"Done to death by slanderous tongue
Was the Hero that here lies
Much Ado About Nothing (V, iii, 3-4)
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Spotted: M and VD in the corridor, practising their anatomy. Don't you know that Biology is 5th period, M?
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"Why can't we have lunch together?" Van Dyke whined.
"I told you already, I'm meeting with Stella and JONAS." Macy smiled and kissed him again.
Van Dyke pouted and pulled Macy close to him.
Van Dyke was a jerk. Secretly, even he admitted it. He was aware that Macy Kaufer-Misa was beautiful, smart, rich and totally in love with him. He would be a fool if he broke up with her. However, Van Dyke had always had a thing for Stella Malone, even though the last time he had seen her was two years ago, and he wouldn't stop until he had Stella. Unfortunately, the stupid Lucas brothers stood in the way of his plan. Van Dyke detested the Lucas Brothers and right now, they were annoying him even more. They were taking his Macy away from him.
Well aware that Nick Lucas was crossing the hallway, Van Dyke started to kiss Macy a little more flamboyantly than normal, marking his territory.
"Van Dyke!" Macy giggled, "I have to get to the flag pole."
Slowly, Van Dyke released Macy and she sauntered off, down the corridor where she met up with her posse.
"Why do we have to come?" moaned Val as she marched them towards the back entrance to the school.
"I already told you, I don't want that Gossip Girl overhearing this conversation. I want you to keep everybody away from the area behind the flag pole." Macy ordered and the other girls nodded.
Nobody disobeys Macy Misa.
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Why so scared M, have you got something to hide?
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"So tell me again, Stella. What's up with Macy?" Kevin asked as they sat at a secluded picnic table.
"Honestly? I have no idea. But have you seen the way they look at her, everyone in school. It's like they... they..." Stella stopped to search for the missing word.
"Revere her." Joe supplied.
"Have you been reading your word of the day again, Joe?" Nick grinned.
"Yes! That's right, Joe! They practically worship her." Stella finished.
"And, I don't know if you've noticed, but I've never seen her with any sports equipment or even in a sports uniform." Nick suggested.
All four of them were silent as they contemplated this new information. Looking up, Stella could see Macy and her posse walking over to the bench.
"I guess we're about to find out." Stella sighed and stood up from her seat.
Macy's friends stopped about 200 yards away and sat on the grass, basking in the sun. Macy herself continued straight on. Her lips were set in a straight line and her head held erect. She strode out confidently, her pleated skirt swinging slightly with each step she took, her blouse tucked in and her blazer impeccably straight. A plaid ribbon tied back her tumbling brown locks and the sun glinted off them.
"Stella. Kevin. Joe. Nick." She greeted them each in turn, her head nodding slightly to acknowledge their presence.
"Mace." Stella replied, unsure how to begin. Macy had never been like this before.
"Where's your lunch?" Kevin asked and Macy rolled her eyes.
"I'm not hungry."
"Macy." Nick started, "Why are you ignoring us?"
Me? Ignoring you? Don't make me laugh." She replied bitterly, "You ignored me for two years!"
"We were busy, you know, on a world tour and all that." Joe butted in and Macy's eyes narrowed.
"I may not be a rock star but I still have a life! Not once in two years did you come and visit me, you barely even e-mailed me." She shrieked.
"Mace." Stella reached out, "I didn't know. I didn't realise. You're like my sister, please don't do this."
Macy felt like bursting into tears. She was queen, she was popular. She was the most screwed up person in school. Her family had abandoned her and her friends too.
"Don't call me Mace. That isn't my name." Macy looked over her shoulder to check on her posse.
"Macy, I know everything about you, we're best friends." Stella begged and Macy felt the anger bubbling up inside her.
"You know nothing about me, absolutely nothing." She screamed and Stella took a step back, scared by the petite brunette.
"M, what are you doing?" Came a voice behind Macy. She turned and, on seeing it was Jamie, threw herself into his arms.
"I thought I knew you Macy, I guess I don't. I would never have labelled you a two-timing bitch... especially with that." Stella's caustic reply hit Macy hard.
"Macy. Come on, let's go and get you cleaned up." Jamie glared at Stella and led the still-sobbing Macy away, towards the car park.
Stella watched as Macy climbed into the fancy black limo and drove away. She couldn't believe that Macy would cheat on Van Dyke; Macy had always been so nice. Suddenly, Stella had an urge to show Macy how she was behaving. It might be cruel, but she wanted to show Macy that what she was doing was wrong. She motioned over Macy's posse.
"I want to spread some news. How do I do that?" She asked politely.
Penny laughed, "Hand me your phone."
Handing over her most prized possession, Stella watched as Penny saved a number in her contacts.
"Just text your rumour to that number and you're all set."
"I just wish it was a rumour." Stella muttered, already texting in her gossip.
"Stells, what are you doing?" Joe asked.
"Don't you see, Macy is two-timing Van Dyke with that other guy." Stella told the three of them, "Someone needs to bring her down."
"That is the worst idea I have ever heard." Joe told her, shaking his head.
"You're mad at her, just think about it before you send it." Nick said, pleading with her to stop.
"Too late." Smiled Stella, "If Mace can play dirty, so can I."
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Whatever happened, S? Feeling threatened because you aren't popular anymore? Or are you just annoyed that Macy Misa hates you, because news flash, S, what you've just done is evil. You must be a girl after M's heart!
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Macy sat at home in her luxury apartment, slowly reapplying her make-up. Thank goodness that Jamie had been there to save her, at least when she lost her Mom to Richard she gained a new friend. Her phone beeped and she read the latest blast.
It seems that M and J are taking after their parents and discovering true love... in each other. I have no proof, HMA, but the source is very close to the Kaufer-Misa family. This might make dinner very awkward tonight...
Dropping her eyeliner, Macy ran as fast as she could into Jamie's room.
"James!" She shouted and banged on the door.
"A bit busy here, M!" He called back.
"According to Gossip Girl, you're getting busy with me!" She shouted.
A muffled curse was heard before an extremely dishevelled Jamie answered the door.
"Let me see..." Jamie grabbed the phone before chuckling and throwing it back at her, "It's not that bad, M, but you might want to talk to Van Dyke, unless he's into incest!"
"Eurgh, you are insufferable." Macy screamed, "Just go back to whatever you are doing."
"Gladly." Jamie smirked before slamming the door.
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Macy ran to her room and grabbed her old Fendi, her very first designer item, and got into her car. Driving fast, she reached Van Dyke's house and knocked on the door.
"I thought you might come here." Van Dyke raised his eyebrows and Macy folded her arms.
"So, you read the blast then." She asked and he nodded.
"We're over, M."
Macy gasped and stumbled backwards. Her heart began to beat faster and her eyes began to tear up. Macy Misa desperately wanted to be loved, ever since her Mom had started to ignore her she had strived for unconditional love. Macy Misa loved few people and Van Dyke was one of them.
"You don't mean that, you can't. I love you!" She whispered pleadingly.
"You love no-one. You're a cold, selfish, manipulative bitch. I was searching for a reason to dump you and this is perfect. Of course I know that Jamie and you aren't together. I loved your image, but that's trash now. You're trash now." Van Dyke looked at her and twisted the knife even further, "I'd rather be with Stella."
He shut the door, leaving Macy stood on the doorstep in the cold. She dashed back into the car and sat, eyes flooding with tears. Her world was falling apart. She remembered a distant time when she was happy, a time where she would wear a football helmet and tackle JONAS in the corridor. Rooting through her bag for a tissue, she found a screwed-up letter that started with a familiar phrase.
My world is falling apart.
She started her car and began to drive; making turns and turns until she had no idea where she was. Pulling over, she looked at a nearby street sign.
Jonas Street.
She carried on until she could see the old firehouse. Slowly, she pulled up outside and reached for the letter again. After all this time, it only seemed right that it should go to its recipient.
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Mrs Lucas was in the kitchen, making lasagne, when she heard the doorbell.
"Macy?" She exclaimed, taking in the sight of the soaking wet, sobbing girl, "Honey, what's wrong?"
"Could you please give this to Stella?" Macy asked with eyes wide open and begging.
"Of course, but sweetie, I can't let you go like this. You look exhausted." Mrs Lucas shuffled Macy inside and closed the door, "There's a storm going on out there."
Macy looked out of the window and saw the streaks of lightning. She laughed to herself bitterly, realising that she had never noticed it.
"Who else is in?" She asked and Mrs Lucas smiled.
"It's just me, honey. Tom took them all to a movie. They shouldn't be back for a few hours yet."
"Would you mind if I stayed, just for a minute?" Macy sighed, "I don't like driving in thunderstorms."
"You can stay for dinner if you like." Mrs Lucas offered.
"No thank you, but it is very kind of you to ask me." Macy replied and shut her eyes briefly. For a second she imagined that Mrs Lucas was really her Mom, that this was really her house and that the lasagne bubbling in the oven was really her dinner. Unfortunately for her, it never would be.
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"I'm sorry kids; I don't think it's safe to drive anymore. I'm going to turn around and head home." Mr Lucas explained whilst completing a U-turn.
"It's fine, Dad, we can go watch New Moon some other time." Nick smiled before settling back into his seat."
Nick Lucas was old before his time. Nicknamed 'Mr President', he certainly had the attitude down to a tee. Being so wise meant that he could see things that other teenagers couldn't. He wrote so many songs about love and heartbreak, that he could recognise it in an instant. When Macy was crying that lunchtime, he could tell that she was heartbroken. It pained him to recognise it, because the pain he saw was so acute that it made him wince. The worst part was that he knew this most painful of emotions was caused partly by himself and his brothers.
None of them noticed the car parked outside the house, not even Stella, she was too busy dodging the rain. It was only when they entered the house that they saw Macy. It made Nick's heart sink to see the utter forlornness of the girl in front of him. She looked like a startled fawn, ready to run at any movement.
"Macy?" Kevin's voice startled Nick out of his musings.
"I was just leaving..." Macy started towards the door, cut off by Mrs Lucas.
"Macy, there's someone on the phone for you. He says he's Jamie?"
Macy grabbed the phone and began to speak into it. Nick shamelessly eavesdropped.
"Jamie... Of course... You don't need to... I'm perfectly fine... Jamie... Please don't..." She carried on her side of the conversation until he heard the phone slam down on the other end of the line.
"Someone is coming to pick me up. They'll be here in a minute." She told Mrs Lucas.
"One of your many boyfriends..." Stella snorted. Macy turned to face Stella, more tears forming in her eyes.
"I don't have one now thanks to you." Macy gulped and blinked quickly.
"You don't deserve a boyfriend." Stella huffed, "Not if you treat them like dirt."
"But I don't." Macy looked at Stella sadly, "I may be vain, self-centred and cold, but I would never send such a heinous rumour straight to Gossip Girl."
Stella glared at Macy and Macy glared at Stella, with everyone else staying in complete silence.
"Macy, didn't you have a letter to give to Stella?" Mrs Lucas reminded her.
"I'm not so sure she'll want to read it now." Macy looked towards the door, begging her brother to come.
"I'd love to read it, Macy. I can't wait to hear what goes on in that head of yours because it's pretty screwed up in there. In fact, I'm so looking forward to reading it that I want you to read it to me now. Go on; let's hear what you have to say!" Stella had moved so that she and Macy were facing one another.
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Do you dare to bare, M? Bare your soul that is.
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"I don't think... not in front of..." Macy looked straight at Stella but Stella simply shook her head.
"What have you got to hide, M?" Stella mocked and shakily Macy took the creased sheet of paper in her hand and began to read.
Dear Stella
My world is falling apart. Everything is going wrong and you're the only one who can understand. Why haven't you called or e-mailed me? You've been away for 8 months now. I need you to come home.
My Mom has a new man. He's rich, like really rich. We haven't talked for 3 days now. I don't matter to her anymore. I don't matter to anyone. No-one talks to me; they just ignore me now, even my Mom. I feel like screaming because everyone is gone, my Mom, my Dad, you. Where are you? Why haven't you called me? I thought we were best friends.
I haven't told you the worst... I can't play sports anymore. I got into an accident yesterday and I broke my leg in four different places. My Mom didn't even come to the hospital. I've been sat in this hospital room for 48 hours and the only person who visited me was Coach Masters. My sports career is over and I'm scared. I'm always scared, I'm scared of this new man, that he's going to leave my Mom like my Dad did. I'm scared of his son, he's so different to me but he's the only one who can understand. I'm scared that my life is over, that the sports were the only thing worth living for. I have nothing left. No friends, no family, no ambitions. I don't even dream, Stella, I have nothing to dream about.
Why did you leave me? Why haven't you come back to see me? You missed my birthday Stells. I celebrated it on my own. You're supposed to be my best friend; I miss you so much,
Love Macy
"Macy?" Stella breathed, ""I never knew... Why didn't you send it?"
"I didn't know where you were. I had no address." Macy bit her lip and wiped away the tear that had previously run down her cheek.
A knock sounded at the door and Kevin opened it, revealing an angry-looking Jamie.
"Macy Kaufer-Misa, you had me worried sick!" He shouted, "You left the house over 3 hours ago!"
"I'm so sorry, J, I got a little overwhelmed." She looked at him and he shook his head.
"I went to VD's house; he said you left about 2 and a half hours ago. What sort of a boyfriend sends his girlfriend into a thunderstorm?" He yelled at Macy and she looked away from him.
"He's not my boyfriend." She whispered.
"That douche bag dumped you!" He gritted his teeth, "Do you want me to go beat him up?"
"No, that would be even worse." Macy murmured.
"Why, of all places, would you come here?" He asked her and Macy simply shrugged.
"I just did."
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Mrs Lucas asked Jamie and Macy smiled.
"Can't you tell? He's my brother."
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We all warned you S, stay away from M. She's like fire, stand too close and you get burned. You sent that blast and now you'll pay... in guilt. Never mind lasagne, I think it might be humble pie for S. XOXO Gossip Girl
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So, I may have uploaded the wrong chapter.... I'm so sorry! I'm not the best person when it comes to technology. Sorry again!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!
XOXO Vi