1:15
Starbucks, Manhattan
September 21
Massie shrank back a little because of the force of her mother's voice. Even over the phone, you knew Kendra was a force to be reckoned with. She'd always been stern, but never like this.
"I'm in the city." Massie whimpered like a scared child, not wanting to lie. She knew it would only make her mother more livid.
"Who gave you permission to leave your school and saunter off to the city?" Kendra yelled unsympathetically.
"No one." Massie whispered back.
"That's right." Kendra thundered. "Get back here, now. Do NOT make me come get you."
"Yes mother." Massie answered, hanging up her phone with a shaky finger.
"What happened?" Alicia asked, worry apparent in her usually confident voice.
"Ay Dos Mio." She said quickly. The PC gasped, save for Massie, at hearing Alicia's use of her second language. Alicia NEVER spoke spanish. Never.
"I'm in huge trouble." Massie finally answered shakily, afraid of her mother's wrath. She would probably take away her cell,iPod,laptop,pool privileges,FNS's, everything. All of this to show up Skye. It didn't seem worth it anymore. Regret flooded through her body and Claire's next comment didn't make things better.
"Told you." She mumbled. Everyone chose to ignore it, pretending she hadn't said anything at all.
"Let's go." Massie declared, trying her hardest to sound confident. It failed miserably of course, her vulnerability showing like a sheer top at a flea market. She pulled her satchel onto her arm slowly, hoping the slower she went, the more her mother would cool off. She couldn't even count on her pushover father to be there for her. He was off in London on business.
"More like a vacae." Massie had yelled at him when he left. Now she wished that she'd heeded Claire's warnings. It was too late now. There was no way out.
Almost 2 hours later....
As they entered Westchester, Massie Block began to hyperventilate. It became even worse when they neared the Block estate itself. As the limo slowed to a stop, Massie eyed her estate and dread washed over her. The once inviting home, seemed to have thunderclouds gathering above it.
"Wish me luck." She breathed to the girls, pulling her bag with her as she stepped out of the car. Claire followed behind her, sending the girls pleading looks.
Kendra, was of course standing in the doorway, her thin lips fixed into a grim line.
"Massie, go to your room. Claire, go to yours." She said it almost calmly, making the girls even more frightened. Massie slumped up the stairs and Claire walked toward the door leading outside to her house. Each girl sent the other a silent S.O.S.(Save Our Souls) knowing that the other was in huge trouble.
In Massie's Room...
As soon as Massie made it to her room, she closed the door behind her and sat calmly on her bed awaiting her punishment. Before she could even settle her toned butt on the bed, Kendra stormed in behind her, her face emotionless. This scared Massie most of all. Massie hated unpredictability, surprises, anything that had her out of the loop. So now, she was scared to death. She was sure her mother could sense it too. From her sweaty brow, to her twitching leg, she REEKED of fear. After a long silence, Kendra finally spoke.
"Why did you go to the city without my permission, and Massie I swear to all that is holy if you lie, or catch an attitude with me, I will snatch you up like nobodies business. Understand me?"
Massie nodded slowly, and swallowed the spit in her mouth before speaking.
"I went because Skye Hamilton was there and she always thinks she's better than us, so I went to show her that the Pretty Committee was just as good." Hearing herself say it now, Massie felt even stupider for doing it. It seemed so pointless now. Even though she realized her mistake, she new that her punishment was unavoidable.
Kendra's hand came down so quickly, the stinging of Massie's arm was the only sign that the woman had made any physical contact with her.
"Next time you go anywhere without my permission, it will be much, much worse. Do you understand me?" She said this venomously, looking at Massie with unforgivable eyes. But she wasn't done yet.
"Your grounded. Give me your cellphone, iPod, laptop. You are banned from associating with your little Pretty Committee." Kendra spat the words Pretty Committee like she was saying the word prostitute."You are only allowed to see them when you are at school, and I'm driving you to school myself now." Massie was about to protest to that and Kendra held up her hand signaling indefinite silence. "In addition, no new clothes or credit card. You have to live off of the clothes you already have." Massie's eyes widened in defiance, and Kendra smirked, happy with her work. She snatched Massie's satchel and took out her phone, taking her black iPod Classic along with it. She then crossed the room in a stride and took Massie's Air Mac from it's designated space. As she began to stroll out of the room, it was if she caught a lick of inspiration.
"Oh yea, you are to break up with that Derrick boy and never see him again." With this, she slammed the door, leaving Massie to break down on the other side. The material stuff she could deal with, but Derrick, now that was something that would be easier said than done. What could she say, she like-liked the boy.
In Claire's room...
"Claire, I'm very disappointed in you. I expected more. But as I know, you ARE thirteen, and I know how I was at thirteen" Claire looked at her mother, and hope sparked in her entire being. "Does this mean I'm not grounded?" She asked hopefully.
Judy laughed at her daughter and smiled. "Of course you're grounded, but only for the rest of this week and Monday. That means no TV, computer, cellphone. You know the drill." Claire nodded her blond head knowingly and dug around in her purse to retrieve the items. She handed the items to her mother without complaint.
"There's no need to tell your father about this." Judy said with a wink, to which Claire smiled. If her dad had gotten word of this, she'd REALLY be in trouble then. "How bout a chocolate sundae with sprinkles and Maraschino cherries?" Judy suggested, holding her hand out for her daughter to take. "Okay, but we have to watch The Breakfast Club, even though I'm grounded. It's a tradition." Judy rolled her eyes playfully and smirked. "Fine, but after, YOU'RE cleaning up the kitchen.
"Deal." Claire agreed, for the first time thinking of her friends and how their parents took it.
Dylan's House...
Dylan had been dropped off last, and no one one was home to yell at her, or talk to her. It was only her, and Edythe, their nanny/housekeeper. Her mother was away in the city, and none of her sister's were around. "House to myself." She declared with a sigh. As she saw the stout woman scuffle across the floor without making a sound, she corrected herself. "Well, essentially." She climbed the stairs to her room with ease, flopping on her bean bag chair when she entered. She's redone the room this summer, a new modern red, black and white color scheme accenting the room.
She pulled her citrus Scoop out of her striped Coach bag and opened up a new text window.
"How'd it go?" she typed quickly, sending it to everyone in the PC.
"Fine." Claire had texted back. Kristen said the exact same thing, and Alicia too. The only one who hadn't said anything...was Massie.
8:25
BOCD
September 22
Massie rested her head against the cool glass of the window, and sighed, the evaporation bubble forming from the heat of her breath. She was so annoyed at the moment, that anyone could set her off. But more than that, she was lonely. There was no one to talk to(Claire had been forced to take her own car), except her mother, and they weren't exactly the best of friends at the moment. Massie and her mother had never really been that close, but they'd never really, not talk to each other.
She missed the PC, wishing she could send them im's, texts, anything. But nooo..Kendra had confiscated them all until further notice. Massie played with the black Helmut Lang's that she'd borrowed from Alicia, and WORN on Tuesday. The whole, no buying new clothes would become a problem. On her torso she wore a white Lanvin shirt with jewelry painted on it. On her feet she wore D&G leopard print ankle boots, that she'd had to dig around in her closet for, and a red patent leather Valentino tote. She looked good, of course, but the idea that she might have to repeat a form of this outfit again, repulsed her.
They pulled up to the front of the school, and Massie nearly ran out of the Range Rover, not able to leave fast enough. She strutted up the lawn, as if she was a peacock showing it's feathers, and walked over to where the tree where the PC usually congregated.
Alicia was the first to run and hug her. "What HAPPENED pretty." She asked worriedly.
Massie took a dramatic sigh and plopped down on the grass. "I'm grounded till further notice. You guys can-nawt come over tomorrow, I have to break up with Derrick, and no new clothes. Everyone gasped at the last part, Massie lived for fashion.
Before they could talk anymore, the bell rang, attracting everyone to their destination. The girls gave eachother a group hug, and walked into the school separately. They were walking to their own beats today.
12:32
Cafeteria,BOCD
September 22
Everyone sat at Table 17/18, trying to have a normal lunch. Massie hadn't arrived, and no one knew how to deal with the new development. They were best friends, but without the PC, they would fall apart into other cliques. Claire, with Layne, Alicia, with the sluts(sorry Leesh), Dylan, with the celeb kids, Kristen with the soccer girls, and Massie, Massie would most likely join Bridgette.
The school had been buzzing all day, wondering why they hadn't driven to school together, or why Massie hadn't joined them yet. There was, of course millions of rumors surrounding them, but no one cared to address them. Where was Massie anyway?
Massie, was waiting for Derrick to meet her in the stairwell. She remembered a time when she'd liked...Cam. She chuckled a little, because it seemed so far away, so long ago. Now everyone was happy, for the most part, and now she was about to do something that would effect everyone around her, ecspecially the boy who lit up as he came around the corner and saw her.
He wouldn't be smiling if he knew what was about to happen. She thought solemnly, grappling with tears.
"Hey Mass." Derrick said with a smile, pressing his lips against hers firmly.
"I gotta talk to you." she said, breaking the kiss all too quickly.
"What happened?" He asked seriously, forcing her amber eyes to focus on him.
"We have to break up. We're not working anymore, I'm sorry, but we....just can't." Her voice cracked at the last part, Derrick looking at her, his eyes shifting between anger and sadness.
"Ok. Whatever." Derrick walked away from her, and as he exited, a tear slid down his cheek, one thing Massie would never get to see.
In The Lunchroom...
"I wonder if Massie broke up with Derrick." Kristen whispered to Claire, seeing how sad the boy looked when he entered the lunchroom. Claire shrugged and leaned her head on Cam, kissing him quickly. "I hope we never break up." She whispered to him.
Cam, looked at her confused, but understood as he saw Derrick's face. As Alicia saw him enter, her heart tugged at the sight of him, and she patted the seat next to her. "What happened?" she asked sweetly, her long waterproof mascara eyelashes batting invouluntarily. "Massie broke up with me." Alicia feigned surprise, even though Massie had told her this morning that she would. Kendra's orders. Alicia almost let him in on this, but then an idea sparked in her head.
It was an idea that shouldn't have been there, unless you were attempting to steal your best friend's position as Alpha and steal her boyfriend, all while watching you take over. But the idea was indeed there, and Alicia had the perfect opportunity. She'd always wanted to be Alpha, and now that Massie COULDN'T be, it was the beta's place to step up. Right?
"Aww, honey!" Alicia cooed, hugging him to her. He hugged her back, and each warmed at the others touch. Everyone at the table stared at them weirdly, waiting for them to break apart. When they finally did, she earned glares from some of the girls, and the PC stared at her with questioning eyes. They knew Alicia was ambitious, but five minutes after he'd broken up with Massie, and less than a day after she'd basically been proven unfit to be Alpha under the circumstances. Come on. Desperate much?
In the hallway...
The PC had dragged her into the hallway, intent on confronting her about her actions. Kristen went first. "Leesh, don't you think it's a little early to try to denounce our best friend as Alpha, and she doesn't even act like an "alpha" anymore. And we like it, we're all equal. And you are not going to change it. Try it, and trust me, we WILL vote you out. We have power too." She said angrily. Alicia smirked in apology, even though no one was done with her yet.
"Stop being such a whore would you? 5 minutes after they break up, you swoop in, trying to take him away, and you know why they broke up. She still loves him." Dylan fired at her, her green eyes blazing.
"I'm not being a whore. I was trying to comfort him." She defended.
Claire scoffed and crossed her hands over her chest. "Yea, by suffocating him with your boobs."
"Just stop. K." Massie said, emerging from the stairwell, where she'd been listening. "Leesh, if he wants you, go for it, I still like him, but I won't stand in your way. You're my bffl and I love you." She looked around at the whole PC and smiled. "All of you."