Disclaimer: I own all the characters in this story.


Chapter Two


Westchester, NY

Jamba Juice

10:12 A.M.

Monday, September 2nd

Climbing out the Bentley, Scarlett was blinded by the intense sunlight as she plucked her silver Ray-Ban sunglasses out of her quilted mini black Chanel flap bag. Slipping them on, she waved bye to her family's driver, Ivan and then straightened her black Maje button-front romper's straps. Rolling her shoulders back, Scarlett headed straight for Jamba Juice's frosted glass doors and was immediately bombarded by the sound of blenders going off. She witnessed well-dressed customers talking with each other while sipping their drinks. Scarlett swiftly walked over to the counter, feeling unbothered by the envious glances from the group of high-school students in front of her.

"Welcome to Jamba Juice," the barista greeted Scarlett as her right hand hovered over the register. "What would you like to order today?"

"One large orange-c booster smoothie," Scarlett replied, plucking her black Mastercard out of her purse's side pocket. "And, add a spicy-and-sweet chicken flatbread, please."

"Okay," the barista nodded, entering Scarlett's order into the register. "Uh… that would be eighteen dollars and twenty-one cents."

Scarlett tapped her contactless Mastercard against the reader. "Thanks," she responded, placing her credit card back inside her designer handbag,

"Your order would be ready in a couple of minutes," the barista said.

Without a word, Scarlett quickly grasped a paper straw from the dispenser before marching down to the end of the counter. A couple of minutes later, the barista passed Scarlett her smoothie and spicy and sweet flatbread. Turning on her black suede Jimmy Choo pointy-toed flats's heels, she couldn't help, but notice Ivy Jameson and Tiffany Wright. Two of the most legendary second-in-commands of Prescott Preparatory School for Girls. She noticed that they were currently occupying the table where Scarlett usually sat at.

Feeling anxious about meeting them, Scarlett understood that she was about to be in the presence of Tiffany and Ivy, who were people that gathered information for their feared Queens. Taking a sharp breath, she strutted over to the table with the poise and grace of a ballerina, knowing that she needed to make an excellent first impression. Scarlett lowered her smoothie down on the table's surface and set the Jamba Juice's paper bag on the table too.

Observing as Tiffany and Ivy realzied that she'd wanted to have an audience with them, she realized that they had permitted her to sit down, setting into the empty chair opposite Ivy and Tiffany. While Scarlett hung her purse off the back of her chair, she snatched her flatbread out of the paper bag and set it on two monogrammed white napkins.

Scarlett removed the paper off the straw and shoved it into her cup's slot. "Um, hi," chirped, nervously twirling the flawless six-karat diamond stud in her left ear.

"Can I help you?" Ivy asked a bit snarkily before taking a long sip of her large Jamba Juice matcha green tea blast smoothie.

"You look a bit lost," Tiffany added, taking a long gulp of her large Jamba Juice pomegranate paradise smoothie.

Scarlett paused to take a gulp of her smoothie as she tried to gather her thoughts before speaking to Ivy and Tiffany. "Oh, I wanted to introduce myself to you guys," she said quickly, taking a deep breath. "Since I'm going to be the second-in-command to my bestie, Maddie."

Ivy suddenly remembered who Avery had pointed out as the second-in-command to the next sixth-grade Queen. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, running her right manicured hand along the waistband of her high-waisted, baltic-wash L'Agence skinny jeans. "You're Scarlett Wilson, right?"

"Yes!" Scarlett said as she slipped off her sunglasses and tossed them into her purse. "I wanted you guys to meet the person behind the name you've heard a lot."

Tiffany tugged nervously on the hem of her simple, navy-blue Ted Baker high-neck lace-detailed tunic dress. "Now that we have met you," she said casually. "Is there anything that you want to talk to us about?"

Scarlett flicked some imaginary lint off her top before taking a small sip of her smoothie. "Oh, I was wondering if you guys could share some secrets about the people at school. I want to start my little black book like you guys."

Ivy cast her piercing-blue eyes down at her laced-up, black Christian Louboutin red-sole booties. "Fine," she answered with a sigh. "We'll share some information with you, but first, we need to talk about a tradition that's been passed down from every second-in-command to another."

"It's a tradition for the next second-in-command to be crowned the next Queen of Information by Ivy and me," Tiffany clarified as she opened her navy Chloé shoulder bag, plucked her starlight white iPhone 14 out of her purse, and dropped her cell phone into her lap. "After all, it's our right to do so."

"Oh my god!" Scarlett crowed, jumping up and down in her seat.

Tiffany nodded at Scarlett. "Ivy, it's time to show Scarlett what we bought her yesterday," she mused. "It's a crowning gift from both of us."

Ivy pulled a small gift-wrapped box from inside her small black Kate Spade satchel and handed the present over to Scarlett. "I hope that you like the gift from Tiffany and me," she stated, crossing her slender legs together.

Scarlett accepted the gift that Ivy and Tiffany had picked out for her yesterday as she slowly peeled the silver wrapping paper off Ivy and Tiffany's gift. "I wonder what you guys picked out for me," she smiled coyly at Tiffany and Ivy, pulling at the white satin bow that was tied around the little robin-egg-blue Tiffany box. Scarlett then lifted the lid off the box and looked inside the box, noticing a personalized freshwater pearl charm bracelet on a silk cushion. The bracelet had a solid sliver petite heart charm, and a solid sliver S letter charm hung from it. Scarlett noticed that Tiffany and Ivy's gift was custom and classy. It was chosen with Scarlett in mind. "Wow."

"You're welcome," Tiffany and Ivy said in unison.

Scarlett slipped on her new signature pearl charm bracelet as she practically let it sparkle in the lighting. "How did you guys find out that I like pearls a lot?" she asked Tiffany and Ivy, giving them a suspicious look.

"Scarlett, we've been looking through your Instagram account," Ivy answered with a giggle, exchanging a side glance with Tiffany. "And we noticed that you and Madeleine have been friends for a while."

Scarlett raised a perfectly waxed icy-blonde eyebrow at Ivy's statement before sipping more of her smoothie. "Yeah, Maddie and I became closer friends last year," she commented, flicking her long, icy-blonde curls over her left shoulder. "Especially since Hayden, the Queen of the pops, was the one that bullied the two of us with her posse last year."

"What happened?" Tiffany asked, sounding concerned for Madeleine and Scarlett.

Ivy sighed and popped a bite-size sweet Belgian waffle into her mouth. "Tell us everything," she declared, sounding pissed for Madeleine and Scarlett.

"Well, Maddie and I became friends with each other because we bonded through our experience of being bullied by Hayden," Scarlett notified Tiffany and Ivy as she took a small bite of her flatbread and moved her chair a bit more. "She didn't like the fact that our parents told us not to associate with her and her posse of friends. But, they never told us the true reason why they disliked her. So, she thought that we snubbed her because of our parents."

Tiffany picked some imaginary lint off her dress. "Why does Hayden think that you snubbed her?" she questioned, taking a sip of her smoothie.

"Maybe she thought that you guys were looking down at her," Ivy offered, shifting into a more comfortable position in her seat.

Scarlett pinched off a piece of her flatbread and popped it into her mouth. "Well, I think that she believed that Madeleine and I thought that she wasn't important enough to invite her to our joint birthday party," she said vaguely, tucking her curls behind her ears. "The real reason why Maddie and I didn''t invite her to our party was that our parents didn't approve of her because they thought that she was low-class."

"Whatever, I think that wasn't fair that your parents judged her for her parents' financial woes," Tiffany commented, taking a giant bite of her creamy spinach-and-feta-cheese tortilla wrap.

Ivy crossed her slender legs together and popped another bite-size waffle into her mouth. "After all, you guys could have defied your parents and invited her to your joined birthday party."

Scarlett nodded at Ivy's statement and took another bite of her flatbread. "Do you guys want to know the craziest part of this story?" she told Tiffany and Ivy, washing the food down with her smoothie.

"What is it?" Ivy eagerly questioned Scarlett as she gathered her long, jet-black ringlets over her creamy shoulders.

Tiffany pushed her perfectly blow-dried chocolate-brown locks out of her cornflower-blue eyes. "Spill the deets," she said enthusiastically.

"Well, Sarah, me and Maddie's ex-best friend, dared to become friends with Hayden and her friends. But the most painful part is that she joins in on the bullying of the two of us," Scarlett said, hurt evident in her icy-blue eyes. "Just because she thinks that it'll score her some brownie points with Hayden."

Ivy twisted her hands in her lap. "Ugh, that's gotta hurt so bad," she commented, popping another bite-size waffle into her mouth. "Turning against friends."

"Anyway, can we get back to the fact that Scarlett wants to hear some secrets about people at our school?" Tiffany asked, taking another long sip of her smoothie.

Ivy cocked her head to the side before checking her deep navy-blue nails. "Of course, Tiff! We should start with Lillian Vance's secret first."

"Yes!" Tiffany agreed, taking another bite of her tortilla wrap and washing the food down with a gulp of her smoothie. "So, we both agree that her secret is one that we share with Scarlett first."

Ivy acknowledged Tiffany's statement and shifted her attention back to Scarlett. "So, we're going to give you a little backstory about Lillian's social ranking at school before we tell you her secret," she explained.

"Okay, Ivy," Scarlett grinned as she uncrossed her legs before tugging on her top's flutter sleeves.

Tiffany sipped more of her smoothie. "Lillian is at the bottom of the social ladder at school because both Lindsey and Ivy thought that she's a threat to their reign," she explained. "And everyone else at school still talks to her."

Ivy smoothed her sleeveless ivory L'Agence V-necked blouse, which she'd worn under a fitted red Balmain double-breasted blazer. "Plus, Lindsey and Avery always felt this sucking-up vibe from her," she added, resting her manicured hands on the table. ""So, Scarlett, you need to make sure that Madeleine talks to her a bit. It'll cause people to accept being gracious to her."

"Got it," Scarlett nodded as she ate small bites of her flatbread and washed it down with her smoothie. "I'll create a list for Maddie, so she'll know the people that she has to grace her presence with."

Tiffany looked down at her white Michael Kors espadrilles. "Anyway, I heard that Lillian had a major crush on one of her camp's counselors this summer," she said smoothly. "I also heard that she tried to get closer to him by writing a love letter. Lillian believed that the counselor would acknowledge her feelings for him and dump whoever he was dating at home for her."

Ivy twirled the flawless four-karat diamond stud in her right ear. "Instead, the counselor pulled her to the side and told her that he didn't like her. She was also informed that he has a girlfriend at home already. So, he thought that Lillian would understand what he was saying."

"Oh my god!" Scarlett gasped as she pulled at the sleeves of her top before staring at her white-and-black Chanel color block ballet flats. "That sounds so horrible, Tiffany and Ivy! I feel bad for her."

"I said the same thing too," Ivy agreed with Scarlett, sipping more of her smoothie. "But, there's still more stuff we need to reveal about Lillian Vance's secret."

Scarlett raised a perfectly waxed eyebrow to Ivy's statement and sipped more of her smoothie. "Like what?" she inquired, leaning back against her chair.

"I heard that Lillian would stalk the counselor everywhere because she knew his entire schedule for the day," Tiffany notified as she played with the neckline of her dress. "She also stole things from his cabin. The twist in this story is that the counselor himself was getting tired of being constantly harassed by her. So, he asked the owner of the camp to expel her from the camp. Also, the counselor asked for the money that Lillian's parents had paid for her admittance to camp. As a result, Lillian was put on the banned list of people that the camp will never allow back. Even her parents didn't want to deal with her, so they sent their driver to pick her up."

Ivy stared at Tiffany and Scarlett. "Well, Lillian was immediately grounded by her parents for the entire summer," she said tentatively, popping another bite-size waffle into her mouth. "The conditions of her punishment were that she couldn't jet off to their summer homes in Paris, Hawaii, and Antigua and informed that the driver was banned from driving her to their East Hampton Estate. Lillian's parents also included their winter homes in Aspen and Norway. So, again, banned from shopping by her parents. And, she wasn't allowed to watch TV and text her friends at all."

"Oh, you guys revealed some juicy formation to me," Scarlett quickly commented, playing with the silver heart-shaped charm on her pearl charm bracelet.

Tiffany uncrossed her legs before taking a measured sip of her smoothie. "Well, Scar, Avery, and Lindsey already know about what happened to Lillian at camp and the punishment that her parents had handed to her," she explained, pointing towards Ivy so Scarlett would understand that this piece of information must stand between the three of us. "And then again, Lillian's parents didn't want her to ruin their reputations, so they needed something to drive it home so that she was grounded."

"I'm pretty sure that they will lose their exclusive memberships to everything in our town," Ivy added, moving her iPhone even closer to her.

Scarlett reached deep inside her designer handbag, pulled her iPhone out of it, and rested her cell phone on the table. "Do you guys remember rule number twenty-three of the book of 'Westchester's Society Rules'?" she asked Tiffany and Ivy, shoving the last bite of her flatbread into her mouth and washing it down with a gulp of her smoothie.

"Oh, you mean that rule that especially says that you should stop associating with ex-friends," Tiffany sighed profoundly and moved her moving her iPhone even closer to her. Shoving the last bite of her tortilla wrap into her mouth, she washed it down with a gulp of her smoothie. "Because they believed that you would get bad luck from them. My parents forced me to ditch some friends because they didn't approve of them at all."

Ivy popped another bite-size waffle into her glossy mouth and washed it down with her smoothie. "Girls, you should never forget the fall of the Knights," she added after Tiffany's opinion. "That's the reason why the rule was added to our society's rules."

"Do we still have to abide by that rule?" Scarlett consulted her new friends as she twisted her bracelet around her thin right wrist before taking a small sip of her smoothie.

Tiffany nervously tugged on the long sleeves of her dress as she took a dainty sip of her smoothie. "Yeah, Scar!" she replied. "My parents are enforcing that rule at home because they want me to be a respectable young lady."

Ivy picked at a loose strand of wool on her blouse. "Same," she agreed with Tiffany, pausing to sip more of her smoothie.

Scarlett shook her curls out of her eyes. "Well, my mom and dad told me that Westchester's society expects me to be classy and refined as a socialite," she said with a small smile on her face, sipping more of her smoothie.

"Whatever," Tiffany muttered as she rubbed the back of her slender neck. "Can we get back to talking about the secrets of our upcoming and returning classmates?".

"Of course, Tiff!" Ivy responded, taking a sip of her smoothie. "We should share Jessica Lake's secret with Scarlett now."

Tiffany nodded at Ivy and crossed her arms over her chest. "If I remember correctly, her secret isn't as horrible as Lillian's secret!" she said, pushing her chair even further in.

Scarlett paused to sip more of her smoothie as she moved her iPhone even closer to her. "Who's Jessica Lake?" she inquired, pausing to consume more of her smoothie.

Ivy placed her elbows on the table as she rested her chin on her folded, manicured hands. "If I remember correctly, Jessica Lake is going to be your classmate in the sixth grade, Scarlett!" she said, grinning at Scarlett.

Before Scarlett could say anything else to Tiffany and Ivy, her iPhone blared to life, ringing throughout the juice bar. She held her left manicured index finger in the air so Tiffany and Ivy would know that she needed to answer the phone for a quick minute. Scarlett then answered the call without looking at her cell phone's bright screen.

"Hi, sweetie!" Carol cheerfully greeted her daughter.

Scarlett finished off her smoothie. "Hey, Mom," she greeted her mom back. "Why are you calling me?"

"I need you to come home right now," Carol said. "For what?" Scarlett asked her mom.

"Just come home now," Carol instructed her daughter before ending the call. "Ivan is waiting outside of Jamba Juice for you."

Scarlett dropped her iPhone back into her designer handbag and returned her attention to Tiffany and Ivy. "I'm sorry, Tiffany and Ivy," she informed them, leaving her empty plastic smoothie cup on the table. "My mom is insisting that I come home right now."

"Don't worry about it," Tiffany said, staring at Ivy from the corner of her eye.

Scarlett pushed in her chair with a scrape. "Okay," she nodded, tossing her purse on her right shoulder. "Let's meet at Scoops on Sunday afternoon for some fun. Five-thirty."

"Cool," Tiffany agreed. "Alright," Ivy nodded.

Without saying another word to Tiffany and Ivy, Scarlett walked out of the juice bar and noticed that the Bentley was waiting by the cement curb. When Scarlett reached the edge of the curb, she opened the right-side white rear door and gracefully climbed into the car. Sliding across the buttery soft leather backseat, Scarlett dumped her purse on the adjacent seat beside her, shut the door behind her, and closed her eyes. She felt Jason pull away from the curb and sank further into her seat, remaining in that position for the rest of the car ride.


The Stein Estate

Gazebo

12:37 P.M.

Monday, September 2nd

"Wait a minute, you meet Tiffany Wright and Ivy Jameson at Jamba Juice," Madeleine said. She gracefully walked up the steps of her family's large, circular gazebo, which had white oak railings around it. Carrying Coco in her left arm, she made sure that her AirPods remained inside her ears as Madeleine held her iPhone up in the air with her right hand so she'd be able to see Scarlett clearly in the video call.

"Yes, Maddy," Scarlett answered her friend's question as she rolled her eyes. "I meet them at Jamba Juice today." She tugged on the hem of her romper and continued to sit cross-legged in the middle of her bed. "They officially crowned me the sixth-grade Queen of Information and told me some juicy secrets about our current classmates."

Madeleine walked across the pavilion and settled on a three-seater, beige-cushioned rattan sofa. "Can you share any of the secrets with me?" she asked, dropping her puppy on her lap.

Scarlett hugged one of her fluffy, white, goose-down pillows close to her chest as she raised one perfectly waxed eyebrow at her friend's question. "Of course, Maddie," she stated. "I'll always share some secrets with you."

Just as Madeleine was about to say something to her friend, she noticed that an incoming facetime call bubble popped at the top of her cell phone's screen.

Madeleine tapped the ends of her white Lanvin criss-cross wedges against the brown rattan coffee table in front of the sofa before running her left manicured hand over Coco's clean fur. "Scar, you wouldn't believe who's Facetiming me now," she said, sounding surprised. "It's Sarah."

Scarlett's eyes widened at Madeleine's statement. "Why is she Facetiming you now?" she asked dramatically. "I thought that she broke off our friendship so she could be friends with Hayden and her posse."

"I need to know why she's Facetiming me now," Madeleine replied as her right-manicured index finger hovered over the End & Accept interlocked button. "I'll add you to the Facetime call after she appears on the screen."

Scarlett curled up into a ball on her bed. "Okay, Mads," she nodded enthusiastically. "See you in a couple of seconds."

Seconds later, Madeline ended the video call with Scarlett so she'd be able to accept the video call from Sarah. Instantly, she noticed that her ex-best friend was sitting cross-legged on her bed and observed that Hayden was sitting right next to her.

"Hi, Maddie!" Sarah greeted her ex-best friend warmly. "It's been a while since I've heard from you."

Madeleine dropped Coco on the sofa and watched as her dog curled up next to her right thigh. "Hold on, I'm getting Scar on the video call. She wants to talk to you too."

"Okay," Sarah nodded as she nudged Hayden with her right shoulder to emphasize that Madeleine was adding Scarlett to Facetime.

Immediately, Madeleine added Scarlett to the video call with Sarah and Hayden. Moments later, she noticed that her friend had accepted the video call as she adjusted the round neckline of her sleeveless ivory Ted Baker skater dress, which had red, white, and black-striped detail on the neckline, waistband, and sleeves of the dress.

"What's up, Scar?" Sarah greeted Scarlett.

Scarlett was shooting daggers with her eyes as she took a long swig of her Evian water. "What do the both of you want?" she asked Sarah and Hayden.

"You need to tell us the truth now," Madeleine added after her friend as she ran her left manicured hand over the top of her honey-blonde curls.

Sarah's voice started to crack as she fought to hide the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Maddie and Scar," she choked out. "I'm sorry about my part in the bullying you guys last year."

"I'm sorry, Madeleine and Scarlett," Hayden said quietly. "I'm sorry that I bullied you guys and stole Sarah from you guys, so I'll be able to get back at you. I-I thought that you guys were rubbing it in everyone's faces that you're richer than everyone else in elementary school."

"I know that the words coming out of your mouths aren't true," Madeleine said coldly, tucking a long, curly lock of her hair behind her right ear so her new crystal Jennifer Behr nova drop earnings would be shown off to Hayden and Sarah.

Scarlett took another long swig of her Evian water so she'd calm down a bit since she didn't want to say what was on her mind about her ex-best friend and her ex-bully. "After all, you guys were nothing but bitches to us," she reminded them. "So, what do you guys want?"

Sarah bit her lower lip in disappointment. She didn't know how to calm down Madeleine and Scarlett without their bitchiness being directed at her and Hayden. "Well, I'm throwing a pool party next Sunday," she commented, pulling a Kleenex tissue out of the ceramic tissue box on the nightstand near her bed. "I wanted you guys to come to the party since I invited our former classmates from elementary school to the party as well."

"We want to apologize to you guys for the way we treated you guys in fifth grade," Hayden replied.

"Read my lips," Madeleine repeated as she scratched behind Coco's ears. "You guys were nothing but bitches to Scar and me."

Scarlett continued to hug one of her fluffy, white, ruffled-edge pillows against her chest. "So, why should we come to the party?" she inquired.

"I want to make amends with you guys," Sarah sniffed as she blotted her tears with the tissue from the tissue box on her nightstand.

"I want to enter middle school with a fresh start," Hayden added.

Madeleine smoothed out the matching cardigan to her dress, which was draped over her shoulders. "Ugh- fine," she said. "When does the party start?"

Um, my pool party starts at noon and ends at six 'o clock in the evening," Sarah notified as she crumpled up her dirty tissue and dropped it on her bed.

"Whatever," Scarlett mumbled, running her manicured fingers over the ornate silver buttons of her romper. "Just make sure that you reserve some lounge chairs for five people."

"Why?" Hayden and Sarah asked in unison.

Scarlett rested her chin on her left palm. "We're going to the party with our friends," she lied. "So, you guys will get to meet them."

"Okay," Sarah and Hayden said in unison. "See you next Sunday."

"Whatever," Madeleine muttered as she noticed that Hayden and Scarlett had ended the call on their side.

Scarlett rested her right elbow on her knee. "Do you believe a word coming out of their mouths?" she asked her friend.

"No," Madeleine said. "But we can discuss this at your house later."

"Okay," Scarlett agreed before ending the call on her side.

Getting up from the sofa, Madeleine held her iPhone in her right manicured hand as she walked down the gazebo's stairs, carrying Coco in her left arm. She marched across the freshly trimmed backyard lawn and walked back inside the house, heading straight for her bedroom. The only thing that mattered to Madeleine now was that she needed to relax a bit before heading over to Scarlett's house.


The Wilson Estate

Scarlett's Bedroom

2:05 P.M.

Monday, September 2nd

Scarlett had already changed into her deep-red Splendid lace-trimmed camisole and a pair of white Joie denim shorts as she plopped down on her chaise lounge. She glanced around her room, noticing that everything was in place for her and Madeleine to get ready for the party. Two medium crystal bowls of sliced strawberries and raspberries were displayed on a small round buffet table, draped in a white tablecloth with an iced pitcher of lemon water in the middle. Two rhinestone-covered tumblers were set next to the pitcher, and two metal straws were positioned near the pitcher as well.

Two paper plates were stacked neatly in front of the tumblers, and several lavender-scented candles were placed all over her room, giving off a sweet smell. Scarlett noticed that her hairstylist, Yul, his employee, Joelle, and the two hired makeup artists had already set up their makeshift stations near the space close to her bedroom door. Finally, she had adjusted her pre-party playlist with some new songs on Spotify so she and Madeleine could dance along to some awesome music.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Scarlett snatched her iPhone from her coffee table and glanced at her cell phone's bright screen. Immediately, she noticed that there were only twenty more minutes till her friend arrived at her house. Minutes later, Scarlett heard the sound of her bedroom door opening as she continued to look through her cell phone. She looked up from her iPhone's bright screen, catching sight of her friend sauntering into her room with Ingrid following behind her, carrying a garment bag over her right shoulder.

Scarlett stood up from the chaise lounge and shoved her iPhone into the left pocket of her sweatshirt. "Hey, Maddie!" she called to her friend, wrapping her arms around Madeleine and squeezing her friend into a bear hug.

"Hi, Scar!" Madeleine sang back in reply. She broke away from the hug before dropping her small red Prada monochrome satchel on Scarlett's bed. Madeleine then grabbed her iPhone out of her purse before pointing toward her family's maid, Ingrid. "Um, bestie, you can see that I bought Ingrid along with me. I only needed her to carry the garment bag that's stuffed with my outfit for the party today."

Scarlett slipped her bare pedicured feet into her red faux-fur Ted Baker cross-over slippers and placed her manicured hands on her hips before cocking her head to the side. "Yeah, I already guessed when you walked into my bedroom," she told her friend. "Now, let's talk about the fact that Sarah and Hayden had the audacity to Facetime you as if nothing happened in the past. Did they forget that they bullied us?" Are they expecting us to forgive them for everything?"

"Oh, I believe that they expect us to forgive them," Madeleine said as she kicked off her wedges and heard them thud to the floor. "But the thing that pisses me off is that Sarah thinks that everything is all going to be all smiles and rainbows now. She then invites us to her pool party so she and Hayden could start middle school with fresh starts."

Scarlett crossed her arms over her chest. "I know," she replied. "Maddy, we need to go to this party. I want to know what Hayden and Sarah have been up to for the summer."

Madeleine jumped from one foot to another before noticing that Ingrid dropped the garment bag on Scarlett's bed. "Same," she agreed. "We should show our faces at Sarah's pool party."

Scarlett nodded in her friend's direction and dragged her friend over to the buffet table. "Anyway, Mads, Yul is here with his team, so they'll do our hair and makeup," she quickly uttered. "So, let's grab some food first."

Madeleine tossed her iPhone on Joelle's chair before picking up a plate from the table. "I'm feeling a bit peckish," she said, loading her plate with some brownies and chips.

Scarlett poured some lemon water into her tumbler and closed the lid on her cup. "Same," she agreed, shoving a metal straw into the slot of her tumbler. "We need to start getting ready for my parents' party. It starts at six-thirty p.m."

"When I was walking in here, I noticed that your mannequin looks adorable in that outfit," Madeleine grinned, looking over at Ingrid. She was watching as her maid walked out of Scarlett's room. "I literally cannot get over the dress you bought at the mall yesterday."

"Yeah, I know," Scarlett nodded, piling her plate with berries.

Madeleine poured some lemon water into her tumbler and closed the lid on her cup. "I was thinking that I should straighten my hair for the party," she mused, jamming a metal straw into the slot of her tumbler. Madeleine then held her plate of berries in one hand and her lemon water-filled tumbler in the other. "Oh, I also want some layers." Scarlett sauntered over to the spot where Yul, his employee, and two hired makeup artists waited for them. "Same, except I want my hair in a half-up and half-down hairdo," she said before holding her plate of food in one hand and her lemonade-filled tumbler in the other.

Sitting down in Yul and Joelle's hairstylist chairs, Madeleine and Scarlett plopped their plate of berries on their laps before setting their tumblers into the cup holders. Seconds later, they shifted their attention to Scarlett's hairstylist.

"Hi, Yul," Scarlett greeted her hairstylist. "You remember Maddie, right? You fixed her hair last year for our birthday party."

Yul pulled Scarlett's curls out of its messy bun and draped her hair over his chair. "Yes, Scarlett!" he nodded in understanding. "I remember that her hairstylist and his team had to go into the city for the Foxx's wedding."

A wide grin spread across Madeleine's face. "That day would have been ruined," she added, popping a sliced strawberry into her mouth. "Plus, my mom didn't know what to do with my hair that day.

Scarlett relaxed a bit before shifting into a comfortable position in her seat. "Same," she agreed with a nod, popping a sliced raspberry into her mouth. "I was thrilled that you could squeeze her in at the last minute."

"Remember, Scarlett," Yul said as he started massaging his client's scalp. "I've been doing your mom's hair for ten years now. Plus, she trusted me with you since you were nine years old."

Scarlett pulled her iPhone out of the pocket of her sweatshirt and unlocked her cell phone. "Of course I know that," she beamed, clicking on the Spotify app.

Yul pulled a thin comb from the convenient apron from his waist. "So, I couldn't help but hear that you want your hair in a half up and half down hairdo," he added, pulled Scarlett's hair into two sections, and tied them up.

"Yeah, but I want the ends to be loose curls all around," Scarlett replied smoothly, knowing what she wanted. She'd been contemplating the style for weeks now. There was no length change, and it was a different look from her usual long, loose curls that always cascaded down her back. "Plus, can you trim the split ends? It looks bad."

Yul checked Scarlett's hair for split ends. "Of course, Scarlett," he replied, plugging his curling iron into the outlet and setting it on a table pad. "Did you wash your hair this morning?"

Scarlett pressed play on the pre-party playlist. "Yes, Yul, I washed my hair this morning," she answered her hairstylist's question, noticing that the first song of her pre-party playlist was playing across her wireless speakers. Therefore she dropped her iPhone on the left armrest of Yul's chair.

Madeleine popped another chip into her mouth before snatching her iPhone from the seat cushion of Joelle's chair. "That reminds me," she said softly, interrupting the conversation that was happening between her friend and her friend's hairstylist. "Did you catch the pilot episode of Paradise on TV?"

"No, Maddy, I watched the first episode on Hulu today," Scarlett remarked to her friend. She lifted the metal straw in her tumbler to her lips and took a long sip of her lemon water. "Plus, the drama in this episode was wonderful."

Madeleine took two gulps of her lemon water before dropping her cell phone on the left armrest of Joelle's chair. "Same," she agreed with her friend. "Except, I was completely in awe about the queen bee herself, Samantha Vasquez."

"Why?" Scarlett inquired as she kicked off her slippers.

Madeleine crossed her slender legs together before balancing her plate of food on her right thigh. "Well, she's the trendsetter of this fictional school and is dating Benji Holloway, who happens to be the quarterback of the same school."

"Yeah, Mads, I noticed that she fits into the stereotype of being a mean girl," Scarlett agreed, running her right manicured hand over her jaw. "But I love her character even more since she causes some drama with her attitude, and her hatred for the new girl is classic."

Madeleine nodded at her friend's statement before taking two gulps of her lemon water. "Didn't you watch the part about the confrontation between the new girl Alexandra and Samantha?" she asked her friend, changing the subject to something else.

"Yes," Scarlett replied, licking her lips. "But I happen to like Samantha's vicious attitude towards Alexandra even more."

Madeleine raised a perfectly waxed honey-blonde eyebrow at Scarlett's opinion. "What? Why?" she questioned, glancing at her friend out of the corner of her eye.

Scarlett popped a couple of strawberries into her mouth. "She hated the fact that the new girl was getting too close to her boyfriend," she answered her friend's question.

"Well, I happened to adore Samantha's classy comebacks," Madeleine told Scarlett, pulling on the hem of her dress. "Especially since she's using them against anyone who goes against the status quo in her mind."

Scarlett agreed with her friend before sipping more of her lemon water. "I appreciated the one about her comparing the new girl to a bitch," she snickered gleefully. "When I heard that comeback, it almost caused my drink to come out of my nose since I was dying of laughter."

Madeleine smirked, her emerald-green eyes glinting. "Same, except my drink came out of my nose."

"Gross!" Scarlett said, wrinkling her pert nose.

Madeleine watched as her friend expressed her disgust. "Anyway, Scar, I checked Instagram this morning," she explained, tracing her right manicured pinky finger around the plate's edge. "It seems that someone had turned Samantha's comeback into a meme. It's awesome.

Scarlett ate several handfuls of raspberries before washing them down with her lemon water. "That's cool," she started with a chuckle. "Well, you'd think that Alexandra would have gotten the hint that Samantha doesn't like her since she's trying everything to be apart of her group."

"She's completely clueless about that part," Madeleine added with a smile on her face. "And I do admire her spirit for trying to fit in with the social norms in this fictional high school!"

Scarlett grinned at her friend and sat up straighter in her seat, making sure that her posture remained elegant. "Uh, it's okay. There's so much stuff in this pilot episode that I appreciate about the other characters as well."

"Are you talking about one of Samantha's best friends, Kinsley?" Madeleine inquired calmly, raising her perfectly waxed eyebrows slightly in amusement.

"Yes, Mads," Scarlett responded with a giggle. "It seems that she's one of Samantha's minions."

Madeleine giggled as she shifted into a comfortable position in her seat. "Isn't she the one that Samantha sent to Alexandra to advise her to stay away from her boyfriend?"

Scarlett cast a wry smile in her friend's direction and tugged on the long sleeves of her sweatshirt before glancing at Yul, who was still curling her hair. "Um, yes, Maddy," she nodded in understanding. "I rewatched that scene about five times. And I died laughing at Alexandra's facial expression."

"Same," Madeleine agreed, moving her strawberries and raspberries around the plate. "I was shaking my head in disbelief since it shows that Alexandra was trying to be conjugal to Samantha and her crowd of minors for the rest of the pilot episode."

Scarlett adjusted her camisole. "Didn't you enjoy the part about Samantha's other best friend, Erin, humiliating Alexandra? It was my favorite part of this episode. Especially since Erin posted a disgusting picture of Alexandria on her 'Loser or Not' Instagram account for trying to get to suck up to Samantha."

"Well, yeah, obviously," Madeleine replied, rolling her eyes at Scarlett's question. "I was completely delighted about the way they talked shit about Alexandra to her face."

"To be honest, I'd rather them talk about Alexandra behind her back," Scarlett added, pausing to sip more of her lemon water. "Because some of the insults thrown her way were harsh and rude."

Madeleine pursed her lips. "Isn't that your favorite part of this pilot episode? And it made me even more pleased since Samantha was this close to breaking Alexandra's guard."

Scarlett picked a loose thread off her camisole. "Uh, all right," she decided. "I just thought that they've put her through so many things, and Samantha's boyfriend choose the wrong time to defend Alexandra from his girlfriend."

"Oh my god!" Madeleine squealed, making sure that her head remained straight since Joelle was still straightening her hair. "I enjoyed the part about the death glare that Samantha sent her boyfriend's way."

Scarlett lifted her iPhone to her face and recognized that the second song of her pre-party playlist was now playing on her speakers. "Well, it made me laugh even more since he knew that he fucked up and tried to give Samantha some half-assed apology."

"Well, I was interested in the fact that Samantha has some secret that she doesn't want people to know," Madeleine beamed, twisting a long, curly lock of hair around her right manicured index finger.

"Oh, Maddie, it isn't just Samantha with secrets. You have to include everyone shown in the pilot episode too. They might be hiding something that they don't want people to know about." Scarlett said dramatically, checking her red nails.

Madeleine ate some dainty bites of her strawberries and raspberries as she uncrossed her legs. "You're right, Scar! I can't wait for their secrets to be revealed to us."

Scarlett peeked from the corner of her eye and observed that the two makeup artists were busy looking at the screens of their iPhones. "Anyway, did you watch the latest episode of Fashion Inspections?" she asked Madeleine, changing the subject to something else.

"Yeah, I literally cannot get over this dress that Anna Rhodes had worn to her friend's birthday party," Madeleine shuddered, making sure that she didn't move her head since Joelle was almost done straightening her hair. "I'm still having nightmares about it. And the legendary fashion critic herself, Amanda Noble, had begged her to burn that dress on national TV."

Scarlett drank three gulps of her water before shoving her cell phone. "Same, but I liked her shoes a lot," she agreed with her friend. "Well, Maddy, I happened to adore the custom Louis Vuitton dress that Julianne Marks wore to the American Music Awards."

"That dress was featured on the other's co-host's 'Fashionable or Not' scale," Madeleine said calmly, pausing to drink more of her lemon water.

Scarlett ate the last of her strawberries and raspberries before shaking her head. "Honestly, Mads, how weak-minded are you? Bryanna Taylor is known for being the celebrity stylist for Tiffany Johnson. Some of her fashion picks are a hit or a failure."

Madeleine winced at the disappointment in Scarlett's voice. "Well, no, but I was trying to say that she usually judges other stylists on their creative choices."

"I'm just pleased that you haven't lost your fashion sense yet," Scarlett grinned at Madeleine as she took a long sip of her lemon water. "Plus, you could always count on some celebrities to embarrass themselves on red carpets. Their fashion choices aren't always great. And it looks awful on them."

"Yeah, I know," Madeleine agreed, sipping more of her lemon water. "I don't know why luxury designer brands design awful things for celebrities."

Scarlett took a hearty sip of her lemon water as she acknowledged Madeleine's opinion. "We would never know the answer to that statement," she said. "Anyway, did you listen to what Bryanna said about Peyton Bergmann's tweed suit?"

Madeleine ate the last of her strawberries and raspberries. "Of course," she answered in a mature voice. "If I remember correctly, she said that tweed might be back in for the younger generation, but that means that Peyton should stay away from that fabric."

"When I heard that statement, my sides hurt from laughing too much. And I read between the lines that Bryanna was dissing her." Scarlett asserted, staring at her pedicured feet.

Madeleine grinned brightly and tapped her royal-blue nails against the left armrest of Joelle's chair. "But she did it in such a classy way that people accepted her statement."

"While I was watching the show, I appreciated the fact that Amanda Noble said that monochrome is in for this summer and fall," Scarlett added with a chuckle. "And Bryanna had added after Amanda that people with classic fashion style should add some prints to their closets."

"Well, I agreed with their statements, but I'm picky about my prints. And I don't want my closet to be filled with many prints." Madeleine said firmly, drinking half of her water.

Scarlett crossed her arms over her chest and looked from the corner of her eye. "Same," she agreed with her friend.

Yul interrupted the chatter between Scarlett and Madeleine as he sprayed some more volume hairspray on Scarlett's hair. "Well, Scarlett, I'm done doing your hair. So, go over to the makeup artists, and they'll do your makeup for you. And I'll assist Joelle with finishing Madeleine's hair now."

Scarlett exchanged a side glance with Madeleine before leaping off her hairstylist's chair. "I need to check if it looks marvelous on me," she said with a giant smile on her face, dropping her paper plate on the floor.

Scarlett ran over to her long, white-framed, three-way mirror and studied her reflection for a long moment, examining that her hair was curled to perfection, swept into a crown braid on top of her head. She was pleased that Yul had given her what she wanted, delighted with the hairstyle for her parents' party. Scarlett sprinted over to her hairstylist and hugged the life out of him.

"Thanks, Yul," Scarlett declared, sighing with happiness. "The hairstyle looks fabulous on me."

Yul wrapped his arms around Scarlett and returned the hug. "You're welcome," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes.

Scarlett broke away from the hug and grabbed her iPhone off the armrest of Yul's chair before jumping from one foot to another. "I'm gonna get my makeup done now. So, Yul, charge this house call to my mom's account."

"Of course, Scarlett," Yul nodded in understanding, moving closer to Joelle's chair.

Without saying another word to her hairstylist, Scarlett grabbed her half-full tumbler from the cup holder before plopping down on one of the makeup artists' chairs, cell phone in her right manicured hand. Taking a deep breath, she dropped her iPhone into her lap and lowered her tumbler back into the cup holder of the makeup artist's chair before sitting up straighter in her seat. Peeking from the corner of her eye, Scarlett observed that Yul was now assisting Joelle with straightening Madeleine's hair.

"Good afternoon, Miss Scarlett," the makeup artist greeted Scarlett with a massive grin on her face. "Your hair looks wonderful today. So, let's make your face match your hair."

Scarlett nodded at Shelby as she kept her head forward. "Yes," she giggled, her makeup artist started applying some Clé de Peau Beauté ivory concealer around her eyes.

Madeleine interrupted the conversation between her friend and Shelby as she sipped more of her lemon water. "Anyway, Scar, let's get back to talking about Hayden and Sarah. Do you remember the time that we were invited to Hayden's Halloween party?"

Scarlett watched as the makeup artist dug around her rolling makeup case for some foundation. "Of course, Maddie," she replied. "She only invited us to her party because she wanted people to pity us."

"Hayden also dumped tomato soup on my vintage Chanel dress," Madeleine casually remarked. "Everyone at that party laughed at my misfortune."

"Same, except my Valentino dress was ruined." Scarlett agreed with a nod.

"I remember that my mom was furious with me since that dress belonged to her mom," Madeleine sighed deeply, sipping more of her lemon water. "My dad\ was the one to convince her to let me wear the dress. And I recalled that my mom told me that the dress had been appraised for two hundred thousand dollars."

Scarlett looked out the corner of her eye as she observed that Yul and Joelle had finished doing Madeleine's hair. "I also remember that I didn't go to school the next day. And everyone was bashing me on Instagram."

Madeleine walked over to Scarlett's mirror and studied her reflection. "Well, Scar, you have to remember that my parents saw the bashing on Instagram and threatened to sue the school district," she smirked. Madeleine then noticed that her hair was pin straight with the layers that framed her face perfectly.

"Of course, Mads," Scarlett smirked as she stared at her makeup artist, who was brushing some NARS Laguna bronzing powder across her even-toned skin. "My parents told me that they would join the lawsuit with your parents. And then the family lawyer reminded them that they needed to care about our family's reputation."

Madeleine padded across her friend's Moroccan rugs and yanked her tumbler from the cup holder. "Why?" she asked, grabbing her cell phone from the armrest of Joelle's chair. Madeleine then plopped down on the other makeup artist's chair.

Scarlett lifted the metal straw in her tumbler to her lips and took a long sip of her lemon water. "Well, he told them that they would be ridiculed by business partners, family, and close friends," she explained, her makeup stepped into her vision to apply some eyeliner on her lids. "Just because my mom and dad wanted people to stop bullying their daughter."

Madeleine dug her painted fingernails into the armrests of her makeup artist's chair. "In the end, your parents went against their lawyer's advice and sued the school." she declared, her makeup artist was applying some Shiseido concealer under her eyes.

Scarlett sipped some of her lemon water. "Maddie, you shouldn't forget that our parents won that lawsuit," she beamed, her makeup artist was looking through her rolling make case for some eyeliner. "Plus, they made sure that everyone deleted those pictures from their accounts."

Madeleine observed as her makeup artist dabbed some foundation onto her face. "Um, Scar, we shouldn't forget that people in our grade were afraid to post anything on their Instagram accounts. Especially since they were wondering if our parents were there to serve their parents with court papers."

"What about the time that Sarah posted some nasty Instagram story about us?" Scarlett continued, her makeup artist blending some shades of red and gold eyeshadow over her lids. "Didn't she get into trouble with the principal for not following the school's bullying policy?"

"Yeah, Scar," Madeleine said smoothly, listening to the third song of Scarlett's preparty playlist that was now playing across her friend's wireless speakers. "After all, the school district was still reeling from the lawsuit from our parents. Unfortunately, because of Sarah's Instagram story, their ire was redirected at the school again, so they had no other option than to suspend Sarah for a week."

Scarlett noticed that her makeup artist had finished applying some mascara on her long lashes. "Didn't some people try to suck up to us? Especially since our joined birthday party coming up soon," she instantly replied.

Madeleine witnessed that her makeup artist had brushed some bronzing powder across her cheekbones. "Of course, Scar. I'm pretty sure that our classmates wanted to find a way for us to drop our guards. So, they'll be able to bully us more."

Scarlett noticed that her makeup artist had applied some lip gloss on her lips. "Um, Mads, that didn't happen to us. And we managed to pull a fast one on Hayden and her posse of friends."

Scarlett's makeup artist interrupted the conversation between her client and her friend. "Well, Miss Scarlett, I'm done doing your makeup." she trilled.

"Okay," Scarlett nodded at her makeup artist, crossing her slender legs together. "I'm going to inspect if it looks nice on me."

Leaping off her makeup artist's chair, Scarlett strode over to her three-way mirror and admired her flawless reflection. She discovered that her face looked dewy, fresh, and radiant. Satisfied with her reflection, Scarlett looked at her makeup artist before speaking.

"Well, you did a good job," Scarlett commented, observing that Yul and Joelle were packing up their tools into their rolling hairstyling cases.

Without saying another word to her makeup artist and her friend, she pulled the clothes off her mannequin and walked into her closet, hurrying to get dressed for her parents' party. Scarlett reappeared twenty minutes later, ready to go. She wore an elegant, sleeveless red Ted Baker ruffle skater dress, a pair of gold Jimmy Choo glitter heels, and a wide metallic-gold Gucci snakeskin clutch. Scarlett had added a pair of gold Ross & Simmons diamond chandelier earrings and her signature pearl charm bracelet as a finishing away from the mirror, Scarlett sauntered over to her friend, the sound of her heels clicking and clacking on the polished wood floor.

"What do you think, Maddie?" Scarlett consulted, showcasing her ensemble to her friend.

"Adorable," Madeleine commented, catching sight of her makeup artist, who was lining her lids with an eyebrow pencil. "By the way, where did you get those heels?"

Scarlett noted that her hairstylist and his employee were done packing up their tools and were walking out of her bedroom before answering Madeleine's question. "I bought them last year," she acknowledged her friend's question. "Um, Maddie, should I wait for you?"

"Yeah," Madeleine answered, sipping the last of her lemon water. She noticed that her makeup artist already applied some mascara on her long lashes and had blended some blue and gold eyeshadow over her lids. "What time is it?"

Scarlett snatched her iPhone out of her clutch and checked the time. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "It's almost six fifty-nine p.m. Maddie, you need to hurry up."

"Scar, I'm almost done getting my makeup done," Madeleine responded as her makeup artist finally smeared two coats of lip gloss on her lips.

Madeleine's makeup artist interrupted the chatter between her client and her friend as she handed Madeleine an expensive hand mirror. "Miss Madeleine, I'm done doing your makeup. So, check it out."

Madeleine stared at her face for a few moments before loving that her makeup looked fresh and radiant. "It looks beautiful," she stated, handing over the hand mirror to the makeup artist. Madeleine then jumped off her makeup artist's chair and returned her attention to her friend. "Scar, let me change into my clothes first! Then, we head over to the party."

Nodding at her friend, Scarlett watched as Madeleine grabbed her garment bag off her bed and walked inside her bathroom. Unlocking her iPhone again, she pressed pause on her pre-party playlist and dropped her cell phone back into her clutch. She perceived that Yul, Joelle, and the other makeup artist had already left her room. Finally, Scarlett noticed that Madeleine's makeup artist was still packing her stuff into her rolling makeup case, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

Moments later, she heard the sound of 'Mack the Knife' by Frank Sinatra playing through her bedroom walls, which meant the party had already started. Seeing the mess in her room, Scarlett decided that Elsa would clean up this mess as she noticed that Madeleine was walking outside of her bathroom, dressed to the tens.

"Scar, how do I look?" Madeleine asked her friend, looking at her reflection in Scarlett's mirror for a long time. She smoothed out the front of her beautiful, sleeveless mid-blue Ted Baker high-neck scalloped tunic dress, which she'd paired with metallic-gold Sophia Webster angel-wing heels and a metallic-gold Stuart Weitzman box clutch. She had added small pearl studs, and her signature pearl necklace as a finishing touch.

"Stunning," Scarlett replied with a wide grin on her face as she got up from her bed and headed straight for her bedroom door.

Madeleine grinned and noticed as the other makeup artist had already left Scarlett's room. "Got it," she beamed, following behind Scarlett.

Racing downstairs, Scarlett linked elbows with Madeleine and headed straight for the sunroom. Before walking out of the sunroom door with her friend, her final thoughts were this: Would her best friend find the other members of her court? Would she fulfill her role as the second-in-command? Would she and Madeleine remain friends for the rest of their lives?


The Wilson Estate

Backyard

7:28 P.M.

Monday, September 2nd

As soon as Madeleine and Scarlett walked into the massive tent, the girls promptly noticed all of the details that Scarlett's parents had put into their annual Labor Day soirée. Three glittering medium-sized Swarovski-crystal-trimmed chandeliers sparkled over the white silk lining that draped across the tent's ceiling. All the round wooden tables were covered in crisp white tablecloths with crystal glasses, polished silverware, blue place settings, and elegant white place cards.

The chairs were covered in white chair covers with sumptuous blue sashes tied around them. In the center of the tables were elaborate glass centerpieces overflowing with flowers. A live quintet was sitting on the stage, playing classical and jazz music. Waiters in white tuxedo jackets distributed flutes of champagne for the adults and sparkling apple cider for the kids. Finally, everyone was milling around in sophisticated outfits.

Madeleine tossed the thin chain of her clutch over her right shoulder since she didn't want her designer handbag to be covered with grass stains."Oh my god, Scar!" she exclaimed, looking around the massive tent. "Everything looks so beautiful."

"It does, Maddy," Scarlett agreed. She plucked a flute of sparkling apple cider from a passing tray and took a long sip of her sparkling apple cider. Scarlett then made sure to lift herself to her tiptoes so her Jimmy Choo heels wouldn't get stuck in the dewy grass. "Vanessa went above and beyond for my parents."

Madeleine also lifted herself to her tiptoes so her Sophia Webster heels wouldn't get stuck in the grass. "Of course, Scar, she wants to keep your parents as clients," she said, grabbing a flute of sparkling apple cider off a passing tray. "After all, she's the one that planned our joined birthday party last year."

Scarlett pushed the thin chain of her designer clutch even higher on her right shoulder so it wouldn't fall on the ground. "If I remember correctly, that party was on the verge of being awesome," she replied. "Didn't our former classmates rave about the party on social media?"

"Yeah," Madeleine calmly said as she continued to stand on her tiptoes before taking a tiny sip of her sparkling apple cider.

Scarlett took a dainty sip of her sparkling apple cider. "Do we know anybody here besides our parents?" she asked.

Madeleine ran her manicured fingers along the rim of her flute of sparkling apple cider. "Um, no," she answered softly. "I need to find my parents since I want to make sure they've arrived safely at the party. Oh, they're already here and now are talking to your parents and some friends."

"Whatever," Scarlett murmured as she rolled her eyes playfully, taking another small sip of her sparkling apple cider. "Can we please just sit down now?" She smoothed out her dress. "I'm tired of standing on my tiptoes."

Madeleine took another sip of her sparkling apple cider. "Same," she agreed with her friend.

Scarlett linked elbows with Madeleine and started dragging her friend toward their designated table. "Let's sit down, Mads," she said with a giggle. "They're going to start serving dinner soon."

Madeleine followed her friend, not caring about the adults who were trying to speak to her. "Thank god!" she muttered, sipping some of her sparkling cider while making sure that her drink didn't spill on her dress. "I'm starving now."

Madeleine and Scarlett headed straight over to their designated table in the children's section, still walking on their tiptoes, so their heels remained stainless. They grabbed their seats beside each other and dropped their clutches on the table, their eyes settled on the three girls sitting across from them. Immediately, Madeleine and Scarlett waved their right hands in the air to get the attention of Kayla, Mackenzie, and Audrey, realizing that the girls had focused their attention on them.

Madeleine lowered her flute of sparkling apple cider to the table. "Um, hi, I'm Madeleine Stein," she introduced herself to the girls, pointing towards Scarlett so she could introduce her friend to their new friends. "That's Scarlett Wilson. Haven't I seen you guys somewhere?"

Kayla noticed that Scarlett was grinning at them as she took a small sip of her sparkling apple cider. "Yeah, We've met at other parties that our parents forced us to go to," she said, pointing toward Mackenzie and Audrey. Madeleine and Scarlett understood that she also hung out with them at parties.

"Yeah, we've met," Madeleine recalled, nodding at her new friends and sipping more of her sparkling apple cider. "But I've never caught your names."

"Same for me," Scarlett said, crossing her slender legs together.

"I'm Kayla Adams," Kayla said, flashing a sweet smile at Madeleine and Scarlett.

"Hi, I'm Mackenzie Frost," Mackenzie added, leaning back against her chair. She then downed the contents of her sparkling apple cider before dropping the empty flute on the table.

Audrey pulled her compact out of her gold Tory Burch bow clutch and checked out her reflection in the mirror. "I'm Audrey Webster."

"It's nice to meet you guys," Madeleine and Scarlett said in unison as they unfolded their dinner napkins and placed them on their laps.

The blondes in question were doing the same as Madeleine and Scarlett. Kayla, Mackenzie, and Audrey then shifted their attention back to her new friends. "Nice to meet you guys too," they responded.

Before the girls could resume their conversation with each other, the waiters brought out the first course of the evening: Gazpacho soup and a big basket of warm sourdough rolls.

Madeleine grabbed a sourdough roll from the basket on the table and bit into it. " So, what school are you guys going to attend for the sixth grade?" she asked her acquaintances, pointing at Scarlett and herself. "Since Scar and I are going to the same school."

Mackenzie grabbed her spoon off the table and swirled it in her gazpacho soup. "Prescott Preparatory School for Girls," she answered, shoving a spoonful of soup into her mouth.

"Oh my god!" Kayla exclaimed as she stirred her spoon in her gazpacho soup and spooned some soup into her mouth before swallowing it. "I'm going to the same school as you guys."

Audrey thought that her new acquaintances were being friendly to her. "Same for me too," she agreed with a nod, shoving a spoonful of soup into her mouth.

Scarlett snatched a sourdough roll from the basket on the table and dipped it into her soup before biting into it. "I'm pretty sure that we'll at least get to know each other," she said to Kayla, Mackenzie, and Audrey. "After all, Maddie and I have been friends for a while."

A beaming grin quickly broke across Madeleine's face. "We've been through some things together," she added after her friend, dunking the same sourdough roll into her gazpacho soup. "Plus, you guys are very cool since we clicked with each other."

Kayla nodded at Madeleine before snatching a sourdough roll from the basket. "Can we please do something fun?" she suggested, breaking the roll in half.

"Like what?" Madeleine asked Kayla, brushing some lint off her dress.

Audrey smoothed out the creases in her short, white floral Lilly Pulitzer fit-and-flare dress before crossing her slender legs together. "Let's play Twenty Questions," she answered coyly. "It'll cause us to become closer to each other."

Madeleine moved over to the side as she watched the waiter pour some iced water into her empty water glass. "Awesome idea, Addie!" she exclaimed. "Who's going first?"

"I'll go first," Scarlett declared, uncrossing her legs. "What's your favorite magazine?"

"Any magazine?" Madeleine questioned as she took a long gulp of her water. "Or just fashion, or gossip, or what?"

Scarlett swallowed a mouthful of her gazpacho soup. "Fashion," she answered.

Madeleine checked her painted nails. "To be honest, I like Seventeen," she admitted. "They have the most fabulous fashion spreads."

Kayla flicked her long, wheat-blonde hair over her left shoulder before fiddling with her Tiffany infinity link bracelet. "Well, my favorite is French Elle," she said. "Everything in that magazine is cute. Plus, I love Paris Fashion Week a lot."

"Oh la la," Mackenzie teased, raising her perfectly waxed strawberry-blonde eyebrows. "Anyway, I love Vogue Japan. It's eccentric."

Audrey moved over to the side as she watched the waiter pour some iced water into her empty water glass. "I'm a British Vogue girl. Super adorable." she giggled. "What about you, Scar?"

"Italian Garzia," Scarlett replied instantly, dunking the same sourdough roll into her gazpacho soup and biting into it. "I can't understand it all, but there are some great fashion spreads."

"What are your favorite designers?" Kayla asked the girls as she smoothed her elegant, crimson-red Prada one-shoulder mini dress and crossed her arms over her chest. "But you only get to pick one."

Madeleine popped the last bite of her gazpacho-covered sourdough roll into her mouth before crossing her arms over her chest. "That's not fair, Kay!" she pouted, leaning against the table. "But I'll have to pick Ted Baker."

Scarlett noticed that the waiter poured some iced water into her empty water glass. "Armani for me. It's just such a classic, you know?"

"Daphne Guinness," Mackenzie said, tapping her platinum-white nails on the table. "I don't wear much by her, but she's got a great eye for design."

Audrey drummed her icy-white nails on the edge of her filled water glass. "Celine," she decided. "It's elegant but simple."

Kayla popped the last bite of her gazpacho-covered sourdough roll into her mouth. "Kate Spade, Easy," she said firmly.

Mackenzie moved over to the side as she watched the waiter pour some iced water into her empty water glass. "Where would your dream vacations be?"

"Maui, Hawaii. It's so breathtaking," Madeleine said as she finished the last of her gazpacho soup before noticing that some passing waiter behind her had cleared up her bowl. "Scar?"

Scarlett finished the last of her soup as she observed that some waiter had cleared up her bowl. "I'd go to Edinburgh, I think," she responded, smoothing out her dress. "It's beautiful, with such interesting history. Lala?"

Kayla finished the last of her soup as she observed that some waiter had cleared up her bowl. "Cape Town," she said. "There's everything. Mountains and beaches. Wouldn't it be great?"

Audrey finished the last of her soup before looking around the tent for a passing waiter so they could clean up her bowl. "I agree, but I wanna go to the Virgin Islands more. I've been already, but I want to go there with you guys."

Mackenzie straightened her fitted white Ted Baker blossom-print skater dress. "St Barts," she said. She then finished the last of her soup before noticing that another passing waiter had cleared up her bowl. "It's sunny and bright, and the beaches there are so nice."

Before Audrey could ask the girls her question, the waiters brought out the second course of the evening: Grilled Corn Salad with avocado and tomato drizzled with citrus dressing.

Audrey grabbed her salad fork off the table before moving her chair in more. "So, girls, back to our game," she said smoothly, stabbing her fork into a tiny piece of avocado. "Who's your favorite band or singer or composer or artist or something like that?"

"Probably Miley Cyrus," Madeleine truthfully answered as she twirled a long, straightened lock of hair around her left manicured index finger. "I love her music, and it resonates with me."

Scarlett ensured that the bobby pins remained hidden in the crown braid of her half-down, half-up hairdo. "I'm a pop girl," she admitted. "Ariana Grande is my thing."

Kayla drank two refreshing sips of her water. "Well, my favorite is Lupe Fiasco. He's an amazing rapper."

Mackenzie ran her manicured fingers along the embossed logo of her small silver Saint Laurent mirrored clutch before shoving a forkful of her salad into her mouth. "Henry Purcell. A classical composer in the seventeenth century."

"Wow, really, Kenzie," Audrey replied, brushing some arugula off her dress. "Bix Beiderbecke. He's a fantastic jazz singer."

Madeleine ran her manicured fingers through her straightened hair. "What's your favorite color?" she asked the girls.

"Red," Scarlett answered as she forked several small pieces of avocado and shoved them into her mouth.

Kayla stared at her burgundy-red nails. "Green."

Mackenzie shifted over to the side a bit as another waiter poured some iced watermelon lemonade into her empty red wine glass. "Yellow."

"Pink," Audrey replied, leaning against her chair.

Madeleine forked another bite of her salad into her mouth. "White."

Scarlett watched as the waiter poured some iced watermelon lemonade into her empty red wine glass. "When's your birthday?" she asked the girls.

"October 18th," Madeleine responded as she shoved some more salad into her mouth before uncrossing her slender legs.

Kayla was distracted by a party guest wearing a stunning dress from Chanel's 2019 fall collection. "Well, my birthday is November 16th," she answered without looking away from the woman's outfit choice for the party.

"My birthday falls on December 21st," Mackenzie said as she looked around the tent and noticed that the quintet was now playing Beethoven.

Audrey ate a giant bite of her salad and washed it down with a gulp of her water. "Well, my birthday is September 7th," she said. "I'm throwing a wicked eleventh birthday party this Saturd-"

"Wait a minute, Addie, your birthday is coming up this weekend," Scarlett interrupted sharply. "Are we invited to the party?"

"Yes, I'm inviting you guys to my birthday party," Audrey declared, placing her folded manicured hands on her lap. "I'm going over the party planning details with Vanessa on Wednesday afternoon. So, I want someone to come to her office with me.

Madeleine moved her clutch even closer to her. "That would be awesome," she pouted. "But I'm meeting Lindsey and Avery that day. So, I won't be able to make it."

"I can't make it," Scarlett said, frowning a bit. "I have an appointment at Spa Trinity for one-thirty on Wednesday afternoon."

Kayla twirled a long, curly lock of hair around her right manicured index finger. "I'll be able to make it," she said quickly. "But I'll need to make a quick pit stop at Red Mango for some frozen yogurt before meeting you and your mom at Vanessa's office."

"Same, except I'm stopping at Coffee Bean for some lattes," Mackenzie said, pulling her blue iPhone 14 from inside her clutch.

Audrey grinned at Kayla and Mackenzie. "Thanks!" she said, tossing her curls over her left shoulder. "Scar, you haven't told us the day of your birthday."

Scarlett ate some bites of her salad. "Well, my birthday is October 19th," she explained with a chuckle. "That means that Maddie and I always celebrate our birthday together."

Madeleine sighed and twirled the small pearl stud in her right ear. "Oh, please, can we talk about something else?" she recommended.

"Oh, Maddie, you could talk about the fact that Lindsey Grayson and Avery Prescott want to hang out with you on Wednesday," Scarlett announced as she crossed her slender legs back together.

Kayla shifted over to the side a bit as another waiter poured some iced watermelon lemonade into her empty red wine glass. "Aren't they considered to be the legendary Queens of our school?" she questioned.

Mackenzie paused to sip more of her watermelon lemonade drink. "Wait, Maddy, how did you get in touch with them?" she asked.

"Are you the one that they choose to be the next sixth-grade Queen?" Audrey inquired as she pulled her white iPhone 14 out of her clutch and dropped her cell phone on the table near her charger plate.

Madeleine looked at Scarlett for a moment before taking another long sip of her water. "Yes, I'm the one that they choose to be Queen this year. And I'm meeting Lindsey and Avery this Wednesday."

"That's super cool," Kayla nodded at her friend as she rested her chin on her left palm.

Mackenzie ate several bites of her salad. "Alright, Maddie," she smiled warmly.

"Awesome," Audrey said with a smile on her face. "Um, Mads, are you choosing the members of your court now?"

"Yeah, I've already told Scarlett that she's the second-in-command of my court," Madeleine beamed. She moved over to the side a bit so the waiter could pour some iced watermelon-lemonade into her empty red wine glass. "But I still need three more members for my court. So, do you guys want to join?"

Scarlett smirked at Kayla, Mackenzie, and Audrey before sipping more of her watermelon lemonade drink. "C'mon, girls. I know you want to join Maddie's court," she added quickly, hoping they would agree.

"Since we've become friends with each other, I'm going to accept your invitation to join your court," Kayla said, toying with the curled ends of her straightened hair.

Mackenzie combed her delicate fingers through her pin-straight strawberry-blonde hair. "Yeah, I want to join your court," she quickly added.

"Sure, I'll join your court," Audrey said. She moved over to the side as another waiter poured some iced watermelon lemonade into her empty red wine glass.

Madeleine knitted her manicured fingers together on the table. "Awesome— my court is finally complete!" she grinned. "Since you guys have accepted my invitation to join my court, It'll do us some good to assign your designated roles now."

"Okay," Kayla nodded at Madeleine as she picked at her salad.

Mackenzie grinned brightly and checked her painted nails. "Perf," she smiled, taking a measured sip of her water.

Audrey tapped her painted nails against the table. "Oh, please tell me my role in court," she pleaded with Madeleine.

Madeleine stabbed a small piece of tomato with her fork before speaking to her friends again. "Lala will fit the role of being my third-in-command," she said regally. Madeleine moved her clutch even more, closer to her charger plate, so the waiters walking behind her didn't bump her designer handbag off the table. "Then Kenzie will certainly suit the position of being my fourth-in-command, and Addie will settle perfectly into the role of being my fifth-in-command."

Before the girls could resume their conversation with each other, they observed that Scarlett's mom, Carol, and Madeleine's mom, Margaret, were walking toward their table with the elegance of socialites as they hugged party guests. The girls saw that they managed to hold their wine glasses in their right-manicured hands without spilling anything on anybody, and stood behind Scarlett and Madeleine.

Carol hugged her daughter tenderly. "Hello, darling!" she said, planting a quick peck on Scarlett's right cheek. "Are you having a wonderful time at the party?"

"Um, Mom, it's kind of boring," Scarlett answered truthfully, smoothing out her dress. "But Mads has been distracting me. And, I've become friends with the three girls sitting at our table."

Margaret pulled at her flouncy, red Michael Kors sheath midi dress before taking a long sip of her white wine. "Well, Scarlett, your mom and I had already decided that you and Madeleine should become friends with the daughters of our dearest best friends."

"I'm glad that you guys intervened for us," Madeleine interrupted, sipping more of her watermelon lemonade. "Because it seems that Scar and I already know Kayla, Mackenzie, and Audrey from the other parties that you've forced us to go to."

Kayla clutched her fork and shoved a giant bite of her salad into her mouth. "I'm guessing that's why my mom and dad wanted me to come to this party in the first place," she said smoothly.

"I'm so happy that my parents forced me to come to this party," Mackenzie informed Margaret as she tugged on her dress.

Audrey lifted her water glass to her glossy lips. "Same," she agreed with her friends.

Margaret fiddled with her Y-shape, white rope-length pearl necklace around her slender neck. "It's always been a dream for our daughters to be friends like us," she replied with a chuckle.

"At least now we can have some peace because we thought that you guys would be lonely. Especially since the only thing you guys did this summer was mope around our summer homes." Carol quickly added, sipping more of her red wine.

Madeleine rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she muttered, not caring if her mom heard her.

"So, you guys decided to become friend-makers for Maddy and me," Scarlett surmised as she flicked some pieces of arugula off the table. "Well, I'm okay with your decision. Anyway, can we get back to the fact that Vanessa went above and beyond for you and Daddy's party?"

Carol sipped more of her red wine before flicking some lint off her sophisticated, navy-blue Eliza J high-neck cape midi dress. "Of course, sweetie, she always plans the perfect party for your father and me. Plus, we're some of her top clients in Westchester."

Margaret stared at her pedicured toes, which were peeking out of her beige Christian Louboutin pumps. "Anyway, sweetie, I just wanted to check up on you," she said, sipping more of her white wine.

"Um, Mom, you can look around the table and notice that everyone is fine," Madeleine said, forking some salad into her mouth.

Margaret quickly kissed her daughter on the forehead before she started walking away from the girl's table. "Fine, darling!" she sighed, waving her left manicured hand in the air so her daughter would understand that they'd talk when they get home. "See you later."

"Okay, Mom!" Madeleine said. She pulled her compact out of her clutch and checked her eyeshadow for any smudges. Madeleine was delighted that her makeup remained flawless before dropping her compact back inside her designer handbag.

Carol talked to her daughter over her right shoulder before heading straight for another table of party guests. "Bye, sweetie!" she replied, waving her right manicured hand in the air so her daughter would understand that she'd talk to her later.

As soon as Carol and Margaret sauntered away from their table, the girls continued their conversation with each other.

Madeleine stared at her friends, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back against her chair. "Does everybody have some new outfits for the first week of school?" she questioned her friends.

Scarlett allowed another waiter to clear up her half-eaten plate before answering Madeleine's question. "Um, no. I've been trying to convince my designer aunt to give me some of her designer swag for free."

"It's the same thing for me too. Except I don't have an aunt who designs fashion collections." Kayla agreed with Scarlett, lifting her plate away from her. She then sat up straighter in her seat.

Mackenzie cocked her head to the side. "I don't have any new clothes for the first week of school. Plus, I was going to go shop at Aphrodite tomorrow. And It happens to be one of my favorite places to get one-of-a-kind fashion clothing."

"Oh, I shop there too," Audrey agreed with Mackenzie, watching some waiter clear up her half-eaten plate.

Madeleine took a measured sip of her watermelon lemonade. "Oh, we could go shopping in the city tomorrow, eat some lunch at Saffron, and have some dinner at the famous Butter restaurant. After all, Scar and I usually frequent Saffron a lot."

"Of course, Mads!" Scarlett replied, drinking two refreshing gulps of her water.

Kayla nodded at Scarlett as she twirled a long, curly lock of hair around her left manicured index finger. "Maybe we should start shopping at St. John's first," she suggested.

"No," Mackenzie whined as she tossed her napkin on the table. "Maddie, we're going to start shopping at Saks first thing tomorrow afternoon."

Audrey took a long sip of her watermelon lemonade. "Hmmm... We should start at Prada and work our way left."

"Okay, girlies," Madeleine replied, changing the subject to something else. "Anyway, let's get back to playing our game of twenty questions. So, who's going first again?"

Scarlett forked a giant piece of avocado into her mouth. "I'm going first again," she declared. "What's your favorite TV show?"

"Dynasty," Kayla answered Scarlett's question with a giggle as she leaned back against her chair. "The fashion on the show is fabulous. And I love how the whole Carrington and Colby families like to backstab each other a lot."

Mackenzie glanced as another waiter cleared up her half-eaten plate. "Charmed," she admitted. "Not the original one, but the 2018 reboot. It's so witchy and cool. what about you, Addie?"

"Elite," Audrey replied, shoving a forkful of her salad into her mouth. "The show itself has so much teenage drama because three middle-class kids enroll in an exclusive private school and run into problems with the wealthy kids there."

Madeleine took a careful sip of her water. "Original Gossip Girl because the drama was written to perfection, and the fashion is still relevant today. Plus, I binge-watch the entire show in two weeks," she answered with a giggle. "Scar?"

"Dark Academy," Scarlett said as she sipped more of her watermelon lemonade. "I love how the writers manage to introduce me to the hot male leads."

Kayla snatched her starlight iPhone 14 out of her starlight Jimmy Choo glittered clutch and dropped her cell phone on the table near her dinner knife. "What's your favorite movie?"

"Wonder Woman," Mackenzie responded, noticing that a party guest was dressed in an awful custom designer dress. "The message of female empowerment is everything. And I'm happy that my mom and I love the same movie."

Audrey sipped at her water. "Probably Reality High," she replied thickly, uncrossing her slender legs. "It's a Netflix original movie. The movie's main plot is that the main female lead has to compete with the popular social-media-obsessed mean girl for her crush's attention. And, the message of being yourself is heavily showcased in the movie."

"The Jumanji movie series," Madeleine said softly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Scarlett pulled her iPhone out of her clutch and unlocked her cell phone before opening the Photos app. "I'd probably choose The Kissing Booth movie because it features one of my favorite actresses of all time, Joey King. And it's filled with tons of teenage movie cliches that would possibly make you cringe a lot."

"Prom," Kayla admitted as she took a long sip of her watermelon lemonade. "It's a very cool take on the musical itself."

Mackenzie nodded at Kayla and leaned back further in her chair. "What's your favorite drink?" she asked with a chuckle.

Aha Flavored Sparkling Water," Audrey said, noticing that the quintet was now playing Mozart.

Madeleine uncrossed her legs and watched as another water cleared up her half-eaten plate. "Diet Pepsi," she replied with a giggle.

"Apple Cider," Scarlett said without looking up from the bright screen of her iPhone. "Including when it's warm for the winter."

Kayla watched as some waiter cleared up her half-eaten plate. "Diet Coke," she said confidently, crossing her arms over her chest.

"La Croix Flavored Sparkling Water," Mackenzie responded as she plucked on a loose thread on her dinner napkin.

Before Audrey could ask the girls her question, the waiters brought out the third course of the evening: Crispy chicken fillets covered in Herb Basting Sauce with mounds of buttery mashed potatoes and caramelized asparagus.

Audrey poked her chicken fillets with her fork. "Anyway, ladies, let's get back to our game. What kind of words would you use to describe yourself?"

"Pretty, Smart, and Dependable," Madeleine added quickly. She sat up even straighter in her seat before wielding her fork and knife with her manicured hands.

Scarlett dropped her iPhone on the table and stabbed her chicken fillets with her fork before noticing that her mom was now still greeting her guests. "Beauty, Brains, and Reliable," she mused. "Kay?"

"Flexible, Loyal, and Fashionable," Kayla beamed as she forked some mashed potatoes into her mouth. "Kenzie?"

Mackenzie used her knife to cut a tiny piece of her chicken fillets and forked it into her mouth. "Athletic, Beautiful, and Faithful."

"Trustworthy, Dramatic, and Perfectionist," Audrey admitted, taking two long gulps of her watermelon lemonade.

A giant smile curled around the corners of Madeleine's mouth. "Describe your fashion aesthetic in three words?" she asked her friends, observing that some party guests were walking around the tent.

"Preppy, Nautical, and Sophisticated," Scarlett playfully said as she took a long sip of her water.

Kayla bit into the piece of chicken fillet on her fork as she observed that Audrey was busy staring at her parents. "Girly, Trendy, and Refined," she uttered.

"Stylish, Casual, and Feminine," Mackenzie responded to her friend's question, her grin growing wider on her face.

Audrey crossed her arms over her chest before chewing thoughtfully on her lower lip. "Classy, Modern, and Colorful."

"Monochrome, Classic, and Elegant," Madeleine said primly, glancing around the table at her friends.

Scarlett leaned back in her chair as another waiter filled her water glass again. "What color looks the best on you?" she questioned.

"Green looks fabulous on me," Kayla said, touching the Alexis Bittar diamond-dusted dewdrop earring in her right ear. "It works perfectly with my skin tone."

Mackenzie took a long, slow sip of her water. "Yellow," she replied, her aquamarine eyes scanning the tent for her parents.

"Most of the clothes in my closet are different shades of pink," Audrey responded, giving her friends her best playfully smile. "I always feel like a Princess."

Madeleine shoved a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth. "Purple," she answered, her eyes lit up brilliantly. "I love how the color sort of gives off this regal feeling."

"Red," Scarlett disclosed her answer to her friends as she sipped more of her watermelon lemonade. "It practically screams excitement, passion, and energy. And it fits me perfectly."

Kayla held the fork down on her chicken fillets and cut through it with her knife. "If you had a clothing brand, what gemstone would it be named after?" she asked, forking the piece of chicken into her mouth.

"Turquoise," Mackenzie answered Kayla's question as she made sure that her dress remained spotless. "It's super cute, and it matches my birth month."

Audrey gripped the seat of her chair as she dug her painted fingernails into the silky fabric of the chair covers. "I would have named the brand after sapphire."

"Tourmaline," Madeleine replied quickly, brushing some nonexistent lint off her dress. "It comes in different dazzling colors, and I could establish my clothes around the gem because it'll show where my ideas come from."

Scarlett placed her manicured hand on her left thigh. "Opal is a perfect name for a fashion brand," she answered coyly, her eyes twinkling.

A smirk quickly broke across Kayla's face. "I'd go with Topaz," she answered definitively, resting her head against her left palm. "It comes in fabulous colors and works perfectly with cool or warm tones."

Mackenzie smirked to herself before sitting up even straighter in her seat. "Anyway, what's your favorite candy?" she asked the girls, flicking a straight strand of her hair out of her eyes.

"Vosges Chocolate," Audrey suggested, watching her friends' expressions to Mackenzie's question. "It's so delicious that I usually finish eating it in three days. And their collection of luxury truffles, premium chocolate bars, and gourmet chocolate gifts always make me feel better about myself."

Madeleine watched as another waiter reached around her to fill her red wine glass again. "Louis Sherry," she responded to Mackenzie's question, beaming happily. "They make the most fabulous truffles. Plus, the chocolate just melts in your mouth."

"La Maison du Chocolat," Scarlett announced as she forked more mashed potatoes into her mouth. "Everything that they make is so flavorful. Plus, every bite causes me to have a party in my mouth. Kalia?"

Kayla forked a medium-sized piece of chicken fillets into her mouth. "Godiva Chocolate. Their gourmet chocolate truffles and chocolate bars are savory. And it causes me to feel better about my luxurious life after all. Mack?"

"Jacques Torres Chocolate," Mackenzie admitted, shoving the last piece of her chicken fillets into her mouth. "I love their chocolate bars, bobbins, and so on. Plus, I usually eat them when I'm either having a good or bad day."

Audrey was captivated by the cute blonde waiter that was refilling her red wine glass again. "What's your all-time favorite breakfast food?" she asked without looking away from the person in front of her.

"Eggs Benedict," Madeleine replied as she shoved the last bite of her mashed potatoes into her mouth.

Scarlett moved her mashed potatoes around her plate with her fork. "Pancakes," she cooed, loving the question that Addie had asked her and the girls.

"Waffles," Kayla grinned brightly. She uncrossed her legs and leaned back against her chair.

Mackenzie watched as another cute brunette waiter poured some more watermelon lemonade into her red wine glass again. "Buttered Croissants."

"Brioche French toast," Audrey responded, eating some more dainty bites of her chicken fillets and washing it down with a gulp of her water.

Madeleine cut through her chicken fillets with her knife and shoved a tiny piece of chicken into her mouth. "What's your favorite way to travel?"

"Flying," Scarlett answered quickly. She looked around the tent and noticed that her dad was talking to Madeleine's dad about something.

Kayla observed that another waiter had refilled her water glass again. "Same," she agreed, watching as some party guests waltzed on the dance floor.

"My parents' go-to way to travel is flying," Mackenzie nodded vigorously to her friends. She then shoved the last bite of mashed potatoes into her mouth and washed it down with three gulps of her watermelon lemonade drink. "They always say that I was born lucky with a silver spoon in my mouth."

Audrey popped some pieces of asparagus into her mouth. "I like visiting new places. So, flying is my way of travel."

"Same," Madeleine agreed with Audrey as she ate the last bite of her chicken fillets.

Scarlett took a thoughtful sip of her watermelon lemonade. "Which season has the best fashion?"

"Fall," Kayla answered as she ate the last bite of her mashed potatoes and washed it down with half of her water. "Everything is so comfy and cozy looking."

Mackenzie tugged on her small white-gold diamond linear drop earrings in her right ear. "Spring," she explained. "Pastel colors are always back inside my closet."

"Summer," Audrey replied, pulling on the hem of her dress. "It's my favorite season because it always allows me to lounge by the pool all summer."

Madeleine scrutinized her painted nails as she wondered if her manicure had chipped. "Winter," she admitted, her eyes twinkling. "Even though most of the days are cold, this season usually allows me to dress in cashmere and fur."

"Same for me too," Scarlett agreed with Kayla. She finished eating the last bite of her mashed potatoes and washed it down with the last gulp of her watermelon lemonade drink.

Kayla took a measured sip of her water before noticing that some waiters were clearing up empty dinner plates from other tables. "What's your favorite way to exercise?"

"Yoga helps me keep myself in shape," Mackenzie answered as she ate the last of her mashed potatoes and asparagus. She then washed it down with the rest of her water.

Audrey flicked her long, platinum-blonde curls over her right shoulder before pushing the plate away from her. "Pilates."

"Tennis is my life," Madeleine explained with a chuckle. "I fell in love with the sport at six years old."

Scarlett stretched her left arm over the other arm so the kinks in her shoulders wouldn't knot up. "Dance," she acknowledged Kayla's question, knowing that Madeleine already knew about how she kept fit. "It keeps me in shape."

"The only way I keep myself in shape is Aerobics," Kayla replied, remembering she'd not eaten the asparagus on her plate and popped them into her mouth.

Mackenzie snatched her iPhone off the table and unlocked her cell phone before scrolling through the pictures on it. "What's your favorite department store?"

"Bloomingdale's," Audrey answered quickly, staring at the party guests who were still dancing on the dance floor. "Whenever I'm at the Westchester Mall, I always go inside the store and shop. Mads?"

Madeleine nodded at Audrey before shifting into a comfortable position in her chair. "I'm choosing Saks Fifth Avenue as my option. Whenever I need a quick clothing item or accessory for an outfit, It's always been there for me."

"Nordstrom is my choice," Scarlett admitted, biting her lower lip in excitement. She then forked the last bite of chicken breast into her mouth and washed it down with five gulps of her water.

Kayla leaned back in her chair as some passing waiter cleared up her half-eaten plate. "Bergdorf Goodman," she answered Makenzie's question. "I love that they carry high-end designer clothes and shoes, and they have the most perfect service from their staff."

"Lord and Taylor," Mackenzie beamed happily without looking up from her iPhone's bright screen. She then felt that some passing waiter had cleared up her dirty plate.

Audrey noticed that the same waiter had cleared up her dirty plate. "What's your all-time favorite memory with your parents?" she acknowledged Mackenzie's question.

Madeleine moved to her side a bit as some passing waiter cleared up her dirty plate. "I remember my parent's faces when I told them that I want to start playing tennis," she smirked. Madeleine then angled her dessert spoon toward her face and quickly glanced at her reflection. She was delighted that her curly bangs didn't wouldn't frizz up. "They looked so surprised."

Scarlett handed her dirty plate to the same waiter that had cleared up Mackenzie and Audrey's dirty plates. "I remember the time that my parents took me to Aspen, Colorado, as a Christmas gift. This means that my parents would always take time out of their busy schedules to spend time with me. Especially since I was whining that I haven't skied in a while."

"My favorite memory is the time that my parents started a snowball fight with me last winter. We then drank some delicious Godiva hot chocolate after the snow fight and talked for the rest of the day." Kayla nodded at her friends, checking her painted nails.

Mackenzie sipped more of her watermelon lemonade drink. "There were some times that my parents came to my school plays and watched me perform. Plus, we'll go out to dinner with each other after my plays, and they'll tell me that I performed very well in them."

"Hmmm... Favorite memories with my parents are when they always spend time with me and listen to me as I explain to them about my day and stuff." Audrey grinned as she moved her iPhone even closer to her charger plate.

"What's your favorite candle scent?" Madeleine asked her friends, her eyes darted across the table to Kayla, who was busy staring at the guests sitting at the tables around the girls.

Scarlett sighed profoundly and rested her manicured hands on the table. "Circus," she said brightly. "It fills my room with this beautiful fragrance."

Kayla pressed her painted fingernails into her palms. "Vanilla for me," she replied, trying her best not to roll her amber eyes at Scarlett's dumb question.

"Lavender and Chamomile," Mackenzie admitted as she dropped her iPhone back on the table and crossed her arms over her chest. "It allows me to relax a bit."

Audrey stared at her iPhone's bright screen and noticed that it was almost nine-fifty-five in the evening before she was dropping her cell phone back on the table. "I love the scent of Jasmine."

Madeleine combed her delicate fingers through her straightened hair. "Rosewater and Ivy together."

Before Scarlett could ask the girls her question, the waiters bought out the last course of the evening: Lava Cakes.

"Out of all your family members, who are you closest to?" Scarlett asked as she dug into her lava cake.

Kayla cut into her lava cake with her dessert spoon. "The person that I hold dearest to my heart is my older cousin, Tinsley," she answered Kayla's question. "She's always figuring out problems quickly and gives excellent advice to me. Especially since she attends an elite private school like me. And my parents and I always visit her family in Philadelphia, PA."

Mackenzie licked some lava cake off her right manicured pinkie. "My older cousin, Madelyn," she answered her friend's question. "She's in high school now and has given me some great fashion advice. Plus, she's the Queen of her court."

"The person closest to me is my older cousin, Autumn," Audrey replied with a giggle, her cerulean-blue eyes twinkling. "She always makes time to sit down and give some guidance about life and stuff."

Madeleine played with her pearl necklace before digging into her lava cake with her dessert spoon. "My older cousin, Esmée. She moved to California two years ago with her dad and her little brother, and we still keep in contact with each other. There is also the fact her dad is an uber agent in the film industry in Hollywood. Plus, I always visit them with my parents, who always invite my grandparents, my aunt and uncle, and their daughter and older son to come along with us."

"My older cousin, Sophia, who lives in Albany, New York," Scarlett said as she fiddled with the charms of her pearl charm bracelet. "She always hangs out with Maddie and me whenever she visits Westchester with her parents, her little sister, Selene, and her older brother, Ryan. Plus, I always visit her with my parents, and I have tons of fun with her friends too."

"What's your all-time favorite dessert?" Kayla asked the girls as she ate a dainty bite of her lava cake.

Mackenzie ate several bites of her lava cake. "Strawberry shortcake for me. It's tasty and sweet."

Audrey spooned some lava cake into her mouth and washed it down with a small gulp of her water. "Crème brûlée. It's delicious and creamy."

"I love flavored macarons," Madeleine smirked as she noticed that the tables surrounding them were still filled with party guests."Especially from the bakery, Ladurée. I always have my family's chef and driver to get them from the city for me."

Scarlett adjusted her dress before crossing her slender legs together again. "Soufflé is my favorite dessert. I love how my family's chef, Marino, makes the dessert in many different flavors for my parents and me."

"Tiramisu," Kayla declared, tapping her painted nails on the table. "Especially since I love ordering from this quaint bakery in our town."

"What's your favorite holiday and why?" Mackenzie asked her friends, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

Audrey twirled the flawless ten-karat diamond stud in her left ear before noticing that people were starting to leave the party. "Thanksgiving," she said evenly, her eyes shining. " "You're allowed to eat whatever you want without people judging you about your calorie intake."

Madeleine dipped her left manicured ring finger into the middle of her lava cake and licked the chocolate off her finger. "Christmas is my favorite holiday ever," she giggled. "I love how you get all the presents you want and spend some time with your family."

"Halloween," Scarlett admitted, shifting into a comfortable position in her seat. "Trick or treating is one of my favorite pastimes, and my parents always take pictures of my costumes so they'll be able to post them on their social media."

Kayla took a dainty sip of her watermelon lemonade. "New Year's Eve," she said softly, smiling sweetly. "I love making resolutions for the new year and then breaking them a couple of minutes later. Plus, I love when I have to attend New Year's Eve parties with my parents. What about you, Kenzie?"

"Valentine's Day," Mackenzie added quickly, pushing away the plate from her since her stomach was warning her that she's eaten enough. "I love getting Valentine's Day cards from classmates and friends."

Before Audrey could ask her questions to her friends, the girls noticed that their parents were headed straight for their table as they stopped talking to each other. They then observed that their mothers had thrown their different colored designer coats and shawls over their dresses since the weather has cooled down this evening. Next, the girls noticed that their fathers were slipping their arms into the sleeves of their designer suit jackets as they followed behind their wives. Seconds later, the girls saw that their parents were standing behind Kayla and Madeleine.

Kayla's mom, Catherine Adams, hugged her daughter tenderly. "Hey, sweetie!" she greeted playfully. "Are you having fun at the party?"

"Yeah, Mom," Kayla nodded at her mom. "Haven't you heard about my friendships with Maddie and Scar?"

Catherine tucked her wide, silver Bottega Veneta clutch under her right arm. "Sweetie, I've heard a lot about your newly formed friendships with their daughters," she grinned, straightening her sleeveless scarlet-red Versace cocktail dress. "After all, Margaret and Carol told me that you guys would become close friends with each other since you all have the same interests."

"Anyway, princess, we're leaving right now," Kayla's dad, Kenneth Adams, interrupted, smoothing out the creases in his charcoal-grey Tom Ford suit jacket. "So, you need to say bye to your friends now because Conrad is waiting outside for us."

Kayla noticed that her friends' had placed their cell phones in front of her, quickly entered her number into their iPhones, and handed them back to her friends. "Okay, Daddy," she said softly, dropping her cell phone back inside her clutch. "I'll talk to you guys later."

"Later, Kalia!" Madeleine quickly added as she stood up from her seat and leaned over to hug her friend, then held her tight.

Scarlett joined the hugfest with Madeleine and Kayla. "Bye, Kayla!" she said.

"Bye, Lala!" Mackenzie beamed as she wrapped her arms around Madeleine, Kayla, and Scarlett.

Audrey hugged Kayla tightly as she rested her head on Madeleine's right shoulder. "See you later, Kay!"

Seconds later, Madeleine, Scarlett, Mackenzie, and Audrey noticed that their friend broke away from the hug as they collapsed back into their seats. Immediately, they moved their iPhones closer to them and observed that Kayla had snatched both her clutch and iPhone off the table. Seeing that their friend was headed straight for the front entrance of the tent with her parents, Madeleine, Scarlett, Mackenzie, and Audrey shifted their attention back to their parents.

Mackenzie's dad, Mathias Frost, gave his daughter a big bear hug. "Well, angel, it's time to go home now," he explained, pulling Mackenzie up from her seat. "I have to sleep early tonight because I have a six o'clock meeting tomorrow morning. So that means that Robert is waiting outside for us."

"Daddy!" Mackenzie pouted as she carefully inspected her painted nails. "I still want to stay here for a couple of minutes more. So, I was thinking that you guys could leave without me, and I'll catch a ride with Addie."

Mackenzie's mom, Emily Frost, ran her manicured fingers along her black Sofia Cashmere cashmere fox-fur trimmed shawl. "Well, sweetie, that's not going to happen. We all need to leave the party together since your father and I want some peace of mind that you made it home safely tonight. And your father's got work in the morning. So, say goodbye to your friends."

"Okay, Mom," Mackenzie sighed deeply, rolling her eyes at her mom. She then quickly entered her number into her friends' iPhones and handed them back to her friends. "We'll talk later, girlies!"

"Bye, Kenzie," Madeleine waved without getting up from her seat.

Scarlett spooned some more lava cake into her mouth. "Later, Manzie," she added after Madeleine, crossing her slender legs together.

"See you later, Mack," Audrey nodded at her friend, still sitting in her seat.

Seeing that Mackenzie had dropped her cell phone back into her designer handbag, Madeleine, Scarlett, and Audrey noticed that their friend had grabbed her clutch off the table, crossing their arms over their chests. Witnessing that Mackenzie had thrown the thin silver chain of her purse over her right shoulder, they noticed that their friend was strolling towards the exit with her parents. Seconds later, Madeleine, Scarlett, and Audrey returned their attention to their parents again.

Audrey's mom, Courtney Webster, and Audrey's dad, Ambrose Webster, stepped into the vision of their daughter. "Darling, it's time to go home now," they cooed. "It's getting late. And your father has to be at work at eight o'clock in the morning tomorrow."

Audrey's eyes flitted over to her mom, who was straightening her white Sofia Cashmere triangle fur-trimmed wrap. "Okay, Mom and Dad," she nodded in understanding. She then stood up from her seat, quickly added her number to her friends' iPhones, and handed them back to Madeleine and Scarlett. "Talk to you later!"

Madeleine jumped up from her seat and gave Audrey a massive hug before moving away from her friend. "Bye, Ray!" she grinned brightly.

"Um, Rae, I'll call you later, " Scarlett said as she brushed some cake crumbs off her dress without getting up from her seat.

Noticing that Audrey had yanked her iPhone and clutch off the table, Madeleine and Scarlett slipped back into their seats and leaned back in their seats. Instantly, they were distracted by a party guest dressed in a fabulous dress from Versace and didn't observe that their friend had already left the tent with her parents. Seconds later, Madeleine and Scarlett turned their attention to their parent

Madeleine's dad, Stephan Stein, placed his right hand on his daughter's lower back and pulled her up from her seat. "Hello, sweetie," he greeted his daughter. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Daddy," Madeleine smiled, hugging her dad tightly.

Scarlett jumped into the conversation that was happening between her friend and her dad. "Hey, Mr. S," she greeted Maddie's dad warmly. "How's it going?"

Stephan hugged Scarlett tightly since he considered his daughter's friend his daughter too. "I'm fine, Scarlett," he answered.

Margaret interrupted the conversation that was happening between her husband and her daughter's friend as she breathed deeply and rolled her shoulders back. "Well, honey, we need to go home now," she told her daughter. Margaret brushed her manicured fingers over the three-quartered sleeves of her cropped white Burnett fox fur-covered bolero coat. "And, it's almost ten-thirty in the evening."

"Okay, Mom," Madeleine pouted. "But we need to make a quick pit stop at Scarlett's room first. I need to grab my other handbag from her bed. Oh, Scar, I'll text you later."

Scarlett jumped up from her seat and gave Madeleine a giant hug. "Later, Mads!" she quickly added, moving away from her friend. She then slid back into her seat and sipped more of her water.

Noticing that Madeleine had dropped her cell phone into her designer handbag, Scarlett observed that her friend had walked out of the tent with her parents and leaned back in her chair. Minutes later, she discovered that people were starting to leave the party since the tent was empty. Observing that her parents were saying goodbye to everybody, Scarlett noticed that the wait staff were beginning to clean the tables as she stood up from her seat. She dropped her iPhone into her purse and tucked her designer handbag under her left arm.

Ducking past a herd of tuxedoed waiters carrying giant silver trays filled to the brim with dirty plates, glasses, and silverware, Scarlett walked out of the side entrance of the tent, breathing in the crisp summer air. She noticed that the sky was already dark since the entire backyard was being lit by outdoor black solar standing lights. Sauntering across the well-maintained backyard lawn, Scarlett walked back inside the house and headed straight for her bedroom. Feeling completely wiped out, she only wanted to do was take a very long shower.


The Adams Estate

Kayla's Bedroom

11:58 P.M.

Monday, September 2nd

Feeling refreshed, Kayla Adams dried her damp curls in a fluffy green Ralph Lauren monogrammed towel, walking out of her all-white bathroom. She twisted her hair into a messy bun and dropped the wet towel she used to dry her hair on the hardwood floor for her family's maid, Juanita, to pick it up. Kayla made sure that her body was still covered in a long, floral Ted Baker robe.

She opened the French closet doors to her massive two-story all-white circular walk-in closet and stepped inside her dark walk-in closet, clapping her manicured hands together so the lights in her closet would turn on. Kayla pushed down the shoulders of her robe so it'll drop on the plush ivory carpet and left it there for Juanita to pick up. She dug around her closet's drawers for some sleepwear before slipping into her midnight-navy animal jacquard Natori V-necked chemise. Kayla walked out of her wardrobe and shut her closet doors behind her without turning the lights off in her closet.

She perceived that her aromatherapy diffuser was still spraying the scent of jasmine across her room and slumped down on her fluffy oversized green queen-size duvet, feeling wiped out. Kayla was about to crawl under her duvet as her iPhone blared to life with one of her favorite songs-the custom ringtone that she'd set for whenever her new friends call or text her. Grabbing her iPhone from her right-side nightstand without getting off her bed, she stared at the screen of her cell phone as her eyes instantly brightened at the name flashing across her iPhone's bright screen with the picture she'd taken with the person at the party today in the background, knowing full well that she would be close friends with the person in the future. Immediately, Kayla grabbed the AirPods from her Apple wireless charging case and shoved them inside her ears, double-tapping to answer the call.

Kayla rested herself in an upright position against her multitude of deep-green-and-white neck-roll pillows as she dropped her cell phone on her bed. "Maddie!" she greeted her new friend, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hey, Kalia!" Madeleine called back her new friend. "Did you get home safely with your parents?"

Kayla rolled onto her side and blew some strands of her hair out of her face. "Yeah, Maddie," she answered her new friend's question. "I'm good."

"By the way, Scar, Kenzie, and Addie are on the line," Madeleine said breathlessly.

Kayla rolled over to her other side before resting her head against the neck-roll pillows again. "What's up, girlies?" she cheered, a teasing tone to her words.

"Hey!" Scarlett welcomed her new friend's greeting. "Hi, Kay!" Mackenzie greeted her friend.

"Hello, Lala!" Audrey replied.

"I called everyone to remind them that we're going into the city tomorrow," Madeleine said bluntly. "We're going to eat lunch at Saffron tomorrow, then we're doing some shopping on Fifth Avenue, and grab some dinner at Butter. Nick will start picking you guys up at ten tomorrow morning. I'll call everyone when he's getting closer to your house, so make sure that you're waiting in front of your house for him. And my cousin, Aimee, would be joining us with her friends too."

"Wait, Maddie, your cousin is joining our shopping expedition," Scarlett grinned. "It's been a while since I've seen Aimee and her friends."

Kayla tugged on the spaghetti straps of her chemise as she breathed in the jasmine-infused air. "Who's Aimee?" she asked Scarlett and Madeleine.

"Well, girlies, Aimee is one of my cousins on my dad's side," Madeleine explained to Kayla, Mackenzie, and Audrey. "You guys would love her since she has the same fashion sense as us. But, it's time to confess since I was the one that invited her and her friends to join our shopping expedition. And, Aimee decided that she wants to meet the three of you since she's already close friends with Scar."

"Cool- I'll hear some awesome stories about Maddie and Scar," Mackenzie chirped.

"Got it," Audrey nodded.

"Whatever," Madeleine muttered. "I'm going to bed now. See you guys tomorrow."

Kayla yawned and rubbed the back of her slender neck. "Hope everyone sleeps well tonight! See you guys tomorrow!"

"Um, good night, everyone," Scarlett instantly replied.

"Later, guys!" Mackenzie said.

"Good night, beauties!" Audrey grinned.

Kayla noticed that the call had ended and looked at the bright screen of her iPhone. Seeing that her cell phone was about to die, she plugged her iPhone into the charger and dropped it back on the right-side nightstand next to her bed. Kayla then placed her AirPods back inside her wireless charging case and set it right next to her charging cell phone.

She checked the outfit for tomorrow, which was styled on a custom-made mannequin in her room that her parents had bought. Kayla smiled as she observed that the ensemble looked just as gorgeous as it had earlier this afternoon when she'd picked it out. Immediately after patting herself on the back for choosing the most beautiful outfit for the first hangout with her friends tomorrow, she clapped her manicured hands together so the lights in her room would turn off and climbed into bed. Slipping her sleep mask over her eyes, she snuggled under her duvet and closed her eyes before falling asleep a few moments later.


A/N:

Self Promotion: In my bio, I have a link to a page, where you can support me in exchange for exclusive benefits. Chapter three, four, five, six, seven, and eight are on the same page.

And, here's the second chapter for you guys.

Enjoy,

FashionLeMode