Yes, I am well aware that the last chapter was very short. I don't always make them700 words long. This chapter, we really get into the issue between Massie and Derrick and Taylor's plan to overthrow Victoria.

The Bean
Massie's Office
October 9th
6:04 p.m.

Victoria sat in her mother's office while she designed the Diamond Diva's dresses. The scratch of the pencil against the pad of paper was the only sound in the room.

"So..." Victoria twisted a lock of hair around her finger, an annoying habit Massie always caught.

"Stop twisting." She commanded. Victoria smiled to herself.

"What's up with you and Dad?" Victoria leaned forward in the chair, her hair brushing the ebony desk.

Massie sat down her pencil and paper and rubbed her temples. "Your father's wanting to join a football team in Florida. I told him I wasn't moving you again."

"But, Mum," She straightened her charm bracelet. "Can't you just let him go? He'd come back. Football isn't all year."

"I can't." And that was all she said. She returned to her paper. "How about you have black feathers around your mask? Morgan can have white, she'd look darling. Ivy's a defanite choice for blue, it'd really play up her hair. What do you think the twins would like? Different colors, of course?"

Victoria shrugged and nodded. Her mom wasn't really asking her. It might be Victoria's costume to the ball, but it was Massie's design. All her's.

Finally, Massie showed her the designs. They were all full length gowns, but all different colors and designs for each girl. Victoria's was black with short sleeves and matching gloves. Massie even planned to get corsests for each dress. Morgan's was white, Ivy's blue, Kylie's red, and Sara's pink.

"Wow, they're beautiful." Victoria carefully examined each, even though they were all perfect.

"Thank you, sweetie." Massie smiled, but her amber eyes were tired. "I'll call for you to be picked up, I need to sew."

Victoria left, wondering how her mom could seem so indifferent. Maybe being famous did that to you.

###

Ivy wasn't sure what to make of Taylor's text. Should she? It was Friday.

She decided to ask her mom. As usual, Dylan was in the kitchen. She'd graduated college with a culinary degree and used it up as much as possible.

"Hey, Mom." Ivy sat at the granite island, facing her mother's back. "Can I ask you something?"

Dylan's red bun bobbed as she nodded. "Ask away."

"Have you ever felt like you're cheating on a friend? By doing something you know they wouldn't like?" Ivy slid the platinum I charm on her necklace.

Dylan turned around and put her arms on the counter. She always smelled like roses, and Ivy was glad for the normalcy.

"Yes, I have." She looked into Ivy's emerald eyes with her matching ones. "But I knew that by doing it, I was benefitting me. It's not always about what your friends think, Ive."

Ivy smiled at her mom. "Thanks."

"Any time." Dylan turned back to the oven and Ivy slunk out of the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, Ivy saw Taylor. She was wearing black flats and a pale pink dress under a black blazer. She stopped in front of Ivy.

"What did you want?" Ivy asked, almost regretting meeting here with her ex-friend.

"Oh, you know. Thought it'd be fun to catch up. So, Victoria went to the couples dance with Henry Parker, right?" Taylor twirled a dark piece of hair between her long, slender fingers.

Ivy looked over at her as they started walking past shops. "Yeah, everyone knows that."

Taylor smirked. "And are you okay with that? You've liked him since, like, second grade."

"First," Ivy corrected. "And that doesn't matter." But it did. She'd liked Henry way before Victoria came into the picture.

"So, what was her excuse?" Taylor knew she was getting close to making Ivy turn.

"He asked her. I said she could go with him." Ivy tightened her grip on her bag. Was that a lie?

Taylor threw her head back and laughed. "Oh. My. Gawd. Ivy! You're not really that stupid, are you? Victoria lied. But you must have guessed that, right?" When Ivy didn't answer, she knew she'd made her point.

"She's a bad friend. I'd never lie to you."

"But you have before," Ivy finally spoke up. "Kindergarten. Snake time. You said that if I ate the last animal cracker I'd get fat."

Taylor giggled. "Well? Those thing's are animal shaped death traps."

And just like that, they were friends again. Or at least close to it. As Ivy laughed with Taylor, she couldn't stop thinking about what Victoria had done. Was she really okay with lying as long as she got what she wanted?

Ivy had no clue, but she knew one thing: Victoria Harrington was not to be trusted.