Revenge of the Wannabes (29 page)

Suddenly, for no reason and every reason, they both started laughing. And once they started, they couldn’t stop. They held their stomachs, slapped their thighs, threw their heads back, and let the tears spill down their cheeks.

Until, without warning, Massie’s smile faded. Her eyes became wide with fear and her mouth hung open. She grabbed her wrist and dropped to her knees.

Was she having a heart attack?

Alicia raced across the studio and knelt by her side.

“What’s wrong?”

“My crown is gone.” Massie ran her fingers along the studio floor, sifting through the fake snow, blue pine needles, and broken ornaments.

“When was the last time you saw it?” Alicia looked around the destroyed studio.

“I dunno.” Massie’s eyes filled with tears.

“I’ll go look on the other side.” Alicia stood up. “Don’t worry, we’ll find it.”

“’Kay.” Massie sniffed.

When Alicia got to the middle of the studio, she felt a sharp pain in her foot and dropped down to the floor. She unzipped her boot and massaged the sore area until the throbbing eased up. She quickly pulled up her sock and heard a faint
ping
sound. She looked down and there it was, right beside Alicia, in a tiny hill of fake snow. A piece of yellow sock fuzz was tangled around one of its points.

Alicia giggled to herself as the memory of her tugging on Massie’s bracelet and stuffing it in her boot popped back into her head. “I found it!” she shouted once she was back on her feet. “Massie, I have it.”

Massie was crawling around on her hands and knees, occasionally wiping tears away with her shoulder.

“I found it,” Alicia shouted again.

Massie jumped to her feet.

“Where was it?” Massie asked when Alicia put it in her hand.

“Uh, just sitting on the ground. I almost stepped right on it.”

“You’re the best,” Massie said, wrapping her arms around Alicia.

“Thanks, you are too.” Alicia hugged her back.

“This shoot is over,” Lucinda announced. She was kneeling on the floor, icing Santa’s forehead, and he lay motionless beside her. The other girls were fanning him and looking concerned.

“Why?” Massie let go of Alicia.

“Why?”
Lucinda shrieked. She stood up and walked over to Massie and Alicia, pointing at them as she spoke. “Because I have no set, no Santa, no presents, no tree, and very little holiday cheer.”

Alicia couldn’t help feeling disappointed. She had been so looking forward to this day and it was ruined.

“Great idea!” Massie said. “Lucinda, you’re a genius.”

“Huh?” Lucinda and Alicia said.

“No other magazine would have the guts to show how stressed out people get around the holidays, but it’s something everyone can relate to.”

“That
is
a great idea,” Alicia said. “You can call the piece ‘Santa’s Little Hell-pers.’”

“That’s
perfect,
Leesh,” Massie said.

Alicia felt warm and happy inside. Massie hadn’t called her Leesh in weeks.

“I heart it,” Lucinda said.

“Well, you should.” Massie’s eyes sparkled. “It was your idea.”

“It was?” Lucinda said.

“I thought I heard you suggest that, but maybe I was wrong.” Massie glared at Alicia, silently begging her to play along.

“I thought I heard that too,” Alicia said.

“You did,” Lucinda said, twisting an oversized emerald ring around her index finger. “You did.”

“Thought so,” Massie said with a satisfied smile.

“I need all stagehands, models, elves, and Paolo to meet over by Santa for a quick meeting,” Lucinda shouted. “The show will go on!”

Everyone cheered.

“What was that all about?” Alicia asked Massie once Lucinda left.

“
How to Win Friends and Influence People
. Principle number seven,” Massie said. “Let others think the idea is theirs.”

“Spoken like a true alpha.” Alicia nodded with sincere admiration.

Massie clipped the crown back on her bracelet.

“It’s hard doing what you do,” Alicia said, wiping her eyes.

“Why do you think I’m so moody?”

“Massie.” Alicia heard her voice quiver. “I’m really sorry for everything I did to you. I promise I will never do anything to hurt you guys ever again.” She offered her pinky. “Friends?”

“On three conditions,” Massie said, holding her pinky slightly out of Alicia’s reach.

“Anything.”

“One: Claire is the only new addition to the Pretty Committee this year. That means Olivia can’t sit with us during lunch anymore, but you can still be friends with her.”

“Fine,” Alicia said. “Next.”

“Two: you have to get rid of those knockoffs.”

“But
my
scarf was real.” Alicia winked. She untied it from her belt loop and held it out for Massie to feel.

“Not
that,”
Massie said. “I’m talking about Strawberry and Kori. Those girls have
no
soul.”

“Done,” Alicia said. “And third?”

“Third is do it NOW,” Massie said.

“Done.” Alicia quickly pulled out her cell phone and used her family account to order a Town Car before Massie changed her mind.

Alicia found Kori and Strawberry standing in the far corner of the studio by the food table while Lucinda met with the rest of the group in a private huddle thirty feet away.

“Why are you all the way over here?” Alicia asked.

“She doesn’t want us to listen.” Strawberry sneered at Lucinda. “We’re not models.”

“I’m so canceling my
Teen Vogue
subscription,” Kori said. She dropped her shoulders and shot her pelvis forward.

Alicia checked her watch. “Wanna go outside for a minute?”

“Sure,” Kori said.

“You may want to grab your stuff.”

“You mean you’re letting us go home early?” Strawberry asked hopefully.

“Yeah.” Alicia sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry—we’ve been dying to go home. This has been the worst weekend ever,” Strawberry said.

“It has, hasn’t it?” Alicia agreed.

“Beyond,” Kori said.

When they pushed open the heavy studio door and stepped outside, all three girls squinted while their eyes adjusted to the light. The sun had burst through a break in the clouds and the air smelled like clean sheets. The falling snow had started to accumulate and the hectic city was silent and peaceful.

The burgundy Lincoln Town Car pulled up in front of the studio door fifteen minutes later. The driver rolled down his window and held out a sign that said Kori, Strawberry.

“Here’s your ride,” Alicia said.

“Thanks.” The girls hugged Alicia good-bye and practically dove into the car when the driver opened the back door. They waved as they rode away and didn’t stop until they were far down the street. Alicia couldn’t help smiling as she waved back. It was the perfect end to a perfectly awful day.

Alicia rubbed her cold hands, then glided back into the studio. She was ready to apologize to the others and start making up for lost time.

“Brilliant,” she heard Lucinda say when she got back upstairs. “That’s a wrap.” Everyone started clapping and cheering.

Alicia froze. They had finished the shoot without her.

When Massie saw Alicia, she marched straight up to her and looked her directly in the eye. “
Now
we’re even,” she said with a cocky half smile.

Alicia opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. There was nothing left to say.

O
CTAVIAN
C
OUNTRY
D
AY
S
CHOOL
T
HE
C
AFÉ

12:39
PM
December 19th

Ever since the
Teen Vogue
shoot, Massie had given Claire permission to eat at number 18. But most days Claire chose to sit at number 2 with Layne, Meena, and Heather. It was the only time she got to spend with Layne now that she carpooled with the Pretty Committee. But this was a special occasion and Claire didn’t want to be late.

“Layne, if you don’t hurry up and finish your chicken fingers, I’m going to Massie’s table without you,” Claire said, feeling extra-springy in her new Keds. They had a cluster of star and moon charms dangling off the tongue, which was probably why Massie said, “They’re a little better than the old ones,” when she saw them.

“I’m coming,” Layne said, taking one last bite of her lunch before dumping the rest of her chicken in a Ziploc. She zipped it up and dropped the leftovers in her Sunshine Tours bag. Meena and Heather shrieked.

“Happy?” Layne asked Claire, pulling the fake Louis Vuitton scarf out of her pocket and wiping her hands.

“I thought you left that in the parking lot,” Claire said.

“I went back and got it when you guys drove off.” Layne shrugged. “It’s surprisingly absorbent.”

Claire, Meena, and Heather laughed. Layne shook the crumbs off the scarf and stuffed it back in her bag.

“Can we
go
now?” Claire hardly ever reacted to Layne’s weird eating habits anymore. She accepted them along with the rest of the quirks that made her best friend so much fun to be around.

“What’s the big hurry?” Meena asked. She lowered her wide hazel eyes and admired the henna tattoo on her own hand.

“I told you,” Claire said, half knowing the girls were just giving her a hard time. “Lucinda sent copies of the pictures she’s putting in the magazine and Massie is showing them to all of the models at 12:40
PM
.”

“Who’s Lucinda again?” Heather smiled, flashing her new multicolored braces.

“Shut up.” Claire threw her napkin at Heather and they all laughed.

“When do the lowly non-models get to see the pictures?” Meena raised the back of her hand to her forehead and turned her head to the side.

“They are open to the public at 12:50
PM
sharp; that’s why I have to go
now,”
Claire said, checking her pink Baby G-Shock watch. “I would have invited you, but I’m only allowed to bring one
non-model
.” Claire made air quotes when she used Meena’s word.

“Eat your hearts out.” Layne wrapped her nubby Hello Kitty scarf around her neck and flicked the tip of her nose before she turned to leave. “Let’s go, Claire.”

Meena and Heather shouted, “Sellout,” and threw napkins at Layne’s back.

A line of curious students was already forming behind Massie’s table when Claire and Layne showed up. Massie’s expression was one of pure joy.

“It looks like you’re selling Justin Timberlake tickets or something,” Claire said to her.

“I know, they’ve been lined up since the beginning of lunch,” Massie said.

“Come on, let’s see ’em already,” Dylan said, reaching for the white cardboard envelope in Massie’s hand. But Massie quickly pulled it away.

“Okay, is everyone ready?” she asked.

“YES!” Kristen, Dylan, and Olivia said.

Everyone leaned in toward the center of the table except Alicia.

“What’s wrong?” Massie asked her.

“It’s not like I’m in any of them,” Alicia said lightly.

“Not true,” Massie said. “You’re in one.”

“You already looked?” Kristen said. “I thought this was the
first
showing.”

Massie opened her mouth to protest but let out a laugh instead. “Busted,” she admitted.

She opened the envelope and started passing out the photos. Every single shot showed the girls fighting.

“These are hilarious.” Dylan was looking at an image of herself with an elf on her back. His little finger was hooking the side of her mouth and pulling it back toward her ear.

“What about this one?” Kristen laughed and passed the picture to Olivia.

“Oh nooo,” Olivia said. “I’m so sorry.” It was a shot of her stuffing Santa’s fake beard in Kristen’s eyes while Claire tried to pry them apart.

By now the entire cafeteria was watching table 18—even some of the teachers were hovering. Claire finally lifted her head. “No way. The general public line goes all the way out the door.”

“Yes!” Massie threw her fists in the air when she noticed the hordes of people that were waiting to see her pictures.

“They’ve been standing for almost an hour.” Layne shook her head in disbelief as she glanced at the line, where several girls were eating their sandwiches. “They’ll do anything for a peek into the fabulous life of Massie Block. It’s shocking.”

“You’re here, aren’t you?” Kristen said to Layne.

“I’m supporting Claire.” She lifted her chin. “That’s the only reason.”

“Yeah, right.” Claire snapped a picture of the crowd with her digital camera.

“Lemme guess,” Layne said. “Another picture for Cam, right?”

Claire shrugged and smiled shyly.

“This is awesome,” Olivia said, looking around the Café.

Everyone at number 18 nodded in agreement and Claire felt like the natural order of the universe had been finally been restored. Kristen, Dylan, and Alicia surrounded Massie like the planets orbiting the sun, while Claire, Layne, and Olivia were like the stars, standing over them and twinkling with pride.

“I say we open to the public now,” Massie announced.

“But it’s not twelve-fifty yet,” Alicia said.

“Doesn’t matter.” Massie surveyed the restless crowd. “I don’t want them to lose interest.”

“Good point. Step right up,” Alicia called.

And for the next forty-five minutes they did.

The proud smile on Massie’s face was the last thing Claire saw before a mass of curious fans completely surrounded the leader of OCD’s infamous Pretty Committee.

Suddenly Claire had a tiny idea of what being Massie Block must feel like. Every day she had to make people
want
to be her and every day she had to somehow show them that it was a lot harder than it looked. And that was the one thing about Massie that Claire didn’t envy.

O
CTAVIAN
C
OUNTRY
D
AY
S
CHOOL
T
REE
-L
IGHTING
P
ARTY

6:00
PM
December 21st

The dark winter sky was filled with thousands of shining stars and the hickory smell of the bonfires was putting everyone in the holiday spirit. Massie didn’t even mind the sound of the OCD choir. In fact, she even walked toward them so she could hear them sing “Jingle Bells” under the tree.