Updating, finally. :)

Claire peered through her bedroom window, frowning as yet another car pulled into the Block's circular driveway. A cluster of teenage girls piled out of the Cadillac escalade and padded across the spacious back yard in their fur-lined Uggs to where a bonfire had been started. Benches and whicker loveseats had been scattered around the fire pit, each haphazardly laden with cushions, velvet throw pillows, and woolen blankets. A heated buffet table containing hot chocolate, coffee, fresh brownies, and gooey chocolate chip cookies was in keeping with the "Things That Keep You Warm" theme, as were the kissing games Massie had planned for the evening.

"How many people did Massie invite to this party anyway?" Claire grumbled, turning away from the window and examining her reflection in her floor length mirror. As Alicia had suggested, she had layered a navy jumper over the gray turtle neck sweater. Underneath the jumper she had on a worn pair of no-name skinny jeans and on her feet she wore the last season metallic silver flats she had gotten at TJ Maxx while sale hunting with Kristen over the summer. Her white blonde hair had been pulled back into a glossy high pony and her eye make-up was smoky. By Massie standards, she was an 8.5 at the least.

"Judging by the number of people who have changed their facebook status to 'block party,' our school's entire A-list, with a few B-listers thrown in for good measure," Layne Abeley quipped from her seat at Claire's computer. ("Block Party" was the nickname Massie's "exclusive" blowouts had earned at the beginning of ninth grade when the number of crashers had surpassed the number on the guest list at one such party.)

"And you," Claire added.

"And me," Layne agreed. Despite being almost instantly accepted freshman year by the junior and senior girls because
a) her older brother was the much sought after Chris Abeley
b) they thought her "alternative" style was fashion-forward, and
c) the protests she was always staging looked good on college applications,
Layne had never been too interested in following the rules of high school social hierarchy and chose to hang out with whoever she wished, A-listers and LBRs alike. Of course, even Massie had to grudgingly admit that this apathy towards her popularity status just made her all the more cool, and thus Layne scored invites to all of her parties.

"I guess I kind of figured it was just going to be the PC and the boys," Claire admitted, tucking a loose blonde hair behind her ear.

"In Massie world, I'm pretty sure ten people hanging out on a Saturday night hardly qualifies as a party," Layne scoffed.

"You're probably right," Claire agreed.

"I usually am," Layne shrugged. She stood up from her chair, straightening the plaid mini skirt she was wearing over mustard yellow tights. "So do you wanna head on down to the party?"

"Yeah, let's go." Claire grabbed her outdated pink razr off of her bedside table and let Layne lead the way out the bedroom door, down the stairs, and out into the frigid air.

"Claire! Over here!" Massie called, beckoning to her from where she sat cross-legged on a picnic blanket in between Josh Hotz and Chris Plovert.

"You want me to come with you?" Layne asked, looking at her questioningly.

"No, it's fine." Claire shook her head, attempting a smile. "You go have fun." Layne shrugged and made her way over to the bonfire where some guys from the lacrosse team had started roasting marshmallows. She immediately joined in, putting three marshmallows on her stick at once and catching them all on fire, and then laughing as she and a particularly cute looking sandy-haired boy tried to blow them out at the same time. Not for the first time, Claire wished she was as confident and at-ease with herself as her best friend. Promising herself she would work on it, Claire made her way through the crowd to where the boys and the PC sat.

"We were just about to play Spin the Bottle," Massie explained, as if it hadn't already been made obvious by the fact that they were sitting in a circle around an old school coke bottle, the kind with the metal cap. "Care to join?"

Knowing she didn't really have a choice either way, Claire nodded and took the empty blanket space in between Cam and Alicia. Alicia had her phone out in her lap, her thumbs moving furiously across the keypad.

Alicia: got the magnet?
Massie: in my LV clutch ;)

Massie smiled to herself and closed her phone, placing it gently on the blanket beside her.

"Who's first?" she asked, looking around at the group.

"I'll go!" Kemp declared, leaning forward and giving the bottle an eager spin. Massie discreetly slid her clutch behind Josh and the magnet inside it caused the bottle's metal cap to point to him.

"Sorry, man, but I'm not into boys," Josh laughed.

"No kissing for you, Kemp. Maybe you need to work on your spin." Massie smirked.

"Hey, Mass, got any mints?" Alicia spoke up.

"I think there's some in my bag. Here," Massie replied, retrieving the clutch from where it sat behind Josh and passing it to Alicia. "Your turn to spin, Josh."

Josh leaned forward and gave the bottle a quick spin. Kristen frowned when it landed on Alicia.

"You don't have to kiss her, you know. Not if you don't want to," Kristen spoke up quickly.

"It's not like he hasn't kissed me before," Alicia reminded her. Kristen scowled.

Josh gave Kristen an apologetic shrug and leaned in for a quick peck. Alicia wasn't about to settle for just a peck, however, and grabbed Josh's head with both hands, holding him there. Josh responded enthusiastically, and it wasn't until Derrick and Kemp began whooping delightedly that they remembered themselves and pulled away.

"Here's your bag back, Mass," Alicia said breathlessly, tossing the clutch back to its owner.

"What, no here's your crush back, Kristen?" the sporty blonde muttered under her breath. Alicia opened her mouth to respond but Massie cut her off.

"Your turn to spin, Alicia." The raven-hair girl nodded and gave the bottle a quick spin. Thanks to the magnet hidden in her clutch, it, of course, landed on Massie.

"Let's see some girl-on-girl!" Kemp cheered. Massie rolled her eyes.

"How about let's not," she shot back, discreetly pushing her clutch towards Plovert.

Just as Massie was leaning forward to spin the bottle, two junior girls approached.

"Do any of you girls have any Ps or Ts?" The taller of the two asked.

"Yeah, in my bag," Massie offered. The girl who spoke picked up the clutch and the two headed off in the direction of the nearest bathroom. "Wait!" Massie called after them, but they were already out of earshot. Alicia caught Massie's eye and mouthed 'what now?' Massie shrugged.

"So are you gonna spin or what?" Derrick asked.

"Of course," Massie replied confidently. Squeezing her eyes closed, she gave the empty coke bottle a hard spin.