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Joy
BLOCK ESTATE
MASSIE'S ROOM
4:33 AM
JUNE 27, 2013
Yeah, Massie was excited to go to France, but as she let it sink in, she realized she was going to miss so much. What if her friends met boys? What if Alicia's brother or sister was born and she missed it? What if Dylan moved to California and she didn't get to say goodbye? What if Kristen left with her mother? What if Claire liked Orlando so much that she never came back? What if the girls found a new Alpha? And more importantly, what did that say about her as an Alpha?
This was why she'd put off packing until the last minute. She'd half-heartedly hoped her parents would change their minds and decide they wanted to stay in Westchester. But they hadn't, and now she was forced to arise in the wee hours of morning to fill her suitcases.
She yanked a Miu Miu case out of the closet. An Anne Klein duffel followed it, and then came two carry-ons: one Guess, one Victoria's Secret. Then came another suitcase, this one Louis Vuitton. A Gucci bag was pulled out. Last was a Victoria Beckham metallic mini-case.
She filled the Miu Miu first: tops and tanks. The Anne Klein was stuffed with bathing suits and cover-ups. The Guess carry-on was for DVDs she wanted to watch on the plane, music she wanted to listen too, books she wanted to read, and handheld games she wanted to play. Just for fun, she added a deck of cards. The tiny Victoria's Secret was for her Fendi clutch, which contained her money and credit cards. It also held some hard candy, gum, and her phone, an absolute necessity. She patted the hidden side pocket which held the device to check that it was there. It was. The Louis Vuitton was for jeans, shorts, leggings, and skirts, which she folded with plastic between them, using a trick Kendra had taught her. The Gucci was needed for shoes and socks, and the Victoria Beckham held makeup, hair things, shampoo, conditioner, detangler, straightener, curling iron, and crimper.
It was almost 6:00 by the time she looked up. Massaging her back, she snapped the Anne Klein closed and got to her feet, rubbing her eyes. She cast a look of longing toward her bed, which Inez must have made sometime while she was deep in her closet, because she hadn't noticed. Then she hauled her bags to the luggage cart William had left in the hallway for her. She wheeled it into the elevator, pressed the button marked 1, and watched the doors close.
When she got downstairs, she figured that most of the household wouldn't be awake, but there was her mother, her father, Inez, Isaac, and the chef, whose name she always forgot. "Hello!" She beauty-queen waved.
"Honey, you aren't dressed?" Kendra exclaimed, braiding her hair. "We have to leave in twenty minutes."
"What?!" She rushed into the elevator, and when the doors opened, she ran into her room, slammed the door, and burst into a whirlwind of activity.
She had been so busy the day before, what with the sleepover extending into the afternoon, then with catching up with everyone via texting for two hours, then with making sure she got to bed early because she had to wake up at such an ungodly hour, that she hadn't even planned her outfit. And she was paying for it. So instead of finding an amazing first-impression outfit that was cute, comfy, and Francey all at the same time, she was forced to dig out a purple Donna Karan sweatshirt, which she paired with BeBe dark wash skinny jeans and tall chestnut Uggs. She brushed on mascara, blush, and lipgloss. She figured if she was ever going to use the Skye-flavored one, this was the day.
She threw her hair into a messy bun, opened her laptop, tapped in her password, and had FaceTime going at the speed of light. "Guys!" she screamed, once she'd invited them all. "Wake up!"
Dylan ran a hand over her face. "We're awake, Mass. But it's really early."
"Well, if you don't want to say goodbye, you don't have to," she retorted.
"Bye." Her screen flickered off. Her voice came through Massie's speakers. "Call me when you get there."
"See ya, Mass." Alicia smiled. No one knew that inside she was praying, just like a desperate older sister, which she was about to be, 'Put me in charge! Make me Alpha! Put me in charge!' Massie didn't.
"See ya, Leesh. Send me a picture of the baby." She sighed.
"Bye, Mass," offered Kristen. "Enjoy France." She sighed too, but nobody noticed.
"Have fun!" a bubbly voice shouted from just outside her door. Claire. At least someone cared enough to bid her farewell personally.
She opened it and peered out.
"Surprise!"
The entire Pretty Committee was there. Alicia and Dylan were both clutching iPads, Kristen was holding her mini laptop, and Claire had been using Judi's iPhone. "Surprise!" they shouted again.
"Guys!" A huge smile spread across her face. "Listen, I'd love to chat for a little while, except that we're leaving, like, right now."
"We know," Claire told her. "We just wanted to see you off."
She hugged them all, air-kissed their cheeks, and held a last-minute ratings session, to give herself a grounded memory of her best friends.
She grabbed the hairbrush Alicia had been running through her already perfect locks and announced, "Alicia is sporting a Dolce&Gabbana twill halter top with a drawstring hem over black jean shorts. On her feet are white Michael Kors sandals. You are a 9.4."
"Dylan has on a white muscle tee from... Aeropostale?" Dylan blushed. "Anyway, the shirt is loosely tucked into royal blue jean shorts from... H&M? Gawd, Dyl, what is up with you? And on her feet are Converse? Like Kuh-laire?" Now the redhead and the blonde blushed. "At least the silver bangles on her wrist are designer. Okay, overlooking the brands, I give you a 9.4."
"Kristen is wearing a cream-colored leather Burberry jacket with dark wash Levis. On her feet are studded combat boots. She is carrying a Chanel bag with a gold chain. In her ears are black-and-gold disc drop earrings. I give you a 9.5."
"Kuh-laire is attired in a navy knit top that appears to be Dior. Under it is a white tank, and under that is a pair of gray jeans. To top it off, she has on navy ballet flats by Oscar di La Renta and a silver ring with lettering in French to celebrate my leaving, of course. She is also carrying a multi-colored tote that I know was in the Lord&Taylor catalogue. 9.7. Now, what does the ring say? Maybe that could boost your score even more." The girls circled their Alpha as she slid the blonde's ring off her finger and turned it over. "Meilleurs amis." She looked up at the girls. "Which translates to best friends." She smiled at Claire, who wordlessly pulled a box out of her bag and handed it to the brunette, who opened it. "Meilleurs amis," she repeated, pushing the ring onto her own finger. "Best friends. You have officially earned a 9.9."
"What would make me a 10?" she asked shyly.
"A huge hug." Massie opened her arms, and Claire fell into them.
BLOCK ESTATE
MASSIE'S ROOM
6:28 AM
JUNE 27, 2013
The Blocks had departed a few minutes ago, and Massie's bedroom was Claire's for the summer. She'd been given permission, along with Kristen, to use whatever she found, on a you-break/tear/stain/ruin/-it-you-pay-it deal. She was rummaging through Massie's closet, not looking at the clothing so much as feeling it, touching it. She already missed Massie.
She raked a hand through her straight blonde hair and admired her reflection. She was leaving for Orlando tomorrow, but unlike Massie, she was packed, prepared, and ready to go. The only thing she hadn't done was choose an outfit. She wanted to show up in something designer. She decided on a pink, blue, and red watercolor-print Charlotte Russe tank with black leggings. On her feet were deliciously high indigo Blahniks. A mini Agnes B. bag that matched the shoes made her feel like an entirely new Claire. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed it.
Her phone buzzed.
INDIAQT: Heard ur heading 2 Orlando.
CLAIREBEAR: U heard right.
INMANDYLANDY: Omigod, seriously? Ur coming to visit?!
She fought the urge to tell her that 'Ehmagawd' was the word she should be using. Then she remembered that Mandy obviously wasn't from New York.
CLAIREBEAR: Yup ;).
SWEETHEARTSARAH: Can't w8!
CLAIREBEAR: C u all 2morrow!
She was beginning to view her friends as a project. It would be easy to convert them into designer showcases. A little makeup here, some straightening there, no bronzer needed, all done. They could be the coolest girls in Orlando.
Clearly, Massie was rubbing off on her.
But was that a good thing?
RIVERA MANSION
ALICIA'S ROOM
8:33 AM
JUNE 27, 2013
"Dylan, Dylan, listen, I gotta go." She hung up in the middle of the conversation, then turned toward her closet. She had a breakfast date with Josh. They were planning on grabbing a bagel at Starbucks, then taking a walk in the park. And just like her first date, she had nothing to wear. She bowed her head and began searching through her closet.
WANG HOUSE
DYLAN'S ROOM
8:37 AM
JUNE 27, 2013
All Dylan wanted to do was fall back into bed, but her stupid brain wouldn't let her. Instead, it insisted on listing everything wrong with her life. Alicia and Claire had a boyfriend, and she didn't. She was fat. And, last but not least, she lived in Westchester and her family lived in California. Beautiful.
She pulled on a reddish-orange Prada bikini that matched her hair too well to clash with it. Over it she wore a denim tube dress by Gucci and slung a woven brown-leather belt around the waist. Then she straightened her hair and added an identical sunhat, mini-clutch and clogs. She'd always done her best thinking at the beach.
PINEWOOD APARTMENTS
KRISTEN'S ROOM
9:44 AM
JUNE 27, 2013
'I'm bored' were words that were not allowed in the Gregory residence. But right now, she wanted to do anything other than lie around in her room thinking about not having anything to do. She couldn't believe she was part of the most popular clique in the sixth grade and yet she still had nobody to hang out with. Maybe she could go baby-shopping with Alicia.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: Hey, Leesh, r u going shopping 4 the baby 2day?
HOLAGURRL: Maybe l8er. Y?
SEXYSPORTSBABE: Just wanted 2 know if i could help.
HOLAGURRL: Yeah, u can help. Hold on, i'll ask Mom.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: K.
HOLAGURRL: We're going to the Westchester somewhere around noon. We'll pick u up, K? But I really hav 2 go; Josh is probs waiting outside asking himself what the hell happened 2 me.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: LOL. Hav fun!
HOLAGURRL: Thx!
After a quick glance at the clock, Kristen sank defeatedly onto her bed. Maybe Claire was free? Trying not to feel desperate, she texted her.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: Hey, Kuh-laire.
CLAIREBEAR: Hey Kris!
SEXYSPORTSBABE: What r u up 2?
CLAIREBEAR: Chilling. Being forced 2 help my bro pack cuz he left it all until the last min.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: U wanna hang out?
CLAIREBEAR: Sure. What do u want 2 do?
SEXYSPORTSBABE: Uh, shop?
CLAIREBEAR: Nah. i told Leesh i'd help her w/ the baby at 12.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: Me 2. Hey, can I come over? We can watch a movie in the Blocks' screening room, and Leesh can pick both of us up there.
CLAIREBEAR: That works.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: Can u pick me up at the Block Estate 4 shopping?
HOLAGURRL: Sure. Bye.
Kristen danced out of the room. "Mom!"
"Yes?"
"Can you drive me over to Massie's?"
"I thought she left," Marsha mused. She never missed a thing.
"Yeah, but Kuh-laire lives there, and we're gonna hang out."
"I can't wait until you get your license," she muttered, grabbing her keys from the hook above the door.
When they got there, Claire was waiting at the front door. "You can only get to the screening room around back," she explained.
"Gotcha." Kristen smirked. "K, Mom, bye."
"Bye, sweetie. When should I pick you up?"
"Alicia will drop me off around fourish, probably. I'll call you if it takes longer."
"What's this about Alicia now?"
"We're going shopping for the baby at the Westchester Mall."
"What baby?"
"Her mom's pregnant."
"Oh! Should I congratulate her?"
"If you want. When she drops me off, you can come out and talk to her."
"Alright." She waggled her fingers and got back into her dark green Subaru. She lowered the window. "Have fun!"
BLOCK ESTATE
FRONT PORCH
11:58 AM
JUNE 27, 2013
"Ehmagawd, that movie was amazing," Claire sigh-gushed.
"It was," Kristen agreed. It had taken them about an hour to decide which movie to see as they sorted through Massie's vast collection. When they'd finished looking through it all, they hadn't had much time left, so they'd put on Netflix and found a movie that Claire vaguely remembered Sarah recommending before she left called Teen Spirit.
Because it was a total cliche about a popular girl trying to help a social pariah become cool to even out her karma, Kristen had thought she'd hate it. But there were some cool twists, and by the end, she'd found herself crying just as hard as Claire.
"Guys!" A honk filled the quiet air. "Come on!" Alicia was yelling out the back window.
The girls jumped in next to their friend, and they raced toward the Westchester Mall.
FLIGHT 530
FIRST CLASS
6:45 AM
JUNE 27, 2013
"Massie, sweetheart, wake up," Kendra cajoled, gently shaking her daughter's shoulder.
"Mmph?" She twitched in her seat.
"Massie, wake up!" She tickled her stomach.
Massie shot up. "Are we here already?"
"Almost," Kendra replied. "But I want you to see the city. Go on, look."
Massie didn't have the window seat (she was sandwiched between Kendra and William), so she had to lean over her mother to see. But when she did, it almost took her breath away. "Ehmagawd," she whispered. Then she remembered.
MASSIEKUR: Guys! Urgent!
"No phone!" Kendra cried.
Massie leaned forward and hunched over the electronic so her mom couldn't snatch it.
HOLAGURRL: What? Kristen, Kuh-laire and i are trying 2 shop.
BIGREDHEAD: At beach ogling cute guys. What do u want?
SEXYSPORTSBABE: What?
CLAIREBEAR: Yeah, Mass?
MASSIEKUR: Since we're all splitting up, every1 we meet needs 2 know we're from New York and part of the Pretty Committee. So we're all going 2 talk in New York accents, at least 4 the summer.
HOLAGURRL: We already do.
MASSIEKUR: Yeah, but more. Like, Gawd, nawt, hawt, awf, awl, awn, ah-mazing, ah-dorable, ahbviously, Kuh-laire, ehma-whatever, etc. And don't 4get LBR, GLU, HART...
BIGREDHEAD: Gotcha. We will. Can we go?
CLAIREBEAR: Wait, what's HART stand 4?
MASSIEKUR: It's 4 any boy u might like. It's a checklist. Hawt, Alpha, Rich, Toned. Make sense?
BIGREDHEAD: Yeah.
MASSIEKUR: O, and one last thing. Don't 4get to always refer 2 each other in nicknames: Mass, Leesh, Dyl, Kris, and Kuh-laire. It makes other peeps feel left out. ;)
HOLAGURRL: Done.
BIGREDHEAD: Done.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: Done.
CLAIREBEAR: Done.
MASSIEKUR: And done.
The second she sat up, Kendra grabbed the iPhone and dropped it into her never-ending Kate Spade purse.
"Mo-om!" she whined, "I need that! I can't get of-, uh, awf a plane in France without my phone!"
"Too bad," Kendra decreed firmly, zipping the phone into a side compartment that had an honest-to-God padlock. Just in case anyone stole the bag, it would be harder to get the valuables.
"But-" Massie sighed and didn't bother. She picked up her carry-ons and dug in the Victoria's Secret for a pack of Trident, which she discovered half-squashed under her Fendi. Amazing.
WESTCHESTER MALL
RALPH LAUREN
12:49 PM
JUNE 27, 2013
"I thought we were shopping for the baby," Kristen pointed out.
"I'm sick of the baby," Alicia countered.
Claire scratched her forehead. "We weren't even looking for an hour."
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Kristen asked.
Alicia shrugged. "Only my mom knows, and she's nawt telling. That's why she gets to do clothing while we get to find "unisex-friendly bedspreads.""
"How 'bout we take turns?" Kristen proposed. "Kuh-laire and I will take first shift, then you and Kuh-laire, then me and you. And the other person can shop."
"That works." Claire nodded. "And each shift can be twenty minutes long."
"Half-an-hour," Alicia returned.
"Done."
"Done."
"And done."
MASSACHUSETTS
CAPE COD
2:08 PM
JUNE 27, 2013
Dylan had made Lloyd drop her off at the ferry, which took her to Cape Cod, with instructions to be back at the stop no later than seven. She still had a few hours at the beach, though, so she lay under the baking sun, wishing she would tan but knowing she was going to become a lobster tonight. She didn't care.
She was still at a dead end. If she knew no one's feelings would be hurt, she'd stay in Westchester, hands down. But the facts were that Merri-Lee would be devastated that her daughter chose friends over family. Merri-Lee moved around so much that she didn't understand that it wasn't just the Pretty Committee that kept Dylan tied down. It was the feeling of being home.
Dylan knew Westchester, at least her part of Westchester, like the back of her hand. She was comfortable here.
What she also knew was that home is where the heart is. So, in all honesty, was her heart in the place she grew up?
Or was it in sunny Hollywood with her family?
Can a heart be in two places at once?