okay I'm going through this major massington addiction phase (like more so than usual) so that's why.

don't kill me. I will finish this one, cyber swear.

"Very impressive, Block."

Derrick Harrington swooped up behind Massie Block as she tested her chemical reaction of hydrobromic acid and sodium hydroxide. "You know," he continued, despite the intensity of her glare. "I feel bad for your partner, having an airhead who doesn't do any work and all."

Grumbling, she turned back to her project. She didn't need to waste her time talking to him. Mr. Myner walked over and briefly scanned the project, marking it an 'A+', as usual. Massie felt a smirk crawl onto her lips as Derrick and Josh received a D.

There was an overwhelming urge to stick her tongue out and point mockingly-but she wasn't a child and this wasn't a game. This was totally, completely and utterly serious. Maybe. Besides, its not like Derrick actually cared about the grade. He just needed above a C- on his report card to stay on the soccer team.

Suddenly, the bell trilled through the school and she was free to go. Heels clicking against the cool tile floor, Massie gathered her books and slipped outside before Derrick and his posse. She didn't want to be caught alone with them-especially not the Spanish one, Alicia Rivers. Or Rivera, Massie didn't tend to keep note. With National Honors Society, track, cross country, school and volunteer work; she had enough names to memorize.

As she opened her locker, it swinging open without the slightest concerning squeak, Claire arrived next to her. "Heya Mass," she grinned. "Guess who scored second highest on the Geometry exams today?" Her flashing white smile illuminated the halls.

Shutting her locker and beginning the tread to class with Claire, Massie guessed, "You?" But Massie already knew she was right-she scored the highest, after all.

Claire, for a moment, resembled Olivia the day she found out she was getting her first nose job back in the seventh grade. Her head bobbed, her golden tresses whipping back and forth. Blue eyes glittered brightly, sunlight caught in the reflection and setting off the most innocent look ever. "It's the best I've done this year!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down like a teenage girl fan-girling over Justin Beiber. "What did you get?"

Massie shrugged and gripped her books tightly. "Third or fourth," she lied. She didn't want to trample Claire's parade again. It was hard being best friends with such a sensitive person sometimes.

Suddenly, when Massie's head was turned towards Claire next to her, she bumped into Alicia. The coffee in the raven-haired beauty's hand flew backward and spilled all over her brand new outfit. A loud gasp escaped from Alicia's mouth before she angrily threw the cup the ground and squashed it with her foot. When she looked up and saw who she ran into, she scowled. "Massie Block," Alicia snarled under her breath, just so Massie could hear-although the hall was deathly silent and you'd think that the onlookers could too. "If you thought High School was hell before just you wait. No one embarrasses Alicia Rivera."

She spun on her heel before Massie could fire off a witty comeback and turned to her bottle-blonde friends.

And there goes Harrington, walking up to the group with that smirk. He's so cocky, its infuriating. Massie silently gritted her teeth. Derrick Harrington was the single most annoying, selfish, pervy guy ever. Okay, maybe Kemp had him beat on the pervy part, but he was still a jerk.

Leveling her glasses on the ridge of her nose, she turned the opposite direction and took the long way to her class.

...

Placing a kiss on Alicia's lips, Derrick grinned. They weren't going out necessarily, but everyone knew they had a fling. Actually, he was 'in a relationship' with Allie-Rose Singer. Whatever. "Sorry about what Block"-he said her name the way you would say dead fish- "did to you, babe." He said, not really caring whatsoever.

Slinging a backpack around his shoulder, he started down the hallway. Girls giggled and stared as he walked by, and he took it upon himself to wink and smirk at them. He was way too used to this.

Cam started walking in his direction and they grinned, doing their usual secret handshake. They both met back in kindergarten on their first soccer team. Of course it helped that they were family friends, but at least it wasn't a forced friendship like many of the ones Derrick had with random geeks. "Hey man," Cam raised an eyebrow. "We still on for Friday? The party's going to be sick." He asked his best friend, knowing the answer fully.

"And miss all of the hot chicks from Ryland Academy?" he chuckled, thinking of the slutty girls from the small rich high school on the other side of Westchester. "Hell no."

The green and blue eyed boy raised an eyebrow again. "What about your girlfriend?" Unlike Derrick, he was more of a long-term relationship kind of guy. And after all of those years with his best friend, he still was surprised when Derrick tossed a girl to the side carelessly.

"What about her?" Derrick rolled his eyes. "I mean, who cares, its just some dumb chick I picked up at Kemp's party like two days ago."

Shaking his head and sighing in disappointment, Cam turned and walked down to his next class. Some day, he'll learn.

...

Massie slid into her chair in AP Trigonometry and tapped her pen against her book involuntarily. Mrs. Taryn was undeniably her least favorite, and most incredibly boring, teacher. Luckily, she had it with her step brother; Chris Plovert. He was the product of Kendra and her previous marriage. Massie was alone, the daughter of a dead rich man who left nothing for his only daughter besides a brooch and his snooty new wife. Oh, and the twins.

Don't even get Massie started on the twins.

She slid into her assigned seat and sighed, glancing at the board. There was a chart in green Expo marker drawn on the board with her teachers neat scrawls next to it, listing what they would do that day. "Chris," she whispered as the step brother took his seat next to her. When he didn't care to take notice, she repeated in a hushed but exasperated tone, "Chris!"

Head jolting up in full attention, he turned to Massie. "What do you want?" His eyes were bloodshot, as if he was either hungover or extremely tired. His shirt was wrinkled and disheveled, hanging loosely on his slender frame. Massie noted that he smelled strongly of body odor. Early morning soccer practice, she concluded.

A small smirk formed on her lips. "I wanted to remind you that Kendra said you're coming home with me today," Massie said, thinking of how ridiculous she would feel with a sweaty soccer player in her car. "There's something she needs us to be home for or whatever. I don't know. But, luckily for you, you're out of soccer practice today."

Feeling his long sigh of relief as she turned back to the board, she smiled. So, Kendra didn't actually have anything for them to be home for, but how would he know? Kendra won't be there when they got home anyway. Massie just wanted to give her brother a break.

...

Manicured nails tap-tap-tapped impatiently against the mahogany table. Alicia Rivera scanned the room around her. It was her father's office, but the wealthy famed lawyer rarely used it. So it was always used for her own purposes, such as meetings with the Pretty Committee. The three other girls sitting in front of her on the opposite side of the desk had on their hollow smiles. "So ladies," she said, inspecting her cuticles. "Any news today?"

Olivia, the dumb blonde, raised a hand and excitedly jumped up and down. Nodding reluctantly, Alicia signaled for her to carry on. The air was rather stiff that day, cold and dry, plummeting the atmosphere into a lull. Everyone was slightly on edge, but she knew exactly why.

The Massie incident was what it was being called.

Alicia's most embarrassing moment this year by far. Given, it wasn't that bad...but that did nawt mean Massie was getting off easy. "I heard that Derry is dating Allie-Rose Singer. Isn't that just like, so, like, ridick?" Olivia gasped at her own news. She always had a huge crush on Derrick and refused to tell anyone...not that they couldn't tell.

Rolling her eyes, Alicia waved it off. "Yeah yeah, that's so two days ago. Next!" She hollered at the group of girls. Kristen stood.

"Well," she began, looking down at her toes and nervously twirling her hair. "I also heard what Olivia said, along with that Derrick wants to go to this party on Friday so he can hook up with some hot girls." She shrugged. "If that matters."

Beating Alicia to it, Nikki smirked and leaned back in her chair slyly. Nikki was doing that a lot lately. What is up with her?! Alicia groaned inwardly. "Well," Nikki drawled confidently. "I think I know what to do." With that, she stood, leading Olivia and Kristen out of the office and to her silver convertible outside the Rivera estate. Alicia stormed over, fuming that Nikki was so easily grabbing the reins as they slipped from her dainty little fingers.

Running out herself and sliding into the front passenger's seat, Alicia smirked at Nikki. She wasn't taking over just yet. "Looks like we're going to have to book Derrick's schedule for this weekend." Alicia sing-songed. With a scoff, she added, "No way is he hooking up with anyone but me."

Nikki's just a beta, and if she thinks she's got what it takes to be alpha, she's got a long way to go.