(AN: I can't believe this. I typed up a bunch of stuff for this chapter and then just when I'm about to publish it, I can't find the file. DDD: So my patience has run THIN. LEAVE A NICE REVIEW OR ELSE I'LL KICK YO ASS. Haha! Just kidding about the ass-kicking part. Sort of.)
Westchester, NYChateau McAdams – Kendall's Bedrooom
Wednesday, September 26th
10:04 PM
"He's Chrispy," Tessa said.
"Excuse me?" Kendall replied. After everyone had gone home, the girls had decided to hang out in Kendall's recently-renovated room and get Cheeto dust all over her loft bed.
"Chris Plovert. As in Chris P. As in Chrispy," Tessa answered with a goofy smile on her face. She discreetly stole the bag from Jackie's lap and shook it, looking for the perfect puff in the shape of an iPod or a heart.
"So now he's an adjective?" Skye said, brushing at her orange-y fingers. She swept some of her curly hair off her shoulders peeked past the closed curtain into the dark night.
"You got that right, yo." Tessa shook the bag some more until Jackie noticed it was gone from her lap and they had a brief tug-of-war over them. Jackie won and shoved a big handful into her mouth, chewing loudly. Tessa elbowed her and sat on her back, jumping up and down. "And our couple name is 'Chrissa'."
"That sounds like a girl name." Kendall crossed her legs, glancing at the puff dust on her sheets. "Ahem."
"Where's Aly?" Skye said, ignoring her.
"I called her, but her cell phone is off," Jackie answered. "I think she went home."
"Omigod, I totally forgot to tell you guys something," Kendall gasped. She stood upright. "I have a boyfriend."
Tessa shook her shoulders. "Tell us his name, woman!" she shouted, not noticing a puff falling out of her mouth and landing on the carpeted floor.
Kendall sighed. "Derrick Harrington."
The room was quiet for a moment. Very quiet. Extremely quiet. And then Skye quickly scooted off the bed and left the room.
Westchester, NYThe Sidewalk Near Rosewood Lane
Wednesday, September 26th
10:15 PM
"My curfew's in ten minutes!" Jackie screamed, banging on the side of Isaac's (Tessa's brother) car.
No one heard her except Isaac. "Watch the paint job!" he yelled without turning his head.
"Where is she?" gasped Kendall. She waved a flashlight around the street. "Drive slower!" she shrieked.
"In case you haven't noticed, there are sixty million cars honking behind us!"
"Shhh!" Tessa shouted. She squinted toward a girl-shaped figure walking on the sidewalk close to Rosewood. "Skye? Skye!" She turned to Isaac. "Yo, put the pedal to the metal!"
Isaac sped up, turning the car closer to the sidewalk. It was, indeed, Skye. She carried her Jimmy Choos in one hand. She barely looked visible in the night.
Jackie leaned over and tapped on Isaac's shoulder. "Curfew. Eight minutes."
Tessa leaned over the car door. "Skye, get in!"
"No," she replied flatly. "I'm busy."
"Are not!" Kendall shouted.
"Am too," Skye shot back. "Now go away."
"Get in!" Isaac shouted. "I'm not shuttling around little girls for the rest of the evening!"
Skye got in. Her shoes looked slightly battered. They decided not to ask.
The Doyle School Math ClassThursday, September 27th
11:04 PM
SKYE: bitchbutt.
DERRICK: ?
SKYE: you know what you did.
DERRICK: ?
SKYE: STOP PLAYING DUMB.
DERRICK: im not playing dumb. idk what ur talking about!
SKYE: cheating bastard.
There was minute-long pause.
DERRICK: who told you?
SKYE: kendall.
DERRICK: oh…so she knows too.
SKYE: obviously.
DERRICK: it was a bet w/ massie.
SKYE: massie block?
DERRICK: who else?
SKYE: no one else!! ALL I KNOW IS THAT WE ARE OVER.
DERRICK: geez don't flip out on me.
SKYE: why NOT?
DERRICK: …
SKYE: thought so.
DERRICK: it was a stupid bet.
SKYE: you got that right.
DERRICK: skye can we start over?
"Miss Brooks?"
Mrs. Elder truly lived up to her name. She was about ninety years old and had a mild case of Alzheimer's. Or amnesia. Either way, she never remembered anything.
"Miss Brookfield," Skye corrected her.
"Of course," Mrs. Elder said. She checked her gradebook. "Are you reading chapter two?"
"I thought we were still on chapter one."
Mrs. Elder sipped her coffee and continued knitting a sweater for her granddaughter, Beautiful Wendy. According to Mrs. Elder, Beautiful Wendy lived in Boca Raton and was a successful foot doctor with a pink house and ten holiday homes scattered around the globe. Beautiful Wendy was all Mrs. Elder talked about. Skye was hoping that they wouldn't be taking tests about her soon.
SKYE: …
DERRICK: pls?
SKYE: fine.
The Doyle SchoolThe Hallways
Thursday, September 27th
11:14 AM
Jackie paused as she noticed Dempsey at his locker, depositing his English and Biology notebooks. (She had his schedule memorized.) She had two choices. The first one was to run away and wing AP French without her textbooks. The second was to grow a pair and face the music.
She chose to run.
Massie almost ran into her as she dashed down the halls. "Watch it!" she snapped, protecting her Juicy purse from dropping onto the floor. She took careful, dainty steps toward Dempsey, rehearsing what she would say.
Hey, what's up?
Hello, Dempsey.
Hi! How are you?
"Hey Massie," Dempsey greeted, slamming his locker. "What's up?"
"Nothing much." Massie looked up at him through her eyelashes, a trick she had learned in Seventeen. "You?"
"I'm going to Indonesia for Thanksgiving!" Dempsey said brightly. "Isn't that awesome?"
"Totally," Massie replied. "I think it's toe-dally awesome about the stuff you do."
"Thanks." Dempsey smiled at her, and Massie almost fell down. "You heard about the benefit next week? They're donating all the funds to a children's shelter."
"Really? I'm so going," Massie blurted, even though she wouldn't be caught dead going to lame benefits. "Are you?"
"What do you think?" Dempsey laughed. Massie giggled along with him, twirling her hair around a finger. She wasn't going to ask Dempsey to the benefit with her. She had read in Seventeen that you had to make the boy come to her. Which would be happening very soon.
The Doyle SchoolGeography Class
Thursday, September 27th
11:34 AM
Jackie swung her feet as she waited for someone--anyone--to take the seat next to her. Did she smell? No. Was she friendly? Yes. Maybe people were just plain evil in 5th period History.
The classroom door swung open, and a tall brunette emerged. She handed a paper to Mrs. Higgins, who directed her to take a seat. Anywhere. Jackie stared off into space, wishing to be anywhere but here.
"Hey, I'm Chelsea."
"Huh?" Jackie looked up to see the brunette--Chelsea--sitting next to her. "Uh, hey."
Chelsea smiled. "Are you new here? Because I am. Gosh, I have, like, zero friends here! Can you imagine how terrible that is?! I mean, I had two best friends back home. I was popular there, ya know?" she rambled. Jackie nodded slowly, not really in the conversation.
"Uhh..." Jackie bit the inside of her gum. "You can, um, sit with me and my friends at lunch." Hopefully the others won't mind, she thought.
"Really?" Chelsea beamed. "Awesome!" She turned to face the white board. Maybe not everyone was evil.
The Doyle School The CafeteriaThursday, September 27th
12:03 PM
"Have you heard of Pretty Faces?" Chelsea asked Jackie as they moved down the lunchline past the silver vats of food.
"Huh?" Jackie sprinkled some cheese onto her taco.
"It's a modeling agency I'm going to be in," Chelsea said. She leaned forward to slop some fat-free ranch over her salad. Her dark curls swept across the shoulders of her Marc Jacobs top. "I'm guessing you don't model."
Jackie shrugged, wondering if this was a very subtle diss. "I don't model," she said. "I don't have time."
"It's really fun," Chelsea said, eyeing a display of ripe red apples. She reached for one, and then pulled her hand back. "So where are your friends?"
"Sitting at the back table."
"Cool. Let's go!" Chelsea chirped. Jackie had to speed-walk to catch up with her. Chelsea had trackteam legs.
"Hey, I'm Chelsea!" Chelsea introduced herself to Skye, Aly, Tessa and a few other girls. Skye was sniffing the white rose Derrick had had delivered to her fourth period class. "Jakie invited me to sit here."
"Actually, it's pronounced Jah-ckie – "
Chelsea promptly sat down, making Kendall scoot over. "So has anyone here ever heard of Pretty Faces?"
Tessa bobbed her head to "That Green Gentleman" playing on her iPod. She could somehow hear over the music. "Huh?"
While Chelsea gushed about her new modeling career, Kendall tugged on Aly's shirt-sleeve. "Where were you last night? I didn't see you at the party! Did you know I hit like ten people in the face with sodas?"
Aly twisted open a bottle of G2. "I was home."
"Liar. You never miss a party."
"Josh Hotz gave me a ride." Aly bit her lower lip.
"Josh Hotz? He did not. You lie!"
"I swear, he did."
Chelsea leaned over and tapped on Kendall's shoulder. "Have you ever heard of Pretty Faces?"
"I hope you didn't make a mistake, inviting her here," Chrysta Woodside whispered to Jackie. She cocked her head, a waterfall of reddish-gold curls almost dipping into an open cup of bleu cheese dressing.
"She's okay," Jackie said. "She talks a lot about modeling, though." She giggled. "I think we'll survive."
But they almost didn't.
Westchester, NYSlice of Heaven – Table 14
Thursday, September 27th
7:39 PM
Tessa crossed her arms as she leaned back. "Okay, if you really wanna know my secret..." She sighed. "I'm afraid of spiders. Happy?"
Chris laughed. "I already knew that."
"What? How?"
"I don't know, maybe it's just that whenever you see a spider you jump on my back and yell, 'Git! Git!' until I kill it."
Tessa glared until she burst out laughing. "Okay, okay. What's your secret?"
Chris fidgeted in his seat. "Uh..."
"Come on," Tessa said in a sing-songy voice. "I told you mine."
"I..." Chris stared at his feet. "I kissed Dylan Marvil."
