THE BLOCK ESTATE

MASSIE'S BEDRROM

Saturday, February 28th

3:22 P.M.

How did this happen? Massie Block couldn't help but ask herself that question. How could everything have gone so terribly wrong?

These same thoughts wound itself around her mind, suffocating her usual sharp thinking. There was simply no way to get around this one. Not even for Massie Block. Her and her friends had been forever expelled from Octavian Country Day School. OCD was now only a distant memory.

It's not like it was Massie's fault. It was Mr. Myner, the geography teacher's, fault. If he hadn't been snuggling up with Dylan Marvil's mother, Merri-Lee, Massie wouldn't have been lost in the woods and her group would not have been trapped by a grizzly bear. The five girls would still be allowed to go to OCD again. But they weren't.

And the worst part of it all – the part that made Massie's stomach shoot down to her ankles – was that Massie's new boyfriend, Derrick Harrington (AKA Derrington) wouldn't be able to see her anymore. After all the trouble Massie had gone through to get her first kiss from Derrington, she realized it had all gone to waste.

Instantly, there was a sharp knock behind Massie's bedroom door. Massie sat up straight from her bed and cleared her throat, so she wouldn't sound like she had been crying for the past four hours.

"Come in." The plain white door slowly creaked open and Massie's mother, Kendra Block, appeared in the doorway.

"Massie..." Uh-oh, Massie thought to herself. Any sentence from a parent that started with "Massie..." was never a good sign.

"What?" Massie mumbled, her amber eyes sticking to her white sheepskin rug.

Kendra sat down on Massie's fluffy purple duvet cover and set her hands in her lap.

"Your father and I have been discussing with Judi and Jay about what you and Claire will be doing about school," Kendra said softly. Massie's head shot up with a slight sign of hope.

"Claire's gonna go to the same school as me?" Massie said, somewhat excitedly. Kendra nodded, her short brown bob swaying. Massie bit her lip and looked down again.

"...and we were searching for a few hours for a good school you girls could go to. Preferably one in Westchester," Kendra closed her eyes gently and flickered them open again.

"And...?" Massie began.

"And we couldn't find another Day School anywhere near here. We decided that the best place for you girls... is not going to be in New York." Massie popped up off of the bed and whipped around to glare at her mother.

"What?" Massie snapped with a manicured hand clasped on her hip.

"Don't use that tone with me, young lady. We are sending you and Claire to a school in Texas. There's a very good boarding school over in Dallas and it would be very good for you girls to stay away from the New York scene for a while," Kendra looked away, to avoid Massie's sharp scowl that was digging into Kendra's face.

"Texas? Are you kidding me? I'm not a cowgirl, mother. Do you know how different Texas is from Westchester? I can't go to Texas!" Massie screeched, pacing the floor of her bedroom.

"Honey," Kendra's eyes followed Massie as she stomped around the room, "Dallas is a great place. Your father went there on business and said it's a wonderful place to go to. I bet you'll learn to love it there. Besides, you'll make more friends in a new state."

"But, Mom, I don't want new friends! I'm popular here, I don't need any more friends, and especially not a bunch of spur-wearing, cow-roping, rednecks! This sucks!" Massie shrieked. Her life was over.

"Keep an open mind, Massie. You and Claire are going to Texas next weekend and that's final. Start packing. I'm sure Claire's already finished." Kendra stood up and strode out the door leaving Massie to pout in a corner.

"Texas? This is so not going to work." Massie tucked her long hair behind her ear and whipped out her cell phone. He parents took away her laptop.

Massie: 911! HELP!

Claire: What/

Massie: Texas Boarding Skool! Dont act lyke u don't kno! Y didn't u tell me?

Massie's message was answered with a long, desperate wait. Massie could tell Claire was freaking out, but she didn't have time for that. Massie scurried to her window and pulled open the curtains. She tugged on her Chinese paper lamp that hung from her ceiling and turned it on and off to get her friend's attention.

Claire: I'm here Chill out

Massie???

Claire: srry. I would have told u

Claire: I couldn't.

Massie: I don't care about dat rite now. I just don't want 2 go to Cowland, USA.

Massie: Come over here.

As if Claire had been waiting for the signal, Massie saw the lights in Claire's room shut off and saw a shadow dart out of the room. Soon, Massie's Ked-wearing friend was standing in the doorway, crying.