A/N: I am back! lol. it hasn't been long anyway, but I digress. AND for all those Massington lovers, have no fear. Just read on. i'm sad that u guys want to stop reading just because their relationship gets a little rocky. That happens in EVERY relationship. no one is cookie cutter, mary jane and tom lovely. Just doesn't happen. And drama makes for an interesting story does it not? But yea. R+R! ILY as always.
8:07(2:07 in US)
Bordeaux, France
November 24th
"Stop." Massie urged, pulling away from him, instructing herself more than Jacques.
"What happened?" Jacques asked, his hand still on her leg.
"I can't do this-" Massie's eyes welled up with tears as she looked into Jacques silvery green eyes.
"Derrick." He cut off, a small smile perched on his lips.
"Why are you smiling?" Massie asked, concerned. She was Massie Block. He was supposed to be upset over this. "And what do you mean Derrick?"
"I know you love him, and we have fun together but I think we both know that we could never do more than hook up. I'm not really the relationship type." Jacques replied, one of his spiky locks flicking into his face.
"Yea, I know. Can we just forget about this?" Massie pleaded, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Of course." He replied with a grin, his perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth gleaming back at her. "Are you going to tell him?" Jacques asked, his eyes trained on her.
"I don't know yet. I don't want to, but at the same time, he's been completely honest with me, so I think I owe the same to him." Massie concluded, toying with the idea of hopping back on a plane and getting to him as soon as possible. But she knew it was impossible. Only five more days.
"So are we friends?" Jacques asked, hope in his eyes.
"Yea." Massie replied with a smirk. Jacques was just so flipping amazing. Kind, considerate, humble. The exact opposite of Derrick. But she loved Derrick, not him. She'd never considered herself cheating on her boyfriend, she was too classy, smart...anything that would exclude her from that group of girls that cheated in general.
She thought about the last conversation she'd had with him. He'd predicted her infidelity.
He knew her too well.
Pulling her Balenciaga bag up onto her lap, she toyed with her iPhone, considering whether she should call him or not.
"Ay, I'm going to get some Skittles from the kitchen." Jacques whispered to her before getting up to leave. She now had privacy. Essentially. Bridgette and Kenneth sat on the couch in front of her, but they had fallen asleep in each other's arms hours before.
Going through her contacts, she stopped at his name, her Gold Fiction nail hovering over the touch screen. Her mind zoomed in a million directions. It isn't the right time. She decided, dropping her phone into her bag, at the very bottom, hidden beneath the perfume, hairpins and miscellaneous items. Therefore, she wouldn't be compelled to even think about it. And it was definitely hard.
Pulling her gold iPod from her bag, she shoved one bud in her ear, blasting a song by The Pharcyde, the world dissipating before her vibrant amber eyes.
10:03 AM
Riviera Estate
November 29th
"I'll see you in 20." Alicia cooed into the phone, excitement coursing through her body as she hung up her sidekick. Massie was back.
Pulling her purple and red Tartan Philosophy di Alberta Feretti trapeze dress over her head, she slipped on her gray ribbed Miu Miu tights soon after, her outfit nearly complete. Blowdrying her hair stick straight, she grabbed her purple velvet Belle by Sigerson Morrison flats, in a hurry to leave.
--
"Mommy take me to Mass's please." Alicia called into the hallway, easing her mustard yellow Chanel 2.55 onto her shoulder. Adjusting her double bow headband, she waited for a response.
"Okay." She heard from down the corridor, and she soon found herself inside her mother's Lexus SUV. The drive for her seemed excruciatingly long, although it was a short five minute drive away.
--
"God i've missed you!" Alicia shrieked as she ran to embrace her best friend, nearly crushing the wind out of the small girl.
"Me too. You're crushing me Leesh." Massie said with a smile, her face turning red from the pressure of the hug. For such a thin girl, you wouldn't have guessed Alicia had that much strength.
"Sorry." Alicia breathed, plopping onto Massie's bed and throwing her bag to the floor. "So..What happened while you were in France?" She asked, her face turning serious.
"I'm waiting for everyone else before I tell you." Massie announced, her hands on her non-existant hips. "But..." Massie's eyes glittering in excitement. "Let me show you what I bought you."
Alicia immediately perked up at the idea, her eyes darting to the black garment bag hanging on a hook. "Mine?" She asked hopefully.
"Yup." Massie said, pulling the white dress from the bag gingerly.
Alicia's eyes combed the dress greedily, her hands fingering the beading as she took the dress from Massie. "I luh-v you." She exclaimed, throwing her arms around her neck, crushing the dress between them.
"Love you too hun." Massie replied, wrapping her arms around Alicia.
"Hope I'm not interrupting." A voice called into the room, and Alicia spun on her heel to locate the source. Claire.
"Hey." She exclaimed, reaching the blonde before Massie. "Sup Leesh." Claire said with a smile, hugging her and then Massie.
"Okay. Claire, I have something for you." Massie announced, disappearing into her closet and returning with a small silver bracelet.
"Oh. It's pretty." Claire said with a wide grin, holding out her thin wrist. "Yea. I got it at a little boutique." Massie replied, clearly enjoying the praise she got because she bestowed gifts upon them. Next to arrive was Kristen, her silk, navy blue flats clapping against the hardwood floor.
"Kristen!" Claire shrieked, rushing into the blonde's arms before letting everyone else get their hugs. Alicia loved having all her friends around her, it felt so right. And she was so glad that Nina the Obscena was out of her life once again. The girl was just so gross. Even if she did wear Lanvin and Chloe.
She could hear a shriek coming from Kristen as she received her gift, a black Prada satchel, that Alicia knew cost some serious cash. She felt almost disgusted with her dress.
Jenna arrived next, her reddish-brown hair fanning around her as she walked. "Hey!" She said excitedly, hugging everyone before gushing over her silk chiffon dress.
Lastly was Dylan, who was careful to avoid the death gaze of Kristen, leaving Alicia to ponder why the girls had shared such an exchange. "Hey Mass." The redhead gushed, wrapping her arms around Massie's small neck.
"So what's been going on since I've been gone?" Massie asked, plopping down on her floor, everyone following to form a circle around her circular white shag rug. "You first." Massie urged, her eyes focused on Dylan, and Alicia knew that she wasn't the only one who'd seen the tension between her and Kristen.
"Well..." Dylan fidgeted and bit her lip. "I was in the city for the holidays and I was confined to the fricking set till at least 12 every day." She groaned, rolling her eyes.
"Did you meet any celebs?" Claire asked eagerly, perking up.
"Yea. Drew Barrymore and Taylor Lautner." She replied, her eyes shifting to the floor as she thought about Taylor. She hadn't spoken to him since yesterday.
"Is he hot?" Alicia asked, already knowing the answer. She was jealous. Officially.
"Um. Duh." Claire interjected, sliding her Forever 21 bangles higher up her arm.
"So what happened?" She asked, ignoring Claire.
"Er, we talked." Dylan replied lamely. But no one was buying it.
"Oh. So you're not going to tell him you fucking made out with him?" Kristen said with a sneer, glaring daggers at the redhead across from her.
"You did what?" Massie shrieked, her eyes cutting to Dylan. "Does Jake know?" She asked.
"Yea he knows. We broke up." Dylan replied quietly, using the back of her NARS eyeliner pencil to trace patterns in the rug.
"Aw. Dyl." Claire said with a frown, reaching over to hug her. But Alicia did nothing. And neither did anyone else.
"Anyway." Dylan replied, her eyes glued to the pants of her black of her Paul and Joe jumper. "What did you do?" Dylan asked Massie, firing the heat back onto her.
"It's France. I hung out and me and Bridge got pretty close. I also hung out with Jacques and Kenneth. They are actually pretty amazing." Massie replied with a perma-smile. Alicia could tell she was hiding something. It was something in the way her amber eyes shifted about.
"Cut the shit. What happened with J?" Jenna asked, doing Alicia's job for her.
"We we stopped a second later. I promise."Her eyes welled up with tears. Alicia had the urge to wrap her arms around her, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Best friend or not, Derrick and her were exes, no matter in how she came to acquire him, or how long their relationship lasted, he was still her friend.
"Fucked up Mass." Claire replied quietly. Alicia knew that her and Derrick were close, him and Kristen too.
"Seriously. You need to tell him." Kristen added, pulling her Seven jean clad legs into a pretzel.
"I know." Massie replied quietly, wiping away a stray tear with the back of her hand. "I love him guys. I really do." Her voice broke as she said this, her voice becoming hoarse and raspy. "I want him forever. I don't want to hurt him...ever." Another tear made its way down her cheek, meandering until it reached her chin where it dropped onto her yellow Jason Wu dress.
"We know Mass." Claire said, laying a hand on Massie's back and rubbing calming circles.
"I support you." Alicia piped up first, enveloping the now shaking Massie in a hug.
"Me too." Jenna added, followed by Kristen and Dylan.
Everything else seemed so irrelevant. It didn't matter that Jenna and Chris were together, or that Alicia had told Josh that she wanted her innocence taken by him, or that Kristen and Jake had been fooling around up until that time. It was all about Massie and comforting her. But it was okay. Because thats what friends are for right?
8:09
iPad
November 30
"God." Massie groaned as she sat at the tree, her legs stretched out and ankles crossed.
"What?" Alicia asked, redoing her chignon as she turned to see Massie's face.
"He's here." She hissed through clenched teeth, her eyes following Derrick as he crossed the campus, smiling at Massie before settling on the stone wall a few yards away from her, conversing with Kemp and Josh. "Doesn't he have fucking soccer practice?" She asked, looking at her dark wash, skinny Bettina Liano jeans instead of up at him. She felt even worse seeing him. But below that, her heart fluttered as normal, pulling at the sight of him. She loved that feeling. More than she loved the grey cashmere Stella McCartney she'd bought at the beginning of they year that she'd practically begged her mother for. More than she loved that look on her friend's faces when she did something generous or loving towards them. More than...almost everything.
"Oh." Alicia said with a smirk, her circular Dolce & Gabanna shade covered eyes focused on her new Blackberry Bold.
"What no help?" Massie said in shock, her hands toying with her gold chain belt.
"No help." Claire interjected, a satisfied smirk settled on her glossed lips.
"I hate you all." Massie growled quietly, her anguish responded to with curt smiles.
"Oh. There's the bell." Dylan said with a smirk, hurrying to leave as she watched Derrick cross the courtyard, sliding her burnt orange Hermes Birkin bag onto her arm.
"Yea. So it is." Jenna remarked, hot on Dylan's heels, Claire, Kristen and Alicia right behind her.
"Bitches." Massie murmured, hoisting herself off of the ground, dusting off her jeans.
"Block." Derrick said with a smile, his polo showing off the outlines of his hard-earned soccer body. Yum.
"Harrington." Massie replied with a nod of her head, her amber eyes glinting as the sun caught her eyes. "Good to see you." She added, her hand grasping his as they ascended the stairs toward the school.
"You wanted to talk?" He asked, Massie straining to hear his voice over the loud noises of the hallway.
"Yea. In between first and second period." Massie replied, aware that the hallway had gotten considerably quieter in attempts to drop in on their conversation.
"Oaky." He replied with a smile, his lips reaching hers quickly before entering his class. Even though it was such a small exchange, she could feel the tingles in her body. A feeling she missed.
``Staircase..
"Alright. Lets talk." Derrick said to her after tucking his Blackberry back into the pocket of his jeans. "Yea." Massie replied nervously, her eyes drifting around the confined space, remembering what had gone here. The make-outs, fights, just everything. All so wonderfully confusing.
"Its about France isn't it?" Derrick said suspiciously, staring at the ground and not her.
"Yea." Massie nodded slightly, biting her lip to fight back tears.
"What happened?" Derrick asked in a bored tone.
"I kissed him." Massie replied quietly, picking at her turquoise blue 'Thames' nails.
"I thought you would." Derrick replied, a smirk now on his face. Looking up at him, Massie felt a shiver run down her spine. Why the hell was he smirking.
"And?" Massie replied expectantly, keeping the fear out of her eyes and posture.
"I kind of made out with Jules." He replied, feeling a tad self-satisfied.
"Who the hell is she?" Massie asked, her heart breaking in two.
"Some girl I met at the skate park with Cam and Kemp. You would love her. Skater, jet black hair with a green streak in her bangs."
"Fuck you." Massie spat, crossing her arms over her small chest.
"Fuck me?" Derrick asked, his calm veneer suddenly changing. "No. Massie fucking Block. Fuck you. You cheat on me with Frenchie and you think I'm going to sit at home and cry about it? No. An eye for an eye Princess."
"I stopped him as soon as we started." Massie replied, steadying her voice. "I felt so bad. I just kept thinking about you and how much I lov-" She couldn't say love. She just couldn't. "Cared for you, and how much I wanted us to make this work. And you fuck it all up with some girl!"
"You fucked it up first." Derrick replied lamely, pouting slightly.
"Are we in Kindergarten or something?" Massie asked, looking up at the ceiling incredulously, holding back the urge to scoff. "How do you feel about me?" She asked, squinting and staring into his eyes. She wanted to be mature about this.
"I love you." He said inaudibly, crossing his arms across his chest.
"What?" Massie asked, her eyes glinting as she felt her heart swell with excitement.
"I love you." He replied louder, clearing his throat. "How do you feel about me?" He asked, looking at her intensely.
"I fucking love and adore you." Massie replied seductively, stepping closer to him. "Forgive me?" She asked, her hand trailing her collarbone, one of his favorite spots.
Raking her body from top to bottom, a smirk appeared on his lips. "Oh yes."
"Forgive me Block?" He asked, flicking his hair out of his eye and giving her that half smile he knew drove her apeshit.
"How could I not?" She replied lightly, a tear in her eye. Rushing to embrace her, Derrick wrapped his arms around her body, holding her closer to him than he'd ever had before.
"Let's never hurt each other again?" She asked, muffled into his shirt.
"Deal." He replied, planting a kiss in her hair, which always smelled sweetly of apricots from that shampoo stuff she used.
