My first fanfiction. So be cool with the reviews.
Octavian Country Day School
The Auditorium
Monday, May 3rd
8:35 A.M.
...Losers Beyond Repair!?
How?? How will that work out? Massie shook her head but stopped mid-shake. Is she serious? She can nawt let the Pretty Committee down. They've gone so far!
Claire bit her cuticles, hating herself to having jumped to conclusions so quickly. She shouldn't have been so nosy. If she liked Cam so much, why hadn't she trusted him? Nikki was nobody. Nobody! She watched Olivia and her fake nose hanging around Josh and Cam and Derrington, and that was enough to drive Claire into devouring her fingers whole. She was aware of Massie making a face of disgust, but she just couldn't stop.
Finally Massie snapped, "Kuh-laire?"
Claire bit one more time before replying, "...Yeah?"
"Are you some kind of starving mosquito?" Massie asked, rolling her eyes. Kristen, Dylan, and Alicia didn't gaze at her, giggling in anticipation at her next line like they usually did, but kept nervously glancing at the guys instead.
"Um... no?" Claire murmured.
"Then why are you biting?" Massie swatted Claire's hand away from her mouth and Claire looked down.
"Massie, I think we should cut the boy fasts short, it's not working for me," Alicia said as she fiddled with Josh's cap.
"Out with the old and in with the new, girls," Massie said, trying to sound confident, "Do we re-wear last year's Sevens?" The girls slowly shook their heads. "Didn't think so!"
"Maybe we should re-think that," Kristen suggested, hopefully.
"The NPC doesn't redo anything," Massie pointed out.
"NP...C?" Claire questioned.
Massie rolled her eyes and waved her hand in Claire's face, "It's the New Pretty Committee, hello?"
"I liked OPC better," Claire mumbled the floor.
Massie sharply turned to Claire and tilted her head as she said, "What was that?"
"Nothing...," Claire meekly almost whispered.
"Really?" Massie asked, "It better had been. Because I'm sure you don't want to go back to the Claire before the Pretty Committee... right? If you completely forgot, which I don't really blame you because if I was ever, God forbid, like you before PC in my entire life, ever, then I'd want it totally erased from my mind too, I'll help you bring back those good old times. Remember this?" Massie mimed pointed at Claire's Keds and laughing hysterically.
How could Claire forget? Her past before she was in the Pretty Committee were traumatizing nightmares. Claire saw her life flashing in her eyes, life before the Pretty Committee. But then again, there were better times too, when she wasn't in the Pretty Committee. That was when she never had to go by Massie's ridiculous rules, like the boy fast, for example. She wasn't ever rated for what she wore, which was usually a 7 or below...
That was when she and Cam never fought...
Their first fight was when Claire had kissed Josh when Nina the Obscena had strolled into the picture in her way-too-miniskirt. And then Massie had advised her to flirt with other guys. That was what led Claire to that awful first kiss with Josh which led to an awful first fight with Cam. The fight after that was when Massie had shown Cam the picture of her kissing Connor Foley innocently as rehearsal which Cam had misunderstood... And then, because of that stupid secret TV in that stupid secret room Massie thought was so cool, tempted Claire to pry into business not her own.
All hell went loose between her and Cam after the Pretty Committee. It wasn't fair. Claire was only following them...
...and maybe that was the problem...
"Yeah, I remember," Claire declared, nodding surely with her shoulders rolled back, trying to collect courage for what she was about to do next.
"Good..., then...," Massie paused for a moment, not expecting this reaction from Claire, then she continued "...then keep it in your mind, that the Pretty Committee is that oh-so-thin line of your life between heaven...," she pushed her face right in front of Claire menacingly, and she looked exactly like the Devil, "and hell. Don't push it."
"Hell isn't what I remembered before the Pretty Committee!" Claire exclaimed. Massie was checking Derrington out without trying to be obvious, but Claire knew she had heard her. So Claire repeated herself and then Alicia, Kristen, and Dylan all turned to Claire in shock of what they had heard. Except Massie.
Massie, ever so slowly, turned her head like those scary dolls in horror movies that turn their heads towards the victim, and finally faced Claire. Massie's eyes glaring felt like Claire was being pricked by one of her brooches. "Claire, are we that hideous hair-do you used to have before you quit your movie?"
Claire shook her head, and Massie screeched, "Then what makes you think you can ditch us so easily?"
"It's not going to be easy, but... I'm not changing my mind!" Claire said, although she had been considering it, but decided it was too late to turn back anyway, "Besides, wasn't it 'out with the old, in with the new?' So you wouldn't have wanted to keep the old Claire anyway, so say hi to the new me. And now, say bye because the new me... the new me can't stand it anymore!"
"Yeah, well, you're welcome!" Alicia stepped in for Massie, "You know, for making you famous! For inviting you to all those exclusive sleepovers! For helping you get back in to OCD! For-"
"Forget about it, why don't you!" Claire said, walking away surer than she felt.
She could still feel Massie's eyes stabbing into her... exactly like her brooches.
Claire held her head high and strutted away and heard Massie hiss, "If the new you is going to walk like that, like a duck, keep waddling away, we don't want you!" She heard the NPC cackling at her. Claire put her head a little lower and decided maybe she should tone it down a bit.
She walked over to Layne, who was chewing on Starbursts, her new food obsession. "Kuh-laire?" Layne was making fun of the way the Pretty Committee said her name, batting her eyelashes, "What happened?"
"...I dropped out," Claire stated simply, like it was as easy and normal and usual as blinking or breathing.
"...Dropped... out?" Layne asked, and then all of a sudden, she got what Claire meant. Her eyes flashed. "As in... out-of-Pretty-Committee? As in no-Massiechist? As in-"
"As in dead-Claire!" Claire exclaimed, panicking all of a sudden, "I.. I can't believe I did that! What was I thinking? Maybe I should've moved to California, that would've been way easier!" Then she felt someone staring at her. Someone with different-colored eyes... Claire turned back and caught Cam looking over at her, and felt a little better, thinking he was wanting her back. But he was whispering about her to some girl Claire remembered making fun of with the PC before but didn't know the name of. Claire was mad. The girl was probably hitting on him and had casually asked, "So, um, what's Claire doing over there? Isn't she your girlfriend or something?" And Cam was just telling her, "Nah, I broke up with her..."
"What are you looking at?" Claire snapped, her face reddening.
"Nothing important," Cam murmured and turned away, but not before Claire saw he was shocked by her outburst.
"Funny, that's just what I'm looking at," Claire shouted, glaring at Cam. A group of girls gasped and giggled and started chattering excitedly about what just happened and Claire felt slightly triumphant.
New Claire- one Cam- zero
"What a way to tell him off!" Layne squealed, and shared a high five with Claire.
"I'm tired of him anyway," Claire tried to convinced herself, "All we ever did was fight."
Layne giggled, "Yeah, I could tell... but obviously breaking up with him won't stop you guys!"
"And anyway he gave me stale candy," Claire kept on going to make herself feel better, "And after all the time... I forgave him... after he believed that stupid lie about me and Conner.. after he believed that stupid lie about the Spanish soccer spell! He misunderstood me so many times and I can't just make one little mistake? I... I can't believe I dressed up as a guy for him! He wasn't worth it! He's such a girl, making a big deal over one little thing! Forget him!"
"Claire... are you okay?" Layne asked, "You're rambling-"
"And he regifted! I'm only good enough for hand-me-down love? Seriously! And his eyes! They're so stupid, why are they different colored? Has he ever heard of contacts before? Are mismatched earrings in? I don't think so! Then why does he think his eye colors are so cool? He... he probably had them surgically made like that because he thought it was cool!"
In reality,Claire thought his eyes were beautiful. She remembered looking into them when they kissed and when he gave her gummies... gummies that he actually bought, not the ones he gave to Claire that Nikki had given him.
But that was the past now. The sad life of old Claire who was a puppet, who was always the one who had to say "sorry" first, the one who always accepted people even when they didn't fully accept her, the one who just stood there and do nothing when people made fun of her.
Not any more.
"He could just stay with Nikki! She's probably... probably enough of a LBR like I was before to fall in desperate love with him!" Claire exclaimed, with pink cheeks.
"Claire!"
"And you know what? I threw up all the gummies he ever gave me! He-"
"Claire!"
"He doesn't even know how to kiss!"
"CLAIRE!"
"What?!" Claire demanded, finally breathing from her break of ranting.
"You were really loud," Layne whispered, for absolutely no reason, "Cam heard everything. See?"
Claire turned to see Cam give her the dirtiest look she'd ever received. "I don't care," Claire said, and her breath started getting ragged. Oh, Claire, don't start crying now! Stupid, stupid, you always cry! Massie never cries. Alicia never cries. Dylan and Kristen don't either! But right when she thought that, wouldn't you know it, the tears flowed.
"I don't care!" Claire exclaimed, and ran off to the bathroom.
"Claire, wait!" Layne and Cam called after her at the same time.
They looked at each other, but Layne was the only one that glared.
She started going after her, and saw Cam about to follow. She shoved Cam away and firmly said, "I think the last thing Claire wants right now is for you to go after her."
All Claire wanted right now was for Cam to go after her.
...But he didn't.
Of course he didn't. Claire felt like slapping herself. Why would he? She shouldn't be so naive. Cam moved on, and she should too. She was so not being new Claire right now! But maybe old Claire had more sense. What was Claire thinking? Quitting the PC? Dissing Cam?
Claire rushed into the school bathroom. Good, it was empty. She quickly entered a stall and slammed it closed. Something... was different about the bathroom, but she couldn't see anything clear through her tears. And she didn't care how the bathroom was different anyway.
She wiped her tears vigorously. But they just kept on coming. And coming. And coming. Like a leaky faucet. Or the pipe in Briarwood.
Claire heard someone enter the bathroom and bit her lip to stop crying... but she had to let out a little sniffle. She heard the person stop walking and then slowly walk to her stall.
"Claire!" she heard someone outside the bathroom call her name.
It was Layne. "I'm... right here!" Claire called out, hoping the stranger in front of her stall would get away so she could go to her only friend without being seen crying.
"Claire?" the stranger went.
...It was a guy!?
"...Who... what?" Claire wiped her face real quick and took a deep breath in order to be halfway decent. It must be Cam! How cute would that be? Cam had went inside a girl's bathroom. For her. Risking humiliation and ridicule. For her. She quickly straightened her bangs and walked out the stall, making a cute pout as she did.
...It was Derrington.
"D-Derrington?!" Claire shouted, surprised and disappointed. "I mean... Derrick!? I thought you were...? What are you...?"
"...You mean, you didn't see it?" Derrington asked, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair.
"See...what?" Claire asked, tilting her head a little.
"The sign in front of the door," Derrington explained, seeming a little uncomfortable, "...Since we're going in OCD now, this is a... guy's bathroom."
"Oh...," Claire muttered, looking around.
So that was why the bathroom looking different. Instead of pink walls, they had painted it dark blue. The white table with the flowered table cloth with perfume, air fresheners, and a whole bunch of products that were there were gone. The pad dispenser wasn't on the wall anymore either. Instead cologne and gel was placed on a normal black table. Claire suddenly realized this should be an embarrassing moment for her, not a "oh-really?" moment.
"Oh, my God!" Claire freaked, and Derrington jumped. She bit her nail and quickly stopped when she remembered she was in front of a boy. Even thought she didn't like him like she liked Cam, he was still a guy. She couldn't look at Derrington in the eye. How humiliating! Claire walked right into a boy's bathroom and got caught. Claire bit her lip instead of her nails and said, "H-hide me!"
"Why don't you just walk out?" Derrington asked, looking amused with one eyebrow raised.
"I can't do that!" Claire squeaked, and cleared her throat so her voice would be normal and not abnormally high, "What if someone is there?" And... even though she meant for the question to stay in her head, she asked out loud, "What if Massie is there??" Then Claire mentally smacked herself. One bad topic to talk about with a guy: Exes.
"Who cares about Massie?" Derrington asked, looking angry.
"Sorry," Claire muttered, looking down.
Derrington suddenly wanted to make her feel better and quickly said, "Don't be, it's okay..." Derrington paused and Claire stayed silent, but the moment wasn't awkward as someone might've seen it. They were both thinking about Massie. "If Massie was your friend, she wouldn't tell anyone you went in a guy's room."
Claire giggled, and Derrington asked, "What?"
"I just didn't know guys could think like that," Claire giggled.
"...What do you mean?" Derrigton asked, wondering if it was an insult or a compliment, "Like what?"
"It's not a bad thing!" Claire assured, still chuckling a little. Then she stopped and said, softly, "Me and Massie aren't friends anymore. I'm tired of her."
"Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?" Derrington asked, tearing out paper towel from the dispenser. He held out the paper towel and Claire reached out for it, but instead of giving it to her, he wiped her tears away from her face himself. Claire blushed. She thought it was the kindest thing anyone could've done and said for her at that moment.
"I don't know," Claire answered. But she did know. Because it was wayyy easier to be Massie's friend than her enemy. Claire had been both and now she was definitely an enemy. "Let's not talk about it," Claire suggested and Derrington nodded. Then she remembered again, that she was in a guy's bathroom.
"Oh, my God!" Claire freaked again, and made Derrington jump again.
"Can you not do that?" Derrington asked. They both looked at each and laughed at the little deja vu they just had.
"Sorry, but... I'm still a girl in a guy's bathroom!" Claire reminded, nervously looking at the door to block it in case anyone else comes in.
"Huh?" Derrington asked, and then looked around. Then he looked surprised, as if he also just remembered they were in a guy's bathroom. "Oh, right..." he said. And he sort of shrugged one shoulder so his backpack strap would slide off and looked in it. "I think this would help," Derrington said, taking out a cap and offering it to Claire.
"Thanks," Claire meant it. She was so grateful. Claire never knew there was this kind of side to anyone who went to Westchester. "But I think the pink top would give me away..."
"Take my jacket," Derrington said, smiling. Claire took it and wore it. She took a sniff, a habit she developed around guys when she hung out with Cam and his Drakkar Noir. Derrington wasn't Drakkar Noir. He was an Aqua Di Gio. Not like Claire could tell what it was. She could smell the difference though, but it was still a scent she liked. She thought, "They should make an air freshener of cologne!"
"Thanks...," Claire said, feeling stupid. She felt like she should be doing something back for him. Why was he being so nice? Maybe... he liked her. Claire shoved that option away. She was being super desperate and making up stuff to make her feel better about the whole thing with Cam... Cam! Claire realized she hadn't thought about him ever since she ran into Derrington.
Claire hugged him, impulsively. She felt him stiffen a little, and she thought he would push her away. Why did I do that? Claire wondered. He must think I'm such a freak! I'm so stupid! What happened with Cam?
But instead he hugged her back and relaxed. Claire sighed with relief.
Then the door swung open and a familiar voice called, "Claire? Layne says you're in here..."
My first fanfiction.
And yes. I hate Massie.