John Dandy Boys Club

Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Masquerade Games (Finale, Pt. One)

Third-Person POV

M. Tristan Hair Salon and Spa of downtown Stonehaven Pointe, Saturday morning...

Gentle readers, by now you all have all been waiting for the moment when Kenya finally gets her just desserts after causing plenty of chaos for everyone she had met: Bay'Vion, her family members, De'Andre and his clan, and the families of the late Sabrina Erdogan, Nathan Bavier, and Robert Beckham as well as the commonwealth of Virginia and the state of Louisiana.

Well, good things do come to those who wait with eagerness.

At the moment, Kenya Halliday was lost in a sea of sadistic grandeur as she was getting her hair prepared at the town's salon. Like many of the townspeople who had received their invitations to the annual Winter Formal masquerade ball at Westley Manor, she wanted to make sure that she would look and feel her best. But her intentions at the party would be lethal if not horrific as she planned to take down the John Dandy Boys and Men's Clubs, all those who had betrayed and abandoned her, and anyone who got in her way before she would allow the cops to put her in prison or on death row. "This is going to be the night to remember," she crooned to herself as an attendant was giving her a deep-cleaning shampoo wash. "I'm going to be the true femme-fatale at the ball and I'll look good doing it."

"Why, hello."

Kenya's eyes snapped open at the sound of a young woman's Southern voice. With the attendant finished, she let the worker wrap her hair up before facing a young woman with skin the color of dark caramels; coily Black hair that had copper and gold highlights; and had a model-worthy body that could give Kenya some competition for a modeling company. "Hello, yourself," Kenya said, pursing her lips to size up the competition. She looks cute, but not as cute as me, the teenager thought to herself. "I take it that you're going to get ready for tonight's ball at the manor."

"That I am," the other young woman replied, smiling softly. "Name's Adelaide Monroe. I'm in town for this weekend and have a few friends that invited me over for the festivities."

"Hmm. I got a special invite from someone a few days ago. It's a bit unorthodox since I'm not from around here. I'm Kenya, by the way."

"Charmed," Adelaide said as they shook hands. "Well, I hope to see you tonight at the Formal. And make sure to bring a mask and your invite. If you don't have the latter with you at the door, then there's no point of coming over. From what I've heard, this formal is going to be quite memorable."

"I bet it will," Kenya replied as another attendant arrive to put conditioner in her hair. As soon as Kenya watched Adelaide leave with another worker, she snorted. "She'll never be me. These folks right here...no matter. The sooner I make myself known, the better off I'll be."

Kenya Halliday didn't know it yet, but she had talked to a spy who was close friends with the all-male social club who was ready for her arrival at Westley Manor. And tonight was going to be a night that would be memorable for a very long time.

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At the Gold Thorn Hotel, later that afternoon...

Adelaide Monroe didn't just like masquerade balls featuring well-known celebrities, local or national. She THRIVED on them. Tonight at Westley Manor would be a night to see and to be seen, to settle old affairs and discuss new business, to create new alliances and cement old ones, and to make lunch dates while making new contacts. But more importantly, this Winter Formal at the Westley Manor would ensure that Kenya Halliday would finally get her just desserts. Thanks to careful planning and pure ingenuity, the teenage PR consultant and fellow Keeper of the Keys would make sure that Kenya would answer to her crimes.