BOH-THE CAFE

Monday, September 1

12:04 P.M.

"Ehmagawd, where do we sit?" Alicia asked nervously as the Pretty Committee stood in the doorway of the Briarwood-Octavian High Cafe.

"There's like, no tables!" Dylan sighed, nibbling on a Luna bar.

"Relax!" Massie hissed back to her worrying group. She scanned the cafe, spotting Derrington nod his head at her, briefly showing the "M" brooch she had given him, sitting in the palm of his hand. She liked being with Derrington. It gave her something to brag about. And she liked him, of course

"Well, where do we go?" Claire eyed the many high school students mingling. It seemed every table was filled except for one that was next to the garbage cans. A few girls walked by wearing soccer uniforms. Massie expected Kristen to say, "Hey! There's a soccer team here!" But then she remembered that she wasn't talking to Kristen anymore.

"The only table is next to the garbage. And some new girl sitting with Meena and Heather. And some kids I've never seen before." Alicia mumbled.

Massie spotted a table. The table was only halfway filled. Strawberry, Kori, Olivia and...Kristen. Massie sighed. Maybe Kristen would forgive her for the little catastrophe this morning.

"What do we do?" Dylan asked.

"Well, we don't stand in the doorway looking like LBRs." Massie said.

Massie walked ahead and went straight for Strawberry and Kori's table. It wasn't the best they could do, but it wasn't the worst, either. The PC followed her.

Massie stopped in her tracks when she pretended to just realize who was at the table. "Ehmagawd, look, it's the boyfriend snatcher." She smirked.

Olivia immediately got up and left, pretending to have something better to do. She didn't want to get caught in the middle of this drama.

Kristen blushed. "Massie, not now." She said angrily.

"What? You're brave enough to flirt with Massie's boyfriend, but you're not brave enough to face her?" Alicia chimed in. The first-sight-of-the-filled-cafe nerves had worn off. Massie smiled. Alicia was back.

"No. And for the last time, Massie, I didn't--" Kristen said, on the verge of tears.

"Don't even give me that!" Massie snapped. "Even Derrick said it. Face it, Kristen. You're a liar. And the only reason you're trying to save yourself is because you know you're nothing without us. Without the Pretty Committee, you're just a poor girl. And nobody is going to be friends with a poor boyfriend-stealer." Massie stopped.

Kristen's eyes filled with tears. Massie heard Dylan cough, "Baby!"

This made Kristen run out of the cafe, with Strawberry and Kori looking horrified. They got up and went to a table by the doors.

Massie rolled her eyes and slid all of their food off of the table and onto the floor. She shooed away the other soccer players at the table and claimed it for the Pretty Committee. Life is sweet when you're an alpha.

"Massie, don't you think what you did to Kristen was a little...mean...?" Claire spoke up meekly, as the group started to eat in silence.

Massie tried to think of a comeback, but nothing came. So she answered with, "No. She deserved it."

"Oh." Claire said. She wanted to stay on Massie's good side. But something told her this wasn't right. Although she kept quiet for the rest of lunch.

As soon as the PC minus 1 was starting to throw away their lunch, Derrick came running over. Massie immediately reglossed and put on her "flirty face."

"Heyy." She said sweetly, patting the seat next to her. "Come sit with us." She smiled.

"Um, no." Derrington said quickly. "We have to talk."

Massie stomach locked, but she didn't let her nervousness show. "What's the matter?"

"Um, what you did to Kristen...I saw the whole thing." He said.

"Oh! Did you like it? Was I too nice?" Massie asked.

"Too nice?" Derrington looked horrified. "Massie, you were a total...ugh. Never mind. What I'm trying to say is that what you said to Kristen was possibly the meanest, nastiest thing I've ever heard anybody say to someone else's face. And..."

"Um, let's talk over there." She cut him off, not wanting to be embarrassed in front of her friends, even though she knew they would find out somehow. She led him to the cafe doors, with his back to them. She was good at hiding emotions, and she didn't want her friends to see if he looked angry.

"So, um...I think you were saying something about me." Massie said.

"Yeah. I was talking about how you're a rotten brat." Derrick said.

Massie's eyes went wide. "You did nawt just say that to me!" She had actually expected for him to say something worse.

"Um, yeah, I did."

"And where, exactly, did that come from?" Massie crossed her arms, searching for an answer in his facial expression. Nothing.

"If you hadn't said anything to Kristen, I wouldn't have said anything to you. Grow up, Massie. But in the mean time, we're over." Derrick said, expecting her to break down in tears and beg for his forgiveness.

Massie shrugged. She had totally expected that. And if he was going to treat her like dirt for her never letting Kristen live her little lie innocently, then so be it. Massie didn't want a boyfriend who didn't like her. Who did?

"Brooch?" She asked.

"What?" He said nervously.

Ohhh...so he was hoping to keep the brooch. Well...NO! Massie thought. "Can. I. Have. My. Brooch?" Massie asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.

He pulled it out of his pocket, but tossed it into the garbage can next to them.

Massie gasped. "DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT COST?"

"No. And I don't care." He walked away triumphantly.

Massie gaped after him, but quickly stopped when she realized she was being watched. She couldn't see their faces, but Massie saw two whispering girls run out of the cafe. But she didn't care. All she cared about right now was what she was going to do now. Great. Now she had two people that deserved payback! Kristen's payback had already started...and now Derrick's would just begin. Massie marched triumphantly back to her table. Her friends had already knew what had happened. And that was just because they were her best friends.

Although, Massie was grateful she didn't have to repeat the entire scenario for them. That was definitely a plus of having eavesdropping friends.

R&R! I know it's mostly Massie & Derrick, but the next chapter will be different. What should happen in the next few chapters? I have an idea, but I want to see what you want! Hope you like!

xox, bbb