THE LYONS ESTATE

CLAIRE'S ROOM

Sunday, September 1

5:28 P.M.

Arf-arf-arf!

Arf-arf-arf!

Arf-arf-arf

Arf-arf--

"Hello?" Claire picked up her cell phone, which had the ringtone of her dog,Chamomile/aka Chami's bark.

"Ehmagawd, Claire." Alicia said. "Where have you been?"

"Yeah, I mean, This is the first time you've picked up! We haven't heard from you since the mall!" Dylan said with a mouth full of food.

"Did you get totally grounded?" Kristen asked eagerly.

"No, did you?" Claire snapped at Kristen.

"No." Kristen said meekly. "Why would I--"

"Shut up, K." Alicia said. "So, Claire, can you come to the mall? We're going last-minute school-shopping."

Claire thought for a minute and said, "Um...wow, guys...um, this is hard. But...I kind of got my cards taken away..."

"WHAT?!" Kristen Dylan, and Alicia said in unison.

"I knowww. How unfair is that?" Claire whined.

"Um, we'll buy you something! Just please, please, come! We need you to tell us what we look stupid in!" Alicia begged.

"And what makes our butts look big!" Dylan chimed in.

"Yeah. And I need you to tell me what cheap clothes are too ugly to pass for expensive ones!" Kristen giggled.

"Alright..." Claire agreed. "But you all have to go along with whatever I tell my mother."

"Done."

"Done."

"Done."

"Aaaaaaand...done." Claire hung up the phone and dropped it into her Marc Jacobs bag.

Claire fixed her hair in the mirror, patted Chamomile, and grabbed her bag. It was lying time.

"Claire, where are you going?" Judi asked from the foyer, where she intended to catch her daughter leaving for the mall.

Claire had opened the door and was just about to leave. She knew this would happen. "I'm going to Alicia's house. I'll be back later, don't worry."

"Okay, but I'm calling Alicia's mom." Judi said.

"Okay. Sure. Go ahead. Bye." Claire said quickly. Once her mother left to go pick up the phone, Claire darted out the door and texted Alicia.

CLAIRE: My mom is calling urs. Tell her to say chnge of plans-we r going 2 dyl's house

ALICIA: k

Phew. Close call. Claire thought, as she got into the Range Rover.

But then when her phone rang, and Claire saw the caller ID, she knew she was in trouble. It wasn't her mother, and it wasn't one of her friends.