Disclaimer- I don't own the Clique.

Author's note- A little Christmas story for everyone!

December 21

Christmas Break

Twenty-four year old Massie Block walked into Octavian Country day (OCD) with a coffee in her hand and her purse slung over her shoulder. She hurriedly speed-walked down the long hallways hearing her heels click furiously down the hall. It was another busy day at work for Massie Block.

Once she reached her office, she sat her papers and coffee on her desk then started finishing the last few things she had to do before Christmas break.

"Merry Christmas!" Claire Lyons, an art teacher at OCD, poked her head through the office door. Claire walked in holding a plate of cookies. "How are you still working?"

"A guidance counselor's job is never done. There is always some pre-teen girl that needs some help." Massie took a cookie off the plate. Her diet started after the holidays.

"Yeah, I always needed a little help from you in seventh grade." Claire smiled. "So, what are your plans for Christmas?"

Massie leaned against her desk and thought about that question because she never really thought about it. She had no plans nor had she been invited to go anywhere this year. "I guess another year at my parent's house."

"This is Cam and I's third Christmas together." Claire said, smiling.

Massie rolled her eyes, this was more like Claire and Cam's eighth Christmas together but Claire doesn't count the rest of those years because they weren't married.

"Remember our visits up to the mountains when we stayed in that log cabin for Christmas break." Claire said. "Why did we stop going there?"

Massie remembered perfectly what happened at the mountains. It was January third; they had a week there before they had to go back to college. They all were in there first year of college and nineteen years old. Claire had gotten engaged in the mountains and Massie had gotten broken up with. That was the end of the trip to the mountains.

"Who knows," Massie said shrugging her shoulders. She didn't like talking about it with Claire.

"Wait," Claire exclaimed shooting her hand in the air as if she was a fifth grade student. "What happened to Chris Abeley?"

"I broke up with him." Massie said as if it was no big deal. Two years with him was a total waste of her time.

"Why?"

"He wasn't going to commit so why waste my time."

"Maybe he would have asked you to marry him this Christmas if you would have just waited." Claire said, placing her hands on her hips. "He has been your first long-term boyfriend since Derrick."

Massie threw the papers away then sat down at her desk pretending she didn't hear Claire.

"Please think about getting back with him," Claire pleaded as she left the room.

Soon after Claire left, the secretary came knocking on the door. Massie looked up from her mess of papers and smiled as she walked in.

"Katie Marker is here to see you again." The secretary moved and revealed Katie standing right behind her.

"Okay thanks." Massie put her stack of papers away and gestured Katie to sit down.

Katie took a seat in her usual chair and grabbed a cookie off the desk. "Nice to see you again, Miss Block."

"Always a pleasure to see you here every week, Miss Marker." Massie smiled.

Katie was in here all the time because of the girls at school. She was the new girl this year and so far, nothing was going to well for her. The girls would prank her, spread rumors around school about her (just like she used to do to Claire) but Katie is not as innocent, and sweet as Claire is, she always got revenge. This is the reason why she is always in the guidance office.

"So tell me, what happened now?" Massie crossed her legs and leaned back in her swivel chair.

"Well, Lauren was telling everyone at school that I was stealing her star soccer goalie boyfriend." Katie started, sitting up in her seat. Massie nodded for her to continue. "So I decided to tell her that Luke and I are just friends."

Massie continued to stay silent. She knew there had to be more to this story. Every one of Katie's stories that included the queen bee, Lauren Glacier, was always intresting.

"But of course she didn't believe me!" Katie wailed her hands in the air. She stood up from her seat and began pacing around the small room. "The only thing I asked Luke is why he puts up with little princess. Luke is nice and funny and everything that Lauren isn't. He is one of my best friends, that's all. He doesn't like girls like me."

It was amazing how things didn't change. Massie remembered the same things happening to her and all of her friends when they were in seventh grade. Every time that Katie talked about Lauren, it reminded her about what she was like in the seventh grade.

"Girls like you?" Massie raised her eyebrows. She knew what was coming next.

"Poor girls, girls with no money to their name." Katie sat back down in her seat. She pulled at her purple fleece sweater and stared at the ground. "The only reason I am at this school is because my aunt is the principal and everyone knows that."

"Who cares what other people think?" Massie said but knew it was the wrong thing to say. Everyone cares what other people think, especially in middle school. Katie stayed silent in her seat, still staring at the ground. "You don't even like Luke, right? I mean, more than a friend. And you don't need Laurens approval for anything."

Katie sat in the cushioned seat, biting her nails and still staring at the ground. She looked like she was going to explode. Maybe Massie finally got to her after the entire first semester.

"Katie?"

"I try not to like him!" Katie exploded. "And I try not to care what Lauren thinks about me but I can't help it. I wanna be accepted by her and I want Luke to think that I'm the most amazing girl that he's ever meant. I don't want to like him, I just get a tingling feeling every time he is around. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, his name was Derrick." Massie said without thinking.

"I just hate the fact that he likes Lauren and not me when I talk to him every day and basically all day." Katie didn't even notice that Massie revealed some of her personal life.

"I hate that he didn't call me after we broke up. It's like he wanted me gone."

"It's like I'm invisible and she's a shining star."

"It's like he never loved me at all."

"He's probably texting Lauren and asking her to hang out this weekend. Even though we were supposed to have plans."

"He's probably married with three kids. Just like I wanted."

"He's mad because I yelled at her."

"I was mad because he wouldn't commit. A ring was all I wanted."

"I should stop thinking about him."

"Me too."

A silence took over and Massie and Katie looked up at each other. They were spending way too much time together. It was as if they were friends instead of having a teacher/student relationship. Oh well, both of them needed a friend to talk to every once in awhile.

"I feel better now that I got that out." Katie laughed.

"I know me too." Massie sighed in relief. She just said all the things she has been thinking since the break-up. The things she couldn't tell Claire.

Massie suddenly remembered that Katie was here because she did something, not because she needed to vent. "So, what did you do to Lauren?"

"When she in gym class I super glued her Prada bag to the floor, cut holes in her clothes, flushed her make-up, and replaced her perfume with toilet water."

"Why would you do that?" Massie couldn't even image if someone had did that to her when she was in seventh grade. She would have had them expelled.

"The best revenge on a queen bee is ruining her clothes and accessories. It makes them feel like they're left with nothing." Katie grinned.

Massie slammed her head down on the desk. "I taught you that didn't I?"

"Indeed you did."

Massie groaned. Maybe being a guidance counselor wasn't the perfect career for her after all.

XoXoX

"You're going on a cruise?" Massie shouted into the phone as she walked down the aisle in Shopping Save grocery store.

"You will be spending Christmas with Chris anyway." Kendra Block said into the phone. Massie had never told her about their break-up.

"But mom-"Massie said but was interrupted by her mother.

"We will be back a week after New Year's, tell Chris we said Merry Christmas. Love you, bye." Kendra said then hung up the phone before Massie could say anything else.

Since no one else was in the aisle with her, she decided to try to call Chris.

"Hello," a female voice answered the phone. She knew it wasn't his mom or his sister.

"Is Chris there?" Massie decided to ask anyway.

"Chris is a little busy," The girl started to giggle in the phone and that is when Massie snapped the phone shut.

She was officially alone on Christmas.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down before she busted out crying in the middle of a grocery store. Being alone on Christmas was her biggest fear but never would she expect it to come true.

"Massie is that you?" An older, familiar voice said.

Massie turned around to find Mrs. Harrington coming up the aisle with her grocery cart packed full of food. She must be preparing for the Harrington family Christmas Eve dinner. When Massie was together with Derrick, she spent every Christmas with his family. She spent more time with Derrick's family than with her family. The Harrington's were her second family.

"Mrs. Harrington!" Massie exclaimed and ran up to give her a hug. She hasn't seen her in about five years but it felt much longer than that.

"Oh please, call me Stacey." Mrs. Harrington laughed then Massie started laughing along.

"So what are you big holiday plans?" Mrs. Harrington asked. She was always a big Christmas person.

"I don't really have any plans." Massie said.

"You're not spending Christmas with anyone?" Mrs. Harrington said, shocked.

"No, my parents are going on a cruise and all of my friends are with their boyfriends." Massie explained. She didn't bother mentioning that she just broke up with her boyfriend and now he is with another girl two days later. She really didn't want to remind herself of that.

Mrs. Harrington paused for a moment then said, "Why don't you come to my house for Christmas?"

Massie thought for a moment, she loved spending Christmas with the Harrington's; they always made her feel like family. Although she was always together with Derrick when she spent Christmas with them, it would be awkward spending Christmas with them when she wasn't with Derrick. Especially if Derrick was going to be there, he probably had a new girlfriend by now.

"I wouldn't want to intrude-" Massie started to say but Mrs. Harrington cut her off.

"You are like family Massie, with or without Derrick." Mrs. Harrington said. "Besides, Derrick is not coming home for Christmas this year."

"Why won't he be home?" Massie asked. Derrick would never miss Christmas with his family. He always told her that is was his favorite time of the year. Although that was five years ago so he might have changed.

"I will explain later, right now we have to stop at your house and get your things to go up to the cabin."

Massie did not know if spending the holiday with the Harrington's was the best idea but it sure beat staying at home alone.

Authors note-

If anyone noticed, I tried writing this story last Christmas but didn't have enough time to finish it.

But this time I'm really hoping to have it finished!

Review, Thanks!

Happy Holidays :)