PINEWOOD APARTMENTS
FOYER
2:48 PM
NOVEMBER 1, 2012

"Where were you?" Marsha screamed, leaping out of the kitchen to tackle her daughter in a hug. "I called the police!"

Kristen's eyes widened. She didn't appreciate being bombarded. "So where are they?" she demanded sassily.

"They said I had to wait 24 hours," her mom admitted. "But that's not the point. You cannot just say you're going to be home at one time and arrive the next day after school."

Kristen crossed her arms. "Fine; I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Marsha wasn't finished. "And you are grounded for a week."

"But-but," she stuttered. "The Friday-night sleepover..."

"You're not going," Marsha snapped. "End of story."

BLOCK ESTATE
MASSIE'S ROOM
3:03 PM
NOVEMBER 1, 2012

Massie was sifting through her closet in disgust, looking for the adorable Juicy Couture top she'd been planning on wearing for an afternoon shopping. "Where is it?" she muttered, opening and slamming a drawer. "I could swear it was right... here." She glared at the mess. Someone had gone through her things, leaving clothes half-on hangers and in piles on the floor. "Ooh," she growled. She picked up Bean and stormed toward the guesthouse.

She banged on the door until a flushed Judi opened it. Ignoring the woman, Massie ran upstairs toward her ex-friend's room. "Kuh-laire!" she demanded.

"What?" She was sitting on her bed in a terrycloth hoodie and leggings. She almost looked cute for an afternoon of lounging around the house. But Massie didn't say so.

"You stole my clothes," she accused.

"Did not!"

"Don't lie." Massie searched through Claire's room until she came across her stained shirt in the hamper. She held it up. "Explain."

"I took it from your closet this morning and spilled milk on it. So? It's not like it was pretty."

"Then why'd you take it?" One more step and she'd be foaming at the mouth.

Claire didn't have an answer to that, so instead she got up and with all her might shoved Massie out the door. Then she shut and locked it. Leaning against the wood, she panted heavily.

Faintly, she heard the sounds of Massie's footsteps retreating down the stairs, then the front door jamming and finally closing.

MARVIL MANOR
DYLAN'S ROOM
3:25 PM
NOVEMBER 1, 2012

BIGREDHEAD: i can nawt believe we got so sloshed last night.
HOLAGURRL: it's not like it waz our fault.
BIGREDHEAD: it tasted so funny, tho. we could hav stopped drinking.
HOLAGURRL: we were gonna get drunk at sum point in our lives. YOLO!
BIGREDHEAD: that is so last season.
HOLAGURRL: it fit the situation.
BIGREDHEAD: ehmagawd! ur still drunk.
HOLAGURRL: hungover.
BIGREDHEAD: same thing.
HOLAGURRL: whatevs.

Dylan carefully slipped her phone back into her Ralph Lauren vintage handbag. Out of nowhere, she felt extremely nasueous, and bile rose up in her throat. She raced for the bathroom, where she puked up everything she'd drank last night.

"My goodness, Dylan! Are you sick?" Merri-Lee asked. She gathered her daughter's hair into a ponytail and held it.

"I... no." She shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Fine?" Merri-Lee demanded incredulously, wrinkling her nose. "Is that Everclear?"

"Maybe," Dylan whispered, flushing the toilet and sitting down on the edge of the bathtub. She was still shaken.

Merri-Lee rested her hand on Dylan's shoulder. One of her rings cut into her daughter's skin. Gently, Dylan removed her mother's hand and sighed.

"Someone spiked the punch."

"Yeah," Dylan agreed, clutching her stomach. "I'm sorry," she offered quietly.

There was knock on the door. "Hold on, I'm in here!" Merri-Lee called. "Two minutes." She looked at Dylan. "Let's go in your room." She led her daughter around the corner, and they slipped inside.

"I'm really sorry."

"You couldn't have known. I know how hard Everclear is to spot until you've already had too much."

Dylan nodded. "Exactly," she choked out.

"You were going to get drunk sometime."

"That's what Alicia said."

"Her too?"

"Uh-huh. Probably worse than me."

"Ooh." Merri-Lee cringed. "Well, you were going to get drunk sometime. Probably at one of my parties."

"You understand, then," Dylan smiled.

"I don't understand how you could get drunk in sixth grade. But I forgive you." Merri-Lee patted her daughter on the head, then left.

Th abrupt way she disappeared made Dylan wonder whether she was mad, or if something else was going on.

BLOCK ESTATE
GUESTHOUSE
4:06 PM
NOVEMBER 1, 2012

"You can't tell anyone," Claire whispered.

Layne nodded, her bright green eyes fixing on Claire's blue ones. "Promise." She held up a pinkie and locked fingers with her friend.

"They got drunk last night," Claire told her.

"Who?"

"Everyone at Massie's party, probably. I know the Pretty Commitee was."

"The Pretty Commitee?" Layne laughed. "What a retarded name."

"This is serious," Claire snapped.

"Why?"

"I, well, because they got drunk. Like not half-a-glass of wine like my mom lets me have on New Year's. Like hammered. They could barely walk."

"How do you know?" Layne asked, getting into it.

"I saw them! They slept over last night in the basement. I stayed in Massie's room."

"Oh." Layne brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "Why'd you tell me?"

"Who else could I tell?" She curled up tighter under her blankets.

"All of them?"

"Not Massie, I don't think. And I dunno about Kristen. But Alicia and Dylan for sure."

"Wow." Layne raised her eyebrows. "I won't tell anyone now, but thanks. I'll have inside info in case I ever need it."

"Layne!" Claire reprimanded. "This is why I didn't want to tell you!"

"Alright, alright." Layne grinned. "I really won't spread it."

"Thanks." Claire smiled with relief. "Come on. No one will notice if we jump in the pool. This is supposed to be the last warm day until next year." She changed into a hot pink bikini she'd gotten for $13.50 at Target and slathered herself with sunscreen. "Alright, let's go."

RIVERA MANSION
MASTER BEDROOM
4:59 PM
NOVEMBER 1, 2012

Alicia flopped onto her mother's bed. Her headache had slowly faded, and she didn't feel nearly as sick. "Estoy aburrido!" she sang.

Ally smiled. "En algún momento de junio tendrá un nuevo hermanito o hermanita con quien jugar."

Alicia thought about the mystery sibling. With silky dark hair and tanned Spanish skin, they'd probably be a carbon copy of Alicia. "¿Cuándo se puede saber si es niño o niña?"

"Hace un par de meses, probablemente."

Alicia's mind drifted into a pastel nursery, where the baby would sleep in a small wooden crib. All of a sudden, she couldn't wait for the little kid to arrive.