Love But Not In Love

To-Do List

Set up an account so I can send text messages through a cryptic number. DONE

Massie - Make her dump Derrick. Or he's going to be mine to eat. Literally. DONE

Alicia – That dress has got to go. If it doesn't, it's going to cause MAJOR sparks. And I mean MAJOR. DONE

Claire – Would you rather be the school's biggest loser or die? She'd better make the decision soon or I'm going to give her a taste of both.

Dylan – TBA

Kristen – TBA

Jakkob's Salon

Seat 5

Wednesday, 23 September

8.55 pm

Claire had seen what had happened to Massie's gorgeous locks and nearly screamed. She took this as a bad omen.

She too, like the rest of the Pretty Committee, had received some pretty disturbing text messages. But hers had hit her weakest point. Massie.

Next to her, Alicia's hair was getting its final bits and bobs done. Claire sighed. Alicia looked so... carefree. I bet she has "anonymous" texter annoying her about anything, Claire thought wistfully, I wish I was Alicia right now, with no problems.

Little does she know...

Claire's own hair was a mess. Her hairdresser, Jai, had complained how brittle and un-conditioned it was and had nearly refused to do Claire's hair. But one look from Massie had shut him up.

Jai sighed in frustration as a clump of hair from Claire's updo came loose. With a can of hairspray armed in his hand, he grabbed the loose strands and pressed it down one side of her head. Then, he sprayed the section with masses of hairspray, sending Claire into a heap of coughs.

What Jai was trying to do was put Claire's hair into a sleek, high ponytail. While this doesn't sound very hard to do, Claire's hair was cut in very bad layers, making sections of her hair impossible to tie back. Also, Claire had requested Massie to tell her hairdresser to not cut her hair.

"Now please, for the sake of Massie's sexy Fendi shades, DO NOT move your head." Jai pouted.

Claire started to nod but Jai's glare stopped her from doing so.

She sat there, fiddling with a silver heart shaped locket around her neck, waiting for the rest of the Pretty Committee to finish their sessions. As she was just getting comfortable, she heard two loud BEEPS, telling everyone in the world that she had just received a text message.

Claire exhaled noisily and plunged her hand into her beaded handbag on her lap. She pulled out her new, sleek blue Motorola KRZR. Somehow Todd had gotten hold of her phone and programmed it to beep really loudly every time she received a text message. She still hadn't found out how to fix it yet.

She flipped it open and glanced at the screen.

1 New Message From: Unknown Sender

Unknown: A Dare for Claire: hook up with Derrick Harrington on prom night when he receives his Prom King crown. This one task will do three things a) make Cam jealous b) make Massie hate you and c) tell the whole school about your little relationship with Derrick. See? This kills three birds with one stone. If you don't do it, the stone will kill you.

Claire shuddered at the text. This one would probably be the worse one she's received. The stone will kill you? A chill spread through her body.

She quickly deleted the text message. She should've probably told Massie about it, but something told her not to.

Claire went back to thinking about how magical prom was going to be tonight. She pushed the thought of the scary text messages and replaced them with happier thoughts about her dress.

She had bought the dress with her mother. It was a simple, modest blue dress that did wonders for her eyes. It had been the last one in her size and it was on sale. She was happy and her mom was happy so it was all good.

In fact, her mom was so happy that they had bought matching shoes and a sparkly silver handbag as well. When they went home, dragging their purchases along, her mom actually asked Claire to change into the dress and to take pictures in them. Claire had gone along with it, feeling embarrassed and annoyed at Todd pulling faces behind their mother when she was taking the pictures. She knew that her mom was going to take more photos on the actual prom night and had planned to hide the camera from further embarrassment in front of Cam.

Claire sighed. Sometimes she wished she was Massie, who always acted calm and collected; as if nothing fazed her. She needed that kind of attitude.

Her mind wandered back to the disturbing text message that she had received. She couldn't do this to Cam, not after what he had bought her for their three year anniversary present. Claire fiddled with the heart shaped charm on a silver chain-linked Tiffany bracelet.

Cam had taken her out to dinner to her favourite restaurant, Purple Haze. He had somehow gotten hold of a bottle of Cristal champagne and had poured her a glass, which had made her feel all tingly. Then, just before desert, he had pulled a robin-egg blue Tiffany box. But that's when it had all gone wrong...

Flashback

Purple Haze Restaurant

Table 23

Friday, 4 September

8.30 pm

"Claire, this is for you."

Cam pulled out an all too familiar robin-egg blue Tiffany jewellery box. Claire gasped at the size. Could it be...

"No, it's not what you're thinking of," Cam chuckled, reading her mind. He put it in her open palm and closed her fingers around it. "It's just a little something I picked up as a token of our three year anniversary."

Claire smiled at the thoughtfulness. But inside, she felt like scum. She couldn't tell him, not now after he's done all this for her. She loved him so much and didn't want to hurt him. But the problem was she wasn't IN love with him like she had been two months ago. Claire was in love with someone else.

"Thank you," Claire whispered. "You didn't have to do all this."

"But I wanted to," Cam smiled. "Only the best for the girl I love."

Claire cringed at the "L" word but covered it up with a small smile. Her glance and attention then turned to the little blue box in her palm.

Gingerly, she opened the box and she saw that nestled on a cloth of blue velvet was a simple silver chain-linked bracelet with a heart charm attached to it. Claire chocked up at the sight of it.

"It's beautiful," Claire managed to splutter out. Then she pushed her chair away and stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom."

Cam smiled. "Sure!"

Claire scuttled away, her black clutch in her hands. She locked herself in her stall and took her cell out.

3 New Messages From: Derrick H

She opened the first one.

Derrick: I miss you! I'm waiting for the day we can make us public (:

Derrick: How you doing, babe? Missing you even more! xxoo

Derrick: I can't believe that I have the coolest girl in the world as my girlfriend. Well, I don't HAVE you yet. ;p Text back!

Claire smiled at the messages but her smile turned into a sad frown when she thought about sweet Cam out there, waiting for her.

She and Derrick had been secretly going out for about two months now. He had been there for her when she and Cam had fought and had threatened to hurt her. But one thing had led to another and suddenly, one day, Derrick had kissed Claire. And she had kissed him back.

But Claire didn't have the heart to dump Cam, not this close before prom. Cam had asked her to the prom about six months in advanced and it would have been sad to him. Besides, Derrick was Cam's best friend and didn't want to hurt him.

Well, they probably didn't realise doing this was going to hurt him worse. How love blinds young people sometimes...

Derrick was about to go to prom with no date, to signify that he would rather go dateless than to go with anyone else but Claire, but when Massie had asked him, Claire had urged him to say yes. Massie was her best friend after all and she trusts Derrick not to do anything with her.

Reluctantly, Derrick had said yes to her but not before he had given her a silver heart-shaped locket strung on a silver chain. He had clasped it on her neck himself, his fingers trembling.

Claire texted him back, hinting that she had to back to her date. She tossed her phone back into her clutch and unlocked herself from the stall, fiddling with the silver heart-shaped locket around her neck.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully, until Cam had flashed her a room card for a king suite for the Four Seasons hotel. Claire had mumbled an incoherent excuse and pushed her way past him before he could give her a goodnight kiss. She had felt queasy and didn't trust herself not to puke into Cam's mouth.

She went into her house without another word and left Cam out on her porch, puzzled and hurt, wondering what he had done wrong, when it was actually Claire that had done wrong.

Flashforward

Jakkob's Salon

Seat 5

Wednesday, 23 September

9.00 pm

Claire's phone buzzed again. She was about to not answer it but then thought it might be important.

She pried her phone out of her purse and flipped it open, fearing to see who the text was going to be from.

1 New Message From: Derrick H

A wave of relief flew through her. She happily opened the message.

Derrick: Hey hunny, prom tonight! I wish I can share it with you, the girl I love. But I promise that I'll dance with you tonight. Love you, D.

Claire smiled at the text message. He was so sweet.

But then, so is Cam.

She shook her head, earning another dirty look from Jai. He immediately ran to her side to check if any hair had gotten loose from the ponytail. He sighed with relief to find out that all hair was still intact in the ponytail.

Then, Massie's hair was done. It looked gorgeous. But this wasn't the time to be jealous, no, instead, Claire was getting excited about tonight. But she wished that her only problem right now was that her hair wasn't staying in place.

Done, Claw said, satisfied. I just hope that she's gonna do what she's been told to do.

Claw glanced at the screen, her eyes travelling down. It landed on number 5 on her list.

5) Dylan

Claw snickered. The most insecure of the Pretty Committee. This was going to be easy target.

Claw rubbed her hands together and smiled. Get ready, Dylan, Claw thought, this is going to hurt more than liposuction.

Another chappie up! Hope you guys are enjoying readin this as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Wow....... that sounded lame.... 0o0

Review, review, review! Helps me update ;)

SkexHIGH