BLOCK ESTATE
MASSIE'S ROOM
7:56 AM
SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

"We need a new model," Massie told Dylan. She sat down at her desk chair and lifted her feet up. Then she pushed off and twirled around and around, her legs sticking out in front of her.

"I know." Dylan sounded bored and impatient. "We'll both look for one."

"Roger." Massie turned off her iPhone and dropped it on her bed. Today they would find someone who was worthy of modeling with the esteemed Dylan Marvil and Massie Block.

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
SOCIAL STUDIES
8:54 AM
SEPTEMBER 9, 2O12

Although Kristen Gregory didn't yet know it, this would be the deciding desicion. She would either hold her ground and turn down the best oppurtunity of her life, or she'd bow down to Massie Block and lose all of her recently-discovered dignity. Tough choice.

"Hey!" Massie cooed as soon as Kristen entered the classroom. "I'm so glad you came in early!"

"I have to talk to Mrs. Parker," she said coldly. "Excuse me."

Massie held out both her arms and jumped in front of Kristen. "Hold on, hold on, just listen to me."

Kristen had never had someone so popular want to speak to her this badly. Would she stick to her guns and ignore her, or listen? "What do you want?"

Massie knew she could win her over. "Dylan Marvil and I are modeling for a Daily Grind-hosted fundraiser. Do you want to join us?"

Six simple words, yet they turned Kristen's world upside-down. She had made a resolution not the day before to do what made her happy, not to be backstabbed by the populars. But she would never have this chance again, not once in her life, unless she did what Massie wanted her to. Why was everything so complicated? "I'll think about it," she struggled.

"Hollywood waits for no one," said Massie with a head tilt and a giggle. Then she sauntered off to her desk. "Come sit with Dylan and me at lunch!" she called over her shoulder.

Forgetting all about her appointment with the teacher, Kristen sat in her chair, placing her books on the floor. Why did this have to happen the day after she had finally promised herself not to be like this? And did she take the offer?

No one would know how low she was if she agreed to do the fashion show. She hadn't told anyone about her resolution. On the other hand, if she didn't back down, she was missing out on an amazing chance. She couldn't pass this up. Could she?

Her toes curled against her flip flops, and she bit nervously at her pinkie nail until the edges bled.

Kristen's stomach was in knots.

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
SOCIAL STUDIES
9:23 AM
SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

Alicia sighed. Today she had nothing to do but listen to the teacher. The phone she had thought was charging all night was dead, and Massie was being unusually quiet, smiling across the room to Kristen, or actually filling in the worksheets for once. She hadn't said a word to Alicia other than 'Hi' and 'Excuse me.' Cold and formal, not a hint of the friendly girl who had befriended her on the first day of school. Was she being paranoid, or was Massie being uber-wierd?

She thought back to her fail on the red carpet yesterday. Just because she wasn't amazing at strutting her stuff didn't mean Massie had to ignore her. Couldn't she just tell Alicia if she was disappointed in her performance? And it wasn't even Massie's place to be thinking like that, or acting like this. It wasn't even her fashion show, for God's sake. It was Dylan's. And Alicia had invited her to join, not the other way around.

She examined her nails, fidgeting with the cuticles. She made a mental note to go to the spa one day this week. Then she remembered: she had modeling. Fine. She'd schedule another time.

Then again, she needed the practice. Obviously.

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
ORCHESTRA
9:35 AM
SEPTEMBER 9, 2O12

On a good day, the orchestra room smelled old and musty. On a bad day, it stunk like rotten eggs and greasy gutters. Today was one of those days. However, Claire was used to the smell. Every day, she came in here to practice with Ms. Faye, the teacher, just to avoid Massie. But just three days with the world-renowned violinist had improved her playing to such a degree that she hardly recognized her own sound. These days, her daydreams, instead of focusing on Massie and her clique, now centered on Carnegie Hall.

Claire slid her viola out of its case. Positioning the bow in her hand, she lightly played a soft, simple melody from The Hunger Games. She sang the words in her head: Deep in the meadow, under the willow, a bed of grass, a soft green pillow. She continued humming with her eyes screwed tightly shut as she strummed the verse.

It was four minutes after the bell had rung when she got the feeling everyone was staring at her. Bewildered, she looked around. Her classmates were watching wide-eyed, awestruck. She put down the instrument, her face burning. "Sorry."

But no one heard her. Every girl was clapping. Ms. Faye conductor-signaled for the class to tone it down. When they did, she said, "That was beautiful, Claire. Could you stay with me after class for a little while, please?"

Claire nodded. "Sure," she said, her eyebrows scrunched together quizically. She had no idea why the teacher wanted to see her if wasn't to give detention.

When the bell rang at the end of the period, Claire packed up her mini-violin and approached the middle-aged woman. "Ms. Faye?" she asked shyly.

"Sit down, hon." She gestured to a seat. Claire pulled it up and sat, facing her teacher, who slid a folder out of her desk drawer. "This is for Honors Band. Normally, this is for ninth grade and up, but you seem to be a little bit of a prodigy. That tune might seem easy, but most sixth graders, probably seventh graders, couldn't play it. With a little training and some lessons, which I'd be happy to provide, I'm sure you could join the older girls." She smiled happily at her student. "It would look amazing on your college applications."

Claire didn't need any encouragment. This was how she could define herself! Finally, something she was good at that Massie wasn't. She was pretty sure Massie couldn't play the viola as well as she could. No way.

"Thank you. I'd love to." Claire beamed radiantly, reaching over to accept the file brimming with papers.

"You'd have to get your parents to sign these, of course," explained Ms. Faye. Then her other students began streaming in. "I will e-mail your parents for a conference."

Claire picked up the packet. Before she left the classroom, she was already crying tears of joy. Finally.

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
CAFE
11:09 AM
SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

Dylan was already waiting for her when Massie appeared, leading another girl. "Over here," she heard her friend say.

When she had a clearer view, Dylan squinted and shook her head. No fucking way. This could not be the same girl that was crying so hard when Massie had tormented her. When the blonde looked up, her eyes went wide too.

Massie sat down. "Dylan, Kristen," she introduced, waving her hand lazily. "Kristen, Dylan."

"We've met," pronounced Dylan cooly and casually.

"Oh, that's good," said Massie as Alicia approached Table 20. "Uh, oh."

"Hi," waved Alicia as she sat down. "Oh, hey, Kristen? What are you doing here? I mean, no offense." She reached for a packet of Italian dressing.

"Massie wanted to talk to me about modeling," replied Kristen, fully unaware that she was starting World War III.

"What?" Alicia exclaimed. "I thought you only needed three models." She glared at Dylan. But she was only confused, not angry. She didn't know that Kristen was to be taking her place. But she would soon find out.

"Yeah, about that," said Massie uncomfortably. She decided not to mince words. "We're kicking you out." She looked away.

"What?!" Alicia banged on the table, which vibrated so loudly that girls from tables 19 and 21 glanced over. "It's not your desicion!"

"You're right," acknowledged Massie quickly. "Dylan?"

"Mymomdidn'tlikeyourvideososhetoldustofindanotherm odel. Sorry," she said, shrugging. Now that she had gotten the worst part over with, she was at ease.

"I'll be lodging a complaint!" Alicia shout-muttered as she stormed out of the cafeteria, dumping her food in the trash on the way out.

"Massie!" reprimanded Kristen, staring at the doorway out of which Alicia had departed.

"Uh-huh?"

"You didn't tell me I was stealing someone's spot! This isn't right. I'll go get her and tell her she can rejoin. I wasn't sure I wanted to do this anyway." She pushed her chair away from the round wooden table and turned away.

"No!" Massie panicked. "You don't get it. She sucked at modeling. You'll be much better." She wasn't sure if what she was saying was really true, but she had to soothe Kristen. Losing two models in one day was not her idea of fun. How she got placed in the role of boss, she wasn't sure. Um, maybe it was because she wanted so badly to be Alpha?

Dylan could only roll her eyes. She was all too glad she wasn't Massie Block. She didn't think she'd be able to handle it.