a/n:: whoop whoop! i'm back ya'll. sorry for the unexpected hiatus, but i'm finally ready to continue with this story and things are definitely about to get crazy. but in the meantime i wanted to do a quick survey. I'm still a little up in the air about who my villian is going to be, so you guys let me know who seems like the biggest bitch of the bunch, okay? Reviews will make updates faster!

"Don't look so freaked okay. The science office is on the first floor of Hilton Hall." Kristen Gregory's bright blue eyes looked particularly mesmerizing under the golden glow of the overhead street lamp. She like the other girls was dressed in all black, but instead of skintight skinniest like Alicia or Dylan's butter soft harem pants, Kristen wore only a black foodie and a pair of Nike track pants. "It's cake, we used to sneak in there all the time last year".

The why don't you do it yourself?

"How do I do this?" Claire smoothed her already sweaty palms over the velour material of her black tracksuit and tucked a loose hair behind her ear. Her heart was hammering in her chest and they hadn't even stepped foot into the building. The Pretty Committee stood huddled right outside the Ameswood Gates, lounging carelessly like it was just another Wednesday afternoon and not 2:30 in the morning.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out Mouse, Alicia's always telling me how smart you are. You aren't calling her liar are you?" Massie somehow managed to send chills up her spine without even glancing in Claire's direction. She was too busy tapping lightly at the screen of her iphone to even sneer at her. When Claire shook her head emphatically in protest Massie finally sent her a cool, detached look. "Good. If you're not back in fifteen minutes, we'll have to report you to security and I'm sure no one wants that." The tone of her voice didn't suggest that she was joking and the serious glint in her eyes filled Claire's gut with dread. "Go."

The front doors were locked of course, because a school like Ameswood wouldn't just let anyone in. It didn't matter how hard Claire tugged on the wrought iron handles. The only way in was through the slightly parted window of the boy's bathroom on the basement floor, and she had to literally shimmy through before dropping to the cold tiled floor below. Seven minutes had already passed. She didn't doubt that girls wouldn't hesitate to call security on her, but knowing she could never let them down, she raced down the hall.

It wasn't difficult to find Morrens office and a quick swipe of her student ID through the door jam proved to be effort enough. The file in his desk was marked exam_98, and praying that it was the right one Claire sprinted down the hall and waited while the ancient copier churned out another copy.

She only had 28 seconds left to spare when she finally shoved the exam into Dylan's waiting hands, panting and red faced.

"Wow, I can't believe you actually managed it Mouse." That was Dylan, chuckling in utter disbelief as she flipped through the stark white pages of the test in her hands. The red war paint she'd smudged on her pale, freckled cheeks was gone now, and in the chilly night air, her face was flushed red from the cold.

"I told she could." Alicia said smugly, she shot Claire a gorgeous white smile and clapped her hands excitedly. "There is no way Kallie is gonna make it in time. God, I am so good at this."

"Hey Reina made it too." Kristen chimed in, bending over to retie the loose laces of her black Nikes. "And with a full minute to spare, I may point out."

"Yeah but she grabbed the wrong test."

"At least she didn't break the window."

"Wait-" Claire was still panting but she managed to control her breathing long enough to question, "What are you talking about."

"Mouse," Dylan twirled a thick cranberry curl around her slender index finger and sighed with a little more sympathy than Claire thought she actually possessed. "I don't even take AP Bio."

"So why would you. . ." Of course it was just another test. It was a real testimony to Claire's lack of sanity that she wasn't even mad. Because despite the fact that she had risked so much, it didn't really seem to matter in hindsight. She'd passed, and she'd done better than expected even. Claire had met Reina and Kallie, the other two freshmen on probation, only a few times, and both times they had been too busy to even give her a second glance. Apparently Dylan and Kristen liked to work their inductees hard, and Claire thanked her lucky stars that Alicia had chosen her, once again.

"I can't believe you actually did it." Massie spoke up finally, crossing her arms over her silk covered chest. "Maybe you're not such a Mouse after all." Despite her complementary words, her tone was flat and full of unspoken doubt. Her narrow eyes examined the younger girl critically, and Claire imagined for a fleeting second, that if this was an Austin Powers movie, she'd probably be stroking some sort of fluffy cat.

"Does this mean I can do it? Please, please, please Mass? She deserves it." Claire wonders for a moment how anyone could ever say no to Alicia Rivera when she literally looks like some kind of angels that dropped down from heaven.

Massie must find it impossible too, because she rolls her hazel eyes for just a split second before nodding slight and getting swamped by Alicia ecstatic embrace.

It's been over two months since Skye Hamilton's warning on the first day of school and Claire nearly forgot about it all together, until she runs into Skye on her way to school the next morning. The other blonde is as perfectly put together as always, wearing a soft peach sweater over a nice pair of jeans and shimmering kitten heels. She's climbing into the driver's seat of her black BMW Z4 when she spots Claire waiting on the curb for the Range Rover. She's always last in the carpool, but most days she feels lucky to be considered at all.

"You didn't listen to me Claire." It's a little unsettling how someone who looks so incredibly sweet could actually sound so nasty. If there is any sincerity in Skye tone at all, Claire can't hear a shred of it. "That really sucks. I don't give advice often, but when I do smart girls usually follow it." Skye clucks a little at that and smiles cruelly. "But then I suppose I shouldn't be too shocked, right? I'm not the only one you don't listen to."

There is an undercurrent of something, something sharp and knowing in her voice. Something that makes Claire turn and stare directly into the other girls ice blue eyes.

"No Claire, you're not a very smart girl at all, but since you've decided to play out this game I'll give you a hint: Olivia Ryan won last year."

"Who's Olivia Ryan?"

Skye was practically beaming.

"Exactly"