READ: Three things: First and foremost, check out the poll for this story on my profile. All of my readers have to vote, or else no more story! Also, check out FanFiction's sister site, FictionPress. My handle is GlitterGirlie28 and I just made an account there. Check out my story, Eyes of Gray and tell me if you like it! Third, if anyone wants to PM me with a Witty Commitee OC , it would be greatly appreciated. PM me if you're interested and I'll send you the form, because for some reason this chapter doesn't want to fit it. And if anyone can come up with a good personality for Lani Miller...

Heart ya,
Joy

BEVERLY HILLS
STARBUCKS
10:37 AM
DECEMBER 8, 2012

Massie sipped her latte daintily and cast piercing eyes on her friend. "I can't believe they still won't let me model!"

"It's cuz they're lazy. They don't want to do everything over." Dylan flipped a red strand out of her face, blowing on her coffee to cool it. "Gawd, it's hawt in here."

"No kidding." Massie gathered her hair into a high ponytail, twisted it into a knot, slid a silver chopstick through it, and sighed in relief. "Much better." Then the glass doors open. Both girls turned to face the entrance, just as Alicia walked in. "What are you doing here?" Massie hissed.

"I'm with Pop 'n' Lolly," she replied innocently, tossing her raven tresses over her shoulder. "Gotta talk business!"

With a practiced stride, the twins followed her in sync, averting their gazes from Massie as though she was a homeless man asleep on a bench in the subway.

Massie growled, her eyes involuntarily trailing their route toward a private table in the back of the restaurant. "They're going down!" she announced.

"I'm modeling with them, remember?" Dylan pointed out. "And no offense or anything, but I'm nawt going to quit cuz you don't like them."

"You better! If you don't, you're ahbviously a sucky friend."

"This is why no one likes you, Massie Block," she spat viciously. She had reached her breaking point. Dylan Marvil did not trod on thin ice with nasty girls who were supposedly 'fair Alphas' and 'best friends.' "You are a control freak who thinks the world revolves around you. Newsflash: you're nawt that important."

"Excuse me?" Her voice went low and deadly. "What did you say?" Massie clenched her teeth. She could almost see her world crumbling down around her. "I. am. the. Alpha!"

"And I don't like you." Dylan drove in the final nail with ease. "And neither does anyone else." With a swish of her hair, she was gone, leaving behind only a faint scent of Chanel No.9 and her half-empty cup of warm brown liquid.

She marched over to the bench where Pop, Lolly, and Alicia sat, deep in conversation. "Nawt to bother anyone, but I'm back." She tried to slide onto the seat next to Lolly, who wouldn't budge. "Ah, hello?"

"You can't keep bouncing from one group to the other," Pop admonished, meeting her stare. "Either you're with us or Massie. You can't just switch your friends when the going gets tough."

Dylan blocked her tears, knowing that everything the girl said was true.

She marched away, planning to rejoin Massie and rant about Alicia and the twins, but she noticed the Alpha get up, chuck her drink in the trash, and march out, slamming the door behind her with a light thud. Now she was stuck in the middle. With absolutely nowhere to go.

With a last glance toward Pop, Lolly, and Alicia, she left Starbucks, running for the safety of her own beach house. Once she arrived, she locked herself in her bedroom. But Dylan Marvil wasn't one for crying. She knew it didn't solve anything. So she got busy.

She leafed through her clothes, eventually choosing tight, dark wash True Religion shorts, which managed to disguise her slight flabbiness just fine. On the top, a hot pink muscle tee featuring a white femme symbol stood out against her pale skin. She slid on delicate white Fendi flip-flops, a set of white bangles, and her Dior sunglasses, and hit the road.

BIGREDHEAD: i h8 Massie!
CLAIREBEAR: what did she do 2 u?
BIGREDHEAD: well, actually, i kind of told her the truth, and she kicked me out.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: makes sense. but what do u want us 2 do?
BIGREDHEAD: i wanna go home!
CLAIREBEAR: u can't. u live there.
BIGREDHEAD: Beverly Hills is so nawt what it's cracked up 2 b.

BEVERLY HILLS
STARBUCKS
10:41 AM
DECEMBER 8, 2012

"Did you just kick her out?" Alicia asked.

"I think so," Pop replied. "She might be an amazing model, but she needs to figure out where her loyalties lie."

"If she comes back on Monday, she's still in, though," Lolly told them. "It's either her or Massie."

"Take Dyl back, please," Alicia begged, leaning back quietly and removing her iPhone from her back pocket.

HOLAGURRL: Do u want 2 b in again?
BIGREDHEAD: Yes and no.
HOLAGURRL: What do u mean?
BIGREDHEAD: Pros: i have nothing else 2 do. i really want 2 model. Cons: Ur there, and Massie h8s u. Pop 'n' Lolly h8 me.
HOLAGURRL: Ur nawt part of Massie's group nemore. She doesn't matter.
BIGREDHEAD: So it's just that Pop 'n' Lolly h8 me.
HOLAGURRL: They don't h8 u. Actually, i think Lolly likes u. Pop's a little more strong-willed.
BIGREDHEAD: We'll c.

The flow of voices paused, and Alicia took the opportunity to remark casually, "Did you decide?"

"We're going to talk to Dylan now," Pop said. "You can't come, but do you know where she lives?"

"Why can't I go?" she demanded.

"This is private." Pop shook her head. "Sorry, kiddo."

"Kiddo?! I'm 11! And there is no way I'm giving you her address if you won't let me join you. Sorry!" And with that, she picked up her Victoria Beckham purse, threw it over her shoulder, and got up. "See ya!"

And then she was gone.

BLOCK ESTATE
MASSIE'S ROOM
7:41 AM
DECEMBER 8, 2012

Claire had enough of Massie's pre-planned outfits to last a lifetime, or at least the rest of the school year. After fingering a white Ella Moss skirt with gold embroidery, she gave it up in favor of extremely tight bright black straight-leg DKNY jeans, which hung below a long-sleeve charcoal-gray cowl-neck Guess top. With it, she slipped on black knee-high high-heel layered cowgirl boots. She found dangling from a hanger next to the outfit an assortment of necklaces, which she dumped over her head. The white-gold and pearl mix was too much for her, but she didn't know that, so she happily skipped downstairs. "Hi, Kendra!" she greeted Massie's mother in her old happy-go-lucky tone.

"Hi, Claire." Kendra smiled warmly, holding in a groan at the girl's choice of jewelry. "We have chocolate-chip pancakes this morning."

"Ooh, that sounds great." Claire sank into a chair and pulled out her phone. She'd promised Judi that she would call. The phone rang four times. Then there was a muted shuffling noise. "Mom?"

"Claire! Honey, it's so nice to talk to you. How's it going?"

"It's great, Mom, and-" She was all set to tell Judi everything about her new status as Beta Of The Sixth Grade, but she was speaking right into Judi's jaw-cracking yawn. "Is everything okay?"

"Listen, sweetie, it's before five in the morning here. Can I get a little sleep and call you back later?"

"Sure, that's fine." She snapped the device shut and dropped it into the Diane von Furstenburg purse that was draped over the back of her seat, her cheeks burning bright red. How was she so stupid that she couldn't remember a time difference?

"Are you alright, Claire? You look pale," Kendra observed as she sat down, picking at a container of yogurt. She spooned a miniscule bite into her mouth.

"Yeah, thanks." She sighed and stood up, scraping her chair back. "I'm gonna go get ready. Kristen's coming over here in half-an-hour." She'd adopted Massie's habit of never asking but telling. However, she couldn't be that rude to an adult, so she added, "I hope that's okay?"

"Yes, of course," Kendra told her absently. "I feel like I'm forgetting something." Her eyes flicked around the room, and her mouth was twisted in a confused grimace. "Oh!" Suddenly, she leapt up and raced upstairs.

Claire shook her head, her blonde hair swinging, and followed her. She turned right into Massie's room and brushed her teeth, then picked up the brand-new laptop Massie's mother had bought for her and turned it on. As she waited for it to boot up, she texted Kristen.

CLAIREBEAR: Where r u?
SEXYSPORTSBABE: i thought i waz supposed 2 cum over at 8:15. i'm still in bed.
CLAIREBEAR: We hav a lot 2 get done. Maybe u should get over here now.
SEXYSPORTSBABE: Waz that an order? Don't bcome Massie Block on me.
CLAIREBEAR: ;) Don't worry. Nething i should do b4 u get here?
SEXYSPORTSBABE: Nah. i'll try 2 b over by eight, k?
CLAIREBEAR: Perf.

BLOCK ESTATE
MASSIE'S ROOM
8:04 AM
DECEMBER 8, 2012

"God, I'm so glad I can actually wear what I want now," Kristen remarked, settling onto Massie's bed in gray Hollister sweats and a neon green Adidas pullover.

Claire glanced down at her outfit, which consisted of the latest Massie-approved fashion trends, and kept her mouth shut.

Kristen laughed. "Ready?"

"We don't get a minute to take a break?" Claire whined, as though she hadn't been the one demanding that her friend come over early.

"No," Kristen decreed. "We have to design tests, not to mention get food out, and, and-"

Claire closed a hand over her slender, bony wrist. "One at a time. Let's start with the tests."

"Alright," Kristen breathed, pulling two sheets of looseleaf paper out of the Gucci she'd stolen from Massie. "We'll write down any ideas we have and share when we're done."

"Heart!" Claire sang out, parroting Alicia. She accepted a pen from the blonde opposite her.

"Hmm," Kristen muttered, tapping her chin with her pointer finger. "Oh!" She scribbled something down, then added a couple more words as she got into her groove.

Within a few minutes, the girls had compiled this list:

- Separate the girls into the seven cabanas and monitor what they talk about (whether they discuss clothes, grades, the Witty Commitee, etc.).
- Let them loose in Massie's closet and challenge them to create an amazing outfit.
- Have them fill out forms and see who has the most in common with us.
- Give them a test to see whether they're smart enough to join the Witty Commitee.

"There's two things wrong," Kristen decided immediately.

"What?" Claire stared fixedly at the sheet, rereading each item. "They look good to me."

"Well, first, the outfit thing is ridiculous."

"Why?" Claire demanded, blushing.

"Wasn't the point of the Witty Commitee to be a kind of model for OCD? To show them that you don't have to have impeccable to taste to be a leader?"

"I guess," Claire acknowledged, "but do you really want to be walking around with an LBR? And everytime you meet someone new, you're going to have to introduce her as part of your clique. And..."

"Enough," Kristen ordered. "I get your point. But the clothes contest will count for less than the others, because it doesn't matter nearly as much."

"But-"

Kristen held her hand up. "I am the Alpha." She let that sink in before adding, "And the other problem is obvious."

"Now what?" Claire scanned the proposals bemusedly.

"What if we end up with more than four girls?" Kristen snapped in a duh! voice.

Claire's eyes brightened. "How 'bout we split them into groups and we can come up with, like, challenges, and, I don't know, see which girls work the best together?"

Kristen grinned widely. "That... is a great idea."

"K, so you can write the test and I'll assign each one a cabana," Claire suggested.

"Great." They slammed hands, then got to work.

BEVERLY HILLS
GOLDEN ISLES
11:18 AM
DECEMBER 8, 2012

"I'm leaving!" Massie announced. "This town is so D2M!"

"What? Why?" William demanded as his phone rang. He was just removing it from his pocket when Massie snatched the thin white device and chucked it over her shoulder. She smirked in satisfaction when she heard it slam and shatter. William's eyes narrowed, but he didn't mention it.

"I'm having a crisis!" Massie exclaimed, running her hands through her hair as was her nervous, annoyed habit.

"About?" William didn't move, but his eyes twinkled, as she though he was used to, and amused by, Massie's Drama Queen sequence. Which he was. He'd seen it too often.

Massie slammed the cover of her Kate Spade suitcase and hauled it over to the door. "Pack your stuff, Dad. We're leaving."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Massie scrambled to her feet and crossed her arms over her flat chest. She was almost never dismissed this way. "No?"

"No," William reiterated. "I was reading this parenting book-"

"A parenting book?" Massie repeated scornfully. "Do you know about all the shit they put in those?"

"I don't appreciate hearing that word, Massie," William continued, undeterred. "Anyway, as I was saying, I was reading a parenting book, and it said that sooner or later, the child will begin to mature and their world will broaden."

"And?"

"And, as their world broadens, they'll realize they're not the center of it."

"I think I would know if I wasn't the center of the world." Massie fought a laugh. Talk about a load of bullshit.

"I'll leave you for a minute and give you a chance to understand," William offered sarcastically. "But we're not going anywhere."

"Do you even know what happened?" Massie screamed after him

"Would you like to tell me?" William stepped away from the door.

She would have kept it to herself and retained the stitch of dignity she had left, but she had to tell somebody. "Pop 'n' Lolly fire/hired Dylan when they could have had me. Me! They chose Dylan Marvil over Massie Block!"

She wasn't sure, but she could have sworn William rolled his eyes. Then he left.

"Love you too, Dad," she muttered, swatting angrily at the tears that were pouring down her cheeks. "Thanks a million."

BLOCK ESTATE
FRONT PORCH
1:58 PM
DECEMBER 8, 2012

Kristen and Claire watched in silence as scores of girls climbed out of their limos and straggled toward them. Out of the blue, Kristen turned to her friend. "I've decided you're my official Beta," she said.

"Oh, good. Cuz I really didn't want to audition for a spot in my best friend's clique." For a horrified moment, she thought that Kristen would deny it. But she didn't. And then the first girl trudged up the steps and greeted them.

"Hi!" Kristen smiled. "Name, please?"

"Lani Miller," she answered.

"Cabana Three," Kristen hissed to Claire as she checked off the box next to Miller, Lani.

"Come with me," she heard Claire say before she had to tackle the next person. After an hour, everyone had arrived. Quickly, the girls ran inside and switched on the monitors for the security cameras, which were strategically positioned in the corners of the cabanas so no one would notice them.

"I can't believe so many people came," Kristen marveled.

"Hold on, let's make the announcment." Claire held the microphone that connected her to the loudspeaker system they'd asked Kendra to install. "Hi, this is Claire Lyons, the Beta of the Witty Commitee."

"And I'm Kristen Gregory, the Alpha. In 20 minutes, we'll be set up and ready to bring you inside. But for now, mingle with your cabana-mates and get to know people!"

At the same time, they giggled, "This is Kristen Gregory and Claire Lyons, saying We Heart You."