Hey, I know I haven't updated in awhile. But I figured a fun April Fool's oneshot might be nice, no matter how angsty it is.
Also, flashbacks are in italics. The nonitalicized parts are the present (which is supposed to be April Fools, but on a Friday:D)
enjoy(:
Gloss yourself.
Take a deep breath.
Act natural.
Breathe.
Claire Lyons did all of the above, over and over, in front of her full-length mirror. It was a Friday afternoon—school had ended about two hours ago, and now she was getting ready for Massie's boy-girl sleepover. She ran her hand through her shoulder-length blonde hair, sighing. She hated Fridays. And she'd hated Massie's sleepovers, ever since she'd been invited to them about a month ago.
It was her "trial run", as Massie had described it. Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen had considered adding Claire into their uber-exclusive clique, once deemed "The Pretty Committee", but now, towards the end of their junior year, they decided to drop the name and focus on more…important things.
Like covering up Alicia and Josh's messy breakup. Like spreading rumors about Layne Abeley and Mr. Avila, the hot new Spanish teacher. Like diffusing the scandals about Massie cheating on Derrick… which were so nawt true.
You would know, a voice echoed in Claire's head.
"Shut up!" Claire bit her lip, anxiously pacing in front of her mirror. Ever since Olivia's party, her subconscious mind had been having conversations with her.
And you know damn well why, Clairebear.
Exasperated, Claire collapsed onto her fluffy baby-blue comforter. It was weird, wasn't it? That Massie started making an effort to be nice to Claire in February? It was April. Two months ago, Claire wouldn't have dreamed about being invited to a PC sleepover—much less a co-ed sleepover.
--
"Hey, you're Claire, right?" A gorgeous brunette took the seat across from Claire during Biology. She flashed a somewhat friendly smile at the blonde.
"Uh, yeah." Claire mentally smacked herself. Why couldn't she think of anything else to say except 'uh, yeah?' Why did she choose now to start acting mentally ill? Anti-social? Hoping to cover up her obvious idolization of Massie Block, she smiled back.
"I'm Massie." I know, Claire said inside her head.
Massie cleared her throat. "Uhm, Me, Alicia, Kristen and Dylan," she paused, gesturing at the group of undeniably pretty girls standing a couple feet away, "were wondering if you were free this Friday? I'm having a sleepover… just us girls, you know?"
Claire's pulse quickened. Oh God… Claire Lyons at an infamous Massie Block soiree? It was impossible. Unheard of. Completely and utterly—
"Yes," she heard herself say. "I'm in."
--
"Massie?" Claire asked. She and Massie were doing their nails—purple, of course—in Massie's spacious bedroom, listening to a remix of "Monster" by Meg & Dia.
"Mhmm," Massie replied, not looking up from her polish, but instead picked up her iPhone 3G to text Derrick Harrington, her boyfriend of two years. She was hopelessly infatuated with him, and she let anyone know. Her latest conquest with him was, of course, sex. But he was such a good boy, who wanted to wait, and that was what she admired most of all.
"Why me? Why all of a sudden do you want me in the Pretty Committee?"
Massie snorted. "First of all, you're not in the 'pretty committee' yet, Claire. Second of all, we decided we needed a change, and frankly you're the one who had the most potential."
Claire looked up. "Potential?"
Massie laughed. "Yeah. Potential. Think of this as your… interview. We hang out with you for about a month, decide if we like you or not, and then decide if we want to make you a permanent addition."
Claire was silent.
"What?" Massie asked. "You didn't honestly think your were in, did you?"
"I guess not…"
Massie sighed, a small smile escaping from her lips. "Just… don't get too comfortable."
Claire couldn't tell if that was pity or just plain evil in her voice.
--
Yeah, pre-PC Claire was definitely gone. In the next eight weeks, they'd turned her into a designer-clad, platinum blonde, uber skinny, makeup-wearing bitch. She'd giddily accepted every sleepover invite, went to all the mani/pedi sessions, mall excursions, and hair appointments.
But still, there was something off. She'd never totally felt a part of the group. Sure, she'd caught the eye of Cam Fisher, and… others. She'd been able to get on the other side of the disses and rumors.
It was like every time she turned her back, they were just talking more shit on her.
Hence, a reason Claire dreaded Fridays.
She walked over to her dresser, pulling out a pair of (Kristen's) Frankie B's, (Alicia's) white cami, and (Massie's) Alice+Olivia top. After all, if you weren't at least a seven for the night with the boys, you were kicked out. Which was beyond embarrassing. Even worse than being publicly humiliated in the cafeteria.
They knew all your secrets.
--
Alicia and Kristen posed in front of Massie's MacBook Pro's camera, checking their makeup and gloss before the boys came over for Claire's first co-ed sleepover in a few minutes. Kristen stuck her tongue out at the iSight, while Alicia pouted for the camera.
Massie turned away from her vanity after a quick touch up. "Girls," she announced. "Who's up for a round of truth or dare before the boys get here?" She smiled maliciously at Claire, or maybe that was Claire's imagination. Either way, they all replied positively without hesitation. At least… most of them did.
"Who's first?" Dylan asked.
"Hmm… let's choose…. Claire," Alicia suggested. "Truth or dare?"
Claire started to sweat. It didn't take a genius to figure out that truth or dare was only meant for one thing: to rip apart someone with embarrassing secrets and dares. She gulped, trying to put on a calm front. "Truth," she said. Why not play it safe the first time?
Massie pretended to ponder the choices. "Truth… hmm… Okay. But you're gonna do dare next time."
Claire nodded.
"What's your biggest secret?"
Claire couldn't speak. Her mind raced, trying to think of something revealing, but not something they could use against her. "Uh… I've never kissed a boy."
Immediately when the words left her mouth she covered her lips, her eyes widening. How did that even come out! Nobody knew that except Layne.
"Ehmagawd Kuh-laire!" Massie gasped. "You're a junior in high school, and you haven't even had your first kiss?"
"Shocking," Alicia deadpanned.
Dylan and Kristen nodded vigorously.
"Well, I promise that by the end of the night, we'll change that," Massie smiled evilly. She paused, trying to psych Claire out. It was obvious that the scheming wheels in her brain were furiously turning.
"I dare you, in your bra and panties, to make out with Alicia. And nobody can pass on a dare."
--
Claire checked the time on her Coach watch. It was 4:39, about twenty minutes until she was supposed to be at Massie's barn.
She sighed, not knowing why all these memories were choosing to unearth themselves now.
The kiss was a month ago, two weeks before Olivia's party. Ever since that sleepover, everything had gone awry. And even though she'd had plenty of opposite-sex makeouts since then, it didn't change the fact that Massie and her clan had plenty of scandalous dirt on her.
And at Briarwood-Octavian County High School, having dirt on someone pretty much meant you had ultimate power.
Claire sighed, trying to suppress the darkest memory since her stint with the PC had started. She'd tried to push it out of her head for the past two weeks.
But then again, it made her feel bigger. Bigger than Massie, and definitely better than Massie. Maybe it was the one thing she could hold over her, that she'd taken the one thing Massie had wanted most. Something she couldn't ever get back.
Claire couldn't help but smile.
--
"Welcome to my partyyyy," Olivia slurred, opening the door for Massie and the PC. She was obviously wasted, and it wasn't even ten yet.
"You look fab," Massie fake-gushed. Olivia was wearing a low cut turquoise cocktail dress that barely covered her butt. "Happy Birthday."
Massie, who was wearing a gold minidress that accentuated her tiny waist, gestured to the rest of the PC and their dates to come inside. Massie was with Derrick, Alicia with Josh, Dylan with Plovert, Kristen with Danny, and Claire with Cam.
They walked into Olivia's sprawling living room, where the blacklights and DJ was playing. Massie started to grind with Derrick, and the rest of the girls followed her lead.
"I'm gonna go get some punch," Claire said, tearing away from Cam's iron grip on her waist. She made her way into the kitchen, grabbing a cup and reaching for the Sprite bottle.
At the same time, a tall, tanned blonde reached for the liter and knocked it into her chest. It took a second for Claire to feel the carbonated soda completely soaking her dress.
"I'm so sorry," he said, turning and handing her napkins.
Before she realized it was Derrick, he was blotting her chest with paper towels. "Um… you don't need to do that," she started. He shook his head, smiling slightly.
"I'm really sorry Claire," he muttered.
"It's okay," she said. "Why aren't you with Massie anyways?"
"I needed a break," he said simply, shrugging. "Hey, wanna go and see if Olivia has extra clothes or something? I feel bad?"
"Sure," Claire agreed, and together they walked up her grand staircase that led to the upstairs rooms. They turned down a hall and followed the doors until they found an open room.
Derrick closed the door behind them. "You don't mind if it shut it, right? I mean, since your changing and all… but I don't wanna give you the wrong idea, since I'm with Massie and you're with Cam… I mean, I would never take advantage of you, or anything…"
"No, of course not," Claire assured him. "It's nice of you to help…"
Derrick was close, really, really, close to her. Close enough where she could feel the heat of his breath on her cheek. "You're with Mass…" she started to say, but he kissed her.
It was soft, at first. Tender, like the ones in the movies. He pulled away and looked down, as if embarrassed.
After that, Claire didn't know what took hold of her. She pulled him closer, kissing him back, as he cupped her face with his hands. His tongue was pushing through—damn, he was a good kisser, Claire thought—and their lips were soon moving as one. He moved to her neck, her ears, and back to her lips. Then they pulled away, panting heavily.
"Massie?" Claire asked him.
He shook his head. "She's a bitch, anyway."
And with that, he reached for her soiled, sticky dress. His eyes asked her if he should continue.
She nodded.
--
The clock read 4:59. Claire took a deep breath, running a hand through her hair a final time before she took off for Massie's. She grabbed her purse and her overnight bag, shutting her bedroom door behind her.
It took less than three minutes to walk to Massie's house, since her family still lived in her guesthouse, but Claire found herself taking her time on the walk over. She got there at 5:07.
"You're late," Massie glared as Claire walked through the barn door.
Claire shrugged. "My mom made me clean my room."
Massie stared blankly at her. "Your mom is at the stables with mine. And if you room was so dirty, Inez would have cleaned it."
Claire raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, you caught me!"
Massie smiled smugly. "Well. The boys are coming over in a couple minutes. And honestly, I need a pep talk about D."
"Bout what?" Alicia asked, not looking up from the latest issue of Seventeen and obnoxiously popping her 5 gum.
Massie rolled her eyes, and then smiled brightly. "I think we're gonna do it tonight. It'll be both our firsts."
Claire could have sworn Massie looked at her when she said that.
"Like, do it?" Kristen asked.
"Ehmagawd, your not doing it in front of us, are you?" Dylan asked incredulously.
"Of course nawt," Massie snapped. "I'm not that much of a slut, who would lose it at a social gathering."
Claire gulped.
"And I would never keep doing it, either. It's like an experimental thing, no?" she continued.
Claire double-gulped. It was a one-time thing, with her and Derrick. They didn't go that far every time. It was just meetings at Starbucks, or the boys and girls club. Just hooking up. Not cheating. To cheat you had to actually do it more than once, right? And they could always blame that one-time on alcohol, too. For the most part, they stayed classy, no?
"And that would be so disrespectful to those I'm with, too," Massie deadpanned. Alicia, Kristen, and Dylan all stared pointedly at Claire. Massie sighed. "And someone like that should be punished, right?"
The girls, except Claire, nodded.
At the same time, each of their phones beeped. Claire reached in her bag, desperate for an escape to Massie's monologue, to find Inbox (1).
--
To: BOCHS STUDENTS
From: Anonymous
Subject: SKANK
--
Looks like someone hasn't made up their mind yet.
--
Claire's throat tightened. Attached to the email were two pictures: One, of her and Alicia, whose face had been blurred out. It was the one of their first co-ed sleepover, before the boys came, with her and Alicia in full lip lock. Claire's face was surprisingly clear. You'd have to be an idiot to think it wasn't her.
The second picture was of her and Derrick making out. His face, however, was not blurred.
"So I thought, who would I be to let someone get away with this?" Massie glared. The rest of the PC were looking at their phones as well.
Claire's vision blurred. The room was spinning. "I—I'm sorry," she muttered, blindly grabbing for her bags and phone. Anything to get her away from Massie, the PC, highschool, and her mistakes...
"Save it," Massie snapped. Then her voice changed to a sugary sweet tone. "Congratulations, Claire. You're in the PC."
The tears falling down Claire's cheeks were wiped away as she stared back at them. It was all just a prank! Just to see if she could handle the pressure of being gossiped about, right? A test! That's what it was. They would find a way to cover up the email, to diffuse Claire's new reputation, and then finally she would be accepted and people would like her and respect her, and maybe her and Derrick could get serious and—
The PC cackled.
"April Fools!"
whaddyathink? lemme know in a review?
-sm(: