THE LYONS' HOME
CLAIRE'S ROOM
Friday, August 31st
12:37 P.M.
Massie stormed into Claire's room. Her Steve Maddens pounded the shag carpet, and her breath was hot in her chest. She felt nervous. Scared. Out of control. And it was awl Claire's fault.
The room hadn't changed much since she'd seen it last. The walls were painted a cheery blue, and the bedspread was still grey with pink stripes. Her eyes hung onto Claire's silver laptop.
@CLAIREBEAR: ONE NEW CHATROOM INVITE
Massie could her Claire coming behind her, just a few feet away, but she couldn't stop herself. To nawt click it was like to go shopping in New York and not buy a single thing. And this invite was a limited-edition snakeskin Prada clutch. A pair of Alice + Olivia cargo pants in charcoal. A half-off silk Gucci blouse. Her fingers closed around the mouse.
@CLAIREBEAR HAS JOINED THE CHAT
@LAYNEABES: Finally! ☻☻
@LAYNEABES: So spill it— have U told MB?
@CLAIREBEAR: Told Massie what?
@LAYNEABES: YK. The stuff with the—
"What are you doing?" Claire pounced, throwing herself at the computer.
"Eh-ma-gawd, get offa me!" Massie shrieking, falling boots-first onto Claire's bed. She quickly scrambled up, her lip gloss smeared across her cheek. "What are you hiding?"
Claire sighed, looking appropriately pathetic in her loose-fitting jeans and faded peach baby-tee. Her socks had puppies on them, and a white jacket hung across her slumped shoulders. Even after two years in Westchester, she still looked like a rag-tag Florida girl.
"If you really want to know the truth, the Pretty Committee and I are, well..."
Massie's eyes rolled so far back she swore she glimpsed her satin Miu Miu headband. "Yes?"
"Um. No longer friends."
It felt like someone had just told Massie Birkenstocks were the new it fall fashion piece. She felt blindsided. Confused. Enraged.
"Kuh-laire, you are such a—"
"Hello?" Judi peeked her head through the door. "Is everything okay in here?"
"We heard yelling," Kendra explained, a perfect blonde eyebrow raised at Massie.
"We're good," Claire replied stiffly.
"Good. Well, Massie, the insurance agent sent a handyman over, and our air-conditioning should be fine. So how about you and Claire finish up your conversation, and we can leave at around 1:00."
"We're done now, actually." Massie sniffed, giving Claire it a withering glance over her shoulder. "Right now."
Her expression remained irate even as the Blocks stepped into their new Range Rover, a newer model with a larger TV and a wider minifridge. Leave it to Claire to ruin her first day back in Westchester, like Georgina spoiling Rufus and Lily's wedding on Gossip Girl. But this wasn't a soap opera, where everyone was friends and the drama stayed on set. Gawd, if only.
Her mood slightly improved after a chorus of texts from the Pretty Committee, but then she remembered they'd snubbed her too, and she'd left all three on read. And then, she suddenly realized the message from James was still sitting at the bottom of her mailbox. Unanswered.
JAMES: Hey, just wanted 2 let U know I'll miss U.
JAMES: Remember, English guys > Americans. ☻ ☻ ☻
Three smiley faces. How could she have forgotten?
MASSIE: Thanks. IMY2!
MASSIE: Don't downgrade to someone in your time zone I while I'm gone!
Massie considered the message, her manicured thumb hovering over the send button. She thought back to a video Dylan's mom, Merri-Lee Marvil, had filmed on her TV show the Daily Grind. It had been all about proper SMS etiquette, and while the Pretty Committee had poked fun at it, some of the tips were helpful. Such as, be flirty, but not easy. Never include more than three smiley faces. And never, ever double text a crush. She quickly retyped, leaving smiley faces for good measure.
MASSIE: Thanks. But if a certain Brit doesn't text back, I might have 2 default! ☻ ☻
She sent it, then stuffed her iPhone into her Coach gallery tote. If she waited for Jame's response, it would drive her crazy. Besides, she needed to focus on choosing a mixed juice from the mini-fridge.
THE BLOCK ESTATE
MASSIE'S BEDROOM
Friday, August 31st
1:59 P.M.
"Bean, I think my room got smaller."
Massie sat on her new purple duvet, trying to pretend the thread count was about 200 higher than it actually was. Saks had been sold out of her original choice, so she was currently living on 800. Like a homeless person. And after her expansive, fairy tale-like turret in the Block Castle, this felt like a major step down. And, worst of all, her iMac was filled with IM requests and emails from the Pretty Committee. Or at least, what was left of it. Each notification was a painful reminder of what was happening, and the fact that she had no idea how to fix it.
@MASSIEKUR: @HOLAGURL HAS INVITED YOU TO A CHAT
Sighing, Massie stared at Bean. Her tiny black eyes were round and pleading, as if she somehow knew what Massie was going through. As if she was silently begging Massie to forgive.
@MASSIEKUR HAS ACCEPTED THE INVITE
@HOLAGURL: OMG, THX x 10 for joining! ☻☻
@HOLAGURL: CL told U everything, right?
@MASSIEKUR: Y.
@HOLAGURL: KG, DM , and I are so sorry we didn't tell U. D thought we should, but we didn't know when U would B back.
@HOLAGURL: Thought it would B easier 2 tell U l8er.
@MASSIEKUR: I'm not mad BC U didn't tell me, I'm mad BC U kicked CL out when I told U she was our friend!
@HOLAGURL: WDYM?
Massie rolled her eyes, giving Bean a see how that turned out-glare. Alicia still up to her old tricks, wearing lies like Massie wore a new Prada bag.
@HOLAGURL: We had 2 dump CL. Bad 4 the group. Turned out 2 be a total LBR. We thought U would understand.
@MASSIEKUR: What R U even talking about? She just said U guys weren't friends.
@HOLAGURL: Can we talk over phone?
Massie bit her lip, tasting Green Tea Chai and reglossing immediately.
This reminded her of the time in London rumors spread that James had lip-kissed one of the trashy Bexley High public school girls, at the same party he and Massie had slow-danced to Adele. (The song was cliche times ten, but in her stacked platform Manolos, she was unable to do anything but sway.) During a harrowing IM confrontation, James had swore that he and Public School had only hugged. It had been up to Massie to believe him, and, after a quick Pretty Committee five-way, she had. Trusting your friends was like layering with a monochrome Theory cardigan— always the right move. But who was Massie supposed to believe?
INCOMING CALL: ALICIA RIVERA
"Hey," came Alicia's slow, breathy voice.
"Talk."
She could hear Alicia shifting on the other line, the unmistakable pop of lip gloss opening, then a heavy sigh.
"It awl started after you left. We went to this party thrown by a sophomore, and there was this guy..."
"Alicia, are you lost?"
"Um..."
"Then get to the point!" Massie snapped. Hearing about parties of social life past was like pairing brown and black— pointless, ah-nnoying, and just painful in general for everyone involved. Especially when Massie had missed said party.
"Well, he was a total HART, and we kissed. I swore Kris, Dyl, and Kuh-laire to absolute secrecy, because Josh and I were totally almost a thing. And she told him."
Massie gasped. A secret like that was worth hundreds of Gossip Points, but it was still a very un-Claire move. It was something Massie would do... but nawt to a fellow PC member. Never.
"That's not even the worst part!"
Massie widened her eyes, listening to Alicia like she was Anna Wintour handing out style tips.
"Then, she started dating him."
"Ehmagawd, no!"
"Yes. And that's why she is so nawt a GLU anymore,"
Massie racked her brain, trying to imagine the preppy, Polo-loving Josh and Claire together. The awful pairing gave her a headache.
"She is such a snake. I can't believe I almost trusted her."
"We need to wreck her, for good. Make Josh realize how much of a LBR she is," Massie said carefully. Behind her sparkling amber eyes, a plan was already forming.
STATE OF THE UNION
in: Josh and Vanessa, Spanish beauties, groups of 4
out: Josh and Claire, Florida girls, groups of 5