Popularity. To be loved, to be admired, to have everyone in the world think you were cute and amazing no matter what you did.
The Fashion Club had it all. Girls wanted to be them, boys wanted to date them, salespeople at the mall rushed to help them before they helped anyone else. Sure, the teachers weren't too crazy about them sometimes but they didn't really count.
This was important. Being popular was the most important thing in the world, Stacy reminded herself every night as she made a list of embarrassing silly things she'd promised Sandi she'd never do again. Who was she if she wasn't one of the Fashion Club? Stacy Rowe, just another silly girl who talked too much and made a fool of herself in front of everyone.
But sometimes as she watched Sandi and Quinn go at each other's throats, took Sandi's abuse with tears and apologies, watched Tiffany completely miss the point of it all, Stacy didn't feel very popular. Quinn may have been the one always in trouble, but only because Sandi knew Quinn was her equal in all things and that made her feel threatened. It was always Stacy who said the wrong thing, Stacy who tripped, Stacy who spilled her diet soda all over some cute boy.
She wondered why she was even still in the club. Why didn't Sandi just kick her out and get it over with? Did she enjoy having Stacy there to kick around? Someone the other girls could feel superior to even at their worst. Tiffany certainly did, and Quinn...no, Quinn was different. She was nice, when she felt like it. Stacy didn't want to believe that deep down Quinn Morgendorffer was just as mean as the others.
Stacy didn't like being mean. If she was, it was always by accident. She cared about things. She thought. She worried. She did all the things Sandi didn't think attractive and popular people should do.
Quinn sometimes wondered if it was worth it. She'd become more of a thinker these days, Stacy was noticing. It worked for her, Stacy always thought Quinn was the smartest person in the world. Sometimes she wished she could ask herself if it was worth it, but she knew it would be a lie. It was worth it. Quinn was cute and likeable enough to get away with things, but not Stacy.
So she took it. Every bit of abuse, every punishment, everything Sandi threw at her and went to bed at night promising never to mess up again.
Without the Fashion Club, she wasn't popular. And without her popularity, she was nobody.