By lunch time I was so relieved to finally be free. I met up with Suzan, Faye and Deborah outside.

"Did anybody follow us, Deborah?" Faye asked lazily as she rummaged through her backpack.

She snorted. "Nobody's stupid enough to try."

"Good. Because this is top secret. I don't want you-know-who to hear anything about it," Faye said. She took out a stenographer's notebook with a red cover and laid it on her knee. "Now let me see, what shall we do to start this year off? I feel like something really wicked."

"Well, there's Jeffrey..." Suzan said, her strawberry blond hair swinging in the wind.

"Already begun," Faye said, smiling. "I work fast, Suzan."

Suzan laughed. When she did, her extraordinary chest jiggled in a way that made me certain she wasn't wearing anything underneath her apricot-coloured sweater.

"I still don't see the point of Jeffrey Lovejoy," Deborah said scowling.

"You don't see the point of any guy, Deborah; that's your problem," said Suzan.

"And your problem is that you can't see the point of anything else," Deborah retorted.

"But Jeffrey's worse than most. He's got more teeth than brain cells." I protested.

"It isn't his teeth I'm interested in," said Faye thoughtfully. "Who are you going to start with, Suzan?"

"Oh, I don't know. It's so hard to decide. There's Mark Flemming and Brant Hegerwood and David Downey - he's in my remedial English class, and he's developed this killer body over the summer. And then there's always Nick..."

Deborah hooted. "Our Nick? The only way he'd look at you is if you had four wheels and a clutch."

"And besides, he's taken," I said. The girls looked at me. "Just because we broke up doesn't mean I'm gonna let anyone else have him."

There was a moment of tension, and then Suzan shrugged. "Okay, I'll take David Downey. I didn't really want Nick anyway. He's an iguana."

Deborah looked up. "He's my cousin!"

"He's still an iguana. He kissed me at the freshmen prom, and it was like kissing a reptile."

"He does not kiss like a reptile!" I argued.

"Can we get back to business?" Faye said. "Who's on the hate list?"

"Sally Waltman," Suzan and I said immediately.

"She already thinks because she's class president she can stand up to us, and if you take Jeffrey, she's going to be really mad." I continued.

"Sally..." Fay mused. "Yes, we'll have to come up with something truly special for dear old Sally... What's wrong, Deborah?"

Deborah had stiffened, looking up the hill toward the school entrance. "Intruder alert," she said. "In fact, it looks like a whole delegation."

I had seen it too, a group of guys and girls coming through the main entrance down the hill.
A broad-shouldered boy in front, who seemed to be the leader, spoke up.

"Look, Faye, the cafeteria's crowded. So we're going to eat out here - okay?" His voice started out belligerent, but it wavered toward the end, becoming more of a question than a statement.

Faye looked up at him without haste, and then smiled her slow, beautiful smile. "No," she said, briefly and sweetly. "It isn't okay." Then she turned back to her lunch.

"How come?" the boy burst out, still trying to sound tough. "You didn't stop us last year."

"Last year," I said, "we were only juniors. This year we're seniors - and we're wicked. As wicked as we wanna be."

Deborah, Suzan and Faye smiled.

The group of guys and girls went on standing there for a minute or two, exchanging angry glances. But finally they turned and walked back toward the school building - all except one.

"Uh, Faye, Maddie? Did you mean I had to go too?" Faye raised her eyebrows and then patted the landing invitingly.

"Why, Kori," she said, "of course you can stay. We just imagined you'd be eating in the cafeteria with the Princess of Purity and the rest of the goody-goodies."

Kori sat down. "A little bad once in a while isn't horrible." she said.

Faye tilted her head and smiled. "And there I thought you were a namby-pamby little Puritan. Silly me," she said. "Well, you know you're always welcome here. You're almost one of us, aren't you?"

Kori ducked her head. "I'll be fifteen in two weeks."

"There, you see," Faye said to the others. "She's almost eligible. Now what were we talking about? That new slasher movie, wasn't it?"

"That's right," Deborah said, showing her teeth. "The one where the guy chops people up and makes them into condiments at his salad bar."

Suzan was unwrapping a Twinkie. "Oh, Deborah, don't. You're making me sick."

"Well, you make me sick with those things," Deborah said. "You never stop eating them. That's what those are, you know," she told Kori, pointing at Suzan's chest. "Two giant Twinkies. If Hostess went out of business, she'd be wearing a double A."

Faye and I laughed and even Suzan giggled. Kori was smiling too, but looking uncomfortable.

"Kori! We're not embarrassing you, are we?" I exclaimed as I pushed a lock of my golden hair behind my ear. I then began to play with my rose quartz which hung on a necklace around my neck.

"Don't be silly. I don't embarrass easily," Kori said.

"Well, with brothers like yours, I should think not. Still," Faye went on, "you seem so young, you know; almost... virginal. But that's probably just a false impression, right?"

Kori was blushing now. We were looking at her with insinuating smiles.

"Well, sure - I mean, it is a false impression - I'm not all that young - "Kori swallowed, looking confused. "I went out with Jimmy Clark all last summer," she ended defensively.

"Why don't you tell us all about it?" Faye murmured. Kori looked more confused.

"I - well - I think I'd better get going. I've got gym next period, and I have to get all the way over to E-wing. I'll see you guys." She got up quickly and disappeared.

"Strange, she left her lunch," Faye mused, frowning gently. "Oh, well." She extracted a package of cupcakes from Kori's lunch sack and tossed them to Suzan, who giggled.

Deborah, though, was frowning. "That was stupid, Faye. We're going to need her later - like in two weeks. One empty space, one candidate, you know?"

"True," Faye said. "Oh, well, I'll make it up to her. Don't worry; when the time comes, she'll be on our side."

"I suppose we'd better get moving too," Suzan said, "Maddie and I have got to climb all the way to the third floor for algebra."

"Which could take hours," Deborah said maliciously. "But don't strain yourself just yet. There's more company coming."

I sighed in exasperation, without turning. "Who now? What do we have to do to get a little peace around here?"

"It's Madame Class President herself. Sally. And there's steam coming out of her ears."

Faye's expression of annoyance vanished, dissolving into something more beautiful and infinitely more dangerous. Still sitting with her back to the school, she smiled and worked her long, red-tipped fingers like a cat exercising its claws. "And I thought today was going to be boring," she murmured, clucking her tongue. "It just shows you can never tell. Well, hello, Sally," she said aloud, standing and turning in one smooth motion. "What a lovely surprise. How was your summer?"

"Save it, Faye," said the girl who'd just marched down the steps. She was a good head shorter than Faye, and slighter of build, but her arms and legs had a wiry look and her fists were clenched as if she were prepared to do physical battle. "I didn't come out here to chat."

"But we haven't had a good talk in so long... Did you do something to your hair? It's so - interesting."

I looked at Sally's hair. It had a rusty cast to it, and looked frizzled and overpermed. "I didn't come to talk about my hair, either!" snapped Sally. She had a strident voice that was climbing higher with every sentence. "I came to talk about Jeffrey. You leave him alone!"

Faye smiled, very slowly. "Why?" she murmured, and in contrast to Sally's voice hers seemed even lower and more sensual. "Afraid of what he'll do if you're not there to hold his hand?"

"He's not interested in you!"

"Is that what he told you? Hmm. He seemed very interested this morning. He's taking me out Saturday night."

"Because you're making him."

"Making him? Are you suggesting a big boy like Jeffrey can't say no when he wants to?" Faye shook her head. "And why isn't he here now to speak for himself? I'll tell you something, Sally," she added, her voice dropping confidentially. "He didn't fight hard this morning. He didn't fight hard at all."

Sally's hand drew back as if she wanted to hit the bigger girl, but she didn't. "You think you can do anything, Faye - you and the rest of the Club! Well, it's time somebody showed you that you can't. There are more of us - lots more - and we're getting tired of being pushed around. It's time somebody took a stand."

"Is that what you're planning to do?" Faye said pleasantly. Sally had been circling her like a bulldog looking for an opening, and now the wiry girl had ended on the edge of the landing with her back to the steps leading down.

"Yes!" Sally cried defiantly.

"Funny," murmured Faye, "Because it's going to be hard to do that flat on your back." With the last words she flicked her long red fingernails in Sally's face.

Faye didn't actually touch Sally but it was as if something hit Sally. Something invisible. And heavy. The wiry girl's entire body jerked back and she tried frantically to regain her footing on the edge of the landing. Arms flailing, she teetered for an endless instant and then fell backward.

"Let go! You ripped my shirt," Sally exclaimed as she pushed Cassie off her. Cassie had come out of nowhere and tackled Sally. "And as for you, Faye Chamberlain - you tried to kill me! But you'll get yours, you wait and see!"

"I'll get yours too, Sally," Faye promised, smiling, but the sleepiness in her smile wasn't genuine anymore. She looked as if underneath she were grinding her teeth.

"You just wait," Sally repeated vehemently. "Someday they may find you at the bottom of those stairs with a broken neck." With that, she marched to the landing and up the steps, bringing her foot down on each as if she were stamping on Faye's face. She didn't even look back or acknowledge Cassie's existence. Cassie turned to face us.

"Well, now, what do we have here?" Faye said in a throaty voice. "A spy? Or a little white mouse?"

"I saw her this morning," I said. "She was hanging out in the parking lot, staring at me."

"Oh, I've seen her before that, Maddie," Faye replied. "I saw her last week at Number Thirteen. She's a neighbour."

"You mean she's - " Suzan broke off.

"Yes." I answered

"Whatever else she is, she's dead meat now," Deborah said. Her petite face was twisted in a scowl.

"Let's not be hasty," Faye murmured. "Even mice may have their uses. By the way, how long were you hiding there?"

"Long enough," she said, and shut her eyes in misery.

Faye descended slowly to stand in front of her. "Do you always spy on other people's private conversations?"

"I was here before you came," Cassie said, with as much spirit as she could manage. "I was here first," she said defiantly.

"Very good," murmured Faye, and there was an odd look in her eyes. Then she turned her head. "Anything interesting in her backpack?"

Deborah was going through her backpack, throwing things out one by one. "Not much," the biker said, tossing it on the ground so the rest of its contents scattered down the hillside.

"All right." Faye was smiling again, a particularly unpleasant smile that made her red lips look cruel. "I think you were right the first time, Deborah. She's dead meat." She looked at Cassie. "You're new here, so you probably don't understand what kind of mistake you've made. And I don't have time to stand here and tell you. But you'll find out. You'll find out - Cassie."

She reached out and caught Cassie's chin with long, red-tipped fingers. Laughing suddenly, Faye released her. "Come on," she said to us. The four of us turned and went up the steps.

After school I was about to get into my car when a figure blocked me. "What do you want Diana?"

"I want to talk to you. Why have you been hanging out with Faye so much Maddie? What has gotten into you?"

I opened my car door and turned to face my cousin whose shiny fair hair so similar to mine was tied back. "What's gotten into me?"

"Is this about Nick?" She demanded.

"No Diana. This is about me. Why don't you worry about your own boyfriend? And do you know what I think? That too much goodness, Diana, gets boring." With that I got into my car and closed the door.