𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔫

A newly turned twenty one year old Claire Lyons sat at long glossy oak table in the Marvil's A-frame house, her wine glass untouched in front of her despite being there for well into an hour with all of her closest friends—or, almost all of them, anyway. She looked around at each familiar face, Alicia Rivera sat across from Claire and was scrolling through her phone with Kristen Gregory hovering over her shoulder. Dylan Marvil had taken charge of kitchen duties, wanting everything to be perfect for Claire's birthday dinner. Josh Hotz and Derrick Harrington were stationed in the living room where a PS4 had been hooked up—one of Dylan's own self-bought birthday presents from a couple months before. Chris Plovert was assisting Dylan in running things smoothly with the kitchen staff, and Kemp Hurley was apparently running late, as usual. Cam Fisher, Claire's husband of a year, had stepped out for a phone call that was private—he said there were some issues with the company, and his cell had been ringing nonstop the entire drive over. Claire pulled out her phone, checking for a missed text or call for what felt like the hundredth time in ten minutes, and swallowed a deep sigh.

"Everything okay, Bear?" A pair of hands rested on Claire's shoulders, the unexpected gesture causing her to jump slightly in her seat. Claire craned her neck to see that Cam had slipped back inside, and was helping himself to the seat beside her.

"Yeah, I was just—"

"You know there's no reason to hold onto her, right? She made her decision, all you girls did." Cam gently reminded his wife, moving his hand from her shoulder to resting atop her much smaller hand, curling his fingers around hers comfortingly.

"I know, but, still..." she turned her hand up to lace her fingers through Cam's, and half-smiled.

"For all you know, she's visiting her parents and you know exactly how they can be," Cam suggested—it was a plausible reason for Massie Block to be AWOL, William and Kendra tried to obtain all of their daughter's attention whenever she took a trip out to London, but he didn't know the whole story. He was only privy to minimal details when it came to the girls' friendship, all of the boys were.

But all Claire said was, "you're right," and left it at that.

Once Cam had redirected his attention and the other boys, including Kemp Hurley, had flocked into the dining room, Claire pulled up her messages one more time and fired off another text to her (former?) friend—ᴍᴀssɪᴇ, ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴜʀ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ. ᴘʟs ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀ. ɪᴛs ᴍʏ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ. ᴜ sᴀɪᴅ ᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ. But like the other six messages it went unread, and Claire's mouth tasted like pennies, just as it always did when she felt like she was going to throw up.

𝔫𝔬𝔴

If there was one thing Massie Block was sure of, it was that her mother had brought all of the Pretty Committee members together on purpose—Kendra was fully aware of the severed ties her daughter had with those four girls, and to have the audacity to invite them to a party in her honor, she had hopes of them salvaging their friendships now that they were older, wiser. More mature. But from the brief conversations she'd forced herself into having, any sign of reconciliation would continue to be off the table, for as long as any of them shall live. To look those girls in the eye and be nice to the girls who'd abandoned her hadn't been the worst part, but to watch them put on the façade that their lives were still perfect, untouched and flawless, genuinely happy is what made Massie sick to her stomach. Especially when she came face to face with Claire, but of course there were appearances that had to be upheld and she couldn't exactly stab the blonde in the eye with her heel for being... well, her. Out of all four girls, breathing in the same air as Claire had exhausted her the most. It didn't help that Alicia opened her mouth, trying to be the reigning bitch Massie always knew her to be. As if Massie actually cared about being the queen on the social scene—she was back in New York for business, and business alone. Being close to her mother was a bonus, much like getting a slight fresh start all over again.

Luckily Kendra had swooped in before anything regrettable could be said—or made—on Massie's end. Her mother whisked her away into the backyard, insisting that the DJ was humbling and the music was getting stale. She knew it was her mother's way of micromanaging and avoiding a scene, and Massie appreciated it greatly. She had managed to catch Claire's eye as she was on her way out, and Massie's eyebrow quirked, the hint of a smirk on her face, watching her leave with Cam. For the remainder of the party Massie had steered clear of the remaining Pretty Committeee members, thankfully, and there were plenty of faces that were happy to see that she was finally back, the other girls she'd gone to school with that secretly wanted to be apart of her elite clique back in middle school. But much to her surprise, she ended up bumping into Layne Abeley, who Massie would admit looked stunning in a slinky, sultry merlot colored Morgan Co. lace and jersey gown with cutaway shoulders, a slit going up her thigh and a sheer view of her back. Her hair was dyed jet black and cut to the middle of her neck in a choppy layered bob that suited her well. At her side was her older brother, Chris, who'd been the object of Massie's affection back in seventh grade and was also the reason she'd experienced her first real heartbreak. He looked handsome as ever in a charcoal Armani suit, his chestnut hair winged out stylishly.

"Hey guys," she said with a warm smile, extending her hand out because it seemed like the proper thing to do.

"Welcome back," Chris said with an eye-tooth baring grin, shaking her hand firmly.

"Yeah, it's good to see you," Layne agreed; Massie believed her. But that was the end of the conversation as Massie got swept up by a flock of other former classmates, including Olivia Ryan, Coral McAdams, and Allie-Rose Singer. She bid a quick goodbye to Layne and Chris Abeley, smiling apologetically in her wake. Just beyond their heads, she was able to make out one other person, who sort of just lingered in the back, gulping down one glass of amber colored liquid after the next. She'd bet anything that it was bourbon, and there was this niggling in her chest that made her want to go over to him. Just to say hi.

And she followed it, excusing herself from the trio of girls that started asking questions about her life in London and what it was like to live in California. She didn't realize her hands were trembling until she reached out to tap him on the shoulder, only then did she hide them behind her back and clear her throat to get his attention. She couldn't believe how nervous she was, still in his presence after all these years. How did he always manage to make her brain shut off, and he didn't even have to look at her?

"Hey," she tried when he didn't acknowledge her apparent gesture, plastering a composed, relaxed smile on her face in hopes of hiding the fact that every nerve ending was a live wire.

"Block," he assessed Massie, chocolate brown eyes sweeping up and down, from the moment his attention was on her. She could tell that he liked what he saw, gaze lingering much too long for it to be friendly. "What brings you back to the WC?"

"Business," she replied simply, "I've got an apartment on hold in Manhattan, I sign the paperwork tomorrow and my move-in date is the end of next week."

"Congrats," he nodded with a smile, "I always knew you'd do good."

"Better than good," she giggled softly, "and what about you? I always thought you'd be off playing soccer around the world with the champs."

"Yeah, about that," he half-laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that didn't hold his glass. "I pretty much gave up soccer in high school, tried doing football for a little bit, but sports just... wasn't my thing anymore."

"So what do you do now?" She inquired, genuinely curious to see where life had taken Derrick Harrington since they last saw each other.

And somehow, they ended up walking together through the thick crowd, never straying too far even as they refilled their drinks. Derrick was definitely several glasses deep already, and she would need another glass of wine to calm her nerves. Talking among themselves as if they'd carved out their own portion of the world, ignoring everyone else in their path, but mindful enough to knock into them. Everything melted away, including the ferocious glare Alicia was sending in her direction—that seemed universes away. She was more interested in getting to know this new Derrick, the one who admitted to wearing shorts for a year because he lost a bet, the one who enjoyed cooking and one day planned to open a chain of restaurants with Cam as his partner, and the one who was kind enough to ask Massie if he could kiss her goodbye at the very end of the night—which prompted her to boldly ask him if he'd like to get coffee sometime during the week so they could finish catching up. It seemed as if they still had so many things to uncover in each other's lives and she was dying to know every last detail.

.

The morning after the Block's party, Dylan found herself waking up with a massive migraine—she didn't remember much of the actual evening, just up to the part where she started chugging glasses of mixed drinks and downing shots in a contest to see who could stomach more, she volunteered herself to go up against Kemp—which had been a mistake in itself but trying to change a drunk Dylan's mind was an even bigger mistake once she was set on something. She knew her excessive drinking started with spotting Massie and Derrick together, walking close enough their arms touched, and talking intimately—she didn't think it would bother her, but she couldn't help the initial reaction. And that's how she ended up lying on the floor of her bedroom, tangled in her silk sheets, her throbbing forehead damp with sweat and her mouth full of cotton.

"Good morning, sunshine," a groggy voice called from the other side of the room. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she adjusted to the light filling her bedroom, and rolled over to see Alicia was sprawled across the chaise by the window overlooking the city. Somehow they'd made it back to Manhattan in one piece, and without any boys accompanying, which was good because they hadn't had a sleepover in a long time.

"Helloooo," She crooned sleepily, swiftly searching for any other signs of life. The coast was clear.

Dylan pushed herself off the floor, kicking her legs free from the sheets, and gathered her thick red curls to pile her hair into a bun on top of her head. "Let's go out for breakfast," she insisted with a small yawn.

"I'm in!" Alicia chirped, leaping up from the chaise and helping herself to rummaging through Dylan's closet, plucking out a white fluffy robe "I'm in the mood for pancakes, but first I wanna shower. I smell like vodka and you smell like tequila," she playfully waved her hand around by her nose and giggled.

.

When Claire woke up the next morning, she'd almost forgotten where she was—her cornflower blue eyes taking in the thousand-thread satin silk sheets stretched over the king size mattress, the Dupioni curtains drawn in front of the large windows, the silver cart catered to their whim from the previous night. There was elaborate oil paintings hung on the wall, a gilt mirror over the marble dresser, and a sheepskin rug covering 90% of the floor. A far stretch from the Fisher's bedroom back home, and it took a minute to remember that Claire had surprised Cam with their reservations at the hotel after ditching Massie's party. The blonde rolled over, her arms draping across her husband's broad naked chest, and pressing a kiss to just below his left nipple. A sensitive spot for him, causing him to squirm under her touch and grin in his sleep. Smiling to herself, Claire leaned and kissed below the other one, before playfully flicking her tongue out—holding back her laughter until Cam's arms suddenly squeezed around her tightly, and she had no choice but to yelp out her delightful squeals.

"I know what you're trying to do," he chuckled, peaking one eye open to look at his wife. "And it's working."

Claire lifted herself up onto her arms, throwing her leg over Cam's lap and lowering her naked body until it was flush against his, letting out a soft moan and biting at her lower lip. Cam's hands grabbed at her waist, thrusting up into Claire—her mind immediately drifted back to the night before and flooding with the memories of ordering lots of champagne, fresh oysters, and strawberries dipped in chocolate. Cam's hot kisses pressed to every inch of her body, his hands caressing and touching her in all the right places. It started out gentle, passionate, but quickly spun into a battle for control, hard and longing, needy and desperate. She couldn't remember the last time they'd been with each other like that, and it left her breathless. Aching for more once they were finished—they'd gone at least two more rounds before falling asleep in each other's arms.

Ping. Ping.

Claire groaned loudly, more for the pleasure than the annoyance of her phone indicating a new text message. When she was pulled back to the present, Cam was on top now, and her legs were bunched back to having her knees to her chest, with him holding her by the ankles to keep her from moving. She also didn't realize that Cam was minutes away from coming to his peak, and she wanted to ride out that wave of euphoria with him. By the time they were done, Claire's phone had gone off six more times, and she waited until Cam disappeared into the bathroom to wrap herself up in the sheets to pad across the room and check her phone.

Alicia Rivera: meet us at Big Daddy's in 20?
Alicia Rivera: hello?
Dylan Marvil: you better not be fucking Cam when there's PANCAKES
Dylan Marvil: jk
Dylan Marvil: pancakes are deff more important tho
Gracelyn Fisher: just checking in, Shay had breakfast and is playing out in the yard with Harris.

Claire sighed heavily—the texts from Alicia and Dylan were close to fifteen minutes ago, and she was a good thirty five minutes away from Big Daddy's, depending on the traffic from their hotel room. She still had to shower and get dressed, obviously she'd either have to drive all the way to her in-laws to drop off Cam or he was coming for pancakes with her. But when her husband stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered and the towel hanging low on his hips, she ultimately decided against showering and speedily got clothes on, coaxing her flaxen hair into a ponytail, because thinking about Cam would lead to them having sex all over again, and they'd never leave the hotel room.

"What's the plan?" Cam asked while she tugged her shirt on over her head.

"Alicia invited us for pancakes at Big Daddy's," she said.

"Sounds good to me," he ran his fingers through his wet hair then wrapped an arm around Claire's shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I had a great time last night, Claire. You're amazing in every way."

.

Alicia was in the middle of listening to Dylan rave about ... something ... honestly had lost interest in the story four minutes in, but she didn't have the heart to tell her friend that. Instead she nodded when appropriate, "mmm" at any glance Dylan gave her, and tried not to shout hallelujah when Claire's head dipped into view of Big Daddy's—with Cam following behind her. She'd almost forgotten that Claire and Cam spent the night away from home, and would've been mad that he would be the only boy there, but she was happy for Claire, and surprisingly didn't mind seeing them together for once.

"Hey!" Interrupting Dylan, Alicia practically shot out of her seat, raising her hand up so they could see her, "come sit," she instantly lowered back down and offered a big smile.

Cam and Claire wound their way over to the table and took a seat, both of their hands disappearing under the tabletop but she knew they were still intertwined.

"How were things after I left?" Claire immediately asked.

"Intense," Dylan blurted. "I got super drunk and don't remember anything after going shot for shot with Kemp."

Claire's eyes narrowed, wondering what made Dylan do something like that—nobody ever challenged Kemp, he could practically unhinge his jaw like a snake and hold his liquor better than anyone in their group of friends. Cam cleared his throat, excusing himself to the bathroom—this sounded like something he didn't need to be apart of.

"Massie and Derrick were getting pretty acquainted last night," Alicia said as soon as Cam left the table, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear.

"Okay?" Claire still wasn't following—why was that any of their business?

"I didn't think it'd bother me, we've both been single for a long ass time and we only had sex on a couple of occasions after the break up, but..." Dylan let out a long, weighted sigh and she cupped her chin in her hand. "I dunno, it's stupid."

Claire stayed silent. She didn't think it was stupid, Alicia could see it on her face—they'd all had their fair shares of being jealous for reasons beyond their control. Claire with Cam when they broke up back in eighth grade, Alicia with Josh before they ever actually started dating and he chose to like Claire—a small blip. Even Massie, when Dylan started liking Derrick in eighth grade, even though she never wanted to admit it because she was "crushing" on Dempsey Solomon for like two weeks. But at the same time, it was news to both Alicia and Claire that Dylan continued hooking up with Derrick over the years, in secret.

The conversation ended as quickly as it started with Cam's return to the table—but much to Claire's surprise, he excused himself by saying that Derrick was coming to pick him up because he was in the area, and they had some things to discuss—business matters. He gave Claire a quick kiss goodbye and ducked out of Big Daddy's at the sight of Derrick's car pulling up not even three minutes later. Wow he wasn't kidding when he said he was in the area, Alicia thought to herself, and snuck a peak at Dylan to see if she could get any idea what was on the redhead's mind. But her expression gave away nothing, didn't even look towards the window where they could plainly see Cam getting into Derrick's Jeep.

"I don't have those feelings for him," Dylan clarified when she noticed that Alicia was looking at her, studying her.

"Okay, Dylan." Alicia murmured, disbelieving.

.

Kristen sat at her desk, silently stewing over the previous night's events while her students worked on their exams—there were two more weeks of class before school let out for summer break, and as much as Kristen loved her job, she honestly couldn't wait to be free for the next three months. It meant making up for lost time with her three best friends, and hopefully finding a romance for the season. She didn't believe in long term, not after her fall out with Dempsey Solomon a few years ago—her forever, which turned out to just be a huge waste of time. There were twenty minutes left in the period for her history class, and while only a handful—four—of them had handed in their final tests of the year, she could sip at her water down iced latte from Starbucks, mark off the wrong answers, and reflect on Massie Block's sudden return to New York. It wasn't like she'd had a bad falling out like the other girls, and she longed to have a conversation with the brunette, but everyone kept getting in her way and by the time things started winding down she saw Massie was enraptured with Derrick Harrington. She felt a pang for Kristen, knowing the two had only been together recently—no more than a month ago, actually. But Dylan didn't have a claim over Derrick any more than eighth grade Massie did with that stupid Chanel hold. In truth, she missed her old friend, and knew it was stupid to let Alicia drive a wedge between them because she was insecure. Granted, after Massie's move to London their connection wasn't as strong as it used to be after a couple years, but that didn't things had to end the way that they did. She also thought back to what Massie said, how they'd treated her towards the end of their friendship, and a sour taste filled Kristen's mouth. She was ashamed of the way they—she—handled things, constantly dodging her calls or texts, purposely leaving her out of group chats, pressing 'decline' on any incoming FaceTime or Skype chats. But to add salt to wound, they opened her Snapchats and never replied, but had no problem posting all the fun they were having to their stories. Alicia would tag Claire, Dylan and Kristen in photos on Facebook and Instagram, knowing that Massie could see them, and made it seem like they were too busy as time went on, and never bothering to visit Massie during the vacations after ninth grade once they hit high school—it wasn't until senior year that things really hit, and the Pretty Committee—save for Claire, until two and a half years ago—had cut all ties with Massie. Kristen knew it was wrong, but she'd been under Alicia's influence and felt things were different back then. And now that she was back, Kristen almost had the hope things could go back to the way things were—they were all adults now, and a lot more mature than they had been when everything fell apart.

Stealing a quick glance at her students, and then at the clock, she announced a ten minute warning, then snuck her phone out under her desk as if she were thirteen years old again—firing off a quick and nervous text.

Kristen Gregory: hey, u busy?
Kristen Gregory: wanna meet up for lunch? My last class ends in 10.

Her phone softly pinged with a new text just as she went to tuck it back in her desk drawer, and it lit up with a new text. She let out a breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding in

Massie Block: sure, where?

It wasn't very enthusiastic, but Kristen took this as a win. She wasn't freezing her out after Alicia's comment last night, a good sign, and without any thought she asked Massie to meet her at Fuji Hibachi, a Japanese steak house and sushi bar. It was one of her favorite places to go; she also hoped that sushi was still one of Massie's favorite lunch time favorites.

author's note: I'm going to do the best that I can to explain why the girls fell apart as the story goes on, but I also would like to point out that Massie did leave for London in eighth grade with her parents, and she went to California for college. This all takes place when the PC is in their early twenties, nine or ten years after the end of Tale of Two Pretties. James is a supporting character, but he is definitely not a good guy and will be mentioned, but not shown, at least not right now or any time soon. I will also do my best to incorporate each of the girls careers—so far it has been known that Kristen has completed her first year as a history teacher and Dylan is getting involved with the fashion industry. PS, Claire is a stay at home mom while Derrick and Cam are getting started with their business, and Massie will also be working in the fashion industry which means she will be crossing paths with Dylan soon.