The Beauty Queens

by FashionLeMode

Madeleine had already been chosen by the popular girls at school to be the Queen of the entire Sixth Grade. Now the question was, would the other girls - Scarlett, Kayla, Mackenzie, and Audrey - grow into their designated roles in Madeleine's court? And could Madeleine successfully reign over an entire grade, or would the uniqueness of the girls prove too much for her to handle?

4. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I own all the characters in this story.

---

Chapter Three

---

The Stein Estate

Foyer

9:53 A.M.

Tuesday, September 3rd

Madeleine called Milton's name as she examined herself in the large oval mirror above the console table by the front door. She turned to the side and struck an elegant pose. She wore a simple deep purple French Connection minidress with a cropped light blue distressed Topshop denim jacket over it, cinched at the waist by a skinny white Gucci leather belt. On her feet were matching deep purple Marc Jacobs ballet flats that complemented the outfit perfectly. A small white Mulberry crossbody bag hung neatly from her right shoulder, adding a subtle touch. Her signature pearl necklace adorned her slender neck, and flawless 4.48-carat diamond studs shone in her ears. Her makeup was light and natural. Admiring how incredible she looked, she realized Milton had entered the mirror's view before addressing him.

Milton fixed his black Saint Laurent tie, a birthday gift from Madeleine's parents, and responded with a neutral expression. "Yes, Miss Madeleine."

"Do you know where my parents are?" Madeleine asked her butler as she rummaged in her bag for her clear Pretty & Perfect lip gloss. "I haven't seen them since breakfast."

"Miss Madeleine," Milton replied while smoothing the front of his black morning coat, "Your mother wanted me to let you know that she will be attending your school's Mothers Committee meeting today to appoint a new president. And your father has already departed for work this morning."

Madeleine applied a fresh coat of clear lip gloss to her lips. "Okay, Milton," she said with a nod. "Is Nick waiting in the car for me?"

"Yes, Miss Madeleine," Milton replied formally, checking his white gloves for dirt. "I passed your instructions onto him while you were getting ready this morning."

Madeleine gathered her honey-blonde curls over her shoulders and replied. "Alright, did my mom leave any reminders for me?"

The butler opened the front door and said firmly. "Your mother wanted me to remind you that you have dinner plans with her and your father at Uptown tonight. She insisted that I tell you to be home by eight o'clock."

"Alright," Madeleine said with a sigh. She straightened her posture and walked directly toward the door.

Stepping outside, Madeleine jogged down the stairs leading to the driveway. The intense sunshine blinded her, so she grabbed the same Dior sunglasses she had worn on Sunday and slipped them on. Trotting down the driveway, her ballet flats thwacked against the pavement.

The humid air filled Madeleine's lungs as she approached the idling Range Rover in the driveway, exhaust puffing from its muffler. Opening the rear door, she climbed gracefully into the backseat, sliding across the soft leather and settling between the driver and passenger seats. Tossing her designer bag onto the adjacent seat, she buckled her seatbelt and turned her attention to Nick, who was busy shopping online for his daughter's birthday gift on his iPhone.

"Good morning, Miss Madeleine," Nick said to his boss's daughter stoically. He switched off his cell phone, tossed it onto the passenger seat, and glanced in the rearview mirror. "Where to today?"

Madeleine crossed her legs and smiled broadly. "First we'll pick up Scarlett," she said, pushing her sunglasses into her hair. "Then we'll get Mackenzie, Kayla, and Audrey from their homes."

"Okay, Miss Madeleine," her driver said with a nod, backing the Range Rover out of the driveway. He drove slowly down the street.

Without another word to her driver, Madeleine straightened in her seat and gazed out the tinted rear window on the left side of the car. She saw a teenage girl berating the driver of a sleek Mercedes that had stopped in someone's driveway. Smiling privately, Madeleine looked away from the window, noticing her driver had halted at a red light on the corner of West Hillside Avenue.

Madeleine pulled her iPhone from her purse and scrolled through her notifications, noticing that her friends had posted on Instagram. She unlocked her phone, opened the Instagram app, and saw they had posted selfies. After liking the photos, she turned off her phone and rested her head against the headset.

With her emerald-green eyes closed, she practiced breath-focused meditation for fifteen minutes to calm her nerves. When she opened her eyes, her friend's house had come into view. Sitting straighter in her seat, she uncrossed her legs before glancing at the car ceiling.

Moments later, Nick pulled the Range Rover into the Wilsons' circular driveway and parked in front of the house. Opening the right rear door, he let the air-conditioned interior air escape as he waited for Miss Scarlett to notice her ride had arrived.

Scarlett sat on a white daybed swing, engrossed in the latest issue of Vogue Paris while nibbling the final bite of a Nutz Over Chocolate Luna bar. Noticing the driver waiting by the open car door, she hurriedly shoved the magazine in her purse and raced downstairs. Dressed in a chic white Lilly Pulitzer romper minidress and cropped white TSE Cashmere cardigan, she headed for the car in red Salvatore Ferragamo leather ballet flats and matching Salvatore Ferragamo leather shoulder bag. Her icy-blonde curls were pinned back with pearl clips and her icy-blue eyes were hidden behind white Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses, giving her a model's poise. With natural makeup accentuating her features, Scarlett climbed into the car and settled in beside Madeleine, purse in her lap.

Scarlett beamed, hugging her friend tightly. "What's up, Mads?" she asked.

Madeleine broke away from the hug and softly answered. "Nothing much, except I've got some bad news for you guys."

Scarlett's eyes widened at her friend's ominous statement. Feeling the car pull away from her family's driveway, she inquired. "Bad news about what?"

Madeleine stretched her arms above her head and smiled at her friend. "We'll have to wait for everyone to arrive before I share the news," she said, recrossing her legs. "I only want to tell it once."

"Fine, Maddy!" Scarlett snapped, fidgeting with her hair clips in frustration.

"By the way, that's a cute dress," Madeleine said with a half-smirk, reaching out to touch Scarlett's dress. "Where did you get it?"

Scarlett pushed her sunglasses up into her hair and remarked. "My mom bought this dress for me in Milan as an early birthday present."

Madeleine lowered her manicured hands to her lap. "That's really interesting," she replied while fidgeting with her pearl necklace. "Should we tell the others about Sarah's party?"

"Obviously," Scarlett said, smiling brightly. She folded her arms across her chest. "We have to make a fabulous entrance at her party."

Madeleine smiled at her friend, lightly touching her friend's left arm. "That's a great idea, Scar!" she said. "But let's look through our closets first to find bathing suits."

Perfect," Scarlett nodded, eyes shining. She fiddled with the charms on her pearl bracelet. "Let's surprise Kay with a phone call now - I'm pretty sure she's waiting outside for her carpool."

Madeleine chuckled while grabbing her iPhone from the seat next to her and unlocking it. "It's okay, Scar! I'm calling her now," she said.

Madeleine turned on her speakerphone and asked Siri to call Kayla. The call rang three times before connecting. She moved her cell phone closer so Scarlett could speak to Kayla.

"Hey, Maddie," Kayla said, greeting her friend warmly.

Madeleine's face lit up with a delighted grin. "Hey, Lala!" she exclaimed, greeting her friend warmly.

Scarlett excitedly bit her lower lip and called out. "Hi, pretty."

Kayla greeted one of her best friends in a playfully melodic voice. "Hello, Scar."

Examining her manicure, Madeleine interrupted sharply. "Are you done getting dressed yet?"

Kayla exclaimed enthusiastically, "I'm going to grab some Luna bars from the kitchen pantry and wait for you guys outside."

Madeleine flashed Scarlett a dazzling smile before gently saying to Kayla. "Alright, see you in twenty minutes."

Scarlett gazed down at her dress before sipping some Perrier she had taken from the kitchen before leaving. "Bye, Lala!"

Madeleine ended the call and lowered her cell phone into her purse. As she did, she caught a glimpse of Scarlett, who was gazing out the tinted rear window on the right side of the car. Inhaling deeply, Madeleine laid her head back against the headrest, feeling the gentle motion of the Range Rover gliding down the street. A few minutes later, she felt her friend elbow her ribs, jolting her eyes open.

Scarlett pointed towards the window, drawing Madeleine's gaze outside. Through the Range Rover's tinted rear window, Madeleine saw Lachlan Hastings, Scott Thorpe, James Blackwell, Declan Hawthorne, and Aiden Clarke playing a shirtless game of soccer in a lush garden. The boys' toned, sweat-slicked bodies glistened under the sun amidst the birch trees, hydrangeas, azaleas, gardenias, and orchids. Her eyes widened at the unexpected sight.

"Oh my god!" Mackenzie exclaimed as she pressed her face against the glass. "Is that Lachlan and his friends?"

"Yes, it is," Scarlett replied happily, pressing her face close to the glass near her friend's. "Want to make a quick stop before Nick picks up Kayla?"

Madeleine exclaimed joyfully before turning to her driver. "Nick, stop the car!"

"What for, Miss Madeleine?" Nick asked as he screeched to a halt and turned around to face his boss's daughter.

Madeleine grabbed her compact from her purse, satisfied her makeup was still perfect. "There are some people outside I want to meet," she explained curtly, pouting into the mirror as she reapplied a fresh coat of lip gloss and fluffed her curls. "So Scarlett and I will only be five minutes max. Then we're picking up Kayla."

Scarlett noticed Nick nod at Madeleine's words. "Don't worry, Nick," she added, running her fingers through her curls and snatching her iPhone from her designer purse. Gripping the passenger door handle momentarily, Scarlett stepped outside and said. "We know you're worried about Madeleine's parents firing you if we're out of sight."

"Nick, everything will be okay," Madeleine reassured the anxious driver. Seeing he had calmed down, she grabbed her iPhone and stepped outside.

Madeleine slammed the door behind her and Scarlett. Linking her right arm with Scarlett's left, she strode confidently across the street. Stepping onto the sidewalk, she squared her shoulders. Noticing sunlight filtering through the trees above, Madeleine pondered her words before speaking.

Noticing the boys had finished their game, Madeleine unlocked her arm from her friend's arm and interrupted. "Um, hello?" She introduced herself, saying, "I'm Madeleine Stein, by the way."

"And I'm Scarlett Wilson," Scarlett added coyly, twisting one of her curly locks around a manicured finger.

Lachlan smiled at Madeleine and Scarlett, his dimples appearing at the corners of his mouth. "I already know who you are," he said, holding a soccer ball between his feet. "My older brothers were talking about you yesterday."

Scott walked over to his black duffel bag, retrieved his black steel Adidas water bottle, and squeezed it so water sprayed over his sweaty body and head. "They told us their girlfriends picked your friend group as successors at Prescott," he stated firmly before taking three refreshing gulps. Scott noticed Scarlett staring intensely at him from the corner of his eye. He winked, causing her to blush since she had been caught looking.

James wiped his sweaty face on his damp white t-shirt and tossed it in his white Adidas duffel before addressing the girls. "We've been stalking your Instagram for two days now," he admitted, feeling the heated glares from his friends.

"People on Instagram told us to talk to you," Aiden said, staring at his multicolored Puma sneakers.

Declan stretched his toned left leg behind his back for a few minutes while resting his right hand on Aiden's shoulder. "We've been following you since Sunday," he grinned, excitement glimmering in his dark brown eyes.

Scarlett feigned nonchalance, inspecting her manicure. "Oh, cool," she said casually, trying to stay composed in front of the boys.

"So, um, could we get your numbers?" Madeleine asked shyly, unlocking her phone to open the Contacts app. She created new entries for the five boys' numbers.

"Yeah, sure," Lachlan said with a shrug, sitting on the grass and placing the soccer ball between his legs. "It's 914-642-8796."

"914-213-7680," Aiden recited, settling next to Lachlan and noticing the girls add his number to their phones.

"914-204-6612," James stated evenly, dropping down on Lachlan's other side.

"914-421-9475," Scott mentioned after taking three long gulps of his blue Gatorade.

"914-366-2578," Declan told them, stretching his toned arms overhead.

Scarlett quickly typed the boys' numbers into her iPhone, then subtly checked the time. She saw that five minutes had already passed. "Maddie, we need to leave now," she said, pulling her friend aside.

"Why?" Madeleine asked. Her sunglasses were still perched on her head. She automatically glanced back at the boys and flashed a bright smile before facing Scarlett again.

"Five minutes have already passed," Scarlett whispered, hoping the boys didn't overhear their chatter. "I'm sure Kay is mad at us by now, and Nick still has to drive us into the city."

Madeleine rolled her eyes before tucking a curly lock of hair behind her glossy lips. "Come on, Scar!" she asserted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Let's tell the boys it's time to go."

"Okay," her friend responded with a snicker, linking her arm through Madeleine's.

"Um, guys," Madeleine said as she shook her friend's arm off her shoulders. "We need to leave now. My driver is waiting to pick someone up."

"Alright," Lachlan, James, Scott, Aiden, and Declan responded in unison, enveloping the girls in a giant group hug. They noticed Madeleine and Scarlett's flushed, reddened cheeks. "Text us later tonight."

Breaking away from the embrace, Scarlett fanned her blushing cheeks and clutched her iPhone tightly in her manicured hand. "G-Got it," she stammered, avoiding the boys' mischievous gazes.

Grabbing Scarlett's arm, Madeleine pulled her friend toward the idling Range Rover. "Bye!" she called over her shoulder, eager to put some distance between them and the boys.

Once inside the car, Madeleine settled back into her seat and dropped her phone into her purse. She immediately noticed that Nick had silently started following Google Maps to Kayla's house, without speaking to her or Scarlett. Turning to her friend, she saw Scarlett had drifted off into daydreams. With a sigh, Madeleine closed her eyes again.

A few minutes later, Nick pulled the Range Rover into the Adams' circular driveway and parked it idling in front of the steps. He remained in the running car, waiting for Miss Kayla to notice her ride had arrived.

Kayla sat on the steps, her amber eyes glued to her iPhone screen. When she spotted the car, she slipped the phone into her designer bag and hurried down the remaining steps. Dressed in white high-waisted Sandro button-front shorts, a frilly emerald-green Cece blouse, and strappy emerald-green Prada crisscross wedges, she exuded elegance and style. Mini chandelier earrings and a matching bracelet glittered as she walked. White Isabel Marant flip-top sunglasses perched on her nose, and her straightened wheat-blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail with an emerald-green bow. Her makeup was applied flawlessly. Reaching the car, Kayla slid gracefully into the seat next to Scarlett, letting her purse fall onto her lap.

Kayla placed Madeleine's designer bag in her lap and pushed her sunglasses into her hair. "Where were you two?" she demanded angrily. "It took forever for Madeline's driver to pick me up."

Scarlett crossed and uncrossed her slender legs, notifying Kayla. "On our way to pick you up, we saw Lachlan and his friends playing soccer on someone's lawn. So we stopped for a few minutes and collected their phones."

"No way!" Kayla gasped, her jaw dropping in disbelief. "I thought we were meeting them at school."

"We're surprised they knew about us," Madeleine said with a light laugh, amused by Kayla's reaction. "From what I've seen, those boys are mischievous but super cute."

Kayla pulled her iPhone from her bag and unlocked it with Face ID. "Have you seen the new pictures Lindsey posted on her Instagram page yesterday afternoon?" she asked, changing the subject. Kayla then opened the Instagram app and navigated to Lindsey's profile.

"No, I didn't see them," Scarlett replied. She leaned in closer so she and Madeleine could view the photos on Kayla's phone. "I was busy prepping for my parents' party last night. When did she start following you anyway?"

"This morning," Kayla said smugly, zooming in on the pictures to see where Lindsey was hanging out with Avery and their friends. "These photos look amazing."

Scarlett studied the glamorous group selfies by the country club pool where the girls lounged with tropical drinks. "Looks like so much fun," she smirked. "Tiffany and Ivy seem to be having a blast."

"I thin-" Madeleine stopped mid-sentence, leaving her thought unfinished.

Madeleine's purse buzzed, the ringing echoing through the car. She shared a quick look with Scarlett and Kayla before retrieving her iPhone from her designer bag. Answering the call, Madeleine did so without checking the screen.

Mackenzie's voice crackled through Madeleine's phone speaker. "Hi, Maddy! I'm waiting outside for the carpool. When will you guys be here?"

Madeleine leaned back and turned on the speakerphone so her friends could hear. "Nick will be there to pick you up in 15 minutes. Just hang tight."

"Got it," Mackenzie replied, ending the call. "See you soon."

Kayla glanced up from her phone and drummed her green nails on her iPhone's Louis Vuitton eye trunk case. "Sounds like Mack is getting impatient," she chimed in, eyes brightening.

"She's likely tired of waiting for Nick," Scarlett murmured, inspecting her crimson nails.

"The heat could be bothering her," Madeleine added, removing her sunglasses and stowing them in her bag.

Without another word to her friends, Madeleine slipped her iPhone back into her bag and smoothed the wrinkles from her dress. Her gaze drifted from her friends to the tinted rear window on the left side of the car. Through it, she saw a mother and daughter emerge from their house in breathable yoga clothes, yoga mats tucked under their left arms.

The sight reminded Madeleine of the mother-daughter tennis classes she used to take. She sighed deeply and glanced at the driver, who was halfway along the route to Mackenzie's house. In the rearview mirror, Madeleine saw her reflection, sinking back into her seat.

A few moments later, she rested her head on Kayla's right shoulder and stared at the touchscreen, noticing it was almost eleven. Madeleine closed her, listening to Kayla and Scarlett's conversation.

Fifteen minutes later, Nick pulled the Range Rover into the Frosts' circular driveway and kept the engine running as he slowed to a stop in front of the house. He remained seated in the idling vehicle, sagging back into his seat as his foot lifted off the gas pedal.

Mackenzie leaned against one of the tall white columns on her family's porch, skimming InStyle magazine and finishing her bagel and cream cheese. When she saw the carpool arrive, she crammed the magazine into her purse and ran down the steps. Strutting confidently to the Range Rover in an ivory Ella Moss lace-trimmed camisole paired with navy-and-ivory-striped Prada bloomer shorts and an ivory Alice + Olivia blazer, Mackenzie looked stunning. Her outfit was completed with navy Tory Burch T-strap sandals showing off matching pedicure and manicure, a small ivory Tory Burch Gemini Link Canvas tote bag, flawless 4.48-karat diamond stud earrings, straightened strawberry-blonde hair, oversized white Ray-Ban sunglasses over her aquamarine eyes, and neutral makeup. Mackenzie stepped into the Range Rover, plopped down next to Madeleine, and carelessly dropped her tote onto her lap.

Mackenzie cooed in delight, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh my god! You all look fantastic!"

"Gorgeous as always, Manzie," Madeleine said with a wink to her friend.

Scarlett smoothed her cardigan and beamed at Mackenzie. "Wow, Mack, you look amazing!"

"Kenzie, that outfit is so cute on you," Kayla smiled warmly at her friend as she fidgeted with her bracelet.

Mackenzie tossed her sunglasses in her bag and brightly changed the subject. "Thanks, girls! Hey, have you heard about the Shermans?"

Scarlett glanced curiously at Mackenzie and eagerly asked. "Who's that?"

Kayla looked directly at Mackenzie and feigned nonchalance by flicking imaginary lint off her blouse. "Huh?" she said softly.

"Tell us everything," Madeleine demanded. She stretched her neck from side to side but kept her gaze averted from Mackenzie.

Mackenzie leaned in and whispered to her friends. "Yesterday I overheard my mom talking on the phone. The Shermans are in big trouble with the IRS because Mr. Sherman embezzled money from work. Now, their accounts are frozen, so they can't afford their daughter's private school tuition anymore. She'll have to transfer to public school."

Scarlett tilted her head, covering her mouth with her right manicured hand. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "I feel sorry for the Shermans' daughter. Public school students unfortunately have a reputation for bullying those who don't fit in."

"Oh, well, karma's a bitch," Kayla chuckled wryly. She tilted her head and arched her immaculately groomed wheat-blonde eyebrows, her face alight with amusement. "Mr. Sherman should have known the IRS would catch up to him eventually."

"My dad always says the government stays on top of things," Madeleine remarked with a laugh.

Mackenzie nodded in agreement, fidgeting with the diamond stud in her right ear. "Well, ladies, I'm privy to quite a few secrets," she murmured. Mackenzie glanced at her friend's driver, following the GPS to Audrey's house. "Though I have to admit, I did invade my mom's privacy at home."

"I've been crowned the next Queen of Information by Ivy and Tiffany," Scarlett said excitedly as she ran her fingers through her curls. "So Mack, you have to share some secrets with me now."

"It's alright, Scar," Mackenzie said reassuringly, pinching Kayla playfully on the arm. "Does this mean I'm the new Queen of Gossip and Secrets?"

"Yes, it's true," Kayla admitted. She leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs. "Delilah Edwards and Emily Hudson have been calling me the next Queen of Connections and Fashion on Instagram."

Madeleine flipped her curls over her left shoulder and leaned forward in her seat. "They expect you to follow in their footsteps," she retorted. "After all, Lindsey and Avery will crown me with an important title tomorrow morning."

Picking at her painted fingernails, Scarlett responded. "Audrey was declared the 'Queen of Social Events' by Maia Cox and Nova Walker on Instagram. She's the one everyone at school gives their party invites to, so she'll decide which events we attend."

Tuning her friends out, Madeleine didn't respond to Scarlett's statement as her friends continued the conversation without her. She took deep breaths and fixed her gaze on Nick driving halfway down the recommended route to Audrey's house. Afterward, Madeleine peered out the car's left-side tinted rear window and counted trees as they passed.

Fifteen minutes later, Nick turned into the Websters' circular driveway and parked in front of the house. As he finished his buttered croissant and coffee, he shifted in the driver's seat. Honking the Range Rover's horn, Nick hoped Miss Audrey would hear that the carpool had arrived.

Audrey paced the front porch, furiously texting. At the sound of the carpool horn, she threw her phone in her purse and raced down the steps. Strolling to the car in her adorable pink-and-white striped Splendid romper that hugged her figure, she looked beautiful. White Lanvin leather ballet flats adorned her feet and a medium white Tory Burch hobo bag dangled from her wrist. Oversized white Tory Burch sunglasses shielded her cerulean blue eyes, giving her an air of privilege. Half her long platinum blonde waves were swept up, the rest cascading down her back. Gold Poppy Finch triple-cultured pearl hoops weighed down her ears. Her makeup was minimal. Reaching the Range Rover, Audrey climbed in gracefully and slid into the seat next to Mackenzie, tossing her purse onto her lap.

"Hey, ladies," Audrey said. She crossed her legs, placing her manicured hands on her knees.

Madeleine greeted Audrey with a radiant smile. "Hi, Rae," she said warmly.

Kayla smoothed her straightened hair and squared her shoulders before grinning brightly at Audrey. "Hey, Rey," she said.

"Hello, Addy," Scarlett said cheerfully, straightening her dress.

Mackenzie gave Audrey a sleek smile. "What's up, Drey?" she asked her friend.

Audrey slipped off her sunglasses and tossed them into her purse. "Not much, Kenzie," she said, grinning from ear to ear. Audrey touched her earrings, hoping they would remain in place.

"Girls, I have some bad news about our dinner plans tonight," Madeleine said with a deep sigh, clearing her throat loudly. "We need to cancel."

Scarlett glanced at her painted fingernails for a moment before looking up. "Why?" she asked.

Madeleine looked into her friend's eyes as she folded her hands in her lap. "My dad made reservations at Uptown, so I need to be home by eight tonight."

Mackenzie flipped her straightened hair over her left shoulder. "It's okay, Maddy," she replied over the hum of the Range Rover's AC. "We can rebook at Butter another time."

"We understand you need to spend more time with your parents," Kayla added, resting her head against the tinted window.

"Don't worry about us," Audrey said dismissively, crossing and uncrossing her slender legs. "Go spend time with your family, Maddie."

Beaming happily, Scarlett twirled the diamond stud in her left ear rapidly. "So Mads, let's fill in Drey and Manzie about meeting Lachlan and his friends."

"Well girls, Scar and I met the boys earlier today," Madeleine explained, inhaling sharply at Scarlett's words. "We got their numbers, and they heard about us from Lachlan's older brothers."

Twirling a curly lock of hair around her left manicured index finger, Audrey exclaimed, "Oh my god, I totally forgot about them! I heard Aiden Clarke is really chill, so it takes a while to push his buttons. And I just called dibs on him. So, Maddie, you'll have to give me his number."

"I know this may seem sudden," Mackenzie said with eager eyes. "But I'm calling dibs on Declan Hawthorne right now. After looking through his Instagram, I've learned he's a Gemini who loves being social, and his favorite color is blue."

Scarlett crossed her arms over her chest and acknowledged her friend's question."Um, no. I've already scoped out Scott for myself."

Kayla reached into her purse to retrieve her voluminous Pretty & Perfect mascara. As she layered on another coat to her long lashes, she replied. "Uh... I'm surprised they've heard about us. I've been secretly stalking James Blackwell's Instagram since Sunday afternoon, so I'm staking my claim on him now, even though I haven't met him in real life yet. Maddie, you need to give me his number."

Madeleine rolled her shoulders back with the poise and grace of a queen. "Okay," she said, looking at Mackenzie, Audrey, and Kayla, "I'll text you their numbers later tonight. And of course, I've already decided Lachlan is my crush because he made me blush so hard earlier and seems sweet."

Mackenzie pulled her compact out of her tote and checked her reflection in the mirror. Without taking her eyes away from her image, she eagerly asked her friend, "Mads, are you going to call Lachlan tonight?"

Madeleine rested her head on Mackenzie's right shoulder and calmly replied, "Yeah. I'm inviting the boys over to my house next Thursday."

"Awesome!" Kayla exclaimed as she clapped her manicured hands together.

"Yay!" Audrey shrieked while bouncing in her seat. "I'll need to mark it on my calendar."

"Oh, that's nice," Scarlett said enthusiastically as she twirled the ends of her curls around her finger.

"I'm picturing everyone hanging out and relaxing by my pool," Madeleine said with a laugh, twirling a curl around her finger. "Any suggestions for the menu and playlist for our pool party? I want some ideas."

Kayla shook her head, ponytail swinging. "The chef should make some delicious snacks."

Scarlett bounced in her seat. "Mads, you should have sweet tea and virgin piña coladas for drinks," she suggested.

Audrey leaned back, kicking the driver's seat playfully despite Nick's discomfort. "We'll have so much fun that day, splashing around and chatting together."

"Your Spotify playlist needs some great songs," Mackenzie said with a grin, flipping her straight hair. "You should add some awesome tunes the guys will like too."

Madeleine nodded in agreement with her friends before playfully nudging Kayla's ankle with her toe. "Got it," she said quickly, changing the subject. "Did you guys watch the pilot episode of Young, Rich, and Fabulous yesterday?"

"Um, no..." Audrey said, trailing off as she fidgeted with her romper. "I watched it on Hulu this morning when I woke up. I'm excited to share my thoughts on it."

"Me neither," Kayla chimed in, noticing they had taken exit forty-six towards Manhattan. "I watched it on Hulu while getting ready. There's so much drama already!"

Mackenzie adjusted her camisole as she bounced her knees excitedly. "I managed to watch it on Hulu after a yummy breakfast," she giggled. "I can't wait to discuss!"

"Obviously not," Scarlett replied nonchalantly, looking amused. "I watched it on Hulu this morning too."

Madeleine blew a stray curl out of her eyes, gazing at the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge passing by. "I was so impressed by Macy Vaughn," she said.

Audrey arched one of her perfectly waxed, platinum-blonde eyebrows questioningly. "Really? Why?" she asked, glancing at Kayla, Mackenzie, and Scarlett.

Checking the car's touchscreen, Madeleine noticed it was almost 12:15 PM. "She seems to be the leader of that group," she explained.

Reaching into her purse, Scarlett retrieved her gold Balmain hairbrush. As she brushed her hair, she remarked. "I noticed her friends seemed two-faced. Not my style."

Staring out the tinted window, Kayla examined her poreless complexion. Turning back to the group, she added, "Macy's controlling attitude is making her best friends, Maci and Riley, resent her. They shouldn't blame her just for being bossy."

"It seems like Macy's reputation is all about being flawless in every way," Mackenzie said, brushing some lint off her blazer.

"Obviously," Audrey sighed truthfully. "I thought she was trying to be perfect. It's just a facade to hide her insecurities about letting people see the real her."

"Well, I happen to admire Macy's wit and charisma," Madeleine replied. Realizing her driver had taken exit seven towards East 23rd Street, she added, "She's using those traits against anyone brave enough to insult her."

"I love her clever comebacks," Scarlett said with a snicker, straightening her hair clips. "That one about comparing her classmates to ants sucking up to her was hilarious."

After Scarlett's statement, Kayla smiled brightly and added, "When I heard that comeback, I laughed so hard my sides hurt." From the corner of her eye, she noticed Nick had turned left onto Second Avenue.

Nodding in agreement, Mackenzie leaned back and crossed her legs. "Well, you'd know Macy still fits the nice girl stereotype despite some remaining mean girl tendencies," she told her friends.

As Maddie's driver turned right onto East 11th Street, Audrey fidgeted with her earrings. Eager to change the subject, she turned to her friends and asked. Didn't you see the confrontation between Macy, Maci, and Riley?"

Madeleine realized that her driver had turned left onto Third Avenue before shifting her attention back to her friends. "Yes," she replied, pursing her glossy lips together.

A few moments later, Nick pulled the Range Rover up to the curb, leaving the engine running, and turned to the girls. "Ladies, we've arrived," he interjected brusquely. "Give me a call when you're ready to go."

"Will do," Madeleine said. She grabbed her designer bag and tossed it over her right shoulder. Madeleine gripped the rear door handle and exited the car gracefully, leaving the door open for her friends.

Scarlett grabbed her purse and threw it over her right shoulder. "Bye, Nick!" she instantly replied.

Kayla hoisted her bag up her left shoulder and grinned at Nick, "See you later," she said.

As they got out of the car, Audrey and Mackenzie called out. "See you later, Nick!"

Madeleine closed the door behind her and her friends. Slipping on her sunglasses, she tapped her foot impatiently on the noisy, bustling Third Avenue sidewalk. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Madeleine watched the Range Rover pull away from the curb. It quickly disappeared into the sea of yellow taxis, white delivery vans, and rideshares. Holding her head high, she sashayed towards the frosted glass doors of Saffron, her friends strutting confidently behind her.

---

Saffron

55 3rd Ave, New York City

12:46 P.M.

Tuesday, September 3rd

Madeleine walked across the elegant lobby of the restaurant, noticing the chic decor exuded sophistication. She headed straight for the hostess stand with her friends following behind. Standing in line, Madeleine waited patiently as the hostess checked reservations on her iPad. Folding her arms, she realized the hostess had finished seating the previous customers but was still chatting with them. Shifting her weight between her feet, Madeleine overheard the classical music playing from the restaurant's wireless speakers while waiting for the hostess.

Madeleine shook her curls off the back of her slender neck and turned to her friends with concern in her eyes. "Are you guys okay?" she asked.

"No," Scarlett replied, fidgeting with the thick strap of her purse. "My nerves are too frazzled to calm down before Mimi arrives with her friends in fifteen minutes.

Kayla squared her shoulders and smirked. "I think you guys should relax," she deadpanned, pointing at herself, Mackenzie, and Audrey. "Especially when Maddie's cousin will be judging us instead."

Mackenzie stood up straight and swept her straightened hair over her shoulders. "I know," she agreed with a smile. "Has anyone seen the hostess yet?"

Audrey nudged Mackenzie and smiled. "She's helping some other customers at the moment, so we'll need to wait our turn for assistance."

Mackenzie rolled her eyes and muttered dismissively. "Whatever, Rae."

Madeleine nodded to her friends, noticing Ada had returned to the stand. She snapped her manicured fingers to signal her friends to stop talking and refocus their attention on the hostess.

"Oh, Miss Stein, you're back again?" asked Ada, the hostess who normally checked Madeleine and Scarlett into their reservations. She was wearing fitted black pants and a perfectly pressed white tuxedo shirt.

Madeleine pushed her purse even higher on her left shoulder, replying. "Yes, Ada, I'm back again. This time I have a party of ten with me."

Ada grabbed ten leather-bound menus from the stand and said evenly. "Okay, Miss Stein. But where is the rest of your party?"

With a giggle and a nod of understanding, Scarlett reassured Ada. "Don't worry, they'll be here in ten minutes."

Ada nodded and beckoned for the girls to follow her. "Of course."

Madeleine snickered at the bewildered looks on Kayla, Mackenzie, and Audrey's faces before following behind Ada, who led the girls through the crowded yet quiet dining room. As they walked past a table of well-dressed publishers perusing manuscripts, Madeleine gazed around the room, noticing the black-and-white damask wallpaper covering the walls. When she stopped looking at the walls, she saw Ada halt in front of a ten-seat table at the center of the restaurant.

Ada gestured at the table as she placed the menus in the center and said. "I hope this table is suitable, Miss Stein."

Madeleine headed over to one of the head seats and stated. "It's perfect, Ada. Thank you."

"Thank you, Ada," Scarlett replied, exuding the poise and charm of a young socialite.

A few moments later, the girls seated themselves around the table, hanging their designer bags on the backs of their chairs and turning their attention back to Ada.

"Miss Stein, the server will be here to take your order in ten minutes," Ada said, handing out menus to the girls.

Noticing that Ada was leaving to help other customers, Madeleine nodded and said. "Okay."

Immediately after the hostess left, Mackenzie pinched the ends of the peaked lapels on her blazer so it hugged her slender neck. She added. "You guys weren't kidding about frequenting this place a lot."

Kayla quickly added, hearing the restaurant's delicate silverware clink. "I love how this place caters to classy, refined customers. Everything looks stunning."

"I know, right?" Audrey cooed, shifting her gaze to the other customers seated at the surrounding tables.

Madeleine's mouth watered at the sight of waiters carrying platters piled high with succulent racks of lamb, lobster, steak, and ribs. "Well, anyway, Esmée, my older cousin Facetimed me this morning when I woke up," she expressed. "She told me that Aimee had called her last night and was very anxious about meeting you all today."

Scarlett's gaze remained fixed out the restaurant's grand front window as people bustled across the busy street. "No way," she gasped, still staring ahead. "I thought Aimee would have confidence in herself. She doesn't seem the nervous type."

As Mackenzie crossed her slender legs and leaned back in her chair, she interjected. "Maybe she's worried about how we'll fit in with you and Scar."

Audrey glanced lazily at some customers paying their lunch bill. With a smirk, she added. "Girls, I think Maddie's cousin just wants to make sure we're friends for the right reasons."

Kayla ran her fingers along the diamond hardware of her purse and replied. "I think she's pleased Maddie and Scar are making more friends with other girls."

Ignoring her friends, Madeleine pulled out her iPhone from her designer bag and checked the time. It was almost one o'clock, meaning her cousin and friends should have arrived by now.

With a deep sigh, Madeleine dropped her phone back in her purse and leaned back, closing her eyes for ten minutes. When she opened them, the hostess was leading her cousin and friends to the table. Madeleine sat up straight and joined the conversation.

A few minutes later, Madeleine's cousin Aimee stood at the other end of the table with her flawlessly dressed friends: Celeste, Spencer, Ava, and Beverly.

"Hey, Mimi," Madeleine said brightly as she stood up, walked around the table, and gave her cousin an air kiss.

Aimee hung her large black leather shoulder bag on the back of the other chair before smiling at Madeleine. "Hi, Maddie!" she said warmly. "You look beautiful!"

Madeleine barely held back an eye roll, heading for her seat. "I know," she said sarcastically. "Aim, you were supposed to FaceTime me this morning."

"Oh, Maddie, I'm so sorry," Aimee apologized, sitting down. "I meant to FaceTime you but I forgot this morning."

Celeste sat down in the seat to Aimee's right. "Hey, Mads and Scar!" she said, interrupting their conversation. She brushed some lint off her sleeveless red Gucci minidress.

"What's up, Lele?" Madeleine and Scarlett replied with a warm smile, their eyes lighting up.

"Not much," said Celeste, adjusting her dress's belt.

"Hello?" Kayla interrupted, rolling her eyes at Maddie and Celeste. "Aren't you going to let us introduce ourselves to your cousin and her friends?"

Madeleine's face lit up with a broad grin. "Sure," she said enthusiastically, gesturing toward Aimee, Celeste, Spencer, Ava, and Beverly. "Go ahead and introduce yourselves to my cousin and her friends."

Clearing her suddenly dry throat, Kayla introduced herself to the girls with a sweet smile. "Um, hi, I'm Kayla Adams."

"Hi, I'm Mackenzie Frost," Mackenzie added, shooting a dazzling smile at Aimee and her friends.

"I'm Audrey Webster, by the way," Audrey said calmly, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest.

Aimee introduced herself to her cousin's friends by slapping her right manicured hand over her chest and chuckled. "Hi, ladies, I'm Aimee Stein."

Celeste pulled out her compact from her mini red Saint Laurent chain bag to check her reflection in the mirror. "I'm Celeste Evans," she said.

"Spencer Chamberlain," Spencer said nervously, giving the other girls a half-smirk. She grabbed the seat next to Celeste on Aimee's right and hung her mini yellow Jimmy Choo patent leather bag on the back of her chair.

Ava slid into the seat next to Aimee and crossed her legs. "I'm Ava Sewell," she said, introducing herself to the girls. She hung her blue Kate Spade leather top-zip satchel on the back of her chair.

"My name is Beverly Sheppard," Beverly announced, sitting next to Ava. She casually placed her lavender Bottega Veneta cassette leather crossbody bag on the chair cushion.

"It's nice to meet you guys," Kayla, Mackenzie, and Audrey said in unison. They exchanged a brief side glance with Madeleine and Scarlett before unfolding their dinner napkins onto their laps.

The girls in question - Aimee, Celeste, Spencer, Ava, and Beverly - turned their attention back to Kayla, Mackenzie, and Audrey opposite them and finally responded. "Nice to meet you guys too."

The girls' conversation was interrupted when a clean-shaven middle-aged man strolled up to their table five minutes later.

The waiter pulled a pen from his apron and placed it over his notepad. "Welcome to Saffron. My name is Gil, and I'll be your server today. So, what can I get you?"

"Butternut squash bucatini," Madeleine ordered as she perused the menu. "And a Diet Coke to drink, please."

Aimee perused the menu in front of her. "I'll have the ricotta gnocchi," she replied swiftly. "And the same soda as Madeleine, please."

Celeste crossed her short-clad legs under the table, perusing the menu. "I'll have the shrimp tagliatelle," she requested. "And some lemonade to drink, please."

Tracing the menu's edge with her manicured fingers, Spencer ordered. "I'll have the braised short rib cavatelli with a Diet Pepsi."

Closing her menu, Kayla said. "I'll have the saffron burger with fries and the same soda as Spencer."

Mackenzie leaned back in her seat and scanned the menu. "I'll have the brick-pressed chicken," she told the waiter. "And a Sprite to drink, please."

Audrey grinned brightly at the waiter after perusing the menu. "I'll have the grilled marinated shrimp," she said. "Sweet tea to drink."

"Um..." Ava hesitated, staring at the menu. "I'll have the burger supreme with fries and a Diet Mountain Dew."

Beverly collected the menus and responded, "Chicken pot pie for me, with the same soda as Ava."

"Creamy lemon lobster fettuccine, please," Scarlett said, passing her menu to Gil. "And sweet tea."

"Certainly," Gil said, finishing writing their orders on his notepad before leaving. "I'll be back with your drinks soon."

Madeleine noticed the waiter was gone before saying anything else to her cousin. As she laid her unfolded dinner napkin on her lap, she asked, "Oh, Mimi, do you remember Sarah?"

"Oh yeah," Aimee spat angrily, her Nordic blue eyes filled with rage on her cousin's behalf. "Wasn't she the one who abandoned you and Scar for some girl and her friends?"

Resting her chin on her right palm, Scarlett said dramatically. "Obviously. But she invited us to her pool party next Sunday."

Aimee raised a questioning eyebrow toward Madeleine and Scarlett. "What for?" she asked the two girls.

"Well, Sarah wants to make amends with us," Scarlet said, twirling one of the scalloped straps of her dress around her left index finger. "And Hayden wants a fresh start when she enters middle school."

Aimee understood why her cousin and Scarlett were going to the party. "Okay, so they're looking for a clean slate, while you guys are still dealing with the emotional scars from the bullying."

After Aimee's statement, Celeste added while straightening her thick, black Hermès leather belt, which she had looped around her dress. "I thought Sarah should have realized by now that things would never be okay between you two."

Spencer reclined in her seat and heaved a sigh. "Perhaps they are plotting something nefarious for Scar and Maddie," she suggested.

Ava twisted a curly lock of hair around her left index finger anxiously. "Sarah and Hayden should face consequences for how they treated you," she said. "We should devise a plan to address this issue immediately."

"If I'm not mistaken, you mentioned that they had humiliated you in front of your entire grade," Beverly said modestly, leaning toward Madeleine and Scarlett. "It seems especially unfair knowing their behavior was insincere."

Audrey leaned forward in her seat and interrupted the conversation between Madeleine, Scarlett, and the other girls. "Who's Sarah?"

Madeleine's response was interrupted when the waiter approached their table, balancing their iced drinks on his round tray.

"Here are your drinks, ladies," Gil said, placing the beverages before the girls. "I'll return shortly with your food."

Madeleine nodded at the waiter before turning her attention back to Audrey. "It's alright, Addie," she said. "Sarah used to be best friends with Scar and me, but last year she abandoned us for Hayden and her new group of friends."

"That's terrible," Mackenzie said angrily, pulling her Sprite closer. "However, I think Sarah is genuinely remorseful for what she put you all through last year. So Maddie and Scarlett should probably forgive her."

Kayla absentmindedly swirled the ice cubes in her Diet Pepsi while nodding in agreement with Mackenzie, "I think they should let go of the emotional baggage weighing on their hearts. Doing so would certainly make Maddie and Scar feel much better about themselves."

Scarlett rolled her eyes dismissively at Kayla and Mackenzie's suggestions. "You're telling me to just let it go?" she replied sarcastically, a sharp edge in her voice. Scarlett turned away from the girls to stare pointedly at a group of nosy customers eavesdropping on their conversation. After giving them a stern glare, she swiveled back to face the girls directly. "That's not going to happen!" she stated emphatically.

Aimee took a hearty sip of her sweet tea. "No way," she snarled, her eyes darting towards her cousin, who was busy eyeing the customers sitting at the surrounding tables.

Celeste brought her lemonade glass to her lips and took a sip. "I think you should get revenge on those girls," she said with a mischievous look in her serene blue eyes. "They have it coming."

"Let's think of some schemes to get back at them," Ava and Spencer said together as they traced the rim of their fizzy soda cups with their fingers.

Beverly took a sip of her Diet Mountain Dew, asking Madeleine and Scarlett. "At the risk of sounding harsh, how do you plan on getting back at them?"

Madeleine paused to sip her Diet Coke and smirked. "I'm considering inviting them to one of my slumber parties," she said. "We could get them to confess their deepest secrets, secretly record it on my phone, and post the video on Instagram for all to see."

"I like this plan," Scarlett replied with a devious smile. She leaned back in her seat and placed her manicured hands on her knees.

Audrey glanced at Kayla and Mackenzie, who looked uneasy about Madeleine and Scarlett's vengeful scheme against their elementary school bullies. "I feel the same way," she agreed.

Aimee whipped her dirty-blonde locks over her right shoulder and asked. "How will you guys invite them over to Maddie's house?"

Before Madeleine could respond to her cousin's question, Gil approached their table with a round tray laden with delicious food balanced on his right shoulder.

Gil set plates of food down in front of the girls and tucked the tray under his arm. "Here's your food, ladies," he said with a bright grin. "Can I get you anything else?"

"We're all set for now," Scarlett said, picking up her fork and taking a bite of lobster. "I'll let you know if we need anything else."

"Enjoy your food, ladies," Gil said, noticing two customers waving him over at one of his tables. He then quickly carried the tray of food for that table to the opposite end of the restaurant.

After the waiter left the table, Madeleine answered her cousin's question while spearing a sautéed mushroom with her fork. "I was thinking I should invite them to Sarah's party when we're all there together. It'll make them think Scarlet and I have forgiven them."

Aimee pushed her ricotta gnocchi around her plate and gave her cousin a half-smirk. "Awesome," she said. "When will you put this plan into action?"

With a sly smile, Scarlett noticed Kayla and Mackenzie finally agreed to join her and Madeleine's mischievous plan and answered. "Next Sunday."

Celeste grinned excitedly and took a long sip of her lemonade. "Girlies, where did you go for summer vacation?" she asked, looking over at the girls. "I can't wait to hear all about your perfect trips!"

Kayla's face brightened into a smile and replied. "I spent the first two weeks of summer in Milan with my parents. Then for the rest of my vacation, I split my time between the Hamptons and Paris."

Ava took small, delicate bites of her burger supreme and bragged. "Well, I spent my whole summer break at my family's vacation home in Hawaii."

Mackenzie stabbed some pieces of her chicken with her fork. "My parents and I flew to Paris for my summer vacation," she said casually. "I spent my days shopping at the Champs-Élysées, exploring the city, and relaxing at our family's summer home."

With radiant smiles, Beverly and Scarlett answered in unison. "We spent my entire summer vacation at our family's summer house in Antigua, Lele. It was so much fun for us."

"I spent my entire summer vacation in London with my parents," Audrey said excitedly. She swallowed a steaming forkful of curry-covered rice.

Madeleine moved her plate closer to the edge of the table. "My parents and I traveled to Switzerland for summer vacation," she said confidently. "I had a great time shopping with friends and exploring the city."

"Yeah, I spent my whole summer vacation in Spain with my parents," Aimee responded, thoughtfully chewing a mouthful of creamy potato gnocchi.

Celeste took a long, deep breath before spearing a sautéed shrimp and scallion onto her fork. "Same," she agreed with Audrey, her eyes glimmering with happiness. "Aim and I had tons of fun together."

Spencer's amber eyes sparkled under her long lashes and replied. "I spent my whole summer vacation with my parents in the Hamptons. I went to many parties, shopped on Main Street, walked the beaches, and hung out with my summer friends there. But did you hear the news about the Cruz family?"

Madeleine looked over her painted nails and hesitantly asked. "Who? What?"

Aimee nodded along to the classical music before sweeping her manicured hand through her blonde curls. "They were the golden couple of the Upper East Side," she said with a silly grin. "We should also discuss their spoiled daughter, who's trying to join my clique this year."

"News spreads fast in this city," Scarlett said with a half-smile, flashing it irresistibly at Celeste. "No offense, but people seem like complete morons for forgetting that."

"However, the Cruz family thought things would calm down for them," Celeste said, eating a mouthful of shrimp tagliatelle. She then tossed her long, straight black hair over her right shoulder.

Kayla tucked back a loose strand of hair that had fallen from her swinging ponytail. "Now, please spill the tea," she demanded.

Ava and Mackenzie swallowed a sip of soda and chimed in together. "Tell us everything!"

Beverly speared a bite of her chicken pot pie and let out a chuckle loud enough to draw the attention of other customers. "What happened?" she asked Spencer with curiosity, her winter-grey eyes sparkling with interest.

Audrey rolled her eyes at Spencer before resting her chin on her manicured hands and whined. "Spence, can you please spill the gossip on the Cruz family?"

Spencer rolled her eyes at Audrey and huffed. "Okay, I overheard my mom's conversation last night. The family took out a multi-million dollar loan to build their new house but now they're having trouble paying the bank by next week's deadline. So they're selling off properties, but it's still not enough to cover the loan."

Madeleine absently twirled a curly strand of hair around her index finger as she rolled her eyes at Spencer. "Why would I waste time listening to adult gossip about the Cruz family?" she muttered. "Do I look like someone who eavesdrops on my mom's conversations?"

With a smirk and a bitchy twinkle dancing in her eyes, Aimee told the girls. "You should know the Cruz family runs their own hotel business overseas."

Scarlett nodded in agreement with Aimee's opinion, then took a slow sip of her sweet iced tea. "I heard through the Upper East Side grapevine that the husband even tried bribing someone to make the problem go away permanently," she said.

"Um, either way..." Celeste trailed off, giving the girls an uneasy look before she chewed on a mouthful of shrimp tagliatelle. "I think they've been stewing in their issues for a while."

Ava brushed her glossy black hair from her violet eyes and touched her smooth pale skin. "Girls," she said, "I look forward to the day when Marisol Cruz realizes she's not in Mimi's league."

Mackenzie's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I agree," she said. "I think she'll eventually realize her family's current situation and try to understand it."

As her friends took a long sip of their fizzy sodas, Beverly asked them. "Can we all agree that Marisol is at least sometimes trying her best to annoy Aim?"

Audrey held up her manicured hands and said. "Count me out for a few moments, girls."

Spencer nodded in response to Beverly's statement, pausing to collect her thoughts before replying. "Marisol only behaves that way around Mimi when she wants to curry favor," Spencer said, running a manicured pinky finger along her plate's rim. "What if we simply agreed to let Marisol join our group?"

Aimee dabbed her mouth with her napkin before leaning back in her chair. "That won't happen," she scoffed. "I haven't bonded with her at all, so she'll never join my inner circle."

"Yes, I agree," Madeleine said to her cousin while fiddling with the diamond stud earring in her right ear, "She isn't worthy of being my cousin's handmaiden."

"Either way," Scarlett said with a chuckle, taking a hearty gulp of the cold sweet tea and bringing the glass down from her glossy lips, "She's a total loser now, so nobody at your school would risk inviting her family to anything anymore."

Celeste sipped her lemonade, then a drop slid from the corner of her mouth and plopped onto the tablecloth. "How much of the Cruz family's life is screwed up right now?" she asked suggestively.

"They're in a lot of trouble with the city," Kayla acknowledged, munching on a ketchup-covered fry. "So, they won't be showing their faces in public for a while."

"Oh, yeah," Ava said gleefully as she took large bites of her burger, clearly pleased by the Cruz family's distress over their unfortunate situation. "I've never seen them look so bothered before - the city really got to them this time."

"Yeah, whatever," Mackenzie muttered under her breath as she ate several bites of her chicken. "I just wish people would realize that cancel culture is here to stay."

Beverly smoothed the pleats of her pink sleeveless Ted Baker knit fit-and-flare dress and glanced up absently, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "The Cruz family should take their lawyers' advice," she said. "It would be better for them to leave the city."

Audrey straightened her romper before lifting her spoon to examine her reflection. "To be honest, I'm wondering if Mimi is going to try to recruit every girl in our grade," she remarked, responding to Beverly's statement. "She seems intent on gathering more handmaidens for her clique this year."

"Yes, yes, and yes!" Spencer retorted, flashing a faint smile at Audrey. "Aim has every right to hire someone to assess the girls, particularly if she needs to differentiate victims from projects."

"Whatever," Aimee muttered after pausing to take two large sips of her sweet tea. "I still need to figure out who's worthy of being my handmaiden before school starts."

Madeleine scooted her chair up to the table and smiled wistfully at her cousin. "Mimi, make sure whoever you choose is capable of being a proper handmaiden," she said. "The right one will be worth the wait, don't you think?"

Scarlett adjusted the hair clips that kept her hair out of her face. "Yes!" she proclaimed, hoping the other customers around their table wouldn't complain to the wait staff. "I suppose Marisol is just a bit jealous of Aim being more fabulous."

After finishing her burger and fries, Ava leaned her elbow on the table, her eyes flashing wickedly. "Maybe Aim should let Marisol join her handmaidens," she suggested, "but she should devise some diabolical plan to humiliate her first. Then Mimi can post it online for all to see."

"Of course!" Kayla agreed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before polishing off the last bite of her burger and fries.

Spencer finished the last bite of braised short rib cavatelli and hissed. "Fine!

After finishing half of her Sprite, Mackenzie shoved the last bite of her brick-pressed chicken into her mouth before agreeing with Ava. "That's okay."

"Ah!" Beverly exclaimed as she finished chewing the last bite of chicken pot pie. "I'd prefer to wait until gossip articles and channels confirm the Cruz family's fall from grace."

"It's almost two o'clock," Audrey said anxiously, glancing at the time on her iPhone's bright screen before quickly finishing the last two bites of her shrimp. "We still need to go shopping! I need some new clothes for the first week of school, and Maddie has to be home by eight tonight."

After finishing her butternut squash bucatini, Madeleine smiled at Gil, gesturing to indicate she wanted to pay for everyone's meal as well as her own. "We still need to settle the bill," she said.

After finishing her gnocchi, Aimee told her cousin. "Maddie, call Gil over now."

Moments later, Gil walked up to the table, interrupting the conversation between the girls.

"We're finished eating," Madeleine spoke steadily. She pulled her black Amex card from her purse and handed it to Gil. "I need the receipt now, please."

Gil abruptly turned on his heel, card in hand. Five minutes later he returned, this time holding a black leather portfolio in his left hand. "Young miss, I need you to sign the receipt," he said.

Madeleine opened the book to find her Amex card, a receipt, and a pen inside. "Okay, Gil," she said, signing the dotted line without reading it. Tucking the warm credit card into her designer handbag, she stood up, noticing Gil had left to tend to his other tables. "If we want to get to 5th Avenue, we should go now."

"Come on, girls," Aimee said as she got up from her seat, noticing the other girls had already pushed away from the table and stood up. "Let's relax with some retail therapy."

The girls pushed their chairs away from the table, carefully lifting them to avoid scraping the waxed marble floor. They tossed their stained dinner napkins onto their empty plates and took a long sip of their drinks. Taking some deep breaths, they slung their purses over their shoulders and walked out of the restaurant with confidence. Moments later, the girls strutted down the street, looking as stylish and gorgeous as the socialites strolling along the sidewalk.

The ten girls walked in synchronized steps for a couple of minutes, the newest pop song blasting in their minds, as people moved out of their way. They turned towards Fifth Avenue, their faces set into blank stares, giving off an air of snobbiness to the outside world so that people would understand they viewed themselves as more important.

---

Bergdorf Goodman's Dressing Area

5th Avenue, New York City

5:33 P.M

Tuesday, September 3rd

Smiling at her reflection in the three-way mirror, Madeleine tilted her head as she inspected her dress choice for the first week of school: a stylish off-the-shoulder 3.1 Phillip Lim cream dress. Pleased with how the dress suited her, she turned from the mirror to get the other girls' opinions.

Madeleine tossed her curls over her shoulders and asked the girls. "Does this dress say 'First Week of School'?"

Aimee sat against the wall next to her dressing room, studying her cousin intently. "Yes, the Cream color works well with your skin tone," she remarked with a snicker. "It looks good on anyone."

"That looks nice on you, Mads," Scarlett said as she reached into the large pile of clothes she planned to buy. She pulled out a pale pink shift dress with a cowl back from Alice + Olivia and held it up against her outfit. "What do you think, fabulous or not?"

Celeste shifted her gaze away from Madeleine, turning instead to scrutinize Scarlett's outfit selection for the first week of classes. "Gorgeous, as always," she remarked approvingly. "Though that dress is stunning, it may be a tad risqué for school."

Scarlett tossed the dress onto the plush ivory carpet before taking a small sip of her venti Starbucks cinnamon dolce crème. "I'm not purchasing this dress, Lele," she said. "I only wanted to ensure my clothes fit right since my chest has grown this summer."

Ava rushed over to Scarlett and embraced her. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed excitedly, not caring who heard. "I thought I was the only one who developed over the summer. It's strange being different from my friends."

Madeleine interrupted Ava's conversation with her friend, shouting. "Um, hello? Does this dress say 'First Week of School'?"

Mackenzie looked up from her iPhone and eyed the dress Madeleine was showing them. "Yes, Maddie," she replied honestly.

Audrey and Kayla looked at their friend while continuing to sip their lattes. "Same," they agreed.

Adorable," Spencer said, looking over at Aimee.

Beverly inspected her pearly white nails before resting her head on Aimee's left shoulder. "Wow..." she mused. "You look great."

"It looks amazing on you," Ava added, settling into her seat.

"Perfect," Madeleine said happily, tossing the dress into her large pile of clothes to buy. "Who's next?"

"It's my turn now," Aimee declared, heading back into her messy dressing room. "I still need more outfits for the first week of school, since I'll be in my uniform during the day."

Scarlett looked over at the girls and paused to gather her thoughts. "Just curious," she said eagerly. "what's the school hierarchy like here?"

Celeste answered with a radiant smile on her face. "But there is only one reigning Queen from each grade and her handmaidens. Mimi was selected this year as the sixth-grade Queen. What can you tell me about Westchester itself?"

Kayla downed half of her venti Starbucks caramel macchiato and acknowledged. "Maddie's doing the same thing, except she's ruling with a court."

Fiddling with a button on her high-waisted navy Maje shorts, Spencer asked, "Have you guys ever wondered how Maddie and Aim were chosen as Queen?"

Mackenzie crossed her ankles together and said. "From what I've heard, Lindsey and Avery chose Maddy from a list of legacies."

As she sat beside Ava on her right, Beverly informed the girls. "For the people of the Upper East Side, the Queens are chosen based on four key criteria: family connections, wealth, scheming, and gracefulness."

Aimee called out from inside her dressing room. "It's true. The popular girls at my new school challenged me with a series of manipulative tests to see if I would scheme against others for their amusement. First, they demanded I host an 'End of Summer Bash.' Next, they insisted I spread fake rumors about innocent classmates. Then, they wanted me to toy with old elementary school friends. Throughout it all, they expected me to act haughty and aloof to everyone outside my inner circle, embracing my most cunning side just to impress them."

Audrey and Ava smiled and nodded in agreement with Aimee's statement. "Girls, don't worry," they said playfully together, noticing the others' reaction. "We're sure this school year will be fine. And we'll make sure no one messes with our friends."

Moments later, Aimee emerged from her dressing room exuding confidence, wearing a stylish black-and-white Marc Jacobs dress with puff sleeves.

Madeleine tilted her head and studied her cousin intently. "Beautiful," she remarked, sipping her venti Starbucks pumpkin spice crème.

Celeste snickered, lifting her large, steaming cup of chestnut praline latte to her lips. "It looks so classy on you," she said.

Kayla stared at her iPhone's bright screen, engrossed in texting her mom about spending time together at the spa. "Ten!" she replied absentmindedly without looking up from her phone.

Spencer craned her slender neck from side to side for a few moments before assessing Aimee's dress selection for the first week of school. "Lovely dress, Mimi!" she exclaimed.

Mackenzie leaned over and gave Audrey a wet kiss on her left cheek, crying out. "That dress is adorable on you!"

Beverly slipped on Spencer's Gucci ballet flats, admiring how the shoes complemented her pedicured feet. "Looking good, Aimee," she said playfully, kicking them off with a laugh.

"Aim, that was amazing!" Ava exclaimed as she ran her manicured fingers through her hair.

Sitting against the wall next to her messy dressing room, Audrey sighed happily. "Aim, it looks classy and refined on you."

Before Madeleine could speak to the girls, she noticed two older saleswomen entering the dressing area.

The two older saleswomen, whose name tags read Kendra and Christine, asked the girls in unison, "Do you girls need some help here?"

"Yeah, I'd like to ring up the giant pile of clothes in my dressing room," Madeleine replied as she walked back into her dressing room.

"Me too," Celeste said, standing up and sauntering back into her dressing room.

"We're done too," Kayla and Scarlett said together, getting up from their seats and sashaying into their dressing room.

"Same for me, as well," Spencer said, walking back into her messy dressing room.

As they entered their messy dressing rooms, Mackenzie and Beverly said in unison to the saleswomen. "We want to ring up everything in my dressing room."

Ava spoke calmly to the saleswoman as she entered her messy dressing room, "I'd like to purchase everything in here, please."

Audrey sighed deeply, rising from her seat. "I'm ready to go home and enjoy a nice, long shower," she remarked while heading back to her dressing room.

Aimee walked into her dressing room and changed out of the dress she had been trying on. "I'm taking everything," she said, tossing the clothes onto a giant pile she had accumulated for the first week of school. She left the room with her designer purse slung over her right shoulder, managing to grab several large shopping bags in her right hand as she cradled the pile of new clothes in her arms.

A few moments later, the other girls emerged from the dressing rooms, designer purses slung over their right shoulders. Leaving their half-finished Starbucks drinks behind for the staff, they grabbed their bulging shopping bags in their manicured left hands. The girls then followed the saleswomen leading them to the registers.

Soon after, the girls watched as the saleswomen rang up their purchases. Before they could glance at the totals, the saleswomen had already swiped their cards and held out receipts to sign. The girls signed without reading, handing back the receipts, and snatched up their eighteen oversized shopping bags. They pushed through the bustling sidewalk outside, breathing in the crisp, humid air by the Ted Baker store entrance.

Madeleine checked her Apple watch, ensuring she didn't topple under the heft of her bulging shopping bags. "It's nearly six, so call your driver now, Mimi. I want you on the road before I ring Nick to come over."

Aimee pulled her iPhone out of her purse, knowing her cousin Maddie was worried about her safety in the city with her friends. "Maddie, I'm calling Paul," she whispered, before asking Siri to dial their family driver. Pressing the phone to her ear, Aimee realized Paul had finally picked up.

"Hello?" Paul's deep voice came through the phone.

"Hey Paul, it's Aimee," she said as her friends linked arms with her. "Can you pick me and my friends up in 30 minutes?"

"Of course, Miss Aimee," Paul replied warmly. "I'll be there soon."

Aimee heard the line go dead before she dropped her iPhone back into her purse. "Maddy, Paul will be here in thirty minutes," she said, looking at her cousin.

"Awesome," Madeleine nodded with a chuckle. Glancing at the other girls, she added, "Hey girls, you should exchange numbers before saying goodbye."

Celeste nodded at Madeleine's statement, then realized the girls had taken their cell phones out of their designer handbags. "Fine, Maddie!" she scoffed as she rolled her eyes at Madeleine. She entered her number into the girls' iPhones and handed them back. "Um, pretties, let's exchange numbers now so we can keep in touch.

Kayla hiked her purse higher on her right shoulder. "Okay, Lele!" she said, typing her number into the iPhones and returning them.

With a deep sigh, Scarlett entered her number into the phones before giving them back. "Yeah, I'll probably text you all later when I'm home."

Letting out a breath, Spencer put her number in the iPhones and passed them around. "Me too," she agreed.

Mackenzie glanced disinterestedly at the crowds lugging bulky shopping bags from high-end stores like Paradox, Free People, and Armani. "See you later," she said, entering her number into the girls' iPhones before handing them back.

Beverly folded her arms over her chest as the weight of her oversized shopping bags banged against her thigh. "Good evening, all," she replied politely, typing her digits into their phones and returning them.

Noticing a taxi screech to a stop on Fifth Avenue to discharge a passenger while another jumped in, Ava grinned. "No worries," she said, keying her number into their iPhones and giving them back. "I may FaceTime you ladies tonight."

Aimee immediately noticed that Paul had already arrived in her family's black GMC Yukon and parked at the curb. Seeing the driver open the rear door, Aimee said to her cousin. "Paul's here, so I'll text you tomorrow."

Madeleine smiled quickly at her cousin and friends. "Bye, girls!" she said, waving to the group. Afterward, she noticed Aimee had gotten into the car first, the others following behind. A few moments later, the car faded into the distance. Madeleine sighed deeply and turned back to her friends, grabbing her phone from her purse. "I'm texting Nick. He's at a restaurant on Seventh Avenue."

Scarlett pouted as she peered over Madeleine's shoulder, watching her friend's fingers fly across her phone's keyboard. "Ugh, Maddie, can you get him here any sooner?" she asked impatiently. Moments later, Madeleine showed her a message saying the driver would arrive in ten minutes. "My feet are killing me," Scarlett complained.

"Scar, let's let the man enjoy his dinner in peace," Kayla insisted, rolling her eyes at Scarlett's complaining. "He's been driving us all over the city."

"But Maddy has a curfew at eight tonight," Mackenzie added with a sigh, resting her left hand on Audrey's shoulder to ease the weight of the shopping bags. "Her driver needs to get here fast."

"What do you think, Maddie?" Audrey asked, wondering if her friend would intervene in the bickering between Kayla, Scarlett, and Mackenzie.

"Whatever," Madeleine muttered under her breath, barely concealing an eye roll at her friends' silly argument. She tossed her cell phone back into her designer handbag, completely tuning out their bickering. Glancing up, she saw Nick had already turned the Range Rover onto Fifth Avenue. "Come on girls, Nick's here."

Nick pulled up to the curb and kept the engine running while he remained seated in the car.

Once in the Range Rover, the girls slid across the buttery soft leather backseat and dropped their shopping bags on the floor. Tossing their designer handbags onto their laps, they buckled their seatbelts, willing to forget their argument as Kayla, Mackenzie, Scarlett, and Audrey started talking again.

Tuning her friends out, Madeleine wasn't in the mood to say anything as she closed her eyes. Feeling the car pull away from the curb, she knew she couldn't skip dinner with her parents, even though all she wanted was to relax for the rest of the evening.

---

The Frost Estate

Mackenzie's Bathroom

9:32 P.M.

Tuesday, September 3rd

Mackenzie Frost sank deeper into her freestanding tub, indulging in a Godiva truffle as she relaxed. The white porcelain tub was nestled between eight glowing candles that filled the bathroom with a warm, sweet lavender and chamomile aroma. She closed her eyes, letting the warm water soothe away the tension from her day.

Resting her head on the tub's edge, Mackenzie kept her eyes closed as she swirled the sudsy bubbles closer to her wet skin. Moments later, she opened her eyes and sank deeper into the chocolate maroon Philosophy bathwater scented with salted caramel. Plucking another truffle from the box, she popped it in her mouth, the sweet taste heavenly on her tongue.

Mackenzie's iPhone buzzed to life, chiming in the bathroom. Sitting up, she wiped her hands on the soft yellow organic cotton towel on the tub's edge, using it to dry her ears too. Mackenzie grabbed an AirPod from its wireless charger and shoved it in her left ear. Double-tapping the AirPod, she answered the call without looking at the screen.

Scarlett called from the other line, her tone soft and excited. "Manzie! What are you doing right now?"

Languidly waving her left manicured hand through the warm water, Mackenzie responded. "Just soaking in a bubble bath and eating some Godiva truffles, of course."

"Anyhow, I just finished talking to Drey and Lala on Facetime," Scarlett chirped. "They're going to eat dinner with their parents at The Indian Tower tonight."

"Oh, that's super nice," Mackenzie said, sounding sad. "At least someone's having fun with their parents. I'm stuck at home by myself since my parents are out on their date night."

"It's alright, Mackenzie," Scarlett reassured her friend in an uplifting tone. "Oh, and did Maddie text you Declan's number yet?"

Mackenzie lifted her soapy leg out of the bathwater. "Yeah, she did," she nodded. "I texted him when I got home. He said he wants to meet me at Scoops tomorrow afternoon at four-thirty."

"Awesome!" Scarlett exclaimed warmly. "Scott told me the same thing."

"Of course, Scar," Mackenzie smiled brightly, staring at the silky white blackout shades covering the bathroom windows. "I wouldn't miss a chance to hang out with some cute boys."

"Perfect!" Scarlett replied excitedly.

Mackenzie smirked at her friend's statement and lowered her leg back into the water. "What are you wearing tomorrow?" she asked, popping another milk chocolate truffle into her mouth.

"I've already picked out an outfit for my mannequin," Scarlett said with a laugh. "It includes a light blue floral sundress from French Connection, cream espadrilles by Stuart Weitzman, a quilted light blue leather shoulder bag from Michael Kors, and a short, cream cardigan with puff sleeves from Frame. So Kenzie, what are you thinking of wearing?"

"I've already dressed my mannequin in a pale-yellow Maje jacquard skater dress," Mackenzie told her friend as she adjusted the trip lever on her bathtub to drain the tepid water. "It will complement my white Miu Miu wedges and small quilted pale yellow Kate Spade crossbody bag."

"It's going to rain tomorrow afternoon," Scarlett said. "We should change into rain boots and leggings and bring an umbrella."

Mackenzie stepped out of the tub and dried herself with a fluffy yellow Ralph Lauren towel. "Oh, of course," she replied quickly. "By the time you get there, I'll already be talking to the boys."

"Got it," Scarlett nodded warmly. "Are you still going to Vanessa Sanchez's headquarters, by the way?"

"Yes!" Mackenzie yelled into the phone's microphone. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, especially since Lala and I would have exclusive access to Rae's plans for her birthday party this Saturday."

"I'm going to bed now," Scarlett said with a yawn. "See you tomorrow."

"Later, Scar!" Mackenzie grinned as she grabbed her white Gilda & Pearl satin robe off a chrome wall hook and wrapped it around herself.

Mackenzie ended the call and left her AirPod in her left ear as she leaned over the sink and blew out the candles. After tightening the belt of her robe, she clapped her manicured hands to turn on the bathroom lights. As she brushed her teeth, Mackenzie grabbed her charging case, phone, and the opened truffles box from the side table. She headed out of the all-white bathroom without turning off the lights.

Dropping her things on the bed, she walked to the closet and opened the French doors, stepping into the massive two-story circular walk-in closet. Another clap of her manicured hands turned on the closet lights. Mackenzie noticed the navy velvet wing chairs piled with white furry pillows in the corner behind a small white cube covered in magazines.

She dragged her bare feet across the ivory plush carpet, running her fingers along the ostrich feather trim of her robe sleeves. Seeing the crumpled designer clothes still strewn across the floor, Mackenzie pawed through the drawers, grabbing an old pale-blue In Bloom by Jonquil racer-back satin camisole and matching shorts. She dropped her robe for the maid Svetlana to pick up.

Slipping into the comfortable pajamas, Mackenzie left the closet without turning off the lights. Crossing the large white shag rugs, she delicately took a Crème Brûlée truffle from the box. The blending of dark and white chocolate coated her tongue as she bit into the shell. Once finished, she shoved the truffles into the mini fridge and flopped onto the oversized yellow duvet, feeling the goose-down feathers puff up around her.

Just as she was about to crawl into bed, her iPhone buzzed with an incoming Facetime call from her mom. Mackenzie checked the screen, made sure the left AirPod was in place, then grabbed the other from the charging case and shoved it into her right ear. She double-tapped to answer the video call.

Emily greeted her daughter with excessive enthusiasm. "Hey, sweetie!"

"Hi, darling," Mathias said, peering over his wife's shoulder. "What are you doing?"

Mackenzie held up her iPhone so her parents could see her clearly on the video call. "I just finished a bubble bath," she said, tossing her empty charger onto the nightstand. "I'm about to go to bed. Where are you guys?"

Mathias slid his hands into the pockets of his tailored camel Burberry coat. "Your mother and I are at an art gallery right now," he told his daughter.

Emily watched as Mackenzie nodded at her dad before locking her arm around her husband's. "So we'll be late tonight," Emily added. "Mackenzie, honey, are you okay?"

Mackenzie acknowledged her mom with a nod as she leaped off the bed and headed to the small bay window. For five minutes, she gazed at the bright full moon in the dark sky before speaking to her parents. "I'm so excited for school to start soon. I'm tired of being home alone," she said.

"Isn't the household staff working in the house now?" her father Mathias asked, unbuttoning his coat.

Staring into her iPhone screen, Mackenzie whined. "No, you gave them the night off. So I'm stuck here by myself. I can't believe you wouldn't cancel your plans for me."

"For heaven's sake, stop that whining!" her mother Emily said coldly, smoothing her navy blue one-shoulder Likely sheath dress with her right hand. She exchanged a glance with her husband. "We should be the ones complaining that we haven't seen you since breakfast. But there is one thing you're good at."

"Like what?" Mackenzie asked, leaning against the window frame.

A smile slowly spread across Mathias's face. "Princess, you're always video calling us to let us know where you're going," he acknowledged his daughter's question, pulling his wife closer.

Mackenzie flopped down on her chaise lounge. "I'm sorry, Mom and Dad," she apologized. "It's just that I don't like being alone, especially when I had planned a movie night for the three of us."

Out of the corner of her eye, Emily noticed her husband had wrapped his left arm around her waist. "It's okay, sweetie," she nodded at her daughter. "Dean just got to the art gallery, so we'll see you when we get home."

"Alright, Mom," Mackenzie beamed, tugging on the spaghetti straps of her camisole. "Bye, Daddy!"

"Good night, princess!" Mathias grinned brightly as he stepped out of the car.

"Later, darling!" Emily blew a kiss at her daughter before ending the video call on her side

Pulling her AirPods out of her ears, Mackenzie strolled across the polished hardwood floor of her bedroom and grabbed the charging case from the nightstand. She shoved the AirPods into the case, tossed it back on the nightstand, and glanced at her iPhone. Seeing that it had enough battery to function as her alarm in the morning, she set the phone on the other nightstand and exited the bedroom.

Racing downstairs, Mackenzie walked past the dining room before stopping in front of the front door. After checking that the home security system showed all doors and windows locked, she let out a sigh of relief. The foyer greeted her with its polished white marble flooring and large chandelier trimmed in Swarovski crystals hanging from the vaulted ceiling.

Inhaling the vanilla-scented air, Mackenzie exhaled as she again strolled past the dining room and hurried up the winding staircase. Entering her spacious bedroom, she closed the door with her foot and lay across the bed. Stretching her right arm toward the nightstand, she quickly grabbed her cell phone.

Mackenzie was relaxing in bed when she noticed a notification that her friend Maddie had posted on Instagram. Unlocking her phone, she tapped on the post and saw that Maddie had uploaded several group selfies with their friends outside of Saffron. In the pictures, Mackenzie, Aimee, Celeste, Spencer, Ava, Beverly, Scarlett, Audrey, Kayla, and Madeleine, were posing together, looking fabulous. Maddie had tagged everyone, wanting people to know the girls were unstoppable, elegant, and flawless.

Sighing deeply, Mackenzie turned off her phone and set it on the nightstand. She crawled under the covers, clapped to turn off the lights, slipped on her sleep mask, and snuggled into bed before falling asleep moments later.

---

A/N:

Here's chapter nine for you.

Happy Reading,

FashionLeMode