The Pretty Committee Strikes Back Part 7

"Gawd, that keeps happening," Ma.s.sie fussed. "I have to get it fixed while I'm away."

"Can't you just call Derrington and find out who Josh likes?" Alicia begged. "Please."

"We don't talk on the phone," Ma.s.sie said.

"Wait, you make out but you don't talk on the phone?" Dylan said.

"Right," Ma.s.sie insisted.

A deep guttural gagging sound suddenly filled the room.

"Dylan," Alicia said.

"It's not me."

Claire looked at Ma.s.sie's ceiling, silently thanking G.o.d for the distraction.

"What?" Dylan asked. "I told you, it's not me. Look." She pointed at Bean. The dog was rolling around in her canoe, choking.

Ma.s.sie jumped out of her chair and raced over to her puppy. "Bean, what's wrong? What is it? Is there something in your throat?"

The dog kept gasping for air. She sounded like a car that was having engine trouble.

"Bean, please say something." Ma.s.sie started tearing up. It was the first time Claire had ever seen her get emotional in front of her friends. She rubbed the pug's back in a soothing, circular motion. "Cough it up."

While the dog was choking and Ma.s.sie was rubbing, Claire thought about Cam. She imagined telling him about this traumatic moment over e-mail or on the phone. He would probably get all quiet because he loved animals. And that would make Claire love him even more. Ugh! Why won't he just let me explain? Why did I have to kiss Josh? What's going to happen when Alicia finds out? Ugh! Why won't he just let me explain? Why did I have to kiss Josh? What's going to happen when Alicia finds out?

"Come on, sweet pea, you can do it," Ma.s.sie urged. "Cough it up." Suddenly Aibo's black plastic tail shot out of Bean's mouth. "Good girl! You did it!" Ma.s.sie hugged her puppy and rocked back and forth, her face buried between the dog's ears. "See, one little cough and everything's all better."

Claire covered her mouth and forced herself to cough too. But Ma.s.sie was wrong. Nothing had gotten better. Her life still sucked.

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL PARKING LOT.

Monday, February 23rd 8:11 A.M. A.M.

"Ehmagawd," Dylan squealed as Isaac pulled into the OCD parking lot. "There's Chris Plovert." She rolled down the window of the Blocks' Range Rover and stuck her head out. "I had no idea his father drove a silver Bentley." She unzipped her cropped black bomber jacket and fluffed her red curls. "Mark the time and day," she announced. "I am officially going for Chris Plovert." She watched him struggle to get out of the backseat and giggled sympathetically. First came the tips of his silver crutches, then the cast-covered foot, and finally the rest of his Adidas-clad body.

"Close the window." Alicia tried to block the sudden breeze with her hands. "My hair is getting stuck to my lip gloss."

Dylan rolled the window down even more. "No way, it's like sixty-five degrees out. We're setting a record today. Didn't you watch The Daily Grind The Daily Grind this morning?" this morning?"

Alicia twisted her jet black hair into a low ponytail. "No, I was too busy tweezing to watch your mother's show."

"Just roll it up, Dyl." Ma.s.sie fished through her pink Coach makeup bag. "I have to touch up my eyeliner and I don't want the boys to see."

"Ma.s.sie," Isaac called over his shoulder, "please wait until I've parked. I don't need you poking your eyes out while your parents are driving in the car behind me."

"If they weren't behind you, it would be okay?" Ma.s.sie joked as she pressed the b.u.t.ton that raised the gla.s.s part.i.tion between the front and back seats. She knew Isaac was just being his usual overprotective self, but she didn't have time to humor him. The Briarwood boys were a few feet away and her eyes were red and gla.s.sy. But what did she expect? She hadn't finished packing until midnight, and then she'd taken notes on William Cane's book The Art of Kissing The Art of Kissing so that her second MUCK session would go better than the first. If it weren't for sugar-free Red Bull, she never would have finished the whole thing. And she certainly never would have been awake at 5:30 a.m. when Jakkob had arrived to fix Claire's bangs. The early-morning house call had cost three hundred dollars but it was worth it. When he was done, Claire no longer looked like she had walked into an electrical fence. She had been transformed into one of those ah-dorably stylish French schoolgirls who have super-short bangs and cool notebooks. so that her second MUCK session would go better than the first. If it weren't for sugar-free Red Bull, she never would have finished the whole thing. And she certainly never would have been awake at 5:30 a.m. when Jakkob had arrived to fix Claire's bangs. The early-morning house call had cost three hundred dollars but it was worth it. When he was done, Claire no longer looked like she had walked into an electrical fence. She had been transformed into one of those ah-dorably stylish French schoolgirls who have super-short bangs and cool notebooks.

Now it was Ma.s.sie who needed the makeover. She looked like she had just spent a month in OCD's overchlorinated pool with her eyes open. She needed to apply Nars's Parrot Cay eyeliner to the inside of her lower lids to offset the redness ASAP.

"Do you think Cam will notice my new bangs?" Claire asked.

Ma.s.sie snapped the lid over the eyeliner pencil and dropped it in her makeup bag.

"Kuh-laire." Ma.s.sie sighed. "He may have one blue eye and one green one, but that doesn't mean the guy is blind."

"He's gonna fall in love with you all over again," Alicia gushed. "You seriously look cute now."

"It's true," Dylan added. "Cute in a legitimate way, not just a cute-for-you cute-for-you way." way."

"Thanks." Claire beamed.

"BTW, you guys have to help me find the girl Josh likes," Alicia whined.

"It's probably you." Dylan slowly shook her head, like they had been through this a million times before. "Every guy likes you."

"I know." Alicia punched herself on the thigh. "That's why this is so ahn-noying. He never talks to me."

"Maybe he's shy," Claire suggested.

"Or maybe he likes someone else," Alicia pouted.

Claire turned toward the window and bit her thumbnail.

Ma.s.sie felt the familiar vibration of a text message. She flipped open her purple-crystal-covered phone and opened the car door.

She acted like she was looking at the screen, but she was really focused on the white furry moccasins she had pulled over her dark True Religion jeans. She refused to read the message until her feet were planted safely on the ground. She was still shaky from the Red Bulls, and the last thing she needed was to wipe out in front of the boys.

KRISTEN: Hve fun _ I'll miss u. Hve fun _ I'll miss u.Ma.s.sSIE: Sure we can't pay? Sure we can't pay?KRISTEN: Yup thx. Enjoy the weather, nature, animals, and hiking. Yup thx. Enjoy the weather, nature, animals, and hiking.Ma.s.sIE: And BOYS. And BOYS.KRISTEN: That 2. xoxo That 2. xoxoMa.s.sIE: Enjoy the mall. xoxo Enjoy the mall. xoxo Ma.s.sie dropped her phone into her metallic pink Coach tote. She knew the color violated the earth-tone-only mandate, but eventually everyone would have one and it was crucial that her public know who'd started the trend.

The Pretty Committee stood in a tight huddle on the curb while Isaac unloaded five cases of vitamin water from the hatch and Dylan's four Louis Vuitton suitcases.

Within seconds three cars caravanned into the s.p.a.ces behind the Range Rover. The Blocks stepped out of a white Mercedes they had nicknamed Moby, the Riveras got out of a limo, and the Lyonses emerged from a caramel-colored Ford Taurus.

The parents unloaded their daughters' bags and suitcases from the trunks and backseats of their cars while the girls tried their hardest to look casual, like going away with boys was something they did all the time.

Members of the OCD security squad made their rounds in golf carts, picking up bags and delivering them to the luxury bus that was parked in the middle of the lot.

A cart pulled up beside them, its driver so eager to help, he almost crashed into the red Mustang that was driven by Harris Fisher, Cam's hot older brother. The top was down and angry boy rock blasted from the speakers.

"Watch where you're going!" Harris held his fist on the horn as he pulled into the spot beside Claire's parents.

"Uh, where's your mom?" Claire asked Dylan.

"She'll be late," Dylan said casually. "Her live show ended at eight a.m. and she's coming all the way from the city. She may not get here before the bus leaves. That's why all my luggage was in the Range Rover. I thought I explained all that when I got in the car." Dylan shook her head and turned toward Ma.s.sie.

"Ohhhh, right." Claire watched Cam from the corner of her eye. He was yanking a blue canvas hockey bag from the backseat of his brother's car. He turned toward his brother: they mussed each other's moppy dark hair and high-fived goodbye.

"Kuh-laire!" Ma.s.sie snapped.

Claire whipped her head around. Her blue eyes were narrow with confusion, like she had just been woken out of a peaceful sleep.

"Be cool," Ma.s.sie mouthed.

Claire bit her bottom lip and shrugged.

"Ma.s.sie." Kendra Block tapped her daughter on the shoulder. "Is this everything?" She pointed at the five black Tumi suitcases that William had unloaded from Moby.

"Yup."

"I thought you had six bags, not five." She adjusted her oversize Chanel sungla.s.ses and ran her red manicured fingernails through her bob blowout.

"I do." Ma.s.sie patted her pink Coach.

"Okay then." Kendra snapped her fingers at the security guard who was waiting to transport her daughter's luggage. "I guess that's it." She gave her husband, William, a stern look. He immediately pulled out his platinum Tiffany money clip.

"Take good care of these girls." William Block loosened a fifty-dollar-bill and handed it to the driver.

"Daaa-aaad," Ma.s.sie groaned. She grabbed the cl.u.s.ter of chains around her neck and twirled them between her fingers. "This isn't an airport." She turned away from her father and rolled her eyes so her friends would know she did not approve of his ignorance.

Dylan and Alicia snickered.

"Much appreciated, sir." The security guard glanced around the parking lot, then quickly stuffed the bill into the back pocket of his navy polyester pants. He smirked at Ma.s.sie as he turned the key in his cart and putt-putted toward the bus.

"LBR," Ma.s.sie muttered under her breath. It didn't matter that he had no idea Ma.s.sie had just called him a loser beyond repair: it made her her feel better. "'Kay, we should start making our way toward the bus." Everyone was already there, greeting one another. feel better. "'Kay, we should start making our way toward the bus." Everyone was already there, greeting one another.

The girls quickly hugged their parents and thanked them for dropping off their bags. Then they linked arms, walked toward the bus, and didn't look back.

Ma.s.sie led them straight into the center of the group and immediately began accepting her round of morning compliments.

"Ma.s.sie, Iloveyournecklaces," Carrie gushed.

"Thanks, Carrie." Ma.s.sie quickly looked the girl over, looking for something nice to say in return. "I love how, uh, curly your curls look today. Did you start using a new conditioner?"

"No butIrinsedwithcoldwaterinsteadofhot," Carrie confessed.

"Brilliant." Ma.s.sie searched the crowd for Derrington. The bus was leaving at 9 a.m. sharp and he still hadn't arrived. What if he changed his mind and decided not to go? What if he changed his mind and decided not to go? She immediately tuned into Dylan's conversation, hoping a new topic would help keep her mind off her missing crush. She immediately tuned into Dylan's conversation, hoping a new topic would help keep her mind off her missing crush.

"Will you please please just breathe on me or something," Alexandra begged Dylan. just breathe on me or something," Alexandra begged Dylan.

"Believe me, Alex, you don't want the flu I had," Dylan insisted.

"But you look so good now." Alexandra tapped her green braces as she examined Dylan's body.

"Thanks." Dylan batted the air like it had been nothing at all.

"Ma.s.sie, you look like you've been blessed with the bug too." Alexandra turned away from Dylan. "You seem thinner than you did a few weeks ago."

Ma.s.sie knew her weight loss had come from a bad case of Derrington nerves, not that she would ever admit that to Alexandra. "Really?" Ma.s.sie looked down at her legs. "I've been eating a lot of cheese lately. Maybe that's it."

"Isn't cheese supposed to be really fattening?"

"Guess not." Ma.s.sie quickly repositioned herself so that she was facing Claire and Josh Hotz.

"Well, I love them." Josh tousled Claire's bangs. "They show off your big blue eyes."

Claire flashed him a fake smile, then nervously searched the crowd.

"Hey, there you are." Alicia stepped in front of Josh so she could lock eyes with Claire. "Uh, Cam's looking for you."

"He is is?"

"Yeah, he said he wanted to talk to you about something." Alicia tilted her head to the side and widened her dark brown eyes.

"Did he say anything about an e-mail?" Claire asked.

"I know what it's about." Ma.s.sie pulled Claire away.

"What is your problem?" Ma.s.sie hissed. "You know she has no clue you and Cam aren't hanging out anymore. She was just trying to get you away from Josh so she could talk to him alone."

Claire shook her head slowly, silently scolding herself.

"You need to start using your brain, Kuh-laire," Ma.s.sie continued, "because I am getting super-tired of looking out for you all the time. I have my own stuff to deal with."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ma.s.sie noticed Chris Plovert hobbling behind the rest of the guys from the Briarwood soccer team as they hurried to greet someone.

Ma.s.sie felt her stomach lurch. Derrington, the star goalie, had finally arrived.

Of course, he was wearing shorts, and not because of the record-breaking temperatures. Derrington would have exposed his knees if they were going to the Arctic Circle. It was just his thing. And as ridiculous as it was, Ma.s.sie had grown to like it. Besides, his messy blond hair, light brown eyes, and beaming smile were so ah-dorable, Ma.s.sie rarely felt the need to look below his neck.

Alicia sneaked up behind Ma.s.sie and Claire and threw her arms around them. "Whatcha guys talking about?"

Ma.s.sie got the p.r.i.c.kly sweats under her arms. Had Alicia heard what they were talking about? "Where's Josh?"

"Ugh, the second Derrington showed he left." Alicia rolled her eyes. "I swear, Derrington's like their gawd or something."

Ma.s.sie ballooned with pride. Her crush was the most popular guy in her grade. And she was the most popular girl. They were a perfect match, like DK and NY.

"But wait." Alicia paused. "What if he was just using that as an excuse to get away from me and find the girl he likes?" Her wide eyes narrowed as she scanned the crowd.

Ma.s.sie crawled out from under Alicia's arm. Claire did the same.

"Why are you so sure he likes someone else?" Ma.s.sie asked.

"Yeah, maybe he's just playing hard to get," Claire offered.