A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! To commemorate the holiday season Clique style, here's a few one shots, dedicated to some new (and old) relationships.
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Massie smoothed her red jeweled headband over head, meticulously straightening it until it was in place, holding back her newly Japanese-chemical-straightened hair. Nervously, she smoothed her matching ruby red Free People dress, ending just above her knees. Her hair was straight, her tights run-free, and her dress free of pet hair. She was truly ready, on the outside at least. Inside, Massie wanted nothing more than to run into her bathroom, reapply her Secret deodorant and regloss her lips until they were as puffy as Angelina Jolie's. But she smiled at her almost perfect reflection. Massie frowned, but realized what was wrong. Grabbing her Tiffany charm bracelet, she snaked it onto her wrist, closing the clasp with a snap.
'Perfect.' she thought. The faint echo of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts, and almost instantaneously, the small white intercom in her equally white 'iPad', chimed.
"Massie, Dempsey's here." Her mother's sunny voice sang through the speakers, shaking Massie out of her reverie. She took a few deep shuddering breaths, just as her yoga instructor, Ravi had taught her, and finally descended down the long, winding staircase to meet her guest.
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'It's positively freezing.' Claire thought as she stepped out of the beat up RAV4, belonging to her parents. Even though she was wearing mittens, a hat and a long wool coat, she cold still feel the biting chill in her bones. Her parents had decided to take Claire and her brother Christmas shopping at the Westchester mall, mostly to get their opinions on what merited an appropriate present to give to Claire's grandparents. But-obviously- Claire nor Todd was interested, and personally, in Claire's case at least, would much rather be curled up on the couch watching the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas special on ABC. But, much to her disappointment, that couch was far, far away, and the Christmas special wouldn't be on until eight-o'clock that evening. Claire sighed, dismayed to see her breath, and resigned herself to at least an hour of faking awe and delight at gifts from the Brookstone store and Talbot's. She could here Todd whining he wanted to go to the EA game store.
"But they have a new Sims 2 game! Come on! You let Claire go wherever she wants!" Claire rolled her eyes and walked a little faster so she wouldn't have to listen to her kid brother whine.
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"You look beautiful." Massie blushed. No one besides her dad (and ahb-viously he didn't count) had called her beautiful before and meant it. Inez took Dempsey's black parka and slipped a velvet hanger on it and whisked it off to a closet nearby. While she was sure Dempsey wasn't looking, Massie discreetly wiped her palms on her dress. She cleared her throat.
"So um, did you want something to drink?" Dempsey nodded.
"Yeah, sure." Massie smiled and led him through their expansive entrance way, through the main living room, the dining into a cavernous tiled kitchen. Striding across the kitchen, she opened her refrigerator, taking out a Fiji water bottle. She handed one to Dempsey, who took it gladly.
"Want to sit in the living room?" Massie asked him.
"Oh yeah, sure." Massie pushed open the heavy swinging door that led to the spacious, all-white living room. Taking a seat on her white sofa, Massie turned on the gas fire.
"So…what are you doing for Christmas?" she asked.
Dempsey screwed the cap back his water bottle. "Usually the whole family comes down fro the week, and we have them all over for the week." Massie nodded, awestruck.
"Wow. I guess your housekeeper has a lot of work then." Dempsey looked at Massie as if she had a second head.
"Housekeeper? No! My mom cooks for all our family." Massie felt like a deer caught in the headlights of an eighteen wheeler truck.
"Oh. Um, well, uh," she trailed off, not sure how to finish her sentence. Dempsey looked at the floor, trying to hide his smile.
"So," he asked "What exactly does your family do for Christmas?"
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Claire sat in the food court of the Westchester mall, sipping a Diet Coke as she watched all of the harried shoppers, some with strollers, but most laden with shopping bags. She sucked down her drink, hearing the bottom with a satisfying slurp. Opening her hand-me-down Coach handbag, Claire fished out her wallet. She counted the money for presents. Twenty five dollars. She would have to scrimp if she wanted to keep any of it for herself. Claire sighed, and with a scrape, pushed back her chair. She was about to get up and leave when a voice interrupted her.
"Claire?" she turned her head at the sound of her name being called.
"Derrick?"
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Dempsey pulled away from Massie, her chest heaving, and his lips smeared with her GlossipGirl cotton-candy lip gloss. Massie felt lightheaded, as if she had dived into a pool and stayed under for too long.
"What's wrong?" the words were as hushed as a whisper, as if they had done something forbidden. She swallowed her throat suddenly very dry.
"Nothing. Nothing at all."
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"Wow, I haven't seen you since…well, since October." It was true. Claire hadn't really seen Derrington since he and Massie had broken up. He, Kemp, Chris and some of the other soccer boys weren't really around, since they were in the trailers all the time. The only soccer boys Claire had really had contact with was Cam and Josh. Dempsey, not being a soccer jock, had hung out mostly with Layne and Massie. But because of the animosity between Derrington and Massie, this made Claire extremely uncomfortable and awkward.
"Oh, y'know, not much. How 'bout you?" Claire didn't know how to answer. On the one hand, she and Cam still hadn't really worked things out yet. After the trailer contest winners had been announced, Claire and Cam had decided to take a break. Temporarily, of course. Between the two of them, everything was temporary, even their fights. Massie took the news rather badly. She had told Claire not to get back together with him. That he was bad for her, like a drug. Or horizontal stripes. And a small part of Claire agreed. But, what did Massie know? She had glaring contests with the back of Derrington's head during lunch.
"Okay I guess. How did the soccer season treat you?" she asked, abruptly changing the topic to something she deemed safe.
"Kick ass!" his eyes gleamed as he spoke, with the obvious fanaticism of a true sports fan. "We won against Hotchkiss, total shutout. God that was a great game!" He reminisced, losing himself in the memory. Claire frowned.
"Was that an away game?" she asked, snapping him out of his memory. He nodded. She continued.
"So, why are you here anyway? I thought guys like you hated the mall." To Claire's surprise, Derrington blushed.
"I gotta buy Ex-mas presents for my sister and my parents." Claire laughed at his pronunciation of 'X-mas'.
"So what are you buying her? Your sister I mean." He shook his head, causing some of his shaggy hair to fall into his face.
"Hell if I know." Claire was struck with an idea.
"Y'know what? I'll help you."
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Dempsey took another sip of his water. Massie crossed her legs and readjusted the hem of her dress so it fell across her knees. 'Good Lord this is awkward.' she thought dismally. They hadn't spoken since Dempsey had broken their-rather passionate-kiss. Massie's parents wouldn't be back from their Christmas shopping trip for another hour at least. Suddenly Massie's throat was extremely dry. She grabbed Dempsey's water, chugging it down without any qualms about him seeing. She awkwardly replaced his bottle, sinking back into the sofa's cushion.
"Well this is awkward." Dempsey stated blankly, vocalizing both of their sentiments exactly.
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Claire and Derrington were in Hollister. Claire having suggested a gift card as a gift for his sister.
"Can we leave now?" he whined, as Claire flipped through the racks of clothes, humming softly under her breath. She snapped the last hanger from the wall, and turned.
"No," she snapped. "We still haven't gotten your sister a gift yet. Go get a card from the register!" Derrington threw his head back and let out a long exasperated sigh. He walked out of sight. Claire aimlessly flipped through similarly colored sweatshirts, until she heard loud footsteps over the pounding bass of the store's music. It was Derrick, looking out of breath and flustered.
"You gotta be kidding me. It's a madhouse over there!" He hooked a thumb over to the register, where indeed, there was a long line of people waiting to be served.
"Meh, it's not that bad." she told him. She picked up a pink sweatshirt from the pile on the table.
"Let's go. Come on." she placed a hand on his back, and shoved him towards the monstrous line.
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"So…"
"Yep." Massie shifted awkwardly. Neither of them had spoken for a while. They just sat. Massie could practically feel the tension between the two of them, filling like water. She turned towards him.
"I know this is, like totally awkward, but. But I don't feel bad about it. And I know you don't either." It tumbled out of her mouth before she stop it. Dempsey stared at her a while, but his face broke into a wide grin.
"Me neither." His lips found hers again, and Massie let herself go, lost in the surprise pleasure.
--
"Thanks again. You know, for helping me with shopping and stuff." The two of them were standing outside of the Nordstrom in the cold. Derrick, because his parents were picking him up, and Claire, well, she wasn't quite sure why.
"It's no problem at all. After all, isn't that what girls are good at?" Claire smiled at him. He fidgeted, his breath expelling out him in fast breaths.
"Listen," he turned to her so he was facing her. "I just wanted to thank you-"
"You already did." Claire pointed out. Derrington rolled his eyes
"-for being so cool about this whole Massie-hate my-guts thing. I know she'd kill you if she saw you talking to me right now." Claire nodded sadly.
"She probably would." she admitted softly. A car pulled up to the curb, idling as it waited for its passengers.
"That's my ride." Derrick picked up his shopping bags.
"Well…thanks." Claire nodded in response. She looked down, almost crestfallen. Inching closer, Derrick pecked her on cheek.
"Merry Christmas Claire." he whispered into her ear, as he jumped into the car. As it pulled away from the curb, and drove away, Claire put her hand to her cheek, blushing cherry red.
"Merry Christmas Derrick."
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A/N: Well, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and every other holiday this season. Happy New Year everybody!