BOC-Homeroom
Monday, September 1st
8:10 A.M.
"Welcome to Briarwood-Octavian High!" Miss Bryant, Massie, Claire and Alicia's homeroom teacher, said in an overly peppy voice.
Massie, Claire, and Alicia exchanged you-have-got-to-be-kidding looks.
"Now...um...oh! Lockers." Miss Bryant said. She ran around the room in frazzled circles, shuffling papers and looking in cabinets. "Here!" She triumphantly held a crinkled paper above her head.
"Now...uh...Maysie Block?" She looked over the tops of plastic pink glasses frames and scanned the room.
"Me." Massie said with a smirk, popping up from her seat and walking to the front of the room. Her espadrilles quietly crossed the room to where Miss Bryant was handing out locker cards. Massie plucked the card and pen from the woman's old hands and scribbled her name down on the card. She had theeee best locker in the entire school. And it was number 001. Massie pulled a lock from the box and made her way into the hall, not looking back.
Once outside, Massie realized the only other person in the hall with her was some strange girl she had never met.
"Heyyyy Massie." The girl said, twisting her hair into a sparkly pink banana clip. She was wearing a navy blue mini-dress with straight-legged white skinny jeans and navy blue espadrilles. She wore pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. Instead of a backpack she carried a white oversized designer tote. Massie froze. How could this person possibly know her name?
"Who are you?" Massie asked, looking t the girl's outfit.
"Um..." The girl said. "Don't cha remember me? It's me--Oh, no, you probably don't remember. I kind of look different than I used to. Uh..." She extended her hand. "Hi. I'm Alayna."
Massie put her hands on her hips and said, "And...uh, who are you exactly?"
"Um...I just told you. Alayna."
"I know your name." Massie snapped. "Who are you?"
"Um, I went to OCD. I used to be like besties with one of your little friends, and I have an older brother. Who someone in your clique-y group used to like." Alayna replied.
Massie rolled her eyes. "Do you think I was born yesterday?" Massie asked Alayna.
Alayna just smirked and turned on her heel, walking away.
"Who were you friends with?" Massie was about to ask. But she held back. Why call after an LBR who thought she knew Massie? It was pointless.
Massie went back to her locker, in the corner, between the trophy case and a filler space that was too small to fit a locker. Massie couldn't believe her luck! She had heard stories from Skye Hamilton that at BOH, the only trophies they got were silver. Which meant they made perfect mirrors! Massie kept herself from squealing.
But then she caught Alayna walking by in the reflection of the trophy, and she started to think about what she had said. Besties with one of your friends. Your friend used to like my older brother. I went to OCD. Who could it be? Massie started to think. Well, it could have been Olivia, since she was best friends with Alicia. But Olivia didn't have an older brother that someone liked, did she? Massie usually knew about all of her friends' crushes! Unless someone had kept a secret...Massie kept thinking. Claire was friends with Layne. Layne had an older brother, but...no one in the Pretty Committee had liked him, had they? Skye had. But Alayna had said that someone in her group liked the brother, not someone in the Pretty Committee. Skye was technically "in her group" since Skye had given her the key to the bomb shelter. Possible. But that would mean that Alayna—was Layne! But were Layne and Claire not friends anymore? And then why would Layne call herself A-LAYNE-a? It just didn't make sense.
Massie loaded her books into her squeaky clean navy blue locker and vowed to talk to Claire later. Now, it was time to mingle.
Massie saw Cam, Derrington, Kemp, Kori, Griffin, Josh, Skye, and two other DSL daters. She also spotted Chris Abeley and spoke to him first.
"Hey!" Massie grabbed the sleeve of his white tee and he turned to face her.
"Yeah?" Chris said. All of the guys he was talking to locked their eyes onto Massie.
"Um, can I ask you something...in private?" She glared at the chuckling guys who were still staring.
"Just ask me already!" Chris snapped.
Massie was shocked. When had Chris become such a jerk? She pulled him a few feet away and asked, "Has your sister changed? Like is she calling herself A-LAYNE-a? And dressing, like, nice?"
"Yeah." Chris said. "She re-did her room and stuff. Now can I go?" He said impatiently.
"Yeah." Massie said, knocking the books out of his hand. "Oops, sorry." She said, not meaning it one bit.
Massie rolled her eyes and flounced over to Claire, who was chatting it up with Cam, and said, "Have you seen LAYNE?"
"Why would I want to see that loser?" Claire muttered. Cam elbowed her. "I mean, no."
Massie looked confused. She just replied with, "Um, OK." and walked over to where Kristen was talking with some blonde guy. Massie smiled, and then walked over. There was a twinkle in Kristen's eyes. She was definitely flirting with this guy. Massie got closer, put her hand on K's shoulder, and screamed out loud when she saw who the guy was.
