Main Bonus #87: The Girl Squad's Secret Mission (Patreon)

IMPORTANT: Please do not screenshot and post any part of this bonus scene to other sites or share with non-patrons. All of the Patreon content is exclusive to Patreon and for current patron's eyes only.  Thank you!! xoxo Krista & Becca

RESOURCES:  Check out this narrative timeline graphic to visually see when this bonus scene takes place.

SPOILER WARNING: There are spoilers from BURN BRIGHT in this bonus scene. We highly recommend reading the book before reading this bonus.

“You did what?” My jaw is agape. My eyes wide. My best friend just uttered a declaration that I did not expect.

“I sent her on a fact-finding mission.” Audrey pulls her hair over her shoulder, flattening out some of the glossy strands.

I’m not drunk. The wine in my Solo cup has been sipped twice. It tastes like grape juice. A part of me thinks maybe Tasha Sager stole the non-alcoholic stuff from her youth group at the Baptist church. But I don’t bring up that theory. I am still hard stuck on Audrey’s statement.

“You sent Vada to a college party,” I restate the most important detail. Holy hell. I was not expecting that news to drop tonight.

Halloween has already been hard enough that it’s just Audrey and me here in Philly. Vada and Winona didn’t want to make the trek down from their boarding school in upstate New York. Not when October 31 landed on a Thursday this year, and apparently Winona has some big Physics exam tomorrow.

Would have never guessed that Audrey recruited Vada on a top-secret mission tonight.

Audrey grabs my hand and pulls me deeper into Tasha’s four-story McMansion in the same gated neighborhood we live in. Tasha’s parents started an MLM decades ago shilling out organic vitamins, and she’s generally well-liked in the halls of Dalton Academy. Mainly for her constant parties. She throws one for just about anything—Winter Solstice, Groundhog Day, Spring Equinox, and even Arbor Day. She’s on the varsity cheer squad with Audrey, which was how I snagged an invite to the Halloween party.

My feelings on today are…weird.

It sucks that I’m not hanging out with my family. My dad’s birthday is today, and he’s not doing a big bash since he had a massive one last year for his fiftieth. That means Xander and Luna stayed in New York.

It’s not the same.

Nothing has been the same since the start of the school year.

Audrey leads me past a group of guys playing beer pong. “Hey! Kim Possible! Shego!” one of them calls out to us.

My eyes go wide, surprised they recognized our costumes.

“Hello and au revoir!” Audrey waves a hand in goodbye as she pulls me away and into a quiet, empty den. A velvet green chaise and two club chairs face an electric fireplace, a flame glowing behind the glass.

Audrey spins to me in her Kim Possible costume, black turtleneck and olive-green cargo pants. A stark contrast to her usual feminine outfits. But we’d been planning our matching Halloween costumes since August.

I somehow found a Shego costume that wasn’t a latex bodysuit. The lime green and black bell-bottom pants and tube top are comfortable enough that I’d wear this outfit on a normal day.

Audrey’s face contains deep concern, and I realize she’s worried about my opinion. Especially when she says, “It’s not dangerous. I didn’t ask Vada to go into the pits of Hell.”

I lift my shoulders in a shrug. “College parties sound kind of like the armpit of the Underworld. What’s there? Horny dudes?”

“My brother. Your brother,” Audrey says plainly. “While they could probably fall into that category, I’d like to think our brothers are more civilized than the standard issue horndog.”

I scoff. “My brother is not at a college party.”

Her brows rise.

A chill skates over my spine. “Xander? We’re talking about Xander, right?’

“Yes. He’s there with Easton.”

Okay, that makes a little more sense. My brother started college this semester at Manhattan Valley University, but I just figured he’d wait a while before sinking his toes into a full-blown college rager. Like maybe give it five to six months.

I’m happy he feels comfortable enough to go.

Bummed more that he never told me.

But it’s not like we talk every day. We talk sometimes. Less than when he lived with me and we bumped into each other in the hallway. I make a mental note to call him tomorrow and see how the party went. We’re honest enough with each other that he’d tell me if it was the pits of Hell.

“So give me the details on this mission,” I tell Audrey and take another small sip of wine. “What’s the objective?”

 “This is purely reconnaissance.” She swirls her own Solo cup of wine. “I want to know if Ben is truly happy in New York. I told Vada to see if he has a tragic demeanor and report back.”

“I thought you and Ben still keep in touch?”

“We do.” Audrey nods voraciously. “But he wouldn’t worry me with the truth if things were still bad for him. And he’s seemed so…off since he beat up Tate. I’m just trying to be proactive.” Her lips downturn. I know the feeling.

I’m constantly worried about my own brother. Xander being so far away makes the concern twice as powerful. All I can do to assuage this feeling is drown myself in my new extracurriculars at school because I can’t think of a more chaotic situation than devising a mission from states away to check in on him.

I am impressed and slightly freaked by Audrey’s beautiful and devious brain.

“So Vada is your spy,” I deadpan.

“Precisely,” Audrey says. “But a gorgeous little spy. Look, here’s her Halloween costume.” She taps her phone and rotates the screen to me.

The selfie of Vada has my jaw on the ground. Her hair is tied off into a loose braid and she’s in a low-cut cowlneck top that has a 70s vibe.  “Is she wearing a push-up bra?”

“Her cleavage has never looked better,” Audrey says into a proud nod.

Okayyy. I’m just now starting to realize the enormity of the situation. “Vada is at a college party. She’s wearing that at a college party. Should we be concerned?” I suck down the rest of my drink.

Audrey glances back at the dark curtains framing a window, as if she can peer miles away and see our best friends in New York. “Vada and Winona are off on their own.” Her blue eyes soften back on my green. “They don’t have parental supervision, and Nona says their curfew is a joke. I’m sure they’ve had tons of adventures we don’t know about. Maybe even pranked the boys boarding school nearby or snuck out onto the quad at night.”

That sucker punches me more than every other revelation tonight.

“You think?” I wince.

Audrey winces too. “I wish they’d tell us absolutely everything about boarding school. But they didn’t even tell us about Tate. They have their secrets. But we also have ours.” She perks up to try to perk me up, but even with her smile at play, the sting hasn’t receded.

“It sucks,” I admit. “It sucks we couldn’t all stick together.” I stare into my empty cup. “I know it was a dumb thought anyway. They are a year older. They would have gone to college before us regardless…I guess.”

Audrey stares at the fireplace as she says, “In the end, it was always going to be me and you. Audrey and Kinney.” Her eyes find mine again. “The very youngest of our families. The last ones standing.” She slips me a small smile that grows with promises and optimism of tomorrow. It works its charm now. Lightening the darkened parts of my spirit.

I start to smile back.

“So Vada is on her mission right now?” I ask, setting the topic on course. “Do we need to do any assisting from afar?”

Audrey checks her phone. “The last update she sent was that she made it to the party. If all goes well, we’ll have news soon.”

The door to the den creaks open with a giggling girl and a guy on her arm. They’re dressed as Mario and Princess Peach.

“Oh…” Mario grimaces. “Sorry…”

“No apologies,” Audrey says into a wide grin. “The room is yours. Defile away.” I follow her out the door while Princess Peach issues a soft thank you through rosy cheeks.

We make our way outside to the crackling fire pit in Tasha’s backyard.

“Kinney!” Gretchen DeAngelo waves me over toward her spot at the fire, and despite sharing the name with the titular bad bitch in Mean Girls, this Gretchen has zero mean bones in her body. She’s also one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever laid eyes on. Flowy brown hair and endless legs. Gretchen has made me realize I like legs.

Long legs. The kind that can wrap around me. I have this reoccurring mental image of carrying my girlfriend in a front piggyback as we kiss. It’s a shame that the daydream most likely will never come to fruition. Not with my horrible luck in the dating department. And definitely not with Gretchen DeAngelo. Though that doesn’t stop Audrey from grinning so wide, her smile might just explode her face.

“No,” I deadpan.

“She’s practically signing you love letters,” Audrey tells me in a breathy whisper.

“Her hands are free. No pen in sight.”

“Metaphorical love letters.”

“Gretchen is straight.” My boots sink into the grass as we step off the patio.  

“How do we know that?” Audrey poses.

I guess I don’t. But… “She’s told me she’s had a giant crush on Xander since she was seven.”

Audrey waves her hand like it’s a silly technicality. “She’s looking at you with literal hearts in her eyes. I know these things.”

Audrey has daydreamed about her future significant other as much as me…maybe even more. It’s kind of ironic that we’re both painfully this single.

Gretchen is still waving. My stomach does a backflip. Shit.

I wave back and then make a motion toward the cooler nearby.

“What? No…” Audrey pouts as I walk in the other direction, but she follows me. “I’m telling you this is your destiny.”

“My destiny is another round of grape-juice wine.” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “And I’m sure Gretchen just wanted to ask my opinion on The Boondock Saints.” We’re in the same film appreciation club together.

Audrey’s nose crinkles. “I hated that movie.”

“It’s a cult classic.”

“There was not a single romance,” Audrey laments. “I’d rather stare up at the sky for two hours.”

I smile. “So you can make believe a romance in your head.”

“Oui.”   

Audrey has also spent more time on extracurriculars to make up for the giant-size hole Winona and Vada left. She couldn’t convince the president of the drama club to let her in, so we’ve tried a handful of other ones together.

I refill my Solo cup with the bottle of cheap wine. “Just tell me you wouldn’t rather be in gardening club over watching The Boondock Saints.”

Audrey holds out her cup to me. “Never. You wouldn’t be there.”

I suppress another smile. I have an all-black wardrobe, a black heart, and apparently a black thumb. I killed the school’s cactus—which I didn’t think was killable. Like how do you murder something that lives in the desert?

Annnnd…they kicked me out of the club.

I don’t blame them. If I lasted any longer, I might’ve withered all the beautiful flowers and the ugly ones.

“Do we really think the cactus is the school’s plant mascot? Or was Jackson messing with me?” I ask her.

“Still unverified.” Audrey takes out her phone. “I will add it to my list of things to uncover.”

It’s a long list.

Most have to do with her brothers. Mysteries that she hasn’t been able to solve. Her eyes flit back to the bonfire. “We have our wine. Do we have our fortitude?”

“Undetermined.”

Audrey slips me a deeper look. “Gretchen DeAngelo cannot be intimidating you. Nothing intimidates the great Kinney Hale.”

If only that were true.

I give her a bigger nod. “You’re right,” I say. “Nothing in the world intimidates me.”

Just as the words leave my lips, someone shouts, “There’s a dad at the front door!”

A dad.

The noise level at the party drops considerably.

“And he’s hot!” someone else screams.

Audrey and I share a confused look. If one of our dads showed up at the party, then they would be recognized and announced by name. Everyone here knows what Connor Cobalt and Loren Hale look like.

 “Oh…” Audrey lets out a deep sigh as she glances at her phone. “I fear that Vada has been compromised.”

“By who?” I frown.

“Xander’s bodyguard.”

“Donnelly?” I almost can’t believe it. My sister’s boyfriend. Luna is dating him! Paul Donnelly might as well be an honorary Hale with the invites he’s been getting to family functions. It doesn’t hurt that he’s best friends with Maximoff’s husband. And I’d grown to really like him…Salem even likes him…my dog…

“Are we sure?” I ask.

Audrey is typing while Tasha Sager beelines for me. “Hey, your uncle is asking for you two,” Tasha says. “He’s at the door.”

My stomach twists into a tight knot. Not good. Audrey and I hightail it into the house, but I stop her in the kitchen near a counter of empty jugs of mixers and juice. “Why don’t we just bolt out the backyard?” I ask her. Granted, we just left the yard. But we can double back. There’s no harm in doubling back. Right?!

“We’re not doing anything wrong,” Audrey reminds me. “Our dads know we’re at this party. They’re probably just scouring for info on Vada. Deny everything.”

“Duh,” I say. I wouldn’t rat out Vada.

 We make it to the front door and sure enough, Uncle Garrison is waiting on the stoop. What I didn’t expect to see is my dad in the driver’s seat of an Audi idling by the curb. When I turn back to my uncle, I notice his shirt.

“Oh my God. What are you wearing?” I cringe. His blue tee says “America’s Ass” with the Captain America logo.

Uncle Garrison blinks like he wants to evaporate in place. “You can thank your dad.”

“We will be filing multiple complaints,” Audrey says beside me with the same pinched face. She’s pulling out her phone and raising it.

“Audrey, if you take a picture—”

“I’m documenting for your daughter.”

“My daughter is the reason you two are getting your party cut short.” He wears a stricter expression and nods toward the Audi. “Come with me.”

Audrey and I follow without pushback. There’s no reason to argue, and if this helps me avoid an awkward interaction with Gretchen DeAngelo, maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.

“Is Vada okay?” I ask as we head down the driveway.

“Why don’t you tell me,” Uncle Garrison slips me a look like fork it over. There’s really nothing to fork though. I’m not privy to the details.

Audrey feigns confusion. “But how would we know anything? She doesn’t live in Philly.”

Uncle Garrison mimes a phone with his fingers, putting his thumb to his ear and pinky to his mouth. “Hello? I’d like to report a bad liar to the authorities.”

Audrey gasps. “That’s vile. I am a terrific liar.”

“Bad. So bad.” He grumbles and then stops at the car. His eyes suddenly fall to the cups in our hands. He groans. “Please tell me that’s fruit punch.”

“It’s fruit punch,” Audrey and I say together. We share smiles.

The driver’s side window rolls down and my smile vanishes instantly. My dad’s glare has cemented on the drink in my hand. “Kinney Hale,” he says with raised brows. The disappointment in his voice is enough to make me want to crawl underground and never return. Make friends with the mole rats and worms.

My dad knows there was alcohol at the party. He knows I partake now that I’m seventeen. But there’s a clear rule that I won’t get sloshed—and maybe he doesn’t know that I’m not even a little bit buzzed. Still, I’m seconds away from tossing the entire Solo cup into the bush beside Tasha Sager’s mailbox when Uncle Garrison holds out his hand for it.

“It’s grape juice,” I tell him when I pass it over.

He takes a sip and cringes. “Cheap. Very cheap wine.” He tips the cup and dumps the liquid in the bush. Then he takes Audrey’s and tries hers. He gags and then coughs. “What else is in here?”

“Oh I added some Malört. To try.”

My dad’s brows rise in shock. “I will let your dad know you tried battery acid tonight.” He looks at Uncle Garrison in concern. “You’re all right. Just get in before you hack up a lung.”

“Too late,” Uncle Garrison chokes out, then slides into the passenger seat.

Audrey and I sit in the back.

My dad doesn’t start the car. 

“Is Vada okay?” I ask again.

“She’s grounded for eternity,” Uncle Garrison says, rubbing his temples.

“So are you two,” my dad says through the rearview. 

“What did we do?” I complain instantly.

“We are innocent,” Audrey decrees.

“We have Vada’s phone records,” Uncle Garrison says. “I can see your texts with her, Audrey.”

“You have her phone records?” I gape. “That is invasion of privacy. Oh my God. Dad, if you’re snooping on me—”

“I’m not checking your phone, Kinney. You live in my house. I don’t need to. I can see your lies as soon as I see your face.” Ugh, I hate how true that is.

“Vada knows I can see her texts.” Uncle Garrison explains, “We agreed if she was going to boarding school, she’d let me and her mom be able to check them if we were ever worried about her. Which I honestly never wanted to have to do.” I’m guessing this is a first for him.

I didn’t know Vada agreed to that.

By the shock on Audrey’s face, she didn’t either.

Maybe Vada thought she could slip in and out of the college party without alerting her parents. Or maybe she knew it was a doomed mission from the start.

But she did it anyway.

For Audrey.

The same realization sweeps over Audrey’s expression. Love, tenderness, guilt. I slide my hand in hers and squeeze.

She swallows hard. “I’ll take the punishment,” Audrey says. “But I want you to know Vada is an extraordinary, indispensable friend. She would have never been at that party, if I didn’t ask. Don’t go too harshly on her.”

Uncle Garrison doesn’t say anything.

My dad looks at me from the rearview. “Final words?”

“Yeah,” I say into a big nod. “Friendship is really important to you…to all of you, right? Just think about that before you talk to Vada.”

My dad smiles, and I’d like to think it’s more genuine than snarky.

Audrey’s phone buzzes in her hand and she angles the screen so I can see the text.

My heart leaps.

VADA LAUREN ABBEY: Ben is neither happy nor tragic. He’s just pissed I’m here.

Audrey’s shoulders slump.

She mouths two words to me that sum up this year so far.

Mission failure.

Thank you for reading this month's Main Bonus! Also big, ginormous thanks for all of your patience this month. We knew we wanted to write another Burn Bright bonus outside of the "Winter Break" series we've been writing, and this one kept speaking to us. We didn't initially plan to write it now since it takes place during Halloween and we are in festive Christmas season, but sometimes we can't ignore the call when a bonus scene comes knocking at our inspiration door. So we hope you enjoyed this one and getting a little inside glimpse into Audrey, Kinney, and the happenings of the Girl Squad at this time.

There's another bonus on the horizon! This one will be during the Winter Break timeline, so be prepared for more Cobalt shenanigans. Podcasts will also be recorded soon. Lots of great things are left at the tail end of this month. So keep on the lookout!

xoxo Krista & Becca

 “The Girl Squad's Secret Mission," Copyright © 2025 by K.B. Ritchie