OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
FIRST-FLOOR HALLWAY
8:59 AM
OCTOBER 1, 2012
"Look at this!" Massie called back to her friends, who were dawdling behind her, staring over Alicia's shoulder at the issue of Seventeen she was admiring.
"What?" asked Claire, who was back at school.
Massie waited for the rest of the girls to catch up, then gestured grandly toward the poster on the wall. TALENT SHOW, it proclaimed. "Okay, no offense, Kris, but screw your plan. There's a much easier way to beat Skye." She paused long enough to have everyone's attention, then said low and clear, "We kick her ass at the talent show in two days."
OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
FIRST-FLOOR HALLWAY
9:01 AM
OCTOBER 1, 2012
"We're late," Kristen told the girls. "Bye."
Alicia grabbed her arm. "Relax. We have an assembly at 9:30. We don't have to go to homeroom."
"Good," said Massie. "Cuz we need every extra second to practice. We'll ask Merri-Lee Marvil to let us work on our act this afternoon."
"What is our act?" inquired Dylan, transferring the fluffy black North Face jacket she was holding from one arm to the other.
"We're going to dance," Massie announced. "And we're going to be good at it."
Alicia jumped up and stuffed the magazine into her pack. "And I'm going to be the captain!"
"Chill, Leesh, we're not your bad ass whatever the hell it is thing. We're going to be a one-hit wonder."
Alicia closed her eyes, tapping her foot to "Beauty and a Beat." Then she twirled around, performing a complex dance step.
"Leesh!" Kristen grabbed her arm. "We do not take dance like you do. We need an easy routine that plays to the audience and only seems complicated."
"Exactly."
OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
AUDITORIUM
9:32 AM
OCTOBER 1, 2012
After making a late entrance to the beat of "That's What Makes You Beautiful," the Pretty Commitee took a row of five seats right in the middle that the other students had left for them.
Claire couldn't pay attention to a word the principal said. She was too busy picturing the five of them showing it off on that stage. Because she knew winning a talent show with the four most popular girls in the sixth grade would finally help her feel like she belonged.
OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
AP ENGLISH
10:06 AM
OCTOBER 1, 2012
Kristen used one part of her brain to concentrate on her book and the other half to shuffle her feet as though she were dribbling a soccer ball. Back and forth, back and forth, back and- DING!
"Class dismissed!"
Kristen placed her handmade bookmark between two pages and leapt up, shoving Where The Red Fern Grows into her Jansport tote and racing toward the cafe. When she got there, she found Claire rapidly scribbling down answers to her Health homework, Massie and Alicia deep in conversation, and Dylan texting.
"We were waiting for you!" the Alpha exclaimed, cutting off her discussion and turning to face Kristen. "We decided that we're going to cut fifth and practice. We have to beat Skye or we'll have no chance." She didn't have to say at what.
Kristen's eyebrows shot up, her peaceful day ruined. "No way," she snapped, shocked that Massie would even suggest such a thing. She glanced at Claire for support, and for once she gave it.
"Kristen's right," she decided, sliding her papers back into a shiny purple folder. "Neither of us are ditching class."
"Count me in," Dylan agreed, crossing her arms menacingly. "Skipping is for babies."
"Fine." Massie smirked irritably. "We'll stay at Dylan's an hour late and practice all afternoon."
"But I have soccer," Kristen whined.
"Ditch class or miss practice?"
"Miss practice," she consented.
"Thought so." Then Massie flipped her hair over her shoulder and stalked away.
OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
CAFE
10:56 AM
OCTOBER 1, 2012
"She's bitchy today," Dylan remarked, squinting after Massie.
"No kidding." Kristen rolled her eyes, reorganizing her notebooks.
"What's she so upset about?" Claire wondered.
"Oh, she's scared we won't beat Skye. Like hell. She's only captain cuz her parents own the place. I'm way better." Alicia tucked her raven waves behind an ear.
"Do you have a dance for us?" asked Dylan, pulling her Oscar De La Renta silk jacket down over her belly.
"Yeah," replied Alicia. "And a formation."
"Which is?" Dylan prompted.
"I'm in the front, then you and Massie, then Kristen and Kuh-laire, pyramid-style. Probably. I have to know how good you are."
"Just remember that we're not dance fanatics the way you are," Kristen reminded her nervously.
"And that Massie might not be in the best mood," Dylan added.
