"Hello, welcome to Dr. Juice, what would you like today?"
"I'll have a medium low-calorie Focus, a small Slim, two medium Calms, and a large Power and Strength combo."
"Thank you for visiting Dr. Juice, come back soon!"
"Whatever!" shouted Dylan from the back of Massie's range rover.
"Would you like something else, miss?" said the nasal voice over the intercom.
"Hit it, Isaac!" shouted Massie from the backseat.
The car lurched forward to the next window, and Massie, Claire, Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen fell on top of each other, laughing uncontrollably.
"Keep it down back there", shouted Isaac, as he rolled down the window to pay for the smoothies. The girl's laughter was quickly reduced to quiet giggles. Once the Dr. Juices were all handed out, the only sounds in the car were random slurps and contented sighs.
"So, we should totally go into New York City tomorrow to shop for dresses for the fall dance." said the ever diva queen Alicia.
"Ah-greed" said Massie. "My closet is getting a little boring, it need s a few new additions."
"Mine too" said Dylan. Her voice was muffled because she was munching on baked lays. As she talked, a piece of potato chip fell out her mouth and onto the leather seat beside Massie. "Ew, gross" she laughed. Dylan stuck out her tongue. Massie squirmed to get away from her and fell on top of Claire.
"Ouch", giggled Claire.
"Will you guys keep it down? I'm studying for a major test here!" said Kristen . She was hunched over her lap reading a huge textbook.
"Are you trying to finish that whole thing before we get to class?" cracked Dylan.
"Seriously, what's wrong?" asked Claire.
"Is it because we keep talking about going into NY? Because you know we'll totally-"
"I'm just stressed about this test, and besides, I'm not even going to the dance."
"WHAT!" Alicia, Dylan, and Massie said simultaneously.
"This is about the dress, I knew it," said Alicia, as if she was a proud winner on a game show. "Listen-"
"No, you guys don't get it! You guys have no idea what it's like to live in a crappy apartment, or to have to work extra hard to stay in school, or to get a job, or to be POOR!"
The car grew silent. Kristen went back to studying. Dylan licked the extra salt off her finger. Alicia picked a piece of lint off her blouse. Claire looked at Kristen sympathetically, then to Massie curiously, then back to Kristen. Massie finally regained her cool and cleared her throat.
"Look, Kristen, I don't know why you are being so bitchy about being poor. I mean, who needs money when you have caring friends like us who will just pay for you?"
"You just don't get it, I don't want your charity. I don't need your money."
"Whatever" said Massie.
At that moment ,they pulled up to the Montador building. Kristen gathered up her books and pushed the car door open.
"Don't pick me up for school in the morning. Oh, and have a great time shopping tomorrow." She slammed the car door. To Massie, the noise sounded like a gunshot.
Later, after the other girls were dropped at their houses, Massie lay down on her bed and started making a list for New York City. She wouldn't let her problems with Kristen trouble her. They were going to New York City, Kristen or no Kristen.
The next day, carpool was unusually different without Kristen. No one seemed to have anything to say. Not even Dylan. Massie took out her shopping list.
"Er…um, I think we should start shopping at Nordstrom and then work our way through BCBG. Then we'll go get mani pedi's and spa appointments. Totally awesome, right?"
"Um, totally!" said Alicia trying to keep the spirit alive.
"Yeah, my nail have been looking in need of a buff" said Claire.
"Their always in need of a buff" said Massie. That earned her a round of high fives.
"Niice" said Dylan.
Massie sat back in her seat smiling that devious half -smile.
"All right, so we'll meet here after school at 3:25. Isaac will pick us up and we'll go into the city"
"Done"
"Done"
"and Done."
"Awesome" Massie said. "See you guys later."
"Later" they said.
7 hours later, the Pretty Committee (not including Kristen) was sorting through racks in Cache.
"Does this dress make me look fat?" asked Dylan as she came out of a dressing room.
"I don't know, but does this dress make me look awesome?" said Massie as she twirled around in a blue halter dress.
"Totally" said Alicia. She was wearing a strapless knee-length red dress.
"I'm gonna go buy this, I'm so wearing it to the dance", said Massie. She headed towards the sales lady. "Be a doll and ring this up, will you?"
"Uh, sure Miss Block" said the baffled sales lady. 'But I'll need to see some form of payment."
"Oh, right" said Massie. She giggled.
She handed the sales lady her Master Card. The sales lady slid the card through the side of the cash register. Suddenly, a very annoying beeping came from the electric cash register.
"Hmm, that's funny, the card won't go through." the sales lady said.
"Well, try it again." Massie said impatiently.
"Mass, c'mon, were gong to get manicures" said Claire.
"Be right there" said Massie
The saleslady ran her card through again. Once again, the card wouldn't go through and the store was filled with the annoying beeping noise again.
"It says it's maxxed out" the saleslady said snappishly.
Massie felt as though the world around her was spinning. "What ?" said Massie weakly. She felt as though she had a fever "I'll take that back" said the saleslady as she slapped Massie's rotten credit-card and snatched her dress to put it back on the rack.
Massie ran to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and patted it with a towel. She dropped the credit card in her purse like it was a stinky sock. Then she calmly walked out of the bathroom. She held her head high and walked over to where her friends were waiting.
For the rest of the shopping spree, Massie felt as though she was in a dream or walking through molasses.
"Massie, you've been acting weird the whole time we've been here, what's wrong?" asked Claire.
"It's nothing, I think I might be sick. I don't feel well."
"Look, we can leave if you want-"
'N-No, it's fine, we'll wait till' the other girl's are finished shopping"
"Okay," said Claire.
--- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --- --- --- --- --- -- --- -- - --
As soon as Massie opened the door and stepped into her house ,she knew something was wrong. It could have had something to do with the look on her parent's faces or the fact that nothing had seemed to have gone right today, so why start now?
"What's wrong?" asked Massie tentatively.
"W-What do you mean?" asked her mother, Kendra .
"Well, your'e not looking all "peaceful and happy" Massie said sarcastically.
"The thing is- we have some bad news."
Massie felt her heart drop into her stomach. The only time her parents used that tone was two year ago when Bean swallowed one of her bath salts last year. This couldn't be any better.
"Your father lost his job" said Kendra. Then she buried her face in his shirt.
"What?" said Massie. "Were …poor?
She thought of the expensive mall trips ,her beautiful house, and what would happen if anyone at school found out about this. Her social life would be OVER. She felt faintly dizzy. Her parent's words kept repeating in her head like a stuck CD. Her knees buckled and then the world went black.