*GRADUATION*

The faint tones of "Pomp And Circumstance" echoed through the halls of OCD High. As the Pretty Commitee approached the auditorium, the music grew louder until suddenly it was blaring in their ears.

"Ehmagawd," Claire murmured, glancing around. "Graduation. Can you believe it? We're seniors! We're graduating! We're done!" She opened her arms wide, looking for someone to hug, but when no one noticed, she wrapped them around herself and swayed happily.

"We're nawt done," Massie pointed out. "We still have college. What did you get into?"

It was just like the Pretty Commitee nawt to discuss college until the last second. Who cared about school anyway?

"I told you," Claire responded. "Keiser U."

"F.I.T., actually. I had Daddy donate a ton of money. I never would have gotten in," Alicia admitted unabashedly. "What about you, Dylan?"

The redhead, to the delight of the rest of the girls, had shown up for graduation, and although she was still sizes thinner than before, she was no longer emaciated, and compared to a lot of the girls who attended OCD, she didn't stand out at awl. "I'm nawt," she replied. "Mom wants to train me to co-host the Daily Grind with her until she decides to retire." She stuck her tongue out. "I'd rather go somewhere for photography, but oh well."

"I'm UCLA," Massie admitted. "I actually do get pretty good grades, see? And I can have fun learning surfing from some cute guy. I daresay he will take my mind awf Derrick Harrington."

"So you have him picked out already?" Claire teased.

"They're awl the same." She waved a ringed hand dismissively, and Claire had to laugh. "So, Kris, where are you going? Kris?"

"She left to go put awn her cap and gown," yawned Dylan. "Cuz she's valedictorian and awl."

"She probably just wants to cover up that hideous sack of a dress her Mom made her wear." Massie grinned.

"Actually, it's nawt that bad," said Alicia. "It's a blue Tommy Hilfiger. A little cheap, a little out-of-date, a lot last season, but it works for her. Anyway, I have, like, a billion things she can change into before Skye Hamilton's party."

"Why's Skye Hamilton throwing the party? She's going to be a sophomore," Claire pointed out. "At, where, Princeton?"

"Yeah," Alicia told her. "But it's tradition for the female Alpha of the previous class to throw the party. See, next year, Massie's gonna have to do it."

"Uh, I hate to break it to you guys, but it looks like it might actually be Olivia Ryan instead." Dylan snapped her fingers at a girl across the corridor. Her long, buttery-blonde locks were flying out behind her, and her snapping blue eyes were happy. She was laughing with Derrick.

"Jesus Christ," Massie muttered. "I am so fucking sick of her it is nawt even funny. I'm done. I'm going to give that bitch a piece of my mind." She was so mad, her hands were trembling. With her Blahnik's clacking, she stormed toward Olivia, with the rest of the Pretty Commitee following as though they had a plan and knew exactly what was going awn.

"Who do you think you are?" Massie snapped, facing the blonde full-awn. "Just who the fucking fuck do you fucking think you are?"

Derrick placed a hand on her shoulder. "There's a different way to do this, ladies-"

"You know what, Maysie Block? I'm just as sick and tired of you as you are of me! You're all blah-blah do this and blah-blah do that and I own the world and you must be my humble servant and I'm done with it! At least I try to be nice!"

Students were starting to flood toward them, taking sides.

"She's right!" yelled a pimply girl named Angie. "All you did was tell us what to do! Olivia just lets us be."

"Faux-livia wears knock-awfs!" Massie screeched. "Do you really want to be led by a fake?"

"You're faker than she is," Layne Abeley screamed back. "You have a fake heart."

"You're right." Alicia stepped foward, ignoring Massie's horrifed gasp. "Maybe awn the outside she does have a fake heart. But it's nawt. It's cuz it's cased in glass. She does that to protect herself. She puts so much energy into being your," she looked around at the girls flocked around them, "Alpha, that she can't protect herself without a shield. But you know what? Derrick Harrington, right here (yes, this boy, who broke almost awl of your hearts), broke Massie's heart too. So now she doesn't have that glass. It's shattered. She only has her real heart. She's vulnerable, and you're attacking her. Just think about that." She fell back, meeting everyone's gaze as viciously as she could.

Massie almost cried, but instead she linked arms with Alicia and Claire, who were standing on either side of her. Claire brought Dylan in, and, just then, Kristen came running up in her outfit and valedictorian badge. Alicia hooked onto her and pulled her closer.

"What's going on?" the Delta whispered.

"Back us up," Alicia whispered back. "Tell you later."

"We're sorry." A girl with dark hair in cornrows and red glasses was the first to actually speak. "Massie, you've always been there for us. I'm sorry for not standing up for you."

"Me too," a girl with tan skin added.

"Same." "Uh-huh." "I agree." "It's true." Suddenly, a chorus broke out, and Olivia suddenly had no more supporters. Nawt even Derrington.

"I made a mistake, Massie," he said under his breath, looping an arm around her.

She squirms loose and looks him in the eye. "You're damn right, you made a mistake. But awn this day of awl days, I will nawt let you take it back. This is when I move awn with my life. You are nuh-thing but a high-school crush." And she spins awn her heel, leading her four best friends inside.