"Earth to Claire. I'm talking to you," Massie said, waving her hand in front of the blonde's face. They were dressed out for gym class in the standard uniform of green shorts and blue OMS t-shirt. Today they were supposed to be working out in the weight room, but the only muscles any of the girls in the class were using were the ones in their mouths.
"Huh?" Claire shook her head, forcing herself to pay better attention. Her thoughts had been wandering to Sarah and her supposed revenge plan. Claire wanted to warn her new friend about it, but she couldn't do so without betraying her old friend. It was best, Claire had decided, to try and stay out of Massie and Sarah's little feud.
If only that were actually possible.
"As I was saying, Kuh-laire, you should sit with me at lunch today," Massie said, watching Claire expectantly.
"But… what about the friends I normally sit with?"
"They can sit with us, too," Massie allowed. Claire couldn't help but think that Massie wouldn't have been so generous if she knew who Claire's friends actually were. Specifically, that Sarah was one of them.
"What if they don't want to sit at your table?" Claire asked nervously.
"Everyone wants to sit at my table," Massie scoffed.
"Not everyone," Claire muttered under her breath.
"Besides," Massie continued, "you're going to be sitting there. If they don't like you enough to want to sit with you, then they're not really your friends."
"Massie? There might be a slight flaw in your logic," Claire pointed out.
"And what's that?"
"They could say the exact same thing about me."
-xo-
"Where's Claire?" Mandy asked that day at lunch.
"Um, I think she said she didn't finish her required reading list this summer and was going to spend lunch in the library so she could finish reading A Separate Peace," Sari answered.
"Huh. I thought Claire finished all her reading at the beginning of the summer," Sarah commented.
"Apparently not," Sari shrugged.
In reality, of course, Claire was sitting a few tables away with Massie.
"What are you planning on wearing tomorrow?" Massie was asking her.
"Um. Jeans and a shirt?"
"Wrong answer. I'm taking you to the mall today so you can get some cute clothes of your own," Massie said decidedly before taking a bite of her salad.
"I don't know if I can afford any of the clothes you think are cute, Massie," Claire pointed out.
"My treat, ahb-viously," Massie explained.
"Wouldn't that just be like me borrowing from you?"
"No, Kuh-laire. What we buy at the mall today will be a gift," Massie said slowly, as if she were talking to someone with a low IQ.
"Um. Okay," Claire said, feeling uncomfortable about Massie paying for her all the same. It felt odd coming from someone she'd only been friends with—only known, even—for a day. If she was dealing with Sarah, Sari, or Mandy, Claire wouldn't have given it a second thought. Then again, Sarah, Sari, and Mandy didn't shop at clothing stores where a hundred dollar shirt was considered cheap.
Massie went on to explain about how Isaac would pick them up in the Range Rover and drive them to the mall after school. Massie's parents would be fine with it, but Claire could borrow Massie's cell phone if she needed to ask her parents' permission. And so on.
The bell rang, signaling the ending of lunch. Claire picked up her tray and walked over to the trash cans to dump its contents. Just as she was turning to leave the lunchroom, she caught sight of Sarah, Sari, and Mandy heading towards the cans with their trays and quickly ducked behind one. If they saw her, Claire's entire ruse about being in the library would be ruined.
"So, when are you going to carry out your plan?" Sari was asking.
Oh God, Claire thought, they're talking about Sarah's revenge plan on Massie.
"Friday," Sarah said decisively as she emptied her tray into the garbage can. When the coast was clear, Claire slowly stood up and walked out of the cafeteria. Sarah was going to do something to Massie on Friday that would make everyone forget about how Massie humiliated her. Claire had no idea what this revenge plan was, but knowing Sarah, it was going to be big.
