, but I am, very much so. But I compete where I can win, in the world of business. I can dominate there. It is a fluke of my character that I can't stand up on my own to sexually dominant personalities. Some women, like Paige, Sarah, Lou, and a few others you know, have climbed out of the barrel and watch the others fight over status. Lenore and Charlotte are climbing up the sides of the barrel, trying to stay out of melee. They aren't trying to climb on anyone nor are they willing to accept being on the bottom. They had a little boost to get started and are out of the fight."
"Well, let's give you a little boost and get some fake photos made." I said.
Sue said, "Already on it, Boss! Let me show you what I have."
Beth shrugged, "No matter how good a boost I get now, I'm still stained with the shit and piss from the bottom of the barrel. I was there too long. No matter what I do, the other rats are still going to see me as one from the bottom they should still be standing on. The only thing I can do now is show my teeth and make them think twice about trying to take me down again. I hope I can make them realize it's not worth the risk to mess with me."
