North Briarwood Academy
Football Stadium, Concession stand/Bathrooms
Friday, September 20th
8:32 P.M.
As she pushed through the tight space between two circles of B-list juniors and wannabe sophomores, her body heated up in anger. The air was heavy of Angel perfume, which only meant one thing: The Wicked Bitch of Westchester (or The Wicked Bitch of the South as everyone at South Briarwood said) was near.
"Wait up!" Massie heard her two best friends, Claire and Kristen call from behind her. They were squeezing their way through the two groups of people she had just forced her way through.
"Why are we coming through here?" Kristen groaned, obviously not happy with weaving through the overly crowded area.
"Seriously, I'm getting more Closter Phobic by the second!" Claire said, shuffling more next to Kristen to get away from the goth kid who's shoulder touched hers.
It was North Briarwood's football game against South Briarwood. While one would think that the hosting team would warmly welcome their sister school, the air held a certain hostility. Even the parents that had shown up to support their kids seemed tense.
Their hatred for each other had practically been breed into them. The two schools had always hated each other as they were both the top private schools in Westchester County, NY. Being the top two elite schools automatically made them rivals, but geographical location also played a big part.
On the south side of Westchester, most of their student population of South Briarwood lived in modern colonial homes on Long Island Sound. While North Briarwood Academy was in the northernmost section of the county where truly grand and exquisite estates reigned over the landscape..
Massie was grateful to be one of those that grew up on one of those northern estates, because South Briarwood contained two people she absolutely could not stand.
And one of those two people happened to be in her territory…
"I know, but I saw them." Massie hissed.
"Who?" Kristen asked, not even thinking about it. And yet we call her the smart one…
"Slut-icia, Duh-livia, and Dy-loser!" Massie laughed, using the nicknames she had given them years ago.
"Awww, how cute!" A sultry voice from behind gushed in sweet sarcasm. Shit…
All three stopped laughing and turned around, facing the three girls they had just been laughing about: Alicia Rivera, Olivia Ryan, and Dylan Marvil…
"They gave us pet names!" Alicia giggled as if it were a cute childish thing for them to do. Olivia and Dylan laughed a little harder than they needed to.
Just the sight of Alicia Rivera made Massie's blood boil. Her perfect olive skin, seductive brown eyes, impossibly tiny waist, and voluptuous breasts made Massie want to rip out her glossy dark hair. It wasn't fair that someone so cruel and nasty could be so good looking. But the thing that bothered her the most was that even guys at North Briarwood admitted that Alicia was a perfect ten.
Massie dug her nails into her palms, trying to convince herself from doing something that would get her suspended. So Massie decided she wasn't going to fight Alicia with her fists. No, she was going to attack her verbally, striking where it would hurt the most.
"What are you doing here, Rivers?" she snapped, Claire and Kristen giggled into their palms. around Massie knew she must have tapped a nerve once Alicia shut her O shaped mouth, squinted her eyes, her face turned bright red, and her hands were balled into tight fists.
Alicia's the Fannish alpha of South Briarwood Academy. Fannish (Fake Spanish) because her father changed his last name from Rivers to Rivera and lied about being from Barcelona so Alicia's Spanish grandmother would bless the marriage between her mother and father. Massie guessed she was the alpha because she was beautiful and exotic (thanks to her gorgeous supermodel mother), defiantly not because of her leadership skills…
"You must have her mistaken for someone else, her last name is Rivera." Alicia's second in command, Olivia said stupidly. Massie, Kristen, and Claire burst out laughing as Dylan and Alicia rolled their eyes in annoyance.
"She knows who I am, dumbass!" Alicia spat; Olivia crossed her arms across her chest and looked the other way in embarrassment.
"You didn't tell your best friends that your dad changed his last name from Rivers to Rivera and said he was from Barcelona, not Brooklyn?" Claire laughed, making Massie swell up in pride. Claire was usually the one who tried avoiding being mean, but it was clear Massie had rubbed off on her through their five years of friendship.
"Eight letter word for pitiful?" Kristen smirked, using her infamous word game that she normally used to burn people.
"PATHETIC!" Massie and Claire shouted together.
"If you're really looking for something pathetic, just go look in a mirror." A male voice said from behind Alicia. Claire and Kristen's jaws dropped, surprised anyone even had the guts to even say that to her.
Massie glared at the blonde and brown eyed guy as he high fived his two best friends that also came into view. It was Alicia's boyfriend, Derrick Harrington and his friends Cam Fisher and Dune Baxter.
Derrick was known for being the star player of South Briarwood's soccer team, but also because all of the girls from North and South Briarwood thought he was hot. His toned muscles, floppy blonde hair, and brown eyes could make any girl swoon. But it was his I-don't-give-a-shit-what-anyone-thinks attitude that made them offer themselves to him on a silver platter.
"Derrick, are you a poster in a health class?" Massie asked. Claire and Kristen held back their laughter, knowing what was coming next…
"Um, no?"
"Then why are you such a dick?"
Claire and Kristen burst out laughing, people around them that had been listening laughed and cheered.
Massie smiled in victory as she grabbed Claire and Kristen and tugged them backward, wanting to leave on a high note (translation: before anyone else could come up with a clever comeback). She also saw a certain group of people out the corner of her eye.
It was Josh Hotz and Dempsey Soloman, Claire and Kristen's boyfriends. They were making their way down the steps of the bleachers, both wearing feral expressions. Both boys were Massie's boyfriend's best friends and just so happened to hate Derrick, Alicia, and their group just as much as she did. They were enemies, and they needed to protect their home turf. "We'd love to make you feel even less welcome, but I think they can take care of that!"
The two grinned before climbing over the metal bars and dropping down to the cement ground. Josh cracked one of his fists and Cam seemed to shrink back. Next to Massie, Claire smirked at the sight. She still held a grudge against Cam for cheating on her in middle school with his soccer-camp slut, and Josh never forgave his former friend for stealing the girl he liked and then crushing her heart.
Derrick smirked, accepting the challenge even though Alicia had latched onto his triceps and was begging him to stop before they all got expelled. But Derrick took a threatening step forward, his jaw clenched and fists tight at his sides.
Massie, Claire, and Kristen slowly backed up until they had morphed into the crowd. The general flow of people took them back to the stands. She had no worries that Josh and Dempsey could take care of them. All she had to do now was find her boyfriend.
Claire and Kristen claimed their spots next to Gemma Brandish, the Pretty Committee wannabe with dull brown hair and a pig nose. She wasn't pretty enough to be in the Pretty Committee, but Gemma had her uses. She and her friend Jacqueline seemed to know everything before it even happened, and that made them valuable to Massie.
She sat down just as South Briarwood scored a touchdown and everyone booed. Her amber eyes rolled at her school's devastatingly injured football team. Everyone had known this game would be a slaughter, but they had still shown up in large numbers for the bitter rivals.
Down below in the first row she finally spotted him. As if sensing her eyes on him his head turned and his blue-green eyes met hers.
The Crane Household
The Driveway
Friday, September 20th
9:41 P.M.
Sitting on the hood of her car, snuggled up against Landon Crane's warm chest, Massie couldn't think of any place she'd rather be. The radio was softly playing through the open windows and the stars above them were bright. Everything was perfect.
Landon was everything she'd ever wanted. Hot, male alpha, blue-green eyes that look like they change color, floppy dark hair, and captain of the lacrosse team. His mom owned a doggy boutique and his adorable pug, Bark Obama, was Bean's perfect match too.
They had originally gotten together when he was a freshman at ADD, and she was still in eighth at OCD. Then they had gone their separate ways when Massie met her ex, James, the adorable British exchange student. It wasn't until after James had gone back to England that Landon had transferred to North Briarwood, and another three weeks before Landon asked her out.
They had been together ever since and everything was flawless… except for his temper.
"My mom is still out of town..." Landon whispered into her hair before kissing the top of her head.
"Yeah…" Massie sighed, knowing what he was going to say…
"You know what that means," Landon said seductively
"I told you, I'm not ready." She said trying not to sound annoyed as she unattached his arms from around her. His touch suddenly no longer sent pleasant tingles humming throughout her, instead it burned.
"Come on Massie! It's not going to kill you!" Landon whined, "Everyone in the entire school has had sex! Even Claire put out last year with Josh and none of us thought anyone could ever tap her ass!"
She rolled her eyes at him. He sounded like a spoiled little brat trying to convince his parents to buy him a toy he didn't even need.
" 'Tap her ass'?" Massie said, completely disgusted and irritated with his choice of words and the subject they were arguing about, "Do you even realize how stupid you sound right now?"
"I'm the one who sounds stupid? You're the one who says you want to wait!"
Her face heated up in embarrassment. What was so wrong with wanting to wait? What was so shameful about wanting her first time to be special and romantic? Massie pictured a luxury hotel room covered in rose petals, not Landon's sweaty-sox smelling room. She had also pictured him whispering how perfect and glorious she was in her ear, how much he wanted to make love to her because he loved her. Never had she predicted that he would work so hard to pressure her…
"Gawd Landon, why can't you act your age and not your dick size?" Damn it, Massie thought once she realized what she had said wasn't in her head where it had been meant to stay.
"How would you know my size?" Landon scoffed, "You've never seen it!" He slid off the hood of the car and Massie did the same.
"Landon, I'm sorry, I just-" Massie tried coaxing but he cut her off.
"I think we should see other people." He glowered, pulling his car keys out from the pocket of his Ralph Lauren jeans and fumbled for the house key.
"Just because I won't sleep with you?" Massie asked in disbelief as he walked away, towards his car. And she had thought he was "sensitive"?
"If we can't take it to the next level, then I don't want to be in this relationship." Landon spat over his shoulder as he walked up the sidewalk to the front door.
Massie felt her eyes sting and a lump form in her throat. She felt as if she was going to throw up once she let the first few salty tears softly roll down her cheeks. She didn't care about her mascara or eyeliner running anymore. The black smudges were the least of her concern now.
She took a few deep shaky breaths as she walked down the familiar street. The Abeley house had music blasting so loud it was audible for blocks. A girl was puking in the bushes out front while her friend held her hair back, and beer cans littered the front lawn. Laughter rang out over the music followed by the sound of glass breaking.
At the curb luxury foreign vehicles lined the street. Among them was Massie's Mercedes. She had left it there after dropping Claire and Kristen off for an "anti-victory" party. They had all been looking for an excuse to drink, and according to her friends, "win or lose, we still booze".
But Massie hadn't been in the mood to party then, and certainly wasn't now.
She pulled her car keys from her Marc Jacobs jean jacket and struggled to find the one she was looking for through her blurry vision. Her hysteric sobs had caused her to leak way more liquid through her eyes and nose than she had ever thought possible.
Just when she had the key fob between her index finger and thumb, someone bumped into her and sent the keys flying through the air, landing on the cement with a clink!
"Sorry." A male voice said as he bent down to retrieve her keys, "Here."
Massie timidly took the keys, embarrassed to see that the person who had seen her like this was none other than Derrick Harrington. She hurriedly used the sleeve of her jacket to wipe the tears from her eyes. Once he recognized her in the dark she noted that he looked more confused than happy to see her crying. She expected a snappy and snide comment but he handed her the keys and walked away. He looked over his shoulder as he made his way down the sidewalk, and she could have sworn she saw him pause for a moment before continuing going wherever he was heading.
The Block Estate
Massie's Bedroom
Saturday, September 21st
9:16 A.M.
Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz.
Massie heard something next to her head vibrate. She lifted her head off of her pillow and grabbed the iPhone beside her.
5 missed calls.
5 new voicemails.
6 new text messages.
Massie looked at her missed calls, two from Kristen, and two from Claire. She hadn't told them that she and Landon had broken up, so they couldn't have called to check up on her, not unless someone else had told them.
Claire: did u hear from Landon?
Kristen: have u talked 2 Landon?
Kristen: MASSIE!
Claire: has anyone told u?
Claire: answer me! I know you're home!
Massie scrolled back to the first message to make sure she read what she thought she read. Why were they so concerned about Landon?
Massie: no. y?
Claire: Derrick beat him up last night!
Kristen: Harrington kicked Landon's ass :(
Massie starred down at Kristen's message, not sure how she felt. On one hand, she was pissed that Derrick Harrington had the nerve, almost feeling sorry for Landon. But on the other hand, she was secretly glad that karma had bit Landon in the ass, causing him pain just as he had done to her emotionally. But had he really deserved it?
Massie saw that she hadn't looked at one of her new messages. She opened the text to see a picture of Landon holding his phone up, taking a picture of him making out with Nixie Ford, a cheerleader that shamelessly worshiped the ground the lacrosse team walked on. The bubbly blond had been trying to sink her claws into Landon since he first transferred, but Massie had never seen the other girl as a threat. She had thought that she would be enough, that she was Massie Block, the most beautiful girl at North Briarwood Academy.
But looking at the picture of Landon and Nixie, Massie felt her chest crumple. She hadn't been enough for him. He had never really cared about her, all he had wanted was a hot piece of ass. Landon hadn't cared about being in her heart, he had only cared about getting her into his bed.
Massie deleted the message and blocked Landon while singing a string of cuss words, cursing his name. He deserved every punch Derrick threw at him.
North Briarwood Academy
Massie's Locker
Monday, September 23rd
7:55 A.M.
"He said he wanted to break up because you wouldn't sleep with him?" Claire asked in shock and Kristen furrowed her brows, trying to process the information.
"Yea, but I don't really want to talk about it right now," Massie whispered, not wanting to cry in front of everyone… there was nothing more unalpha than crying in public. And she felt guilty for even crying over him. She knew she deserved better, that she shouldn't feel so heartbroken over someone that was obviously a piece of shit for trying to pressure her. But the truth was that beyond her reasoning, Massie still missed him
"Oh my god, there you are!" Jacqueline Novall, the girl they all had tried being nice to last year in Government class, squealed with her naturally high pitched voice. She ran over to them with her friend Gemma. "Did you hear?"
"What?" All three groaned, Massie refrained from rolling her eyes. Jacqueline was annoying times ten, but she had let Massie cheat off of her and somehow the A-list wannabe knew the juiciest gossip from all over Westchester County.
"South Briarwood burnt down Friday night!" Jacqueline said, sounding as if it was a bad thing, they deserved it.
"So?" Massie asked, this time allowing herself to roll her eyes.
"Sooooo, that means everyone there is coming here!" Gemma whispered. It was obviously top secret information. "Principal Burns is announcing it second period."
"What?" Claire and Kristen screeched, but all Massie could do was stare blankly at Jacqueline and Gemma. She suddenly felt light-headed and her hands became clammy. The mere thought of even sharing a school with Alicia Rivera, her bitchy friends, and Derrick Harrington was unbearable. Instead of seeing them every once in a while she would be forced to deal with them on a daily basis.
"When?" Massie finally muttered.
"Next week."
This can't be happening…