A/N: so, can i dedicate this to Lighting . Up . Thee . Sky . for sending me a really nice message about my story? is that, i dunno, weird? because i thought it was really like, cool of her [i'm assuming you're a her, because you're reading clique fanfiction, and you sound like a girl, and your icon is a girl, but if you aren't then it's totally my mistaken and i apologize profusely] and it made me feel a lot better about my writing skills. [that's right, 3rd grade teacher who gave me an 85 on my historical fiction essay]

okay so i'm adding this really quickly: i'm also dedicating this chapter to emeraldeyes101, again, for sending me a really nice message. you (guys) are really, really, awesome, and i'm really really happy that you (guys) are enjoying the story. i don't really know if that was to sydney or the readers of this story in general. but, thanks.

"now i know i'm not a saint

i've been a sinner all my life

i ain't trying to hide my flaws

i'd rather keep them in the light"

dh;

kemp hurley: any progress, o great one?
derrick harrington: you're a loser

josh hotz: lyons is smitten
derrick harrington: thanks.
derrick harrington: oh, and alicia "hearts" your sunglasses
josh hotz: told you not to knock the sunglasses

cam fisher: u sly dog, giving claire a ride home. &told u 2 buy me those nikes. good karma is what made u 2 science partners. good freaking karma
derrick harrington: you're a heterochromic shoe freak
cam fisher: that wud hurt if i knew what u just said

chris plovert: mass message – party on friday. booze is a given and it starts at 9

cl;

"Um, Massie," I say as I step out of the car and flatten my skirt, and putting a jacket on to shield myself from the already-freaking-cold air of New York in fall. "This doesn't look like a movie theater. In fact, it kind of looks like a house."

"That's because it is one, Kuh-laire," Massie giggles, holding (yeah, predictably) another cigarette. "It's a house party."

"Which is why, of course, you told me it was a movie," I mutter. "I really like the trust we've built in the past eight years, Mass."

"Spare me your fucking halo today Claire, you're having fun tonight," Massie orders, dragging me into the house. People were staring at us. I sighed and went along with her. She enters the house, yelling at me over the music, "You have no tests, no quizzes, no projects except the one due at the end of the year, you are going to have fun. For at least an hour."

She hands me a plastic cup full of lemonade, then disappears into the crowd with a devillish wave.

dh;

I spot a head of light blonde hair and I blink to make sure I'm seeing correctly, because Claire Lyons did not hang out at Friday-night house parties. The figure is too tall to be Olivia, her hair too long to be Kori Gedman, with softer features than Kristen Gregory.

Yeah. It's Claire.

I focus back on the two girls who are currently talking about me or fighting over me or something similar. "Derrick, I'm going to go that way," the shorter one says, narrowing her eyes at the other girl.

The other girl, who has short black hair, rolls her eyes. "Well, Derrick, I'm going to go that way," she says, pointing in the opposite direction.

I look down on both of them. "I'm going to go talk to Claire. Have fun, um, Helen, Tina," I mutter, walking forwards and leaving the two girls behind. I can hear them call out:

"It's actually Heather."

"And Meena."

"Whatever," I murmur under my breath. I reach Claire, who's rapidly finishing a plastic cup of what looks like tequila but I really hope not because if Claire kills her liver, I wouldn't be able to sleep with her, thus owing Josh two hundred dollars, Kemp one hundred dollars, and Cam fifty. Which, of course, I could easily get, but they wouldn't shut up about it for at least half a year.

Therefore, my current mission was to make sure Claire didn't destroy her liver.

"Claire," I greeted, nodding my head.

"Derrick," she mumbles, her lips still attached to the cup.

"How's your week been, Claire?"

She rolls her eyes. "Peachy, Derrick." She crumples the plastic cup in her hands. "That was the most fucked up lemonade I've ever had in my life," she mutters.

"Yeah, that wasn't lemonade," I reply, smiling. "You know, I never gave you my number."

"Pity." She looks off to the side, rubbing her forehead.

Wow. Claire's a bitch. "Do you want it?"

"Do I need it?"

"Yes."

"Can it cure cancer?"

"No."

"Then I don't need it." She turns on her heel and walks away.

I jog after her. "Wait, you have cancer?" I ask incredulously, because, whoa, that was surprising.

"No. What gave you that idea?" Claire grumbles, looking around. "Have you seen Massie?" Her eyes seem unfocused. I realize something. I've seen tons of girls drunk - hello, Westchester, kids don't have anything better to do - and they stumble around, they speak nonsense, they even strip occasionally, but Claire Lyons is the only one who gets even more uptight than she already is.

"She's probably upstairs."

"What time is it?"

"Ten."

Claire sets the cup down on a table and steps by me, making for the stairs. "Well, at least you're good for something," I hear her mutter.

"oh, you know i know you know that

i love you i mean i need to love..."

cl;

"You're following me," I say, not turning around. I can hear the footsteps well enough. "Please don't." Because my head is spinning and things are swaying and I don't want to talk because when I move my jaw, the back of my head hurts.

"Why not?" Derrick's voice floats by my ear. Oh, that's a flowery description.

"Because all the girls in the foyer who are currently staring at us would much rather be graced by your presence," I reply, making it to the top stair. I look down the hallway. There are at least six bedrooms that I can see in the half-lit hallway. I open the first door. And close it immediately. I turn to Derrick, who hadn't listened to me. "Tell Chris that there's a threesome in his parent's bedroom."

"That's actually his bedroom," Derrick corrects me.

I check the second door. It's empty.

Third door. I see Massie's thin figure and something glowing, as well as her silver jewellery reflecting light from the hallway. "Hey, C," she greets happily. I flick on the light. To my surprise, I see Cam Fisher on the bed with her. However, they're sitting on opposite ends, both fully clothed. Thank you, Jesus.

Massie hands something to Cam. A small smoke trail is left behind.

At first, I assume it was a cigarette, and I brush it off. Then it occurrs to me that people don't usually share cigarettes. They do, however, share rolled cannabis.

As in, pot.

"Massie, let's go," I say, trying not to stumble over words. Maybe this is why Massie always talks really slowly.

"Claire, remember when we were five, and we decided to go as an angel and a devil for Halloween? You were the angel, I was the devil," Massie says, her voice sounding weirdly more upbeat than usual. "Things haven't changed much." She slips off the bed and walks up to us. "Are you not having fun, C?"

"He's been harassing me for the past ten minutes," I say, nodding towards Derrick.

"Actually, it's been more like thirty, but time flies when you're having fun, Claire," Derrick says. I hate how easily my name slides out of his mouth.

"I think we should go anyway," Massie yawns. "Mummy dearest probably wants to see me. Or she's pretending she wants to see me."

"Drive safely," Derrick mutters sarcastically.

dh;

I look at Cam. "Since when did you support the recreational use of pot?" I ask, looking at the joint in his hand.

He puts in a glass of water and starts coughing like fuck. "Since never," he heaves. "Well, I guess, since tonight." He coughs for a few minutes while I laugh at him.

Claire bursts back into the room. "Library, Sunday, ten, bring your science textbook," she says, before closing the door again.

A/N: [because it's way shorter than writing "author's note", yeah?] lyrics from cage the elephant, and franz ferdinand. sorry, but no you girls is just such a freaking good party song. i mean, like, sorority row? they played it during the house party scene. but the whole thing was like a giant house party scene so i guess that's a bad example. please review.

emeraldeyes101 &flower123, thanks for the reviews [: