IMPORTANT A/N: I just wanted to take a second and thank everyone who reviewed for chapter one, all your kind words really mean a lot to me. I wanted to write this story a little differently than the other stories I've seen in the clique fandom. I wanted to have a plot with a beginning, middle, and end. I wanted some character development. Everyone makes the girls so one-dimensional: Alicia's mean, Kristen's smart, Dylan's funny, Claire's nice, Massie is in charge. I just really wanted to step outside of all that, and dig into something a little deeper and darker. I'm not going to give everything away right at the beginning, so don't get upset if their isn't enough drama, or your favorite pairing hasn't been shown. You have to first set up the pegs, in order to knock them down. I need at least ten reviews per chapter to continue writing though, if I'm going to put all this time and effort into this story, I do need a little reassurance. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy.
Massie Block was unlike anyone Claire had ever met in her short fourteen years. She was beautiful, not as stunning as Alicia, but she had a kind of ethereal, fairy like appearance. Her shoulder length, caramel colored hair was pulled back into a slick no-nonsense ponytail, her amber eyes were sharp as she advanced to the table. She wore a tailored white blazer over a blush pink blouse and silk floral shorts, her slender white heels clacked on the linoleum floor as she approached. She stood like a queen looking over her peasants, somehow bringing the round table to a head. A tall handsome boy stood beside her, one hand resting on her boney shoulder, the other shoved deep into the pocket of his khaki cargos. He looked like he'd walked straight out of Laguna Beach.
Claire was instantly in awe. It wasn't so much that Massie's presence was particularly intimidating; it was more overwhelming than anything else. She seemed to radiate authority, and commanded the attention of everyone in the entire cafeteria without even having to say one word. Her face was smooth and impassive, but her eyes were fiery as they landed on Claire. One perfectly plucked brown eyebrow rose in question.
"She's mine." Alicia finally said. She shrugged when the other girl shot her a skeptical look. "She's the new girl I showed around this morning." Just like that the tension hovering around the table seemed to snap, and the handsome boy pulled out a chair for Massie and immediately claimed the one beside her.
"It's just as well, Contessa Aldridge has herpes." The blonde girl piped up, resting her pointed chin in the palm of her hand. "I heard about it today in Homeroom."
"Wait who do you have for Homeroom?" The boy Alicia called Josh cut in, the rim of his New York Yankees cap was pulled low to shade his pretty, dark brown eyes. "I was wondering where you were this morning. I thought you would be with me, D and Hurley in Camplin."
She shook her head. "No I had Mendoza."
"Anything is better than Sampson." The redhead spoke. "It was just me and freaking Nicole McGee for thirty minutes. She kept trying to sniff my hair. Like, hello! Hands off the merch freak." Claire had also been in Sampson, but she doubted that the redhead had noticed her.
"Can you blame her." The black haired boy leaned in and dramatically buried his nose in her thick mane "its intoxicating Dylan. You smell like Cheetos and bubblegum."
Massie still hadn't spoken, but when she finally did Claire noticed that her voice was unexpectedly light and slightly musical. "Are you sure that you want to keep her Leesh? You only get one pick, I don't want you to waste it." She sounded amused, but she wore a bored expression on her pretty, emotionless face.
Alicia waved her hand, as if she could care less "Sophomore year is a wild card. Besides I won last year. Time to give these losers a chance."
The redhead huffed indignantly and the blonde girl just rolled her eyes and resumed highlighting text in her book. Claire vaguely wondered how she already had work at lunchtime on the first day of school, but didn't speak. She hadn't said a word since she'd sat down ten minutes ago, and in Massies presence, she doubted that she'd be able to even open her mouth. These kids were so unlike anyone she had ever met. They were all gorgeous, and effortlessly whimsical, as if they didn't know half of the student body was staring them down: they were glamorous without even trying and they oozed sophistication.
The only thing on Massie's tray was a small canister of Greek yogurt and a tiny bowl of blueberries. She took tiny scoops of the mixture in between small sips from a chilled bottle of Evian. Alicia slurped on a large, chunky looking green smoothie and ate from a plastic baggie of edamame beans. Kristen snacked on a Cesar salad, sans the dressing. Dylan was the only one really eating, but even her choices seemed unnaturally healthy. Claire suddenly felt like a pig, and gently nudged her tray away discreetly.
Massie immediately noticed and she turned her hawk-like stare in Claire's direction. She didn't speak for a moment, and squinted slightly, like she was trying to find words. "Who told you to cut your hair like that?"
Claire self-consciously reached up to finger her uneven short bangs. The haircut had been a half-assed midnight impulse back in Florida, and her friend Sandy had done the deed with a pair of Swiss army knife scissors. It was awkward cut, with her bangs ending a good inch above where they should. So far, most people had, had the good graces not to mention it, but clearly those days were long gone. "It was an accident."
Massie just tilted her head and raised her eyebrows looking thoroughly unconvinced. "I would hope so." Her eyes drifted slightly, to take in the wrinkled polyester of Claire's tee, her messy hair, the smudged liner around her ice blue eyes. "Hair that disgusting should never be on purpose." She turned to look at the blond boy beside her, smirking slightly, but certainly not smiling. Even though the brunettes eyes were no longer on her, CLaire could still feel the effects of her attention. Massie seemed to have this way of making Claire feel like shit without even really trying.
His eyes were downcast, trained on the illuminated screen of his iPhone. "Was that a subtle dig at my hair Mass? Or were you just being a bitch?"
"I don't do ugly prospects. Even in the preliminaries, you know that." She narrowed her eyes "And if I was going to dig at that straw colored mop you refer to as hair, it definitely would not be subtle." She lightly drummed her cream colored, manicured nails on the plastic table.
"What about Marcia Alcott? She had a horse face, and the worst rack on the cheer team." The curly brown haired boy said, leaning far back in his plastic cafeteria chair and putting his hands behind his head. "Even I wouldn't do her."
"Doesn't count. What she lacked in looks, her brother Preston certainty made up for." Dylan countered.
"Um, excuse me." The conversation froze and Claire could feel eight pairs of eyes boring directly into her. Shit. "It's just, I-I-I don't really know what you're talking about." She wished she'd just stayed silent.
Alicia frowned. "Wait, what? Didn't you get your packet? I put it in your locker after first." How the hell did this girl have access to her locker combination?
"No. I haven't been to my locker all morning."
"Oh." Alicia visibly deflated and furrowed her thick, arched black brows. "Well every year we take on one freshman girl as our newest prospect. Kris, Dylan and I pick our favorites and at the end of first semester, Massie chooses which one we're going to keep." She said it simply. Like it was normal to pit three girls against each other in hopes of being selected for a more exclusive clique. "This year you're mine. Congratulations!" She wiggled in her seat happily.
"I don't really. . . ."
"You just looked so pitiful this morning, I had to do something." Alicia looked so thoroughly pleased with herself; Claire didn't even know what to say. "Besides prospecting is cake. And since I picked first, I get to activate you sooner." She dangled her empty smoothie cup. "Another green please. I'm on a juice cleanse until Wednesday."
"Ugh." Josh looked disgusted "I hate it when you do those. We never get to eat. And Ma wants you to come over for dinner tonight, she's making chicken paella just for you." He threw an arm over the back of her cafeteria chair and slouched back.
"Your moms paella is so fucking good, man." The black hair boy groaned, "Can I come over too? I'll be your girlfriend. My tits are better"
The entire table burst into peals of loud raucous laughter, causing several heads to swivel their way. It felt odd to have all eyes on her, even if no one was even remotely concerned with the mousy blonde in the bad clothes.
"You're still here? I thought Alicia told you to get her another drink. And while your up I would like a diet Pepsi" That was the redhead, Dylan looking at Claire expectantly. She seemed vaguely amused as she tossed a chunk of red hair behind her thin shoulder.
"Oh and grab me a new apple too. This one is a little sour." Kristen cut in, looking up from her work and pushing the frame of her glasses father up her straight nose.
Claire stood shakily, the metal legs of the chair scraping noisily on the linoleum floor. "Um, okay"
"Aren't you going to ask Massie if she wants anything?" Dylan questioned innocently.
Claire paused, trying to get her voice as even as possible. "Massie, did you want anything" She asked, making her voice as strong and pleasant as possible.
"No thank you prospect." Her tone was blithe and she didn't look up from examining her flawless nails. The others snickerd.
Claire drifted to the lunch line on numb feet. So this is why Alicia had been so nice to her. They didn't want to get to know her; they just needed a new girl to order around. She felt humiliated as she waited in line, she could feel their eyes on her, she could hear their laughter, but more than anything she knew she couldn't mess this up. Somehow she knew that she wouldn't be invited back if she did.
Seventh period Geometry was an entirely different affair. Somehow, the entire lunch table, save Kristen, had managed their way into the class and they were just as boisterous and captivating as they had been at lunch. Claire sat to the side of their cluster, as instructed by Alicia. She took very neat, diligent notes, as Alicia had informed her that she'd need to photocopy all her notes from now on and pass them along.
They didn't pay any attention to the teacher, seated in the very back laughing and talking. Dylan filed her nails, while a boy named Chris, the one who had been absent at lunch, wolfed down a hamburger that someone had smuggled out the cafeteria for him.
Mr. Kendall was young, new to Ameswood this year, and was clearly in over his head. Any attempts he made to control the room were met with blatant scoffs. Five minutes before the bell even rang Derrick excused himself, placed a chaste peck on smooth Massie's cheek, and headed out to the parking lot without even a backward glance.
When class let out, Claire followed Alicia and the others to their lockers, which were of course all bunched together in the most prime location.
"Do you have practice tonight Kris, or do you want to come with me? Jaime and I are going to get our nails done." Dylan checked her reflection in her tiny golden compact, and touched up her shimmery lip gloss.
"Practice" Kristen groaned dragging her large Nike duffle out of her locker and throwing it over one toned shoulder. "I can't believe we're already conditioning. The boys don't have practice until season starts in November".
"Unlike you, sweet feet, we don't need to practice." Kemp drawled an arm around her shoulders "the Tomahawks have a natural skill that you ladies clearly do not posses."
"The ability to delude yourselves into thinking you'll make Nationals this year?" Kristen cooed with false sincerity, shrugging his arm away.
"Ouch K, that almost hurt." Kemp put a hand on his broad, polo covered chest right where his heart would be and coiled back, as if he had been physically wounded by her sharp words.
"Who's coming with me?" Massie asked. A large pale pink, Madison North Coach tote swung from the crook in her elbow, and as usual she appeared completely unconcerned by her friends buoyancy. Even at the end of the day, she still looked absolutely flawless. Not a strand of of glossy hair was out of place. In fact all the girls appeared fresh faced, and light hearted. They didn't drag under the weight of their newly acquired textbooks or wear displeasure at the thought of the mounting homework they would face tonight.
"You going home?" At her nod Cam whooped, pumping his fist in the air excitedly "Pool party at Massie's!"
"No can do man, Kemp and I have weight training. Team Swoll." Chris and Kemp bumped fists.
"And I have dance." Alicia pouted "Then dinner at Josh's. Are you still coming Cam?"
"I don't know. Harris and I might go out tonight. I'll text you later."
"Tell Harris I love him." Dylan swooned "And that he needs to call me before he goes back to New York." She clasped her hands beneath her chin and fluttered her eyelashes dramatically, like a girl in love.
"This unrequited love you have for my brother is ultra creepy. Please never mention it to me again."
Their banter was light, and mocking. Claire envied how comfortable everyone seemed with each other, and wondered how long they had all been friends. They ignored her easily, like the other kids in their vicinity. The way they ignored everyone but each other was almost odd, as if their eyes couldn't even see people they'd deemed unworthy.
In the parking lot, they all had cars, or at least drivers waiting. Massie and Cam slid into the plush back seat of a waiting Range Rover, Kemp and Kristen piled into Chris's massive truck, Josh helped Alicia climb into his Jeep, and Dylan was greeted by the noisy honk of her older sisters BMW, idling on the street. Before she knew it Claire stood alone on the concrete steps of Ameswood, just as she had that morning, but now it was much different. Now she was a part of something. She'd somehow been inducted into this world of privilege and success without even having to try.
When she turned to look for her mother's minivan, she was startled by a striking blonde girl standing beside her. Her honey colored locks were pulled back into a loose pony, and she was wearing what looked like a pale pink leotard, under a pair of PINK yoga pants. She was looking at Claire intensely, with one corner of her full mouth pulled up into a cocky half smirk.
"It's not going to last." It was Claire's new neighbor, Skye Hamilton. She looked smug at Claire's confused expression. "You're wondering how a girl like you could ever wind up with friends like that. Your wondering how you got to be so lucky. Let me tell you something Claire." Skye leaned in a little bit and lowered her voice. "You didn't." She looked positively gleeful "Those girls are going to ruin your life, they'll chew you up and spit you out just like everyone else. Every year they play this game and every year there's no winner. If you knew what was good for you, you'd get out now." Skye hitched her bright pink gym bag higher up on her shoulder. The rhinestone lettering on the side caught the sunlight and Claire could read the works Body Alive Dance Studio etched into the canvas fabric.
Before Claire could even respond to Skye's cryptic warning the other girl flounced away, quickly sliding into the passenger's seat of a waiting black SUV. And whatever good feeling Claire previously had was long gone, like light, leaking from her fingertips.