The Clique: First Stop Paradise Second Stop Hell
Chapter One: Are You Gay?
The bangs had been long since gone, but her forehead still felt strangely naked being exposed. Massie told her she'd get over it the first time she pinned it away from her face. She said after all, it was nightmare, but Claire didn't really think it was so bad herself. In fact it made her feel kind of secure, better than feeling that strange exposure that she did now everyday. But that was the price of beauty right?
She was no longer a golden blond, but a sultry, no banged, pale haired blond. Daring? Maybe. Even she had her doubts, but Massie and the rest thought it would be a good idea since the real Baby Spice had the same thing. When her mother found out though, Claire thought her mom had had a slight heart attack at the sight, but Massie's mom quickly and smoothly persuaded her that there was nothing wrong with it.
Running all five fingers through her hair over and over again, she constantly watched it for a certain change. It had to be perfect. It had to be Clique Material.
"Can I use the bathroom now!" her brother's voice muffled from the other side of the door as he constantly began to knock.
"Hold on, I'm trying to get ready!" Claire exclaimed back. Backing a few steps from the mirror she smiled as she examined her appearance. Her D&G pink floral chiffon trimmed tank went well with the small D&G denim wash mini skirt, complaints of Massie. It was such a Baby Spice look. She straightened her diamond angel wing necklace given to her by Alicia.
"It doesn't take anyone that long to get ready!" her brother exclaimed, banging on the door once again. Claire ran her fingers through her hair once more before unlocking the door and opening it.
"Here! Bathroom's free," Claire said, rolling her eyes as she walked out into the hallway.
"Finally!" her brother exclaimed, rushing into the bathroom and quickly shutting it behind him.
She made her way down the narrow hallway only to be stopped her mother's voice before she could reach the door. "Excuse me young lady don't you think that's a little too showy for someone your age?" her mother asked, crossing her arms and examining Claire's apparel.
Claire turned to her mother, who stood in the kitchen doorway, and rolled her eyes once again, sighing. "Mom, everyone at school wears stuff like this," she said, dramatically flashing both hands down her body.
"Well," her mother said uncertainly, still examining her clothing in thought.
Claire stood there in those few seconds, anxious and annoyed until finally she parted her lips to say, "I can't be late." Her mom still looked skeptical but she approved anyway and with that Claire began walking once again until she got to the door.
Range Rover
May 17th
7:20 A.M.
After saying good morning back to Isaac and thanking him for completing her appearance that morning she got into the Rover and slid across the black leather seats, keeping mind to leave space for Massie and her things. She could still remember the time Massie almost sat on her. Not a pretty memory. Even though she and Massie were best buds now, she still had to be very careful.
Looking around Claire had to secretly admit to herself she still felt kind of strange inside the Range Rover. Her eyes fell specifically on the glass fronted fridge stocked with diet soda, Pellegrino, Glaceau Vitamin Water, and fresh seasonal berries in the back right corner. That soda was looking pretty good right about then. Though she had already had orange juice for breakfast, the walk all the way to the Rover in the humid heat made her thirsty once again. But of course she couldn't just mess with Massie's things without asking could she? Either way she wasn't going to chance it, she probably wouldn't even bring it up. Maybe Massie would just ask her out of the blue. Claire's mouth watered a little at the thought.
Tearing her eyes away from the soda she looked through the tinted window to see Massie walking to the Rover. Isaac opened the door and a thick gust of heat rushed in. A beautiful thick white slide in sandal and purple toenails were the first things in the car. "Always fashionable from head to toe," Claire thought. She had practically seen the whole rainbow in Massie's toenails and shoes.
A new smell entered the car, a vanilla ice cream type smell, which Claire gladly let fill her nostrils. Massie put her denim blazer into the back seat, backed herself in and slid next to Claire. "Okay let's see," Massie said turning to Claire and placing her hands on Claire's jaw as she began to tilt her face at different angles as if examining it. "Hmm, you've almost got it," she said slowly. Claire felt a little prideful by Massie's words, but it soon became uncertain. "But…you skipped out on the lip gloss, and that's the most important thing," she said dramatically. Looking to the side of her, she unzipped her pocket book, and rumbled through it until she finally pulled her hand out with a long small cylinder, of what could have only been, lip gloss. "Aright now," unscrewing the lip glosses top, she slid the substance across Claire's lips until it was perfectly moist and shiny. Claire could smell this lip gloss, it smelt like crisp green apples. Her tongue taunted her to taste it but she knew well it wouldn't taste exactly the same. It usually never did.
After screwing the top back on it, she placed it back in her Prada pocket book, and zipped it up. Once again she placed her hands on Claire's jaw and titled her head in different angles until she finally said, "Perfect."
Isaac started the car and they began to move. Massie sighed and laid back into the seat, "I can't believe we're testing tomorrow," she said.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Thank god English is my favorite subject," Claire said smiling.
"I'm good at English too when it comes to reading, but the writing is going to be kind of a challenge," Massie said. "Their always giving you different subjects, and then you have to find out what style you have to write in. It's so frustrating." "If we had to make our own subjects then I would be fine. I'd probably do it on why Paris Hilton and I are a like or something like that."
"Except you have more brains then her," Claire said jokingly.
Massie spirits lifted at the complement and she smiled, "Of course," Massie said proudly. Unzipping her pocket book, she took out her phone, and she pressed a number before putting it to her ear. It was time for Claire to be quiet now, and it was a little reliving since she didn't have much to tell Massie that morning. "You know she's gonna be in Ralph Lauren, and she has the new Chanel yellow canvas heart print shoulder bag," she said. Claire's eyes widened in shock, and if it weren't for her mouth being so watery it would have dropped open. She saw the Chanel yellow canvas heart print shoulder bag in Lucky when she went over Massie's to do homework. It priced at $1,340.00! She already knew Alicia was rich, richer than Massie, but the thought of so much money still sent an electric shock through her body.
"What?" she questioned, looking over at Claire with one eye brow raised.
"Oh, it's nothing," Claire lied, looking out the other tinted window on her left to see they had stopped in front of the tall iron gates with the overgrown bushes behind them. A naked woman was carved out of stone and a marble fountain. Claire remembered when she snapped a picture of the place. Massie told her everyone lived like that so she better get used to it. She felt a little bad as the memory played back in her mind like a horrible movie. Alicia finally emerged from behind the gates and came casually to the car like usual.
"Kay, we'll be at your house in five minutes," Massie said, before saying bye, and snapping her phone shut, and tossing it into its cup holder.
Like always, Claire couldn't help but stare a little because after all, Alicia's appearance was kind of breathtaking. She had never really met anyone so supermodel gorgeous in real life. Her sparkling dark brown eyes were fixed upon the limo, but it looked from the inside as if she was looking straight into Claire's eyes, which scared and fascinated Claire.
Isaac opened the door and Alicia gracefully slid across the seat near Claire. Instead of looking at Claire first, she looked at Massie, "Hey," Alicia greeted smiling. It seemed as if she had greeted Massie more than she had Claire. Claire became a little hurt and confused. Did she do something wrong? Claire tried to think back to all her encounters with Alicia after she became apart of The Clique, but nothing seemed to be wrong. Her brown eyes finally came back to Claire and they locked eyes. "Hey," she greeted again.
"Hey," Claire said softly. She watched as Alicia's smile faded slightly, and her eyes trailed downward as if she was examining her clothing. Claire followed Alicia's eyes until they stopped back at her necklace.
"So how do you like the necklace?" Alicia asked placing her pointer and thumb finger on either side of it to pick it up from Claire's exposed upper chest. Her touch made Claire lightly flinch. The car began to move once again.
"I love it," Claire said happily, smiling lightly. She looked at the angel wing necklace just like Alicia. Alicia let it slowly go before settling into the seat.
A few minutes and small conversations later, they stopped in front of a tall white A-frame that sat on top of a small hill. It reminded Claire of a church more than anything else. Dylan was on the steps like usual, reading an Us Weekly and eating a nutrition bar. Her mass of fiery red hair always reminded Claire of Lindsay Lohan.
Dylan looked up to see the rover. Stuffing the magazine into her Louis Vuitton backpack, she ran down the remaining steps to the door. She was noticeably less graceful than Alicia since the strap of her bag was well known for getting tangled around the door's handle and her strapless shoes seemed to always fall under the car. She looked more like a farm girl. "Hey," Dylan greeted. Her eyes glanced over everybody as she smiled. Claire felt a little happy, and especially more worth something by her greeting. "Man that hair color sure is working for you Claire," Dylan said, sliding in next Alicia.
Claire felt a slight blush come on, "Well it's all thanks to ya'll," Claire said, looking around at everyone with a smile. Massie opened the mini fridge and looked inside, which quickly got Claire's attention. "Ask me Massie!" Claire thought pleadingly, staring at the diet sodas.
"Oh yeah, I have some gossip that's worth 50 points," Dylan said, smiling devilishly, "I heard Layne's a dyke." Alicia, Massie, and Claire's heads all whipped toward Dylan. A dirty smile was on Alicia's face, Claire's mouth fell damply open, but Massie didn't look so surprised.
"I knew it! That's why it always looks like she's looking at my breasts," Alicia said surprised.
"No their just too big not to look at," Dylan said laughing. Alicia blushed and slowly started covering her chest with her arms.
"She probably knew she couldn't get a boyfriend and that's why she turned into a dyke," Massie said casually looking back into the fridge.
"Well," Claire said, she didn't want to talk badly about Layne since she did used to be her friend, "when we used to hang out she didn't seem gay." Everyone's head turned to Claire, making her wish she could eat up all of her words. Before anyone could say anything, the door opened and Kristen's small frame sat down, filling the front row of the rover.
"Hey guys," she said happily. Everyone looked at her briefly before looking back at Claire.
"What's wrong?" Kristen asked puzzled, looking at everyone before looking specifically at Claire.
"Claire, are you gay?" Alicia asked, raising a brow and smiling. Everyone's faces seemed to come closer to Claire's.
"NO!" Claire exclaimed, looking at her surprised. "I'm saying Layne didn't act gay."
"How do you know how gay's act?" Kristen asked, quickly. Claire felt stuck, and she had to slow down her racing thoughts to think. In the silence of the moment she knew the others were coming up with their own conclusions.
"So that's why you don't have a boyfriend," Dylan exclaimed shocked like.
"NO!" Claire exclaimed in denial again.
"So that means you get off seeing us in bathing suites?" Massie said, closing the fridge.
Claire quickly turned her head Massie's way, her eyes wide. "Massie?" she exclaimed with shock. "I'm not gay!"
"Okay calm down, we were just kidding," Alicia said, smiling. Claire looked at her with a hurt face. How could they tease her like that? And why were they targeting her? They hadn't done that since she wasn't apart of The Clique.
The rest of ride was on a whole other topic. Claire stayed quite not really looking at anyone in particular. She just listened to the gossip discretely. Her heart was still racing. She felt nervous, and what was worse, her eyes were beginning to sting. And she couldn't cry, not in front of them. As she thought about the things they were saying, while trying to prevent tears from filling her eyes, she felt something soft, solid and smooth begin to rub her inner thigh.
It made her blush, sending a tingling sensation through her whole body. Looking down at her legs her blush became even more intense. Alicia's hand was rubbing her inner thigh! Should she say something? Claire thought long and hard about this before looking over at Massie and the rest of the girls. They seemed too wrapped up in their conversation to see Alicia's hand caressing further down Claire's leg and back. It was strange and embarrassing, but Claire never said a word, though she did let out a faint squeak when Alicia's fingers began to rub on her panties.