Clique: Sixth Grade (Part 2)

by outside the crayon box

The Pretty Commitee has finally come together. But after facing an ambitious Skye, a manipulative LBR, and countless other obstacles to test their friendship, can they stay together? Or will their clique disintegrate just as quickly as it began? IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU READ CLIQUE: SIXTH GRADE BEFORE THIS.

3. Drama: Starring S,C, and A

Just a quick note: when the Riveras are in the hot tub, you might want to Google Translate the last line or two because it's got some good information. And you're going to be kind of lost later if you don't have it.

Heart ya,
Joy

P.S. Don't expect me to spoil you by telling what they're saying. So don't be lazy and go Google it.

---

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
SIXTH-GRADE WING
9:02 AM
OCTOBER 4, 2012

"LBR alert!" The word had caught on around school, but no one knew the Pretty Commitee had generated it. They were determined to put their past behind them.

Skye's icy eyes flickered toward them. "There's an LBR in your midst." She scanned the girls. As she stared into their eyes, it almost felt as though she could see into their souls. "You." She pointed to Claire, who gave a little jump.

"I'm sorry, what?" She tried to sound bored and uncaring, which she succeeded at. Anyone but Skye would have believed her. But the seventh-grade Alpha could see through anything.

Skye pulled out a silver tube that read Baby Breath in black script.

"Glossip Girl!" Massie exclaimed. "That's my trademark!"

"Actually, that's an Alpha trademark," Skye told her cooly. "So I guess you are one. However... meager."

All of a sudden, Massie felt small and insecure in sheer black Calvin Klein leggings and a green Prada blouse. Although her makeup and jewelry was sophisticated and sexy x10, she felt like a baby. But she didn't show it. "Are you calling me a bad Alpha?" she snapped.

Skye looked at her. "Well... you can't be that good if you need my help to rule."

"We don't need your help," retorted Massie. But she knew it wasn't true.

Skye dismissed that. "I'll sponsor the Pretty Commitee up until I'm in ninth grade," she offered. "On one condition."

'Anything,' Massie thought but didn't say. "What?"

"You get rid of... her." After pointing a porcelain-pale finger at Claire, she flipped her hair and sashayed away with her group, leaving Massie, Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen behind. They were all staring at her, and not pleasantly.

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
SOCIAL STUDIES
9:06 AM
OCTOBER 4, 2012

How were they supposed to just diss Claire? Yeah, she could be a little dorky, but she was also sweet, loyal, and a good friend. Would they really leave her in the dust just to be popular?

Massie's head was pounding. Resting the heel of her hand against her forehead, she pulled out a piece of looseleaf and a folder labeled PRETTY COMMITEE. It already held a sheet with rules about Gossip Points, and another on notes of how to be a good Alpha. She was planning on having the rest of the girls write down information on their positions in the clique too, just in case they were ever needed. A good leader was always prepared, and a great one always had her clique prepared too.

As a heading, she scrawled CLAIRE: PROS AND CONS. After creating a quick T-chart, she began to fill it in.

PROS CONS
Loyal LBR
Good Friend Skye hates her
Pretty Not Rich

After staring at them for a long, long time, she turned on her phone.

MASSIEKUR: Kuh-laire's out.
HOLAGURRL: Knew it!
BIGREDHEAD: If u say so.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: U shouldn't b texting during class.
CLAIREBEAR: :'(

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
ORCHESTRA
9:35 AM
OCTOBER 4, 2012

Lethargically, Claire unlocked her music cubby, removed her viola, and shut it gently. She knew it was only a matter of time before she'd get kicked out, but she hadn't expected it to just happen. What about all the fun she and Massie had together that day in the pool? What about when she'd invited her to join the Pretty Commitee?

She knew that Massie was backing down to Skye, and that there was nothing she could do about it. But, oh, how she wished there was.

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
CAFE
10:56 AM
OCTOBER 4, 2012

"Look, it was either get Skye's help or keep Kuh-laire!" Massie yelled as loudly as she could at the arguing girls, near tears. "It wasn't a choice!" She wasn't proud of her desicion either, but it was one or the other, and she'd picked the easy way over the right way.

Everyone averted their eyes from each other's. This was no way to be a clique.

"Are you serious?" asked Alicia, taking charge. "We lose our Epsilon, and this is how we react?"

"You know what, she's right," Dylan agreed, looking up. "We need to stawp."

Massie nodded. "She only ever was just an add-on."

And because the Alpha said it, that's how it was. Claire was only ever just an add-on.

PINEWOOD APARTMENTS
KRISTEN'S ROOM
2:28 PM
OCTOBER 4, 2012

Kristen put her pencil down and dropped her head to her English Literature textbook.

SEXYSPORTSBABE: Skye's testing us.
BIGREDHEAD: ?
SEXYSPORTSBABE: Leesh waz right. She wanted 2 c how we'd react.
MASSIEKUR: And we bowed right down 2 her. Oh God.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: And the worst part is, we had other choices. Y'd u decide so fast, Mass?
MASSIEKUR: IDK, i didn't want 2 lose her support.

She'd never admit that she hadn't had a clue what to do.

HOLAGURRL: What do u mean we had "other choices"? What else could we possibly hav done?
SEXYSPORTSBABE: i bet u nething she still would hav given us her help if we hadn't kicked Kuh-laire out. Maybe she would hav even been happy 2 c that the new clique could actually stand up 2 her.
HOLAGURRL: That only happens in fairy tales. Skye doesn't want ne1 2 challenge her. Ever.
MASSIEKUR: Look, we made a desicion, and we're sticking 2 it.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: No, Mass, u made a desicion.

RIVERA MANSION
HOT TUB
2:30 PM
OCTOBER 4, 2012

Once a month, Alicia had mother-daughter bonding day. This time, they'd decided to chill out in the Jacuzzi. At the moment, Alicia was leaning her bare back against the wall, waiting for her mother to turn on the jets.

A stream of hot water hit her. "Aah," she murmured, pulling up her pumpkin-colored Tory Burch two-piece. Relaxation settled over her. In the hot water, all her problems just seemed to melt away. The Claire situation went flying out the glass-paneled window, and the test she'd failed in AP Math followed it out into the cool breeze.

"¿Cómo estuvo tu día, Alicia?"

"Bien," she replied carefully. "¿Qué hay de ti?"

"Bien, gracias. En realidad, tengo algo que discutir contigo."

Uh-oh. "¿Estoy en problemas?"

"No. Estábamos pensando en tener otro hijo." Her mother said it as casually as though they were discussing what to make for dinner.

They were considering having another child?

"Disculpe." Alicia splashed out of the water, grabbed her phone, and raced for the sauna.

HOLAGURRL: They're considering having another child!
BIGREDHEAD: What? Who?
HOLAGURRL: My parents!
BIGREDHEAD: OK... How old r they?
HOLAGURRL: IDK... mid-thirties.
BIGREDHEAD: What's wrong w/ that? Or do u just want 2 stay an only child?
HOLAGURRL: Is it not weird that I hav been their only child 4 the past 11 years and now they all of a sudden want another one?
BIGREDHEAD: No. Well, maybe a little, but is that the only reason?
HOLAGURRL: Ur right, i guess it's not that bad.
BIGREADHEAD: Go get 'em, girl!

Alicia padded back out to where her mother lounged. "Está bien conmigo."

Then Ally Rivera dropped the bomb. "Bien, porque ya estoy embarazada."

MARVIL MANOR
DINING ROOM
7:46 PM
OCTOBER 4, 2012

"Would you like to say Grace tonight, Dylan?" Merri-Lee asked her youngest.

"Sure." She reached for her sister's hands on either side of her and recited, "Bless the food that rests on this table. Bless our family, our friends, and our futures. Bless us."

"Amen," they all added together, and dug in.