It's Not Easy Being Mean
Copyright © 2007 by Alloy Entertainment
All rights reserved.
“Paradise” by Ahmed Oliver, Dorian Moore, Cornell Haynes (BMG Songs, Inc. and Jackie Frost Music, Inc.). All rights reserved.
“Don't Cha” by Thomas Callaway, Anthony Ray, Trevor Smith (Notting Hill Music, Ensign Music, Tziah Music). All rights reserved.
“Lose Yourself” by Jeffrey Irwin Bass, Marshall B. Mathers III, Luis Edgardo Resto (Eight Mile Style Music and Jaceff Music).
All rights reserved.
Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group, USA
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Visit our Web site at
www.HachetteBookGroupUSA.com
.
First eBook Edition: March 2007
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
ISBN: 978-0-316-04172-0
Contents
Chapter 1: The Block Estate, Massie's Bedroom
Chapter 2: The Block Estate, Massie's Bedroom
Chapter 3: Octavian Country Day School, The Halls
Chapter 4: Octavian Country Day School, The Café, Table I8
Chapter 5: Octavian Country Day School, Behind The Nondenominational Chapel
Chapter 6: Octavian Country Day School, OCD/Briarwood Soccer Stadium
Chapter 7: New York City: The Four Seasons Hotel
Chapter 8: Westchester, NY: The Blocks' Range Rover
Chapter 9: Westchester, NY: The Hamilton Home
Chapter 10: The Block Estate, Main Lawn
Chapter 11: Briarwood Academy, Behind Massie's Favorite Hedge
Chapter 12: Westchester, NY: Derrington's House
Chapter 13: Wrap Star Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe, Westchester, NY
Chapter 14: Octavian Country Day School, The Soccer Field
Chapter 15: Westchester, NY: The Fisher House
Chapter 16: Westchester, NY: The Abeley House
Chapter 17: The Block Estate, Massie's Bedroom
Chapter 18: The Rivera Estate, Mr. Rivera's Home Office
Chapter 19: The Block Estate, The Guesthouse
Chapter 20: The Soccer Stadium, Sirens Vs. Meerkats
Chapter 21: Octavian Country Day School, Soccer Field
Q&A Lisi Harrison Answers Questions From Her Readers
The only thing harder than getting in is staying in.
Be sure to read all the novels in the #1
New York Times
bestselling CLIQUE series
The Clique
Best Friends For Never
Revenge Of The Wannabes
Invasion Of The Boy Snatchers
The Pretty Committee Strikes Back
Dial L For Loser
It's Not Easy Being Mean
And keep your eye out for
Sealed With A Diss
, coming August 2007.
Be sure to read all the novels in the #1
New York Times
bestselling GOSSIP GIRL series
Gossip Girl
You Know You Love Me
All I Want Is Everything
Because I'm Worth It
I Like It Like That
You're The One That I Want
Nobody Does It Better
Nothing Can Keep Us Together
Only In Your Dreams
Would I Lie to You
And keep your eye out for the eleventh novel,
Don't You Forget About Me,
coming May 2007.
For Luke and Bee Bee
CLIQUE novels by Lisi Harrison:
THE CLIQUE
BEST FRIENDS FOR NEVER
REVENGE OF THE WANNABES
INVASION OF THE BOY SNATCHERS
THE PRETTY COMMITTEE STRIKES BACK
DIAL L FOR LOSER
IT'S NOT EASY BEING MEAN
Sunday, April 4th
4:14
P.M.
Dylan Marvil pig-pressed her nose against the bay window in Massie Block's bedroom and then craned her neck slightly left toward the gated entrance of the Block estate. “Um, Kuh-laire? You may wanna see this.”
Dropping the armload of designer clothes she'd been color-coding for Massie, Claire Lyons scurried to Dylan's side. “What is it?” She pushed up the sleeves on her orange velour hoodie.
“Todd and Tiny Nathan are selling your itchy pink-and-red polka-dot scarf to that fast talker Carrie Randolph.”
Alicia Rivera tossed her
Teen Vogue
on the hardwood floor, slid off Massie's fluffy, lavender-scented bed, and wiggled between them. Her black velvet leggings were spotted with purple lint from Massie's bedding. “Ew, that LBR rode her bike all the way over here? To buy
that?
”
“Todd!” Claire shouted at her brother while struggling to unhook the window's iron latch. “Party scarf wasn't on the list!”
Kristen Gregory balanced on her tiptoes, straining to see over their heads. Tiny yellow-and-green Puma shorts showed off her sharp soccer calves, which flexed as she bobbed to witness the unfolding scandal. “How much do you think he's made so far?”
“Too much.” Claire pounded on the soundproof glass. “I can't believe people actually want to buy my stuff.”
“Me, either,” Massie mumbled, refusing to get distracted by the LBRs who suddenly thought Claire's cheap machine washables were worth something because she'd starred in a predictable Hollywood movie with Abby Boyd and Conner Foley. She had more important things to think about.
Turning to her swiveling three-paneled full-length mirror, Massie studied her reflection, wondering if she should have saved today's outfit for tomorrow. Her C&C California black-and-gray-striped V-necked sweater dress exuded confidence over a pair of mint green leggings and gray suede ankle boots. But still, the dress was boxy, and therefore would only know life on Sundays and snow days.
After letting out a long sigh, Massie returned to her life-size mannequin, which ruled the corner of her room between the walk-in closet and her mirror. She fastened a thin gold braided belt around its waist, then stepped back, tilted her head to the left, and took it all in. Cinching the brown Ella Moss T-shirt dress instantly elevated it from a seven to a nine. But still, something was off. Was it the tan linen vest? Too safari? Or maybe it was the espresso-colored Marc Jacobs ballet flats. Yup. It was the flats. They were a little too precious for her first day back at Octavian Country Day School. After her celebrity-studded three-week expulsion, she needed something that said, “I'm back and better than ever.” And right now all she had was, “Hey, guys, how's it goin'?” She took a long swig of Tab Energy, then tore the poo-colored clothes off the Massie-quin.
Time to start over.
“Ehmagawd!” Dylan squealed. “It's the pasty goth barista from Starbucks!” She shook her arms free of the long military-style jacket that covered her dark-wash Earnest Sewn pencil-straight jeans, revealing a faded pink Porky Pig tee.
“Buying my Kipling backpack!” Claire wailed. “Monkey and all!”
“Thank Gawd.” Alicia rolled up the sleeves on her pin-striped Norma Kamali shirtdress. “That thing was eye-poison.”
Kristen's narrow blue eyes widened, “It looks like your books are still in it.”
“They
are
!”
“Massie, you have to see this!” Alicia giggled and kicked Dylan's jacket aside.
“Pass.” Massie pulled the flats off her mannequin and replaced them with navy Michael Kors cork wedges. “I'm busy.”
Besides, she already knew what Claire's stalkers looked like. They had been riding past the estate on bikes and scooters for the last two days to see where the star of the movie
Dial L for Loser
slept, ate, and peed. Massie was constantly fighting the urge to poke her freshly razored layers out the window and yell, “Didn't any of you stalkers watch
The Daily Grind
? Didn't you see Alicia and me broadcasting live from the set every day for two weeks straight? Don't you remember those pictures of me with Conner Foley in
Us Weekly?
Why don't you want to buy
my
scarves? Why don't you want to take
my
picture?
Whyyyyyy?
“ But all she said was, “Get used to it, Miss I'm-moving-to-California-to-be-a-Hollywood-superstar.”
“Why should I get
used
to Todd and Tiny Nathan selling my things to strangers?” Claire pressed her entire left side against the bay window.
“A celebrity's life is public property. If you don't like it…” Massie grabbed a thin white remote off her bedside table and pressed her manicured thumbnail into the top right button. “Leave it.”
The window clicked open and Claire fell forward.
“Whoa!” She steadied herself on the curved stone ledge.
Massie examined the newly naked mannequin. “Now will you puh-lease focus!”
Finally, everyone turned away from Todd, Tiny Nathan, and the red Radio Flyer wagon filled with Claire's personal belongings. They stood, their backs to the window, while Massie paced.
“In case you forgot, the Pretty Committee was just expelled from OCD for
three
weeks because we ran off into the woods on a class field trip and got lost.” Massie put her hands on her narrow hips. “Instead of sitting on our couches watching
High School Musical,
we went to Hollywood and made something of ourselves and—”
“Speak for yourself.” Kristen exchanged an eye-roll with Dylan.
“Yeah, some of us weren't
allowed
to go to California, remember?” Dylan stuffed a cube of watermelon-flavored bubble gum in her mouth, then immediately unwrapped another piece and jammed it in.
“Some of us stayed here, wrote a butt-kissing essay, and signed
your
name to it so you could get back into school, re-
mem
-ber?” Kristen glared at Massie.
“Of course I re-
mem
-ber. I was getting to that part,” she lied. “But seeing as you already mentioned how great you think you are, I'll skip over it.”
Kristen and Dylan muttered apologies.
Massie took a cleansing breath, exhaled in frustration, and continued. “The point is, in less than twenty-four hours we'll be walking the halls at OCD while hundreds of jealous eyeballs scan us, searching for flaws.”
“Why would they do that?” Claire scratched her blond eyebrows. “You always say everyone
loves
the Pretty Committee.”
“No. I always say they want to
be
us.” Massie swatted her flirty new chocolate-colored side part away from her amber eyes. “Which means they're secretly studying us, hoping to spot a weakness so they can—”
“A weakness?”
“Yeah, like an out-of-place hair.” Alicia pointed to her perfect side part.
“Or bad grades,” Kristen offered.
“Or an open fly.” Dylan covered her crotch.
“Or smudged eyeliner, or last year's boots, or peanut-butter breath.” Massie circled her hand to show that the list went on and on. “Anything they can use to put
us
down.”