Disclaimer: I do not own "The Clique".
Claire blinked away tears with desperation as she stared at the rain. Standing under the overhang in front of the cafeteria, she was stuck there when rain poured seemingly out of the blue. Her parents worked and could not pick her up. Her house was a good few blocks away from her new school; short enough for her to walk there and back every day and long enough to make her soaked should she decided to run for it right now. At least there was no thunder or lightning, just gray skies and gallons of rain.
Before being stuck here, she had seen girl after girl pair up with their best friend under an umbrella, and sometimes three giggly girls crowded under one. Claire looked down at the ground, willing the rain to stop as she looked past her black Mary Janes and pantyhose, navy pleated skirt, and white button collared button-down. It was her school's standard uniform and she hated it as much as she hated the school. She had been at this academy for a month now! How much longer would she have to wait before she could drop this stupid title of New Girl with No Friends? Wasn't she good enough? Waiting for a new friend from this town to notice her was the longest wait of her life… even longer than the wait she went through lately fro her old friends to call her or send a letter.
She looked up, ignoring the blurring of the world around her from her tears. Just before she would make a break for it, someone said something to her. "Need an umbrella?"
Claire opened her blue eyes and looked at the girl standing out in the rain. She was one of the popular girls. Her name was Massie Block and Claire envied her glossy brunette bob, amber eyes, and flock of friends since day one. Massie's face held no emotion, at least none that Claire could see under what appeared to be an umbrella with designer logos printed all over it.
Claire nodded. "I forgot my umbrella…" The pang of realization she had when she realized how pathetic this must've sounded made her want to run in the rain away from Massie.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Massie said in irritation as she stepped close enough for Claire to accompany her under the umbrella. Claire obeyed and the two began their walk in silence. For some reason, she didn't ask Claire where she lived. They just walked in the correct direction.
Claire struggled for something cool to say. Massie's face continued to hold no emotion except for barely noticeable hints of irritation and boredom.
After about fifteen minutes of silence under the downpour, they reached Claire's new house. "Thanks…" Claire murmured, scolding herself over and over for lack of better things to say.
Massie shrugged. "Whatever. By the way, your name's Claire, right?
"Yeah…"
"I never see you during lunch."
"I eat by mys-… I eat… in the classroom."
Claire watched Massie shrug again walk away from the house and down the driveway, feeling the tears as they began to collect again. But right before Massie made the turn in the direction to her own house, she paused, almost as if in thought, turned to Claire and flashed her a big smile with whitened teeth. "Well, I'm Massie. Bye, Claire. See you tomorrow at lunch!"
Claire felt her whole body fill up with a new surge of energy. "Okay! Bye!" She shoved the door open to her house and giggled to herself as she kicked her damp, puddle-worn shoes across the floor. She knew her mother didn't want the shoes there, but that was okay. They would just have to wait.
