A/N: I must say, this was the hardest chapter I had to write so far! But the best! It took about 2 hours to write. Enjoy, and tell everyone you can about my story, im trying to get more reviews!

San Francisco

The Bus going to The Plaza Hotel

Monday, September 28

11:00 A.M.

The PC was beyond exited! They had prepared for this moment all week, and it was about to happen. Even though their flight was at 5:10 that morning, no one was tired. The "semi-luxury" bus (as Massie called it) turned the corner into the Plaza Hotel and come to a stop. On the bus ride over, Dylan almost got sick on the plane because she ate a pastrami sandwich before they left, and Layne and her LBR friends were karaoke-ing all the way to both airports. And that got very ah-nnoying.

As Claire was flirt-texting Cam, Massie snapped in her face.

"Focus people," she announced to the PC. "We have one measly hour before we drive to Miss Gambles, so we'll go to our rooms, get ready and meet out in the lobby 15 minutes early." The PC was divided into two rooms: Massie, Alicia, and Claire in one room, and Dylan and Kristen in the other. Everyone stepped off the two buses.

"Hey, are the Ashleys in seventh grade or eighth?" Kristen asked.

"For all we know they could be in 5th! The internet lies….." Massie contradicted,

"Point!" Alicia said.

They all rolled their luggages to the entrance, and Dylan quickly grabbed a rolling cart. Massie giggled as if to say "good move!" Principal Burns stepped onto the stone bench outside.

"I need your attention everyone! Robin and Thomas, the hotel's assistant managers, will give you your assigned room keys. After you get the key, find your roommates, go to your room, get settled and unpack, and meet down in the lobby by noon!" Once she was done talking, all the girl and boys scrambled to find their roommates and go upstairs.

The PC gracefully walked up and got their keys. Then as they walked to the elevator Massie saw Dempsey.

"Hey, guys, isn't this place the coolest?" Dempsey did a 360 with his head pointed towards the ceiling. Massie giggled.

"Yeah, but I definitely need to find the bathroom, ASAP!" Dylan screeched, as she ran towards the elevator. Kristen went after her.

"I'll go check on her. Catch up with you guys later!" Kristen said behind her shoulder as she ran to help Dylan.

"Well, we better get going, time flies when you're having fun!" Massie said.

"Okay, I'll cya later." Dempsey smiled at her and she melted. He's so ah-dorable! Massie thought.

Then, 45 minutes later she and the PC walked on the bus to do something they never thought they would ever do: Meet. Their. Match.

* * *

Miss Gambles looked very quaint on the perfect sunny day. All of its students were outside waiting: all the 7th and 8th grade girls and boys. The PC purposely took the front row on the bus, so they could be the first ones out, the first ones to take the stage.

When the bus came to a full stop, Massie gave the PC a look signaling them to do as they practiced in the lobby: go out one at a time, stop on the 2nd step and take off matching Armani sunglasses, then wait for every single PC member to get off the bus. Then when further instruction was given from the moderators, walk to the beat of "Just Dance", and try to spot out possible code-red threats of other alpha cliques (aka The Ashleys) without looking too desperate.

Massie got off, her hair perfectly intact, her outfit perfectly pressed, and overall, perfect EVERYTHING. She did as planned, and looked ah-mazing! Then Alicia, Dylan, Kristen, and Claire stepped off. Claire was actually confident she was dressed to impress. She was wearing a dark denim miniskirt with a long gold necklace and matching earrings and bracelets, with a midnight blue babydoll top. None of it was designer, but it passed at an 8! Massie was ah-bviously a ten, and everyone else was pretty much just a little lower than that, since they were all eager to use their cutest outfit first.

There they were, Claire saw them. The Ashleys. The entire PC spotted them too, and they saw Massie's face harden. They were more different than she pictured them. One was short, but looked like an exotic beauty. She was wearing a lace-up corset with a pastel blue undershirt with skinny jeans and some elegant jewelry. Another was tall and very pretty, and she looked like a model. The other was more behind them, but still "with them". She had a perfect body and more trendy clothes than the others. The last one was radiating. Radiating alpha: Massie could see it in the girl's expression and body language. She had on what looked like a royal purple dress with a black vest, leggings, and a gorgeous heart pendant.

Massie took out her i-Phone. All the other girls immediately checked their inboxes.

Massie: Ehmagawd! It's almost like looking in a mirror. AND NAWT IN A GOOD WAY!

P.S. Don't reply to this.

The PC obeyed. Once everyone was off, Principal Burns and Briarwood's principal shook hands with the other school's principals. Then they told the students to mix and mingle with each other, and meet in the "refectory" to eat a specially prepared lunch.

Massie then signaled the PC to start walking and they nodded. As they approached the double doors, the Ashleys somehow zeroed in on them, supposedly since the two cliques looked like they had a lot in common. Massie hated it when people ruined the PC's "walk". She worked hard to perfect it. Things were off to a bad start already, and for some reason that deeply, deeply troubled Claire. She didn't want any drama, she just thought they would all compare lives and talk about the things they had In common. And that is where she then felt horribly, horribly WRONG, because it doesn't work that way with teenage girls.

"Hey! Welcome to Miss Gambles. I'm-"

"In our way?" Massie finished for the girl who she thought might be Lili from the website.

"Um. No, but sorry. I'm Lili, and this is A.A., Lauren, and Ashley." Ashley glared at Lili. Why was I mentioned LAST?! Ashley fumed in her mind.

The PC looked at Massie, waiting for her to speak. "Well, nice to meet you. I'm Massie, and we're the Pretty Committee." She gestured towards her best friends, who each introduced themselves with the same tone that Massie used. She decided to play it cool, and test strengths and weaknesses.

"So what are you competing in?" Ashley said. Massie grinned at her.

"Oh we're not competing, we already won."

"Umm excuse me?" Ashley could tell where this was going, and she wanted to stop it before they arrived.

"She means," Alicia cut it, "that we're already number one. But Kristen is competing in the one on one quiz tournament, and Massie intends doing the fashion design contest. I'm going to be moderating all the sports events with another person from your school."

"Exactly." Massie was proud of her beta. "Now if you don't mind, we're going to go inside for a while." With that, the PC continued their super hawt walk, with their yoga-toned, bronzed legs in sync with one another. Inside the school was impressive. Everything seemed to flow with each other. As the PC explored the inside, The Ashleys were on the outside, wondering how to deal.

"They were kind of rude." A.A. said.

"And I know exactly why," Ashley said. "That one girl, May-see or whatever her name is thinks that just because she's queen bee at her school, it means she's queen bee here. Well, she's wrong. The "Pretty Committee" will have to fight for what they want. And what they want, is to make sure we don't try to steal their crown, even though the crown is at the top of the mountain, and we both have to fight to climb to the top first."

The girls took that in, and she was right. It made sense why that clique was not very friendly.

"So what are we going to do?" Lauren asked.

"Simple: I'm competing in the fashion contest, and Lili will compete in the quiz tournament, and we'll win. Along the way, we'll fight for our spot on top of the social pyramid." Ashley said as she combed through her blonde-extended hair.

Now both cliques know what game they're playing, and what it takes to win.

* * *

When Massie was in the bathroom, she realized the entire mood of the Pretty Committee changed since they arrived. She had expected the Ashleys to be immature LBRs, and they were far from that. In fact, they were closer to the PC's level. She had to decide how to go about dealing with them. She finally settled on ignoring them AMAP (as much as possible), thinking of her most clever comebacks, and flirting AMAP. She needed to win, she lived and breathed to win. She walked out of the bathroom, and for the first time in a long time was unsure what to do next.