What Doesn't Kill You
A Clique Fan Fiction
Chapter 25

Give me a second-I...I need to get my story straight
My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State
My lover he's waiting for me-just across the bar
My seat's been taken by some sunglasses asking about a scar and...
I know I gave it to you months ago
I know you're trying to forget

How did this happen? Massie thought as she sat there in Principal Burns' office-during her Homecoming dance where she was a princess and nominated as queen! As a bloody junior. And here she was, wasting the night away in the principal's office. And it was all because of Claire. She sighed as she sat there in her purple, knee length dress that looked so beautiful on her. It was strapless, with a Cinderella like neckline and a tight bodice. The skirt floated out in a ballerina style at the waist and looked incredible with her silver, strappy heels and silver, glittery clutch. She closed her eyes and took a couple deep breathes, trying to get her story straight before she began to explain something she didn't even understand. She hadn't even done anything this time. And this was the time she actually got in trouble? She wanted to laugh at the irony of it all-but she knew that would just get her into some deeper shit.

"Well Miss Block? I'm waiting," the bird-like principal asked, glaring at her through her glasses. Somehow, the world's worst middle school principal had been asked to move up as the principal of the high school-and she was just as awful as Massie remembered.

"Just give me a second," Massie said, eyes still closed. She knew she wasn't helping her case, but between the headache she'd gotten from the music, the crowd, and this chaos and her confusion, she had no idea what she was supposed to do or say. All Massie knew was that each of her friends had been 'busted' in the bathroom for smoking. As if they'd want to get higher than the empire state! They weren't foolish. Sure, there had been smoke in there, but they had been innocent. It had been Claire and Olivia doing the drugs, but they'd left right before Claire had gone to Burns to bust the PC for something they hadn't done.

Derrick was waiting for her in the gym and she knew that only meant even more drama was bound to happen upon her return with the more time she was gone. After all, even the senior girls wanted to be with Derrington-the star, the golden boy-the school hunk. Everybody wanted him and they all knew he was with Massie, which made them want him even more. She would not allow her seat to be taken by some trashy little wanna-be, fake-name brand who thought she could enter Derrick's life by asking about some scar on his arm that only Massie knew the truth about. He did tend to have those anger management ready moments after all...

And what exactly had Massie done to deserve this? Sure, she'd been a bitch to Claire, but that had been years ago and Claire had volleyed back plenty of revenge tactics. She was pretty sure they were even by now. And Claire had Cam and the second most popular clique in school. Massie had barely spoken to her upon her return to Westchester. She was trying to forget their past feuds, but clearly Claire couldn't even attempt to do the same. Claire wanted war. And that would be exactly what Massie was going to give to her.

"I didn't do anything. Either did my friends. Why don't you check the cameras and then it'll prove to you that Claire and Olivia were the ones who were wrong. I'm sorry everybody's jealous of my friends and I, but frankly, I believe they deserve whatever punishment they get, times two for trying to blame it on me and my friends," Massie said brightly. "And I doubt my father would like it if he knew you wasted my homecoming by holding me hostage because of something a scholarship student said I did. Especially when said scholarship student is here only because my father pays in full for her scholarship," Massie smirked before getting up and walking right out.

But between the drinks and subtle things
The holes in my apologies-you know
I'm trying hard to take it back
So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I'll carry you home tonight

Claire Lyons downed another cup of spiked punch and squeezed hard, crushing the cup between her manicured nails. She'd gone back to her old self to get Cam back, but she was her bitchy, slutty self again now. That was the new Claire Lyons-the one she'd become because that's who she was. She was always meant to be this way, and it had taken all of Massie's bull shit and Dylan's convincing to get her to become so. And she was never going to change who she was eve again.

But, between her not-so-subtle changes and all of the drinks, she was sorry-deeply sorry. She was sorry for what she'd just done to the PC and anything she'd ever done to them since the seventh grade. She missed them, she really did. But she knew there was no turning back now. She couldn't take it back, no matter how hard she tried. And she really was trying. But anything she tried just ended up making her second guess herself. She didn't know how to be sweet and innocent anymore. All she knew was how to be...this.

So, if she fell apart by the time the dance was over and Massie had busted her and Olivia-if everybody found out how awful and terrible she was? She didn't care. She was done caring. She filled a cup with more spiked punch and took a quick shot. And then another. She didn't care what these bitches thought about her. She was Claire Lyons and she was happy with who she was. Or was she?

Suddenly, everything was too much for her. The music was too loud and the people were too close. Did more people come in? Everything seemed to be blurred. She was dizzy. She could barely stand. Claire was wasted. She was high and drunk and miserable.

"Claire? Are you okay?" Cam asked, his arm wrapped around her.

"Claire Lyons-Olivia Ryan," Claire could barely turn around to face the principal as she angrily marched over, security guards behind her.

"Busted," Massie sing-songed as she passed.

And with that, Claire practically passed out, falling right into Cam's arms. And that was the last thing she remembered.

Now i know that I'm not all that you got
I guess that I-I just thought maybe we could find new ways to fall apart
But our friends are back
So let's raise a cup
Cause I found someone to carry me home
Tonight-we are young

Massie didn't mind spending the remainder of her Homecoming in the hospital, sitting in the chair closest to Claire's bed. Alicia, leaning against the wall, close to the door, had complained at first, but after Massie's speech to the PC, she'd come along silently. Kristen and Dylan had been for it-they remembered all Claire had ever done for them and Dylan secretly blamed herself for what Claire had become. They sat together on the window sill, hugging each other with tears in their eyes and make-up streaked down their face.

"Claire?" Massie whispered, knowing she looked god awful, but not caring. "Listen, sweety," She said softly, seeing Claire's eyes open but not wanting her to do anything that would stress her out or tire her out. "I know I haven't been the best friend-and I know you've got other people to care about you now, but I think we should find some new ways to fall apart rather than...such cliche things, you know?" Massie said playfully, tears flooding her eyes again.

"Mass?" Claire managed to croak out.

"We're all friends again Claire, okay? It's all going back to the old days with the PC-so let's raise a cup with something good for us and celebrate," Massie said with a sad smile on her face.

"I...I found somebody else to carry me home," She whispered.

"What?" Massie asked, her eyes brows wrinkling in confusion.

"I don't need Cam...I love him-but I don't need Cam to do everything for me. I don't have to be so dependable on him. I can...I can lean on you guys," She turned towards Massie and the PC and smiled.

"Hey-let's not be so serious," Massie shook her head. "Tonight-we are young," She said brightly.