Part 6 (2/2)
”You've been spying spying on us?” Kelsey's heart-shaped mouth fell open. She fanned her reddening cheeks and leaned against the kitchen table for support. on us?” Kelsey's heart-shaped mouth fell open. She fanned her reddening cheeks and leaned against the kitchen table for support.
”You said he was asleep asleep!” Zadrienne smacked his s.h.i.+ny forehead.
”I thought he was was!”
Claire stood back and grinned. ”My parents are not gonna like this.”
Kelsey's head tilted left-a silent plea for mercy.
Claire giggled. Like her father always said, things had a funny way of working out. ”Unless...”
”What?” Kelsey asked, biting her thumbnail.
”How did Adrienne get here?”
”Zayyyy-drienne,” he corrected.
The girls giggled.
”Whatever, how did he get here?”
”He drove,” Kelsey offered.
”Drove what what?” Claire began pacing like a frustrated interrogator.
”His Prius.”
”Kels, I better get going.” Zadrienne saluted, then hurried toward the side door. ”I'll call you later.”
”Wait!” Claire insisted with a swoosh of her Scarlett O'Hara dress.
Sarah, Sari, and Mandy air-clapped in antic.i.p.ation.
”If you drive us to the Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, wait with us until midnight, then drive us home, I'll keep your secret.”
Zadrienne opened his mouth in protest, revealing two rows of silver braces.
”And if you don't,” Claire continued, ”I'll make my parents fire Kelsey and arrest you for trespa.s.sing.”
The girls bounced with glee. Claire wanted to join them but forced herself to remain stern. There would be plenty of time for celebrating later.
”Zadrienne?” Kelsey pressed her dusty boyfriend for an answer. Kelsey pressed her dusty boyfriend for an answer.
”I don't have enough gas,” he tried.
”Aren't those things electric?” Mandy added.
”No!” he snapped. ”Besides, I promised my sister she could have it by eleven.”
”Better un-promise,” Sari hissed, her upper lip curling into obscurity.
Claire fought the urge to high-five her.
”Come on, Zay!” Kelsey pleaded.
He sighed. ”Fine.”
”Yeahhhhhhhhhhh!” The girls came together and hug-squealed for joy.
Minutes later, a bitter babysitter, her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, Scarlett O'Hara, Batman, Princess Fiona, and a b.u.mblebee were jam-packed in a little red Prius-heading for lights, cameras, and plenty of action.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY AIRPORTMERRI-LEE MARVIL'S NEW YEAR'S YVES PARTYFriday, December 31st9:01 P.M. P.M.
Navigating the packed dance floor felt different now. Glares and glances no longer felt like judgments. They felt like pleas for acceptance-as if these people suddenly knew that Ma.s.sie was the keeper of the purple stone. That she was destined to be the leader of something big, and that she would get right to it as soon as Blink 182 finished playing ”What's My Age Again.” Even the band seemed to know that Ahnna's reign was more done than disco.
That's about the time she broke up with me, That's about the time she broke up with me,No one should take themselves so seriously...
Ma.s.sie winked thank you thank you to Mark Hoppus while he was singing. And from where she was standing, it looked like he winked back to Mark Hoppus while he was singing. And from where she was standing, it looked like he winked back you deserve this you deserve this. And with that, Ma.s.sie pushed through the crowd with renewed force. Her shoves no longer said, Um, could you please make room?... Mind the toes.... Please don't trample me.... Um, could you please make room?... Mind the toes.... Please don't trample me.... They said, They said, Move! Do you know who I am? I said, MOVE! Move! Do you know who I am? I said, MOVE!
The Burberry Bunch were at the front of the stage, right where she left them. Their foreheads were slick with sweat, their voices hoa.r.s.e from screaming, and their pits ripe with the smell of Funyuns.
No one acknowledged Ma.s.sie when she joined their dance cl.u.s.ter. Had they even noticed she was gone? She reached inside the pocket of her dress and rubbed her thumb against the cool flat surface of the stone, releasing more of its power. Then she rubbed it again. And again...
She needed all the help she could get....
The performance ended with a final bang of the drums.
”Where were were you?” Ahnna snapped. you?” Ahnna snapped.
Ma.s.sie grinned. Her days of answering to Ahnna were almost over.
”Stawp smiling, it's not funny.” Ahnna peeled some sweat-stuck curls off her forehead. ”Since your your parents didn't want to spend New Year's Eve with you, parents didn't want to spend New Year's Eve with you, my my parents are responsible...” parents are responsible...”
Owie.
”... and they wanted another head count.” She paused dramatically. ”I had to lie, Ma.s.sie. Lie! Lie! Why? Because Why? Because you you were gone. Ah- were gone. Ah-gain! Do you know how that made me feel feel?”
”Like you're losing friends?” Ma.s.sie asked, stone-faced.
Shauna, Brianna, and Lana gasped then giggled. Ma.s.sie saw a glimpse of her future... a future with Friday night sleepovers, wardrobe summits, Isaac-driven mall trips, and a royal purple bedroom....
”How am I I losing friends?” Ahnna's brown eyes bulged. losing friends?” Ahnna's brown eyes bulged.
Ma.s.sie stood firm, despite the stream of people pus.h.i.+ng their way to the bar before the next performance. ”Because I have all the power now,” she bellowed, feeling like Moses in that old movie The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments.
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