BLOCK ESTATE
MASSIE'S ROOM
7:29 AM
JANUARY 3, 2013

"Should I use it?" Massie asked Bean.

The small pug barked and placed her front paws on Massie's knees.

"I should? I feel like I'm wasting it." Carefully, she placed the tube of Skye on her bureau, laying it on a circle of lavender lace. "How about the first day of summer?"

Bean yapped, stuck her tongue out, and flopped onto her back.

Quickly, Massie scratched the dog on her belly and padded out of the room. "Mom!"

"Yes, honey?"

"I'm going to school early today. Alicia, Kristen, and I have a Social Studies project to finish." Not strictly true, but whatever. In truth, she was meeting the girls at OCD so they could spy on the Briarwood boys. Briarwood started at 8:00 instead of 9:00 like OCD, so they had to get there before the first bell rang. "Bye."

But, just as she always did before stepping out the front door, she paused in front of the half-mirror in the foyer. She took in her attire of a long-sleeved gray Trina Turk tee. Around her neck was a black, white, and gray color-block Alexander McQueen scarf. On her legs were dark wash For All Mankind skinny jeans, which were tucked into tall Uggs. A light whiff of Couture Couture by Juicy Couture fit right in. "10," she rated herself, smiling, before she ran out the door.

BRIARWOOD
PARKING LOT
7:44 AM
JANUARY 3, 2013

"Are they there?" Kristen whispered, her breath icy in the chilly morning air.

"The ones in the gym, you mean? Not sure," Claire told her. "Is Cam?"

"How are we supposed to know?" Dylan broke in. "We still haven't seen a single picture."

"Shh!" Massie put a finger to her lips in the universal sign for shut up.

"There he is!" Claire squealed, pointing through the bushes they were squatting behind.

"Ehmagawd. He's a hunk." Kristen almost sighed in envy. "Why'd he ask you out?" she teased.

"Hey!" Claire protested, sticking out her chest as though she had breasts to show off. "I will have you know that we are deeply in love."

"You're in sixth grade," Alicia scoffed. "You don't even know what love is."

"Oh, like you do," Claire shot back.

"Guys!" Massie scolded. "Ehmagawd, they're coming over." The second she said it, Cam and two other boys hopped up on the stone wall separating the girls from the guys, not two inches from where the Pretty Commitee hid.

"What do we do now?" Dylan inquired, covering her mouth in an attempt not to laugh.

Massie shrugged helplessly, then signaled for them all to gather. "Stand up, look like you were doing something, and quietly walk away. Or even better, just say we were looking for something. Okay, Leesh." She raised her eyebrows and jutted her head out.

"Hey, I found it!" the Beta exclaimed, triumphantly holding up something that looked like a rusty bobby pin.

The boys looked over.

"Claire!" one exclaimed.

"Cam!" She gave him a huge hug, and he spun her to face his friends.

"Guys, this is Claire. Claire, Josh Hotz and Chris Plovert."

"We've met," she prounced. "In the gym, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." He looked down, slighly embarassed.

"And these are my friends." Claire introduced them, and immediately saw sparks fly. Alicia was looking at Josh as though he was some sort of delectable candy. "Leesh."

"Hmm?"

"Say something. You look like a freak."

"Hey?" She fluttered her fingers at the Spaniard across from her.

"Hi." A slight red tinge colored his cheeks.

Massie rolled her eyes. "You guys are horrible at being subtle," Massie announced. "Leesh, do you like him?"

"I just met him!"

Massie ignored her. "What about you, Josh?"

"Kinda," he admitted.

"Beautiful," Massie proclaimed. "How about you go on a date tomorrow with Cam and Kuh-laire?"

"Well, I guess."

"Why not?" Josh agreed.

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
COMPUTER APPLICATIONS
2:13 PM
JANUARY 3, 2013

"Hey, did you see that guy?" Kristen hissed to Claire.

"Which guy?"

"The one in the background at Briarwood. You know, who was standing there with another guy."

"Very discriptive."

"Dark hair, dark eyes, heavy metal band T-shirt. He was with a boy with lighter, longer hair who was a little shorter than him."

"Oh, yeah! The one with the Sidekick?"

"Um-hmm."

"Oh, you like him?"

"Maybe."

"That's Kemp Hurley."

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY
FRENCH
2:16 PM
JANUARY 3, 2013

Massie was simmering. As much as she loved playing matchmaker, he wanted her own happy ending too. And she hadn't liked any of the three guys standing there.

There was a guy in the background that she might have enjoyed, but hey, Massie Block isn't interested in the extras. Little did she know that boy wasn't an extra. He was Derrick Harrington.

BLOCK ESTATE
GUESTHOUSE
2:51 PM
JANUARY 3, 2013

"I'm going out again with Cam tomorrow," Claire mentioned offhandedly.

"The Fisher kid?" Judi grinned. "He seems sweet."

"How do you know? You never met him."

"Oh, but I have. You have too."

"Wait, what?"

"Your father's pretty good friends with the Fishers. He knew Cam's dad from college. In fact, he was in the same fraternity as Mr. Block. They used to live near us in Florida, but moved eons before we did."

"Small world," Claire mumbled, trying to wrap her head around these new facts.

"Yep," Judi replied matter-of-factly as she picked up the laundry basket full of Todd's clothes.

STARBUCKS
BOOTH
3:18 PM
JANUARY 3, 2013

Dylan sipped her mocha frappe happily as she listened to Massie rave about the new shipment of tops BCBG had gotten in. "So, anyway, we're gonna go this weekend, ah-greed?"

"Sure." Dylan pushed a red curl out of her face, as it was dangerously close to drowning in her coffee. "We have to get there before they sell out. And can we check in on La Perla really quick? I kinda feel like getting Vera a present."

"Lingerie?" Massie choked skeptically, snickering.

Dylan whacked her on the back. "No! Perfume."

"She makes her own perfume. What does she need someone else's for?"

"She has a collection," she explained. "And she's been so nice; I feel like I should do something for her."

"Okay. Whatevs." Massie got up to dump her drink in the trash. "Ready to go? I should help Kuh-laire prep for her date with Cam."

"Ooh, can I come too? Vera's gonna be out late tonight and she's got a ton of really spooky stuff around the house and I can't sleep when there's no one else around."

"Spooky stuff?"

"You know, creepy paintings with eyes that move, statues that look like ghosts, that kind of thing."

"Oh, I get it. Alright, I'll ask Mom if you can stay."

"Cool. I'll call Vera."