-Chapter 6-

Westchester, NY
Ahnna's Mansion
Friday, October 19th
7:03 P.M.

Friday evening, Massie stood in Ahnna's foyer, wondering what Ahnna had called Massie, Lana, Shauna, and Brianna to her house for. Ahnna had said that it was an "emergency" and to come "ay-sap." Not wanting to get on Ahnna's bad side, Massie had rushed over to her house immediately.

A few moments later, Ahnna emerged from the staircase. Her blond hair was in a high pony, and her green eyes sparkled. "Mass! You're here!" she exclaimed. "The girls are all in my room. Let's go!"

Massie hesitated for a second, but then followed Ahnna up the stairs to her room. Ahnna pushed open the door, and Massie stepped in after her.

"Heyyyyyyy," Shauna said.

"Hey girlies." Ahnna giggled, and plopped down on the rug in the middle of the room. Massie sat down next to Ahnna.

"So, are you guys ready to par-tay on Halloween? The party's gonna be ah-mazing!" Ahnna exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Shauna, Lana, and Brianna chorused. Massie rolled her eyes.

"It's a costume party, obviously," Ahnna continued. "You can't go if you don't have a costume." Ahnna got up, and walked over to her desk. She grabbed her laptop, and walked back to the rug.

She powered up her laptop, and opened up a Word document titled Halloween Party. "Here's the guest list."

Massie peered over Ahnna's shoulder at the list. Somehow, Ahnna had managed to invite the entire grade. Some sixth and seventh graders were even coming, which was even more impressive.

"We're gonna need a lot of food," Lana breathed.

"So that's gonna be . . ." Brianna tapped her chin. "At least 400 cupcakes, at least 400 cookies, and uh, how many slices of pizza will each person eat, on average?"

"I eat one slice of pizza only." Ahnna stretched out her legs. "But then you have people like Lana, who eat like, what, five slices of pizza?" She poked Lana in the ribs. "Be careful. It's starting to show."

Massie gaped. She couldn't believe how mean Ahnna was being. Sure, the PC teased Dylan about her obsession with her weight occasionally, but it was playful teasing, and they never said something like this.

Lana paled. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Brianna shrugged, and carefully slid the laptop off Ahnna's lap."So that's about three slices a person, right? Three times four hundred is one thousand, two hundred! That's insane!" She quickly typed those numbers in. "So Ahnna, do you plan on having scary-themed foods? Like eyeballs and fake blood and stuff?"

Ahnna shuddered. "Gawd, no. I don't do scary. It's going to be a happy Halloween. Like how Halloween used to be when we were younger, without all the scariness."

Massie suppressed the urge to giggle. Seriously? Halloween was all about scariness, to Massie at least. That's what made it fun. Personally, she wasn't a big fan of scary movies, because they gave them nightmares, but they were what made Halloween, well, Halloween.

Shauna nodded, truly believing. "I totally agree with you."

"Same!" Lana chimed in.

"Uh, sure, I guess." It was clear Brianna wasn't okay with it, but she shrugged it off.

Ahnna turned to Massie's waiting. "Okay," Massie managed.

Ahnna grinned. "Good. Moving on!" She turned to Lana. "Did you book the DJ yet?"

Lana nodded. "Yup. There's also going to be karaoke, courtesy of moi."

"Good work." Ahnna turned to Shauna. "Decorations?"

"Done," Shauna quipped. "Black and orange everything, right? And a Happy Halloween banner?"

Ahnna nodded. "Right." She turned to Brianna. "And you have the food ready, right?"

"All set." Brianna handed the laptop back to Ahnna.

Ahnna turned to Massie and frowned. She hadn't given Massie a job because, apparently, Massie "couldn't handle it." But Massie was okay with that. It was Ahnna's party, after all.

"Why are you being so paranoid?" Massie asked. "The party's a week and a half away."

"The reason I'm paranoid is because the party's a week and a half away," Ahnna grumbled. "It's my first time throwing a boy-girl party, and I want it to be perfect."

"O-kay. . ." Massie stared down at her fingernails, not wanting to make conversation.

Ahnna turned back to the rest of the Ahnnabees. "Okay, so let's talk costumes. We have to have the best costumes out of everyone."

"I heart that!" Massie exclaimed. Finally, Ahnna had said something that she could agree with. "So, I was thinking-"

"Mass," Ahnna cut her off. "Um, hello? It's not your party."

"Oh, right, I just-"

"Zip! I'm the one who's in charge of our costumes."

"Wait, so I don't get to choose my own-"

Ahnna put her hands on her narrow hips. "Of course you don't get to choose your own costume. You're part of the Ahnnabees. And who's the alpha of the Ahnnabees? Me. Not you. Me. So I get to choose the costumes."

Massie's jaw dropped open. This was so unfair! She just knew Ahnna would choose something dorky and childish, like Disney princesses or something. Not that Massie didn't like Disney princesses. It was just that most people who dress up as Disney princesses are under six years old. And Massie was ten, for Gawd's sake!

"Fine," Massie said, defeated.

"Good." Ahnna smirked. "So yesterday, since I am the leader of Ahnnabees, I went to the Westchester, and bought us all costumes from Saks." She turned to face Massie. "Oh, and Mass? I met Hanna there. You know, your 'friend?' She was with this really pretty Spanish girl. They seemed like best friends."

Massie seethed. Hanna went shopping with Alicia again yesterday? This was not good. Hanna and Alicia were becoming really close, and both of them hated Massie. But since Ahnna didn't know that Hanna and Massie weren't friends anymore, she mustered up a smile and said, "Oh, yeah, Alicia Rivera. I'm friends with her too. We're all friends."

"That's really nice." Ahnna adjusted her high pony. "Anyway, guess what we're all dressing up as?"

"What?" Shauna wondered.

Please don't say Disney princesses, please don't say Disney princesses, Massie prayed.

"We're dressing up as . . . fairies! You know, the ones from Tinker Bell," Ahnna announced.

Massie widened her amber eyes. Disney fairies was almost as bad as Disney princesses. Had she jinxed it, by wishing that Ahnna wouldn't say Disney princesses?

"Ooh, yay!" Lana exclaimed.

"So you mean, Silvermist, Tinker Bell, Rosetta, Iridessa, and Fawn?" Brianna ticked off the five fairies on her hand.

"Yup. And omigod, I could get Derrick to be Terence? Because I'm going to be Tinker Bell, I mean," Ahnna said.

"Wait. Derrick Harrington?" Brianna said.

"How many Derricks do we-I mean, I-know?" Ahnna said.

"Why do you get to be Tinker Bell?" Massie challenged, narrowing her eyes.

"Because I'm the prettiest out of all of us." Ahnna cocked a hip.

Massie raised her eyebrows. She knew for a fact that she was prettier than Ahnna. She remembered that one time in gym, the teacher had told Massie and Ahnna to be team captains. She had said, "Look at these two pretty young ladies! Remember their faces, they'll be your team captains." Ahnna had said, "Who's prettier?" The teacher had immediately said, "Massie, of course," and winked at Massie.

"You don't even have blue eyes," Massie said.

"Contacts," Ahnna said without missing a beat.

Ahnna turned to the rest of the girls. "Brianna, you'll be Silvermist." Brianna stroked her long black hair fondly.

Ahnna turned to Lana. "Lana, you'll be Rosetta." Lana twirled a strand of her shoulder-length red hair.

Then, Ahnna turned to Shauna. "Shauna, you'll be Iridessa." Shauna twisted her dark brown hair into a bun, trying to look like Iridessa.

Finally, Ahnna turned to Massie. "Massie, you'll be Fawn." Massie didn't say anything.

"So, do you know why I chose to be the Disney fairies?" Ahnna asked.

The girls shook their heads.

"Because you guys remind us of them. Their friendship is just like our friendship."

Lana, Shauna, and Brianna "awwed." Massie snorted. Their so-called friendship was nothing like the friendship between the fairies.

"I booked us appointments at the salon for Wednesday before the party. The dresses I picked out for you guys are at Saks, go pick them up sometime between now and next Friday," Ahnna went on.

"Wait, back up." Massie held up her hand. "How did you get the wings?"

"I know people." Ahnna winked mysteriously.

"No offense, but I don't think this is a good idea," Massie said.

Ahnna glared at Massie. "Oh, is that what you think? Maybe I'll just make you Vidia."

"Gawd, no. I look nothing like Vidia. And Vidia is so mean!" Massie exclaimed.

"Wait, how do you know about Vidia if you claim that you don't watch the movies?"

Massie blushed. "Uh, I-"

"Busted." Ahnna smirked.

"Whatevs." Massie stared down at the shaggy rug they were sitting on.

Suddenly, Ahnna's laptop dinged. "Omigod, it's an iChat from Derrick!" "Omigod, omigod, omigod!" Ahnna started jumping around the room frantically.

"What are you gonna do?" Brianna said.

Ahnna took a deep breath, and steadied herself. "I'm going to accept, of course." She padded over to her laptop, and clicked accept. A few moments later, Derrick's face filled the screen.

Massie felt her heart skip a beat. It had been a long time since she had seen his shaggy blond hair, blue eyes, and super kissable lips. She resisted the urge to say Hey, Derrington. The fifth grade Massie didn't know Derrick yet. So she just smiled like an idiot along with Lana, Shauna, and Brianna.

Ahnna twirled her blond hair around her finger. "Hey, Derrick! What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much." Derrick leaned back casually in his chair. "What's up with you?"

"Oh, we're throwing a Halloween party. Wanna come? It's costumes only. And bring your friends." Ahnna grinned at Derrick.

"Sure, I'd love to come. It's at your house, right?"

"Yup. One second, I'll be right back."

"'Kay."

Ahnna put her hand over the camera lens and turned the volume down. "Derrick's bringing his friends," she sing-songed.

"So?" Lana said, obviously not getting it.

"What she means is, there's gonna be boys for each of us," Massie snapped.

"Ooh," Lana said.

"Exactly." Ahnna smile-thanked Massie. "So there's Cam Fisher, who has one green eye and one blue eye. Then there's Chris Plovert and Kemp Hurley. I don't really know much about them."

"How do you know them?" Shauna asked.

"It's a secret."

"Wait, there's only four of them, and there's five of us," Brianna said.

"I know." Ahnna shrugged. "So one of us won't get a boy." She smirked at Massie.

"What?" Massie gasped. "You can't do that."

"Says who?"

"Says me!" Massie screamed.

"Last time I checked, you weren't the alpha of the Ahnnabees. So shut up."

"Ugh, I'm leaving. I have a . . . family thing." Massie tossed her hair over her shoulder, and stormed out of the room.

"Okay, bye!" Ahnna called after her.

Massie slowly shut the door behind her, and pressed her ear to the door. This was her chance to find out what Ahnna really thought of her. "Can you believe her?" Ahnna's voice drifted from the room. "She thinks she's the queen of the world, when in reality, I'm the queen of the world."

Massie gasped. That was just about the most selfish sentence she had ever heard come out of anyone's mouth. She pressed her ear harder to the door. "She's such a wannabe," Ahnna lowered her voice. "Can't she just accept that I'm the alpha and she's not?"

"I know, right?" Lana whispered back. "She's so self-centered."

"Yeah," Shauna and Brianna echoed.

"I'm so glad you guys understand me." Massie could imagine Ahnna smiling proudly at Lana, Shauna and Brianna. She wanted to burst into the room and bitch-slap that smile off Ahnna's face, but she couldn't. Ahnna thought she was leaving.

Massie couldn't listen to any more. She had heard enough. She ran down the stairs and burst out the front door without even saying goodbye to Mrs. Pincher.

Massie pulled out her iPhone, and scrolled through her contact list to find Isaac's number. She need to go home. A girl could only take so much Ahnna time.

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