Massie Block twirled the purple streak in her hair and sipped impatiently at her ice-blended coffee. The rest of the Pretty Committee was supposed to have shown up ten minutes ago so they could discuss strategy for the next half of the year. She glanced at her Palm Pilot, scrolling through the To-Do list for today:

Starbucks run. Caffeine will be needed for the rest of this day.

Shopping spree at Westchester Mall! Note: Convince Claire to get cute Tory Burch flats and throw away hideous x2 Keds.

Discuss boyfriend prospects. Me – Dempsey. Claire – Cam. Alicia – Josh. Kristen and Dylan – ???

Have BEST. YEAR. EVER!!

Okay, so Massie wasn't usually this perky, but after the disastrous Trailer Fiasco and Alicia's temporary betrayal, the year was finally settling down. And since she was so over Derrington and his LBR shorts obsession, she was freed up, single, and looking for the perfect boyfriends for her and the PC.

"Massie!" Claire waved at her from outside the Starbucks. She climbed out of Layne's car and hurried into Starbucks, holding up her phone triumphantly. "Guess who just texted me!"

"Cam?" Massie asked dryly. "For the sixth time today?" Truth be told, it was gratifying to see Claire finally cheering up, even if the Cam + Claire luv-fest was getting a little sickening.

Claire showed her the text message screen. It read:

CamTheMan: can't wait 2 see u tonight! xo cam

"He signed it 'XO,'" Claire sighed.

Massie rolled her eyes. "Um, today is Friday."

Claire looked at her quizzically. "So?"

"So, tonight is our Friday night sleepover. Remember the rules? No canceling to hang out with boyfriends!"

Claire's eyes widened. "Oh, crap! I totally forgot!" She opened up her phone again and started texting Cam. A minute later she looked up with a frown. "Our plans are off. I hope you're happy." She slumped down in the cushy armchair, looking dejected.

"Quite." Massie smiled and leaned back in her seat. "Ok, now where the hell are Alicia, Kristen, and Dylan? It's four-fifteen."

"They're probably just stuck in traffic," Claire sighed. She looked down at her phone again, but Massie snatched it away.

"Kuh-laire! There is nothing cute about getting all mopey and stalkerish over some boy! Besides, you see Cam every day. A little mystery is the best thing for your relationship," she advised, repeating what she always read in her mom's magazines. "It intrigues guys."

"Whatevs." Claire was clearly in a bad mood, and Massie gave up on her. She reached into her Louis Vuitton and double-checked her texts. Still nothing. What had happened to the rest of the PC?

Meanwhile…

Alicia Rivera shushed Kristen and Dylan as she flipped open her phone and dialed Dean's number. Her driver was MIA, and the three girls were supposed to have been at Starbucks ten minutes ago.

"He-lo? Dean? Okay, where are you?"

The other girls were silent, listening to her conversation.

"A flat tire?" Alicia's perfect mouth dropped open. "Well, fix it! Twenty minutes? But Dean…" The girls watched in horror as Alicia's phone beeped loudly and powered down, out of battery.

"Crap!" Alicia emitted a few more curse words as she roughly threw her iPhone back into her leopard print Ricky bag. "Massie's going to murder us." She sighed and kicked her pink Chanel flat through the mud, smearing the toe with icky scum. And icky scum was exactly what Alicia was going to feel like when Massie got hold of her.

The three girls sank down on the bench outside the Westchester Mall. They had stopped by to pick up the brand new Coach bags that everyone from Angelina Jolie to LC was carrying – adorable croc-skin satchels in every color of the rainbow. Alicia's was still in the shopping bag, but Dylan and Kristen still had theirs on their laps, hoping a passerby would comment on their ah-mazing style sense.

However, the first person to pass them by was a very pissed-off-looking Olivia Ryan. Her blond hair was tugged back in a messy ponytail and her eyes were swollen. She and Cam had broken up a week ago, and she gave off an aura of total hate every time a member of the Pretty Committee came near. When she sighted the girls, she marched over to stand in front of Alicia. "Leesh, we need to talk. Now."

"Later, ok?" Alicia whispered, noticing her friends' stares. "I'm a little busy."

"A-leesh-uh, come on!" Olivia pouted and stamped her foot.

"Whatevs." Alicia rolled her eyes at Kristen and Dylan so they would realize she wasn't going off with the ditsy blonde by choice. Olivia clutched her arm and yanked her off behind a Dumpster.

"Um, you know how sketchy this is, right?" Alicia tapped her foot, waiting for Olivia to start talking.

Olivia chewed on her cuticle. "Argh! I can't stop doing that!" She presented her massacred fingernails to Olivia. "Whenever I think of those two…kissing…I just gnaw at my fingernails…because it hurts too much to think about!" She wiped her eyes, even though it was obvious she wasn't crying.

"Will you just get to the point?" Alicia sighed loudly.

"Fine. IknowyoursecretandIcanuseittomakethePrettyCommitteetotallosers." She said it all in one breath.

Alicia's blood ran cold. She put on a nonchalant expression and asked, "What secret?" Of course, she knew perfectly well what Olivia was talking about.

"Remember? Back when Nina was visiting? When you and her…"

Alicia held up a warning finger. "OK, so you know my 'secret.' How, exactly, is that going to destroy the Pretty Committee?"

Olivia smiled evilly. "As soon as Massie finds out, she's totally going to make your life hell. After all, you did…" She trailed off when she noticed how pissed Alicia looked.

"What exactly is the point of making Massie and me miserable? I didn't do anything to you!" Alicia wanted to scream. But instead she said calmly, "Isn't Claire the one you're mad at? Why don't you sabotage her instead and leave me alone?"

"Duh. This plan is, like, total genius!" Olivia boasted. "If you and Massie fight, then all the info is going to come out, and the whole school will find out you're a total double-crosser. The PC will break up, leaving Claire totally friendless and vulnerable. Then I can win Cam back. It's completely simple."

"How can I…prevent this?" Alicia asked, trying to hide her fear.

"Um, simple. Break Cam and Claire up."

Alicia's eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

"I totes am!" Olivia squealed. "I know, right? It's so, like, diabolical!"

Alicia was so pissed she almost started shaking. "How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"Expose Claire for the utter dork she is. You're the smart one. I'll leave it up to you." Olivia turned on her Jimmy Choos and swept away. "Good luck!"