Part 10 (2/2)
”Ahhhhh,” Claire shouted back as she threw open the front door, bolted by her father, and took the peach carpeted stairs two at a time. ”You're early!” she called, silently telling herself not to worry about her toxic pits and limp hair. It wasn't the Pretty Committee on the other side of her h.e.l.lo Kitty stickercovered door. These were her down-to-earth, wear-the-same-pair-of-socks-three-days-in-a-row sisters sisters. She'd never cared about her looks before. . . .
After a quick extra-spitty lip lick (poor-girl's gloss) and a speedy cheek pinch (PG's blush), Claire barged into her lemon yellow bedroom, her bare feet sinking into the green s.h.a.g carpet.
”CLAIRE-BEAR!” The girls rushed toward her for a group hug, but Claire kept her arms pinned to her sides. It was either that or get nicknamed Bad Pitt by Ma.s.sie, should word somehow get back to New York.
”Where's the love?” Mandy pulled away, her thick black eyebrows more noticeable than they had been a year ago. ”You're so s-t-i-f-f.”
”Is that a Westchester thang?” Sari smiled, her thin upper lip disappearing against her slightly buck teeth.
”Or a New York tr-eeeend?” Sarah s.h.i.+mmied a like a limbo dancer preparing to slip under the pole.
Claire smiled warmly. Mandy still spelled! Sari still said ”thang”! And Sarah was still in-sane! Like an old song that brings back memories of a long-forgotten crush, these quirky traits brought Claire back to that place she was just before she moved. A place where gloss was saved for cla.s.s photos, blush was for Halloween, and body odor was perfectly natural.
”None of the above. I just have a little BO.” Claire giggled.
”More like MO.” Mandy lifted her long, thin arm and pointed at Claire's daisy fabriccovered twin headboard. The cheery white and green floral print had been poked with pushpins that held dozens of Pretty Committee photos. Shots of the girls lying on sleeping bags, piling in the back of the Range Rover, cheering at soccer games, carving the Chanel logo out of snow, dangling tuna sas.h.i.+mi from their mouths, latte-toasting at Sixbucks, flying the Gelding Studios private jet to Hollywood, and several silly fas.h.i.+on poses with the Ma.s.sie-quin were all on display.
”What's MO?” Claire asked, half smiling, half fearing the answer.
”Moved On.” Mandy pouted.
Claire's white-blond eyelashes fluttered in confusion.
”Or Ma.s.sie Obsession,” Sari twirled her long blond hair, something she always did when goading someone.
”Or Meeee-Oputer. You're my screen saver and and my wallpaper.” my wallpaper.”
Sarah pulled the picture of Cam out of her hair and pinned it back to the headboard, facing forward this time. ”Thank gosh Dial L for Loser Dial L for Loser was a flop, or we would have lost you forever!” was a flop, or we would have lost you forever!”
”Opposite of true!” Claire blurted, stealing one of Alicia's lines.
”Whaddaya mean?” Sari play-smacked Claire's arm. ”It tanked.”
Claire burst out laughing. ”I mean the part about losing me was opposite of true. I know know the movie tanked.” the movie tanked.”
They all cracked up a little more than necessary. And Claire couldn't help wondering if, like her, it was a way to release the stress that had been building up inside each one of them over the last year. Stress that came from constantly wondering if your best friend had found someone better.
But as they slapped the daisy-covered bed and wiped the giggle-tears from their eyes, the answer was obvious. They were back in a groove. And things would stay that way as long as Claire could show them that Ma.s.sie and the Pretty Committee hadn't changed her a bit. Which wouldn't be too too hard . . . right? hard . . . right?
CLIQUE novels by Lisi Harrison:
THE CLIQUE.
BEST FRIENDS FOR NEVER.
REVENGE OF THE WANNABES.
INVASION OF THE BOY s.n.a.t.c.hERS.
THE PRETTY COMMITTEE STRIKES BACK.
DIAL L FOR LOSER.
IT'S NOT EASY BEING MEAN SEALED WITH A DISS.
BRATFEST AT TIFFANY'S
THE CLIQUE SUMMER COLLECTION:.
Ma.s.sIE.
DYLAN.
ALICIA.
KRISTEN.
CLAIRE (Coming August 5)
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