The Block Estate
Claire's Room
Saturday, February 14
6:00 P.M.
"I can't wear this!" Claire threw her pink Lilly Pulitzer Bexley Dress onto her day bed.
Her best friend Layne Abeley shook her head from her spot in Claire's blue metal computer chair. "You just bought that like a week ago."
"I had shop-bulimia. I was delusional and just bought stuff because it was there. I bought a foot massager and didn't even know it!"
"Where is it now?" Layne unbraided the last braid from her brown hair, and stared at the now curly locks.
"Inez's suite. I hear it vibrating every time I go downstairs with Cam." Claire put her hands on her hips and stared at her mannequin. William and Kendra had gotten her one just like Massie's, only the um, boobs, on this one were slightly smaller. The mannequin wore an Alice + Olivia mini dress, white knee-length leggings, and red flats. Claire wasn't as good as Massie at putting clothes that went good together. Ahb-viously. "You know they make curling irons that would do what you just did in like 30 minutes opposed to the 5 hours you waited for your hair to get used to the braids."
"Because my hair looks original this way," Layne said with a proud smile. "I can't believe you've had everyone going so long that you and Cam didn't like each other anymore. Meanwhile, you've been sneaking him to Inez's living room and snuggling up to him. You are so far gone."
"What is 'so far gone'? Does that mean I'm insane?" Claire asked.
"Nooo…but you are insane. It kind of means…you're out of it. Quite possibly obsessed." Layne pulled up her turquoise legwarmers that were slouching down her pale legs.
Claire finger-fluffed her hair that had just been blown out by Jakkob no less than 30 minutes ago. Now she only had about an hour till Massie would want to take a group picture with Alicia, Kristen, Dylan, and Claire. Claire had tried to get Massie to agree to let Layne in the picture, but she refused. Layne accepted it.
"Ooh! I and you should dress alike!" Layne jumped up off of the chair and unzipped her new purple Lacoste backpack and yanked out a silver Bertha-collared full-skirted gown with little printed pictures of various sightings in New York. "I bought two just in case someone ripped this one out of jealousy." You could tell by the sparkle in her brown eyes that it was Massie she had wanted to be jealous of the monstrosity.
"Oh! That dress is…something…boy, oh, boy, is it something!" Claire's brain was frying trying to think of words that wouldn't hurt Layne's feelings, especially when she needed her to cover for Claire to Massie while she was hanging out with Cam all night.
"You don't like it, do you?" Layne sighed heavily and stuffed the dress back into her bag. "It's okay, I mean, before Massie adopted you, you probably would have liked it."
Claire sighed too, and slipped off her white Hollister tee over her head, careful not to mess up her now grown-out bangs. "How many times to I have to say this? Just because Massie adopted me doesn't mean I would have liked that dress, anyway. It's more you than it is me."
"So you didn't change, huh?" Layne fiddled with the hem of her blue and black striped mini skirt. "How much was that pink thing you just threw at your closet?"
Claire mumbled something.
"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you."
"One hundred and twenty-three." Claire folded her arms across her chest.
"I remember when you used to buy one hundred odd-priced items before…when was that?" Layne's eyes mockingly searched the ceiling as if she was trying to remember an old memory. Oh yeah. Never!" Layne rummaged through Claire's closet for something and pulled out one of Claire's old shirts. It was a yellow t-shirt, and had SpongeBob's face on it. Layne had bought one just like it. "When's the last time you wore this?"
Claire didn't answer. Instead, she took off her shorts and placed the offending Lilly over her head, shimming to make it fall over the rest of her petite body. She reached under her bed and searched around till she found her pink Guess wedge heels. After she put them on her feet, she started filling her white clutch with Glossy Girl (the new division of Glossip Girl) Rosemary Dream, a pack of Tic-Tacs, and her cell. "I gotta go. Dad says he wanted to see me."
Layne scoffed from her chair as Claire grabbed the door handle and sauntered out. Must not cry, Claire thought, even thought she didn't' know why she was about to. It'll ruin my mascara.
As Claire passed Massie's room, she could hear her twinkly laugh which meant she was talking to one person: Dempsey. Derrington had hardly been mentioned since they started going out. But she had invited him to the Valentine's party.
William and Kendra were waiting downstairs. Kendra wore a beautiful Missoni dress.
"Why are you wearing that?" Kendra's nose wrinkled up.
"Whaaaaa? I just bought it last week. You don't like it?" Claire looked down at the dress.
"No, I mean, Massie and I picked out one from Beastie Online. We thought we gave it to you."
"I don't remember…" Claire nervously looked up at the 15-foot ceilings in the Blocks house—oops, her house. But she ran back up to her room anyway. Layne was blasting Leona Lewis's 'Better in Time' and humming along quietly. When Claire came in, Layne looked at her angrily.
"What are you doing here?" she asked accusingly.
Claire dropped her clutch and shuffled over to her closet, hunting for Beastie Online's signature moss green garment bag. "Um…look around, Layne. It's my room."
Layne ignored the dig and stood up to look at herself in the mirror. Claire snuck a glace at her. The dress looked better on Layne than it would have on Claire, even if had not been for Layne's obsession with slightly ugly clothing. Though it hadn't looked like when Layne had yanked it out of her pack, it was close fitting, hit her at the knee, and the metallic-ness of it went with Layne's pale skin tone. The wavy hair was pinned up in random places with metallic purple butterfly pins. Claire smiled to herself.
"Oh, if your looking for that dress thingy Massie just snuck in here, it's right here," Layne gestured to the bag which was laying gracefully over the back of the chair.
"Thanks. By the way, you look really pretty, Layne." Claire threw off her dress and unzipped the Beastie bag. "Ehmagawd!"
Layne murmured out a 'thanks' and gathered her backpack and jacket, unplugged her iPod the dock (which stopped Leona's singing) and walked out, slamming the door behind her.
Claire sighed and turned her attention back to the beautiful dress that had just been bestowed upon her. Two totally fabulous words: Ted Baker. Okay, to be more specific, Ted Baker Mimmi dress, and satin frill sleeves, satin tie in the back, It was satin heaven. Claire unzipped the back and stepped into the dress. It fit like a glove, stopping mid-thigh and somehow made her appear taller. Now Claire could tell that Massie picked it out. It was the same one she had 'yes' stickered in Lucky. She stepped over various piles of designer dresses as she made her way to her closet to pick out the perfect pair of shoes. After a few minutes of rummaging, she found a pair of bronze pumps and switched out her Guesses for the bronzies
"Kuh-laire! Are you up there? There are LBRs waiting at our doors, like an hour early!" Massie's alpha voice called, showing that she was party-ready. This was her first party planned entirely by her, so why shouldn't she be excited?
"Coming!" Claire ruffled her hair a little bit and blew herself a kiss in the mirror. Just before she was about to leave the room, she caught a glance of herself in her blue full-length mirror. Her lips were pouty, her eyes bright, and her smile gorgeous. Her phone rang with the ringtong 'Sexy Back' by Justin Timberlake.
I'm bringing sexy back
Them other boys don't know how to act
I think your special what's behind your back
So turn around and I'll pick up the slack
Claire smiled to herself as she danced a little bit. Oh yes, she was definitely bringing sexy back.