Disclaimer: I own all the characters in this story.
Chapter Four
The Grayson Estate
Front Porch
10:23 A.M.
Wednesday, September 4th
Madeleine took a couple of deep breaths to calm her nerves before meeting Lindsey and Avery. She rolled her shoulders back, steadied herself, and rang the doorbell. As she waited for someone to open the door, she glanced at her reflection in the polished handle, double-checking her outfit.
She wore a ruffled, lilac Maje blouse with black button details, paired with a modest black A-line skirt from Miu Miu. On her feet were black leather platform Mary Janes pumps from Miu Miu. A mini Prada Galleria tote bag hung on her left arm. Large pearl hoop earrings by Sydney Evan swayed from her ears. Her glossy blonde hair was pulled back in a sleek high ponytail. Neutral, meticulous makeup completed the look.
Madeleine fanned herself, admiring how her outfit looked as the muggy air caused beads of sweat to form on her even skin tone. She grumbled impatiently, wondering when the door would open to let her into the air-conditioned house. As soon as a silhouette appeared in the frosted glass, she eagerly stepped forward, eager for the cool air inside.
"Good morning, Miss Madeleine," greeted the clean-shaven, middle-aged butler as he formally held the door open for the young girl.
Madeleine rushed inside, breathing in the crisp air-conditioned air. "Oh my, it's so hot out there!" she exclaimed in response to his greeting. "Do you know where Lindsey and Avery are?"
The butler closed the front door behind Madeleine and stoically informed her. "They're waiting for you on the back porch."
Madeleine rocked back and forth on her pumps' heels, attempting to remain calm and collected. "Where is the back porch located?"
The butler finally responded with a neutral expression. "Walk underneath the second-floor balcony in front of you, then across the living room to the French doors leading to the back porch."
Following the butler's directions, Madeleine glided past the dining room and winding staircase, sauntering under the balcony. As she explored the rooms, she noticed the walls were covered in oil paintings framed in ornate gold. She sashayed across the living room before stopping at the open French doors. Taking a few calm breaths, Madeleine stepped outside as if she owned the world.
Biting her lip, Madeleine didn't announce herself to Lindsey and Avery, instead observing them. Their glossy hair framed heart-shaped faces with pert noses and perfectly groomed eyebrows over sparkling eyes. Their flawless outfits and makeup impressed her. Grinning, Madeleine was thrilled these girls knew fashion so well, hoping she could always pursue the latest trends too.
Scanning Lindsey's back porch, she saw the girls chatting on a pristine cream silk couch. They snacked on macaroons and cream puffs from a three-tiered cake stand. A giant black-and-white striped patio umbrella-shaded them from the intense sun. A half-filled porcelain teapot of white tea sat beside the cake stand, with three filled teacups and saucers before the couch. Upbeat music played from a wireless speaker, while vanilla-scented candles burned on the ceiling, filling the porch with a sweet aroma.
"Hey, everyone!" Madeleine shouted over the blaring music before realizing the girls had turned to face her.
With an orange blossom macaron in hand, Avery smiled playfully at Madeleine and responded. "Hi!"
"Hey, M," Lindsey chuckled, turning down the volume on her white iPhone 12 so the wireless speaker would softly play the newest Aurora Thames song on the porch. "Any trouble finding my house?"
Madeleine sat down next to Avery and tossed her tote onto the oak coffee table. "Nick found your house pretty easily," she said with a happy sigh.
Lindsey concealed her piercing grey eyes from the sunshine by slipping on a pair of black Celine flap-top sunglasses. "So A," she remarked, changing the topic, "it's time to show M the gift we picked up at my family's jeweler yesterday. It's a crowning gift from both of us."
"Yes, Madeleine, I hope you enjoy the gift Lindsey and I got you," Avery said, looking over at Lindsey with a smile.
"Here's a gift for you," Lindsey said with a bright smile. She grabbed a medium gift-wrapped box from the left-side oak end table and handed it over to Madeleine.
"Awwwww," Madeleine smiled coyly as she accepted the gift from Lindsey and Avery. Carefully peeling off the gold wrapping paper, she opened the small glass case inside. Nestled on a silk cushion was a custom-made white headband embellished with white pearls - an elegant, personalized gift chosen with Madeleine in mind. "Wow."
Munching on a cream puff, Lindsey and Avery asked Madeleine in unison. "Are you pleased with your crowning gift?"
Closing the case, Madeleine dropped it deep in her tote. "Absolutely," she remarked with a smile at the girls. "I'm wearing this headband on the first day of school tomorrow."
Lindsey and Avery crossed their slender legs in unison and smiled. "You're welcome," they said together. "By the way, were you aware that your mother was chosen as Queen by our mothers back in nineteen eighty-six?"
"My mom has never told me about her time as the sixth-grade Queen!" Madeleine exclaimed in pleasant surprise.
Avery chewed thoughtfully on a cream puff. "Yeah, my mom had high hopes for your mom's reign as Queen," she added, smiling.
Madeleine laced her manicured fingers and rested her chin on them. "So, can you tell me my mom didn't put my name on the legacy list?" she asked. The excitement in her emerald eyes seemed to dim slightly.
Lindsey ran her manicured fingers through her straightened cocoa-brown hair. "Of course not, M," she said with a chuckle, her voice soft and delicate. "We can't let some scholarship kid take over. And my mom recognized your last name."
"I understand," Avery said with a nod, tossing her glossy, dirty-blonde waves over her creamy shoulders. "My mom told me there's a set of rules you have to follow as the next sixth-grade Queen."
"Oh my god, I totally forgot about the rules!" Madeleine exclaimed, her eyes landing on Lindsey and Avery.
Avery's face lit up with a wide grin. "Well Madeleine, rule number one is to ignore our loser classmates when we're out in public," she said. "If you must acknowledge them, do it privately at home."
"The second rule, M, is that we must always appear perfect to the public," Lindsey said with a shrug as she stared out the opened French doors, noticing the family's maid Inga busily tidying the living room.
Madeleine tilted her head, pleasantly surprised. "Okay," she laughed. "I'll have to memorize these rules so I don't forget!"
Lindsay twirled a lock of her hair around her manicured index finger, giggling. "The third rule is to keep your insults secret from your parents. If they find out, distract them so you avoid punishment."
Avery replied while nibbling a salted caramel macaron, "Madeleine, the fourth rule is to openly judge classmates at school by listing their reasons why they would be banished to the bottom of the social ladder."
Madeleine touched her bracelet and beamed happily. "I think I'm able to fly under my parents' radar since they perceive me as innocent," she said.
Avery nodded along to the latest Ayanna Fillmore song playing from Lindsey's speaker. "The fifth rule is that you should wear your favorite color daily," she stated casually.
"Um, M, the sixth rule is that we can grant each other favors for anything," Lindsey said with a chuckle, stuffing a pistachio macaron into her mouth.
"Cool," Madeleine muttered, pouring some white tea into her empty teacup.
Lindsey drank the last of her tea and smirked. "Ah, M, the seventh rule is that after the first day of school, you and your friends have to rank everyone in your grade. Then you have to post the loser list on your Instagram accounts."
"Oh, the eighth rule is that you have the right to call a Queen council meeting," Avery said regally through bites of three cream puffs.
Madeleine flipped her ponytail over her right shoulder before biting on her lower lip. "Aves and Linds, I know I can count on you both to give me helpful strategies for dealing with people I have issues with," she said.
Avery finished the last drops of white tea in her teacup and sighed deeply, an amused smile on her face. "Anyway, rule number nine is that we always have to stay poised in public."
"So rule number ten, Madeleine, is that the losers at our school are always looking for any weakness to use against us," Lindsey added cheerfully as she refilled her half-empty teacup with white tea.
"A flaw?" Madeleine asked, sounding puzzled. She quickly ate three lemon macarons and washed them down with dainty sips of her white tea.
Lindsey paused to sip her white tea and offered. "Yeah, like terrible grades or bad breath."
Avery gestured with her perfectly manicured hand to indicate to Madeleine that the list went on and on. "Or smudged eyeliner, last season's shoes, a stray hair," she added, before refilling her teacup with more white tea.
Madeleine's eyes sparkled with amusement as she lifted her porcelain teacup to take a delicate sip of white tea. "Got it," she nodded, setting down the cup.
Avery and Lindsey each plucked a cream puff from the stand and popped them into their mouths. "The eleventh rule is that you have to let us know if you want to host a party," the twins chimed in unison, their tone sugary sweet.
"Sounds great," Madeleine replied evenly, nibbling on two caramel banana macarons and sipping her tea again.
Lindsey smiled wryly at Madeleine and Avery, noticing the teapot was empty. "Excuse me a moment," she said politely, holding up a manicured finger to pause the conversation. She lifted the delicate bell next to her teacup and rang it until Inga entered through the French doors. "Inga, could you please refill the teapot with more white tea?"
Eager to change topics, Avery quickly tugged at her sleeveless baby-pink Ted Baker fit-and-flare dress and said. "Let's get back to talking about the Queen's rules."
Madeleine grinned and ran her fingers over her bracelet. "All right," she nodded.
"The twelfth rule," Lindsey declared regally after a long sip of white tea. "You should have a very wicked sense of fashion."
Avery arched a dirty-blonde eyebrow, smiling at Lindsey and Madeleine. "The thirteenth rule is that you should always be seen around town with your friends," she declared. "You need to have people see you with your court."
"Alright," Madeleine nodded, realizing the girls wanted her to follow the rules with queenly poise and grace. "Are there any other rules I should know about?"
"No!" Avery replied after taking a long drink of white tea. She noticed Lindsey gazing into the distance of her family's immaculate backyard. "You must follow these thirteen rules for the next three years."
"Yeah," Lindsey agreed absently, noticing Inga boiling more tea in the kitchen.
Just as Madeleine was about to speak to Lindsey and Avery, Lindsey's iPhone buzzed repeatedly on the back porch. Madeleine knew snooping would upset Lindsey, but curiosity compelled her to find out who was calling. She paused, took a breath to collect herself, and turned to Lindsey.
Madeleine set down her teacup and saucer before gesturing to Lindsey's ringing phone. "Aren't you going to get that?" she asked eagerly.
Lindsey picked up her iPhone and glanced at the bright screen. "I'll answer it," she said, turning on the speakerphone so Madeleine and Avery could hear too. "Hey, babe!"
"Hey, Lin," a deep voice came through the speaker.
"Hi, Leif," Avery cut in sharply, sipping her white tea. "Is Maddox there with you?"
"No, he's at lacrosse practice," Leif replied warmly.
Avery flipped her waves over her shoulder. "Okay, I'll call him later then."
"All right," Leif said, abruptly changing the subject. "Lin, I wanted to make sure you still remember we have a date in the city this Saturday afternoon."
"Of course, I remember our date," Lindsay assured her boyfriend while noticing Madeleine was distracted, staring at Inga who had just walked in from outside and set a full teacup on the coffee table. "What time should we meet?"
"Let's meet at two o'clock," Leif said happily.
"Okay, babe," Lindsey said casually, setting her phone in her lap before taking a bite of a cream puff. "By the way, Leif, you haven't said hi to Madeleine yet either."
"Isn't Madeleine the girl you and Avery chose as your successor?" Leif asked his girlfriend in surprise.
Lindsay and Avery leaned back, lifting their teacups to take the last sips of white tea, their glossy lips pursed. "Yes!" they proclaimed together.
"Hey, Madeleine," Leif greeted excitedly.
"Hello, Leif," Madeleine said, welcoming Lindsey's boyfriend. "I was wondering if you're one of Lachlan's older brothers."
"Yes," Leif answered calmly. "He told me he and his friends met you and Scarlett yesterday morning."
Madeleine exchanged sidelong glances with Lindsey and Avery, drinking the rest of her white tea. "Uh, yeah," she said regally. "And he said that he heard about us from you guys."
"After all, I've been hearing about you from my girlfriend and Avery," Leif said smoothly. He then abruptly changed the subject to something else. "Anyway, Lindsey, I just wanted to remind you that we have a date this Saturday afternoon."
"Okay, babe," Lindsey said with a bright smile. "I'll text you later."
"All right," Leif replied, ending the call.
Boyfriends always need attention too," Madeleine interjected, her eyes brightening.
Lindsey set her phone down. "Yeah," she agreed, noticing Inga had put the teapot back on the table. "But who do you like, Madeleine?"
Madeleine refilled her teacup with more white tea. "Well, I like lots of people," she said, raising a manicured blonde eyebrow at Lindsey. "My parents, my friends—"
"That's not what we mean," Avery interjected bluntly, pouring herself more tea. "We're talking real attraction here, more than just friendly feelings."
"I'm not sure," Madeleine hedged, unwilling to confess her crush on Lachlan to Lindsey and Avery.
Lindsey smiled coyly, wanting some juicy gossip on Madeleine's life. "If you had to pick someone at school," she said.
Madeleine popped a coffee-flavored macaron into her mouth and smirked. "Well, I happen to have a tiny crush on Lachlan," she informed Lindsey and Avery. "So you guys have to swear now that this part of the conversation stays between us. I don't want him to hear about it."
Avery set her teacup down on her saucer. "Well, well, well," she said, a teasing tone to her words. "That sounds like major news to me."
Lindsey straightened her ivory Shoshanna dress. "No way," she smiled coyly. "M, you must give us the details on why you have a crush on Lachlan," she said.
Madeleine glanced at her pumps before turning back to Lindsey and Avery. "Well, I've got a crush on Lachlan because he made me blush yesterday morning," she confessed. "Plus, I think he's really cute."
"I think Madeleine really likes Lachlan," Lindsey whispered to Avery, exchanging a knowing look. "We should play matchmaker so those two can get together."
"Same," Avery agreed, peeking from the corner of her eye and noticing Madeleine's sudden fascination with the table's surface. "We should give Lachlan some hints that Madeleine likes him."
Lindsey refilled her teacup with white tea. "We should help him understand that Madeleine wants him to admit he likes her," she said, noticing Madeleine's deepening blush.
Avery popped a chocolate macaron into her mouth and sipped her tea. "Good idea," she agreed with a nod. "Let's get our friends to help."
As Madeleine was about to continue her conversation with Lindsey and Avery, her iPhone suddenly rang out loudly throughout the back porch. She signaled to her friends by holding up a manicured finger, indicating she had to take the call briefly. Without checking the caller ID, Madeleine answered the phone.
Stephan greeted his daughter cheerfully, "Hi, princess!"
Madeleine swirled the white tea idly around the rim of her teacup. "Hi, Daddy!" She greeted her father in return. "Why are you calling?"
"I need you to come to the country club now," Stephan said breezily.
"For what?" Madeleine asked, noticing Lindsey and Avery trying not to eavesdrop.
"Just come here now," Stephan told his daughter curtly before ending the call. "Nick's on his way to get you. Say goodbye to whoever you're with."
Madeleine placed her iPhone in her handbag and turned to Lindsey and Avery. "I apologize, but I have to leave our meeting early," she said. standing up. "My father is demanding I meet him at the country club immediately."
"Don't worry about it," Avery said brightly, waving her right hand in the air to signal understanding.
"So, I'll see you guys at school tomorrow," Madeleine said quickly, noticing Lindsey and Avery nodding in agreement.
Madeleine threw her purse over her left shoulder and silently walked back into the house, passing Avery and Lindsey without a word. She strode purposefully through the foyer toward the front door, her Miu Miu pumps clicking on the floor. Before she could reach for the handle, the butler opened the door for her.
Stepping outside, Madeleine slipped on a pair of oversized black Gucci sunglasses to conceal her eyes from the sun. She then realized Nick was pulling into the Greysons' circular driveway in his car. When the car reached her, Madeleine opened the rear right door and climbed inside.
As Madeleine slid across the buttery soft leather backseat, she tossed her purse onto the seat next to her, shut the door, and took a deep breath. Feeling the car pull out of the driveway, she sank back into her seat. Though she wished she could still be with Avery and Lindsey, Madeleine resigned herself to following her father's instructions. Gazing out the tinted rear window, she watched the scenery pass for the rest of the ride.
Westchester, NY
Vanessa Sanchez's Headquarters
2:19 P.M.
Wednesday, September 4th
Brushing the lint off her high-waisted, tide pool-wash Frame skinny jeans, Audrey Webster adjusted her cropped pink Sandro tweed top, crossing her slender legs together. Waiting for Vanessa Sanchez to walk out of her office, she inhaled the crisp air-conditioned air, telling herself that Vanessa was worth waiting for since she was known as the most classy, creative, and costly party planner in Westchester. Even before Audrey was born, her parents had been using the party planner's services for many years.
The all-white decor of Vanessa's exquisite waiting room was another reason she would wait. From the marble floor to the furniture to the silk curtains to the textured wallpaper, everything matched Vanessa's own pristine white Yorkshire Terrier.
Audrey exhaled and stopped scanning the waiting room, absentmindedly twirling a platinum blonde curl around her fingers. After fidgeting in her seat, she glanced over at Kayla and Mackenzie, who were engrossed in their phone screens. As soon as she looked away, the click-clacking of Vanessa's heels signaled her approach.
Audrey noticed the party planner's prim and proper demeanor before seeing Vanessa's glossy hair elegantly pulled into a bun. Audrey narrowed her eyes, straightened in her seat, recrossed her slender legs, and folded her hands delicately in her lap.
"Hello ladies," Vanessa greeted them. She air-kissed Audrey first, then each girl after her. "How can I help you today?"
"I need to finalize all the important details for my birthday party this Saturday," Audrey said earnestly. She exchanged a knowing look with Kayla and Mackenzie, grabbing her pink leather Off-White tote from the immaculate couch. Audrey then refocused her attention on the party planner. "I don't want to have to revisit these details later."
"Yes, of course, Miss Webster," Vanessa replied earnestly as she swiftly headed towards the meeting room.
Audrey nodded at the party planner and glanced over her shoulder, noticing her friends had already grabbed their designer handbags off the couch while clutching their cellphones in their manicured left hands. As she turned back around, Audrey realized Vanessa was holding the glass meeting room door open. Walking inside, Audrey sat in the empty chair near the door and dropped her purse onto the adjacent seat.
Looking over, she saw Kayla and Mackenzie sitting on opposite sides of the rectangular glass table. Audrey straightened up as Vanessa walked back into the meeting room, MacBook in hand. Crossing her legs again, Audrey was eager to hear the party planner's ideas for her birthday celebration.
A few moments later, Vanessa connected her laptop wirelessly to the TV and opened a PowerPoint presentation labeled "Audrey's Circus Palooza Birthday Party." She clicked through to the first slide and said confidently. "The lighting is already scheduled, Miss Webster. Do you have any other requests for the party?"
Audrey tapped her manicured finger against her chin, considering the party planner's question. "I think it would be fun to have the lights change colors when people are dancing," she said. Audrey watched as she jotted down the request.
Kayla cut in abruptly, letting her mulberry-green suede Mulberry tote thump onto the table. "Forget that," she said. "The lighting should be all about you when you make your entrance, Addie. This is your party, after all."
Mackenzie glanced over at Vanessa and saw the party planner was looking at something on her laptop. "Um, Drey, you should hire someone to carry you on an extravagant litter regardless," she added after Kayla had spoken.
"That sounds good," Audrey replied with a laugh, welcoming her friend's suggestions. "Vanessa, can you please add my friends' suggestions to the party details slideshow?"
"Of course, Miss Webster," Vanessa responded, maintaining a professional demeanor as she added Kayla and Mackenzie's ideas to the first slide. She then clicked over to the next slide. "The caterer has been hired and already received the snack menu from your mother."
Resting her elbows on the table, Audrey leaned forward and asked seriously. "Can you list the food options for my friends and me?"
Fixing her gaze on the three girls, Vanessa rolled her shoulders back and recited. "Funnel cakes, mini corn dog bites, churros, hot dog cookies, caramel popcorn, caramel apples, clown cake pops, and circus animal cookie donuts."
"Oh, can we add chocolate-covered marshmallow dumbbells and circus popcorn cupcakes?" Audrey asked eagerly, clapping her manicured hands. She noticed Kayla and Mackenzie staring intently at the slide."
"All right, Miss Webster," Vanessa said as she added Audrey's suggestions to the slide and moved to the next one. "The decorations are on hold, but do you have any other questions for the decorating team?"
Audrey stole a glance at her friends, noticing that Kayla and Mackenzie were focused on Vanessa. "Um, no," she said.
Vanessa moved to the next slide. "Miss Webster, the carnival game booths have also been booked," she stated evenly. "Any requests for the company?"
"I'd like the booths to have ring toss, ping pong toss, and balloon dart games," Audrey replied, her cerulean eyes trained on Kayla and Mackenzie.
Kayla leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "Rae, you should add tin can knockdown to the list of carnival games," she said with a laugh, tugging on the hem of her mulberry-green Cece long-sleeved shirt dress.
Grinning, Mackenzie shifted into a comfortable position and looked over at Rae. "I think you should add the game of bean bag toss too," she suggested.
Sitting up straighter, Audrey grinned at her friends. "Oh girls, that sounds awesome!" she agreed enthusiastically. She looked over at Vanessa expectantly. "Aren't you going to add what we're saying to the slide?"
"Yes, Miss Webster," Vanessa nodded in understanding. She typed the suggestions down on the current slide before switching to the next one. "The catering company we hired yesterday will be dressing their waiters in white wigs and red unitards. They'll ride unicycles to pass out drinks at your party, per your request."
"Cool," Audrey replied happily. She grabbed her iPhone out of her tote bag and set her cell phone on the table.
Vanessa switched to the next slide. "Well, Miss Webster, your mother has already booked the photographers," she told her client.
Audrey checked the time on her iPhone's bright screen and saw it was almost three thirty-five in the afternoon. "Okay," she said hoarsely. Glancing up, Audrey noticed Vanessa was staring right at her.
Mackenzie smoothed her pale yellow Maje jacquard skater dress and nodded. "Oh, Addie, we should have one of the photographers take group pictures of us."
"Addy," Kayla smirked as she adjusted the bow on her dress and looked directly at Audrey, "you should take some solo pictures by yourself first."
"Alright," Audrey nodded at her friends, then glanced at Vanessa, "Can you ask the photographers to come to my house a little earlier?"
"Of course, Miss Webster," Vanessa said stoically as she switched to the next slide, "The DJ has been hired and received the playlist you gave me last week."
Audrey smoothed her top and smirked. "Fine," she said with a smile, "Do you girls have any music requests for the DJ?"
Kayla cocked her head and smiled broadly, "Yeah, I'd like him to add more of Leo Granger's songs to the playlist," she drawled, tossing her glossy wheat-blonde curls over her right shoulder.
"Um, yes!" Mackenzie agreed with Kayla before sipping some Perrier. "But the DJ should also add Conner Sobel's songs to the playlist too."
Vanessa nodded at Kayla and Mackenzie's statements. "Of course, Miss Adams and Miss Frost," she said neutrally, her expression unreadable as she switched to the next slide. "Anyway, the selfie station photo booths have already been rented from a party rental service, Miss Webster."
Got it," said Audrey, noticing on the slide that the booths would be delivered the morning of her birthday. "Did someone take notes that I wanted a dance floor built into the tent?"
"Yes, Miss Webster," replied Vanessa stoically from behind Audrey's seat. "It will be built on site."
Audrey saw her friends looking at the slide. "Okay, Vanessa," she said, amused.
A few moments later, Vanessa advanced to the next slide and paused to gather her thoughts before addressing Audrey, Kayla, and Mackenzie again. "Okay ladies," she said with confidence. "The stilt walkers and mimes have been booked as well."
"Great," said Audrey as she flipped her platinum blonde hair over her left shoulder.
"Miss Webster, the staff for the cotton candy, popcorn, and snow cone machines have been hired too," Vanessa continued smoothly, clicking to the next slide. "Any requests for their uniforms?"
Audrey glanced over her right shoulder and saw Vanessa's employees milling around the office. "Yes, I'd like them all in matching outfits," she clarified. She peered out the meeting room windows at the people coming and going from Paradox.
Vanessa nodded in acknowledgment of Audrey's statement. "Okay, Miss Webster," she said as she switched to the final blank slide. "Ladies, I still don't have the guest list yet, which I need to send the QR code text invitations for check-in."
"No problem, Vanessa. I'll email you the full guest list by Friday evening," Audrey replied while fidgeting with her pearl ring. She noticed her friends were listening intently as she added, "I'm inviting everyone from Prescott and Crestview."
"Sounds good," said Vanessa, typing a note about receiving the guest list into her presentation before disconnecting her laptop from the TV. "Well, Miss Webster, that concludes our meeting. If you need to add any other party details, just shoot me an email."
Audrey noticed Vanessa had left the meeting room, so she casually tossed her designer handbag over her shoulder and said. "Alright, let's go, ladies. I gotta swing by my family's tailor to get my birthday dress fitted."
Mackenzie glanced at her Miu Miu rainboots and shrugged. "Sorry, I've got other stuff going on today."
"What plans?" Kayla asked Mackenzie. She quickly moved from her seat and walked toward Audrey.
"Well, I'm meeting Scarlett, Declan, and Scott at Scoops today," Mackenzie told her friends, stopping beside Audrey.
Audrey was pleased. She left the meeting room and noticed her buddies following her. "Manzie, are you going out with Scar, Declan, and Scott?" she asked.
Mackenzie inspected her pale yellow nails as she walked alongside Audrey. "Nah," she answered truthfully. "It's just a casual hangout between us. I gotta go to Scoops now, catch you guys later!"
Kayla beamed at Mackenzie. "Alright, Manzie!" she said.
Audrey noticed Mackenzie heading for the glass doors of Vanessa's headquarters and added. "Bye, Mack," she said, turning to Kayla. "Got any plans, Lala?"
Kayla thought for a moment. "Hmmm... Deliah Edwards and Emily Hudson invited me to the Champagne Room for lunch," she replied, casually swinging her mini black leather Givenchy tote from her right wrist. "So, I won't be able to go to the tailor with you."
Audrey wrapped her arms around Kayla and hugged her tightly. "Okay, Kay, I'll text you later."
Kayla pulled away from the hug and flashed a huge smile. "Yup, Rae," she said before bouncing out of the party planner's office building.
As Audrey walked out of the office building, she couldn't help but notice the hustle and bustle of the sidewalk around her. She looked around, scanning the area for her friends, but they were nowhere to be seen. Taking a deep breath, she noticed her family's driver, Arthur, had followed her instructions to wait for her.
She walked towards the car and opened the right-side white rear door, revealing the luxurious interior of the car. The buttery soft leather of the backseat invited her to slide across it as she gracefully climbed in. Audrey let out a small sigh of relief as she dumped her purse on the adjacent seat beside her, and shut the door behind her.
Closing her eyes, she felt the car move as Arthur pulled away from the curb. She knew exactly where he was taking her, to her family's tailor. As the car glided through the busy streets, Audrey remained motionless, sinking further into her seat, and enjoying the comfort of the ride.
Westchester, NY
Scoops
4:26 P.M.
Wednesday, September 4th
The relentless downpour of rain battered Scarlett's pristine white Marc Jacobs umbrella as she hurriedly crossed the street, taking note of the sophisticated cars waiting for the traffic light to turn green at the nearby intersection. As she stepped onto the sidewalk, her eyes scanned the surroundings, and she noticed people bustling in and out of the charming boutiques, carrying sizable shopping bags and holding umbrellas in their other hand. She leisurely walked inside and immediately spotted Mackenzie, Declan, and Scott occupying a secluded booth at the rear of the shop, which featured a massive black-and-white poster depicting two teenagers enjoying ice cream. Scarlett took a moment to observe the customers huddled around the ice cream shop's registers before making her way over and settling across from Declan. She nonchalantly dropped her quilted baby-blue leather Michael Kors shoulder bag onto the table and eased back into her seat. However, she quickly realized that Scott had something to say to her.
Scott's winter-grey eyes glittered with interest as he looked at Scarlett, a smile spreading across his face. He placed his white iPhone 12 on the table and leaned forward. "Hey there, Scarlett," he said warmly.
Scarlett blushed lightly, feeling a flutter in her chest. She twirled a curly lock of her icy-blonde hair away from her sparkling blue eyes and smiled shyly. "Hi, Scott. How are you?"
Mackenzie interrupted with a wave of her hand, drawing Scarlett's attention. "Hey, Scar!" she said in a sing-song voice. "Aren't you going to say hi to me and Declan?"
Scarlett snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Mackenzie, her smile brightening. "Of course, hi guys!" she said cheerfully.
Declan leaned back in his seat, a grin on his face. "What's up, Scarlett? You seem happy today."
Scarlett drummed her manicured fingers on the table, thinking of what to say. "Nothing much, just excited to grab some ice cream. Are you guys up for it?" she asked.
Scott rubbed his hands together, looking excited. "Oh yeah, I need something to cool down in this heat," he said.
Mackenzie nodded eagerly. "I'm getting a mango sundae. What about you guys?"
Scarlett smiled and said. "I think I'll have a peach sundae, please."
Scott got up from his seat, took Scarlett's hand, and excitedly pulled her towards the ice cream stands. "Hey, let's get me a cookie and cream sundae!" he exclaimed, glancing over and noticing Scarlett was starting to blush.
In no time, Declan found himself waiting in line behind a group of well-dressed high school kids. "I'm so excited to try the mint chocolate chip sundae," he exclaimed. " We could chat and get to know each other while we enjoy our ice cream," he suggested with a friendly smile.
"How?" Scarlett asked eagerly as she stood beside Declan on his other side.
"I think we should play a game of twenty questions," said Declan as he noticed two of the ice cream shop's employees were still taking orders from the same preppy kids.
Mackenzie smiled and tilted her head, responding to Declan. "That sounds like a great idea to me."
"Um, guys, the register in front of us is open now," Scott interrupted sharply, pointing to the smiling girl waiting for them to place their orders. He then noticed that Declan, Mackenzie, and Scarlett had already stepped in front of the register. The Scoops employee was about to speak, "Welcome to Scoops.
What can I get for you guys today?" she said, placing her right hand on the register.
"I'll have a peach sundae," Scarlett said, leaning against the counter. She noticed the Scoops employee entering her order into the register.
"I'll have a mango sundae," Mackenzie added, resting her chin on Scarlett's left shoulder.
Declan rested his toned right arm on Scott's right shoulder. "Can I have a mint chocolate chip sundae, please?" he asked the Scoops employee.
Scott peeked from the corner of his eye and saw the preppy kids sitting down and eating their ice cream. "I'll have a cookies and cream sundae," he said to the employee.
"Okay, guys," the Scoops employee nodded as she entered Mackenzie, Scott, and Scarlett's order into the register. "That will be twenty-five dollars and sixteen cents."
"Scott, it's your turn to pay for these orders," Declan said as he turned and raised an eyebrow at his friend. "I paid for our last bill at Phoenix."
"Okay," Scott replied dramatically, taking his Dubai First Royale Mastercard from his dark brown leather Burberry checkered wallet. He tapped his credit card against the reader to pay for everyone's order and put it back inside his wallet after ensuring the transaction went through.
The Scopps girls said."Your orders would be ready in ten minutes."
Scarlett was about to continue conversing with her friend, crush, and Declan when she saw them heading towards the order pickup area. She followed them, and ten minutes later, she had a classic glass cup filled with ice cream, peaches, nuts, and fudge sauce. Scarlett wrapped napkins around the cup to prevent any dripping and grabbed a plastic spoon from a dispenser.
She noticed her friends had already found a table, so she joined them. As Scarlett started eating her sundae, she observed that the ice cream shop was almost empty, with only some kids occupying the tables. she noticed that they were ready to start talking now.
Scarlett was enjoying her peach sundae when she knew it was time for them to play Twenty Questions. "I'll start," she said cheerfully. "Do you guys like horror movies?" she asked, curious about their preferences.
Declan's face lit up with a grin, answering truthfully. "Oh, yes! My parents are always traveling for business, so I usually have the house to myself and can watch whatever I want."
Mackenzie leaned in and listened carefully as she ate a small bite of her sundae. "No, not really," she admitted honestly. "The last time I watched a horror movie, I had nightmares for months, so my parents banned me from watching them."
Scott joined in the conversation and enthusiastically stated. "Absolutely! I love horror movies!"
"Actually, I've never watched horror movies," Scarlett immediately replied, making a mental note that Scott loved horror movies. "My parents have forbidden me from watching that genre. But, they have also said that when I'm a teenager, I'll be allowed to watch horror movies."
"What's your biggest fear?" Declan asked Mackenzie, Scarlett, and Scott. He then ate several spoons of his sundae.
Scarlett raised a perfectly waxed icy-blonde eyebrow in Declan's direction before spoon-swirling her sundae around her glass cup. "Well, my biggest fear is heights," she said. "My legs always feel like jelly when my feet aren't connected to the sidewalks."
"I have a major fear of flying," Mackenzie breathed as she sat up straighter and looked deep into Declan's striking blue eyes. "So, my parents have to find a way for me to sleep before we board our family's private jet. They always make me sleep against one of them on the jet."
"I guess my greatest fear is that I hate disappointing my parents," Scott said matter-of-factly. He patted Scarlett on the right shoulder, observing that it was still raining violently outside. "They always give me this look that says I've ruined their moods."
Declan rolled his eyes, knowing Scott's parents were a little strict. "Whatever," he murmured. "I'm afraid I have a fear of birds, anyway. I don't like being pooped on."
Mackenzie nodded in agreement with Declan's statement and playfully tapped her spoon against her sundae. "Have you ever been bullied?" she asked, aware of Maddie and Scar's past experiences with bullying.
Scarlett responded angrily, giving Mackenzie a menacing glare. She knew that her friend was already aware of Maddie and her own experience with bullying. "Well, Maddie and I were relentlessly bullied by some girls last year at our old elementary school," she finally shared with the boys. "But the bullying stopped after our parents sued the school district and won."
Scott listened empathetically, carefully avoiding any spills on his new Marc Jacobs top. "I'm sorry to hear that, Scar," he said sympathetically. He then turned to Declan, "It's clear that Scarlett is still dealing with some emotional scars from the experience," he paused, "As for me, I was never bullied in elementary school because everyone knew my parents had the resources to sue if needed."
Declan nodded in agreement with Scott. "Middle-class kids often feel inferior to us," he explained before answering Mackenzie's question. "But I was never bullied in elementary school either."
Mackenzie shook her head. "No, I was never bullied in elementary school," she quickly replied after swallowing a mouthful of mango sundae. "My old friends would always tell me not to get caught by anyone."
Scott changed the subject, tracing his finger around the rim of his glass before asking, "What's your earliest childhood memory?"
Mackenzie smiled nostalgically and flipped her long, strawberry-blonde curls over her shoulder. "I remember going to the park with my nanny and playing with
everyone while breathing the fresh air."
Scarlett's face lit up as she reminisced, "I remember my mom signing me up for dance, telling me I needed to do some kind of activity after school."
Declan chuckled, resting his elbows on the table and cupping his chin. "I remember when I first started playing lacrosse as a kid," he said. "My parents got me into it to help calm my energy."
Scott nodded in agreement while finishing his spoonful of cookies and cream sundae. "Same."
"I lied to my parents two weeks ago when they wanted me to follow them to a business dinner," Scott said, spooning more cookies and cream sundae into his mouth. "I told them that I had plans with Aiden, James, and Lachlan that day."
"I may have told a little white lie to Maddie," Scarlett admitted as she leaned back in her seat, stretching her neck from side to side. "I didn't want to follow her into the city a month ago, so I lied that my parents wanted me to come to some charity gala. I just wanted to relax for a long time."
"I'm known as being a very good liar in our group," Declan said, pointing towards himself and Scott. "So, I've lied to people that we're coming to their party when we've automatically decided that we're not going to the party. Or the fact that I've also lied to people that are apart of my hated list too."
Mackenzie nodded at Declan's statement as she brushed some lint off his right shoulder. "I remember telling this girl that she looked very nice, but instead she looked like a toad to me," she piped up.
"What do you do when no one else is around?" Scarlett asked coyly. She wanted her friend to confess to something embarrassing in front of Declan.
"When no one is around me, I tend to dance to pop music by myself," Declan confessed, peeking from the corner of his eye and noticing that no one was laughing at him.
"Um...I like watching Star Wars movies when there's no one around me in my house," Scott chimed in, tilting his head in his friend's direction. "But, the only person that's caught me is Declan."
"Yeah, I love watching pimple-popping videos on YouTube," Mackenzie disclosed as she ate several ice cream-covered mango slices before looking over and noticing that Declan didn't look disgusted with her confession. "It's my guilty pleasure when there's no one there."
"Uh, I like to watch car chases on YouTube," Scarlett said, eating more of her sundae. Rolling her shoulders back, she wound a long, curly lock of her hair around her right index finger before peeking at Scott, who was intensely listening to the conversation between everyone.
Scott glanced at Scarlett and caught her sneaking peeks at him. "When's your birthday? And what's your zodiac sign?" he asked without breaking eye contact with his newfound crush.
"I'm an Aries, and my birthday is March 21st," Declan blurted out, knowing that Scott was already aware of his birthday but wanting the girls to know too.
Mackenzie took note of Declan's birthday and answered his question truthfully. "A Sagittarius. After all, my birthday falls on December 21st."
Scarlett accidentally dropped her spoon into her half-eaten sundae before moving it away from her sight. "Oh, easy, Libra," she said with a grin. She then wiped her mouth with some paper napkins. "My birthday is on October 19th."
"Leo all the way," Scott smirked. He pushed his half-eaten sundae away from his sight, leaned back in his seat, and grabbed some paper napkins from the dispenser. Scott wiped his mouth with the same napkins, crumpled them up, and threw them on the table near his glass cup. "My birthday is on July 27th."
Declan played with the hem of his blue Theory Henley top before eating more of his mint chocolate chip sundae. "What's one of your biggest pet peeves?" he asked his friends.
Scott smoothed back his dark-brown hair as he felt Scarlett intentionally bumping into him. "I hate people who clear their throats for no reason," he answered, knowing that Declan already knew about pet peeves.
"One of my pet peeves is that I can't stand people who make sounds while they're eating," Mackenzie responded, picking at her painted thumbnail. She peeked from the corner of her eye and noticed a grin spreading across Declan's face.
"Uh, I hate the sound of someone blowing their nose," Scarlett replied breezily as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her baby-blue floral French Connection sundress. "It makes me nauseous."
"I hate people who suck blood from cuts," Declan responded wryly, knowing that Scott already knew about his pet peeve. He dropped his half-eaten sundae in the middle of the table, feeling full. "They don't understand there's bad bacteria in their saliva and are now infecting the cut even more."
Scarlett's attention was fully engaged in her conversation with her friend and the two boys when a sudden movement caught her eye. She turned just in time to see a young girl walking towards their table. The girl's slender frame was slightly hunched over as if she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Scarlett couldn't help but notice the hesitant and uncertain way the girl walked towards their table, her eyes scanning the room as if looking for guidance.
As the girl approached, Scarlett's companions, Mackenzie, Declan, and Scott, exchanged a quick and annoyed eye roll, hinting that they didn't want any interruptions. Despite this, Scarlett's curiosity got the better of her, and she turned her attention fully towards the girl, who was now standing in front of their table, looking nervous and unsure of herself.
The girl nervously greeted everyone at the table, wondering if approaching the self-proclaimed royalty of her grade was a good decision. "Um, hi," she said. "I'm Rochelle Cranston. I just wanted to introduce myself to you guys."
Mackenzie and Scarlett asked harshly in unison, "What for?" They crossed their arms over their chest.
Rochelle looked over her right shoulder, noticing that her friends were still encouraging her to talk to Scott, Declan, Mackenzie, and Scarlett. She said confidently, "I wanted to meet you guys since it's known that you are the sixth-grade royalty of Prescott and Crestview. And, I wanted to know if Maddie ranking everyone from our grade."
Mackenzie reached into her purse, pulled out her iPhone, and said, "I'm not sure. Let me check."
"I heard that Audrey is throwing her eleventh birthday party this Saturday," whispered Rochelle to Mackenzie and Declan. "Has she finalized the guest list yet?"
Mackenzie replied icily, "I just came here after attending a meeting at Vanessa's headquarters to finalize the details of Addie's party. Where did you hear about Drey's birthday?"
Rochelle swallowed nervously as she noticed the glare from Mackenzie. "Someone trespassed into Vanessa's office and got hold of the printed version of the Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for Audrey's Circus-Palooza-themed party two weeks ago," she explained. "They made copies and distributed it to every student at Prescott and Crestview."
Declan and Scott were shocked and interrupted in unison, "That's not fair. It's an invasion of privacy to trespass into someone's personal space and steal information about their birthday party."
"I'm just going to leave now," Rochelle said, gulping loudly. She didn't want Mackenzie, Scarlett, Declan, and Scott to accuse her of stealing the details for Audrey's birthday party.
A couple of moments later, Declan noticed that Rochelle had returned to her table of friends before shifting his attention back to his friend and the girls. "Do you guys think that she's the one that stole the printed PowerPoint from Vanessa's office?" he inquired.
"Yes," Scarlett countered, rolling her eyes at Declan's question. "But I think she paid someone to steal the PowerPoint from Vanessa's office."
Mackenzie raised an eyebrow at Scarlett's statement. "Why?" she asked.
"No one else knows about the PowerPoint besides you, Vanessa, Addie, Kay, and Vanessa's employees," Scarlett answered tightly.
Scott interrupted sharply. "Oh, shit, Declan, we need to leave right now."
"Oh, I forgot that we need to head over to Lachlan's house now," Declan said as he stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, ladies, we'll text you later."
"Bye, Scarlett and Mackenzie!" Scott said goodbye to the girls as he quickly headed towards the ice cream shop's front door, seeing that Declan was following behind him.
"Bye, guys!" Scarlett and Mackenzie said in unison as they waved goodbye to Declan and Scott before turning their attention back to themselves.
Mackenzie looked outside Scoop's glass windows and noticed the boys were climbing into a navy Lexus RX 350 car. "Well, Scar, do you have a crush on Declan?" she inquired without looking away from the car.
"Yeah, Manzie," Scarlett answered shyly, tucking a curly lock of hair behind her right ear. "What about you?"
"Same," Mackenzie agreed with her friend as she checked her iPhone's bright screen, observing that it was already six o'clock in the evening. "I need to start heading home now. My curfew is at seven p.m."
"Me too," Scarlett added after Mackenzie's statement. She stood up, leaving the four half-filled glass cups on the table. Scarlett then threw her designer handbag over her left shoulder as she straightened her cream Frame puff-sleeved cardigan. "Let's walk out together and call our drivers outside."
Mackenzie tossed her cell phone in her purse and slung it over her shoulder. "Okay," she said cheerfully, standing up from her chair.
Mackenzie and Scarlett made their way across the glossy floors of the ice cream shop, their heels clicking against the smooth surface. As they stepped outside, their eyes were met with a clear blue sky, the sun shining bright overhead. They reached into their designer handbags and retrieved their iPhones, fingers deftly tapping the screen as they asked Siri to call their drivers. The call went through without a hitch, and they heard Dean and Nick confirm that they would arrive in twenty minutes. With a sigh of relief, Mackenzie and Scarlett tucked their phones into their right hands and turned to face each other, their attention solely focused on the conversation at hand.
Scarlett adjusted her purse onto her left shoulder and turned to her friend Mackenzie. "Do you think we should let Addie know that someone has stolen the printed version of the Microsoft PowerPoint containing the details of her birthday party?" she asked.
"Yeah," Mackenzie said. She nodded and sent a message to Audrey, asking her to respond to her and Scarlett's texts.
Just then, Scarlett's iPhone buzzed, the loud sound echoing through the busy sidewalk. She saw that Audrey had sent a text to both her and Mackenzie. At the same time, Mackenzie received Audrey's text and replied.
Audrey: What would you like to discuss with me?
Mackenzie: Addie, someone stole the printed PowerPoint with details about your birthday party from Vanessa's office two weeks ago.
Scarlett swiftly replied to her friends' text messages.
Scarlett: It appears someone from Vanessa's office was paid to gather information about your birthday party.
Scarlett looked up and saw Mackenzie walking towards a dark blue Mercedes E-class car, still texting both her and Audrey. She noticed that Mackenzie's driver had opened the rear right-side door for her and that Mackenzie had already gotten inside the car. Scarlett then noticed the driver was already seated at the wheel and drove away from the curb. Taking a deep breath, she felt relieved that her friend was safely on her way home. She then saw that Audrey and Mackenzie had replied to her text immediately.
Audrey: How did Rochelle Cranston get the itinerary for my party?
Mackenzie: It seems that Rochelle was able to bribe someone to give her the entire itinerary of your party. She came up to us at Scoops this afternoon while we were still hanging out with Declan and Scott.
Scarlett responded to her friends' messages.
Scarlett: She was being nosy about you finishing the guest list for your birthday party.
Scarlett checked her surroundings before reading the messages her friends had sent her. She saw that Jason had parked the Bentley on the street. Scarlett walked towards the car and opened the right-side white rear door, then got in and slid across the buttery soft leather backseat. She closed the door behind her after dropping her purse on the adjacent seat, buckled her seat belt, and returned to her brilliantly-lit iPhone's screen. Scarlett quickly texted her friends that she would continue the conversation at home. She tossed her cell phone into her designer purse, closed her eyes, and felt the car moving away from the curb. She leaned back against the leather headrest and fell asleep to the motion of the car driving down the street.
The Webster Estate
Dining Room
8:17 P.M.
Wednesday, September 4th
Audrey descended the winding staircase, her nose catching the overpowering smell of dinner. Her mouth watered as she made her way to the dining room, passing by her mother's favorite Ansgar Doyle painting. As she entered the room, she noticed her father on his cell phone, barking orders, while her mother was engaged in a conversation with someone on her iPhone. Audrey knew her mother was busy hosting the annual Prescott auction to raise money for scholarships.
Audrey took her seat at the glazed oak dinner table and gazed longingly at the spread of food before her. Alejandro, the family's chef, had cooked up a storm tonight, with steaming platters and bowls of pan-seared steak, buttery mashed potatoes, and freshly baked dinner rolls with garlic and herbs displayed on the table. The porcelain dinner plates, polished silverware, and neatly folded dinner napkins were placed directly on placemats in front of each chair.
In the center of the table, an iced crystal pitcher filled to the brim with Key Lime-flavored La Croix sparkling water caught Audrey's eye, alongside an opened bottle of Château Lafite red wine for her parents to enjoy. With the ambiance of the dining room and the mouth-watering aroma of the delicious food, Audrey knew it was going to be an unforgettable meal.
"Hey... Mom," Audrey said, unfolding her dinner napkin on her lap.
Courtney covered the mouthpiece of her iPhone as she shot her daughter a genuine smile. "Hi, darling!" she said curtly before resuming the conversation with the other person on the line.
Audrey violently stabbed a steak with her dinner fork before plopping it on her plate. "And good evening, Daddy!" she said brightly.
"Hey, princess!" Ambrose greeted his daughter as he smiled playfully at Audrey before barking even more orders into his iPhone.
As Audrey spooned some fluffy mashed potatoes onto her plate, she couldn't help but feel used to her dad's busy schedule with their family's investment firm and her mom's tireless socialite duties. Her mother served on all the committees, and volunteer boards, hosted parties, and attended events thrown by Audrey's school and the Westchester Society. Audrey then picked up her steak knife and fork and began to cut through her juicy steak, before smothering it with the creamy mashed potatoes, and finally taking a bite. She savored the flavors in her mouth before looking up from her plate and noticing her parents' cell phones lying on the table. With a contented sigh, she reached out for a warm dinner roll from one of the bowls and placed it hastily on her plate. However, she soon realized that her parents wanted to talk to her.
"Darling, did you have a good day today?" Courtney asked her daughter, unfolding her dinner napkin onto her lap. She then piled her plate with steak, mashed potatoes, and two mouth-watering dinner rolls.
"It was okay," Audrey replied as she wolfed down three steaming forkfuls of mashed potatoes. "My friends came with me to Vanessa's headquarters today. And the party planner's ideas are out of this world."
Ambrose flattened his dinner napkin on his lap before loading his plate with steak, mashed potatoes, and two appetizing dinner rolls. "Very good," he nodded. "It'll do you some good to socialize with your friends."
Audrey prodded a giant piece of steak and mashed potatoes onto her fork before devouring it in one bite. "Okay, Daddy," she beamed happily.
Courtney took a huge bite of her dinner rolls, changing the subject to something else. "Um, sweetie, are you done getting your school things ready?" she eagerly inquired. "Including your combination lock and pencil case?"
"Yeah, Mom," Audrey nodded in understanding as she poured some sparkling water into her empty water glass.
"You need to make sure that your priorities are together," Ambrose added, scoffing down several steaming forkfuls of mashed potatoes. "You need to be an A-plus student, angel."
Audrey cocked her head to the side as she blew some strands of her hair out of her eyes. "I know that."
"Your friends come second," Courtney added sternly, sipping her wine. "And I mean that."
Ambrose wolfed down one of his dinner rolls before washing it down with several sips of wine. "Now, we had good grades and a social life," he said. "But if you can't handle that, grades always come first."
"Got it," Audrey insisted angrily. She barely concealed an eye roll, leaning forward in her seat.
Courtney ate some giant bites of her mashed potatoes before washing them down with her entire glass of wine. "Audrey," she said sternly. "Behave."
Audrey shoved some forkfuls of steak into her mouth. "Whatever," she mumbled under her breath, hoping that her mom didn't hear her.
"Eat, princess," Ambrose urged his daughter gently as he shot his wife a look before eating several bites of his steak. "We just want to make sure we're all on the same page about some things."
"Of course, Dad," Audrey said warmly. She then wiped her mouth with her dinner napkin before eyeing her parents across the table. "Anyway, may I be excused?"
Courtney questioned her daughter. "What for?"
"I'm full," Audrey said truthfully, throwing her dinner napkin on her half-eaten plate and standing up from her seat.
Ambrose nodded at his daughter as his knife and fork scraped noisily across his half-eaten plate. "That's good," he noted. "Arthur would be in the car at 7:45 am to take you to school. So, set your alarm clock to wake you up at 7 a.m., okay?"
"Okay, Daddy," Audrey said firmly as she stood up from her chair and jumped from one foot to another. "But, I forgot to tell you guys that Maddie's driver would be chauffeuring us everywhere. I'll only need Arthur when I'm alone by myself, so that means our driver would be available to you guys twenty-four seven."
Courtney nodded at her daughter's statement before pouring another glass of red wine into her empty wine glass. "Good, because your father and I are gonna need him for tomorrow morning."
"Fine," Audrey nodded. She walked around the dining room and kissed her parents on their left cheeks. "Good night, Mom and Daddy!"
As Audrey sashayed out of the dining room, she couldn't help but feel relieved. Her parents had been grilling her about school, and she didn't like it one bit. So, she lied about being full and quickly made her way to the kitchen. Feeling a little bit hungry, Audrey walked inside and, without wasting any time, plucked a chilled can of Diet Coke from the fridge. She then strolled through the opened doorway of the kitchen pantry and grabbed three bags of white cheddar-flavored Skinny Pop popcorn before heading straight for the stairs.
As soon as Audrey reached her spacious bedroom, she closed her bedroom door with her body, dropping her cold drink and bag of popcorn on her desk. Looking around her room, she was pleased that her mom had redecorated her room as a summer surprise. Everything looked perfect.
Her bedroom was covered in a blush, grey, and white color scheme. Three walls were painted light grey, while the fourth wall was covered in textured wallpaper. The bed had white silk sheets and an oversized blush queen-sized duvet. Handmade blush wool throw pillows were piled against the hardboard with three grey velvet bolster pillows in front.
Between the walk-in closet and bathroom stood a mid-century vanity. Her Coach cosmetic cases and Valentino perfume bottles were on top of the table. The expansive walk-in closet contained the latest designer clothes, shoes, purses, and accessories. Next to the closet was a tall white trifold mirror.
On both white nightstands were bright red lamps, along with a round digital clock, an iPad, and an Apple AirPod charging case. Above the large white trophy case was a 65-inch smart TV. In the corner was her cozy nook for reading and studying piled high with blush cashmere blankets and white furry throw pillows. It was perfect for long phone conversations and video calls with her friends and family.
Custom bookshelves filled with glossy fashion magazines, reading material, and textbooks for the upcoming school year stood above the seats. A large, rectangular white frame displaying an Ansgar Doyle painting over her four-poster canopy bed. In the center of her grey-and-chrome lattice coffee table, a tall white geometric ceramic vase filled with pink baby's breath flowers.
Ornate rectangular frames showcasing magazine fashion covers. Behind the coffee table, a grey velvet upholstered sofa and two blush sheepskin lounge chairs covered in embroidered white pom-pom throw pillows sat in the corner, flanked by matching end tables. Next to the desk, a simple white wastebasket held some trash. Automated thermal curtains hung from rods over the windows. A small Swarovski crystal-trimmed chandelier cast a soft white glow.
Ivory and grey lattice rugs spread over the polished grey hardwood floor. French doors opened to reveal an en-suite bathroom. Skincare products lined the marble countertop of the grey bathroom vanity w neatly. Across from it, an oversized walk-in shower with multiple nozzles ensured full body coverage without turning. Outside the shower, light fluffy robes hung from chrome hooks. Beside it sat a white freestanding tub facing another flat-screen TV. Next to the tub, an oak side table with open storage held monogrammed towels. The heated Turkish marble floor gleamed.
Adjacent to the bathroom, a solid oak desk held a 27-inch silver iMac, wireless Apple mouse, and keyboard, a white geometric pen holder filled with fuzzy blush pens, neatly stacked spiral notebooks, and several framed pictures of her and her parents. Finally, a white pinboard filled with pictures and notes.
"Hey, Addie," Madeleine said, smiling warmly.
"Hi, Drey," Scarlett chirped as she leaned back in her seat with a wide grin on her face.
"Hello, Rae," Kayla chimed as she wolfed down several forkfuls of Fettuccine Alfredo.
"What's up, Addy?" Mackenzie cooed, shifting into a comfortable position in her chair.
Audrey reached deep inside the bag of popcorn and stuffed her mouth with a handful of popcorn. "Nothing much," she answered softly. "Except, I got this lengthy lecture from my parents about keeping my grades up in school."
"Hey guys, do you want to hear about my meeting with Lindsey and Avery?" Madeleine asked, leaning back in her chair.
"Absolutely!" Mackenzie and Audrey replied in unison.
Kayla responded wryly. "Yup, lay it on me, Maddie."
Scarlett sounding very interested, said, "Tell us everything."
Madeleine cuddled her puppy, Coco, and began to explain. "First, Lindsey and Avery gave me a beautiful custom headband for the first day of school tomorrow. Then, they told me that my mom was the sixth-grade Queen in 1986 and explained the rules that Prescott's Queens need to follow."
Audrey smiled and said. "Sounds amazing!"
Mackenzie sounded excited and exclaimed. "Awesome!"
Kayla spoke softly. "That sounds wonderful."
Scarlett leaned forward. "Did anything else happen during the meeting, Mads?"
Madeleine replied."Yes, Lindsey received a call from a boy named Leif Hastings, who later introduced himself to me as one of Lachlan's older brothers. Lindsey is dating him."
Audrey popped the top of her Diet Coke and remarked. "I thought we were supposed to meet them next Thursday afternoon?"
Madeleine nodded and added. "I was surprised that Lindsey answered the call in my presence."
Scarlett fiddled with the left strap of her cropped white Morgan Lane floral pajama top and said. "You need to spill the details of the conversation between Lindsey and her boyfriend to us."
Kayla smiled and turned her head. "So, Mads, let's talk about gossip!"
"Okay, I want to hear about this conversation," Mackenzie and Audrey said together.
Madeleine put Coco on the ground and noticed her puppy was curled up at her feet. "Alright, ladies," she said sarcastically. "I mean, Lindsey and Leif were talking in detail about their date in the city this Saturday afternoon."
"Oh my god, that sounds lovely!" Scarlett exclaimed, twisting her hair into a messy bun on top of her head.
"No way," Mackenzie gasped, taking a long sip of her La Croix drink.
"It's hard to believe that Lindsey is comfortable with you listening to her conversation with her boyfriend!" Kayla said softly, moving her half-eaten plate to the side of her desk. She separated her curls evenly and twisted each side into a French pigtail before tying them into a knot at the nape of her neck.
"I guess Avery was still there to hear this conversation," Audrey added. She ate the last handful of popcorn before washing it down with her Diet Coke.
"Oh, yes," Madeleine replied, nodding at her friends' statements. "Then, Avery and Lindsey asked me if I had a crush on anyone at school. So, I had no choice but to admit to them that I had a tiny crush on Lachlan."
"Seriously," Scarlett laughed as she leaned forward in her seat. "Did they say anything about your statement?"
Mackenzie and Kayla rested their elbows on their desks. "We know they would want to play matchmaker for you and Lachlan," they said in unison, smirking.
Audrey took a long sip of her Fiji water. "I think they would try to get him to understand that he has a crush on you too," she said smoothly.
Madeleine concealed an eye roll at her friend's statement. "Um, yes," she replied happily. "I think Linds and Aves would try to get their boyfriends to talk to Lachlan, especially since he's their little brother."
"Wow," Scarlett, Mackenzie, Kayla, and Audrey exclaimed together. "That means every Prescott Queen has a crush on a Hastings."
"Yay!" Madeleine cheered as she bounced in her seat. "So, does anyone have any more gossip to share?"
Audrey took a sip of her Diet Coke and said, "I do! Maddie and Scar, I wanted to share about the meeting with Vanessa. Kay and Mack were there too."
Mackenzie rested her chin on her palm and nodded. "Yeah, the party planner talked about the details that went into Drey's birthday party."
Kayla smiled and moved her desk chair from side to side. "Manzie and I also contributed some ideas for the party planner to follow up with."
Madeleine raised her eyebrow and grinned at her friends. "Sounds kind of okay to me," she shrugged.
Scarlett leaned forward in her seat. "Seriously, did Vanessa have any problems adding your ideas to Addy's party?"
"No," Kayla and Mackenzie replied together. "She happily typed our suggestions into the slides."
Audrey quickly interjected. "Yeah."
Mackenzie and Scarlett chewed nervously on their lips. "Well, there's still some more news to share with you guys," they whispered to their friends.
"Like what?" Madeleine questioned.
"We hung out with Declan and Scott today," Mackenzie and Scarlett said in unison.
"Why didn't you guys call us last night to share the news?" Madeleine asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Well, you guys were busy having dinner with your parents yesterday," they explained. "Lala and Addie found out this afternoon after the meeting with Vanessa, so you're the last person to find out now."
"I seriously can't believe it," Madeleine said, sounding very left out. "But, I'll forgive you guys if you share what happened between you and the boys."
"We wanted to share with you guys that we had a lot of fun with Declan and Scott," Mackenzie and Scarlett squealed in unison. "We pretty much got to know each other in a very deep way and met one of our upcoming classmates from school."
Madeleine took a long swig of her half-filled Evian water. "That's awesome," she said slowly, readjusting her ponytail. "Who was the person that you guys met at the ice cream shop?"
Mackenzie and Scarlett leaned back in their seats. "It was some girl called Rochelle Cranston," they replied in unison. "She falls under a 3.5 on the loser scale."
Kayla leaned forward in her seat, knowing that Mackenzie and Scarlett meant that this girl wasn't okay for them to be acquainted with. "I've stumbled on her Instagram page," she laughed. "Her posts are filled with pictures of her old friends from elementary school and parties thrown by the popular crowd. It seems like she's stuck in the past or something."
Audrey tapped her right manicured index finger against her left bicep. "There's also the fact that Scar and Manzie told me that Rochelle had someone steal a printed Microsoft PowerPoint that was filled with details about my birthday party," she spat angrily.
"No way," Madeleine and Kayla gasped in unison. "Who was the person that she paid to steal the PowerPoint?"
"I have no idea," Audrey shrugged, pressing her manicured fingers against her temples. "And, it's too late to change anything since Vanessa has already booked everything for the party."
"Addie, calm down for a couple of moments," Madeleine, Kayla, Scarlett, and Mackenzie reassured their friend in unison. "Everything's going to be okay."
"Fine, guys!" Audrey breathed easily. "If someone talks about my party at school tomorrow, I'm going to cancel the party and cause my parents to lose the money that they've already put into it."
"Wait a minute," Scarlett, Madeleine, Kayla, and Mackenzie said in unison as they leaned forward into their seats. "We think that people would try their best to pretend that they don't know about your party."
Audrey's shoulder slumped forward. "Okay, girlies," she nodded in understanding. Audrey knew that she was overreacting a little bit.
Kayla twisted her curls into a messy bun before changing the topic to something else. "So, ladies, I wanted to talk to you guys about my lunch meeting with Delilah Edwards and Emily Hudson."
Madeleine's eyes widened. "Um, Kay, hold on for a minute," she said, sounding very surprised. "You met Delilah Edwards and Emily Hudson for lunch today."
"Oh, yeah," Kayla nodded at Madeleine. "Addie already knows about casual lunch hangout plans since I informed her after Manzie left. The only people who don't know about the plans are you, Kenzie, and Scar!"
Scarlett slapped her right hand against her heart. "When... did they connect with you?" she gasped loudly.
Mackenzie stared at Kayla, surprised. "What did you guys talk about?"
Kayla sighed deeply before noticing that Audrey was looking somewhere else. "Well, they officially crowned me the sixth-grade Queen of Connections and told me some connections that they use to get any secret or gossip," she told Mackenzie, Scarlett, and Madeleine.
"All right," Madeleine said quickly before changing the subject to something else. "So, let's rate our outfits for the first day of school tomorrow."
"Sure, Maddie," Audrey, Kayla, Mackenzie, and Scarlett said with a smile in unison, knowing that this activity would allow them to make comments about their outfits.
After noticing her friends had left their seats, Audrey disposed of her empty popcorn bag in the trash can, got up, and walked to her custom-made mannequin. She was thrilled about her tomorrow's outfit and thus pushed her mannequin towards her computer desk, positioning it behind her chair. Once Audrey sat back down, she noticed that her friends had returned to their seats with their fully dressed mannequins beside them.
Madeleine was excited to go first and show off her outfit. She pointed to the outfit on her mannequin and said, "I've styled my mannequin in a lilac Black Halo two-piece dress, lilac Miu Miu wedges, a large white leather Kate Spade tote, and my custom-made white pearl-embellished headband from Lindsey and Avery. I'm wearing small pearl dangle earrings and my signature pearl necklace for jewelry. So, what do you think, ladies?"
Scarlett, adjusting the waistband of her Morgan Lane floral pajama shorts, exclaimed dramatically, "9.8! That dress is to die for."
Kayla drummed her fingers on the table. "9.6"
Audrey analyzed Madeleine's outfit with laser focus. "9.9."
Mackenzie leaned forward and rated the outfit a 9.5 before leaning back in her seat and asking, "Who's next?"
Scarlett then showed off her outfit, saying, "I've adorned my mannequin in a short, fitted Alice + Olivia denim romper with red knotted-bow patent-leather thong sandals by Kate Spade, and a large liberty-red Tory Burch Gemini Link canvas tote. I'm wearing diamond studs, a white Alexis Bittar flower ring, and my signature pearl bracelet for jewelry. What's your verdict?"
"Wow," Madeleine exclaimed with a smile. She picked up Coco, hugged her little puppy against her chest, and said, "9.4."
"Beautiful," Kayla commented, smiling genuinely at Scarlett. "9.2."
"9.5," Mackenzie proudly declared, taking another long sip of her La Croix drink.
"Great," Audrey grinned brightly as she tossed the other two bags of Skinny Pop popcorn into her desk drawers.
Mackenzie turned around in her desk chair and presented her outfit. "It's my turn now," she announced. "My mannequin is wearing a belted yellow-and-white-striped Marni cami minidress, white Prada espadrilles, mini bright-yellow Givenchy satchel, and white Arkis embellished cardigan. I'm wearing diamond chandelier earrings for jewelry, and the accessories for my outfit are a yellow Lele Sadoughi beaded headband. Thoughts?"
Madeleine kissed Coco on her little black nose before placing her puppy back on her lap. "Stunning," she said. "9.1."
"9.5," Scarlett replied, biting her lower lip as she closely examined her friend's outfit.
Audrey checked her manicure, feeling that it hadn't chipped yet. "9.2."
Kayla played with the ends of her high ponytail and smirked. "9.4."
"I'm going next," Audrey said proudly as she wheeled her mannequincloser so her friends could see her outfit for tomorrow. "As you can see, my mannequin is wearing a navy color-block blouse by Ted Baker, which was tucked into a high-waisted grey plaid Anna Sui flare miniskirt, grey Christian Louboutin ankle boots, and a medium navy Longchamp suede hobo. I'm wearing pearl stud earrings and a long, gold Chanel moon-and-stars drop necklace with two designs lined with crystals for jewelry. Any thoughts?"
"9.8," Madeleine said as she sighed deeply before closely analyzing Audrey's dressed mannequin.
Scarlett tapped her left manicured index finger against her chin. "9...," she pondered. "3."
"9.2," Kayla remarked, grinning brightly as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Mackenzie knitted her delicate fingers together and placed them on her lap. "9.5," she decided.
"I'll go next since I'm the last one left," Kayla said, pointing to her dressed mannequin. "My mannequin is sporting a multi-colored plaid Moschino split-hem bodycon dress with nude La Silla knee-high suede boots and a medium nude Dolce & Gabbana leather-and-suede satchel. I'm wearing a gold Mizuki pearl-and-diamond statement necklace and a pair of pearl stud earrings for jewelry. Opinions?"
"9.6," Scarlett commented, cocking her head to the side and examining Kayla's dressed mannequin closely. She then leaned back into her seat.
"A 9.4," Mackenzie admitted. She sneakily checked her armpits for deodorant stains without alerting her friends.
Audrey crossed her legs, her burgundy toes matching her painted nails. "9.3."
Madeleine noticed Coco staring at her before her puppy jumped off her lap. "9.5."
"Whatever," Audrey murmured, looking at her alarm clock and saw it was almost nine-thirty. "Well, girls, I need to go now. My bedtime is at ten. So, see you guys tomorrow."
Kayla waved goodbye to her friends. "Sleep well, everyone," she replied before ending the call.
Scarlett moved away from her computer screen. "See you guys tomorrow!" she said, ending the call as well.
"Good night, ladies!" Mackenzie said with a smile before ending the call on her end.
Madeleine quickly got up from her seat, holding Coco in her arms. "Later, Addie!" she told her friend before ending the call.
As the day came to a close, Audrey took some time out to wind down before bed. She pushed her mannequin over to its designated spot by her closet and made her way into her pristine all-white bathroom. There, she spent some time brushing her teeth, taking care to ensure that every tooth was clean and sparkling.
Once she was done, Audrey slipped out of her clothes, which she then tossed into the hamper. She was feeling tired and drained from the day's activities, and she yawned as she reached for her pajamas from last night, which were lying on the top of the closed toilet seat.
Audrey's silky lotus pink In Bloom by Jonquil scalloped chemise caught her eye, and she decided to wear it for the night. She slipped into the delicate fabric, admiring how it hugged her curves in all the right places. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, she checked that the crisscrossing back straps of her chemise lay flat. Satisfied, she clapped her hands together, and the lights in the bathroom turned off.
Audrey walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She checked the alarm clock and saw that it was almost nine forty-seven, which meant it was time for her to retire for the night. She slipped into her bed, which was dressed in crisp white linen, and reached for her fully-charged iPhone from her left-side nightstand. Unlocking it with ease, she checked her Instagram account and was pleased to see that a group selfie she had posted earlier in the day had over a thousand likes.
Audrey felt a sense of satisfaction as she put her phone away and checked the time again. It was almost ten, and she knew she needed to get some rest. She turned off her iPhone, set her alarm clock to wake her up at seven, and clapped her hands together. The lights in her room turned off, and she slipped her sleep mask over her eyes. With a contented sigh, Audrey closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
A/N:
Here's chapter four for you.
Enjoy,
FashionLeMode